BioWare has revealed a detailed guide for how weapon inscriptions in Anthem work. The guide answers several long-standing questions the Anthem community has had about the game--specifically what inscription icons mean and what damage numbers actually do.
Inscription icons are probably the most important thing to look for on weapons, as they inform you what's actually being affected. For every inscription that has a gear icon, the effect only applies to the specific weapon or item. If, however, an inscription is marked with a suit-looking icon, then the effect is applied to every weapon and item equipped to your Javelin.
So, for example, in the image above of the Masterwork Wyvern Blitz sniper rifle we found--which can be seen in our gallery of every Masterwork and Legendary weapon we've discovered in Anthem so far--you can see that two inscriptions only apply to the weapon itself and another two affect the entire Javelin. The inscriptions that increase weapon reload speed by 15 percent and physical damage by 150 percent only apply to the Wyvern Blitz. The 18 percent bonus to harvested items and 15 percent increase to grenade launcher ammo are added to a Javelin for as long as the sniper is equipped--even if you're not actually using it.
The other thing to look out for on weapons is the damage number. The damage number is what a weapon does before inscription effects are applied. So looking at the Wyvern Blitz example again, the sniper rifle does 2715 weapon damage prior to the 150 percent physical damage bonus increase.
BioWare offers an even deeper breakdown on how weapon inscriptions work on Reddit. The breakdown ends with two changes the developer has planned for inscriptions going forward. The first is replacing low inscription rolls with ranges, to increase their effect. The second is an increase to the number of unique inscriptions for each weapon or item. No timetable was provided for either change, as BioWare is not sure when they'll be ready.
If you're playing Anthem and you need some help, check out some of our other guides. Anthem is available on Xbox One, PS4, and PC.
It's a good day to be a Star Wars fan. Disney Parks has announced the opening dates for Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge--the Star Wars-themed land--at both Disneyland in California and Disney's Hollywood Studios in Florida. What's more, it's been revealed that both parks will open earlier than projected, though there's a big "but" when it comes with those early openings.
Galaxy's Edge, which is an immersive section of the park means to mimic the world of Star Wars, will open at Disneyland on May 31, with the Florida version of the attraction welcoming visitors on August 29. These openings will be what Disney is calling "Phase One" of the launch.
At that time, guests will be immersed in the planet Batuu, where they can interact with strange characters, shop and dine at interplanetary hot spots, and partake in a new ride called Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run. The ride allows visitors to take full control of the Millennium Falcon during a mission. Those on the motion simulator attraction will work together to operate the vessel, control the flightpath, and work the guns. Try not to crash it, will you?
One thing missing from the Phase One launch will arrive later in the year. The second ride featured in Galaxy's Edge, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, will be included in the land's Phase Two, which has not been dated. According to a press release, that ride is "the most ambitious, immersive, and advanced attraction ever imagined, which will place guests in the middle of a climactic battle between the First Order and the Resistance and will blur the lines between fantasy and reality."
As Disney explains, the decision to open the land early and save Ride of the Resistance for later in 2019 is a move designed to allow guests to enjoy the Star Wars land as soon as possible. And the company is expecting a massive turnout for the opening days of the experience.
To make sure things stay orderly, ticket-holders will be required to make a no-cost reservation for Galaxy's Edge to gain admittance between May 31 and June 23. Reservation information and availability will be announced later, but guests staying at one of the Disneyland hotels will be assigned a time, guaranteeing they'll be able to experience Galaxy's Edge during its first month.
We're giving away 1 free PlayStation 4 Pro with a Hyper Jam skin to one (1) lucky winner and 15 Hyper Jam PS4 Game Codes to fifteen (15) lucky fans! (Scroll down to enter below).
This is not an instant win. No purchase necessary. Competition ends at 12:00 PM PT on March 8, 2019, in which 1 grand prize winner and 15 runner-up winners will be chosen at random. The grand-prize winner will be mailed the console with Hyper Jam skin (MSRP: $430.00). Runner-up winners will emailed a code for the full game (MSRP: $14.99).
Enter below:
Hyper Jam: PlayStation 4 Pro and Game Code Giveaway
Official Sweepstakes Rules
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Limit of one hundred and one (101) entries per person during the Promotion Period.
4. Promotion Period. The Sweepstakes begins on February 28, 2019 at 12:00 p.m. PT and ends at 12:00 p.m. PT on March 8, 2019 (the "Promotion Period").
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Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse swung into theaters last December and immediately broke records, netting $35.4 million in its first three days and marking the highest December opening for any animated film. The film also won the Oscar for Best Animated Film of 2018, an award that usually goes to Disney and Pixar films. In GameSpot's review of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, critic Meg Downey called it "the perfect superhero film" and "an instant animated classic." So it's no wonder we've been waiting eagerly for the 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD release of this fantastic movie.
Luckily, we won't be waiting much longer. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is already available for digital download, but the animated film will release in 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD formats on March 19. Depending on which format and retailer you decide to go with, different bonuses and collectibles are being offered along with a copy of the movie. Here's what you need to know about pre-ordering Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, including the fascinating special features that will come with it.
Special features
With over 90 minutes of bonus content included, there are plenty of reasons to pick up your own copy of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. A long list of special features are available, including an all-new mini movie starring Spider-Ham and an alternate universe mode that gives you a behind-the-scenes look at bonus scenes, plotlines, characters, and more. Other added features include a tribute to Spider-Man co-creators Stan Lee and Steve Ditko, lyric videos, a filmmaker commentary, and an Easter egg challenge for super-fans.
See the full list of special features for Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse below:
We Are Spider-Man
Spider-verse: A New Dimension
The Ultimate Comics Cast
A Tribute to Stan Lee and Steve Ditko
The Spider-Verse Super-Fan Easter Egg Challenge
Designing Cinematic Comics Characters
Heroes and Hams
Scorpions and Scoundrels
Alternate Universe Mode
Lyric Videos
"Sunflower" by Post Malone and Swae Lee
"Familia" by Nicki Minaj and Anuel AA (feat. Bantu)
All-new original short film: "Spider-Ham: Caught In a Ham"
Where to stream Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse
Digital copies of Spider-Verse are already available to buy now, and if you buy the film from the iTunes store, Microsoft, Vudu, or Fandango Now, you'll receive all the special features listed above. Be aware that the Amazon's digital version does not include any special features, and the Google Play Store's digital version does not appear to offer them either.
On that note: If you were a fan of Spider-Man: Homecoming, Google Play is offering a bundle where you can get both movies in HD for just $27, which is a pretty sweet deal.
Purchasing from iTunes will get you an additional, exclusive special feature: IN-GWEN-TION, a behind-the-scenes look at the design and development of Gwen Stacy / Spider-Gwen.
Microsoft also has a nice bonus for Xbox owners: if you purchase a digital version of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse before March 12, you'll receive a code for two weeks of Xbox Game Pass for free. The code will arrive in your Xbox Live Messaging Center within 10 days of purchasing the film. If you've been curious to try Xbox Live's game subscription service, here's a great chance to give it shot. This offer is valid until 11:59 PM PST on March 11 / 2:59 AM EST on March 12.
Pre-order Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse on Blu-ray and DVD
If you're itching to pre-order Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, you have a lot of format options and bonuses to consider. First, let's take a look at the exclusive bonuses several retailers are offering if you pre-order Spider-Verse from their websites. Best Buy has a gorgeous pop art steelbook available, while Walmart's offering a collectible Miles Morales action figurine in his Spider-Man suit. Amazon's exclusive offer is the most expensive and features limited-edition 3D hologram packaging with a Blu-ray copy.
Best Buy -- $33 (Pop Art Steelbook Version - Blu-ray + DVD + Digital)
Amazon -- $39 (Limited Edition with 3D Premium Hologram Packaging - Blu-ray)
Walmart -- $28 (Walmart Exclusive with Miles Morales action figure - Blu-ray + DVD + Digital)
It's worth noting that Target was offering a Blu-ray/DVD/Digital copy of the film with an exclusive 48-page mini-book showcasing the film's art, but unfortunately, pre-orders for that product appear to be sold out.
See more of your pre-order options for Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse below. Please note that none of these editions available for pre-order include a 3D disc. However, they'll include all of the aforementioned special features.
DVD + Digital
You can own Spider-Verse in regular DVD format for less than what you probably paid at the movie theater (depending on where you live).
The final event of Battlefield V's Lightning Strikes update, Unstoppable Force, is now live on PS4, Xbox One, and PC, and it brings back a fan-favorite Battlefield mode: Rush. The classic game type is now available to play on three maps, but it'll only be around for a limited time.
From now until March 20, players can jump into Rush mode on Twisted Steel, Narvik, and Devastation. The mode has two teams of 16 vying to control sectors of the map; the attacking team is charged with planting explosives on two objectives, while the defending team must prevent that from happening.
The Unstoppable Force event also brings with it two Weekly Challenges, each of which is comprised of several different tasks. If you complete all of them, you'll unlock the Mosquito FB Mk VI and Ju-88C planes. The first Weekly Challenge runs from March 7-14, while the second will be available from March 14-21. You can read more details about the tasks on the official Battlefield V website.
In addition to Rush mode, developer DICE has recently rolled out a new patch for Battlefield V on all platforms. This update is a fairly minor one, primarily resolving a few issues in the game and making other quality-of-life improvements. You can read the full patch notes here.
Battlefield V's third chapter of live content updates, Trial by Fire, is set to kick off later this month. Among other things, it will introduce Battlefield V's awaited battle royale mode, Firestorm, as well as a new Greece map and more.
3D Realms, the creators of Duke Nukem and the original Prey, have whole-heartedly embraced its past as old-school game developers. With Ion Maiden still in the wings, a throwback game that strongly emulates old-school shooters, the team at 3D Realms have more plans for another return trip to the past, strengthing the studio's belief that there's more to be said about games from a particular era. In the upcoming Wrath: Aeon of Ruin--launching this summer on PC-- it channels the same sense of action and pacing found from the early days of the 3D first-person shooter.
In a similar vein to 3D Realms' Ion Maiden, Wrath follows that same trend by sticking closely to the classic design of early 3D first-person shooters of the mid-90s, while also going all in on its action-horror angle. The developers, however, decided to push things a bit further by injecting some modern flair to help enhance some of the old-school aspects of its design. Built entirely on the original Quake engine, the same technology that id Software used for the 1996 FPS Quake, the developers worked closely with a number of designers and modders--including Jeremiah 'Killpixel' Fox--who used the tech at the time to make Wrath a more authentic game from the era.
"Everything we miss about the classic era is kind of gone now in most modern first-person shooters, and we kind of want to bring that back," said Frederik Schreiber, Vice President of 3D Realms. "Ion Maiden was basically the restart of our [3D Realms] timeline, we basically went back to 1996. For Wrath, we actually stumbled upon a Quake modder going under the name 'Killpixel', who was actually working on a particular mod for the game. There are tons of mods for Quake out there, but his stuff looked surprisingly cool. We decided to work with him on this and develop it further, hiring the best people who knew Quake and actually worked on the engine back in the day, all in order to put together a true successor in spirit to what the original Quake was back in the '90s. It's also the first major 3D Realms game that has been made internally in over a decade."
In Wrath, you play as the mysterious Outlander, who finds himself lost within the ruins of an old world. Eventually, he encounters an entity that tasks him with eliminating various deities and monsters lurking throughout the decaying landscape, and he'll use a variety of grotesque weapons and mystical artifacts to do just that. Set across three chapters, with five levels each, the campaign will take the Outlander across a variety of different locations that grow more bizarre and challenging as new creatures and foes come up.
Jumping into Wrath will feel right at home for those who have fond memories of old-school shooters. With swarms of enemies in every field and narrow passage, you'll quickly get accustomed to the strength and weight of your arsenal of weapons. Starting out with a wrist-blade, which offers an interesting secondary attack that can thrust you forward, you'll quickly upgrade to more devastating tools of war like the classic double-barrelled shotgun and a poison-sack launcher. Eventually, you'll find special artifacts that allow you to use powerful perks and skills, such as a relic that absorbs health from enemies. In an interesting twist that highlights the game's focus on challenge, the Soul Tether artifact doubles as a spawn point and a save game mechanic. If you die, you'll return back to where you placed the artifact, which uses up your relic in the process--essentially making saved games a tactical and finite option.
Though it's a classic '90s shooter through-and-through, it does introduce some more modern tricks and innovations. In addition to some new technology boosting the Quake engine beyond its previous limitations, allowing for larger levels and faster gameplay not seen in games from the '90s, it also incorporates some gameplay mechanics and quality-of-life touches on the physics and core gameplay that emulates the ease of use from recent titles. It was interesting getting to revisit this style of gameplay after having been so used to the games of today. There's noticeably very little filler when it comes to making your way through the levels. The action kept up at a swift pace, and it was constant. It all felt very matter of fact and to the point, which of course is by design.
Wrath: Aeon of Ruin aims to rekindle much of the same energy and tone found from the darker FPS games of the '90s. With Quake being such a seminal game of the era, and with hardcore fans keeping the tech and spirit live in the years since, the developers plan to make Wrath a real tribute to the classics of the '90s, while also showing that they're still worthwhile in today's age. Though the PC version will release first, Wrath will also find its way to PS4, Xbox One, and the Switch sometime later in 2020.
Anthem players have found another bug, but this time it's not crashing systems or other such inconveniences. Instead it's making a starter weapon overpowered--in fact, it's currently the most powerful weapon in the game.
A player on the Anthem subreddit found the bug. The user said that when experimenting with different loadouts, they found that the level 1 common Defender Rifle is actually stronger than their level 45 masterwork Ralner's Blaze rifle. This is despite the listed damage output for the level 1 weapon being much lower than for the Ralner. They claim they've gone on to try the Defender against other weapons and received similar results.
In response, a BioWare community manager stepped in and confirmed that this is a bug, stemming from how the default loadout items interact with higher-level gear. That would seem to imply that the level 1 Defender won't be as powerful for a brand-new player as it is for an experienced Freelancer with high-level gear. Still, it's definitely not working as intended, and the team is working on fixing it in an upcoming patch to hit on March 12.
In the meantime, though, you can feel free to wreak havoc on the battlefield with the low-level weapon. And this bug is at least much less problematic than the one that's crashing PS4 consoles, and has forced Sony to issue refunds to some users.
While few details about Amazon's Lord of the Rings TV show have been released so far, the company is starting to tease the upcoming production. Following the map and poem released last month, we now know when the series will be set.
The setting for the series has been confirmed via two tweets. They show the map once more, but this time zoomed out to reveal the island of Númenor, which fans of JRR Tolkien's books will know was destroyed thousands of years before the events of Lord of the Rings. In addition, a second tweet of the map includes the caption "Welcome to the Second Age." Check it out below:
— The Lord of the Rings on Prime (@LOTRonPrime) March 7, 2019
In Tolkien's mythology, the Second Age is the 3,500-year time period that leads to the alliance of men and elves defeating the evil Sauron. This epic battle is shown at the start of Peter Jackson's Fellowship of the Ring, the first of his Lord of the Rings movies, which was set in the Third Age. While we knew that the Amazon show would be set before the events of the trilogy, it seems that the writers are going way back into the history of Middle Earth.
The Lord of the Rings show doesn't currently have a title or release date, and no casting has been announced as yet. But it's set to be an incredibly expensive series--it was reported last year that it could cost as much as $500 million to produce, which includes the $250 million that Amazon paid for the TV rights to the property.
The challenges for Week 2 of Season 8 in Fortnite are fairly simple to complete. For the most part they involve dishing out damage, opening chests, or taking out enemy players in specific locations. However, one of the challenges included in the premium Battle Pass section is a bit unusual, though not terribly difficult either.
The challenge asks players to visit the furthers points of the island in each of the cardinal directions. Now, that sounds pretty simple, but given the strange geography of the island, you may want some specific guidance to ensure that you're not aimlessly wandering around in the wrong location wondering why the challenge isn't completing. It just so happens that we've done the legwork and have got the information you need to speed the whole process up. Take a look below for a list of the locations you need to head to.
Fortnite's Furthest North, South, East, And West Locations
North: Top left of the map, just above Junk Junction
South: Bottom center of the map, below Lucky Landing
East: Right of the map, southeast of Lonely Lodge
West: Left side of the map at Snobby Shores
If you need a hand with Week 1's challenges, make sure to take a look at our our full Season 8 challenges guide. We'll be keeping that up-to-date with new guides every week, so you shouldn't have much trouble completing challenges and earning the Battle Stars necessary to unlock the hot new Season 8 Battle Pass cosmetics.
On March 7, Epic Games released update 8.01 for Fortnite. The big new addition as part of this was treasure maps, which fits in nicely with the pirate theme that began with Season 8. The Buried Treasure item, a map that takes one inventory slot, guides players in the general direction of a treasure. When they're close, they'll need to find the shaft of light denoting where to dig and unearth the goods. Of course, other players will no doubt be hanging around with a goal to swoop in at the last second and steal the goods.
The patch also updated the game with the Slide Duos Limited-Time Mode, which makes it so everyone is sliding around everywhere. Run speed is increased while friction is "greatly lowered," and there is no fall damage. Helpfully, everyone gets a Grappler with unlimited ammo to help them gain some small amount of control.
Fortnite Season 8 is now in its second week. By now you should be more comfortable navigating the latest version of the island, which means completing the weekly challenges should be a little easier. Week 2's challenges are now available, so if you've got your eye on one of the many new cosmetic unlocks available in the Season 8 Battle Pass, it's time to put in the work to earn the Battle Stars you'll need to get them.
As always, challenges are grouped into two categories. The first, which is available to everyone, tasks players with completing a multi-stage challenge that begins by landing at The Block. When you've done this, additional challenges in this series will reveal themselves. After that, 200 points of damage need to be done to descending Supply Drops, and three kills must be earned at Salty Springs or Haunted Hills.
The second group of challenges, however, is exclusive to those that have spent V-Bucks on a premium Battle Pass. If that's you, you'll need to start a three-stage challenge by gaining 25 points of health from eating apples. These delicious fruits can be found scattered around the island but we tend to find them more frequently around Wailing Woods, Lonely Lodge, and just below Dusty Divot. After chowing down, you'll need to complete the additional stages of this challenge.
With that done, it's time for a bit of a trek to the furthest north, south, east, and west points on the island. The third challenge in this set requires you to use the new Pirate Cannon to do 100 points of damage, while the final one simply requires you to search a chest in three different named locations in one match.
Fortnite Season 8, Week 2 Challenges
Free
Stage 1 of 5: Land at The Block (1) -- 1 Battle Star
Eliminations at Salty Springs or Haunted Hills (3) -- 10 Battle Stars
Premium
Stage 1 of 3: Gain health from Apples (25) -- 1 Battle Stars
Visit the furthest North, South, East, and West points of the island (4) -- 5 Battle Stars
Deal damage to opponents with a Pirate Cannon (100) -- 10 Battle Stars
Search a chest in different named locations in a single match (3) -- 10 Battle Stars
Along with all the new cosmetic unlocks Season 8 of Fortnite brings, developer Epic Games has also thrown in a new gameplay feature. In the 8.01 update treasure maps became available. By following these, players can hunt down a special chest which contains rare loot. However, treasure maps also make you the target of other players that may be looking to set up ambushes and then steal the loot for themselves. You can see how the new buried treasure feature works here.
As with previous seasons, we'll be creating guides for Fortnite's challenges on a weekly basis. You can stay on top of it all by using our full Season 8 challenges guide.
The Division 2 revolves around a weaponized super-virus that has wreaked havoc on the social order, first starting in New York and then migrating to the United States capitol Washington DC in the sequel. The themes and setting would seem to lend themselves to political commentary, and the latest bit of promotional world-building lays it on thick.
A tweet from the official account shows a fictionalized letter from the state department of Mexico, responding to the "deteriorating situation" in the US. It cites instability due to people fleeing to Mexico from the United States, and announces that it is closing the border. To that end, it says the Mexican government has fully funded a border wall and has dispatched troops for security in the meantime.
The letter mentions the titular Division agents at the very end. In the fiction of the game, you play as one of these agents--an elite cabal who live ordinary lives throughout the country until activated to deal with acute domestic threats. But it says despite their efforts, Mexico has "lost both faith and confidence in the ability of the United States government."
The statement is clearly positioned as cheeky commentary on the current day US-Mexico relationship. President Donald Trump has advocated for a border wall, citing threats from those fleeing Mexico, and has dispatched troops along selected areas of the border. The letter playfully imagines the reverse, when a catastrophe causes Americans to seek refuge.
Ubisoft Massive, the developer behind The Division has stated in the past that it doesn't intend to be overtly political, stating that it's "bad for business." Earlier this year, the Ubisoft marketing team apologized for a previous email that had made light of the US government shutdown, which was ongoing at the time.
While the main campaign tells the next chapter in the story of an out-of-control super-virus, the game itself is a loot-shooter, which means you'll be spending lots of time replaying missions and going on raids to get the best gear. We had an exclusive look at one such gear set, appropriately named the Patriot Set for its red, white, and blue debuffs.
The Division 2 is coming on March 15 for PC, PS4, and Xbox One. Check out our pre-order guide for more details.
Blizzard will be re-releasing classic games from its library through a partnership with GOG, the companies have announced. The first release is 1996's Diablo, the loot-based action RPG that began a franchise and changed the role-playing landscape.
Diablo is now available through GOG.com for $10. Purchasing it gives you access to one of two versions of the game: the original, which runs at 20 FPS SVGA and handles matchmaking through a classic version of Battle.net; or an updated Windows 10 compatible version with bug fixes.
Blizzard and GOG say they plan to collaborate to bring more games from Blizzard's back-catalog to the service as well. Planned re-releases include Warcraft: Orcs & Humans and Warcraft 2. Release dates and pricing for these games wasn't announced.
"Crawling through the original Diablo's dungeons, together with Blizzard, is a feeling of pure excitement," said GOG SVP Oleg Klapovsky, in the announcement. "It's a personal thing for many of us, and the most wished-for game in our community. Taking the first few steps beneath the Tristram Cathedral, listening to the guidance of Cain the Elder--it's all coming back, for old souls and newcomers alike."
Blizzard is paying homage to its history in its own way as well. It's working on Warcraft 3 Reforged, a remastered version of the classic strategy game that also helped establish the MOBA genre. Meanwhile, Blizzard has multiple Diablo games in the works. One of those is Diablo Immortal, the mobile game that caused a stir with its announcement at BlizzCon. That appears to be the way forward for the company, though, as it has said it has mobile games in development for all of its franchises. And while we have yet to get the remaster of Diablo or Diablo II that many fans crave, it has offered an anniversary event in Diablo III over the past few years to celebrate the original game in the series.
The latest PlayStation 4 system software update is available now, and it adds a pretty cool feature: iOS users can now use their iPhones or iPads to play PS4 games using Remote Play.
Version 6.50 is a mandatory 442 MB download. It enables Remote Play for iOS devices, though you'll also need to download the PS4 Remote Play app from the Apple App Store. The app itself is compatible with the vast majority of PS4 games, with virtual buttons and sticks appearing on the iOS device screen, though you may find a bluetooth gamepad allows greater control.
Elsewhere the 6.50 update, which was previously available in beta, introduces the ability to remap the X and circle buttons for some territories, but otherwise the patch changes very little.
Remote Play was a much-vaunted feature of the PS4 when it launched in 2013 with the PS Vita already available. Since then, the feature--which theoretically allows you to play your PS4 games on the other side of the world from your console--has been expanded to Sony Xperia phones and, more recently, PC and Mac.
Nintendo has revealed its latest Labo set, the VR Kit, which turns the Switch into a virtual reality headset. The new Toy-Con--as Labo kits are called--launches on April 12, and includes new minigames as well as additional physical cardboard to make the VR headset.
Nintendo says the new kit "encourages passing around Toy-Con creations among a group of people so everyone in the room can easily join in on the fun." The company continues: "To help encourage this social gameplay, players simply slip the Nintendo Switch console into the Toy-Con VR Goggles and hold it up to their eyes to explore numerous games and experiences--no head-strap needed."
The new Toy-Con is available in two configurations: the complete VR Kit set includes the Switch software and materials to build all six Labo VR projects--VR Goggles, Blaster, Camera, Bird, Wind Pedal, and Elephant. The VR Starter Set, meanwhile, includes the Switch software, but only the materials needed to build the VR Goggles and Blaster. Both sets also include a safety cap and screen holder, for people who prefer to play the minigames in traditional 2D. Those who buy the Starter Set can then complete their collection later on by purchasing two expansions--one including the Elephant and Camera, the other including the Wind Pedal and Bird.
In The US, the VR Kit is priced at $80, while the Starter Set + Blaster kit goes for $40. Owners of the latter can pick up the two VR Kit expansions for $20 each.
Nintendo has dabbled in VR once before, with the 1995 release of its short-lived Virtual Boy system. The console was a head-mounted device that brought an early form of virtual reality into people's homes; it suffered from poor commercial performance, however, so was discontinued just a year after launch. Nintendo Labo, meanwhile, first launched in April 2018, and we awarded the first kit a 7/10. For more information on the first set, check out our Nintendo Labo Variety Kit review.
Melbourne-based developer Big Ant Studios has announced its next game. "Cricket 19 - The Official Game of the Ashes" is coming later this year to PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC.
Developed in conjunction with the official England and Wales Cricket Board, the game promises to be a faithful representation of the cricket series. It'll feature men's and women's teams, as well as all of the host venues that you'd see on TV or in person.
On the gameplay side, Big Ant is also promising "deep enhancements" to the franchise's AI engine that promises to deliver AI players that are "more realistic than ever before."
"When bowling, the AI will suss out your player and team's weaknesses, and target that with a concentrated bowling strategy. When batting, the AI will rotate the strike to protect weaker players, and actively look for gaps in the field," reads a line from the game's press release.
As for other new features, Cricket 19 introduces a "scenario" mode that lets you virtually re-live memorable cricket moments from history. The Career mode has also been updated with further improvements to "build a story around your player." Specifically, Big Ant said in-game news headlines will affect your player's career path.
This year's Cricket 19 is the first entry for Nintendo Switch, and Big Ant talked about the benefit of being able to play on-the-go.
"We have the most active and passionate community. Many of our players logged thousands of hours with our previous cricket titles, and Cricket 19 is very much built on the experience of those players," Big Ant CEO Ross Symons said in a statement. "Whether you're looking to enjoy a 20-year cricket career that takes you from the club level to captaining the national team, re-create an ODI or IT20 series or take part in the Ashes, or just bash some balls around with friends, Cricket 19 has you covered."
Big Ant is collaborating with Maximum Games from the UK on the development of Cricket 19. Maximum Games boss Steve Powell said in a statement that Cricket 19 is the "most detailed simulation of the event that we've ever seen."
The PC edition of Cricket 19, which will be released on Steam, is coming "shortly after" the release of the game for PS4, Xbox One, and Switch in May. More details about Cricket 19's gameplay and features will be announced in the time ahead.
Although he's best known for directing--and getting fired from--the Guardians of the Galaxy movies, James Gunn's roots lie in horror. Gunn started as a writer for low budget genre specialists Troma and in 2006 directed the cult horror comedy Slither. Gunn returns to the genre this year with Brightburn, a scary take on the superhero movie that he has written and produced. A new trailer has been released.
The film has essentially the same set-up as the classic Superman story--a couple in a rural town find an alien baby who has crashed to earth and raise him as their own son. But while Clark Kent used his amazing powers for good, this kid sets about causing all sorts of murder and mayhem. It looks weird, scary, and utterly unmissable. Check the trailer out above.
Brightburn stars Elizabeth Banks, who also appeared in Slither, plus David Denman (Outcast, Power Rangers) and Matt Jones (Adventure Time). It's directed by David Yarovesky, and the script was written by Gunn with his brother Sean. It releases on May 24.
Gunn's next project will be a reboot of Suicide Squad for DC. The movie is titled The Suicide Squad and it's set to be released in August 2021. Although Gunn has only been confirmed as the writer to date, it has been reported that he is also in negotiations to direct the film. In addition, Idris Elba has reportedly joined the cast as Deadshot, replacing Will Smith, who left due to scheduling issues.
Michael Schur, one of the biggest names in TV, has signed a new deal with Universal Television--and it's incredibly lucrative. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Schur has signed a multi-year deal with the company that the site estimates earns Schur $25 million per year over five years for a total of $125 million.
Schur has been with Universal Television since the start of his TV career when he was writing for Saturday Night Live, which airs on Universal's NBC. Schur went on to play a major role in the creation of the American version of The Office. He later co-created Parks and Recreation, The Good Place, and Brooklyn Nine-Nine.
Outside of those projects, Schur produces Aziz Ansari's Master of None, while he also is working on the new NBC comedy Abby's and a brand-new project starring Kal Penn for the network.
"There are very few people in this business who have been as instrumental to the success of both NBC and Universal Television as Mike Schur," NBC Entertainment co-chairmen George Cheeks and Paul Telegdy said in a statement.
"Mike is a comedy genius. His television resume is second to none and we couldn't be more excited to see all of the projects he'll be developing in the coming years ahead."
Schur is also an actor. He plays Dwight Schrute's oddball cousin Mose Schrute on The Office. You can check out some of his wackiest moments in the video above.
Apex Legends fans have been complaining that the game's biggest player characters are much easier to hit than its smallest characters, pretty much since the game's launch in February. Developer Respawn Entertainment has been listening, and this week on Reddit announced it would soon be making changes in the near future to rebalance several characters.
Respawn's post on Reddit first detailed a new update that's now live in the game, which makes weapon changes. It also explained that the studio's approach to making balance-changing design alterations is to be cautious and make sure they're thoroughly tested when they go live. A few changes are part of the most recent update, but the ones that address character size and hit boxes are being held back until later this month, when they've been more-thoroughly vetted.
A "hit box" is the invisible area on a video game character that registers impacts; when a bullet hits a character inside the hit box, the character takes damage, but if a shot lands outside the box, the hit doesn't count. Big characters in Apex have similarly large hit boxes--Gibraltar has the largest one, followed by Caustic and Pathfinder. That means it's easier to hit them than smaller characters, but that's partially by design. Respawn means for those characters' larger surface area to be balanced by their abilities, so that all the characters in the game have roughly the same power, viability, and win rate.
Still, players have debated whether the hit boxes on the biggest characters are too big, and players testing hits have discovered that some hit boxes are a bit wonky. For instance, the robot Pathfinder's hit box is slightly larger than his actual character model, extending down between his legs a little lower than his actual frame.
Respawn wrote that it's making changes to those bigger characters. Caustic, Pathfinder, and Gibraltar are all getting their hit boxes sized down and better optimized to match their character models. Respawn also said it'll make further changes if necessary, but those could include powering up those characters' abilities, since messing with hit boxes are big adjustments that take players a long time to get used to.
Other characters are getting some minor tweaks as well. Both Wraith and Bangalore are getting their escape abilities reduced a bit. Bangalore's passive ability which increases her run speed while under fire, is being reduced from a 40% speed increase to 30%, and the cooldown on Wraith's Into The Void ability that makes her invulnerable is getting increased from 20 seconds to 25 seconds.
You can check out the full list of character balance changes below. One remaining question is when these changes will actually hit the game. Respawn hasn't announced just when Season One will start for Apex, and therefore it's not yet clear when the rebalancing update that goes with it will go live. Meanwhile, check out our character guides, which can help you make the most of all the Legends in Apex.
Major Balance Changes
Hit box size reductions and optimizations for Caustic, Pathfinder and Gibraltar
Respawn is better sizing hitboxes to character gear & model.
Since these adjustments have a MAJOR impact on the game, Respawn wants to make sure there aren't any major bugs, so they didn't want to rush them out.
If these adjustments prove to be insufficient, Respawn will consider additional adjustments during Season 1.
Minor balance changes
Caustic
Traps - Reduced cooldown to 25 seconds from 30 seconds
Traps - Increased radius and proximity radius by about 10%
Traps - Removed a 1 second delay on the smoke dealing damage to players
Pathfinder
Insider Knowledge - Increased the number of beacons in the world to 12 from 10
Lifeline
Care Package - Removed slight chance that level 4 armor and helmets will drop
Wraith
Into The Void - Cooldown increased from 20 -> 25 seconds
Bangalore
Double Time - Reduced move speed bonus to 30% from 40%
A new update for Respawn's Apex Legends has arrived on PS4, Xbox One, and PC. It makes a number of weapon balance changes, some of which sound somewhat significant, with even more adjustments on the way in the near future. Read on for a full rundown of the patch notes.
Alongside the patch's release, Respawn reiterated its philosophy on updates in general, saying in a post on Reddit that its aim to is to release updates less frequently and instead focus on making them meaningful. "We make less frequent, better tested, higher impact balance changes in order to minimize the impacts on your time spent mastering the game," Respawn said.
An exception is that Respawn would make a rapid-fire adjustment if it discovered that something was "way out of balance." Respawn didn't make any significant weapon balance changes around launch because it wanted to give new players an opportunity to learn the game and its numerous characters.
"We want to let you know we're constantly reviewing the state of the game and considering and testing a variety of changes," Respawn said.
Regarding the specific changes, Respawn adjusted the Wingman by reducing its rate of fire and reducing the Skullpiercer headshot damage multiplier. On the other side, the weapon's base hip fire spread was increased, while the rate at which hip fire spread falls off was decreased. The Peacekeeper shotgun sees its Shotgun Bolt rechamber rate reduced in the new update. Outside of that, the general availability of energy weapons and ammo has been increased in all zones, while you're now less likely to find the Wingman and Peacekeeper weapons across the map wherever you are.
Respawn also addressed why it isn't buffing the P2020 and Mozambique weapons. As part of the game's "power curve," some weapons are simply meant to be less powerful. That being said, Respawn said it's continuing to monitor player feedback and data, and also testing new changes internally, to make these pistols "more exciting."
In addition to the weapon balance chances, the new Apex Legends update fixes some scenarios that could cause mid-match disconnects. You can see the patch notes below, as posted on Reddit.
Apex Legends was released in early February, and the free-to-play battle royale game has been hugely popular with 50 million registered accounts. Its first Fortnite-style Battle Pass launches in March, and we're still waiting to find out exactly what's in it and when it'll release.
Apex Legends March 6 Update Patch Notes
Weapon Adjustments
Wingman
Rate of fire reduced from 3.1 -> 2.6
Skullpiercer Headshot damage multiplier reduced from 2.5 -> 2.25
Increased base hip fire spread and decreased the rate at which hip fire spread decays (shrinks back down).
Peacekeeper
Shotgun Bolt rechamber rate has been reduced for the Peacekeeper only.
Level 1 mitigation 10% -> 7.5%
Level 2 mitigation 20% -> 13%
Level 3 mitigation 25% -> 16%
Wingman and Peacekeeper availability has been reduced in all zone tiers.
Increased availability of energy weapons & ammo in all zone tiers.
Other
Fixed some script errors that we identified were occasionally causing disconnects during matches.
Caustic occasionally causing disconnects while throwing is Ultimate.
Pathfinder occasionally causing disconnects when activating a Survey Beacon.
Players occasionally causing disconnects when removing an attachment.
Gibraltar occasionally causing disconnects when pulling up his Gun Shield.
Players occasionally causing disconnects when entering Spectate Mode.
Following the recent news that Will Smith had dropped out of Suicide Squad 2, Variety reports that Idris Elba (Luther, The Office) has joined the film to play Smith's character, Deadshot. As reported previously, Smith had to exit Suicide Squad 2 due in part to scheduling issues. However, he was never officially confirmed for the film in the first place.
According to Variety, Suicide Squad studio Warner Bros. "moved fast" to find a "proven A-lister" to replace Smith, and Elba eventually got the call. It's not clear what other actors might have been considered. Elba was previously featured in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, having played Heimdall in the Thor movies and Avengers: Infinity War.
No official casting announcements at all about Suicide Squad 2 have come down yet, so there is no word on who else might come back--or not--for the follow-up. However, Variety reports that Margot Robbie is expected to return to play Harley Quinn again. Jared Leto played The Joker in the 2016 Suicide Squad, but his involvement in the new film remains unclear.
While many of the specifics are unclear at this point, Warner Bros. has given Suicide Squad a release date: August 6, 2021. Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn is reportedly writing and directing the movie, following David Ayer who directed the first one. Gunn was famously fired from his role on Guardians 3 by Disney despite calls from the cast to retain him.
A new crossover event is now live in the PS4 version of PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds. Developer PUBG Corp. has partnered with Guerrilla Games, the studio behind Horizon Zero Dawn, to bring an assortment of Horizon-inspired outfits and weapon skins to the battle royale title, but you only have a few weeks to get them.
A total of four Horizon-inspired cosmetics are now available to unlock: an Eclipse Top, Eclipse Mask, Eclipse Kar98k, and a pan emblazoned with a Horizon Zero Dawn emblem. Each item can only be obtained a certain way, which are outlined in the image below:
Eclipse Top -- Log in to PUBG
Eclipse Mask -- Play 10 games during the event period
Eclipse Kar98k -- Purchase from the in-game store (8,000 BP)
Horizon Zero Dawn Pan -- Kill 10 players with the crossbow
The Horizon crossover items will only be available until April 5, and much like the previous Uncharted and Last of Us cosmetics, they're exclusive to the PS4 version. You can read additional details about the crossover event on the official PUBG website.
PUBG certainly isn't a stranger to collaborations of this sort. On top of the aforementioned Uncharted and Last of Us items, the mobile version of the game recently featured a Resident Evil 2-themed crossover event, and PUBG Corp. previously added Suicide Squad-themed skins to the game.
In addition to the Horizon crossover items, PUBG Corp. has rolled out a new content update for the game on consoles, bringing the new Bizon weapon, Canted Sight, moonlight weather setting for Vikendi, and more. You can read the full patch notes here.
Back in 2012, CW kicked off a superhero TV show renaissance with Arrow. However, after eight seasons, Oliver Queen and company are closing out the show with an abbreviated, 10 episode season.
Set to air during CW's 2019-2020 calendar, Arrow was once the top dog on the network, up until The Flash surpassed it by becoming the most-watched original series. Arrow was a new take on the character, and it eventually came together with other CW/DC shows to build an expansive, shared universe. And while the show had plenty of success, no series can go on forever.
"This was a difficult decision to come to, but like every hard decision we've made for the past seven years, it was with the best interests of Arrow in mind," showrunner Beth Schwartz and executive producers Greg Berlanti and Marc Guggenheim told THR. "We're heartened by the fact that Arrow has birthed an entire universe of shows that will continue on for many years to come. We're excited about crafting a conclusion that honors the show, its characters and its legacy and are grateful to all the writers, producers, actors, and--more importantly--the incredible crew that has sustained us and the show for over seven years."
Additionally, Arrow star Stephen Amell had some kind words to say about working on the show. He took to Twitter to thank everyone for watching.
Playing Oliver Queen has been the greatest professional experience of my life... but you can't be a vigilante forever. Arrow will return for a final run of 10 episodes this Fall. There's so much to say... for now I just want to say thank you.
"Playing Oliver Queen has been the greatest professional experience of my life... but you can't be a vigilante forever," Amell said in the tweet. "Arrow will return for a final run of 10 episodes this Fall. There's so much to say... for now I just want to say thank you."
The rest of CW's DC shows has be renewed for new seasons: The Flash, Black Lightning, Legends of Tomorrow, and Supergirl. Arrow joins other CW series Jane The Virgin and iZombie--based on the Vertigo comic series--as other series on the network coming to an end. The final season of Arrow is expected to air in late 2019.
It's been almost a year since Legendary Pictures announced a live-action Gundam film. In collaboration with Sunrise--the Japan-based animation studio responsible for the mecha anime franchise--the announcement came during Anime Expo 2018 before going radio silent. Now, the companies are back with another announcement: Brian K. Vaughan will pen the script.
As reported by Deadline, Vaughan has signed on to write the screenplay for the forthcoming live-action Gundam flick. Vaughan, an acclaimed comic book writer who penned several Lost episodes, has written numerous comic books and graphic novels ranging from Marvel (Wolverine #131: "It Fell to Earth") to DC (Batman #588-590: "Close Before Striking") and more. In addition to writing the screenplay, Vaughan will serve as the project's executive producer.
The news comes just one month before Mobile Suit Gundam's 40th anniversary. Released in April 1979, the series--sometimes referred to as First Gundam or Gundam '79--launched as an anime with 43 episodes, a manga with two volumes, and a set of three films. Following the release of Mobile Suit Gundam, the mecha anime entered pop culture zeitgeist, spawning several spin-offs in the universe including Mobile Suit Gundam Wing, Mobile Suit Gundam SEED, and others.
Gundam isn't just an anime and manga series, though. The acclaimed franchise has also entered the gaming space with several titles. While the franchise's gaming history dates back to the arcade days of yore, Gundam didn't see much recognition with home consoles until Mobile Suit Gundam launched on PlayStation in 1995. The latest entry in the Gundam franchise on console was New Gundam Breaker, released on the PlayStation 4 and PC in September 2018.
Microsoft announced today that it will air the next "Inside Xbox" episode on March 12, and it's notable because the confirmation comes amid a number of exciting Xbox rumors about new consoles, Halo: The Master Chief Collection coming to PC, and more.
All Microsoft has officially confirmed is that the March 12 episode of Inside Xbox One will contain some "exciting news" about Halo: The Master Chief Collection, as well as updates on DayZ, One Piece World Seeker, and Xbox Game Pass. Intriguingly, Microsoft also said there is "much more" coming during the event.
The Inside Xbox episode airs on Tuesday, March 12, starting at 2 PM PT / 5 PM ET. That's 10 PM in London and 8 AM in Sydney the following day.
As for the rumours, Microsoft's confirmation of the Inside Xbox event comes just a day after noted Microsoft inside Brad Sams reported that Halo: The Master Chief Collection is potentially almost ready to be announced for PC. He said a PC version of The Master Chief Collection has been an "open secret" for a while now. Sams also reported that The Master Chief Collection's PC edition has been delayed internally already as part of Microsoft's effort to make sure the PC release doesn't launch with serious issues like the Xbox One edition did years ago.
The Master Chief Collection originally launched back in November 2014 for Xbox One. It suffered from serious issues at launch, but Microsoft quickly responded and fixed the problems, and the company continues to update and improve the game to this day.
The package contains the Anniversary editions of Halo 1 and 2, as well as the regular Halo 3 and 4, along with the campaign mode for Halo 3: ODST. The Master Chief Collection also includes multiplayer support for each game. Since the game isn't announced for PC yet, we don't know what differences might exist between between the console and PC editions.
The Master Chief Collection coming to PC would be huge news, as only Halo: Combat Evolved and Halo 2 (and the short-lived Halo Online in Russia) ever came to PC. It would also be a ramp of sorts to Halo Infinite, which is coming to Xbox One and PC sometime in the future.
The other big Xbox rumour swirling now is about a disc-free Xbox One. This "All-Digital Edition," as it's supposedly called, is reportedly set to go on sale in May with pre-orders opening in April. Given that Microsoft supposedly wants to focus on its next-generation consoles, Anaconda and Lockhart, at E3, announcing the all-digital Xbox One ahead of the show would seemingly make sense.
As for the Xbox Game Pass news teased for Inside Xbox, Microsoft already confirmed that it'll announce the latest Xbox Game Pass titles on March 12, so that could be one part of the news. Sams, the Microsoft insider, also reported that Xbox Game Pass is coming to PC, so that could also be part of the announcement during Inside Xbox. The idea is that Microsoft will make Halo: The Master Chief Collection an Xbox Game Pass title to encourage people to sign up. There are a number of unanswered questions about Xbox Game Pass on PC, like whether or not memberships for the Xbox One edition will carry to the PC edition and what the game lineup will be. This should all become clear soon if Microsoft does indeed announce Xbox Game Pass for PC soon.
Xbox Game Pass coming to PC has always been expected, as Microsoft's CEO said months ago that it would hit PC in the future. Xbox boss Phil Spencer went even further, saying he wants to bring Xbox Game Pass to "every device."
Check back with GameSpot for all the news from next week's Inside Xbox event. What are you hoping to see? Let us know in the comments below!
Niantic is bringing back a popular Legendary Pokemon for a special Pokemon Go event next weekend. Beginning March 15, Rayquaza will return to the game for a limited time, giving players their first opportunity to capture it in nearly a year.
The special Raid Weekend event kicks off at 1 PM PT / 4 PM ET and runs until the same time on Monday, March 18. Throughout the weekend, the Sky High Pokemon will appear in Raid Battles. As usual, you'll first need to team up with other players and defeat the Legendary before you can attempt to catch it.
Rayquaza isn't the only Gen 3 Legendary to make an encore appearance in Pokemon Go recently. Latias also returned for a special Raid event at the end of February, and Niantic has teased that its twin, Latios, will likewise be the subject of its own Raid event in the future.
The latest Legendary Pokemon to appear in Go is Dialga, the cover mascot of Pokemon Diamond. It will appear in Raid Battles until March 28. Additionally, Niantic has introduced two new Shiny Pokemon--Mankey and Machop--as part of the Battle Showdown event, which will run until March 12.
This month's Pokemon Go Community Day takes place on Saturday, March 23. The featured Pokemon will be Treecko, one of the three starters from Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire. You'll also be able to hatch Eggs at a quarter of their usual distance during the event.
NetherRealm has released the official Mortal Kombat 11 reveal trailer for Cassie Cage as part of the latest Kombat Kast. Although Cassie was confirmed earlier on Wednesday as a playable character in the upcoming Mortal Kombat game, the new trailer offers a more detailed sampling of her moveset. It can be watched in the video above.
First seen in Mortal Kombat X, Cassie Cage is the daughter of both Sonya Blade and Johnny Cage, two other Mortal Kombat fan favorites who have also been confirmed for the eleventh entry (along with several other fighters). Like her mother, Cassie has near perfect aim when it comes to using firearms and has a knack for utilizing technology. She also takes after her father, though, utilizing his same superhuman abilities to amplify her speed and strength.
Cassie's inclusion in Mortal Kombat 11 was first revealed in a trailer that dropped earlier today. The trailer also includes Erron Black and Jacqui Briggs, two other Mortal Kombat X fighters, and focuses on Kronika and her attempts to fix the rift being caused by Raiden. Her efforts cause multiple realities to be drawn together, which is why Mortal Kombat 11 features so many characters from different time periods.
In preparation for Mortal Kombat 11's release, NetherRealm is planning an online stress test for March 15-17. The test will be closed save for a select few, and only available in the US on Xbox One and PS4. There will be a follow-up beta test, though, in case you don't make it in--which will take place from March 28-31. To participate, you'll need to pre-order Mortal Kombat 11. Just know the beta is only available on Xbox One and PS4. Pre-ordering Mortal Kombat 11 also gets you Shao Kahn as a playable character.
Mortal Kombat 11 releases April 23 for Xbox One, PS4, PC, and Nintendo Switch. You can read more about it in our new Mortal Kombat 11 preview.
Hello Kitty--the popular cartoon character produced by Japan-based design company Sanrio--has seen a fair share of video game adaptions, with the last one being Hello Kitty Kruisers released in 2014 for iOS (iPhone/iPad), Nintendo Switch, and Wii U. In addition to games, the lovable kitten has been on the big screen, with the last one showing nearly 28 years ago. Now, in a strange turn of events, Hello Kitty is getting the Hollywood treatment once again.
Sanrio and Warner Bros. have announced (PDF link) that a Hello Kitty film is baking in the oven. As outlined by Crunchyroll's translation, Warner Bros.' New Line Cinema (Lord of the Rings, Rush Hour) and FlynnPictureCo. (Rampage, Skyscraper) are collaborating on the project. Additionally, Warner Bros. is scheduled to distribute the film worldwide. The film is reported to feature popular characters from Sanrio, including Hello Kitty herself.
Prominent film producer Beau Flynn (Battle of the Year, Two Night Stand)--who's worked with wrestler-turned-actor Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson on films like Baywatch, the upcoming Jungle Cruise, and more--will spearhead the project as its producer. Wendy Jacobson (Rampage, Skyscraper) will serve as the project's executive producer. Aside from those two attachments, no casting announcements have been made.
Hello Kitty was created by Japanese designer Yuko Shimizu and introduced to the world in 1974. A female Gijinka (a human-Japanese Bobtail hybrid), Hello Kitty has traveled the world both physically and digitally, becoming a kawaii staple in Japanese pop culture. Her first appearance in a video game was Hello Kitty no Hanabatake, a children's platformer released on the NES in 1992. Ever since then, she's graced a plethora of home consoles from the PlayStation 2 to the obscure Bemani Pocket--Konami's console effort in the late 90s--and beyond.
Details on this film adaption are scarce at the moment. Crunchyroll does report that, while there's no release schedule or further information (Is it live action? CG? Animation? A combination of the three?), the project is in the development stage.
With the final season of Game of Thrones ready to premiere on HBO, fans are dying to know how the epic series will come to an end. If they're expecting to find out from George RR Martin, author of the A Song of Fire and Ice novels, though, they're out of luck.
"I haven't read the [final-season] scripts and haven't been able to visit the set because I've been working on [The Winds of Winter]," he told Entertainment Weekly. "I know some of the things. But there's a lot of minor-character [arcs] they'll be coming up with on their own. And, of course, they passed me several years ago. There may be important discrepancies."
As for the show ending as a whole, Martin explained that he has "mixed feelings about that." While the adaptation of his novels has become one of the biggest TV shows of all time, the screen version of the story has gone further than the events of the novels. "Obviously, I wished I finished these books sooner so the show hadn't gotten ahead of me," he said. "I never anticipated that."
That said, though, Game of Thrones isn't necessarily ending. As Martin explained, "It's not the end for me. I'm still deeply in it. I better live a long time because I have a lot of work left to do." In addition to The Winds of Winter, a seventh novel--A Promise of Spring--was previously announced. Beyond that, there's also a prequel in the works.
And if you're worried that the final season will spoil how the books will end, that shouldn't be much of a concern. "Now that the show is ahead of the books, it seems the show could ruin the books for people," co-showrunner David Benioff said. "So one thing we've talked to George about is that we're not going to tell people what the differences are, so when those books come out people can experience them fresh,"
The final season of Game of Thrones premieres Sunday, April 14 on HBO. Make sure to check out the trailer for the new season and our deep dive breakdown into all of the secrets it holds.
Valve has announced it will block the release of a controversial game that was to be distributed through its service. In its statement regarding the decision, it said the game poses "unknown costs and risks" and that the "chosen content matter and a way of representing it" render the distribution platform unable to work with the developer.
The game, titled "Rape Day," is a visual novel set during a zombie apocalypse in which the player character can harass other survivors, kill people, and sexually assault women. It has been listed on the Steam marketplace with an impending release date, but Valve has now removed the listing. The company issued a statement through its Valve blog explaining the decision. You can read it in full below.
"Over the past week you may have heard about a game called 'Rape Day' coming soon to Steam. Today we've decided not to distribute this game on Steam. Given our previous communication around Who Gets To Be On The Steam Store?, we think this decision warrants further explanation.
"Much of our policy around what we distribute is, and must be, reactionary—we simply have to wait and see what comes to us via Steam Direct. We then have to make a judgement call about any risk it puts to Valve, our developer partners, or our customers. After significant fact-finding and discussion, we think 'Rape Day' poses unknown costs and risks and therefore won't be on Steam.
"We respect developers' desire to express themselves, and the purpose of Steam is to help developers find an audience, but this developer has chosen content matter and a way of representing it that makes it very difficult for us to help them do that."
The reference to its previous blog entry was one that issued fairly loose policies and a general hands-off approach from Valve regarding what the company would allow on its platform. This led to an open question about whether a game like Rape Day would be allowed to be sold. This statement blocks this particular game but does not offer clarity on what similar types of content would not be allowed in the future.
The game had been set for release in April. The developer had informed customers that the approval process was taking longer than usual due to graphic content that was illegal in some countries, but said that it had marked the game as adult and issued thorough content warnings. The studio said that if Valve did prevent release of the game, it would seek out an alternate distribution platform.
Tommaso Ciampa is undergoing neck surgery. One of the recent NXT callups, as well as the current NXT Champion, he has made waves on the main WWE roster, only to have it taken away so quickly.
Ciampa will have neck surgery on March 7, putting him out of action, according to WWE. He has been scheduled for an anterior cervical fusion, which is a surgery to remove a herniated disc from the neck, through the front of the neck, in the throat area. Recovery time for a procedure like this is around three to six months for the patient to return to normal. WWE did not set a timetable for his potential return or how long he could be out. Many are speculating he'll be out for up to a year.
This could explain why the focus on Ciampa and Johnny Gargano as a tag team on Raw quickly switched over to other NXT newcomers Ricochet and Aleister Black, who now have a Raw Tag Team Championship match at Fastlane, this Sunday.
With Ciampa out, this throws a few wrenches in WWE's plans. Wrestlemania and NXT Takeover is right around the corner, and Ciampa is the NXT Champion. So what's next? Ciampa for sure won't be at WWE's biggest PPV of the year, and while he may show up to Takeover, he probably won't be competing. It's more than likely we'll see him vacate the NXT Championship, which isn't a huge deal, since he's moving up to the main roster anyway.
However, Ciampa undergoing surgery won't affect his role in the upcoming NXT tag team event. Starting on March 6, the Dusty Rhodes Classic kicks off and Ciampa and Gargano have reteamed up for the event. Seeing as it's pre-taped though, fans won't miss anything.
It's a bummer for NXT and WWE fans, as Raw was just getting a taste of DIY (Ciampa and Gargano), and they could really have helped put the tag team division there back on top. We wish him a speedy recovery.
While DIY won't be competing at Fastlane this Sunday, their NXT peers Aleister Black and Ricochet will be, and we have predictions for that and all the matches for the WWE PPV.
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