Now that Netflix has released the first season of Umbrella Academy, adapted from comic books by My Chemical Romance frontman Gerard Way and artist Gabriel Bá, some things have become very clear. First and foremost, executive producer Steve Blackman has taken some very large swings away from the comic's canon to create a show that is very similar, but can also stand on its own. More importantly, though, Season 1 ends on a massive cliffhanger that practically demands Netflix renew the series immediately. If you have yet to watch all of umbrella Academy Season 1, stop reading now, because we're going to talk spoilers.
The season ends with the end of the world, in one particularly surprising twist. Though Season 1 is based largely on the Apocalypse Suite graphic novel, it ends pretty differently. They don't stop the end of the world, Vanya (Ellen Page) isn't shot in the head after going full-on White Violin, and they all jump back in time to some point that has yet to be revealed.
This all sets up some very interesting possibilities for Season 2, as the team--one can only assume--tries to stop the world from ending (again). Of course, that's all going to depend on what time period they end up in.
Why make such a drastic change to the Apocalypse Suite ending, though? As Blackman told GameSpot, it's all about setting up a story that's still to come. "From a purely TV point of view, I wanted to leave you with a cliffhanger that you would have to come back to see what happens; you have to know what happens to this family," he said. "You've seen [Episode] 10, so they zap out just before the apocalypse with no idea where they are or what's happened to them. So that was a big part of it."
Just as important as the Umbrella Academy recruits hopefully saving the world, though, is what they're going to do with their sister. Vanya is far more powerful than any of them could dream of being. And after she embraced that power and unleashed it on the world, becoming the White Violin, her journey from here becomes an interesting one because it's new territory.
In the comics, this is essentially where Vanya's story ends. She was left paralyzed after Apocalypse Suite and didn't play a major role in the stories that followed. Blackman, though, chose to keep her in play by instead having the gun simply fired next to her head, with the sound knocking her unconscious. "I wanted to see her make it to the very end and then see what happens to her after into hopefully Season 2," he explained.
As for what Page sees her character doing in potential future episodes, she's excited by both possibilities for Vanya--good and evil. "I'm really excited for whatever. I've loved both," she said of the two sides of the character's personality. "I'm not quite sure the certain ideas of what's going to happen, if there's potential for another season and whatnot. But I just really love the character. So I'm happy with whatever that turns into. But it was fun just walking around and blowing up s***."
And while the end of Season 1 may have veered far away from the comics, that doesn't mean it's going to disregard the rest of the show's canon. As Way explained of the three graphic novels thus far, "Those exist for Steve to have material to draw from and kind of do what he wants to do with them."
For Blackman, those stories that have already been told, like Apocalypse Suite in Season 1, are a good launching pad for what they want the TV show to become. "I mean, that's a lot of material around to use," he admitted. "It's great because it just adds to the color of the show. It's fun to take their stuff and springboard off of it to translate to TV."
What do you want from Umbrella Academy Season 2? Sound off in the comments!
The Dragon Prince is a show that started strong, but left a lot to be desired given the short length of its first season. It introduced an intriguing world and some fun characters, but spent so much time establishing its lore that the plot took a back seat until the last few episodes. Season 2 turns out to be much the same: Once again, after a slow, but promising start, The Dragon Prince seems like it will finally start gaining some momentum--next season, that is.
When we last saw Prince Callum, Prince Ezran, and the elven assassin Reyla, they were on the run from the kingdom of Katolis to return the magical dragon egg when it suddenly hatched. Hot on their trail were Claudia, a dark magic user, and Soren, her bone-headed brother who intended on returning the two princes back home against their will. It was an action-packed finale to what was otherwise a slow burn of a first season, and while Season 2 picks up immediately after, it feels like the show immediately hits the brakes, focusing on establishing character motivations as opposed to pushing the plot forward.
While that's certainly a disappointment, it's not such a bad thing this time around. With another set of nine episodes focused on more buildup, almost every character was given a chance to begin a unique arc for themselves. Callum, for example, dealing with the repercussions of breaking the Primal stone, cannot cast magic anymore and struggles with whether or not he'll turn to the dark arts to compensate. Ezran, a child himself, must act as the main guardian of the recently hatched dragon, Zym, while he reels from the news that he is next in line to become king. They don't make too many strides forward in their quest to bring Zym back to his mother, but they make up for it with character growth that sets up their goals and challenges for the seasons to come.
Extra attention was even given to some of the side characters as well, in particular the siblings, Claudia and Soren, who were tasked with tracking down the two princes last season. We spend a good amount of episodes with them, which is fantastic because their chemistry together rivals that of the main characters. Soren is still as burly and brash as ever, but time is taken to show us a bit more about what drives him to be the best, while Claudia begins to face the repercussions of her proclivity with dark magic. Viren, the main antagonist of the series so far, also gets mixed up in his own side story, showing us his insecurities and reasons for wanting to go to war with the elves. There's some disturbing implications that come with it, and considering the season begins with Aunt Amaya literally smacking two elves into a pit of lava, I can't wait to see if the show will continue to get darker.
One highly requested (and much needed) change to The Dragon Prince was adding more frames of animation to its quieter, dialogue focused scenes. While it could still use some work, I'm happy to say that there isn't one scene this time around that reminded me of the sometimes borderline stop-motion animation that plagued the first season. Fight scenes are still as exciting and creatively choreographed as ever, and just like last season, scenes of serenity give us some beautiful vistas showcasing the lush world these characters inhabit. Just like the first season, it wasn't uncommon for me to pause the show and just stare at some of the visuals. Its sense of humor is still very much intact as well, occasionally catching me off guard with that trademark Avatar: The Last Airbender-esque humor.
There are a couple of issues lingering on from the first season that continue to hold the show back, however. Ezran is still an extremely underdeveloped character. He's given more to do this season, which helps, but he's still criminally underused as one of the show's three main characters. His contributions to conversations usually amount to no more than naivete as a form of comic relief, and don't give any insight into his feelings until the last episode. That grievance can be amplified by some of actor Sasha Rojen's dialogue delivery as well, which sometimes comes off as flat. On that same note, Reyla, who arguably experienced the most growth in Season 1, was given very little to do this time around. She gets into all the fights and can clash with the best of them, but we already knew that about her. While I can respect that her spotlight was taken away to give other characters a chance to shine, it's a shame the only thing we learn about her this season is that she's working on overcoming her aversion to boats.
While there have been missteps here and there while The Dragon Prince begins its journey, I can't fault it too much this time around considering the amount of care the writers are putting into each character. When the first season ended, I wasn't sure whether or not I would be excited to continue watching because it wasn't quite enough to get me fully invested. While I'm still patiently waiting to see where the story takes the characters, I can't wait to see where the characters will take the story. Yes, it's disappointing that the characters have barely gotten any closer to completing their goal, but the quality time we spent with them this season was anything but filler. With battle lines being drawn and allegiances tested, everything is poised to fan the flames of the plot. It still hasn't taken off quite yet, but when The Dragon Prince returns, I'm confident it will soar.
It's not hard to draw up comparisons when you're talking about Netflix's Umbrella Academy. Its ten episode season is going to call to mind all sorts of things--FX's surrealist X-Men show Legion for one, Wes Anderson films for another, some Bryan Fuller-flavored flair with just a dash of Tim Burton--and while those comparisons are all earned in their own ways, none of them do the full picture justice. The bottom line is Umbrella Academy really is just that weird--which probably isn't a huge surprise to anyone who's read the multi-part comic book source material by Gerard Way and Gabriel Ba. There was no way this show was ever going to angle for your typical superhero fair, which is really what makes it so much fun.
In lieu of villain punching or day saving, this is a superhero show with full on dance montages, hidden in-scene title card reveals, and CGI effects that are just-this-side of retro. The story hopscotches back and forth between past, present and future, sometimes by way of literal time travel, sometimes by way of flashbacks. There's a talking chimpanzee in a suit who wears a monocle and a robot nanny called "Mom" who resembles a prototypical 1950s housewife (designed by a man, naturally). It can be a lot to keep track of, but don't let that put you off--Umbrella Academy throws a lot at the wall, but most everything sticks.
It's difficult to really distill exactly what the show is about in any specific sense without giving too much away, but here's the short version. It's set in a world where several dozen children were born around the world at the same time on the same day to women who were, until that moment, not pregnant. An eccentric billionaire adventurer named Reginald Hargreeves adopted seven--they turned out to have superpowers, and he molded them into a sort of trainee superhero team called--you guessed it--the Umbrella Academy. There's Luther (Tom Hopper), a muscle bound strong man with a leadership complex; Diego (David Castaneda), a Batman-like knife thrower; Klaus (Robert Sheehan), an addict who can speak to the dead; Allison (Emmy Raver-Lampman), an actress who can warp reality; Number Five (Aidan Gallagher), a time traveling teleporter stuck in a child's body; and finally Vanya (Ellen Page) an outsider who thinks she's a normal girl; and Ben, who died as a child.
Unfortunately, Hargreeves lacked skills in the fatherhood department and only really managed to produce a group of horribly adjusted, dysfunctional adults rather than a well oiled team of heroes. That's where the show picks up: with the kids all grown up and having long since gone their separate ways only to be brought back to their childhood home after Sir Reginald's untimely and mysterious death, forced to confront their traumatic childhoods and rebuild bridges with one another.
Oh, and the world might be ending in less than a week. There's that, too. So there's a bit of a ticking clock on the whole "reconciliation" thing.
Page's Vanya and Gallagher's Five are ostensibly the "main" characters, but Umbrella Academy is at its best when it focuses equally on every Hargreeves protege, giving them a chance to stand in the spotlight--which happens in a pretty balanced way across all ten episodes. Sheehan in particular manages to steal scene after scene by pouring unexpected layers and emotion into the typically flakey, over-the-top Klaus.
And then there are the villains, a set of time traveling assassins named Hazel (Cameron Britton) and Cha-Cha (Mary J. Blige) who serve to add a whole new level of eccentricity to the mix, peppering in gleeful ultraviolence with sci-fi absurdity. They kill without remorse while wearing cartoon animal masks and are usually flanked by hordes of anonymous foot soldiers as cannon fodder. It really is just chaos whenever they're around--but Britton especially is a grounding force to prevent things from going too far off the rails. Hazel's hilarious, almost Charlie Brown-like depression is a total delight.
Umbrella Academy stumbles a few times in the pacing department, teasing reveals too long before paying them off, tipping hands a bit too soon, allowing certain story beats to occupy moments while other, more interesting beats should be given precedence. Coupled with the already experimental tone and look, that means it probably won't be a show for everyone--but for the people who are down for the ride, it's well worth the time.
The latest PlayStation Store sale offers discounts on games that are critically acclaimed. The Critics Choice sale gives you a chance to catch up with some highly rated triple-A PS4 games you may have missed, or smaller gems that were given accolades. As usual, PlayStation Plus members get a little extra off the discounted prices.
For those still using Sony's older hardware, this sale even features a handful of deals on PS3 and PlayStation Vita. This comes as Sony is offering its last PlayStation Plus freebies for those two systems, though it is giving away increased cloud save storage for Plus members on PS4 instead.
This sale will last through March 1 at 8 AM PT, so get your final purchases in by then. Check below for some of our picks for the best deals, and head to the PlayStation Store to make your purchases.
Abzu -- $12 / $10 with Plus
Banner Saga Trilogy -- $35 / $30 with Plus
Battlefield 1 & Titanfall 2 bundle -- $20 / $15 with Plus
Battlefield 5 -- $30 / $24 with Plus
Burnout Paradise Remastered -- $8 / $6 with Plus
Call of Duty WW2 Gold -- $30 / $24 with Plus
Celeste -- $14 / $12 with Plus
Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy -- $28 / $24 with Plus
Diablo 3 Eternal Collection -- $30 / $20 with Plus
Grand Theft Auto 5 -- $18 / $15 with Plus
Guacamelee 2 -- $14 / $12 with Plus
Red Dead Redemption 2 -- $44 / $40 with Plus
Shadow of the Tomb Raider -- $36 / $30 with Plus
Spyro Reignited Trilogy -- $34 / $30 with Plus
Tacoma -- $10 / $7 with Plus
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt -- $16 / $12 with Plus
Unravel 2 -- $10 / $8 with Plus
Valkyria Chronicles 4 -- $42 / $30 with Plus
Watch Dogs 2 -- $21 / $15 with Plus
Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus -- $30 / $20 with Plus
Friday in Destiny 2 means the arrival of Xur, Emissary of the Nine, with a slate of super-rare Exotics to sell. This week we find Xur hanging out in the solar system in the middle of the Crimson Days Valentine's Day event, and he brought a few items you might want to take with you into the Crucible for its special Doubles mode.
You can locate Xur this week on Earth in the EDZ, in the Winding Cove region. Drop at the Winding Cove spawn point and head north to the edge of the area, where you can climb up to a crashed fallen ship. Xur is standing by and waiting for you just beside it.
And as always, Xur is packing four items from the Year One collection of Exotics: a weapon and three pieces of armor, one for each character class. For weapons this week, you can nab Sunshot, a powerful Solar hand cannon whose shots explode on impact. Enemies that get damaged by Sunshot are highlighted to make them easier to take down, making it handy for blowing up multiple enemies in the Crucible--something you might want to consider if you're working on Doubles matches for Crimson Days this weekend.
For armor, Xur brought the Actium War Rig chest armor for Titans, which is another handy Crucible item. It reloads your auto rifles from your reserves as you fire, allowing you to fire away at those unlucky enemy Guardians for longer. Hunters get the Lucky Raspberry chest armor, which enhances your Arc Bolt grenades' chaining ability and comes with a chance to recharge your grenades when you use them. Finally, for Warlocks there's the Skull of Dire Ahamkara helmet, which is useful for players who like to throw Nova Bombs. It makes you more resilient while executing your Nova Bomb super, while kills with Nova Bomb recharge super energy. Check out the full slate of what Xur's offering below:
Sunshot (Exotic hand cannon) -- 29 Legendary Shards
Also available from Xur is the Fated engram. This costs a whopping 97 Legendary shards but will decrypt into a Year One Exotic you don't already own (assuming you haven't collected them all). While pricey, it's a reliable way to fill out your Exotic collection. Additionally, Xur has the Five of Swords challenge card that lets you add modifiers to Nightfall Strikes.
This week's Crimson Days event focuses on two-player activities in the Crucible, where you can snag a few spiffy rewards, including a new Sparrow, a new Legendary bow, and a chocolate ghost shell. The event wraps up with the next weekly reset on February 19. It gets replaced by another Iron Banner competitive mode for the Crucible, and if you're still looking to grab some of Season 5's Iron Banner armor, you'll want to get busy starting Tuesday--it's the last Iron Banner of the Season of the Forge. Destiny 2's next season, the Season of the Drifter, starts on March 5.
Anthem isn't officially in wide release until next week, but members of EA's various membership programs can play it starting today (provided you don't encounter server problems). If you're a member of EA Access on Xbox One, or Origin Access on PC, you can access the game in one way or another right now.
With the game now being live, some players have reported server issues, and EA Help has responded that it is aware of the problem and working on resolving it. That means that even if you are a member of an Access program, you may not be able to jump in right away. Specifically, the errors include those telling players that matchmaking has failed and that no server has been found or is currently unavailable.
EA has also outlined the slightly convoluted steps to finding the trial itself on the EA Access hub. You'll need to go through the hub, rather than the EA Access area of the My Games and Apps section.
Open the hub and refresh it (LT, RT, and Y).
Go to Anthem.
View the game.
Click the 3 dots and select Play Trial.
Both Access programs offer a 10% discount for purchases, but the two offer a different level of early access. The EA Access program offers only a 10-hour trial with progress that will carry over into the main game if you choose to purchase it. Origin Access also offers a 10-hour trial, but if you're a Premier member you can just begin playing the full game early. PlayStation 4 has no Access program--at least not yet.
As part of the lead-up to Anthem's release, EA partnered with District 9 director Neill Blomkamp to create an original short film that takes place in the universe. If you're curious how Anthem will last you in the long-term, check out BioWare's roadmap for endgame content. And if you just need help navigating the world of pre-orders, bonuses, and special editions, read our pre-order guide. Anthem will be available for everyone on February 22.
Last month, the upcoming standalone Batman movie was finally given a release date and official title of The Batman. The one thing that wasn't announced by Warner or director Matt Reeves was who will be playing Batman. It has long been rumored that Ben Affleck is quitting the role, and now the star has confirmed the news.
As reported by comicbook.com, Affleck appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live, where he was asked if it was true he is stepping down at Batman. "Yeah, I am," he said. "I have decided... I tried to direct a version of it, worked with a really good screenwriter, but couldn't come up with a version. Couldn't crack it. So I thought it was time to let someone else take a shot at it and they got some really good people."
The Batman was first announced back in 2016, with Affleck attached to star, co-write, and direct. He initially stepped down as director when Reeves came on board, and soon after it was reported that Affleck's script had been abandoned. While Affleck never stated that he was leaving the role, last year it was reported that Reeves' movie will feature a much younger Bruce Wayne. In addition, last month Affleck retweeted Deadline's story that he would no longer play the role.
The Batman hits theaters on June 25, 2021. Last month, Reeves hinted at what fans could expect from the film. "It's very much a point of view-driven, noir Batman tale," he said. "It's told very squarely on his shoulders, and I hope it's going to be a story that will be thrilling but also emotional. It's more Batman in his detective mode than we've seen in the films. The comics have a history of that. He's supposed to be the world's greatest detective, and that's not necessarily been a part of what the movies have been."
In related news, DC also recently announced the release date of the next Suicide Squad movie. It's simply titled The Suicide Squad, and is not a sequel to the 2017 movie, but a new version written by James Gunn. Gunn was hired by DC to work on the script in October, following his departure from Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Gunn is also in negotiations to direct, and that it will "take the franchise in a new direction with a mostly all-new cast of characters and actors."
The Division 2 is just under a month away, leaving plenty of time to get in your pre-orders. If you plan on exploring the burned-out husk of Washington DC on PC, you can get a free game for putting your order in early.
Ubisoft announced that pre-orders on PC will get to choose one of three games: Ghost Recon Wildlands, Far Cry Primal, or Watch Dogs 2. All pre-orders made before March 14 will be eligible, and the offer works retroactively if you've already pre-ordered. You can head over to the offer page to redeem your code. If you're undecided, you have until March 31 to make a selection.
The games themselves will become playable on March 15, alongside The Division 2 launch date. Presumably this is so unscrupulous types can't snag a free game and then cancel their pre-order.
Ubisoft also recently announced that an open beta is coming for The Division 2, running from March 1-4 on all platforms. That would leave you plenty of time to sample and decide if you want to take part in the pre-order offer. Taking part in the beta will get you a DC Patriot weapon skin, and if you complete the Invaded mission you get a Capitol Hill arm patch.
This game takes place in the wreckage of a post-apocalyptic Washington DC, following a bio-engineered epidemic that began in New York City. For more details, check out everything we know and some of our favorite new features. Ubisoft has also detailed its plans for the endgame, and it will be releasing free DLC well after launch.
Season 7 of Fortnite is quickly approaching its conclusion and will end on February 28. As is customary for Epic's wildly popular battle royale title, the transition into Season 8 will seemingly be through some sort of calamitous event. For the last few weeks players have been reporting the occurrence of earthquakes, but now it seems things are escalating, with cracks in the landmass emerging.
Seeing these cracks in the earth form is very much a case of being in the right place at the right time, but some players have captured the phenomenon and posted videos of it online. There's also a dedicated website that features a countdown to the next appearance, so you can at least get yourself into the right spot to see one first-hand.
These cracks in the island will likely continue to appear with increasing frequency and severity. What that means for Season 8 remains to be seen, but it could be that Epic is looking to drastically change the island by breaking pieces of it off. Although a start date for Fortnite Season 8 hasn't officially been confirmed, a set of Overtime Challenges introduced as part of update 7.40 will expire on February 27, leading many to speculate that Season 8 could kick off on February 28.
Interestingly, the Overtime Challenges also provide players with an opportunity to get a free Fortnite Season 8 Battle Pass. All they need to do to claim a Battle Pass for free is complete 13 of the challenges included in the event between now and February 27. The first batch of Overtime Challenges are available now, and you can learn more about the event as well as see the challenges here.
If you still have outstanding challenges from this season, take a look at our complete Fortnite Season 7 challenges roundup, which compiles all the tips and guides we've written for Season 7's trickier challenges. Use that and you'll have them all done in no time.
Marvel's next big superhero film, Captain Marvel, hits theatres in March, and it's expected to make a lot of money. Variety reports that early tracking estimates peg the movie at bringing in around $100 million for its opening in the US and Canada. If word of mouth stays strong and grows more positive still, the opening-weekend figure could balloon to $120 million or more, the report said.
If Captain Marvel makes around $100 million for its opening, that would put it in line with another major comic book movie featuring a female hero for the first time: Wonder Woman. That film made $103 million in the domestic market for its opening weekend. It went on to bank around $412 million during its domestic run and $821 million worldwide.
Captain Marvel stars Brie Larson as Carol Danvers AKA Captain Marvel. The film also stars Jude Law, Samuel L. Jakcosn, Gemma Chan, Annette Bening, and Ben Mendelsohn.
Larson will play Captain Marvel again in April's Avengers: Endgame. She could play a big role in the film, as the end-credits sequence of Avengers: Infinity War saw Samuel L. Jackson's Nick Fury reached out to Captain Marvel to save the world.
Apex Legends features a varied cast of characters that bring their own unique set of skills to the intense battle royale. Though many of these heroes fall into the same archetypes you would expect from familiar online shooters, each character's abilities have a special twist to them that can open up some interesting strategies and dynamics within the squad. With every match yielding their own situational encounters and tense gunfights, you'll need to know the ins and out of your character to survive, while also knowing what to do should you cross paths with them on the field.
In this quick guide, we're taking a look at the cunning, but somewhat insecure Mirage. His peculiar skill-set can create some bizarre encounters where you'll see double, allowing him and his squad the chance to get the upper hand. Though these skills seem basic at first glance, they can create some interesting opportunities for you and your squad, which can open the pathway to becoming a champion.
For more breakdowns of different characters, and along with our full review and other guides focusing on some of the best weapons in the game, check out our further Apex Legends coverage on GameSpot.
General Overview
Known as the Holographic Trickster, Mirage is one of the two unlockable characters in Apex Legends, the other being Caustic. He brings with him advanced holographic technology that can create false-duplicates for tactical purposes. On the surface, many of his skills appear a bit too situational and unorthodox, however, in keeping with the gameplay loop of a battle royale game, Mirage is the type of character that knows how to mess with his enemy's focus--which can mean all the difference in an intense fight.
With his slate of holographic skills, Mirage can disorient enemies and create additional pressure during fights. His primary tactical skill, known as Psyche Out, allows Mirage to create a holographic clone that runs ahead of him. At first glance, this double is indistinguishable from the real thing, which can cause other players to open fire. Mirage's decoy also display intelligence as well, and they act different depending on where they're deployed to. For instance, using one near a supply box will have the decoy perform an animation where they try to open it. Though many of these skills require certain circumstances to truly be effective, they are at their best when used in situations where you're uncertain of what lies ahead, or when you need to help your squad out by drawing fire away from enemies. However, it may take some time getting used to his abilities. With this in mind, here's a quick breakdown on how to his skills effectively.
Mirage's Abilities
Passive Skill: Encore - Automatically drop a decoy and cloak for 5 seconds when knocked down.
If all else fails and you get got, Mirage's passive skill Encore will kick in. Once you get knocked down, you'll instantly turn invisible and a decoy will drop in your place, who performs an overly dramatic death animation. This will buy you some time to crawl away to safety. However, the skill won't last long. If you're still out in the open and an enemy is nearby, then you're a prime target to get gunned down.
Tactical Skill: Psyche Out - Send out a holographic decoy to confuse the enemy.
Mirage's tactical ability Psyche Out is a skill that has a surprising number of uses. In addition to drawing enemy fire in certain hot spots, allowing you to flank or get a bead on where a foe is hiding out, it's also a great skill to use for playing mind games. For instance, during the initial jump, you can send out decoys to landing spots, confusing enemy players into the thinking they're more active than they actually are.
Ultimate Skill: Vanishing Act - Mirage deploys a team of decoys to distract enemies, while he cloaks.
The Ultimate ability Vanishing Act is essentially a combination of Mirage's Passive and Tactical skills. When activated, Mirage will turn invisible and let a team of holograms distract the enemy for him. The skill is a great way to confuse enemies, who will likely lose track of which Mirage is the real one. This can be especially handy during tough fights in crowded spaces. Some of the best uses of Vanishing Act come when used to bail on fights that your squad is outmatched for or when you need to get the jump on enemies during a fight. However, there is a certain clue that can help enemy players keep track of the real Mirage. When you turn invisible, you'll leave a silhouette and can take damage. If the enemy can stay focused on any sudden movement, then they can still hit you with their shots.
Tips To Play
Mirage's greatest strength in battle is his ability to disorient enemies and shake up a fight. With his holographic skills, he can easily disrupt a fight by using his holograms, which also gives him and his squad some time to breathe. Right at the beginning of the match, once you and your squad make the jump, he can pull off some interesting tricks on other teams. While dropping from the ship, Mirage can send out up to two different holograms on the field. This can cause other teams to panic while in mid-flight, changing their course in order to avoid any possible fights when they're on the ground.
Once you make it to the ground, Mirage is best used when keeping his skills close to the vest. Unlike other support characters, his abilities aren't handy with only his squad around. However, once things start to go down, when you inevitably cross paths with an enemy team, this is where Mirage can shine. If you get the sense that an enemy team is nearby, you can send out hologram to act as a probe, provoking any gunfire from enemies. While in the moment, it's difficult to tell what's the real Mirage or a hologram, and they'll likely open fire on-sight.
Just like every other character, Mirage can carry his weight in a fight with any weapon he can get his hands on. However, given his trickster oriented skill-set, you may be better off using weapons that focus on long-range, such as the Longbow or Triple Take sniper-rifles. Once you toss out a decoy, you'll likely see enemies fire at the hologram, which will either give you a clue as to where they are--or if you're lucky--an opening if they decide to come run out to investigate.
Mirage has a pretty peculiar skill-set, but in the hands of a patient, and decisive player, he can be an effective squadmate to have. Even before touching the battlefield, he can cause panic amongst the enemy teams, which can make for an impressive start for matches.
The cast for the upcoming Dune reboot just keeps getting better and better. Variety reports today that Game of Thrones and Aquaman star Jason Momoa is in negotiations to play a role in the movie, which already includes some huge names from Hollywood.
The movie's cast already includes all of these big names, including those said to be in talks:
Timothee Chalamet
Javier Bardem
Rebecca Ferguson
Stellan Skarsgard
Josh Brolin
Oscar Isaac
Zendaya
Dave Bautista
According to Variety, Momoa, should he officially sign on to the Dune reboot, will play the character Duncan Idaho. He's the second-in-command to the character played by Isaac, who is portraying Chalamet's father.
The movie is based on the Frank Herbert 1965 novel. David Lynch directed the first Dune movie in 1984; it was not a commercial success but it gained a cult reputation. A mini-series for TV was produced in the early 2000s on the Syfy channel.
Director Denis Villeneuve, who directed Blade Runner 2014, Sicario, and Arrival, co-wrote the script for the new Dune with Eric Roth (A Star Is Born, Forrest Gump) and Jon Spaihts (Prometheus).
No release date has been announced as of yet for the new Dune. Given its cast, director, and writing team, we're very excited to see how the new Dune reboot comes together. Keep checking back with GameSpot for the latest.
The previous record-holder was The Incredibles 2, also from Disney, which tallied 113.6 million views. All of the numbers come from The Hollywood Reporter.
Frozen 2 has big shoes to fill. The 2013 film made more than $1 billion worldwide and it launched a new merchandising tentpole for Disney. The movie was also a critical darling, winning Oscars for best animated movie and best original song for the inescapable "Let It Go."
The sequel arrives this November, and it brings back the main cast including Idina Menzel as Elsa and Kristen Bell as Anna. Jonathan Groff returns as Kristoff and Josh Gad comes back again to play the snowman Olaf. Westworld star Evan Rachel Wood and Black Panther's Sterling K. Brown are among the newcomers for the sequel.
The plot for Frozen 2 is under wraps for now, but there might be some clues in the first trailer, which you can re-watch in the embed above. Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee, who directed the first Frozen, are coming back to direct the sequel.
Actor Will Smith was offered the role of Neo in The Matrix but he turned it down. The actor explained in a new video that the he was not sold on the Wachowskis' pitch, which supposedly involved promises of new camera technology and hard-to-grasp concepts that Smith didn't resonate with.
"There is a fine line in a pitch meeting between genius and what I experienced in the meeting," he said. Instead of doing The Matrix, Smith made Wild Wild West, and well, Smith acknowledged that he's "not proud of it." That is probably an understatement.
Smith had nothing but praise for Keanu Reeves, who played Neo, and Laurence Fishburne as Morpheus. They were both "perfect" in their career-defining roles, Smith said.
Smith said had he done The Matrix, the film would have featured Morpheus played by a white person. Val Kilmer was reportedly going to play Morpheus in this alternate timeline.
"I probably would have messed The Matrix up," Smith said. "I would have ruined it. So I did ya'll a favor."
This is a fascinating and frank statement from Smith, and it's nice to see him speak so openly and honestly about missing out on starring in a movie as popular as The Matrix. Of course, Smith didn't need The Matrix. He had already made Independence Day, Bad Boys, and Men In Black at that time, and he has gone on to star in many other films later in his career.
In the video, Smith also spoke briefly about how he originally did not want to be in Men In Black, because he had just come off Independence Day and didn't want to be type-casted as "the alien movie guy." Producer Steven Spielberg called him and convinced him to take the part.
It's always interesting to think about alternate casts for movies that go on to be huge hits. You may also recall that Nicolas Cage said no to playing Aragorn in The Lord of the Rings, while Al Pacino turned down the role of Han Solo for Star Wars: A New Hope.
Smith will be seen next as the Genie in Disney's new live-action take on Aladdin. He's playing both a human form of the Genie and a CG version that is very, very weird-looking.
Most of the rules in Apex Legends are similar to other battle royale games, but the big difference between Respawn's entry and other titles is its unique cast of characters. Each character handles a little differently thanks to their differing abilities--some are best at offense, some specialize in defense, and some excel at supporting teammates. Deciding which character to play as and knowing how best to they can aid your team is an essential part of the game.
When it comes to Lifeline, Apex Legends' combat medic, it's all about playing smart and helping your teammates. Lifeline has some of the best support abilities in the game, but lacks any offensive options. She's great to have on a team, but when playing as her, you'll need to be smart about using her abilities to the fullest.
Lifeline is the only medic of the current crop of Apex Legends characters, and as such, you'll see her on a lot of teams. Her healing abilities can be indispensable in times of crisis, making it a little easier to revive downed teammates and get them back up to fighting strength in the middle of a firefight. Her slate of support abilities mean she foregoes some offensive strengths, though--unlike other characters, she has no good means of attacking other players.
Playing Lifeline well is all about working with your team and staying together. She's best kept close to other players but away from the front lines to lessen the chances that she'll get knocked down, so that when other players need help, she can assist them. She also lacks abilities that can help her escape in emergencies--she has nothing like the grapples, smoke, and shields that other characters can use. When you're playing Lifeline, you need to be smart and protect yourself so that you can protect your teammates.
Abilities
Passive: Combat Medic
Lifeline's most useful ability is the shield she projects in front of her when reviving teammates. While other players are stuck under fire when they revive and can be easily killed, Lifeline's shield saves her from the incoming damage. It can be the difference between losing a whole team and getting everyone back in the fight. Lifeline also heals herself and can revive teammates more quickly than other characters.
Tactical: D.O.C. Heal Drone
You can save teammates and yourself from spending their health items with your healing drone. Lifeline can drop the drone anywhere, and anyone standing close to it gets health restored--although how much health the drone can dish out is limited, and gets split between all the nearby players. You should also note that anyone, including opponents, can make use of a healing done, so be sure to be careful about where you summon it.
Ultimate: Care Package
Lifeline's ultimate ability allows her to call her own supply drop anywhere she wants. It's not quite as good as the supply drops that appear automatically on the map from time to time, but it's still pretty solid--Lifeline's care packages include defensive items, so you can get some sweet armor and healing items out of them, and even high-level weapon attachments.
Tips To Play
Lifeline's healing capabilities are great for supporting your squad, but they leave her vulnerable to attack from enemies, and mean she doesn't have any handy abilities to use against opponents or get herself out of trouble. Therefore, when you're playing as Lifeline, you should try to stay back from fights and out of harm's way as much as you can so that you're ready to help out teammates when they need you.
Going after revives will put you in the thick of the action, though, so it's best to be ready to defend yourself. Pick weapons that offer a lot of range, like the Longbow DMR or the G7 Scout, as well as shotguns or submachine guns for up-close encounters. Remember that while your job is to revive and heal people, getting killed while you do it is a great way to lose matches; shoot first, revive second.
Whether you're playing as Lifeline or you have one on your team, keep an eye out for Ultimate Accelerants. Lifeline has one of the longer Ultimate cooldown timers, and the quicker you can get care packages, the quicker you can grab high-tier defensive loot. It's also worth trying to get several of Lifeline's care packages in a single match to help kit everyone else out.
If you're set on gear and you still have a care package ultimate ready, try using it to distract enemies or confuse them. You can drop a package in one direction and run in the other, for instance, or call one and use it to draw out another squad for an ambush. We've also seen care packages kill enemy players by landing on them, and you use them to crowd tight areas or for cover--so get creative.
Lifeline's quick healing means you should try to stay as healthy as possible. If you can manage to heal up without leaving your teammates hanging during a fight, do it; your chances of winning a fight are always higher if you have a higher health pool. Just remember that, in a fight, helping your team keep shooting is usually better than falling back. Gaining or losing a numerical advantage usually determines which team wins a battle.
Drop health drones in cover positions so your teammates can fall back to them. Be careful where you leave them, though, because anyone can use them, including opponents.
Marking a first for the Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade, a video game-themed float will make its way down Oxford Street as part of the annual celebration.
Square Enix announced today that it has collaborated with the Sydney Gaymers group to bring a Final Fantasy XIV Online float to the parade this year. The float is described as "unique and exciting," and it's themed around the title "Realms United."
"It means so much to receive direct support, validation, and acknowledgement from such a force in the industry," Sydney Gaymers organizer Peak Distapan said in a statement. "Not only that, to be supported by a game where so much of our community and values are represented.
"The Final Fantasy XIV Online community does not discriminate and respects everyone's freedom and their individual values equally. For many LGBTQI+ people, online communities provide a space for the journey and exploration of personal identities They allow us to connect, and celebrate, and they reinforce that we are not alone."
Final Fantasy XIV Online producer and director Naoki Yoshida said the float at the Mardi Gras parade builds on the relationship Square Enix fostered with Sydney Gaymers at PAX Australia.
"To see it makes me very happy indeed, both as the person in charge of FFXIV and also as just another player of the game," Yoshida said. "FFXIV is another world that continues to grow and expand online. In that world people become adventurers, known as the Warriors of Light, and can continue to be free."
The Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras parade takes place on Saturday, March 2. The parade is truly massive, taking over a significant part of the city and drawing crowds of thousands. Last year, Cher appeared in the parade and put on a show after.
No images of the Final Fantasy XIV Online float for the Mardi Gras parade have been released, but keep checking back with GameSpot for more.
In other news, the game's next big expansion, Shadowbringers, launches in July.
Microsoft is offering a nice deal on one of the Xbox One X bundles right now. The Fallout 76 Xbox One X bundle, which normally sells for $500 USD, is now going for $400 USD.
Two versions of the bundle are available, including the Robot White and standard black editions. Both come with a 1 TB Xbox One X system, as well as a copy of the game and one-month trials for Xbox Game Pass and Xbox Live Gold. Shipping is free through the Microsoft Store website.
Fallout 76 launched in October behind a lukewarm critical reception. Even if you're not interested in the game, getting the Xbox One X for $400 USD is a fantastic deal on its own.
The timing of the deal is also notable, given that the latest Microsoft first-party game, Crackdown 3, is launching this week. It's free for Xbox Game Pass subscribers, so you can use the one-month trial to play the game without spending extra. You might want to try before buying anyway, as our first reactions in our Crackdown 3 review were not all that positive.
The Pirates of the Caribbean reboot has hit some choppy water, as writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick have reportedly jumped ship. Sources told Deadline that Reese and Wernick, who wrote Deadpool 1 and 2, have left the Disney project.
Disney film boss Sean Bailey originally said Reese and Wernick were planning to "make Pirates punk rock again" and give the series the "kick in the pants" it needed to revitalize itself.
There is no word on why Reese and Wernick bailed from the new Pirates movie. Sources told Deadline that Disney is not sure of what will happen next. Some said Disney is already searching for new writers, while other claimed the movie and the franchise overall is now on hold.
The latest instalment was 2017's Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, which, while not the most successful entry in the series, made more than $790 million worldwide. All together, the five Pirates movies have made more than $4.5 billion worldwide to date. The franchise is also a merchandise juggernaut; Deadline said Pirates merchandise has generated $2.5 billion.
The new Pirates movie, if it ever gets made, may not feature the franchise's biggest star: Johnny Depp. The actor played Captain Jack Sparrow in all of the movies so far, but a report from 2017 claimed that the new movie might be made without him.
As for Reese and Wernick, their first big hit was Zombieland, and they are coming back to write the sequel, Double Tap, which arrives in theatres later this year. Reese and Wernick also wrote G.I. Joe Retaliation, starring The Rock, before entering a new stratosphere of success with Deadpool and its sequel.
NetherRealm Studios has confirmed Jade is returning to the fight in Mortal Kombat 11. A new gameplay trailer for Jade dropped during the developer's Kombat Kast live stream on February 14. You can watch it above.
Jade's Mortal Kombat 11 trailer reveals her moveset now allows her to set up combos a little more easily in comparison to Mortal Kombat 9, and her new Crushing Blow and gruesome Fatality are proof she hasn't lost her edge. She sports a new outfit in Mortal Kombat 11, but it's still Jade's staple green. The ninja also hasn't lost her touch when it comes to delivering quips either.
Here's how NetherRealm's official announcement describes her MK11 incarnation: "Now resurrected by an evil sorcerer, she serves the Netherrealm as an undead Revenant. Death hasn't slowed Jade down, though. She still thrashes her enemies with her bo staff, razorrang, and patronizing put-downs.'
Jade has been a part of the franchise since appearing as an unplayable character in the series' second entry, making her official debut in Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3. She last appeared in Mortal Kombat 9. Jade is a fairly fast fighter who's good at space control and pushing opponents back, able to use her staff and daggers to dish out damage from a slight distance as well.
During Mortal Kombat 11's gameplay debut, director Ed Boon revealed in-game customization options. Each character has three pieces of gear that you can change, and there are more general makeover options as well. For example, Scorpion can switch up which katana he uses, as well as his mask and spear. A fighter's abilities can be customized as well.
Mortal Kombat 11 is scheduled to release for Xbox One, PS4, Switch, and PC on April 23. The game will have a beta test beforehand though--currently scheduled for March and only for Xbox and PS4--if you want to try it out before pre-ordering.
Capcom has announced that The Ghost Survivors DLC for the remake of Resident Evil 2 is coming out February 15. The expansion is free and will be available for Xbox One, PS4, and PC.
Much like The 4th Survivor mode, The Ghost Survivors focuses on other characters you never interacted with in Leon and Claire's adventure throughout Raccoon City's police station. However, unlike the fourth survivor, Umbrella Security Services agent Hunk, these three additional characters are not meant to make it through the zombie outbreak. In fact, some met their demise prior to the events of the game, as you can discover their fate in Resident Evil 2's campaign.
The first story, titled No Time To Mourn, focuses on Robert Kendo. Robert is the owner of Gun Shop Kendo, who sets out with a small arsenal to brave Raccoon City's streets--which are filled with a new type of poisonous zombie--in search of a means of escape. The second story, Runaway, follows Katherine Warren. The daughter of Raccoon City's mayor, Katherine must sneak her way to safety, all while avoiding or fighting a strangely mutated zombie that can only be stopped with special ammunition. The third story, Forgotten Soldier, follows Ghost. Like Hunk, Ghost is a U.S.S. agent that also survived the initial outbreak and is now trying to escape.
Each story can be tackled on a regular difficulty, or an easier training mode. In a blog post, Capcom social media specialist Kellen Haney described each story as a "what if" scenario, providing "an alternate look at what things might have been like." So The Ghost Survivors isn't canon to the established lore of Resident Evil like The 4th Survivor is.
In our Resident Evil 2 review, Alessandro Fillari gave the game a 9/10, writing, "Resident Evil 2 is not only a stellar remake of the original, but it's also simply a strong horror game that delivers anxiety-inducing and grotesque situations, topping some of the series' finest entries. But above all, the remake is an impressive game for the fact that it goes all-in on the pure survival horror experience, confidently embracing its horrifying tone and rarely letting up until the story's conclusion. Though Resident Evil 2 has its roots firmly in the past, it reworks the familiar horrors into something that feels brand new and all its own."
The '90s are back! All That, the Nickelodeon sketch comedy show that launched the career of longtime Saturday Night Live star Kenan Thompson, is making a comeback at the network. And this time, Thompson is helping the spearhead the revival.
The news comes from Variety, which reports that a new take on the show is in the works with a fresh cast. However, it's expected that some former cast members will appear in one way or another on the new All That. What's more, Thompson has signed on as an executive producer on the project.
"It means everything to me," the actor explained. "It was my first job that I ever had. It gave me an opportunity."
He's not kidding. Not only did All That put Thompson on TV weekly, but he also starred in the Kenan & Kel spin-off with Kel Mitchell, Additionally, the two turned one of the show's sketches into the feature-length Good Burger movie. Of course, he also landed roles in the Mighty Ducks franchise and a long list of other shows and films, which eventually brought him to SNL. Now he's hoping lightning will strike twice, creating a new generation of sketch comedians.
"We think there's a great opportunity to find the next pool of stars," Nickelodeon president Brian Robins said. "We want to bring the show back in a real fun way. This summer, we are going to bring back a lot of the original cast and the cast through the years, and let them introduce the new cast of All That to the world."
All That isn't the only Nick show seeing new life on the network, though. As it celebrates its 20th anniversary, Spongebob Squarepants is planning a spin-off. While no details about who the spin-off would follow have been announced, Robbins sees the potential in expanding the franchise. "That's our Marvel universe," he explained to Variety. "You have this amazing show that's run for almost twenty years."
We're already afraid of what Spongebob's version of Infinity War will be like.
We're giving away free Morty plushies from Rick and Morty to three (3) lucky fans. Entering into our Instagram giveaway below is easy -- just like and follow for a chance to win!
Rick and Morty Plushie Giveaway from Symbiote Studios
Official Sweepstakes Rules
NO PURCHASE OR WIRELESS DEVICE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. A PURCHASE WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING. OPEN TO LEGAL RESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES, WHO ARE AT LEAST 18 YEARS OLD OR AGE OF MAJORITY, WHICHEVER IS OLDER IN YOUR STATE OF RESIDENCE, AT DATE OF ENTRY INTO SWEEPSTAKES. VOID IN ALL U.S. TERRITORIES AND POSSESSIONS AND WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. IF YOU ARE ACCESSING THIS SWEEPSTAKES VIA YOUR WIRELESS DEVICE, DATA RATES MAY APPLY.
Administrator & Sponsor: GameSpot, a Division of CBS Interactive, Inc. ("CBSI"), 235 Second Street, San Francisco, California 94105.
Prize Providers: Cartoon Network - 1050 Techwood Dr., NW, Atlanta, GA 30318 and B/HI, 11500 West Olympic Blvd. Suite 399, Los Angeles, CA 90064
Sweepstakes Entities: CBSI, Cartoon Network and B/HI
THIS SWEEPSTAKES IS NOT SPONSORED, ENDORSED OR ADMINISTERED BY INSTAGRAM.
1. Acceptance of Rules. By entering the Rick and Morty Plushie Giveaway from Symbiote Studios (the "Sweepstakes") operated on the CBSI social web site accessible at the domain "instagram.com/GameSpot" (the "CBSI Service"), you hereby accept and agree to these official rules (the "Official Rules") of this Sweepstakes and the decisions of the Administrator in connection with this Sweepstakes, whose decisions are final.
No purchase, entry fee or use of wireless device is necessary to enter or win. If you are a wireless service subscriber and have a smartphone, tablet or other wireless device that allows you access to the Internet, you may also enter the Sweepstakes via any of those devices during the Promotion Period (as defined below). If you chose to access this Sweepstakes via any of those wireless devices, you may be charged data rates according to the Terms and Conditions of the Service Agreement with your wireless carrier.
2. Eligibility. This Sweepstakes is offered and open to persons who are: (a) Registered Users (as defined below); (b) legal residents of the United States; and (c) at least 18 years old or age of majority, whichever is older in their state of residence, at the date of entry in this Sweepstakes. For purposes of these Official Rules, "Registered User(s)" means a person who has successfully completed the registration form, obtained a user identification, an associated password on the social website Instagram and follows GameSpot (@gamespot). There is no fee associated with becoming an Instagram Registered User. Employees, directors, and the immediate family members of the Sweepstakes Entities and their parents, affiliated and subsidiary companies, advertising and promotion agencies and legal and financial advisors are not eligible to participate in this Sweepstakes. For purpose of the foregoing, "immediate family" means parents, spouses, children, siblings or any members of the same households of such employees and directors. This Sweepstakes is void in all U.S. territories and possessions and where prohibited by law.
3. Entering the Sweepstakes: To enter the Sweepstakes, if not already, become a Registered User (as specified above), and enter, during the Promotion Period (as defined below), by following the instructions below:
1. Follow @adultswim + @symbiote_studios
2. Like the post related to the Sweepstakes found on the CBSI Service
Participants can gain additional entries by tagging their friends in separate comments on the CBSI Service. Participants may receive a maximum of five (5) additional entries to the Sweepstakes via this action; one (1) per each unique friend tagged.
Limit of six (6) entries per person during the Promotion Period.
4. Promotion Period. The Sweepstakes begins on February 14, 2019 at 12:00 p.m. Pacific Time ("PT") and ends at 12:00 p.m. PT on February 25, 2019 (the "Promotion Period").
5. Prizes. The Sweepstakes will award three (3) prizes (the "Prizes"). Each Prize consists of one (1) Rick and Morty plushy. Each Prize has an approximate retail value ("ARV") of Thirty Dollars (US$30.00). Total ARV of all Prizes to be awarded in this Sweepstakes is Ninety Dollars (US$90.00).
6. Prize Restrictions. No assignment, transfer, conversion to cash or cash redemption or substitution of a Prize is permitted, except Administrator reserves the right to substitute a Prize with a prize of comparable or greater value, should a Prize or part of a Prize become unavailable. Prize is solely for personal use and may not be used in conjunction with any other promotion. All Prize details are at the sole discretion of the Sweepstakes Entities.
7. Odds/Drawings/Winner Notification. Odds of winning a Prize depends on the number of eligible entries received during the Promotion Period. On or about February 25, 2019, after the conclusion of the Promotion Period, the Prize drawings will be conducted at random by Administrator, whose decisions are final and binding in all respects. The potential Prize winners (the "Winners") will be notified by Administrator, via a message to their Instagram Service account. Potential Winners will be asked to provide their personal information, such as their name, physical address, date of birth and phone number in order to confirm eligibility and compliance with these Official Rules. Administrator will select up to two (2) alternate Winners per Prize. If no contact has been made with the alternates after a reasonable effort has been made during three (3) business days from the first notification attempt to the last alternate, such Prize will not be awarded.
8. Prize Taxes. All federal, state, local and other tax liabilities arising from this Sweepstakes, including, without limitation, winning a Prize, will be the sole responsibility of each Winner.
9. Affidavit of Eligibility/Liability Release and Publicity Release. Winners may be required to complete, execute and return an Affidavit of Eligibility/Liability Release, and where lawful, a Publicity Release (collectively, the "Release Forms"), as well as a W-9 tax form within five (5) days of notification of winning. Failure to return Release Forms timely, or if a Prize notification or a Prize is returned as non-deliverable, or if a Winner is found not to be eligible or not in compliance with these Official Rules, may result in disqualification with an alternate Winner selected in accordance with these Official Rules.
10. Publicity Release Terms. Except where prohibited by law, a Winner's acceptance of a Prize constitutes permission for the Sweepstakes Entities to use Winner's name, photograph, likeness, statements, biographical information, voice, and address (city and state) worldwide and in all forms of media, in perpetuity, without further compensation.
11. Improper Conduct. Administrator, in its sole discretion, may disqualify any entrant from participation in or use of any or all portions of this Sweepstakes, and refuse to award a Prize, if a Winner engage(s) in any conduct Administrator deems to be improper, unfair or otherwise adverse to the operation of the Sweepstakes or detrimental to other entrants of the Sweepstakes. Such improper conduct includes, without limitation, falsifying personal information required during entrant registration or Prize claim, violating any term or condition stated herein, accumulating entries through methods such as automated computer scripts or any other programming techniques, allowing others to use entrant's personal information for the purpose of accumulating entries, or intentionally trying to defraud, reverse engineer, disassemble or otherwise tamper with the computer programs in connection with this Sweepstakes. Winners agree that Administrator may void a Prize or any part of a Prize that a Winner may have won and/or require the return of a Prize or any part of a Prize that a Winner may have won as a result of such improper conduct. Winners further acknowledge that any forfeiture of a Prize and/or return of a Prize shall in no way prevent Administrator from pursuing other avenues of recourse, such as criminal or civil proceedings in connection with such conduct. WARNING: ANY ATTEMPT TO DELIBERATELY DAMAGE OR UNDERMINE THE LEGITIMATE OPERATION OF THIS SWEEPSTAKES MAY BE A VIOLATION OF CRIMINAL AND CIVIL LAWS, AND SHOULD SUCH AN ATTEMPT BE MADE, EACH OF THE SWEEPSTAKES ENTITIES RESERVES THE RIGHT TO SEEK DAMAGES OR OTHER REMEDIES FROM ANY SUCH PERSON(S) RESPONSIBLE FOR SUCH ATTEMPT TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW.
12. Integrity of Sweepstakes. If, for any reason, the Sweepstakes is not capable of running as planned by reason of infection by computer virus, worms, bugs, tampering, unauthorized intervention, fraud, technical failures, or any other causes which Administrator, in its sole opinion believes could corrupt or affect the administration, security, fairness, integrity or proper conduct of this Sweepstakes, Administrator reserves the right at its sole discretion to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend this Sweepstakes and select the Winners from entries received prior to the action taken or in such other manner as Administrator may deem fair and appropriate.
13. Lost or Corrupted Entries. The Sweepstakes Entities and their parents, affiliated and subsidiary companies and advertising and promotion agencies, assume no liability and are not responsible for, and you hereby forever waive any rights to any claim in connection with, lost, late, incomplete, corrupted, stolen, misdirected, illegible or postage-due entries or mail, if applicable; or for any computer, telephone, cable, network, satellite, electronic or Internet hardware or software malfunctions, unauthorized human intervention, or the incorrect or inaccurate capture of entry or other information, or the failure to capture any such information. The Sweepstakes Entities and their parents, affiliated and subsidiary companies and advertising and promotion agencies, are not responsible for any incorrect or inaccurate information, whether caused by registration information submitted by end users or tampering, hacking or by any of the equipment or programming associated with or utilized in this Sweepstakes, and assumes no responsibility for any error, omission, interruption, deletion, defect, delay in operation or transmission, communications line failure, theft or destruction or unauthorized access to the Sweepstakes.
14. Damaged Property. The Sweepstakes Entities and their parents, affiliated and subsidiary companies and advertising and promotion agencies, assume no liability and are not responsible for, and you hereby forever waive any rights to any claim in connection with, injury or damage to any entrants or to any other person's computer or property related to or resulting from participating in this Sweepstakes or downloading materials from this Sweepstakes.
15. Sweepstakes Errors. The Sweepstakes Entities and their parents, affiliated and subsidiary companies and advertising and promotion agencies, assume no liability and are not responsible for, and you hereby forever waive any rights to any claim in connection with errors and/or ambiguity: (a) in the Sweepstakes; (b) in any related advertising or promotions of this Sweepstakes; and/or (c) in these Official Rules. In the event of any ambiguity(s) or error(s) in these Official Rules, Administrator reserves the right to modify these Official Rules for clarification purposes or to correct any such ambiguity(s) or error(s) without materially affecting the terms and conditions of the Sweepstakes.
16. Prizes and Winners. The Sweepstakes Entities and their parents, affiliated and subsidiary companies and advertising and promotion agencies, assume no liability and are not responsible for, and you/entrant hereby forever waive any rights to any claim in connection with, the selection and announcement of the Winners, the distribution of the Prizes, the acceptance/possession and/or use/misuse of any part of a Prize and/or any injury or damage to any entrant's or third person's property related to or resulting from any part of a Prize or any part of this Sweepstakes.
17. Release and Indemnity. Each entrant in this Sweepstakes, including, without limitation, the Winners, hereby releases and agrees to hold harmless the Sweepstakes Entities and their parents, affiliates, subsidiaries, advertising and promotion agencies and their respective directors, officers, employees, representatives and agents from any and all liability for any injuries, loss or damage of any kind to person, including death, and property, arising in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, from acceptance, possession, use or misuse of a Prize, participation in this Sweepstakes and participation in any activity related to this Sweepstakes.
18. Limitation of Liability. IN NO EVENT WILL THE SWEEPSTAKES ENTITIES, THEIR PARENTS, AFFILIATES, SUBSIDIARIES AND RELATED COMPANIES, THEIR ADVERTISING OR PROMOTION AGENCIES OR THEIR RESPECTIVE OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, REPRESENTATIVES AND AGENTS, BE RESPONSIBLE OR LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES OR LOSSES OF ANY KIND, INCLUDING DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF YOUR ACCESS TO AND USE OF THE SWEEPSTAKES OR THE DOWNLOADING FROM AND/OR PRINTING MATERIAL DOWNLOADED FROM THE SWEEPSTAKES. SOME JURISDICTIONS MAY NOT ALLOW THE LIMITATIONS OR EXCLUSION OF LIABILITY FOR INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OR EXCLUSION OF IMPLIED WARRANTIES, SO SOME OF THE ABOVE LIMITATIONS OR EXCLUSIONS MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU. CHECK YOUR LOCAL LAWS FOR ANY RESTRICTIONS OR LIMITATIONS REGARDING THESE LIMITATIONS OR EXCLUSIONS.
19. Disclaimer of Warranties. THE SWEEPSTAKES AND PRIZES ARE PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR NON-INFRINGEMENT.
20. Identity Disputes. In the event of a dispute as to the identity of the winner based on an email address, the winning entry will be declared made by the Authorized Account Holder of the email address and/or wireless phone number submitted at time of registration into Instagram and/or entry into the Sweepstakes. For purposes of these Official Rules, "Authorized Account Holder" is defined as the natural person who is assigned to an email address by an Internet access provider, online service provider or other organization (e.g., business, educational, institution, etc.) that is responsible for assigning email addresses for the domain associated with the submitted email address.
21. Binding Arbitration. The parties waive all rights to trial in any action or proceeding instituted in connection with these Official Rules and/or this Sweepstakes. Any controversy or claim, arising out of, or relating to, these Official Rules and/or this Sweepstakes shall be settled by binding arbitration in accordance with the commercial arbitration rules of the American Arbitration Association. Any such controversy or claim shall be arbitrated on an individual basis and shall not be consolidated in any arbitration with any claim or controversy of any other party. The arbitration shall be conducted in the State of New York, in the City of New York and judgment on the arbitration award may be entered into any court having jurisdiction thereof.
22. Governing Law and Jurisdiction. This promotion is governed by U.S. law and is subject to all applicable federal, state and local laws and regulations. Void where prohibited by law. All issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation and enforceability of these Official Rules, or the rights and obligations of entrant and Administrator in connection with this Sweepstakes, shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York, U.S.A., without giving effect to the conflict of laws rules thereof, and any matters or proceedings which are not subject to arbitration, as set forth in Section 21 of these Official Rules and/or for entering any judgment on an arbitration award, shall take place in the State of New York, in the City of New York.
23. Winner's List/Official Rules. For the name of the Winners, send a self-addressed stamped envelope for receipt by March 15, 2019 to "Winner List, Rick and Morty Plushie Giveaway from Symbiote Studios" 1401 W. Cypress Creek Road, Suite 200, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33309. For Official Rules, send a self-addressed stamped envelope to the above address marked "Official Rules: Rick and Morty Plushie Giveaway from Symbiote Studios" for receipt by March 15, 2019. Residents of VT may omit postage on the self-addressed envelope. The name of the Winners may be posted, and the Official Rules will be posted on GameSpot.com.
Ubisoft has announced the changes scheduled to go live in Rainbow Six: Siege with the Y4S1 patch. The changes will first go live in Siege's test server on PC, where Ubisoft will monitor player feedback and make any necessary adjustments before pushing the update on all systems.
Most of the changes coming in the Y4S1 patch are buffs and nerfs for Operators. In terms of buffs, the area of effect on Capitao's bolts is being increased to make him more ideal for denying other Operators. For nerfs, the damage for Lesion's Gu mines is being reduced, Clash is losing the muzzle brake for her machine pistol, Dokkaebi's phone calls are being made shorter, the time it takes for Maverick to switch between his SURI torch and a weapon is being increased, and Ash is losing the ACOG sight for her R4-C.
The patch will also address breaching charges as well, which Ubisoft wants--as stated in a blog post--to be "safer and more comfortable" for Attackers to use. The charges are still rather dangerous for Defenders on the other side of the wall though. Although no changes are scheduled at this time, Ubisoft is also considering reworks for how shield-wielding Operators work, as well as buffs for Lion and Glaz and a nerf for Blitz.
We've outlined the changes scheduled for the Rainbow Six: Siege Y4S1 patch below. Siege is available on Xbox One, PS4, and PC.
Rainbow Six: Siege Y4S1 Update Patch Notes
Operator Changes
Ash
Removed ACOG from R4-C
Maverick
Increase swap time between SURI Torch and weapons
Dokkaebi
After 18 seconds, phone calls from Dokkaebi will hang up on their own
Being in range of Mute jammers will prevent Dokkaebi from calling you
Walking into range of Mute jammers will hang up phone calls during the call
Capitao
Increasing area of effect size
Reducing damage per tick from 19 to 12
Clash
Removing Muzzle Brake on Machine Pistol
Lesion
Reduced Gu Mines damage per tick from 8 to 4
General Changes
Breaching Charges
Deployment animation is much faster
Damage on Attacker's side is reduced from 150 to 50
Damage area of effect on Defender side is increased
Lethal damage area of effect on Defender side is reduced
One of the finest releases of last year--GameSpot's pick for Game of the Year--was Red Dead Redemption 2. While some of the big fall releases saw discounts during Black Friday, we've yet to see much in the way of notable deals on Rockstar's open-world game. If you've held out until now, you're in luck, as the game is 33% off at two different retailers in the United States.
Alongside GameStop's standard lineup of weekly deals, it's dropped the price of Red Dead 2 to $40 on both PS4 and Xbox One. Amazon, as it often does, has since price-matched that offer, letting you pick it up for the same price on either platform. We don't know exactly how long the discounts will run for, so you should act fast if you're interested by heading over to Amazon or GameStop.
No matter where you buy it, you can look forward to a huge open-world experience and a compelling narrative that you might not expect. Its world is vast and filled with an impressive level of attention to detail. You can read all about it in our Red Dead 2 review.
In addition to the single-player campaign, you'll receive access to Red Dead Online, the game's online multiplayer component. Although we were not as fond of it at release as we were the campaign, Rockstar has been updating it, and just recently it announced plans for some new changes and additions coming soon. Red Dead Online remains in beta for the time being.
No comments:
Post a Comment