Donovan McNabb says Saquon Barkley landing the "Madden NFL 26" cover is "absolutely well-deserved" ... but breathe easy, Eagles fans -- the former face of the game tells TMZ Sports he doesn't believe in the infamous "curse" surrounding the honor.

We caught up with McNabb -- who graced the cover of the iconic series back in 2005 for "Madden NFL 06" -- and talked to him all about the running back joining him as the only other Philly great to receive the recognition.

McNabb believes the folks at EA Sports would have made the right call in either Barkley or quarterback Jalen Hurts ... especially after what they were able to accomplish in winning a Super Bowl this past season.

Bam Margera's holding out hope that he'll be included in "Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4" ... 'cause while the deadline for adding new skaters has passed, Bam's hoping his previous inclusion in the game will help.

We caught up with the pro skateboarder and "Jackass" star outside the Dream Hollywood, by Hyatt hotel yesterday ... and, we had to ask him about the greatest skater of all time desperately wanting him to be in the new video game.

Margera says he recently surprised Tony Hawk with his skills despite being a "professional pile of s***" -- his words -- but, after showing he's still a skater to be reckoned with, Hawk made a call and lobbied for his inclusion in the upcoming game.

"Minecraft" fans have been going absolutely ballistic in theaters thanks to a wild new trend that's even resulted in at least one police response ... and now some are trying to cash in!

Here's the deal ... "A Minecraft Movie" -- the video game film starring Jack Black and Jason Momoa -- has some teens going nuts ... trashing screenings when a baby zombie rides a chicken, AKA "Chicken Jockey."

Several videos have gone viral of crowds going berserk -- throwing popcorn, screaming, running, blowing airhorns, tossing confetti and even bringing in a freakin' live chicken! -- and now Etsy shops are getting a piece of the insanity.

Sabrina Carpenter’s fans have taken serious inspo from her sexual tour theatrics ... putting the new in-game Fortnite star in some seriously freaky positions.

The singer's now a Fortnite Festival game icon ... with her character picking up where her live performances left off, as seen in a wild clip of her avatar getting down in some very bold scenes.

The clip's set to SC saying "Have you ever tried this one?" -- which is what she says onstage before reenacting sex acts -- and her digitized alter-ego "skin" is no less brazen.

Bam Margera is featured in an upcoming "Tony Hawk's Pro Skater" video game after initially being snubbed, and it's all thanks to Tony having his back ... TMZ has confirmed.

Here's the deal ... Bam was not among the skateboarders announced for "Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4" despite being in the OG version, but after a recent push from Tony, Activision is including Bam in the game.

Our sources tell us Tony skated with Bam at the beginning of March and saw how well Margera was doing in his sobriety and wanted to get the "Jackass" star back in the game.

P2istheName -- a popular YouTuber -- has died ... TMZ has learned.

The online star -- whose real name is Philip Enewally -- was found dead on Friday in a mailroom, according the Los Angeles County Coroner. Details are quite sparse at the moment -- but we know the coroner's investigation is ongoing.

TMZ spoke with a family member on Saturday ... and she confirmed he died Friday night and asked that everyone please respect the family's privacy as they grieve. She directed fans to his channel to mourn.

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Looking to reach a new level in your gaming experience? You won't need cheat codes ... as we've  rounded up some must-have products to upgrade your setup!

From accessories like comfortable headsets with mind-blowing sound ... to high-definition consoles and modernized arcade machines, turn any room into a professional gaming station with these items from Amazon!

Upgrade to an epic new gaming system with the Sony Playstation 5 Pro Console.

TMZ may collect a share of sales or other compensation from links on this page.

When it comes to Pokémon merchandise, it might be impossible to catch them all, but hunting for the best is half the fun!

Now you won't have to look too hard as we've compiled some of the best items from video games to figures, plushies, backpacks and so much more.

Whether you're gaming at home, or on the Pokémon Go, looking for something stylish to wear, or to put on your kids' beds -- well, we've got you covered! So go ahead and have a (Poké) Ball capturing the best deals on the best merch right now!

Even though it's become a global sensation with a collectible card game, television shows, mobile games, and more, everyone knows that some of the best Pokémon content anywhere can always be found right back where it all started, on Nintendo.

Some of the New York Jets' recent front office moves were not based in reality, but off a video game -- at least, that's what one report is stating ... with Woody Johnson allegedly rejecting a trade for Jerry Jeudy due to the star receiver's 'Madden' rating.

The allegation is one of many laid out in a negative feature focused on Johnson in The Athletic ... which details how several anonymous players and staffers really feel about the guy.

The main takeaway is how most folks disagree with Johnson's decision-making ... and the most surprising example is when the Jets were close to landing the now-Cleveland Browns star before the Johnson & Johnson heir got involved.

When Luigi Mangione made his initial court appearance Tuesday in Pennsylvania after a nationwide manhunt finally ended a day earlier ... and along with his outburst at the cameras, came some trolling from onlookers.

Here's the deal ... Mangione was apprehended Monday at a Pennsylvania Mickey D's ... and hours later, the Manhattan D.A. charged him with murder in the brazen December 4 fatal shooting of Brian Thompson.

After his brief extradition hearing Tuesday ... Mangione was led out of the Blair County courthouse by police where a group of reporters and others screamed questions at him ... along with a very specifical taunt.

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Nothing brings a bigger smile to your favorite gamer's face than the hottest consoles, video games, and accessories on the market ... and Amazon's got some killer Black Friday deals on PlayStation 5 items.

Whether it's your first foray into a video game system ... time to upgrade to the latest and greatest ... or if you're just looking for the top games in the market right now for every type of gamer, these deals got you covered!

When it comes to the at-home console gaming experience, it's hard to beat the PlayStation 5. Not only does it offer the ability to produce 4K resolution at 30-120 fps in supported titles, it also featured full 3D Audio technology through built-in TV speakers or headphones.

The standard PlayStation 5 Slim Console also offers a 1 TB Ultra-High Speed SSD with Integrated I/O for faster performance, as well as a disc drive for those gamers who like to bolster a physical game collection. Modern gamers who prefer a digital collection can enjoy the same amount of storage at a slightly lower price without the disc drive in the Digital Edition.

• PlayStation 5 Slim Console
• PlayStation 5 Slim Console Digital Edition

If an NBA player isn't a fan of their 2K rating, they'll have to go about raising it the old-fashioned way -- hard work -- 'cause Ronnie 2K tells TMZ Sports he won't accept any bribes!!

We caught up with the face of the popular basketball video game franchise out at LAX ... and while he said plenty of hoopers have tried to shower him with gifts to increase their virtual abilities, he refuses to cave into their wishes.

"I have had all the bribe requests in the world," he said this week. "But those ratings are too sacred, I ain't changing [them]."

Savannah James is taking the NBA 2K "My Player" concept to a whole new level ... mom picked up the sticks to play as the human she birthed in real life -- her son Bronny James!

LeBron James showed off the funny video on social media ... with Savannah seemingly having a proud mommy moment, putting up shots as her (virtual) son on the hardwood.

"Only way you play the game, huh," James asked. "Only way I can get her to play the game."

Pokimane vs. Valkyrae are both expert streamers "IRL" and have shown up to play! These two gorgeous gals brought their a-game faces -- glasses and all -- but you can only put one of these specs-tacular pro's on your team, so the question is: Who'd You Rather?!

VOTE NOW!

The impossible has happened -- Kai Cenat and IShowSpeed have finally beat Minecraft Hardcore ... and it only took the duo a little over 105 hours to do it!!!

The widely popular Twitch streamers slayed the Ender Dragon around 2 AM on Thursday ... bringing an end to their marathon of a stream -- which included 42 in-game deaths that forced them to restart from the beginning each time. After the accomplishment, the two couldn't hide their emotions ... and for once, Speed was speechless.

For those not in the loop ... the two were playing a mode in Minecraft that features no respawns in the game. Each time Cenat and Speed died in the world ... the two needed to launch an entirely new game.