Stern Pinball’s latest table explores the first two seasons of The Mandalorian and pushes the player to smack a Beskar ball across the galaxy to protect Grogu. This beautifully designed table features a giant Grogu statue, exclusive speech from actor Carl Weathers (in character as Greef Karga), and the show’s theme song with music from composer Ludwig Göransson. If you want to add it to your game room, it’s available now in three models: Pro (for $6,199), Premium ($7,799), and Limited Edition ($9,199).

The three models look different and offer several distinct features when the silver ball is in play. The Premium and Limited-Edition models feature a gravity-changing rotation Encounter. Stern’s announcement calls this feature an “innovative, motorized rotating playfield” that features six stand-up targets, lights, and two full-size flippers.” These models also offer a dynamic inner-loop shot that activates a horseshoe scoop ramp that Stern says delivers “fast, repeatable precision shooting.”

Stern is only making 750 units of the Limited Edition, decked out with a frame inspired by Beskar armor, exclusive inside art blades, an enhanced audio system, anti-reflection playfield glass, and a numbered plaque.

The artwork on all three versions spoil a number of the big surprises in the show, so you may want to avoid looking at the gallery below if you haven't made it through the second season yet. The attention to detail in this artwork is particularly impressive, as it captures most of the big moments and shows just how amazing this show has been.

When The Mandalorian's first episodes hit, I said this series would make a hell of a game. While I still want a console game, this surprising pinball release delivers just as much excitement. I just hope I can find a place that has it set up for play.

Click image thumbnails to view larger version

As we patiently wait for the next chapter in the Hellblade saga, the first game, Senua’s Sacrifice, just got a big optimization update for Xbox Series X/S. The 2017 action game, which already looked pretty sharp, runs better than ever thanks to tweaks that improve resolution, performance, and even adds a quality-of-life feature. 

Developer Ninja Theory, which is one of the third-party studios owned by Microsoft, announced on Twitter that as of today, Hellblade features ray tracing, 4K resolution, and 120hz refresh rate on both Series X and S. The team also dove in and spruced up some in-game details and particle effects. In terms of convenience, the game now has a nifty chapter select option as well. Here’s a trailer showing off the improvements in action.

Hellblade is currently available on Xbox Game Pass, so if you’re a subscriber that owns a Series X or S, this sounds like the perfect time to give it a shot. As for the upcoming sequel, Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II, it still doesn’t have a release window unfortnately. We also still don't know much about it other than that it’s being built in Unreal Engine 5, is set in 9th century Iceland, and still stars Melina Juergens as Senua. 

Ninja Theory has stated that it’s not treating Hellblade II as a direct sequel in the traditional sense, but it will likely be a while before we learn what that means as it's seemingly early in development. Although the game didn’t receive a proper showing during this year’s E3, Ninja Theory did share a behind-the-scenes update that week that you can watch here. 

If comments are still showing as disabled, a site update is happening on our side that has caused a temporary takedown. We hope to have them back up and running soon so our community can go back to sharing their thoughts with us about everything gaming-related!

Think you got what it takes to best Geralt of Rivia himself? Test your might at an official Witcher school. 5 Zywiolow (5 Elements) in Poland is a company offering to make those Witcher dreams come true with a plethora of events that will feature actual lessons in real Polish castles. While it's no Kaer Morhen, these castles will offer a realistic backdrop for training schools designed to make those Witcher goals an impressive reality. This is the official LARPing experience for Witcher lovers that is so much more than just mimicking such a beloved universe. 

I first learned about this school in a modding discord that focuses on The Witcher franchise, and it looks incredibly immersive. "Become a Witcher and live an adventure of a lifetime," boasts the school alongside a calendar of events that are being offered to give fans an authentic experience. At the time of writing this, there are four events in total coming soon. There is one "Polish Edition" and three "International Editions" with the below dates: 

• Grodziec Castle from September 9-12, 2021
• Moszna Castle from October 3-6, 2021
• Moszna Castle from October 7-10, 2021
• Czocha Castle from October 28-31, 2021

During these three-night events, Witcher trainees will spend the night in the aforementioned castles, where they will learn sword fighting, archery, and so much more. There will be dozens of experienced actors taking on the role of teachers for the LARPing experience, as well as a specially made costume that can be yours to keep if you want. The entire training course is meant to be realistically modeled after the world we were introduced to in the novels and the games they inspired. While I can't promise you'll get a Netflix series adapting you as the main character, it does at least look like there is a promise for an experience of a lifetime. 

To learn more about the various events coming up and what sort of COVID-19 safety precautions are in place, check out the full website for the Witcher school here! You can also check out the Polish adventure in the video at the top of the article. 

If comments are still showing as disabled, a site update is happening on our side that has caused a temporary takedown. We hope to have them back up and running soon so our community can go back to sharing their thoughts with us about everything gaming-related!