H1Z1: King Of The Kill is getting a big update today. The massive online PC survival shooter will now have "greater consistency with player movement, positioning, and firing" thanks to improvements to hit registration. You can see some of those changes in update trailer below, along with upgraded graphics and new additions to the world map. There's also a revamped shotgun, which promises to be much more effective.
This latest update brings back Skirmishes, special weekend matches with alternating rule sets (for example, limited weapon types, safe zones, etc.) This update's rule set is called Shotties & Snipers, where players only have access to shotguns and hunting rifles while playing in a Skirmish.
Speaking of shotguns, the weapon will now "connect more consistently with targets when shooting" thanks to changes to the pellet spread.
H1Z1's world map The Arena has three new landmarks for players to fight in and around. Many of the game's buildings have had their interiors adjust to make them easier to navigate, and the game's environments have improved lighting and terrain changes. There are new skins for vehicles too and an overhaul of inventory screens to make them easier to access and understand.
You can get a look at the full game notes here, but here is a list of the quality of life and big fixes in this latest update:
Crafting & Healing timer has been moved so it no longer obscures the crosshair.
Items from the Weekend Challenge (5/13 - 5/14) will be granted with this update.
When using classic hit markers, the marker will turn bold for headshots
Incoming hit sounds should more clearly distinguish headshots from body shots
In team games, teammate chevrons have been removed to lessen the visual distraction they were providing. Activate free look (default: alt) to see teammate nameplates at unlimited range.
Body armor (laminated and makeshift) now always show up on top of parkas.
Players can now disable vehicle degradation sound effects in the useroptions.ini by editing the VehicleDegradationVolume=1 line.
When you get a kill, there is a new UI element that will indicate the name and tier of the player you killed as well as any XP gained as a result.
Icons on the Main Menu have been added to let you know when you have a new item in your character inventory or when there is a sale in the Marketplace.
To make navigation easier, we combined the Unlocked and Locked Crates into a single view.
Items in the Appearance menu now show how to acquire the item (Crate, Scrapyard, etc)
Ping display in the HUD will update more often than it used to.
The Inventory "More Info" panel will now be closed by default.
Parachutes should no longer spin when starting a match.
Removed collision from arrows once they're stuck in a target to prevent them from blocking other projectiles.
You should once again be able to use voice chat after dying using mouse buttons.
Stun grenades will now affect players in vehicles.
Adjusted the model of the taxi to more precisely match the police car (the collisions were already identical).
Fixed camera issues that could occur when entering a vehicle while prone or crouched.
Fixed the Twitch Prime offroader skin not correctly applying in-game.
Fixed several HUD elements that were displayed incorrectly in some languages.
Kill feed should no longer overlap the score elements in team matches.
Region should no longer change itself after selecting one then accessing Settings.
Fixed an issue where right-clicking on a skin you don't own could cause the item you previously had highlighted to be scrapped.
Button prompt to open/close Inventory will now update based on keybinding selection.
Pressing escape will now cancel a change in quantity on Inventory stacks.
Stack-splitting will no longer lose functionality if the menu is exited after changing quantity.
Bungie showcased Destiny 2 today during a livestream event, which provided us with our first-ever look at gameplay.
More than just, Bungie had a lot of news to share--we learned about the game's open-world activities, changes to weapons, new Supers, and much more. PC players also found out they'll be playing the game through Blizzard's Battle.net platform.
To catch up on everything we learned today, we've rounded up all of our Destiny 2 coverage and videos for you below.
Before today's big livestream, Bungie had announced Destiny 2's release date as September 8 alongside special editions of the game. Destiny 2 will have a season pass called the Expansion Pass, which includes "Expansion I and Expansion II, offering brand new story missions, cooperative activities, competitive multiplayer, and a wealth of new weapons, armor, and gear."
"Summoned from a diverse range of worlds and time periods to save a mysterious land…the champions of Warriors All-Stars find themselves in the middle of a clash for control. When a magical power source dries up after the king's passing, Princess Tamaki performs a ritual to summon saviors in times of dire need," said Koei Tecmo about the upcoming game's plot.
Other characters, yet to be announced, will be summoned by Tamaki's rivals Setsuna and Shiki. The three separate groups will have to battle for dominance of the kingdom.
Players will engage in Key Battles and take on Free Scanarios, where they can access their clan's roster of warriors and craft their team. Koei Tecmo says your choices with those chatacters will affect how the game's story unfolds and how it ends.
There is also a new Bond system, which allows you to improve the relationships between your characters by having them fight alongside each other and spend time together in the barracks. By achieving a closer bond between them, you'll unlock stronger abilities on the battlefield.
Destiny 2 will be available on PC exclusively through Blizzard's Battle.net platform, it has been announced.
The news was confirmed during the Destiny 2 reveal event, where Blizzard president Mike Morhaime appeared to confirm that players would be able to use Blizzard's service to download games, explore, and connect with each other. Of course, Battle.net's in-built friends list and chat functionality will work with Destiny 2.
According to a press release, the PC version will offer "4K resolution support (3820x2160), uncapped framerate, full mouse and keyboard support with custom key mapping, text chat, an adjustable field of view, a detailed PC settings screen, and 21:9 monitor support."
The move makes sense given that Destiny 2 is published by Activision, parent company of Blizzard. Battle.net has proven itself to be very robust in handling large online gaming communities, given that is used for World of Warcraft, Overwatch, Diablo 3, and Heroes of the Storm, among other titles.
Destiny 2 for PC will be available at retail too, for those that don't want to purchase the game through digitally. However, the game will no doubt still utilise Blizzard's client to run. Destiny 2 is the first third-party title to be available to purchase on Battle.net.
In Destiny 2's reveal livestream today, developer Bungie revealed new information about the sequel's revamped weapon system.
Instead of the first game's Primary, Secondary, and Heavy weapon classes, Destiny 2 will channel its guns into Kinetic, Energy, and Power weapon slots.
Power weapons include fusion and sniper rifles, as well as the newly unveiled grenade launchers. Another weapon type, the chaingun, was also revealed today--take a look at it and the grenade launcher below.
Additionally, Bungie revealed some new Super Abilities, including a sword-based move--called the Dawnblade--for the Warlock character class. The attack allows the player character to leap into the air and pull out a sword that could slam into enemies below, as well as launch projectiles at foes further afield.
Another Super, called Sentinel, showed a Titan summoning a Shield that can be used to hit enemies at close range or thrown at a group of far-away enemies to bounce between them. Lastly, the Arcstrider Super allows you to summon a swingable staff that can also be slammed down onto enemies' heads. Take a look at all the newly unveiled Supers in the gallery above.
Bungie previously announced Destiny 2's release date as September 8 alongside special editions of the game. Destiny 2 will have a season pass called the Expansion Pass, which includes "Expansion I and Expansion II, offering brand new story missions, cooperative activities, competitive multiplayer, and a wealth of new weapons, armor, and gear."
CW has another series based on a DC Entertainment property coming to the network. Black Lightning follows a high school principal who moonlighted as a superhero. He gave up the costume but found himself drawn back to it when violence escalated in the streets. You can check out the full trailer below.
The series stars Cress Williams (Code Black) as Jefferson Pierce/Black Lightning alongside China Anne McClain (Grown Ups) and Nafessa Williams (Code Black), who play his daughters, Jennifer and Anissa. The series is produced by Greg Berlanti, who is known for his other comic adaptations on CW: Legends of Tomorrow, Supergirl, The Flash, and Arrow.
However, although the other DC adaptations exist in the same universe and have crossover episodes, for now, Black Lightning will be on its own: "Black Lightning at this time is not part of the Arrowverse, it's a separate thing," CW's Network president Mark Pedowitz explained (via The Wrap). "It will not be part of a five-way crossover. However, we will be doing another four-way crossover this year."
The character Black Lightning first appeared in Black Lightning #1 in 1977. He was created by Tony Isabella and Trevor Von Eeden. He has an electricity-based powerset, and much like the trailer shows, he's determined to clean up the streets of crime.
At this time, there is no information for when this new series will debut.
Bungie has revealed the first official gameplay trailer for Destiny 2.
The trailer shows returning characters Cayde-6, Zavala, and Ikora as there is an invasion on the first game's Tower. Watch it above, or check out an alternate version from today's stream below.
Bungie previously announced Destiny 2's release date as September 8 alongside special editions of the game. Destiny 2 will have a season pass called the Expansion Pass, which includes "Expansion I and Expansion II, offering brand new story missions, cooperative activities, competitive multiplayer, and a wealth of new weapons, armor, and gear."
Destiny 2 was officially shown off today, and during its reveal stream developer Bungie announced a big change to its cooperative modes: it will have "Guided Games," which is a way for solo players to matchmake with established clans to take on end-game and high-leveled content.
In the first Destiny, Raids and Nightfall Strikes, the hardest and most rewarding activities in the game, did not have matchmaking but required a group of players. Solo players thus did not have the ability to easily access these activities. Now, the Guided Games system allows players to search for clans, read a little about each clan, and choose which one they want to play with. A group of players from the clan then help the solo player through the Nightfall or Raid. In exchange, a group of five players who needs a sixth can use the system to fill that gap.
In addition, Bungie announced that Destiny 2 will have official in-game clan support. This includes being able to view, organize, and join a clan without having to use the Bungie website. Custom banners will allow clans to customize, as well. Finally, there'll be clan rewards earned by playing the game.
Bungie previously announced Destiny 2's release date as September 8 alongside special editions of the game. Destiny 2 will have a season pass called the Expansion Pass, which includes "Expansion I and Expansion II, offering brand new story missions, cooperative activities, competitive multiplayer, and a wealth of new weapons, armor, and gear."
During Destiny 2's livestream event today, a number of new details were shared, including the first word about how its open-world activities will function.
Bungie insisted that there's now much more to do than in the original Destiny. While exploring, you'll find NPCs who give you side-quests, known as Adventures. These can involve hunting down treasure located on maps and discovering Lost Sectors. Inside these, you'll find a treasure chest and a boss that holds the key to open it. There are also more public events, including those with Heroic objectives for an added challenge.
In seemingly mundane but extremely exciting news, Destiny 2 allows players to launch all activities from the world without first going to orbit. That includes being able to open the Director and jump from planet to planet.
There are a total of four new worlds to explore in Destiny 2, including Titan, Io, Nessus, and Earth's European Dead Zone.
Bungie previously announced Destiny 2's release date as September 8 alongside special editions of the game. Destiny 2 will have a season pass called the Expansion Pass, which includes "Expansion I and Expansion II, offering brand new story missions, cooperative activities, competitive multiplayer, and a wealth of new weapons, armor, and gear."
Destiny 2's official reveal stream is going on right now, and developer Bungie announced some big news: it is significantly rebuilding and overhauling its competitive multiplayer.
The Crucible, its competitive multiplayer mode, will only be 4v4. This means that several of the game types from the original Destiny will either not be coming to the new game or will have a different player count. In addition, Bungie is rebuilding the multiplayer's sandbox to focus more on the smaller teams.
The developer is making some tweaks to the HUD, as well. Now, you can see if an enemy has their super charged or currently has heavy ammo.
One of the new modes Bungie announced is called Countdown. No other details were provided.
According to game director Luke Smith, these changes are due to Bungie's desire to rethink "the Crucible from first principles."
Bungie previously announced Destiny 2's release date as September 8 alongside special editions of the game. Destiny 2 will have a season pass called the Expansion Pass, which includes "Expansion I and Expansion II, offering brand new story missions, cooperative activities, competitive multiplayer, and a wealth of new weapons, armor, and gear."
A new Life Is Strange game is currently in the works, developer Dontnod confirmed today.
In a video, Michel Koch, Raoul Barbet, and Luc Baghadoust from Dontnod expressed their thanks to the community that had bought the original Life Is Strange and announced that they're now working on a follow-up. In addition, they revealed that over three million people had purchased the first game.
Dontnod didn't give any other details for the new title and did not say if it would retain the episodic format of Life Is Strange. In a blog post, the developer also stated that it would not be at E3.
"We can't wait to tell you all about it when the time is right, but for now we are hard at work ensuring it is the very best game we can create," the post reads. "We're really thankful for your patience thus far and ask for a bit more time."
A follow-up to the first game hasn't exactly been a secret; members of Dontnod have hinted in the past at a second season. However, this is the first time that Dontnod has officially announced a new installment.
Life Is Strange, originally released back in 2015 for PS4, PS3, Xbox One, Xbox 360, and PC, is an episodic narrative adventure game that follows the life of teenager Max Caulfield.
At 10 AM PT / 6 PM GMT / 3 AM AEST today Activision and Bungie will host an event for Destiny 2, the eagerly-anticipated sequel to its MMO-like sci-fi shooter. Taking place in Hawthorne, California, the event will feature Bungie developers talking about the title as well as "special guests" making appearances.
Of course, the main draw is the debut of gameplay footage, and you'll be able to see that right here. We'll be hosting the livestream and providing up-to-date news, analysis, and other video coverage during and after the stream. Come back at the specified time and you'll be able to watch the stream through the video below.
The first trailer for Destiny 2 was released on March 30 and it featured returning characters Zavala and Cayde talking about the loss of Earth's Last City. Based on the video, it looks like Bungie will be mixing a little more humor into Destiny this time around.
"Humanity's last safe city has fallen to an overwhelming invasion force led by Ghaul, the imposing commander of the brutal Red Legion," Bungie previously said when discussing the sequel. "He has stripped the city's Guardians of their power, and forced the survivors to flee.
"You will venture to mysterious, unexplored worlds of our solar system to discover an arsenal of weapons and devastating new combat abilities. To defeat the Red Legion and confront Ghaul, you must reunite humanity's scattered heroes, stand together, and fight back to reclaim our home."
Bungie has also announced Destiny 2's release date alongside special editions of the game. Destiny 2 will have a season pass called the Expansion Pass, which includes "Expansion I and Expansion II, offering brand new story missions, cooperative activities, competitive multiplayer, and a wealth of new weapons, armor, and gear."
The classic '80s fantasy movie The Dark Crystal is returning to screens as a new Netflix series. It has been announced that a prequel to the film, which was written and co-directed by Muppets creator Jim Henson, has been greenlit by the streaming giant.
The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance will comprise 10 episodes and be overseen by Louis Leterrier, best known for directing Now You See Me and Marvel's The Incredible Hulk. It will be produced by The Jim Henson Company and begins production in the UK this fall. A teaser has been released--check it out below:
The official synopsis reads: "The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance returns to the world of Thra with an all new adventure: When three Gelfling discover the secret behind the Skeksis' power, they embark on a journey to ignite the fires of rebellion and save the entire world."
In a statement, Lisa Henson, chief executive of The Jim Henson Company, said: "Louis Leterrier is passionate about the world of The Dark Crystal and has an incredible creative vision for the series. He brings this passion to every facet of the production as he leads the talented team of artists and writers that are bringing this entire universe to life.
"Netflix has a deep respect for my father's original work and the many people it inspired. They are the perfect partners to create this next epic chapter in The Dark Crystal story for new fans and the loyal fans who have waited so long for more adventures from this world."
The original movie was released in December 1982. It was only moderately successful at the time, but was praised by critics and has gone on to gain a cult following.
A new free update has arrived for the PS4 and Xbox One versions of Ark: Survival Evolved, adding weapons, gear, creatures, and more.
If you've been following the PC version, you'll already know what to expect from Update v257, which launched on computers earlier this month. There are new structures, including a Cloning Chamber that allows you clone creatures (with stats, level, and appearance intact) and a Megalodon Saddle that lets you ride the giant shark.
This update also adds the Tek Grenade (essentially a sticky grenade), new hairstyle and facial hair options, new music, and four creatures--including a giant bee. Meanwhile, the volcano has been redesigned and now leads to the Tek Cave's entrance.
You can get an overview for everything that's new in the trailer above and check out the full patch notes below.
Ark: Survival Evolved v257 Console Patch Notes
Structure: Tek Cloning Chamber - Spend some shards, get a clone, with the level, appearance and stats, of your favorite creatures
Structure: Tek Megalodon Saddle - Mount up! Now your prehistoric shark has a laser-firing saddle!
Structure: Tek Turret - An enhanced Auto Turret with more damage and a better targeting AI. What more could you need?
Weapon: Tek Grenade - Did someone say "sticky grenades"? Put 'em on your friends (or not!)
TEK Cave & Volcano - The Volcano finally receives its long overdue, scorching redesign - and now leads to the entrance to the TEK Cave.
"Ascension" Game Progression
More UI overhauls
New Hairstyle and Facial Hair
Approximately 20+ New Explorer Notes
15 new music tracks, per-biome and situational
Alpha Megalodon and APEX Loot for all Alpha creatures!
Thirty-eight years after Alien came out in 1979, Ridley Scott is back with the latest chapter in the sci-fi series, Alien: Covenant. A sequel to the Alien prequel Prometheus, Covenant is already out in some parts of the world, with a release in the US following today, May 18.
Ahead of release, reviews have come online. To help you get an idea for if the movie is worth your time and money, we've collected excerpts from reviews published across the internet.
For more on the critical reaction to Covenant, head to GameSpot sister site Metacritic.
Film:Alien: Covenant
Release Date: May 11 (Australia), May 19 (US)
Starring: Michael Fassbender, Katherine Waterston, Danny McBride, Demian Bichir, Billy Crudup, Carmen Ejogo, Benjamin Rigby, Amy Seimetz, Jussie Smollet, Callie Hernandez, Nathaniel Dean, Alexander England, and Benjamin Rigby
Directed By: Ridley Scott
Rating: R
Runtime: 122 minutes
GameSpot:
"Covenant is a fun movie that has a number of standout scenes, including one of the biggest, most over-the-top (and somewhat silly) set pieces in the franchise's history. It is a notable improvement over Prometheus, but it runs the risk of feeling too familiar and formulaic overall." -- Eddie Makuch [Full review]
The Hollywood Reporter
"Stylistically, the film is a thing of cool beauty, with superb effects and a lovely score. Creatively, it's a major reset on a level with the series' best." -- Todd McCarthy [Full review]
Entertainment Weekly
"One leg up that Covenant has is Scott's refusal to entirely jettison the biblical weirdness of Prometheus. There's still plenty of vague discussion about creation, but the movie is essentially a compromise between the prior film's fans and haters. Some of us [clears throat] will miss those big swings, but regardless of where you landed with Prometheus, there's bound to be something to delight you in Covenant because, Scott--thankfully--still makes 'em like he used to." -- Kevin Sullivan [Full review]
Empire
"An upgrade from Prometheus, Alien: Covenant amps up the thrills but doesn't deliver a memorable crew member or the full-on onslaught of the series at its height." -- Ian Freer [Full review]
The Guardian
"The vu has never been so déja: it's a greatest-hits compilation of the other Alien films' freaky moments. The paradox is that though you are intended to recognise these touches, you won't really be impressed unless you happen to be seeing them for the first time. For all this, the film is very capably made, with forceful, potent performances from Waterston and Fassbender. That franchise title is, however, looking increasingly wrong. It is a bit familiar." -- Peter Bradshaw [Full review]
Variety
"Ridley Scott's official return to the Alien franchise is essentially a Prometheus sequel with Aliens in it." -- Peter Debruge [Full review]
The Verge
"The problem is that the Alien franchise started in an age where sequels could be complete films unto themselves--in fact, James Cameron's Aliens is considered by many to be one of the best sequels ever made. That is simply not the same kind of cinematic landscape we find ourselves in today, so perhaps something like Alien: Covenant is the best we can hope for. That said, I'd like to think that Scott has one more truly great Alien movie left in him somewhere. Maybe we'll get it next time." -- Bryan Bishop [Full review]
New York Daily News
"Further proving his mastery of creating tension and thrills, Scott has effectively created a satisfying hybrid of Alien, Prometheus and even James Cameron's Aliens. Those looking for one of the better movies in the Alien franchise should appreciate what the latest movie brings to the mix. But it's not for the squeamish or faint of heart." -- Edward Douglas [Full review]
The cult hit competitive game, Windjammers, is in development for PS4 and Vita, and today developer DotEmu announced that it'll have a closed beta on PS4 this summer.
Although it seems a bit unusual for an old Neo Geo game to have a beta, the developer said in a press release that it's necessary to test out its online and matchmaking functionality. It will run from June 8-12, and it includes the game's new online ranking system.
If you want to get into the beta, you have to register at Windjammers' website for a chance at a code. Registration is open until June 5.
The original version launched back in 1994 for the Neo Geo, and the remaster was revealed at PSX last year. The new version includes online multiplayer, five game modes, competitive leagues, and rankings. You can check out gameplay from the PS4 version in the video above.
A pair of new Switch games arrive today on the eShop, Nintendo has announced.
The first is one we already knew about: Thumper, the excellent "rhythm violence" game that launched for PC and PS4 last year. In lieu of the VR support offered on those platforms, the Switch version features HD Rumble support.
Thumper on Switch runs at 1080p and 60 frames per second while the console is docked, and at 720p/60 FPS in handheld mode. It's priced at $20/£16. You can read GameSpot's Thumper review, which has been updated with thoughts on the Switch version.
Switch's other new eShop game is another entry in the ACA Neo Geo series. This time around, it's Galaxy Fight: Universal Warriors, which is--like so many of the other Neo Geo titles on Switch--a fighting game. And as with those games, it costs $8/£6.29.
Although closed beta registration for Gwent: The Witcher Card Game ended last weekend, you won't have to wait long to try out the collectible card game: CD Projekt Red has announced that an open beta will begin on PS4, Xbox One, and PC on May 24.
As part of the transition from the closed technical test to the open beta, the developer is resetting all progress made. So if you're currently playing in the closed beta, you'll have to start fresh on May 24. However, you will get Card Kegs and other in-game items as a reward for playing through the tech test.
From May 22-24, Gwent's servers will be offline for maintenance. After that, all players will be transitioned into the open beta.
"[The] public beta is the next step in the game's development process, one that we'd be honored to continue alongside everyone who's been with us thus far." development director Benjamin Lee stated in a press release. "It's also a chance for many new gamers to play Gwent for the first time, and we're looking forward to making the game even better with their help."
A new poster has been revealed for the Chinese release of DC's Wonder Woman, and it is certainly very different from the US version. It's got an awesome anime-inspired look, and was tweeted by DC artist Nicola Scott. Check it out below:
The new Wonder Woman poster follows a trailer that was released earlier this month. The movie stars Gal Gadot, Chris Pine, Robin Wright, Danny Huston, and Connie Nielsen and is directed by Patty Jenkins.
Early box office predictions suggest that movie will have a solid opening weekend, with a take of at least $65 million in its first three days. While this is well below the openings for previous DC movies Suicide Squad ($133 million) and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice ($166 million), it is in line with the debut for such Marvel films as Captain America: The First Avenger and Ant-Man.
Wonder Woman will be the first female-fronted superhero movie from either studio, and while Wonder Woman is an iconic figure, the character only appeared briefly in Dawn of Justice and does not necessarily have the built-in box office appeal of Batman or Superman as yet.
If you've spent time in San Francisco--or any big city, honestly--you've probably spent hours on overcrowded and delayed buses or subways thinking about how you would fix things if you were in charge. Cities: Skylines' new DLC pack launches today, and it gives you the tools to do just that. But we all know it's probably going to turn out poorly anyways.
Cities: Skyline's Mass Transit expansion is out today on PC, and it adds a whole bunch of transportation-related vehicles and objects. It aims to give players greater control over the flow of people through their cities. Check out the launch trailer below and a gallery of screens at the bottom of this article.
The most notable addition in the pack is the new fleet of vehicles. Not surprisingly, you can now place ferries, cable cars, and monorail trains throughout your city to augment existing transportation. You can also add blimps, which honestly sounds like the most fun public transit system I can think of.
Alongside the new vehicles, the expansion includes transit infrastructure to increase the efficiency of the flow of citizens through the city. It adds transit hubs that connect transportation lines together, allowing citizens to transfer from line to line.
Launching alongside the Mass Transit pack is the Rock City music pack, so you'll be able to listen to some nice rock jams when you're messing with the morning commute of your city's inhabitants. This pack includes a DJ and sixteen songs "from grunge and classic rock to sleaze rock and metal to help you rock the suburbs," according to a press release. The Rock City music pack costs $4.
Blizzard has offered a sneak peek at some new maps being added to Overwatch. A Twitter post from the official Overwatch Twitter account states the maps are "coming soon" as part of the game's anniversary celebrations.
The maps look to be alternative versions of existing maps, as the teaser above shows they take inspiration from the Dorado, Eichenwalde, and Temple of Anubis currently available in the game. Blizzard hasn't yet discussed what unique gameplay opportunities the arena mode update will provide, if any.
Here's a sneak peek at three new ARENA MAPS coming soon to our Overwatch Anniversary celebration.
Interestingly, Blizzard has described these as "Arena maps," which indicates they're specifically for an Arena mode that isn't currently in the game. Somewhat confusingly, maps such as Ecopoint: Antartica, where players duke it out in 3v3 or 1v1 fights, are referred to as "arenas." It's unclear whether these maps will use that existing gameplay format, or if they're for a new mode.
In 2016, a data mine of Overwatch revealed new announcer lines that specifically said "Now entering the arena" and "Gladiator." It was thought that these were for a specific Arena mode, but one has not yet been added to the game. Last week, another data mine suggested a new mode focused on destroying objectives is in development.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe's latest update is out now, and it makes a rather intriguing change: one Inkling Girl animation has been tweaked to remove a gesture that is deemed offensive in a number of countries.
The expression--which involves raising a clenched fist while the other arm holds the raised bicep--was used by Inkling Girl as a celebratory sign. However, the "Italian salute" is considered offensive in some territories, including France, Spain, Italy, Portugal, and much of Latin America.
The gesture has been replaced by a simple fist pump, and photos from NeoGAF user Neiteio show the difference between the pre- and post-patch versions.
A few other minor changes were also included in the update, such as starting positions in online races, invincibility periods after a spin-out, and Mii facial expressions. Take a look at the full patch notes below.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe v1.1 patch notes
Opponents' names are displayed in the rear view mirror view in online matches.
Invincibility period after a spin-out or crash is longer in online matches.
Up to two players can spectate a friend group while they wait to join.
Worldwide and Regional modes add players to Mirror and 200cc matches less often.
Can now properly create a friend lobby when you have 100 or more friends.
Inkling Girl's animation has been adjusted.
Starting positions in online races now properly reflect the order in which players join.
Driver Miis now properly showing facial expressions.
Tournament clock now properly reflects real-world time.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe has proved popular since its release in April, going to the top of the UK, Australian, and US sales charts. In our review, Kallie Plagge said Nintendo's racer was already a "great racing game" when it was released in 2014 on Wii U, but the overhaul of Battle Mode makes it "well worth reinvesting yourself in Mario Kart 8 on Switch." Read more in our full Mario Kart 8 Deluxe review.
The first trailer for the upcoming Star Trek: Discovery TV series has finally arrived, and you can watch it right now.
We get a look at the new ship, many of the characters, and a variety of alien worlds. The Star Trek: Discovery trailer (above) also sets up a conflict with the Klingons, which appears to be a major focus of the show. It also confirms a fall release window, though there still isn't an exact date.
In addition to the trailer's debut, we also got our first look at the show in the photo below. It shows stars Michelle Yeoh (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) and Sonequa Martin-Green (The Walking Dead) standing in the desert canyon from the beginning of the trailer. Yeoh plays Captain Philippa Georgiou, while Marin-Green portrays First Officer Michael Burnham.
Discovery also stars James Frain (True Blood), Anthony Rapp (Dazed & Confused), and Doug Jones (Hellboy). Showrunner Bryan Fuller stepped down last year, but he remains an executive producer.
The first episode of Discovery will air on CBS this fall, with all subsequent ones appearing on its All Access digital subscription service. The show is set about a decade prior to the events of The Original Series.
The show has faced several delays, with a CBS representative saying earlier this year, "It's more important to do this right than to do it fast. There is also added flexibility presenting on CBS All Access, which isn't beholden to seasonal premieres or launch windows."
Disclosure: CBS is owned by GameSpot parent company CBS Corp.
What games sold the best last week in Australia and New Zealand last week?
The Interactive Games & Entertainment Association today released the top 10 sales charts for both countries, with AFL Evolution remaining the No. 1 best-selling game in Australia and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim on top in New Zealand on the all-platforms charts.
Below are the top 10 sales charts for Australia and Zealand for the week ended May 14, broken down by platforms. Note that the charts only include physical sales.
Nintendo of Japan has announced a new Nintendo Switch bundle that comes with a copy of Splatoon 2, while a range of accessories themed around the shooter sequel have also been announced.
The bundle comes with a Switch console, as well as neon green and pink Joy-Cons (which combine for a nice, watermelon-looking color) and three packets of Splatoon stickers. Additionally, a new Switch Pro controller, featuring green and pink grips, has been announced for Japan.
Splatoon-themed Switch carrying cases and other accessories for the console have been announced. So far, all of these items are confirmed only for Japan, though that doesn't necessarily mean they won't come to other markets.
A new international trailer for Transformers: The Last Knight has landed. As you'd expect from a Transformers movie trailer, this one is very over-the-top and stuffed with action.
It also touches on some of the story, which involves Mark Wahlberg's character meeting up with Oscar-winner Anthony Hopkins to discover why the Transformers keep coming to Earth.
The Last Knight "shatters the core myths of the Transformers franchise, and redefines what it means to be a hero," according to producer Paramount. The story picks up with Humans and Transformers warring, with Optimus Prime out of the picture.
"The key to saving our future lies buried in the secrets of the past, in the hidden history of Transformers on Earth," reads a line from the movie's description. "The hunted will become heroes. Heroes will become villains. Only one world will survive: theirs, or ours."
Directed by Michael Bay, The Last Knight opens on June 21. It also stars Josh Duhamel, Laura Haddock, Jerrod Carmichael, Isabela Moner, and Santiago Cabrera.
The Last Knight is the fifth installment in the core Transformers series that began a decade ago with Transformers and the first since 2014's Age of Extinction.
Previewing some footage of The Last Knight at CinemaCon in March, Bay said, "This is not a number five. This feels like a brand new, fresh look into the Transformers," according to THR.
Speaking to Polygon, game director Jeff Kaplan said it was a "really hard decision" to cancel the book. It was not the content that caused Blizzard to scrap the digital book. Instead, the developer feared that putting it out could have limited fans from experiencing the game's lore as they wanted to.
"The art was beautiful and the writing was excellent," Kaplan said about First Strike. "The reason had less to do with the specific content in that novel and more to do with the way that it would have limited us. It was a very specific, contained story."
"We sort of saw Overwatch really open up to the world, and listening to players and the stories they were telling and what they imagined the Omnic crisis to be really made us second guess what we were doing in First Strike. We thought, 'Hey, if we go down this path, it really closes all these doors.'"
Part of the "magic" of Overwatch, Kaplan said, is that Blizzard does not explain everything about the story. "There's a lot going on in Overwatch right now where I think that the story in players' heads is often even cooler than what we can deliver to them."
Explaining First Strike's cancellation last year, writer Michael Chu said, "We've ultimately decided to take the story in a different direction."
"The original idea for the graphic novel dates back to the early days of the game's development and came from our desire to tell the story of the founding of Overwatch during the Omnic Crisis," he added. "In the years since First Strike's conception, we have done a lot of development on the universe and its stories. While the core of this story remains, we have changed and expanded upon how we see the events that took place during the first days of Overwatch."
Announced in July, First Strike was scheduled to come out in November 2016. It was described as a "brand-new entry in the Overwatch canon" and a story that would "will contain 100 pages of sequential artwork telling the story of the original Overwatch strike team." It was going to be written by Micky Neilson and penciled by Ludo Lullabi.
"In a shocking twist, Callie--of Squid Sisters fame--has gone missing and her right-tentacle squid Marie tasks the player to search for Callie and the Great Zapfish," reads a line from the game's description. "Players can use different weapons in single-player mode to overcome obstacles, defeat enemies, and take down towering bosses--weapons like the Roller, Slosher, Splatling or the new Dualies."
Nintendo says the single-player mode for Splatoon 2 aims to help players familiarize themselves with the game and develop skills and tactics they can use in multiplayer.
Splatoon 2 launches on July 21 for Nintendo Switch.
Today during the Nintendo Direct dedicated to the fighting game Arms, Nintendo announced new details about the Nintendo Switch title and also revealed that a free demo is coming soon.
The Global Testpunch Demo, as it is called, will follow a similar model to the demos for Splatoon and Splatoon 2, which is to say they might not be all that convenient for you. The demos will be available at "blocks of time" through the weekend of May 26-28 and again on June 2-4. You need only download the free demo from the eShop to get in, while specific timing of the demo periods will be announced later. The Splatoon 2 beta was held for one-hour periods, repeating throughout the weekend.
Arms was developed by "many" of the same people at Nintendo who worked on Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, the company said in a press release. Players can expect "the same level of polish and competitive action" in Arms as Mario Kart 8, according to Nintendo.
"With games like Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Arms, and Splatoon 2, the next few months will be a summer of social competitive gaming on Nintendo Switch," Nintendo of America VP Doug Bowser (real name) said in a statement. "This Nintendo Direct presentation offered great reasons why Arms is perfect for players of all ages, whether they are familiar with fighting games or not."
You can watch a replay of today's Nintendo Direct event in the video above.
Arms launches exclusively for Nintendo Switch on June 16. For lots more, you can check out all of GameSpot's written and video content for it here.
This year's event will take place on one day--Sunday, August 27--at the Sands Expo and Convention Center on the Las Vegas strip. The event takes place on a floor that measures 250,000 square feet.
Tickets go on sale on June 1. General admission tickets are going for $40, while $110 VIP passes include early access to the show floor, "exclusive swag," access to a VIP lounge, and admission to an Injustice 2 tournament (more on that below). Afternoon-only tickets will go for $20, getting you into the show from 3 PM on.
This is the the first time since the show started in 2011 that it will be held on a Sunday. GameStop said this should make it easier and more convenient to attend.
GameStop said in a statement that "some of the video game industry's top game title and hardware developers" will be on hand at the show to demo their products. The retailer did not provide a list of the games and developers attending the show, but that may come later.
The 2017 GameStop Expo will also host an Injustice 2 tournament, the ESL Injustice 2 GameStop Hometown Heroes tournament finals where players will compete for cash. Outside of the VIP package, you can get into the Injustice 2 tournament for $10 on top of the ticket price. All proceeds go to the St Jude's Children's Research Hospital's yearly fundraising event, Play Live.
"Every year our customers ask us to make the GameStop Expo bigger and better," GameStop merchandising VP Bob Puzon said in a statement. "We have delivered on their request by bringing our Expo back to the entertainment capital of the world, opening our doors for the first time on Sunday, playing host to one of the biggest non-pro gaming tournaments in the industry, and allowing fans the opportunity to purchase some of their favorite novelty items on the show floor."
We will report back with more details on GameStop Expo 2017 as it's announced.
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