Though COVID-19 means Christmas 2020 certainly won't look the same as previous years--big gatherings are still discouraged, and cross-country travel feels iffy--many families will still be putting up a Christmas tree, which means pulling out and hanging all the ornaments of years past. If your family likes to add new ornaments to the collection every year, you might be wondering what Christmas tree ornament to get for the gamer in your life. Though there aren't a ton of great gaming-related ornaments out there, we've done the work for you in rounding up the best Christmas tree ornaments to gift in 2020, several of which are new from Hallmark this year.Check out some of our picks for the best gaming (and gaming-adjacent) Christmas ornaments below, and for more gift ideas, see our 2020 holiday gift guide, including the best Nintendo gifts, PlayStation gifts, Xbox gifts, and PC gaming gifts. We've also rounded up the best stocking stuffer ideas for 2020, Funko Pop gifts, tech under $50, and more, so you're sure to find something for everyone on your list who's into gaming, tech, or pop culture. The Legend of Zelda Game Christmas Cartridge This 2020 ornament from Hallmark is one of our favorites, and it's proving popular with others as well, as it's been going in and out of stock on Amazon. It features the shiny gold Legend of Zelda NES cartridge, making it the perfect gift for old-school Nintendo and Zelda fans. See at Amazon NES Controller Christmas Ornament Hallmark's 2020 ornament line includes another nod to the NES, which celebrated its 35th anniversary this year, with this ornament that resembles the system's original controller. See at Amazon Mini 8-Bit Mario and Luigi Christmas Ornaments Alongside the NES, the Super Mario franchise also celebrated its 35th anniversary in 2020, so it's fitting to see these two 8-bit Mario and Luigi ornaments release just in time for the holidays. Available for $9 each, these tiny ornaments showcase the iconic sibling duo in their classic pixel-art styling. See 8-bit Mario at Amazon See 8-bit Luigi at Amazon Fortniate Battle Bus Christmas Ornament Fortnite is still one of the biggest games in the world, especially among young gamers, and this impressively detailed ornament features one of the game's most recognizable elements: the Battle Bus. See at Amazon Fortnite Llama Christmas Ornament Fortnite's colorful Loot Llama makes a great Christmas ornament and keepsake for fans of the battle royale game. Geek Store has several other Fortnite ornaments available as well, and the store has a two for $20 offer to help you save on multiple. See at Geek Store Minecraft: The Nether Christmas Ornament If you're shopping for a Minecraft fan this holiday season, this new ornament from Hallmark makes a cool and unique gift. It shows a slice of the game's menacing alternate dimension, the Nether, including one of its creatures, a floating Ghast. See at Amazon Minecraft Zombie Christmas Ornament We're not through with Minecraft just yet. This resin Christmas ornament features one of the Overworld's iconic pixelated foes, the Zombie. See at Amazon Joust Arcade Game Christmas Ornament This retro ornament pays homage to the 1982 co-op arcade game Joust. Not only does this ornament feature a remarkable level of detailed design; it also lights up and plays classic sounds from the game. See at Amazon Mario Kart Yoshi Christmas Ornament The last time we saw a new game starring the Super Mario franchise's beloved dinosaur Yoshi was in 2019 with the release of Yoshi's Crafted World--but that doesn't mean he doesn't deserve a spot on your tree. This 2020 ornament features Yoshi as he appeared in the 2001 Game Boy Advance game Mario Kart: Super Circuit. See at Amazon Baby Yoda (The Mandalorian) Christmas Ornament There are a lot of Baby Yoda ornaments out there this holiday season, but this is the cutest one--and as a result, it keeps selling out. Assuming you can nab it in stock at Amazon or elsewhere, this keepsake ornament featuring The Mandalorian's best baby would add a hefty dose of cuteness to any Christmas tree. See at Amazon Super Mario Bowser Christmas Ornament Mario's ultimate foe and the king of the Koopas, Bowser, looks particularly ferocious in this Christmas ornament from Hallmark. See at Amazon Marvel's Spider-Man Christmas Ornament Spider-Man: Miles Morales, the next game in PlayStation's web-slinging hero series, releases this holiday season, and though there aren't any ornaments for Miles just yet, Spidey fans will still appreciate this ornament featuring Peter Parker's Spider-Man. This neat Christmas ornament has the hero posing from an upside-down position as he hangs from his web, waving hello. See at Amazon Pikachu Christmas Ornament Eight full generations of Pokemon have been released in the nearly 25 years since the series' Japanese debut, but there's no question Pikachu is still one of the most recognizable and popular characters from the franchise. This ornament shows Pikachu looking particularly fierce, as though he's dashing to perform Thunderbolt on an opponent during battle. See at Amazon Eevee Sledding Christmas Ornament Over on the official Pokemon Center website, you can buy this newly released and absolutely adorable Eevee Christmas ornament, which shows the Normal-type Pokemon gleefully riding a sleigh. See at Pokemon Center Star Wars: The Force Awakens BB-8 Christmas Ornament There's no shortage of Star Wars ornaments out there, but this new BB-8 ornament has to be one of the cutest. This highly detailed model shows BB-8 giving you a little thumbs-up, and it even plays some of the droid's memorable sounds from Star Wars: The Force Awakens. See at Amazon Destiny "The Stranger" Christmas Ornament Destiny 2's next major expansion, Beyond Light, releases November 10, and according to developer Bungie, it marks the beginning of a new era for the first-person shooter franchise. For Destiny fans, this Christmas ornament featuring the Exo Stranger would make a great addition to the tree. Geek Store also has a nice promotion on bauble ornaments--they're $5 if you buy anything else on site. See at Geek Store Doom Slayer Christmas Ornament Doom Eternal released earlier this year, and you can treat fans of the action-heavy shooter franchise to this little ornament designed to look like the Doom Slayer's head. He can take a break from mowing down the forces of hell to sit on your Christmas tree and look cute (but still deadly). See at Geek Store Street Fighter Ryu Christmas Ornament It's hard not to laugh looking at this spherical representation of Ryu from Street Fighter, and you're sure to get a smile out of any fighting game fans when they unwrap this ornament. See at Geek Store Gamer Santa Christmas Ornament We're a bit obsessed with this Gamer Santa ornament we found on Amazon. It's something about the inscrutable look on his face (is it joy? fear? shock?), the ambiguous controller, his wholly uncomfortable sitting position... we can't put our finger on it, but we love Gamer Santa all the same. And if you're not sure what kind of games your giftee is into--whether they play Destiny, Minecraft, Fortnite, or something else--they're sure to love Gamer Santa too. See at Amazon Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

After a year away, 100 Thieves is returning to the Call of Duty League and competing under the moniker Los Angeles Thieves. 100 Thieves purchased their re-entry by acquiring Immortals Gaming Club's OpTic Gaming LA slot.We’re coming home. @LAThieves @CODLeague https://t.co/Fx7aVCbc6A — 100 Thieves (@100Thieves) November 6, 2020100 Thieves is a gaming organization/lifestyle brand with multiple esports teams under its management. It is founded by a well-known and decorated Call of Duty player, Matthew "Nadeshot" Haag. The organization has also achieved impressive results in the CoD World League, including placing second place in 2019. To the surprise of many, 100 Thieves left the CoD esports circuit in 2019 when the new Call of Duty League launched. Haag cited the prohibitive cost of entry as the exit's reason. Activision priced CoD league spots at $25 million, so any organization needs that at a minimum in order to compete. It is undisclosed how much 100 Thieves shelled out for a CoD franchise.Haag explains 100 Thieves' change of heart by stating, "We won two Call of Duty championships in 2019 so our year away reminded us how amazing Call of Duty fans are, and how much we missed them. Our fans deserve the best Call of Duty team in the world - and we’re gonna do everything in our power to give it to them."Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Epic is giving V-Bucks bonuses to Fortnite players on iOS and Mac platforms, likely as an incentive to retain players who can't access Fortnite's updates due to Epic's ongoing lawsuit with Apple and Google.Here's how it works: For iOS players, Epic will give you a V-Bucks bonus equal to the amount of unspent V-Bucks purchased through the App Store. For Mac players, Epic will also give you a V-Bucks bonus equal to the amount of unspent V-Bucks purchased from Epic. The bonus is expected to hit accounts by November 9.Because Mac & iOS are blocked for Fortnite updates, we're beginning to grant a V-Bucks bonus for players on these platforms -- to spend on any platform. The V-Bucks grant is expected to be completed by November 9th. — Fortnite Status (@FortniteStatus) November 6, 2020For iOS players: the bonus received equals your current balance of unspent V-Bucks purchased through the App Store. — Fortnite Status (@FortniteStatus) November 6, 2020For Mac players: Anyone that's previously played Fortnite on Mac receives a bonus equal to your current balance of unspent V-Bucks purchased from Epic. — Fortnite Status (@FortniteStatus) November 6, 2020Starting from Chapter 2 - Season 4's launch on August 27, players on Apple devices haven't been able to access Fortnite's new patches and content. Players on iOS devices can only play with other iOS device users in Fortnite's Chapter 2, Season 3’s 13.40 version.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

With how much this year may have brought some people down, the holidays are a great time to cheer your loved ones up with the wholesome things they love, and there are few things as purely fun and inviting as Minecraft. The block-building survival game first took the world by storm over 10 years ago and has yet to let go.Because of Minecraft's massive popularity, many companies have licensed the series to make loads of great toys, games, and other products over the years. In fact, the sheer quantity of Minecraft items out there can make shopping for fans of the game a real task, but fortunately, we've scoured the internet for you and found the best Minecraft gifts for Christmas 2020. Keep in mind the prices shown below reflect an item's list price--with holiday sales in full swing, you could find a discount when you click through.If you're looking for more great gift ideas, take a look at our 2020 holiday gift guide, which includes the best Nintendo gifts, PlayStation gifts, and Xbox gifts as well as Fortnite gifts, Animal Crossing gifts, gaming Christmas ornaments, and much more. There are also a number of non-gaming guides, such as the best Lego sets, Funko Pop gifts, and Baby Yoda gifts.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

It's now pretty normal that when an older show hits streaming services, a few episodes don't make the transition for one reason or another. The Comedy Central classic, Chappelle's Show, is now streaming on HBO Max and Netflix, but without a particular episode.Starting November 1, HBO Max made Chappelle's Show, Reno 911!, Inside Amy Schumer, Nathan For You, and Key & Peele available for streaming. Netflix, too, is streaming Chappelle as of the first of the month.Neither service, though, includes Season 2, Episode 6: "The Internet & Moment in the Life of Lil Jon."Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales returns players to the New York City of its predecessor. But the political climate in the real world has changed significantly since Marvel's Spider-Man came out in 2018, with months of protests against police brutality taking place in cities across the country following the death of George Floyd in May. Insomniac Games' new title takes current events into account in an unambiguous way, paying tribute to the Black Lives Matter movement with a massive in-game mural that unlocks after you complete a line of sidequests.As Games Radar reports, you'll find the mural upon completion of a series of sidequests in which Spider-Man helps out various people in New York, and specifically in his home neighborhood of Harlem. When you knock out all the quests, you receive the Uptown Pride suit, which is black and yellow--the colors associated with Black Lives Matter. The cutscene awarding you the suit takes place in front of a mural featuring the slogan. Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Editor's note: Spider-Man: Miles Morales is releasing on November 12 for both PS5 and PS4. For this review, Jordan played on a PS4 Pro. Other GameSpot staff tested the game on PS5 and found it to be a largely comparable experience, with the PS5 version benefiting from improved visual flourishes and load times. For a technical-focused discussion of the PS5, and how Miles Morales benefits, check out our PS5 review.Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales feels like the second half to The City That Never Sleeps, a three-part follow-up expansion to 2018's Marvel's Spider-Man--the game even begins with the option to watch a short recap of the first game and its DLC in order to bring you up to speed on Miles' origins, reinforcing the notion that this is an extension of what's come before.And, unfortunately, the gameplay in Spider-Man: Miles Morales (which I will hereafter refer to as SM:MM because I'll be damned if I try to write a full review that cleverly tries to make a distinction between Spider-Man/Miles Morales the game and Spider-Man/Miles Morales the character; I won't do it) never quite manages to break free of that feeling. That isn't necessarily a bad thing--I like 2018's Spider-Man for its engaging combat loop, so I'm glad SM:MM emulates it. It's just that sometimes SM:MM can feel too similar to what's come before, which can get in the way of establishing Miles as his own brand of superhero. Regardless, the familiar trappings of SM:MM are used to tell an entirely fresh story with a few brand-new faces. And it's that narrative and those characters that manage to distinguish SM:MM as an open-world action game that's compelling to play.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

In its opening moments, Astro's Playroom literally describes itself as a tutorial. Specifically, it explains that the Playroom's light and lighthearted platforming levels are a means of showing off the special features of the PlayStation 5's new DualSense controller. Some, like the adaptive triggers, haptic feedback, and built-in microphone, are new. Others, like the touchpad and the gyroscope, are not. But they all distinguish the DualSense from its Xbox- and Nintendo-based counterparts. While Astro's Playroom absolutely goes out of its way to offer clever proof of the PS5's potential--the DualSense's new tricks, the improved visuals, the quick load times--the disembodied text at the start of the game sells Astro short. Playroom is an incredibly charming jaunt through a PlayStation-inspired digital theme park, ensuring that your first hop, skip, and jump of the PS5 era is wholly, unequivocally joyful.Astro's world--the literal playroom--is a cartoon fantasy-style interpretation of the PlayStation 5. The game's four levels and hub world are all named after the console's components, like "GPU Jungle" and "Cooling Springs." Inside, each is a dreamlike PlayStation playground; your typical platforming level locales, like "beach," "city," and "meadow," are decorated with computer chips and parts of PlayStations past woven into their fabric. Each one is densely packed with fun little scenes and interactive set-dressing. Astro's adorable bot friends hang out, play games, and cosplay as some of the platform's iconic characters, making every adventure feel like a party, too. Having the PlayStation hype-train baked into every nook and cranny of the world could have felt overbearing, but it's all very endearing. The level design is more clever than cloying, and the bots are all very cute and their happy vibes are surprisingly contagious.The PlayStation references are tied to collectibles, which fill up an interactive museum space called "PlayStation Labo." As you find puzzle pieces that turn to PlayStation-themed murals and giant virtual models, the space quickly turns into a very concentrated nostalgia hit for fans of PlayStation's history. It also gives you a place to use all the coins you've been grabbing: There's a gacha machine in the back that will sell you even more collectibles. That gives you a reason to go, but I found this to be the rare game where I actually wanted to survey the collectibles after I found them. That's partially because I enjoyed walking around and jumping on the giant PlayStation memorabilia, but it's also because the space, full of bots playing with PlayStation gear, felt more engaging than a plain menu or empty "viewing" space.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

The next big update coming to Borderlands 3 is the Designer's Cut, which launches on November 10. As the start of the game's second year of content, it introduces a whole suite of changes, upgrades, and a new mode for players to dive into and experiment with. Previously, we've shown off one facet of the Designer's Cut update in the form of the new skill trees and abilities for each of the vault hunters. However, the other significant addition coming is Arms Race, which adds in a new way to play the looter-shooter.We had the chance to get some early hands-on time with Arms Race, and experienced how much it changes the flow of Borderlands 3 and how it leans even further into the core gunplay of the game. To start the quest to play Arms Race, you'll need to access the player hub, Sanctuary 3. While exploring the main hall, players will get a message from returning Borderlands 2 vault hunters Axton and Salvador, who now host a new competition where players get dropped into a battle zone filled with new enemies, bosses, and some fresh loot.The new map is on Pandora, set in a place called the Stormblind Complex. Formerly a Dahl weapons factory, it's been turned into a large battle zone filled with treasure caches for Arms Race. You're dropped into a random section of the map, and much like in a battle royale game, you have to arm yourself with whatever gear you can find. In addition to coming into Arms Race without weapons or shields, your vault hunter will also have their action-skills and perks disabled--meaning that your survival all depends on quick reflexes and the loot you can find.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Two of Activision's most popular franchises are coming together for the first time. The publisher has announced a new crossover event of sorts that sees Crash Bandicoot-themed gear come to Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1 + 2.On November 6, new Bandicoot-themed gear is coming to the skateboarding game. Everyone who already purchased the skateboarding game will get 13 new Crash items for the Create-A-Skater mode. This includes nine shirts, three hats, and one skateboard deck. You can see a few of these in the images below.Gallery November 6 also marks the launch of the Birdman Pack, which will benefit Tony Hawk's The Skatepark Project charity--this was formerly known as the Tony Hawk Foundation. The DLC bundle comes with new boards from Birdhouse and Powell-Peralta, along with a new TSP deck made specifically for this campaign. The items, of which there are 10 in all, can be used in the Create-A-Skater mode.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

With Xbox Series X launching next week, the first full reviews have now been published, including GameSpot's. As fans await the chance to get their hands on one on its November 10 release date, one question stands out: How powerful is this thing? We've compiled a few review excerpts below to give you an idea of what critics think about the next-gen console.The general consensus seems to be that the Xbox Series X is a powerful console that drastically improves the current library of Xbox games but lacks killer apps that make jumping in at $500 on day one a tough sell. Features like Quick Resume and the impressive load times make gaming a cinch. But some say the console is "boring" when compared to how Microsoft started the last generation with the "all-in-one entertainment system" philosophy of Xbox One. The Xbox Series X plays games just as you want. It isn't interested in all of the entertainment capabilities and compatibilities the Xbox One was going for back in November 2013.Still, the next-gen Xbox--with its minimalist design that mimics a PC tower instead of a traditional console--packs a serious punch. On a specs level, the Xbox Series X seems to deliver more power than the PlayStation 5 for the same price, and that upgraded hardware makes a number of impacts on games. It'll be interesting to see how developers hone their technical skills while working with the Xbox Series X's hardware as the forthcoming console generation goes on. You can also look forward to our Xbox Series S review for a look at Microsoft's less-powerful new console.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Apex Legends Season 7 launched this week, and players are already frustrated with the new battle pass. They've found that it's far more difficult to level up now than it was in previous seasons."Overall this feels quite unrewarding," said Redditor looseygoosey11. "I don't think I'll have the time to max the battle pass this season and now I don't even really want to try. I honestly regret this purchase which is the first time that's happened for me and the battle pass."Respawn has implemented a new "battle star" system where players need to collect stars, which can be earned through challenges and playing regularly, in order to level up. Players need to earn 10 stars in order to level up, but stars are difficult to earn. When they are earned, they give players a fraction of the progress they received in previous seasons--one level in Season 7 takes the same amount of experience as four levels did in Season 6.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

The upcoming children's animated series Trolls: TrollsTopia will see its debut on two different streaming platforms on the same day: Hulu and Peackock. Typically, this would be a huge head-scratcher, as streaming services tend to retain exclusive ownership over their programming, but there is a reasonable explanation for this.Trolls: TrollsTopia is an animated series that follows the colorful DreamWorks characters on their next adventures. Both Peacock and Hulu released brand-new trailers for the show on their individual YouTube accounts for the show. So this may be a tad confusing for some people. Is this a Peacock original or a Hulu original?Hulu has multiple owners. Many people tend to associate the service with Disney--as you can bundle Hulu with Disney+ and ESPN+--but it actually has more than one owner. Disney owns 67% of Hulu, but Comcast--Peacock's parent company--owns 33%. So that's how both streaming services can debut this show.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

EA Play, previously known as EA Access, is joining Xbox Game Pass as a free add-on beginning November 10. You'll gain instant access to every EA game in the existing vault, but also access to its latest addition, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order.The action-adventure will be added to the service when it is folded into Xbox Game Pass, giving you a big single-player game to enjoy on your Xbox Series X and Series S at launch. EA hasn't announced any specific next-gen enhancements for the game, but you can expect the usual lower loading times and more-stable performance thanks to the more powerful hardware on offer. You can learn more about that in our Xbox Series X review here.You play as Cal Kestis in Fallen Order, one of the few Jedi fortunate enough to have escaped the deadly Order 66 that cut down the entire Jedi Order during the events of Episode III. Coming out of hiding and being forced to confront new menacing enemies that the Empire has dispatched to hunt you down, you'll visit a variety of planets and engage in challenging Souls-like combat with numerous force abilities and skills to unlock as you go.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com

Among Us players are flexing their creative muscles while making music videos in the popular game of deception. They've renamed their characters, planned choreography, and edited short clips together to create charming little movies to share online."It took us about six hours," said Redditor hoberti, who made a video for Lollipop by the The Chordettes. They renamed their character to match the lyrics of the song in each clip and use the in-game kill animation whenever the "pop" sound comes up.Lollipop from r/AmongUsAnother player made their own version of Spooky Scary Skeletons, a 1996 children's Halloween song by Andrew Gold, using only sounds from Among Us. They cut together clips of themselves walking, joining a lobby, venting, and other things to match the beat of the song. It's quite catchy.Continue Reading at GameSpotInfo from Gamespot.com