After months of silence, Nintendo finally shed more light on its premium online service for Switch. The subscription service launches this September and is required to play games such as Splatoon 2 and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe online, but it also comes with some additional perks for subscribers, including a library of classic titles.
Nintendo will offer subscribers to the Switch online service access to a selection of NES games as part of its "NES - Nintendo Switch Online" program. At launch, the lineup will consist of 20 titles, although the company says that more games will be added to the library "regularly."
Only half of the titles in the initial lineup have revealed thus far, but they consist of some of Nintendo's best-known NES games, including Super Mario Bros. 3, The Legend of Zelda, Balloon Fight, and Dr. Mario. The remaining 10 titles will be announced "in the future." The full list of confirmed NES games includes:
Balloon Fight
Donkey Kong
Dr. Mario
Ice Climber
The Legend of Zelda
Mario Bros.
Soccer
Super Mario Bros.
Super Mario Bros. 3
Tennis
On top of being able to play the classic NES titles solo, each one is playable online for the first time thanks to newly added online features. According to Nintendo, "Depending on the game, players can engage in online competitive or co-op multiplayer, or take turns controlling the action. Friends can even watch each other play single-player games online, and 'pass the controller' at any time." The NES games also support voice chat through the Nintendo Switch Online smartphone app.
In addition to the classic NES library, the Switch online service offers subscribers the ability to back up their game data via cloud saves. As mentioned above, it will also be required to play Nintendo games like the aforementioned Splatoon 2 and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe--as well as the upcoming Mario Tennis Aces and Sushi Striker: The Way of Sushido--online. However, Nintendo says that other Switch games "will vary," and players will not need to have a subscription to continue playing Wii U and 3DS titles online.
The Switch online service rolls out this September. Subscriptions will be available for one month (US $4 / £3.49 / AU $6), three months (US $8 / £7 / AU $12), and one year (US $20 / £18 / AU $30). Nintendo will also offer a Family Plan for US $35 / £31.49 / AU $55, which allows subscribers to invite up to seven other Nintendo Account holders, even on different consoles, into a family group and have access to the same membership benefits.
Nintendo has yet to announce if classic games from other legacy consoles, such as the Super NES and N64, will be offered on Switch, but the company did confirm that it will not bring back the Virtual Console service. In a statement to GameSpot, Nintendo said, "There are currently no plans to bring classic games together under the Virtual Console banner as has been done on other Nintendo systems."
However, while the Virtual Console moniker won't be returning, that doesn't necessarily mean that other classics can't appear on Switch in other forms. The company also reiterated, "There are a variety of ways in which classic games from Nintendo and other publishers are made available on Nintendo Switch, such as through Nintendo Entertainment System - Nintendo Switch Online, Nintendo eShop or as packaged collections."
Season 4 of Fortnite: Battle Royale's Week 2 challenges are now live, providing players who own the Battle Pass with seven different objectives to complete. Some of these make use of new Season 4 gameplay elements (such as Hop Rocks), while others offer more challenging tasks that could require the use of a map. Here are the locations for all the key objectives and some tips on how to complete them.
Among the challenges is the aforementioned one to consume Hop Rocks. You'll need to use seven in all--a task that's not especially difficult, provided you know where to look. Hop Rocks can be found in a number of places, but they're most abundant in Dusty Divot, the crater formed as part of Season 4's map update. Head there, and you'll find purple objects floating outside the fenced-in area surrounding the comet. Simply walk up to one and hold the same key or button you'd use to open a chest, and you'll consume a Hop Rock--temporarily granting you the ability to jump much higher than usual.
Another challenge is to dance in front of different film cameras. You'll need to find seven cameras in all; these are another new element introduced as part of Season 4, which features a moviemaking theme. This is as simple as it sounds--just find a camera and perform a dance emote in front of it. The only tricky part is tracking all of these down, and many are not in named locations. Luckily, there are more than seven total, so it's not as difficult as it could be. We're working on a map now, but among the areas where you'll find them are:
Risky Reels
Moisty Mire
Haunted Hills (two)
northwest of Shifty Shafts
northeast of Junk Junction
west northwest of Greasy Grove
The other more involved challenge for Week 2 is labeled by Epic as a Hard-difficulty one, meaning it nets you 10 Battle Stars, twice the number as most challenges. It asks you to search between a scarecrow, pink hotrod, and a big screen. This requires you to have either a strong knowledge of the island or a map--either way, you simply head to a point in between all three of the stated objects to find a Battle Pass icon you can collect by holding the Use button/key. This can be found directly east of Risky Reels.
The remainder of the challenges are fairly straightforward, though they may require some time and luck. You'll have to search chests in Greasy Grove, which is really just a matter of spending enough time in the area. (As always, check out attics when looking for chests.) Another asks you to deal damage with suppressed weapons to opponents (500) total, which is just a matter of happening upon the right weapon and then making use of it.
Similarly, you'll need to rack up three explosive weapon eliminations, which includes both things like grenades and rocket launchers. (Your best bet may be in a solo playlist, where you don't have to worry about downing enemies that can be revived.) And finally, you'll need to eliminate three opponents in Tomato Town. Just drop there at the start of a match and try to track down a weapon before anyone else.
For more help, you can also check out our Week 1 challenges guide, as well as our roundup of all Season 4 challenges. Completing these is the fastest way to level up your Battle Pass, allowing to get your hands on this season's skins and rewards.
Fortnite Season 4, Week 2 Challenges
Search Chests in Greasy Grove (7) -- 5 Battle Stars
Consume Hop Rocks (7) -- 5 Battle Stars
Deal damage with Suppressed Weapons to opponents (500) -- 5 Battle Stars
Dance in front of different film cameras (7) -- 5 Battle Stars
Hard: Search between a Scarecrow, Pink Hotrod, and a Big Screen -- 10 Battle Stars
It's a new week, so Sony has updated the PlayStation Store with a whole new set of discounts on downloadable games. For some of the deals, Sony is offering a small additional savings for PS Plus members. For others, everyone gets the same sale price. You can view the full list of PS4, PS3, and PS Vita games on sale here, or read on for our picks for the best deals in the bunch.
To kick things off, Ubisoft has sliced the prices of a bunch of its big games, ranging from the medieval brawler For Honor to the shooters Tom Clancy's The Division and Ghost Recon Wildlands; they're all available for about $20 regardless of your PS Plus status. For Assassin's Creed fans, you can get Origins, Syndicate, and the Ezio Collection on sale as well, for between $20 and $30 each.
As is often the case, Grand Theft Auto V is on sale for $30 this week, while the turn-based strategy game XCOM 2 will only set you back $20. Additionally, a bunch of smaller and/or indie games are on sale, including The Witness, The Disney Afternoon Collection, and Undertale. See below for details on the deals.
As promised, Nintendo has shared more details on the Nintendo Switch online subscription service, which is due to roll out in September. A post on Nintendo's website explains that the service will offer "Save Data Cloud" backup, which sounds a lot like cloud saves.
This is great news, as it means you don't have to worry about losing progress. Cloud saves are available with Xbox Live Gold and PlayStation Plus as well, along with Steam and others.
— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) May 8, 2018
Additionally, you'll get access to a library of 20 NES games at launch, and more will be added "regularly," Nintendo says. This service is called "NES - Nintendo Switch Online," and the launch titles include the 10 listed below--including Super Mario Bros. and The Legend of Zelda--and 10 more to be announced later.
Soccer
Tennis
Donkey Kong
Mario Bros.
Super Mario Bros.
Balloon Fight
Ice Climber
Dr. Mario
The Legend of Zelda
Super Mario Bros. 3
According to Nintendo, "every classic game" in the NES catalog will have some form of online functionality. "You can compete (or cooperate) online with friends, share your screen, or pass the controller, depending on the game," Nintendo said. Additionally, using a dedicated app for the Switch online service, you can use voice chat.
The Switch's paid membership program was originally supposed to launch in late 2017 before Nintendo delayed it to 2018. Subscriptions will be available for 1 month (US $4 / £3.49 / AU $6), 3 months (US $8 / £7 / AU $12), and 12 months (US $20 / £18 / AU $30). Additionally, a Family Membership will be available for US $35 / £31.49 / AU $55. The family plan allows a Nintendo Account holder to "invite up to seven others to join a family group," and every member of the group will have access to the online membership benefits.
By comparison, Xbox Live Gold and PlayStation Plus cost US $60 / £50 (£40 for Xbox Live Gold) / AU $80 for a year.
Since launch, online play for all Switch games has been free. That will change in September when the paid service rolls out. At that time, you will need a membership to play Splatoon 2, Arms, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Mario Tennis Aces, and Sushi Striker: The Way of Sushido online. Other games may or may not require a membership, Nintendo said. Nintendo will share more details at a later date about how you will know if a game requires a paid membership or not.
Here are some other important details about the Nintendo Switch online membership, as pulled from a FAQ on Nintendo's website:
If you own multiple Switch consoles, you do not need a separate paid online subscription. "Nintendo Switch Online can be used on any device by signing in with the Nintendo Account that purchased the membership," Nintendo said.
Individual memberships are only available on the basis of one per Nintendo Account. But as mentioned, you can buy the $35 family plan to get a subscription for up to seven other Nintendo Accounts.
You can create a Nintendo Account Family Group starting on May 15. As mentioned, a family group can support up to eight Nintendo Accounts.
The Switch online membership only pertains to Switch; not Wii U or 3DS.
You don't necessarily need a Switch online membership, as things like access to the eShop, friend registration and management, and screenshot-sharing on Twitter and Facebook will remain available without a membership.
The second big DLC expansion for Destiny 2 is now available. Bungie has released Warmind along with update 1.2.0 and hotfix 1.2.0.1, bringing a variety of new content to the game on PS4, Xbox One, and PC--both for those who own the DLC and those who do not.
Warmind introduces a new campaign set on Mars, where players have to deal with the Hive as they explore the birthplace of Rasputin, a Warmind that's been involved with Destiny's story before. Satellites still in orbit from the Golden Age begin crashing into Mars, causing glaciers to melt, revealing Rasputin's core and Hive enemies that had been frozen. There's new gear to acquire--including a variety of Exotic weapons and armor--Crucible maps, a Raid Lair, and a new horde mode-style activity called Escalation Protocol.
Those playing on PS4 will, as in the past, get more content than Xbox One and PC players for a period of time. Warmind comes with an additional Strike and armor for each class on PS4. These will eventually come to other platforms, but not until at least Fall 2018.
Warmind's new Crucible maps are actually available to all players due to a change made with update 1.2.0. All DLC maps can be played in matchmaking, but you'll need to own the expansion to play them in private matches--another newly added feature. The patch makes numerous gameplay changes, including updates to most of the game's Exotic weapons to help them feel more viable and distinct.
Update 1.2.0 also marks the start of Season 3 in Destiny 2. It introduces Crucible rankings, giving you new means of progression--and ways to acquire rewards--in the PvP multiplayer mode. You can see everything that's changed in the full patch notes on Bungie's website. The update is followed up by a small hotfix patch, 1.2.0.1.
In the months following its September launch, Destiny 2 developer Bungie has been in a tight spot trying to keep its community happy. Despite a solid start that showed stronger storytelling, quest variety, and sense of progression compared to the original, the sequel eventually fell into the same pitfall that its predecessor did: there's just not much to do in Destiny 2 if you're in it for the long-haul.
During the developer's recent livestream showcasing many of the points of interest in the upcoming Warmind expansion, they were frank about their attempts to address the problems regarding challenges, content diversity, and the steep grind the Destiny 2 community has been unhappy with--me included. While I really enjoyed Destiny 2 in its early months--even clearing the game's story and reaching Raid status with three characters--my enthusiasm for the game quickly dropped after Curse of Osiris.
As the May 8 release date for Warmind draws closer, it's worth considering whether Bungie's recent seasonal updates and the upcoming expansion can fix the game's issues relating to its grind and the resulting fatigue.
To start, let's take a look at the current state of Destiny 2. Since the release of December's Curse of Osiris DLC, which included forge weapons, new story missions, and a new Raid Lair (an additional area to explore in the Leviathan Raid), Bungie has introduced seasonal updates, offering scheduled tweaks to improve the core game. During the ongoing Season 2, quality-of-life updates such as new Crucible and Nightfall rewards, weapon and class rebalancing, Masterwork weapons, tweaks to Exotic drop rates, and changes to the sandbox exploration were introduced. Destiny 2 is all the better for these additions. However, the game still needs to make larger attempts to figure out how to combat the slump that makes it hard for players who may have fallen out with the game to want to come back.
One of the biggest problems with the original Destiny was that it was easy to exhaust much of the game's content given its relatively brisk campaign and focus on repeating missions and events. This was a symptom of the original game's growing identity, which it slowly developed over the course of its first year--resulting in the fantastic, game-changing expansion The Taken King. Destiny 2 has a greater sense of itself and is smart about how it manages to make things interesting during the early months, but it quickly falls victim to the recurring issue of player engagement, along with a series of poor matchmaking, quest design, and shallow endgame content.
One issue that's arguably worse in the sequel is that it's difficult to measure progress gained after reaching a certain point after the campaign's completion. While reaching Raid status was the benchmark, the pursuit of that often forces players to go through a series of hurdles to make it. Players will eventually find themselves having to repeat the same content with continually diminishing returns--made worse by some odd drop-rates and occurrences of repeat loot that Bungie have attempted to address with recent patches. While this is inevitable for many online games focusing on the grind, other titles have made that pursuit of fresh loot engaging in the long-term, but Destiny 2's approach to the endgame cycle makes for a largely futile and exhausting experience. When your efforts to progress seems to conflict with the game's grind--which is supposed to fun and challenging, but comes off as taxing--then it creates a sense of angst among the community, making them feel like their time isn't being well-spent.
The Warmind expansion shows more of an earnest attempt on the developers' part to address these concerns. Focusing on a return trip to Mars, players will explore a new region called Hellas Basin and take on new missions and world events. In addition to new story characters to interact with, new bosses to fight, and new Exotics to find, the expansion also features a different approach to world quests. With Escalation Protocol, you'll be able to tackle a horde-mode style mission in the sandbox, taking on waves of Hive in order to reach the boss of the world event. Unlike other world events tied to specific schedules, Escalation Protocol is activated at any time after finishing the main story. Moreover, you can join other players who are engaged in their own events--even if you haven't reached the DLC campaign's conclusion.
While this side mission is a smaller remedy to Destiny 2's issues--and it's similar in design to The Taken King's Court of Oryx event--it still represents one of the more reassuring aspects of Warmind. As one of the key ways to acquire higher-end gear outside of the new Raid Lair, Escalation Protocol can be done at your leisure--which cuts back on general fatigue and frustration, making it feel like you have more control over what kind of rewards the game can offer you. This is a stark contrast to how gaining higher-end gear worked in Curse of Osiris, which placed its Lost Prophecies behind arbitrary gating. By leaning into systems that focused on grinding and sticking players in situations where they had to wait for stuff to happen, it personally made me less inclined to want to finish playing through more of the campaign's endgame content.
This also goes into the heart of the issue with Destiny 2, in that it has trouble respecting the average player's time. With Raids being commitments of several hours, PvP rewards being mostly middling and too dependant on whether you have a good team, and Nightfall and Heroic quests requiring players to repeat the same tired quests over and over, the game struggles with allowing meaningful gains to be made in short bursts. When the systems designed to keep players playing are too tiring to enjoy in the long-term, then it calls into question the structure that houses all the content you want to explore.
Warmind doesn't sound like a major revision, unfortunately. Having said that, what I find interesting about the expansion is that it feels awfully nostalgic of Destiny 1. With the return to Mars, the Rasputin AI finally being given some more attention, and Exotics like the Suros Regime making a comeback, the expansion seems to know how to perk up some returning players. But in truth, making Destiny 2 more enjoyable and less of a slog isn't just about adding in more weapons and armor, new areas to explore, and new story quests. It's about offering those great heroic moments and making them feel like they matter long after your quest's completion--as opposed to being just another moment in a long series of moments during a grind for better gear.
Destiny 2's new expansion seems like a step in the right direction. Not big steps, but movement towards progress all the same. With Season 3 starting on the same day as the DLC's launch, Bungie will be adding in more quality-of-life changes including additional vault space, private matches, an emote wheel, and Exotic Masterwork weapons. Destiny 2 is still a solid first-person shooter with some of the best-controlling action and gameplay in the genre, and while it feels like we're about due for this game to have its own Taken King-style expansion that fleshes out its core in the right ways, Warmind does show a greater awareness of what Destiny 2's issues are--and how it best tries to improve itself.
It only took nearly 27 years but, at long last, a new Bill & Ted movie is officially in the works--with original stars Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter signed on to return. The project has been in the works for several years, though it never seemed to quite come together. Things have changed, as the threequel--Bill & Ted Face the Music--is now in pre-production.
The news comes from Deadline, which reports the film's international rights will be sold at Cannes. In the United States, Face the Music will be released by MGM under the Orion Pictures banner that distributed the first two movies. The script for the new installment has been written by Chris Matheson and Ed Solomon--the scribes behind the original films--and Galaxy Quest director Dean Parisot helming the next adventure.
"We couldn't be more excited to get the whole band back together again. Chris and Ed wrote an amazing script, and with Dean at the helm we've got a dream team," Reeves and Winter said in a statement. Winter further commented on Twitter, writing that he and Reeves were tuning up their air guitars.
The movie sees Bill and Ted all grown up and having failed at writing music to bring the world together. According to a plot description from Deadline, "With the fabric of time and space tearing around them, a visitor from the future warns the duo that only their music can save life as we know it." That leads the two best friends on another trip through time to find inspiration--and this time their daughters go along for the ride.
There is no set release date for Billy & Ted Face the Music at this point--or even a production start date. However, for longtime fans of the franchise, this is the good news they've been waiting for. The much-anticipated third Bill & Ted movie has moved beyond the stage of simply talking about it--the work has finally begun.
Avengers: Infinity War leaves viewers wanting more, and it follows up with a brief post-credits sequence that hints at what's coming next. But directors Joe and Anthony Russo considered breaking with Marvel Studios tradition and having no post-credits scene at all. Spoilers for Avengers: Infinity War follow.
The film ends with the villainous Thanos ultimately accomplishing his goal: obtaining the remaining Infinity Stones, slotting them into his golden glove, and snapping his fingers to wipe out half of all life in the universe. It's a particularly dour ending, especially given that we see his action wiping out several Marvel heroes big and small, including Spider-Man, Black Panther, Star-Lord, and many others. The directors thought about leaving it on that dark note.
"We debated having no tags in this movie," Joe Russo told Entertainment Weekly. Anthony added, "Part of it was because we knew the ending was a complicated ending, a difficult ending, and we wanted that ending to be very definitive. We didn't want to complicate it with other ideas. So there is one tag that puts a small button it, but that's it."
That small button leaves viewers with a tiny bit of hope. After witnessing the purge, Nick Fury and Maria Hill start to fade away themselves, but not before Fury sends out an emergency distress signal. The logo that appears is a clear nod to Captain Marvel, a powerful hero in the Marvel universe whose movie is due out next March. She's presumably the cavalry coming to help turn the tide, and her standalone movie will explain what she's been doing in the meantime.
Rockstar Games has released even more new screenshots from the studio's upcoming and highly anticipated western Red Dead Redemption 2. The images, which were released on Rockstar's own website, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages, show off main character Arhur Morgan and other members of the Van der Linde gang. They also show Morgan hunting with a bow, a dramatic shootout, a quiet moment around a campfire, and Red Dead Redemption 1 protagonist John Marston.
You can see all of the images in the gallery below. Click each image to show a full-size version. You'll want to do that, as the images are quite lovely to look at and include some interesting details in the background. Have a look:
These images follow a batch of six fresh images from last week that showed a snarling bear, brutal combat, and hanging ducks--check them out here.
Red Dead Redemption 2 is set in 1899 America, 12 years before the events of 2010's Red Dead Redemption. The story picks up after a robbery goes wrong, with Morgan and the gang on the run; federal agents and bounty hunters are tracking them down. "As deepening internal divisions threaten to tear the gang apart, Arthur must make a choice between his own ideals and loyalty to the gang who raised him," reads a line from Rockstar's official description of the story.
Red Dead Redemption 2 launches on October 26 for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. In other news, PS4 players will get to play some of the game's online content before Xbox One users.
Amazon's Lord of the Rings TV show is one of the biggest productions currently in the works across the entire landscape of television. Per the supposed terms of an agreement between Amazon and Lord of the Rings rights-holders, the show must enter production within two years, so Amazon is understandably eager to get things going.
Now, Lord of the Rings fansite The One Ring is reporting that Amazon is "actively" connecting with "established" writers, directors, and showrunners to hear pitches for the show. Intriguingly, Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit director Peter Jackson is apparently on the list.
The One Ring didn't name any names outside of Jackson's, but it's exciting to think about being a fly on the wall at Amazon's offices as they hear pitches for the show. We know it's going to be a prequel set before the events of The Fellowship of the Ring. But nothing else is known at this stage. The universe that J.R.R. Tolkien created is rich and vast, with seemingly endless storytelling opportunities, so we're excited to learn more.
We have confirmed that Amazon is actively reaching out to multiple established writers, directors and showrunners for their visions of the billion dollar LOTR series. Peter Jackson is of course on the list... But one of many currently pitching. Tag who you want in the mix
J. Michael Straczynski--who created or co-created the shows Babylon 5, Crusade, Jeremiah, and Sense8--says he would "give a lung" to work on Amazon's Lord of the Rings show. Straczynski, who wrote the Clint Eastwood-directed Changeling, is a huge Lord of the Rings fan--he wrote a term paper in college completely in Elvish.
Hafþór JúlÃus Björnsson, who plays Gregor Clegane AKA The Mountain on Game of Thrones, is a force to be reckoned with in the novels and on the show. He's also a force in real life, as the actor, 28, recently earned the title of World's Strongest Man at a competition in the Philippines. Björnssonn, who is 6' 9" and weighs 400 pounds, won the title on Sunday, improving from his previous second- and third-place finishes over the years.
The event took place this month and was taped before its airing in the United States on CBS in June. You can see amateur footage of the finals in the YouTube video below. Among other things, Björnsson pulled a bus with a rope and deadlifted a car. You can see these incredible feats and more in the footage below in the video from Power Mafia (via NYT).
Celebrating his achievement on Instagram, Björnssonn quoted the Will Smith movie The Pursuit of Happyness. He wrote: "Don't ever let someone tell you that you can't do something. You got a dream, you gotta protect it. When people can't do something themselves, they are going to tell you that you can't do it. You want something, go get it. Period."
Björnssonn joined Game of Thrones as The Mountain in its fourth season. He's the third actor to play the character after HBO recast the role twice.
Twitch Prime is like the gift that keeps on giving. Each month, Twitch users with Amazon Prime get numerous freebies, ranging from free games to free in-game items--including free Fortnite gear. Epic Games has just announced Fortnite Twitch Prime Pack #2, which includes exclusive free cosmetics and other items for Fortnite players with Twitch/Amazon Prime subscriptions. Here's what you'll get and how to get it.
Starting May 9, Twitch Prime subscribers will be able to grab Fortnite Twitch Prime Pack #2. To claim your pack, link your Epic and Twitch accounts, then click on the crown next to the search bar on Twitch. Here's what you'll receive:
Exclusive Battle Royale Trailblazer Outfit
Exclusive Battle Royale True North Back Bling
Exclusive Battle Royale Tenderizer Pickaxe
Exclusive Battle Royale Freestylin' Emote
Note that, according to Epic's announcement, "While you can only claim your Twitch Prime loot on a single platform (PC, Mac, PlayStation 4 or Xbox One), your content is shared and available to use across PC/console and mobile, as long as you use the same Epic account. Content is not shared between Xbox One and PS4, even if you use the same Epic account."
Now is a good time to hop into Fortnite, thanks to the arrival of Thanos from Avengers: Infinity War. If you'd like some help completing this week's challenges, be sure to check out our guide to Fortnite's challenges for Week 2 of Season 4.
Here's some good news for anyone who owns an Xbox One and likes to save money: Amazon is running a massive sale on digital Xbox One games between now and May 19. It features tons of big recent games at discounts of up to 75% off. So if have some free hard drive space, take a look at these discounted titles to see if you want to add any to your collection.
In addition to all of these discounted games, many of their expansions and DLC packs are also on sale for similar savings. We've picked out some of the best deals below, but you can find the full list of sale items here.
In a move that could have made Avengers: Infinity War a much shorter film, Epic Games has nerfed Thanos in Fortnite. The new limited-time Infinity Gauntlet mode allows one player to acquire and play as the ultra-powerful Thanos, but just hours after it went live, Epic has decided Thanos was just too strong.
Epic confirmed in a post on Reddit that it's released a hotfix update that dials back the strength of Thanos. Before, a Thanos player had 800 health (which can't be regenerated) and 300 shields (which refill after securing a kill, which is easy with his supremely powerful abilities). That makes him extremely difficult to kill. And that's as it should be, given this is just a limited-time mode where balance is not the utmost concern, but it seemed he was just too dominant. As such, Epic has made the following tweaks:
Shield cap decreased from 300 to 200
Max Health decreased from 800 to 700
Laser damage vs. players decreased from 15 to 12
Epic also says it'll "continue monitoring feedback" in case further changes are needed, but this should give more players the opportunity to get a shot at playing as Thanos. The Infinity Gauntlet mode sees a comet crash down early in the match, leaving behind the gauntlet. Whomever picks it up becomes Thanos, but if that player is killed, the gauntlet is dropped and someone else gets their chance to role-play as the Mad Titan.
Still, actually getting your hands on the Infinity Gauntlet can be challenging, which makes sense. Luckily, we have some tips on how to become Thanos. If you're not lucky enough to get your hands on the gauntlet, you can also see what it's like to play as him in the video above.
The Infinity Gauntlet mode does not yet have an end date, but these typically run for about a week. Unfortunately, it won't be accompanied by any Marvel or Avengers skins. The mode debuted alongside the new 4.1 update, which increases the likelihood of standard matches ending toward the outside of the map.
While not nearly as significant as Fortnite's big 4.0 update that kicked off Season 4, Epic Games has released a new update, v4.1. It introduces some new content for both Battle Royale and Save the World modes, but undoubtedly its biggest addition is that of a new limited-time mode. Infinity Gauntlet is the recently announced Avengers: Infinity War crossover mode where you can play as Thanos himself.
The new mode is solo-only and plays much like a normal match. However, a meteor eventually crashes, leaving behind the Infinity Gauntlet for one play to wield. This transforms them into Thanos and prevents them from building or using weapons, but it provides them with significant powers to lay waste to the competition.
Otherwise, many of the changes on the Battle Royale side are bug fixes, although there are some other notable additions in the full patch notes. Most significantly, the likelihood of the final circle being located toward the outer edges of the map has been increased by 25%. Previously, matches were very likely to end toward the inner areas of the island, but Epic says this should "improve the variety of ending scenarios to outside the central region of the map."
Players can also now join the party of players who are currently in a match. While they'll still have to wait for the match to end to begin playing with those party members, it will let them get updates on things like how many players are still alive.
One other thing to be aware of is specific to Fortnite Mobile players. The auto-run feature added in the 4.0 update has been disabled "due to some unintentional actions occurring when using it." So if you're wondering why you aren't being prompted to enable auto-run after moving for several seconds, it's because Epic has removed that prompt for now.
Fortnite's Save the World mode typically doesn't get the same level of attention as the much more popular Battle Royale, but it does get a nice piece of new content with this update. A new light machine gun called the Hacksaw has been added, which Epic says is "best used when stationary, aiming down the sights, and firing in short bursts."
Update 4.1 releases alongside not only the aforementioned Infinity Gauntlet mode, but also Week 2 challenges for Battle Pass owners. These leaked ahead of time and involve using Hop Rocks and dancing in front of film cameras.
It hasn't even been on the market for two whole months yet, but you can already get the open-world shooter Far Cry 5 for $40 on PS4 or Xbox One. That's 33% off its normal price, and it's the best deal we've seen on the game so far. Here's how to get the discounted rate.
First, head over to Newegg and add the game to your cart--you can get the PS4 version here or the Xbox One version here. Now just check out like you normally would, but add promo code EMCPUPX79 before finalizing your purchase. That knocks $20 off the normal price.
If you'd rather go for the Steelbook Gold edition, which comes with the season pass as well as some other digital goodies, it's available for $80 (down from $100) here on PS4 and here on Xbox One. For this edition, though, you have to use promo code EMCPUMX82.
And while the PC version of Far Cry 5 isn't on sale at the moment, PC gamers can get all previous Far Cry games for 60% off on Steam right now. It's unlikely you'll have to wait long for Far Cry 5 on PC to go on sale somewhere; we'll keep you posted.
As for the game itself, GameSpot gave it 9/10 in our Far Cry 5 review, saying, "Despite some brief irritations and missed opportunities with its narrative, spending time in the world of Hope County remains absolutely delightful. Far Cry 5 boasts a wonderfully harmonious flow to its adventure, with its smart changes to exploration, discovery, and progression distinctly bolstering the enjoyment of creatively engaging and experimenting with its spectacular open world."
Some links to supporting retailers are automatically made into affiliate links, and GameSpot may receive a small share of those sales.
Fortnite's v4.1 update has arrived, and along with an assortment of bug fixes, it marks the start of a new limited-time mode in Battle Royale. The Avengers-themed Infinity Gauntlet Mashup event is now underway on PS4, Xbox One, PC, and mobile, giving players a chance to play as the Mad Titan Thanos.
Infinity Gauntlet Mashup is a solo-only mode that plays much like a typical game of Battle Royale. 100 players are dropped onto the island and must vie to be the last one standing. However, early on in the match, a meteor will crash within the storm safe zone and leave behind the Infinity Gauntlet, and the first player to find and equip it will transform into Thanos. Here's the best way to get your hands on the Infinity Gauntlet.
As Thanos, players will no longer be able to build or use weapons, but they'll receive some significant powers from the Infinity Gauntlet that can completely devastate opponents, including the ability to leap high into the air, fire a powerful energy blast, and deliver an earth-shaking punch that can destroy structures. Thanos is also immune to fall damage and has both health and shields; the latter will regenerate each time Thanos eliminates another player. He's so strong that Epic has already nerfed him. You can see all of Thanos's special abilities below:
Ability 1 -- A mighty punch that knocks enemies back and destroys structures.
Ability 2 -- Thanos flies towards the ground, hitting an area for knockback and damage.
Ability 3 -- Harness the energy of the Power stone to fire a blast that deals damage over time.
Ability 4 -- A super-jump that can vault Thanos over all but the largest obstructions.
Thanos's location is displayed on the compass at all times, and to counteract his power, only Rare, Epic and Legendary weapons will spawn during an Infinity Gauntlet Mashup match. The drop rates for the Chug Jug, Port-A-Fort, Boogie Bomb, Slurp Juice, Bush, and Remote Explosives have also been increased. If players manage to topple Thanos, the Infinity Gauntlet will drop, giving other players a chance to pick it up.
"This collaboration started as a simple phone conversation between Epic and Marvel over a mutual appreciation for Fortnite and Avengers," Epic said. "We worked closely over the following weeks to bring these two worlds together and landed on the Limited Time Mashup, Infinity Gauntlet. This is a collaborative experiment between friends from start to finish."
The maximum match time in the Infinity Gauntlet Mashup mode is about 15 minutes. Additionally, each match starts with the storm circle already closing in on the map, and the storm inflicts more damage than it normally does. You can find more details about the Infinity Gauntlet Mashup mode in the full patch notes for update 4.1. Epic hasn't announced how long the crossover event will remain in rotation, but previous limited-time modes have typically run for about a week.
In addition to the Infinity Gauntlet Mashup mode, update 4.1 introduces a new set of weekly challenges for Battle Pass owners. Seven new objectives are now available to complete, ranging from dancing in front of film cameras to searching chests in Greasy Grove. For more, be sure to check out our guide on how to complete the Week 2 challenges.
It's a new week, and that means there is a fresh set of deals available on Xbox Live across Xbox One and Xbox 360. Microsoft's Major Nelson rounded these up on his blog, and you can see all of them here. In this post we're rounding up some of the best, most notable deals for you to consider.
It looks like Disney's big plan to buy a significant part of Fox's assets is not a sure thing. Three sources told Reuters that Comcast Corp.--a telecom behemoth and one of the biggest entertainment companies on Earth--is looking to pay $60 billion to make an "all-cash offer" for the parts of Fox that Disney previously agreed to buy for $52 billion.
Back in December, Disney said it reached an agreement with Fox to buy the company's film and TV studios, as well as its cable networks and international TV businesses in a stock-based deal.
This meant that Disney would have added X-Men, Avatar, and The Simpsons to its roster. While Disney and Fox's respective boards of directors approved the deal, it hasn't gone through yet. The deal was subject to approval from Disney and Fox shareholders, and it also needed to be approved by merger and regulatory reviews, as well as meet other "closing conditions."
As Reuters explains, Comcast tired to buy Fox last year but the deal never went through reportedly due in part to antitrust concerns. It sounds like Comcast's new pursuit of Fox isn't a sure thing either.
According to Reuters, Comcast CEO Brian Roberts will only push the deal forward if AT&T's massive $85 billion takeover of Time Warner is allowed to proceed. In the United States, the Department of Justice said it opposes the deal due to antitrust concerns, with a final decision on the matter coming in June.
Disney said in its initial announcement that buying Fox assets would allow the company--which already owns Marvel and most of its properties--to "reunite the X-Men, Fantastic Four, and Deadpool" with the rest of its Marvel brands. Doing so would allow Disney to create "richer, more complex worlds of inter-related characters and stories that audiences have shown they love."
Earlier this month, Deadpool actor Ryan Reynolds revealed that Fox forced the Deadpool 2 filmmakers to cut a joke about Disney. The movie opens on May 18.
In theory, I like everything about State of Decay and its upcoming Xbox One and PC sequel. I like the idea of a zombie-survival game where you must plan for the long term; where you must keep your squadmates happy, healthy, and well-fed; where you can explore to cultivate new land for farming opportunities or to scavenge; and where permadeath means hours of hard work can be undone in seconds.
Unfortunately, on the basis of a three-hour preview demo, State of Decay 2 suffers from many of the same issues as its predecessor: It still feels a little aimless, and it's still never really clear what direction the game wants you to go in, since every direction is so punishing to traverse; the loop of exploration and defense soon begins to feel tired; and a multitude of bugs and some poor presentation make it feel unfinished. Which, of course, it is. Many of these issues could therefore be fixed by the time State of Decay 2 launches on May 22. But they've persisted since the original came out in 2013, and that's a worrying sign.
State of Decay 2's big new feature is the addition of multiplayer, allowing you to drop in and out of co-op play with up to three other friends. Tearing around the game's world with mates is fun, though it taking place entirely in the host's world means your actions ultimately have little consequence outside of death or a gain of Influence (which can then help your character's standing in your own game). This makes multiplayer trips evoke the feel of a wind-swept American road trip or a silly session blowing everything up in GTA more than a serious, punishing journey into the unknown.
Again, I like the idea of State of Decay 2's co-op, but in practice it is not realized well. Only the host can select quests, for example, and it's not totally clear who the host is. Worse than this, you can only travel a short distance away from the host before the game pulls you back to your friend's approximate vicinity. Why can't our team of four split into two pairs to approach a target from opposite directions, or go off to accomplish separate objectives? You're forced to stick together, which makes it even more frustrating when you receive a notification to say your base is under attack--why can't one of our squad remain at home to defend us from opportunistic zombie hordes?
This is a problem still seen in single-player, since you can't swap allies on the fly without abandoning your current mission. Because of this, I always felt progress in expanding my base and charting new areas was hindered--I was forced to cancel mission after mission because my base was under assault, or because my current playable character needed supplies I didn't have, or because I required another survivor's expertise. I never felt like I was getting anywhere or achieving anything. Who knew the zombie apocalypse would be so punishing?
Even the game's main strengths--its core systems of character progression and resource management--aren't the accomplishments they should be. On one occasion, I went to the aid of a rival settlement, led by a man named Magic Mark, who had turned to us in their time of need. Despite our groups' past disagreements, Mark asked if I could urgently help them find food. I agreed, but the game refused to let me take any of his group with me on my quest, so they all just stayed put, standing around doing nothing in their garage base (which, incidentally, looked like every other garage I saw in State of Decay 2). I then decided to steal the group's belongings from right in front of them, but they didn't care one bit. Don't mind me guys, I know I said I'd bring you food but actually I just wanted your shotgun pellets--I'll be out of your hair any minute, alright?
As someone who only played a little of the original game, it doesn't yet feel like State of Decay 2 has meaningfully built upon the promising core of its predecessor. If it can fix the annoying geometry glitches, refine its AI, and allow greater freedom within co-op squads, it may yet turn out to be a fun zombie apocalypse simulator, but until then, I think I'd rather leave Mark to conjure up his own food supply.
Bungie is nearly ready to launch Warmind, Destiny 2's second DLC expansion pack. It packs in a variety of new content, including new weapons, armor, locations, Escalation Protocol mode, Spire of Stars Raid Lair, and more for players to check out on PS4, Xbox One, and PC. With its release coming this week, we've rounded up all of the key details to know about what it includes and when you can start playing. [Update: Servers are now down for maintenance ahead of the update and DLC's release. You can begin pre-loading in the meantime.]
Take note that you don't actually have to purchase Warmind in order to have reason to check in on Destiny 2. The expansion releases alongside a major update, version 1.2.0, that will make a wide variety of changes. This will kick off Season 3 of Destiny 2 and brings features like private matches in Crucible, an emote wheel, a new Ranked Crucible setup, changes to numerous Exotic weapons, and the long-awaited expansion to Vault space.
It also brings new playable content in Crucible: Bungie is ditching the DLC ownership requirement for all maps in matchmaking. In other words, even if you only own the base game, you'll suddenly be able to play all of the Warmind and Curse of Osiris Crucible maps when playing in public games. You will, however, have to own the DLC if you intend to play the maps in private matches.
When Is Warmind's Release Date?
Destiny 2's Warmind DLC releases on Tuesday, May 8. It launches alongside the 1.2.0 update, although the bulk of Warmind's new content will only be accessible to those who purchase it (or already own the game's expansion pass).
What Time Does Warmind Unlock?
This is a slightly more complicated question, as Bungie can't guarantee an exact release time. That's because, prior to its release, servers will be going down for maintenance to prepare for both the DLC and 1.2.0 update. As detailed on Bungie's support site, the maintenance process begins at 6 AM PT / 9 AM ET / 2 PM BST (12 AM AET on May 9). Anyone who isn't already playing will be unable to log in starting at that point; everyone who is playing will be booted offline an hour later. Bungie estimates that maintenance will conclude by 11 AM PT.
Maintenance ends (and DLC goes live):
11 AM PT
2 PM ET
7 PM BST
5 AM AET (May 9)
When Can I Start Pre-Loading?
You unfortunately won't be able to start downloading Warmind far in advance of its actual launch. Bungie says that when players are booted out of Destiny 2 at 7 AM PT, that's when both update 1.2.0 and Warmind will be available to download and install. Assuming its schedule proves to be accurate, that gives you about four hours to get ready if you're hoping to be among the first to play.
Pre-loading begins:
7 AM PT
10 AM ET
3 PM BST
1 AM AET (May 9)
What's Included In The Patch Notes?
Full patch notes won't be shared on Bungie's website until closer to release. We know much of what update 1.2.0 will do, but that will be accompanied by another, smaller hotfix patch, bringing the game to version 1.2.0.1.
How Much Does It Cost?
Warmind will be available for $20 (£17.19 / AU$30) on its own, much like Curse of Osiris before it. If you're interested in both expansions, you can pick up the expansion pass for $35 / £30 / AU$50. This simply includes both DLC releases at a discount, so there's really no reason to opt for individual purchases if you're planning on playing everything.
What Is Escalation Protocol?
Escalation Protocol is a new horde mode-style activity for players to take part in during the endgame stages of Warmind. Unlike other Public Events, which start on their own schedule, Escalation Protocol can be started manually by players--but doing so first requires you to finish the Warmind campaign. That said, you can join one that's in-progress before seeing the end credits roll. There's new gear up for grabs by taking part--and an opportunity to use some new weapon types, as well as the returning Hive sword from the original Destiny.
What Is Spire Of Stars?
Spire of Stars is the game's new Raid Lair, which again takes players back to the Leviathan. This is the last Lair to be added for Leviathan, and as before, it introduces new scenarios, bosses, and gear.
Season 4 of Fortnite: Battle Royale is underway. In addition to taking part in matches like normal, that also means there are special challenges to complete. Beyond the regular Starter and weekly challenges, Season 4 also presents some additional ones: Blockbuster and Carbide. Here's everything you need to know and details on all of the challenges revealed so far.
All Fortnite players on PC, PS4, Xbox One, and mobile are eligible to complete the Starter challenges. These are relatively run-of-the-mill and offer different rewards, including Battle Stars and various minor cosmetics. The Battle Stars allow you to rank up the Battle Pass, which is where the vast majority of Season 4 skins and rewards are located, such as the coveted Omega skin pictured below. However, the free tier has a very limited number of goodies on offer. You'll need to purchase the full Season 4 Battle Pass for 950 V-Bucks to be able to obtain all of the rewards as you level up.
Purchasing the Battle Pass also entitles you to all of the weekly challenges. Another set of these opens up each week during the season and can be completed anytime between now and when Season 4 ends on July 9.
Some of the rewards available in Season 4
That's how things have worked in past seasons, but Season 4 also has new types of challenges. Blockbusters involve completing all of the challenges from a given week. Doing so earns you an additional reward on top of what you'd get from finishing those challenges anyway. The first Blockbuster challenge you finish pays out a loading screen, which serves as a clue that directs you to an in-game location where you can get a free Battle Pass tier. To find that, though, you'll have to actually complete all of the challenges from a week.
Also new in Season 4 are Carbide challenges. One of the rewards you immediately get for buying the Battle Pass is the Carbide skin. As you reach certain level milestones during Season 4, you'll complete Carbide challenges, which unlock different "styles" that let you customize the look of the Carbide skin. Completing three Carbide challenges also nets you a matching pickaxe.
Below, you'll find a complete list of all Season 4 challenges to be revealed so far, along with links to our maps and guides that will help you complete them all.
Fortnite: Battle Royale Season 4 Challenges
Starter
Outlive opponents (1,000) -- 5 Battle Stars
Play matches with friends (10) -- 5 Battle Stars
Deal damage to opponents (5,000) -- 5 Battle Stars
Land at different Named Locations (10) -- 5 Battle Stars
Play matches (50) -- Ace of spades cosmetic item
Play matches with at least one elimination (10) -- concept art
Hard: Win a match -- #1 cosmetic item
Reward: 5k XP (after completing four challenges)
Blockbuster
Complete all challenges in a week -- #1 loading screen
Complete all challenges in 2 different weeks -- #2 reward
Complete all challenges in 3 different weeks -- #3 reward
Complete all challenges in 4 different weeks -- #4 reward
Complete all challenges in 5 different weeks -- #5 reward
Complete all challenges in 6 different weeks -- #6 reward
Complete all challenges in 7 different weeks -- #7 reward
Reward: unknown (after complete seven challenges)
Carbide
Reach Season Level 10 -- Carbide chest cosmetic
Reach Season Level 20 -- Carbide legs cosmetic
Reach Season Level 30 -- Carbide arm cosmetic
Reach Season Level 40 -- Carbide helmet cosmetic
Reach Season Level 65 -- Carbide cosmetic
Reward: Carbide pickaxe (after completing three challenges)
Week 1
Deal damage with sniper rifles to opponents (500) -- 5 Battle Stars
Search chests in Haunted Hills (7) -- 5 Battle Stars
Use a Port-a-Fort -- 5 Battle Stars
Search F-O-R-T-N-I-T-E letters -- 5 Battle Stars
Hard: Follow the treasure map found in Tomato Town -- 10 Battle Stars
Hard: Pistol eliminations (3) -- 10 Battle Stars
Hard: Eliminate opponents in Flush Factory -- 10 Battle Stars
The much-anticipated spin-off Solo: A Star Wars Story finally arrives this month, and Disney's publicity machine is in full effect. Following the TV spot and Millennium Falcon tour last week, we have a new clip.
It's a classic bit of Star Wars action, as Han and Chewbacca pilot the Falcon through some sort of electrical storm with TIE Fighters hot their tail. The big difference here is that Han and Chewie clearly haven't known each other long, and we see the Wookiee takes his seat next to the legendary smuggler for the first time. Co-star Emilia Clarke--who plays Qi'Ra--also appears in the scene, and there's a blast of the classic Star Wars music in there too. Check it out below.
Solo: A Star Wars Story stars Alden Ehrenreich as Han, Joonas Suotamo as Chewbacca, and Donald Glover as Lando, plus Woody Harrelson, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, and Thandie Newton. It hits theaters on May 25, 2018. Ehrenreich recently let slip that his contract covers three appearances as Han, so we could be seeing more of the actor in the iconic role. However, director Ron Howard has said that there are "no concrete plans" for a Solo sequel.
Howard replaced original directors Chris Lord and Phil Miller during the movie's production last year. Last week, Howard appeared on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert and spoke about coming onto the movie once it had already been shooting for several months. When asked about his first day on set, Howard said it was "chaotic," and that he was feeling both anxious and "pumped up" at the same time.
It has also been reported that pre-sales for Solo suggest that the movie will be another massive hit. Advance ticket sales went on sale on Star Wars Day (May 4), and according to ticketing company Fandango, sales over the next 24 hours outpaced those of Black Panther, with only Avengers: Infinity War selling more in the same time period.
Fortnite's first set of challenges for Season 4 proved to be a bit more involved than usual, thanks to developer Epic Games introducing some new wrinkles. Week 2 challenges are also on the way, and thanks to the usual datamining process from Fortnite Tracker, we know what kind of objectives Battle Pass owners will be dealing with next. [Update: Week 2 challenges are live, and the leaked ones were indeed correct.]
Several Week 2 challenges entail newly introduced elements of the game from the big Season 4 update. One calls for you to consume Hop Rocks, the new item that you can use to temporarily defy gravity, allowing you to jump much higher than usual. These can be found in a number of places, but the easiest place is the new Dusty Divot area, where they're quite plentiful. That said, an influx of people looking to complete the challenge might make that part of the map particularly deadly this week.
Another challenge that draws on Season 4 additions calls for you to dance in front of different film cameras. These have been set up all around the map as part of Season 4's moviemaking theme, such as the one right near the giant dinosaur print.
Additionally, there's a challenge to search between a scarecrow, pink hotrod, and a big screen. The big screen is presumably referring to the new area of the map, Risky Reels, though we won't be able to verify that until the challenges are actually live in-game on May 8.
The remainder of the weekly challenges is fairly straightforward: search chests in Greasy Grove, deal damage with suppressed weapons, get eliminations with explosive weapons, and eliminate opponents in Tomato Town.
Take note, while these datamined challenges are routinely correct, there may always be a last-minute change. We'll report back with the official set of challenges once they're available along with maps and tips to help you complete them all. In the meantime, if you haven't done them all already, check out our Week 1 challenges guide, and get ready for the new Avengers: Infinity War crossover mode.
Fortnite Season 4, Week 2 Challenges (Unofficial)
Search Chests in Greasy Grove (7) -- 5 Battle Stars
Consume Hop Rocks (7) -- 5 Battle Stars
Deal damage with Suppressed Weapons to opponents (500) -- 5 Battle Stars
Dance in front of different film cameras (7) -- 5 Battle Stars
Hard: Search between a Scarecrow, Pink Hotrod, and a Big Screen -- 10 Battle Stars
It's officially May, which means a new bundle of free PC games is available for Twitch and Amazon Prime members. This month's offerings include a number of widely respected indie games. To find your freebies, just click the crown-shaped Prime Loot icon next to the search bar on Twitch. That opens a drop-down menu that contains your free games.
One of the biggest games this month is the mind-bending 3D platformer Psychonauts, in which you enter people's minds and explore physical manifestations of their psyches. Gone Home is a first-person story-driven game. The adventure game I, Hope covers some heavy subject matter, and for those looking for fast-paced action, High Hell is a first-person shooter that encourages speedrunning.
Also free is the challenging first-person game Clustertruck, which has you sprinting across the roofs of semi-trucks as they race through the desert. Touch the ground and you're toast. Finally, Titan Souls puts you in the shoes of a tiny character with a single arrow and asks you to take down enormous bosses. You don't need a health bar in this game, because one hit spells death.
Twitch Prime is a perk for members of Amazon Prime. All you have to do to sign up is link your Amazon Prime account to your Twitch account. Once you do, you can download all six games for no cost between May 1 - 31. They're yours to keep forever, even if you cancel Amazon Prime at some point down the line. The only catch is that you need the Twitch desktop app to install them.
Summer movie season may be starting in May, but Netflix is going out of its way to make sure you stayed glued to your couch. We're now well into the new month, and the streaming service has released the full list of additions for May. That features a variety of new movies, TV shows, and originals to keep you busy for the foreseeable future--and there's some good stuff on tap.
Firstly, Disney/Pixar's Coco will be added on May 29. If you somehow missed one of the studio's best animated films ever, this will be your chance to watch and cry in the privacy of your own home. That's always a better option than publicly weeping in a theater, right?
On the TV side, the latest seasons of some of the CW's biggest shows will be added in April. Riverdale, Arrow, The Flash, Supernatural, and Dynasty will all end their current seasons, with them becoming available to stream a week later. Additionally, a new season of Netflix's Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, along with a slew of other originals, will arrive throughout the month. Of note, the second half of The Toys That Made Us Season 1, the documentary series about famous toy lines, released on May 25.
To get an idea of everything coming on Netflix in May, take a look at the list below, and make sure you see what's leaving the service. Additionally, if you missed what the streamer was up to in April, you can check that out.
Arriving on Netflix in May
May 1
27: Gone Too Soon
A Life of Its Own: The Truth About Medical Marijuana
Amelie
Barbie Dreamhouse Adventures: Season 1
Beautiful Girls
Darc
God's Own Country
Hachi: A Dog's Tale
Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay
Hellboy II: The Golden Army
High School Musical 3: Senior Year
John Mulaney: Kid Gorgeous Live at Radio City (Netflix Original)
Mr. Woodcock
My Perfect Romance
Pocoyo & Cars
Pocoyo & The Space Circus
Queens of Comedy: Season 1
Reasonable Doubt
Red Dragon
Scream 2
Shrek
Simon: Season 1
Sliding Doors
Sometimes (Netflix Original)
The Bourne Ultimatum
The Carter Effect
The Clapper
The Reaping
The Strange Name Movie
Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc-V: Season 2
May 2
Jailbreak
A Little Help with Carol Burnett (Netflix Original)
Anon (Netflix Original)
Busted!: Season 1 (Netflix Original)
Dear White People: Volume 2 (Netflix Original)
End Game (Netflix Original)
Forgive Us Our Debts (Netflix Original)
Kong: King of the Apes: Season 2 (Netflix Original)
Lo más sencillo es complicarlo todo
Manhunt (Netflix Original)
My Next Guest Needs No Introduction With David Letterman: Tina Fey (Netflix Original)
No Estoy Loca
The Rain: Season 1 (Netflix Original)
May 5
Faces Places
May 6
The Joel McHale Show with Joel McHale (Netflix Original)
May 8
Desolation
Hari Kondabolu: Warn Your Relatives (Netflix Original)
May 9
Dirty Girl
May 11
Bill Nye Saves the World: Season 3 (Netflix Original)
Evil Genius: The True Story of America's Most Diabolical Bank Heist (Netflix Original)
Spirit Riding Free: Season 5 (Netflix Original)
The Kissing Booth (Netflix Original)
The Who Was? Show: Season 1 (Netflix Original)
May 13
Ali Wong: Hard Knock Wife (Netflix Original)
May 14
The Phantom of the Opera
May 15
Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce: Season 4
Grand Designs: Seasons 13–14
Only God Forgives
The Game 365: Seasons 15–16
May 16
89
Mamma Mia!
The 40-Year-Old Virgin
The Kingdom
Wanted
May 18
Cargo (Netflix Original)
Catching Feelings (Netflix Original)
Inspector Gadget: Season 4 (Netflix Original)
May 19
Bridge to Terabithia
Disney's Scandal: Season 7
Small Town Crime
May 20
Some Kind of Beautiful
May 21
Señora Acero: Season 4
May 22
Mob Psycho 100: Season 1 (Netflix Original)
Shooter: Season 2
Terrace House: Opening New Doors: Part 2 (Netflix Original)
Tig Notaro: Happy To Be Here (Netflix Original)
May 23
Explained (Netflix Original)
May 24
Fauda: Season 2 (Netflix Original)
Survivors Guide to Prison
May 25
Ibiza (Netflix Original)
Steve Martin and Martin Short: An Evening You Will Forget for the Rest of Your Life (Netflix Original)
The Toys That Made Us: Season 2 (Netflix Original)
Trollhunters: Part 3 (Netflix Original)
May 26
Sara's Notebook (Netflix Original)
May 27
The Break with Michelle Wolf (Netflix Original)
May 29
Coco
May 30
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt: Season 4 (Netflix Original)
May 31
Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story
My Next Guest Needs No Introduction With David Letterman: Howard Stern (Netflix Original)
Rainbow Six Siege is quickly approaching its second season of Year 3, and Ubisoft has teased some of the new features it will have in store for players. Ahead of its full reveal next week, the publisher shared some details about the game's next big update, Operation Para Bellum, which will introduce new Operators, a Pick & Ban system, and more on PS4, Xbox One, and PC.
Headlining Operation Para Bellum are two new Operators. Ubisoft still hasn't shared many details about them just yet, but the publisher did reveal that they will both be Defenders. That stands in contrast to Siege's most recent pair of Operators, Lion and Finka, both of whom are Attackers. Fans recently discovered files for two Italian Operators named Alibi and Maestro within the PC version, although whether those will turn out to be the new Operators in question remains to be seen.
In addition to the new Operators, Season 2 introduces the aforementioned Pick & Ban system. As its name implies, this feature gives players the ability to counter opponents by banning certain Operators from play, which Ubisoft says will provide "an extra layer of strategy between teams."
Finally, Season 2 will bring with it a new map, intel gadget, and a number of gameplay tweaks. In particular, Ubisoft is adjusting dropshotting and introducing a new counter defuser animation. The full reveal of Season 2 will take place on May 19-20 during the Rainbox Six Siege Pro League Finals, which will be streamed on the game's Twitch channel. In the meantime, you can read more about Operation Para Bellum on Ubisoft's website.
Siege's most recent update, 1.2, arrived last week on all platforms. It didn't introduce any new features to the game, but it did make some big balance changes, particularly to Lion, who many players felt was overpowered. Ubisoft also adjusted damage dealt by light machine guns and fixed a variety of bugs. You can see the full list of changes that update made on the Siege website.
Season 4 of Fortnite is officially underway, and with it, we've gotten a new Battle Pass. This works largely like those in the past, offering weekly challenges for players to complete in order to unlock new skins and rewards. Week 1 challenges are the usual mixture of easy and tricky objectives; here are the key locations and how to complete them all.
Two specific challenges stand out as ones with which you might need a guide. The first asks you to follow the treasure map found in Tomato Town. You can head there and pick up the map to get started or, as with previous instances of this objective type, go right to the treasure if you know where it is. This one is fairly easy--it's in Loot Lake. Head to where the 'E' in Lake is shown on the map, as seen in the image below, and you'll find the wrecked remains of a small boat just to the south of a small slab of land. Jump on the part sticking out of the water and you'll see the Battle Pass icon to collect, which is done by holding the same key or button you use to open chests.
The other difficult challenge is to search F-O-R-T-N-I-T-E letters; there's no real indication of what these are or where to start your hunt. Essentially, these work a lot like the aforementioned treasure map locations, only there are no in-game hints. You'll head to certain spots and find a hovering blue letter that must be "searched" like a chest to collect. No matter which order you go to the locations, you'll always find the letters in the order that spells out "Fortnite."
Some are in popular places to land--for instance, there's one at the top of the clocktower in Tilted Towers. Others aren't so easy, but luckily, there are more than eight locations total spread across the map. With the help of Reddit users Strantjanet and thesquatingdog, we've verified eight locations--the exact number you'll need to complete the challenge. Here's directions to find them along with a map showing additional letter locations.
F-O-R-T-N-I-T-E Letters Locations
Tilted Towers -- on top of the clocktower
Salty Springs -- just to the east, on top of the fire lookout tower
Flush Factory -- on top of the largest building in the unnamed area to the northeast; you'll have to destroy the glass ceiling to collect it
Snobby Shores -- in the northern most area, on top of a lightpole in front of a decrepit house
Anarchy Acres -- on top of the red barn
Pleasant Park -- on top of the roof in the middle, immediately north of the soccer field
Lonely Lodge -- in the unnamed area to the southeast, on top of the building
Risky Reels -- in the hole on the movie screen
Week 1's other challenges are much more straightforward and generally rely on a mixture of luck and being in the right location. You'll need to deal damage to opponents using sniper rifles, which is just a matter of finding such a gun and having good aim. You'll want to head to Haunted Hills and search for chests; hopefully, in the process, you'll also get your hands on a Port-a-Fort. If you do, be sure to use it before dying to complete another challenge.
The aforementioned Tomato Town map is one of three Hard-difficulty objectives. Another simply has you rack up eliminations at Flush Factory, so head there and take down some opponents. The third calls for you to get three pistol eliminations. Pistols aren't the greatest of weapons, so you may want to attempt both this and the Flush Factory challenge in the Solo playlist. That way, you don't have to worry about revives or competing with teammates for a kill.
Each of these challenges rewards you with Battle Stars to level up your Battle Pass and earn new skins and rewards. Additionally, once you've complete four of them, you'll receive a 5k XP bonus. Keep in mind, access to the weekly challenges requires the purchase of the Battle Pass for 950 V-Bucks. In addition to weekly challenge access and the ability to earn lots of skins and rewards, the Battle Pass also includes new Blockbuster and Carbide challenges, which involve reaching level milestones and completing all challenges in a given week.
Season 4, Week 1 Battle Pass Challenges
Deal damage with sniper rifles to opponents (500) -- 5 Battle Stars
Search chests in Haunted Hills (7) -- 5 Battle Stars
Use a Port-a-Fort -- 5 Battle Stars
Search F-O-R-T-N-I-T-E letters -- 5 Battle Stars
Hard: Follow the treasure map found in Tomato Town -- 10 Battle Stars
Hard: Pistol eliminations (3) -- 10 Battle Stars
Hard: Eliminate opponents in Flush Factory -- 10 Battle Stars
Outside of a few cryptic teases, Activision has yet to reveal many details about Call of Duty: Black Ops 4. While the publisher will formally unveil the title during a special event later this month, we've now learned one more tidbit about the game courtesy of the official E3 Twitter account.
The account revealed that, like previous installments in the series, Black Ops 4 will have a Zombies mode. "What's lurking around the corner of Treyarch's next Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 Zombies experience? Come hear the history of Call of Duty Zombies from the creators themselves at E3Coliseum!" the tweet reads.
Given the popularity of Zombies mode in previous Call of Duty games, and the fact that it has appeared in every Black Ops game to date, it isn't surprising to learn that it will once again return in Black Ops 4, but it's one of the few concrete details we know about the game so far. We also know it is once again being developed by Treyarch, and that it will release for PS4, Xbox One, and PC on October 12, nearly a month earlier than Call of Duty titles typically launch.
We'll learn more about this year's Call of Duty title very soon. Activision will pull back the curtain on the game during its Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 Community Reveal Event, which takes place at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET on May 17. We'll also see more of the game next month at E3 2018.
Pokemon Go developer Niantic is hosting a number of real-world events for the game very soon. The developer has announced the Pokemon Go Summer Tour 2018, a series of real-world events that will be held across the globe this summer, the first of which kicks off in Germany next month.
On June 30 and July 1, Niantic will hold a special Safari Zone event at Westfalenpark in Dortmund. That will be followed by the second annual Pokemon Go Fest, which will take place in Chicago's Lincoln Park on July 14-15. Finally, Japanese players will be able to participate in a special Safari Zone event in Yokosuka later this summer.
Niantic says each event will "include unique ways for players around the world to create adventures of their own and complete challenges together." Niantic will also continue to hold Community Days throughout the summer.
Safari Zone Dortmund will be free to attend, but those hoping like to take part in this year's Pokemon Go Fest will need to purchase a $20 ticket. Those will go on sale beginning at 9 AM PT / 12 PM ET on May 11. Niantic says it will announce additional details for the Yokosuka Safari Zone event "soon" on the Pokemon Go Live website.
In the meantime, players still have a few more days to take part in the Battle Showdown event. Until May 14, Fighting Pokemon such as Makuhita will spawn more frequently, and everyone will earn double XP for participating in Gym and Raid Battles.
Following that, Niantic will host the next Community Day on May 19. This month, participants will get triple the normal amount of Stardust for capturing Pokemon, while the classic starter Charmander will appear in much greater numbers for the duration of the event.
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