Bluehole's massively successful battle royale game, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds, arrives on Xbox One next week. Before then, however, players will have a chance to purchase some exclusive items for the game.
Beginning December 7, Xbox One owners will be able to purchase the PUBG Warrior Pack, the first of three cosmetic item packs that will only be available for the Xbox One version of the game. The Warrior Pack includes four items that can be used to customize your character: a balaclava hat, as well as a camo t-shirt, pants, and tennis shoes.
The PUBG Warrior Pack costs $10 and will only be available for a limited time, until December 10. It will be followed by the PUBG Accessory Pack from December 14-17 and the Tracksuit Pack from December 21-22. Each of those packs will cost $5. You can see some of the items from them above.
As previously mentioned, these three packs will only be available for Xbox One players. They'll also be the only items you can purchase in that version of the game during its preview period. However, publisher Bluehole has said that more loot boxes are on the way to PUBG, though the publisher assures that the boxes will "never" contain any items that could affect gameplay.
PUBG launches for Xbox One via the Game Preview program on December 12. Like the early access PC version, it will cost $30. The game launches in full on PC later this month; before then, players will have a chance to try out PUBG's new desert map, Miramar, which will be available during the "final test round" before its version 1.0 release. The map will also feature an exclusive new vehicle.
Pokemon Go already added a limited number of generation 3 Pokemon as part of its Halloween event, and now more creatures from Ruby and Sapphire's Hoenn region are on their way to Niantic's mobile game. Fifty new monsters are now available to catch around the world, including Treecko, Torchic, Mudkip, and more. Niantic and the Pokemon Company are yet to reveal the entire list of generation 3 critters available, but did specifically mention Swablu, Wailord, Salamence, and Feebas, while more can be seen in the trailer below.
In addition, the game will now reflect real-life weather and climate conditions wherever you are. The new dynamic weather feature will be visible on the in-game map and will affect which Pokemon are likely to appear. Niantic and the Pokemon Company say you might find more Mudkip when it rains, more Cacnea in the sun, or Snorunt in the snow. The weather's other effects include "changing Pokemon habitats," as well as "increasing Combat Power and earning more Stardust after catching a Pokemon." Separate to weather effects, the current season will also change which Pokemon are likely to appear.
A new Portal game has been announced, though it's a little different to previous titles in the series. It's called Bridge Constructor Portal, and it's a crossover between Valve's puzzle franchise and, you guessed it, Bridge Constructor.
As in the mainline Bridge Constructor series, the game tasks you with getting a truck from one side of the screen to the other, except this time you achieve that by placing portals in the right locations to warp your vehicle to the exit. It's coming to PC and mobile on December 20, with "console versions" following in "early 2018." Developers ClockStone Software and Headup Games did not state which consoles they were referring to, but the above trailer features logos for PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch, so it's safe to assume the game is coming to those platforms at least.
In the meantime, check out some images and a trailer for Bridge Constructor Portal above. What do you think of the crossover? Let us know in the comments.
Like its predecessors, Xenoblade Chronicles 2 offers a deep combat system with multiple interconnected mechanics. It's gratifying once you get the hang of it all, but that can be easier said than done. Xenoblade Chronicles 2 throws lots of tutorials at you that are lost once you click past them, with only meager reference material available from merchants after the fact. And if you're the type to speed read tutorials, it's likely you missed a few core concepts.
To...combat this issue, we've compiled a breakdown of combat terminology and mechanics that will hopefully help you master the possibilities available to you early on. Let's get started.
Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is out now for Nintendo Switch. Check out our Xenoblade Chronicles 2 review, and be sure to check back often as we create more guides for Monolith Soft's latest open world-RPG.
Your battle party consists of two types of characters, Drivers and Blades. Drivers are traditional characters that you control--though you can only command one out of three in your party, while the rest of your allies are driven by AI, with one notable exception that we'll get to soon.
Blades are characters that provide powers to Drivers. They determine what weapon and abilities you have access to, and are imbued with a particular element--yet another important detail that we'll return to when discussing Blade Combos and Chain Attacks.
During combat, you can swap between your active Driver's equipped Blades (either two or three, depending on the in-game chapter.) This can't be done freely at any time, however; Blades have accompanying meters that fill automatically over time. Unlike Drivers, Blades do not have a health bar and cannot be damaged by enemies.
Party Gauge
In the top-left corner of the screen is the Party Gauge. This fills up as you damage enemies and execute advanced attacks. Divided into three sections, you can spend one portion of the meter at a time to revive a fallen ally. You can also use up the entire meter (only when it's full) to execute a Chain Attack. For more info on Chain Attacks, scroll further down the page.
Basic Attacks
When you're close enough to an enemy, Drivers will auto-attack. Proximity is the only requirement to trigger this action. Auto-attacking will fill meters surrounding ability icons that represent various Arts.
Arts
When an Art meter fills up from auto-attacks, you can execute it. Arts can be direct attacks, defensive moves, or healing spells, and each typically comes with a secondary condition attached to it, say, toppling an enemy (more on that in a minute) or spawning healing potions upon impact.
The Arts you have access to are dictated by the weapon of the Blade you're currently cooperating with. That means different Blades will offer the same selection of Arts if they are assigned the same weapon, which are predetermined and static. Each Blade offers four Arts, but you can only equip three at a time.
Cancels
Similar to fighting games, you can stop one action to begin another (with an added advantage) in Xenoblade Chronicles 2. Put simply, the moment after landing a blow on an enemy, you can initiate an Art with a bonus effect if your timing is on point.
Specials
Specials are like Arts, but deal more damage and are little more involved, asking you to engage with quick time events mid-animation. Specials come in four levels. Levels one through three are made available by cancelling an auto-attack into an Art, which fills up a meter surrounding the Special icon. Level four Specials are earned after filling up the meter enough to reach level three, and then by standing close enough to your active Blade on the battlefield for a few seconds. Specials tie into the element of the Blade in question, and will generate a meter above the enemy's health bar that will slowly deplete in roughly 20-30 seconds.
As mentioned, you can't fully direct all of your party members, but you can heed the call from fellow Drivers when they are ready to activate a Special. Why would they wait for your command? I'm glad you asked!
Blade Combos
After you or one of your allies activates a Special, a chart will pop up on the top-right corner of the UI illustrating a number of options for you to consider as you prepare to execute your next Special. These options are represented by elements, and if you activate a Special with the appropriate element before the meter generated by the previously cast Special runs out, you can create a Blade Combo. Complete three steps within the provided options, and you will not only deal lots of damage, but also seal away one of your opponent's abilities. The final Special of a Blade Combo will also leave an orb surrounding the enemy, based on that Special's specific element. These orbs/seals serve an additional purpose as well.
Chain Attacks
When you've got a full Party Gauge, you can press the + button to initiate a Chain Attack, which is an opportunity for each character in your party to deal a strong attack with an equipped Blade of your choice. These deal a lot of damage, but if you have previously executed Blade Combos (on the same enemy that you're targeting with your Chain Attack) you can do far more.
Remember the orb/seal generated by a Blade Combo? Chain Attacking with elements opposite of any orbs that may be attached to an enemy can burst the orb, which not only inflicts a lot morie damage, but also extends your Chain Attack for another round.
These are the basic concepts of Xenoblade Chronicles 2's combat system, but when you factor in various types of equipment, abilities, and mechanics unique to specific characters, things get even trickier. If you've got any questions, or any advanced tips to share with other players, throw them in the comments below!
While 2017 was packed with an assortment of amazing games, 2018 is primed with its own roster of exciting games, including heavy hitters like Red Dead Redemption 2, Anthem, God of War, Kingdom Hearts III, Dragon Ball FighterZ, and much more. To help you keep track of all the games coming out, we've compiled the release dates of all the biggest ones confirmed to come out in 2018 so far.
Be sure to check back often as we update this article with more release dates or any potential changes to any of the dates below. And if you're eager to figure out the release dates from games last year, you can also reference our feature on the game release dates of 2017.
Below you can find a list of the biggest games that don't have explicit release dates but are confirmed to release sometime this year. There are also games listed that we expect to launch in 2018. We'll be moving each of these games into the release date sections above as soon as official dates are announced.
Lee provided the example of buying an in-game sword for $200. He's not going after games that offer items for a set price; instead, he is taking issue when players spend real money for only a chance at getting the sword (or whatever other item it might be). He suggests this is a form of gambling, and minor is defined as someone under the age of 21.
This language is not as loaded as what he said before, describing Battlefront II as a "Star Wars-themed online casino designed to lure kids into spending money. It's a trap."Before 11th hour changes, Battlefront II's progression system was tied in part to loot boxes. Players could spend real money for loot boxes that come with items that can affect gameplay. EA faced a wave of criticism over this, and microtransactions were completely removed (temporarily). Loot boxes and microtransactions are par for the course in EA games and those from other publishers, but Battlefront II's garnered so much criticism in part because they were tied to progression so some players felt people who paid got an advantage.
Another popular game, Overwatch, lets you buy loot boxes with real money, but you can only ever get cosmetic items that do not impact gameplay. And in China, the game displays the loot box odds for items. In GTA Online, which makes buckets of money from microtransactions, you can pay real money to get GTA$, which you can then spend on weapons, items, upgrades, and cosmetic wares.
Also in the video, Lee said "so many other legislators" from other states have spoken to him about potentially getting involved in drafting a bill that could become a law someday. Additionally, Lee referenced the Activision patent that encourages microtransactions, saying it is "absolutely unethical and unfair." Lee acknowledged that he only knew about this from "third-hand" reports and news stories he's seen. Activision has said this was only an exploratory patent and is not being used in any games.
Finally, Lee talked about how he is not hoping to get a law on the books in every state to combat games with what he believes are gambling mechanics. If a law can be passed in some states, this would bring more attention to his cause, and could lead to further action in other states, Lee said. And even if that doesn't happen, if publishers have to change their games for some states to meet local laws, that might encourage them to change their games across the board so avoid that inconvenience.
For Lee's bill, it sounds like it is still very, very early days, so if anything ever comes of this, it might not be for a while. It is also worth noting that only around 4 percent of bills ever become law, so Lee's legislation faces an uphill battle right from the start.
With the arrival of the holidays comes a slew of new shows and movies on Netflix. It's a particularly busy month for the streamer, with many holiday specials joining the service, alongside several Netflix originals and a number of new library titles. With popular titles like V for Vendetta, Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, and Disney's The Santa Clause trilogy arriving, December is going to be a busy month for streaming.
However, it's a Netflix original movie that you should be paying closest attention to. December 22 will see the premiere of Bright, starring Will Smith and Joel Edgerton. The fantasy crime movie is directed by David Ayer (Suicide Squad) with a script by Max Landis (American Ultra). The film marks Smith's first time starring in a Netflix project and he's certainly picked an interesting one.
Bright is set in a world where humans and fantasy creatures coexist. Smith plays an LAPD officer who is partnered with an Orc (Edgerton) when they find a very powerful magic wand that has the potential to change the world. Other new entries include Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, a new season of The Ranch, and Dave Chappelle's latest stand-up comedy special. It's not all good news, though.
There are also many titles departing the service in December. Black Snake Moan, Practical Magic, and 11 seasons of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia are just a few of the movies and shows that will no longer be available after the end of 2017. So make sure you watch them while you still can.
You can take a look at the full list of what's coming and going on Netflix throughout December below. You can also see everything that's arrived in November.
Arriving on Netflix, December 2017
December 1
8 Mile
Ace Ventura: Pet Detective
Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls
All Hail King Julien: Season 5 (Netflix Original)
A StoryBots Christmas (Netflix Original)
August Rush
Chef & My Fridge: 2017
Dark: Season 1 (Netflix Original)
Diana: In Her Own Words
Dreamcatcher
DreamWorks Home: For the Holidays (Netflix Original)
Easy: Season 2 (Netflix Original)
Exporting Raymond
Forbidden Games: The Justin Fashanu Story
Full Metal Jacket
Hitch
My Happy Family (Netflix Original)
Nacho Libre
Sahara
The Farthest - Voyager in Space
The Little Rascals
The Wackness
The Young Victoria
Tyson
V for Vendetta
TURN: Washington's Spies: Season 4
Voyeur (Netflix Original)
While You Were Sleeping
December 4
When Calls the Heart: Season 4
December 5
Craig Ferguson: Tickle Fight (Netflix Original)
Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
December 6
Trolls Holiday Special
December 8
El Camino Christmas (Netflix Original)
The Crown: Season 2 (Netflix Original)
December 11
Catwoman
The Magicians: Season 2
December 12
Disney's The Santa Clause
Disney's The Santa Clause 2
Disney's The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause
Judd Apatow: The Return (Netflix Original)
December 14
41 Dogs in My Home
A&E: When Patients Attack
Ainsley Eats the Streets: Season 1
Halt and Catch Fire: Season 4
December 15
A Five Star Life
Christmas Inheritance (Netflix Original)
Discovering Bigfoot
El Señor de los Cielos: Season 5
Erased: Season 1 (Netflix Original)
Freeway: Crack In The System
Neverlake
Pottersville
Reggie Yates Outside Man: Volume 2
The Haunting of Helena
The Mafia Kills Only in Summer
The Ranch: Part 4 (Netflix Original)
Trollhunters: Part 2 (Netflix Original)
Ultimate Beastmaster (Netflix Original)
Wormwood (Netflix Original)
December 18
Hello, My Twenties!: Season 2 (Netflix Original)
December 19
Miss Me This Christmas
Russell Howard: Recalibrate (Netflix Original)
The Indian Detective: Season 1 (Netflix Original)
You Can't Fight Christmas
December 20
La Casa de Papel: Season 1 (Netflix Original)
December 21
Peaky Blinders: Season 4 (Netflix Original)
December 22
72 Dangerous Animals: Latin America: Season 1 (Netflix Original)
Bright (Netflix Original)
Dope: Season 1 (Netflix Original)
Fuller House: Season 3, New Episodes (Netflix Original)
Rosario Tijeras: Season 1
The Toys That Made Us: Season 1 (Netflix Original)
December 23
Creep 2
Myths & Monsters: Season 1
December 25
Cable Girls: Season 2 (Netflix Original)
Planet Earth II
December 26
Todd Barry: Spicy Honey (Netflix Original)
Travelers: Season 2 (Netflix Original)
All Hail King Julien: New Year's Eve Countdown 2018
Beat Bugs: New Year's Eve Countdown 2018
Larva: New Year's Eve Countdown 2018
Pororo: New Year's Eve Countdown 2018
Puffin Rock: New Year's Eve Countdown 2018
Skylanders Academy: New Year's Eve Countdown 2018
Trollhunters: New Year's Eve Countdown 2018
True and The Rainbow Kingdom: New Year's Eve Countdown 2018
Word Party: New Year's Eve Countdown 2018
December 27
Pusher
December 29
Bill Nye Saves the World: Season 2: Part 1 (Netflix Original)
Killer Legends
La Mante: Season 1 (Netflix Original)
Shelter
The Climb (Netflix Original)
December 31
Dave Chappelle: Equanimity (Netflix Original)
Fun Mom Dinner
Leaving Netflix, December 2017
December 1
All I Want for Christmas
Bedazzled
Black Snake Moan
Compulsion
Cousin Bette
Hoffa
La Viuda Negra: Season 1
Picture Perfect
Practical Magic
Rebelde
Scary Movie 2
Scary Movie 3
Super Size Me
Terriers: Season 1
The Crucible
The Gospel Road: A Story of Jesus
The Man from Snowy River
Touch: Season 2
Toys
Two Girls and a Guy
Waking Life
Young Frankenstein
Yu-Gi-Oh! Bonds Beyond Time
Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal: Seasons 1-2
December 5
Holes
December 9
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia: Seasons 1-11
December 10
Lucky Number Slevin
Nightcrawler
The Rite
December 11
Dollhouse: Season 2
December 13
The Queen of Versailles
December 15
America's Funniest Home Video Kids: Holidazed
America's Funniest Home Videos Kids: Animals with Attitude: Season 1
America's Funniest Home Videos Kids: It's Tough Being a Kid: Season 1
America's Funniest Home Videos Kids: Playtime Ain't for Wimps: Season 1
America's Funniest Home Videos: New Collection D: Nincompoop Nation
Jeff Dunham: Arguing with Myself
December 19
Dance Academy: Series 1-3
December 20
Che: Parts 1 & 2
December 24
Amores Perros
December 25
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
The newest pair of Pokemon games, Pokemon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, were released in November, and ahead of their launch, Nintendo began giving away a ton of free items and Pokemon for the previous Sun and Moon versions. Many of the giveaways have already ended, but there are still plenty of rare freebies for Sun and Moon players to get their hands on.
We've rounded up all of the distributions that are currently running for Pokemon Sun and Moon, as well as one that Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon owners can still take advantage of. We'll be updating this list as more giveaways are announced, so check back often to see what free items and Pokemon you can get. In the meantime, check out our rundown on everything new in Pokemon Ultra Sun And Moon, and the differences between Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon.
Pokemon Sun/Moon Free Gifts
Pokemon
Magearna
Unlike other Mythical Pokemon, the Steel/Fairy-type Magearna is available not through Mystery Gift, but via a QR code. After defeating the Elite Four and completing the main story, you can use the QR Scanner feature to scan the below code. After doing so, visit the Antiques shop in Hau'oli City and pick your Magearna up from the deliveryman waiting there. The Mythical Pokemon comes at level 50 and knows the moves Fleur Cannon, Flash Cannon, Lucky Chant, and Helping Hand.
Celebi -- Ends Sep. 21, 2018
Players who purchase either Pokemon Gold or Silver from the 3DS Eshop by September 21, 2018 will receive a bonus download code for the Mythical Pokemon Celebi. The code can be redeemed in Pokemon Sun, Moon, Ultra Sun, or Ultra Moon. We've outlined the steps you need to take to find and redeem the code here.
Charizard -- DONE
Players in the US can pick up a free download code for Charizard from the electronics department in Target stores. The popular Fire-type Pokemon comes at level 50, is equipped with the Red Card item, and knows the moves Dragon Dance, Flare Blitz, Fly, and Earthquake. As with other download codes, you need to input your code via Mystery Gift to receive Charizard. The distribution runs until October 14, and you have until February 4, 2018 to redeem your code.
Marshadow -- DONE
For a very limited time, players can pick up a free download code for the Mythical Pokemon Marshadow. Those in the US can get the code from GameStop, while players in the UK will have to visit "participating retailers." This is the first legitimate way Sun and Moon players can obtain the rare Fighting/Ghost-type, which comes at level 50 and is equipped with Marshadium Z. It also knows the attacks Spectral Thief, Close Combat, Force Palm, and Shadow Ball.
Pikachu -- DONE
To celebrate the release of the Pokemon series' 20th anniversary film, Pokemon The Movie: I Choose You, The Pokemon Company is giving away six different versions of Ash's Pikachu for Sun and Moon. To receive a Pikachu, enter the code PIKACHU20 in Mystery Gift. However, you can only receive one of the six Pikachu, and the version you get depends on when you enter the code. The full Pikachu distribution schedule is below.
Beginning October 23, players in the US and Canada can pick up a free download code for a shiny Silvally from GameStop and EB Games stores. The distribution will run until November 13. Players in the UK will also have a chance to get the rare Pokemon at participating GAME stores from November 3-16.
Mega Stones -- DONE
Mega Stones are exceptionally rare and valuable in Pokemon Sun and Moon. When equipped to their corresponding Pokemon, Mega Stones allow it to Mega Evolve during battle, often changing its type and giving it a considerable stat boost. Nintendo is giving away several batches of Mega Stones that aren't normally available in Sun and Moon, all of which are redeemable via a universal download code. Input the following codes in Mystery Gift by October 31 and you'll receive these Mega Stones:
Purchase either Pokemon Ultra Sun or Ultra Moon by January 10 and you'll receive a special Rockruff as a free bonus. This Rockruff will only evolve into Dusk Form Lycanroc, a new variant of the popular wolf Pokemon that is exclusive to Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon.
It's officially December around the world, which means Xbox Live Gold subscribers can now pick up the first of December's free Games With Gold titles. Two more games are now available to download for free if you're an Xbox Live Gold member, with another two set to arrive later in the month.
Also note that one of November's Games With Gold titles, Tales From the Borderlands, will continue to be free on Xbox One through through December 15. You can see the full Games With Gold schedule for December below.
In other news, Microsoft has rolled out the latest weekly Xbox One and Xbox 360 deals. A variety of games are on sale for Xbox Live Gold members in particular, including Unravel, The Jackbox Party Pack, and the Metro games. These will be available through December 11, while the Games With Gold title schedule varies, as outlined below.
December 2017 Free Xbox Games With Gold
Xbox One
Warhammer: End Times - Verminitide (December 1 - December 31)
Tales From the Borderlands (through December 15)
Back to the Future: The Game - 30th Anniversary Edition (December 16 - January 15)
Xbox 360
Child of Eden (December 1 - December 15)
Marlow Briggs and the Mask of Death (December 16 - December 31)
Bandai Namco recently unveiled a new My Hero Academia game for PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch, titled My Hero Academia: One's Justice. While the publisher hasn't revealed many details about the title yet, it showed off a new batch of screenshots, giving fans their first look at the upcoming game.
Like most other titles based on anime and manga series, My Hero Academia: One's Justice is an action game. The new screenshots were shared on the game's official Japanese website (via Siliconera) and show off the main protagonist, Izuku Midoriya, as well as the mysterious villain Tomura Shigaraki. You can take a look at them below.
My Hero Academia began as a manga series in Japan in 2014 and has been adapted into a popular anime. The story revolves around Izuki, who dreams of becoming a superhero despite being born without any Quirks--superpowers that nearly everyone else in the world possess. One other game based on the series, My Hero Academia: Battle for All, launched for 3DS last year, though thus far it has only been released in Japan.
Bandai Namco still hasn't announced a release date for My Hero Academia: One's Justice or whether it will come to the West, but the publisher says it will reveal more details about the upcoming title during the Jump Festa 2018 expo in Japan this month. The first trailer for One's Justice is slated to premiere at the expo on December 16.
We've known for some time that PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds will be getting a new desert map, but up until now, publisher Bluehole hadn't shared many details about it, aside from teasing a few work-in-progress screenshots of the environment. That's now changed, as the publisher has officially revealed the map and when players will have a chance to play on it.
Known as Miramar, the new arena is a far cry from PUBG's current map, the lush Erangel. It encompasses industrial areas, beach towns, arid desert land, and more, which the developers say will dramatically change how players approach the survival game. "The unique terrain and dense urban areas of Miramar will create a new Battle Royale experience where the old strategies may no longer work and new tactics are required," the development team wrote in a post on the Steam forums.
On top of the harsh landscape, Miramar is home to at least eight major cities, each of which features different kinds of buildings and constructions that will affect your strategy. Here's how the development team describes each location:
Los Leones
The largest city in the region, Los Leones features ample shopping, a skyline filled with new construction, and a glorious, golden-hued City Center. Players should secure high vantage points by exploring the numerous construction sites, and loot for gear in the cavernous, abandoned commercial buildings.
El Pozo
El Pozo is a city known for its large industrial and entertainment districts. Players can test themselves against all comers in the Luchador Arena, put their motorcycle skills to the test In the death bowl, or hunt in the ruins of the long dead textile factories.
Monte Nuevo
Monte Nuevo is the picture of a town besieged. Ramshackle walls built to protect its residents now allow players ample cover to explore the well-stocked compound.
Valle del Mar
Valle del Mar is a colorful oceanside town bisected by the De Toro bridge. To the West of the bridge is a quaint school, and to the East, a beautiful church. The key to holding this town is bridge control, as it's the only direct route between mainland and the island.
La Cobreria
The shipping and transport capitol of Miramar, La CobrerÃa's most prominent feature is it's enormous Rail Yard. Here, players will hunt and be hunted among the half-buried cargo of a long dead industry. Careful players should loot the schools and campuses that dot this town before attempting to hold the Yard.
San Martin
San MartÃn is located just west of Hacienda Del Patrón. Checkpoints and barriers have transformed this once-quiet small town into a war zone. Both sides of the town have overlooks, so careful players should scout first, before charging into town.
Pecado
Once a tourist destination featuring the largest casino in the region, Pecado continues to thrill players to this day with its mix of high-value loot and dangerous sightlines. Aggressive players will immediately loot the Arena and Casino, but savvy players should check out the 4 story hotels between them.
Chumacera
Chumacera is the husk of Miramar's once thriving textile industry. Long abandoned factories overlook a main road lined with residential and commercial buildings. Verticality in both the buildings and terrain make this town an exciting location to loot--high risk, high opportunity!
Miramar will also feature a new vehicle, a retro-looking pickup truck that will be exclusive to the map. Players will also be able to find a new weapon, the Win94, which will likewise appear exclusively in Miramar as a world spawn.
Players will have a chance to compete on Miramar during the "final test round" before PUBG's version 1.0 release. That is slated to launch before the end of December, so you should be able to try the anticipated new map sometime this month. PUBG will also release in early access on Xbox One via the Xbox Game Preview program next week, on December 12.
2017 has been a turning point for Nintendo. The company launched its hybrid console, the Nintendo Switch, to great success and released widely acclaimed entries into two of its most iconic franchises. But it also didn't abandon the aging 3DS completely, coming out with a few standout games and the new 2DS XL hardware. This year wasn't all good, of course--the lack of Switch voice chat comes to mind--but 2017 was a crucial comeback for the Big N.
So, as the year comes to a close, let's look back at the year that was for both the Switch and the 3DS.
A Strong Launch Lineup And Steady Releases Bolster A New Console
After a year of declining Wii U sales, Nintendo launched the Switch on March 3 with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild as the standout launch game. It was the strong start Nintendo needed for its new console; with nearly universal praise, Breath of the Wild helped mount demand for the Switch, and it was the best-selling system above the PS4 and Xbox One for four of the first six months it was available.
Nintendo continued to roll out big franchises as the year went on, and its E3 showings capitalized on goodwill earned by the Switch's early success. Even the most minor of teases were enough to get people excited; a logo for Metroid Prime 4 and the mere mention of a future Pokemon game on Switch were big highlights despite being scant on information (and joined the previously announced mainline Fire Emblem on the list of hyped games we know little about). New Yoshi and Kirby games were also announced, and most of the fan-favorite boxes were checked.
Super Mario Odyssey arrived at the end of October, blending nostalgia for the best parts of previous Mario games with the fine-tuning of the franchise's mechanics. If Breath of the Wild pushes the limits of what Zelda games can be, Odyssey captures everything fans love about Mario, and together they're pillars of an already great and growing library.
Third-Party Support (And Ports) Right The Wrongs Of The Wii U Era
While several great first-party games helped the Switch, Nintendo needs strong third-party support to secure the Switch's future--something it failed to do for the Wii U. Smaller indie games peppered the Switch library from the beginning, and AAA investment came in full force later in the year.
To start off, Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle is both a superb game and an important test case for Nintendo loosening the reins on its flagship franchise. It was announced during Ubisoft's E3 presentation, not Nintendo's, and Miyamoto appeared as a guest for the announcement. Having Ubisoft at the helm of the game was a surprising move that indicated, above all else, that Nintendo has once again become open to working outside its closely guarded bubble.
More surprising was the lineup of Switch ports. In a 2013 interview, Bethesda's Pete Hines said Nintendo did not reach out to third-party developers soon enough, which made supporting the Wii U difficult, and the company did not release games on the system. But this November, ports of Doom 2016 and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim came to Switch, and this year's Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus is slated for 2018. While Doom has performance issues on the console, Skyrim runs beautifully, so it remains to be seen how well future ports will be optimized.
November also saw ports of L.A. Noire and Rocket League, the latter of which is one of many indies--ports and new releases--to make their way to the Switch. Axiom Verge and Stardew Valley were ported in October; Stardew Valley is a prime example of the Switch's portability suiting a game especially well and is arguably the best version of the game. New release Golf Story is a great game and Switch exclusive. Indie games make up a large portion of the Switch library currently, and in addition to PC, it seems like Switch could become a primary destination for indie releases.
Huge Improvements, But Past Issues Remain
On the hardware side, the Switch is less powerful than its contemporaries, but that's offset by its portability--and therefore the portability of console-grade games. Unlike the Wii U GamePad, which was almost always underutilized and barely portable, the Switch's portability doesn't feel like a novelty or a gimmick but a luxury console games have been missing for some time. And although the Switch isn't as technically capable as the PS4 or Xbox One, it's a feat that games as vast as Breath of the Wild and Skyrim look and play as smoothly as they do both docked and in handheld mode.
Nintendo's now-standard motion controls have seen an improvement on the Switch, both in quality and implementation. Their use is no longer dependent on the placement of a sensor bar, and the performance of motion controls is largely consistent across the Switch's different control schemes (handheld with Joy-Cons attached, detached Joy-Cons, the Joy-Con grip, and the Pro Controller). On top of that, motion controls are optional in most games--gyroscope aiming in Splatoon 2 is one of the best uses and considered by many players to be the better way to play, but it's all down to personal preference.
A few frustrating Nintendo-isms still linger on Switch, however. The lack of built-in voice chat and poor friends list management--topped off by the persistence of friend codes--is incredibly limiting. Splatoon 2 would have been a good litmus test for the future of Nintendo's online offerings, but basic communication features are still impossible within the Switch itself. Additionally, there's currently no replacement for the Virtual Console as it appeared on the Wii and Wii U, and Nintendo's paid online service has been delayed until next year.
A Switch update in October added quite a few new features and fixes, most notably gameplay recording and save data transfer. While there's still no cloud saving--a quality-of-life feature that's standard by this point--the update did indicate that there's room to grow. Voice chat still doesn't seem likely, but there's hope that some of the more outdated parts of the Switch can be improved over time.
Nintendo also didn't ignore the aging 3DS, releasing the new 2DS XL in July. While there weren't too many new 3DS games in 2017, there were a few that stood out: Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia and Metroid: Samus Returns, as well as the remake of Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga. Samus Returns in particular launched rather quietly, but proved to be a faithful successor to 2D Metroid games.
Other Matters, In Brief
Nintendo doubled down on mobile with adaptations of a few of its franchises, including Fire Emblem Heroes and Animal Crossing Pocket Camp, but to mixed reception.
Still no word on Virtual Console for the Switch, though the October update sneakily and mysteriously added GameCube controller support with no obvious use yet.
Miiverse was shut down across all platforms and regions in November, but its meme-y legacy lives on in the Splatoon 2 message system.
Production of the standard-size New 3DS ended in Japan and Europe. (It never came to the US outside of special-edition bundles.)
The SNES Classic included the previously unreleased Star Fox 2, which was originally supposed to release in 1996 before it was canceled.
Verdict
After a disappointing few years for Nintendo, 2017 has been a comeback year. The Nintendo Switch launched strong with Breath of the Wild, dominating sales charts and drastically increasing revenue for the company. The Switch still suffers from some of Nintendo's more outdated quirks, most notably the lack of built-in voice chat, but updates leave room for hope of improvement.
Most importantly, Nintendo seems to be learning from its past mistakes. Critically important third-party support has been ramping up, joining great first-party games to make a strong first-year library. The company appears to be listening to fans, bringing back 2D Metroid and launching two essential entries in two of its most beloved franchises. And in doing it all while not totally abandoning the hugely popular 3DS creates the well-rounded Nintendo powerhouse we've been sorely missing. 2017 hasn't been a perfect year for Nintendo, but it's certainly the one it needed.
The Good
The Bad
Strong, steady lineup of games starting from launch
Switch has the initial third-party support it needs to thrive
Portability combined with excellent first-party favorites makes the Switch a must-have console
Despite its age, the 3DS hasn't been completely forgotten in the Switch's shadow
Switch still has quality-of-life issues, like the lack of voice chat and cloud saving
PC is the age-old platform when it comes to gaming, but it's always evolving. While 2016 brought us a new generation of Nvidia graphics cards that redefined performance-to-price value, 2017 was the year AMD got back into the fold in a big way with high-end video cards and multi-core processors. The PC wasn't showered with exclusive games, but many of the year's standouts live on the platform. With both new hardware launches and platform-specific games, we had a strong year for PC. Here's our look back at what made PC gaming special in 2017.
Quality Over Quantity For PC Games
When we think back to some of the greatest PC RPGs of all time, the likes of Baldur's Gate, Neverwinter Nights, and the Ultima series come to mind. But in 2017, PC gamers were treated to something truly special in Divinity: Original Sin 2. The CRPG from Larian Studios had a somewhat unconventional path, in that the team used Kickstarter in 2015 to help fund the game's development. It then went into Steam early access in 2016 and fully launched in September this year. Divinity: Original Sin 2 is a modern realization of the classic D&D RPGs that came before it, but when you factor the depth of character creation, dialogue options, story branches, and combat scenarios, its seemingly infinite permutations transcend the best of the genre. It even left its mark in GameSpot history by earning a 10/10 review score. Having sold a million copies in two months, we're not the only ones to think highly of Original Sin 2.
Looking at another PC-centric genre, Playerunknown's Battlegrounds (or PUBG) thrusted the battle-royal-style game into the mainstream. Like it or not, you can't talk about games in 2017 without mentioning PUBG. Even though it lives in early access, the game sold over 20 million copies in less than a year, and occasionally tops the free-to-play MOBA phenomenon of Dota 2 in concurrent players on Steam. Brendan "Playerunknown" Greene had been involved in developing battle royale game modes in the past, but nothing took off quite like PUBG. It tops Twitch views over League of Legends, and countless stories of winning chicken dinners are told everyday. There's something special about dropping 100 players on a desolate island with the sole objective of scavenging for weapons to murder each other. The game is set for an official release before the year ends, but the hours we've already poured into it are a testament to how well it executed this genre, technical shortcomings aside.
While those two games are arguably the biggest stories for PC this year, you shouldn't overlook incredible releases that didn't dominate the headlines. Total War: Warhammer II built off its predecessor by introducing new races and tactics along with a tight single-player campaign. XCOM 2: War of the Chosen may have just been an expansion, but it's a prime example of how post-release content can drastically change a base game for the better. Additional factions and the new bond system brought another layer to the fold in the already-deep XCOM 2. Lastly, if you browse the Steam marketplace for long enough, you'd realize how many visual novels (some much more obscure than others) are out there. But one stood out in terms of flipping genre tropes on their head: Doki Doki Literature Club. It may seem like a cop-out to say 'you need to see it for yourself,' but it's the best way to approach it.
Port Authority Concludes: Satisfactory
In this era of PC gaming, the quality of a port always comes into question. Thankfully, we didn't have the same caliber of issues as past years, and 2017 is indicative of how much things have improved. Regardless of your feelings on Destiny 2, there's no denying that it feels true to the PC platform in both technical performance and controls. Bungie brought on Vicarious Visions to port the once-console-exclusive franchise. The PC version came out seven weeks after the game hit consoles, but consistent framerates and proper performance scaling with graphics options made for a relatively smooth launch. Keyboard and mouse controls were on point, which drove home the notion that PC is the best platform to enjoy the game. You probably also did a double take when you saw it living on Activision-Blizzard's Battle.net ecosystem.
The long-standing fighting franchise, Tekken, also made its PC debut. By using Unreal Engine 4, Bandai-Namco was able to bring Tekken 7 to PC with relative ease. This entry is instantly recognizable for series fans, but newcomers would find a deep 3D fighter with the dramatic-yet-ridiculous narrative intact.
The quality of games ported from console is becoming more consistent, and it should be the expectation at this point.
Although there isn't a VR component yet, Resident Evil 7: Biohazard found a home on the PC. No PC game will have a perfect launch, but the highly-regarded survival-horror thriller, by-and-large, runs well. The Dark Souls-like game Nioh made it's way to PC about 10 months after the PlayStation 4 release, and it's better late than never. It's not a perfect port since it offers limited options, but it's another great game that came to the platform this year.
It wasn't all rainbows and sunshine for PC ports, however. Nier: Automata is one of 2017's standout games for its narrative accomplishments and fusion of many gameplay styles, but the PC version has technical issues that haven't been patched, even nine months after release. Resolution problems, sound bugs, unintuitive control schemes, and inconsistent framerate lead to the rare case of preferring to play it on a different platform. Many fans of immersive sims like System Shock 2 and the Deus Ex found Prey to be one of the genre's best. However, some had lost progress through Talos I with save-corrupting bugs.
You Get More CPU Cores! You Get More CPU Cores!
There will always be new PC hardware hitting the market, but it typically takes several years for something revolutionary to come. While you could say that 2016 was the year of powerful video cards, there's no denying that 2017 was the year of great processors. Intel had been largely unchallenged in the CPU space with its Core i5 and Core i7 lineups dominating mid-range and high-end gaming PCs, but AMD disrupted the market and changed expectations of what CPUs should offer. With the Ryzen family of CPUs, AMD brought quality multithreaded eight-core and six-core configurations at a much cheaper price than anything before it. For example, the eight-core AMD Ryzen 7 1700X can be found floating around $350 at the moment, which is similar to the price of Intel's quad-core i7-7700K CPU. While Ryzen isn't as effective in pure in-game performance, its price and core count is an extremely attractive option for those who multitask with demanding applications, such as gaming and streaming from the same system.
This new standard for CPUs means PCs are capable of doing much more, much faster, all at the same time, without breaking the bank.
Intel followed up by releasing its 8th generation in the Core series of CPUs. Since 2008, Intel's flagship consumer-level processors featured a quad-core configuration, but the company packed two additional cores with release of the multithreaded i7-8700K and i7-8700. Even the mid-tier i5-8600K and i5-8400 CPUs sport six cores, and the low-end i3-8350 and i3-8100 are now quad-core processors--i5 and i3 don't feature multithreading, though. It may not sound like much, but this new standard for CPUs means PCs are capable of doing much more, much faster, all at the same time, without breaking the bank.
If you don't pay close attention to the world of PC hardware, the takeaway is that we're getting more performance for our money and trends set in motion in 2017 will definitely be felt for years to come.
Half-step Forward For Video Cards
CPUs took center stage in terms of new PC gaming hardware in 2017, but there were still meaningful strides made with video cards. AMD made a splash again by releasing the much-anticipated RX Vega cards, putting the tired "wait for Vega" meme to rest. Both the RX Vega 64 and RX Vega 56 allowed AMD to compete at the high-end against Nvidia's GTX 1080 and GTX 1070, respectively. The comparable cards trade blows in gaming benchmarks; Vega wasn't the jump many were hyping it up to be, but it's important to remember that in PC hardware, competition pushes innovation.
Even Nvidia significantly outdid themselves at the high-end with the GTX 1080 Ti that came out in March. It outperforms the GTX 1080 by roughly 30-35%, which is the largest improvement between a Ti and non-Ti version of Nvidia graphics cards. The strong showing of AMD's RX Vega 56 also prompted Nvidia to put out the GTX 1070 Ti. At the sub-$500 price point for graphics cards, PC gamers have plenty of great options.
Renewed competition from AMD in PC hardware not only leads to better options for building computers, but we're getting more performance per dollar spent.
If you talk about video cards in 2017 though, there's no overlooking the cryptocurrency mining craze that drove prices through the roof. Etherium mining was most efficiently done with mid-range GPUs, which led to price spikes in the GTX 1070, GTX 1060, RX 580, and RX 570. Around June and July, these four cards were being sold for over double their suggested retail price due to scarcity and reseller markup. The effects are still felt today, but to much lesser degree; these cards still sell slightly higher than retail price.
Other Matters In Brief
Blizzard's 2010 real-time strategy game Starcraft 2: Wings of Liberty went free-to-play, but the expansions Heart of the Swarm (unless you purchased the base game) and Legacy of the Void still have to be bought. Starcraft Remastered launched and ushered the iconic RTS into the 21st century with native widescreen, 4K, and high-definition art assets.
Dota 2's annual tournament, The International, grew even larger with the biggest prize pool ($24.7 million) in its seven-year history. Team Liquid took first place.
Overwatch League was established in 2017. It's a professional international esports league consisting of 12 teams. It's set to kick off the first season in January next year.
Throughout 2017, prices for DDR4 RAM remained higher than years past.
The Oculus Rift and Touch controller bundle dropped to $400 and the HTC Vive dipped to $600. Virtual reality is getting cheaper, but you'll have to read our VR 2017 Report Card for all the details!
Verdict
There's a lot to be happy about in 2017 when it comes to PC gaming. Some truly exceptional games hit the platform, like Divinity: Original Sin 2 and Playerunknown's Battlegrounds, that led to hours devising tactics with friends and basking in the glory of coming out victorious in hard-fought battles. If you played a multiplatform game, chances are it ran fairly well on PC, with a few exceptions. Overall, the quality of games ported from console is becoming more consistent, and it should be the expectation at this point. Despite video card price spikes, renewed competition from AMD in PC hardware not only leads to better options for building computers, but we're getting more performance per dollar spent. When we look back, it has been a strong year for gaming's oldest platform.
The Good
The Bad
PUBG and Divinity: Original Sin 2 are exceptional games for the platform
Great ports, for the most part
AMD is competitive again in both CPUs and GPUs
More bang-for-the-buck and competition in the CPU space
VR is cheaper
Cryptocurrency mining over-inflated GPU prices for much of the year
RAM prices remain high
Technical bugs weighed down a few otherwise great games
The next expansion for Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft releases this week and, true to form, Blizzard is giving players an advance look at all the new cards coming in Kobolds & Catacombs. It has now released images of all 135 new cards. You'll find every one of the new additions in the gallery below.
When it launches on December 7 (December 8 in Europe), Kobolds & Catacombs will bring new card types such as Spellstones, Unidentified items, and Legendary weapons, all of which have the potential to really shake things up. The expansion will also bring a new single-player mode called Dungeon Run, which Blizzard says has 48 different encounters. This doesn't require you to own any cards and is designed for replayability.
As an added bonus, Hearthstone players will get a random Legendary weapon card and three Kobolds & Catacombs card packs for free just for logging in. These will be available to everyone on all platforms for a limited time.
Kobolds & Catacombs is Hearthstone's fifth expansion, following Goblins vs. Gnomes, The Grand Tournament, Whispers of the Old Gods, Mean Streets of Gadgetzan, Journey to Un'Goro, and Knights of the Frozen Throne. The game is free, but you can pay real money to acquire new card packs more quickly. For $50, you can get 50 Kobolds & Catacombs card packs, along with a "For the Horde" card. This card is unlocked right away, should you decide to pre-order, but the Kobolds & Catacombs cards of course will not be available until the expansion arrives. Check out all the new cards below.
Bandai Namco has released a new character trailer for Dragon Ball FighterZ. As was the case with previous character trailers, this one is fairly brief, but it provides our first look at one of the game's three most recently announced fighters: adult Gohan.
While teen Gohan was one of the first characters confirmed for Dragon Ball FighterZ, his adult counterpart differs in some notable ways. According to Japanese magazine V-Jump, which unveiled adult Gohan last month, he can unlock his potential during a battle depending on the amount of ki in his ki gauge, and his special attack is the Ultimate Kamehameha. You can see him demonstrate these abilities in the video above.
Adult Gohan was announced in V-Jump alongside two other major characters from the Majin Buu saga, Kid Buu and Gotenks. Bandai Namco recently shared character trailers for both of those fighters, each of which showcases their unique arsenal of techniques; Kid Buu's trailer shows the monster stretching his limbs to attack opponents from afar and turning foes into candy, while Gotenks' trailer shows off the fused warrior's "Charging Ultra Buu Buu Volleyball" and Super Ghost Kamikaze attacks.
This year's Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales may be over, but those aren't the end of the game deals you'll find this holiday season. If you're still in the market for some new titles, Best Buy has kicked off a new buy one, get one 50% off promotion that gives you the chance to score a nice discount on some of this year's biggest releases for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.
If you purchase any of the aforementioned games at their standard price of $60, you can get a second title from the list for 50% off, dropping its price down to $30, which is comparable to many of the sale prices that were available on Black Friday. To take advantage of the offer, simply go on Best Buy's website and add the two titles you'd like to pick up to your cart. The discount will be reflected when you check out.
This promotion doesn't stack with other Best Buy offers, but Gamers Club Unlocked members will still receive an additional discount for the titles. The GCU program gives members 20% off of all new game purchases at Best Buy, so you can purchase one of the aforementioned games for $48 and the second title will drop down to $24. A two-year GCU membership runs for $30.
The buy one, get one 50% off promotion will only be available through Saturday, December 9, so if you've had your eye on any of these titles but have yet to pick them up, this would be a good opportunity. There will likely be more game deals in the weeks leading up to Christmas, so be sure to check GameSpot as more sales and promotions are announced.
Some links to supporting retailers are automatically made into affiliate links, and GameSpot may receive a small share of those sales.
Much has been said about EA's planned use of microtransactions in Star Wars Battlefront II, but its approach to post-release downloadable content is far more attractive. All DLC will be released for free, and that starts this month with the first "season" of updates, which will in this case be themed around the upcoming Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi.
This started modestly this week, as you can now choose to ally yourself with the First Order or New Republic. Doing so presents you with special, weekly faction quests over the next few weeks with rewards that correspond to your side.
"Completing these will not only reward you with Credits and Crafting Parts, but help edge your faction closer to victory, giving all members of that side a additional rewards," developer DICE explained. "The other faction will get a crate of their own with lesser prizes, but it will hopefully come with a drive to fight back even harder."
For this first challenge, players have to rack up 50 kills with each trooper class. This doesn't need to be completed before the next challenges arrive; you have until the end of the season to finish and can complete them in any order.
The bulk of this month's additions come on December 13. Battlefront II will add two new heroes (Captain Phasma and Finn), a Galactic Assault map (Crait), a Starfighter Assault map (D'Qar), and a new vehicle (Tallie's A-Wing), along with new weekly and daily challenges. All of that comes on the multiplayer side, but there's also something new for single-player, as we'll get an additional mission called Resurrection. This sees you again step into the shoes of Iden Versio, this time "during the days of the First Order's rise to power."
Throughout the month, other new challenges and special events will also arrive, including a holiday playlist on December 27. Everything will be available on all platforms--PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC--and is scheduled to coincide with the release of The Last Jedi on December 15.
Destiny 2's latest scheduled maintenance period proved to be briefer than expected, and the game is back online. Along with it, Bungie has released both update 1.1.0 and the Curse of Osiris DLC, marking the launch of the first DLC expansion for Destiny 2 on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
Update 1.1.0 is a substantial patch. It finally introduces PS4 Pro and Xbox One X enhancements to the shooter; both receive HDR support, while the Pro version gets a dynamic 4K resolution and Xbox One X gets native 4K. There's no indication if HDR support will be added for Xbox One S or PS4 owners.
Elsewhere in the patch, there are numerous changes to balance, bug fixes, and other adjustments. Super abilities now deal more damage to bosses, players begin recovering health sooner even with a low Recovery stat, numerous grenade types deal more damage (while Pulse grenades have been nerfed), and different weapon types have been tweaked. For instance, precision auto rifles see a damage increase but precision modifier reduction.
To compensate for Curse of Osiris's higher level cap, the recommended Power levels for certain activities are now different. The Nightfall calls for a 270 Power level, or 300 for the Prestige version. The Leviathan Raid recommends 300, or 330 for the Prestige version. For Guided Games, the Nightfall still suggests 270, but the Leviathan's Power level suggestion is 310.
Rewards have changed in some cases, with Crucible matches in the Quickplay and Competitive playlists now handing out Rare and Legendary items more frequently. You'll also gain more XP for finishing a match. Other 1.1.0 changes affect specific class abilities and gear, while some are just downright funny. One issue that's been addressed is described as such: "Cabal Gladiators would sometimes have horrific arm elasticity when being defeated during Cabal Drill Public Events."
This is all in addition to what Curse of Osiris brings to the game. Players who purchase the DLC can now visit Mercury and take part in new missions, earn new gear, and more. Additionally, Bungie plans to release another Destiny 2 update next week that revamps and introduces more new systems, such as adding Masterworks weapons. For now, you can check out everything that's changed in the 1.1.0 update here. Also take note that 1.1.0's release marks the beginning of Season 2, which means Bright Engrams' contents have changed, clan levels have reset, and more.
Ubisoft has released the next big expansion for Rainbow Six Siege. With the game recently celebrating its two-year anniversary, we've now gotten Operation White Noise, which adds the usual array of new Operators (plus one extra), a new map, and other content to the shooter on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
White Noise's biggest additions are those Operators. With this being a South Korea-themed update, two of them hail from the 707th Special Mission Battalion. Dokkaebi is an Attacker whose unique gear is the Logic Bomb, which allows her to hack enemy devices and reveal their position with a loud noise. Vigil is a Defender who has access to the Electronic Rendering Cloak, or ERC-7, which prevents him from being seen on cameras. In addition to those two, we get a third Operator, this one from the canceled Poland expansion. Zofia Bosak uses the KS79 Lifeline, a grenade launcher capable of firing both explosive and concussive rounds.
As is typical of Siege expansions, these characters are now available to Year 2 season pass owners for free; everyone else will be able to purchase them using in-game currency beginning on December 12. All players do get something for free right away, as the new Mok Myeok Tower map is available to everyone. This is set near the top of a skyscraper observation tower, which is home to a variety of different environments and places an emphasis on verticality.
Besides the new content, Ubisoft hopes to make some improvements to the game with this update. This includes testing "new synchronization logic for some projectiles," most notably including grenades. The goal is to prevent issues where the position of grenades suddenly change--such as one appearing right back in your face after you throw it. Additionally, your movement will now be factored in, so that throwing a grenade while you're on the run will cause it to go further.
The rate of fire on handguns has also been increased and new UI elements should make it easier to track buffs and debuffs. And, of course, a variety of bug fixes have been made impacting specific maps, weapons, and Operators. You can check out the full list here. All of this coincides with Ubisoft announcing that Siege has eclipsed the 25 million players mark.
Deadpool is not your average superhero, and the marketing campaigns for his movies are equally unconventional. So far for the upcoming Deadpool 2, we've had heartwarming magazine covers, bizarre painting classes, and now a promo slot encouraging fans to get a Brazilian tattoo.
Yes, you heard that right. In this latest clip, the Merc with a Mouth speaks his best, er, Portuguese to ask fans to choose a tattoo design for next year's Brazilian Comic-Con. Check it out below:
Deadpool 2 stars Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool, Josh Brolin as Cable and Zazie Beetz as Domino, with Morena Baccarin, TJ Miller, and Brianna Hildebrand reprising their roles from the first movie. David Leitch (John Wick, Atomic Blonde) is directing, replacing Tim Miller, who reportedly clashed with Reynolds over the direction of the movie. It hits theaters on June 1, 2018.
There's also an adult animated Deadpool show on the way. The currently untitled series will be overseen by Atlanta star and creator Donald Glover with his brother Stephen, who will both act as showrunners, producers, and writers. It is being developed for FXX, the sister channel to FX, and the 10-part first season will premiere next year.
Capcom has discovered a "serious bug" in Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite that could result in some players having their saved data erased. In a blog post today, Capcom said people playing on Xbox One with the disc version could experience the issue.
The issue is serious, of course, but it is not very widespread, as Capcom said it only impacts a small subset of the total playerbase. Still, it's unfortunate for those affected. There is a very specific set of circumstances leading to this bug, and thankfully there is a way to avoid it.
"The only situation where you will encounter this bug is if you have updated the game and have save data from the latest update, but later uninstall the game then reinstall from disc and attempt to use the save data without having applied the update," Capcom said. "The updated save data and older game will be recognized as not compatible and the game may prompt you to create new save data as it may read the existing data as corrupt."
To avoid this bug, do not create new save data at this point, or else it will overwrite your previous save. It's advised instead that you close the game and update it. "This will then ensure your save data stays intact and will work properly. Again, you will only lose your save data if you choose to accept the option to create a new save in this scenario, which would overwrite your prior data," Capcom said.
"If you have save data from the latest update and at some point later do need to re-install the game from your disc, please make sure you connect to Xbox Live and apply the latest update after reinstalling from the disc but before you play the game.
Unfortunately due to the nature of the bug, there is no current fix available but if proper steps are followed, it can be avoided. This is only known to affect Xbox One physical disc versions under the specific condition above."
PUBG currently allows players to spend extra money on loot boxes that contain cosmetic items. More loot box options are coming to PUBG in time, but they will never contain items that affect gameplay, according to Bluehole CEO Changhan Kim and lead designer Junhyuk Choi. During a Q&A at the G-Star event recently, the pair confirmed, "We will never add anything [through loot boxes] that affects the gameplay."
According to a translation posted by Bluehole (via PC Gamer), they also acknowledged that PUBG is seeing "relatively strong demand" for cosmetic items. You can expect Bluehole to add more over time, but not until after the 1.0 release later this month. It remains to be seen what these cosmetic items will be; some of the existing ones include outfits and other player-customization options.
Also during the event, Kim and Choi talked about the efforts underway to combat cheating in PUBG. They started off by apologizing for "the inconvenience caused by the cheaters," going on to admit that Bluehole "has not been well prepared to deal with this issue," in part because of the game's Early Access state.
"The number of different cheats we have encountered has far surpassed our expectations," they said. "We are aggressively addressing this issue as it is our top priority. There is a new team dedicated to this task, which has already demonstrated great results through tighter and improved policies as well as around-the-clock monitoring."
The developers added that it is an "endless fight" to combat cheating in PUBG, so you can expect the studio to continue addressing the issue over time.
Additionally, Kim and Choi addressed the community's requests for a tutorial mode or shooting range in PUBG to help with the onboarding experience. They were initially against the idea because they thought, "There is no practice in life!" But they have since changed their minds and confirmed that Bluehole will start thinking of a plan for a tutorial mode, but not until after the 1.0 release later this month.
A new Five Nights at Freddy's game launched out of nowhere today--and on its face it looks basically nothing like the previous games in the horror series. Freddy Fazbear's Pizzeria Simulator is a free Steam game that has a "lighter touch for the holidays," according to creator Scott Cawthon. You play as a pizzeria boss, and your tasks include designing pizzas (pepperoni, sausage, onion, mushroom, olives, and peppers are options), and then throwing them at hungry customers to score points.
The Five Nights at Freddy's series debuted in August 2014 on PC and has since been ported to iOS. Sequels Five Nights at Freddy's 2, 3, and 4 followed, along with the latest entry before Pizzeria Simulator, Sister Location.
Five Nights at Freddy's is legitimately terrifying. In the game, players must survive in a scary version of Chuck E. Cheese's that's full of animatronic monsters.
As part of its ongoing support for The Division, Ubisoft today launched the game's biggest free update ever, while the company also announced sales and promotions around the multiplayer shooter. Starting with the update, 1.8 AKA "Resistance" is out now on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. It adds a new area to the map, West Side Pier, which includes new activities such as the Resistance and Skirmish modes.
Resistance is a PvE mode in which the enemy factions team up (they have never done that before) to collectively fight against players in what sounds like a Horde-style, wave-based mode. In teams of four, your objective is simply to stay alive as long as possible. When killed, enemies provide resources that you can use to firm up your defenses and more.
As for Skirmish, this is a straightforward-sounding PvP mode where two teams of four players fight for the most kills until time expires. The Resistance update also introduces a new social hub called Camp Clinton, which will function similar to the main safe house, the Terminal. There is also new gear to buy and exotic weapons to acquire, as well as lots and lots of balance changes; you can see the full patch notes here.
Additionally, The Division's three expansions--Underground, Survival, and Last Stand--are playable free now through December 10. If you haven't played The Division at all, the full game is available to play for free this weekend, running December 7-10. The current free trial for The Division, which lets you play for six hours, is going on hiatus until the free weekend ends. All progress carries forward from the free weekend if you decide to buy. Finally, The Division's standard and Gold editions are discounted right now through Ubisoft's online store.
The Division launched in March 2016, starting strong but then seeing its player base fall off as updates and new content slowed. Things picked back up again, and the number of daily active users rose by 150 percent. The game has more than 9.5 million users, though that figure is only accurate as of May 2016. The figure is no doubt higher now and it will grow further still after this upcoming free weekend.
Given the rapid rise in digital gaming, how much longer will video game consoles have disc drives? And how much longer will consoles even exist when streaming is sure to take over? Quite a while longer, according to Electronic Arts CFO Blake Jorgensen. Speaking during a Nasdaq event on December 5, the executive said you can expect consoles--and consoles with disc drives--to stay around for years to come.
"Consoles and disc drives probably stay around for a long period of time," Jorgensen said. "I think it's the consumer deciding what's the easiest way for them to buy a game. And it may mean they no longer have a store down the street from them so they decide to buy it [digitally] maybe it's easier for them to do."
Not having to leave your home is just one of the benefits of digital gaming; Jorgensen also mentioned that things like the ability to pre-load make digital gaming appealing. Right now the download rate for EA console games is in the 30 percent range, Jorgensen said, while this is at 80-90 percent on PC. These figures are expected to grow further still, and this is good news for EA, as the margin profile for digital games is better than packaged ones that have to be sold in a store. Although with digital games, EA still has to give Microsoft and Sony a cut for selling on their storefronts.
Jorgensen added that EA's partnerships with physical retailers like GameStop are important. But at the end of the day, the consumers will decide where they want to buy games, and that could spell trouble for brick-and-mortar retailers
In 2014, Xbox boss Phil Spencer revealed that Microsoft had a "real discussion" about whether or not the Xbox One should have an optical disc drive. Spencer said Microsoft didn't do this in part because of concerns around bandwidth and game size. Indeed, internet speeds vary from place to place, and it's not uncommon for AAA video games to exceed 50 GB in size--and that's before all the follow-on updates and new content.
In November, Electronic Arts announced that it was buying Titanfall developer Respawn. At the time, the publisher said it expected the deal to close by the end of calendar 2017 or "soon thereafter," pending regulatory approves and other "closing conditions." It seems like that process went smoothly, as the deal has now been closed, ahead of schedule. A filing with the Securities & Exchange commission dated December 4 confirms that the deal was completed on December 1.
The terms are the same as were disclosed in November when EA announced its intention to purchase Respawn. This includes $151 million in cash and up to $164 million in equity through stock units for employees, vesting over four years. EA will pay up to another $140 million if Respawn can hit "certain performance milestones" for its upcoming games, through 2022.
Respawn, which was founded in 2010 by Call of Duty developers Vince Zampella and Jason West, has worked primarily with EA since its inception, though it remained independent until now.
In a letter on Respawn's website, CEO Vince Zampella discussed the decision to sell the company, noting that he will remain in charge and that no layoffs will take place. "While it wasn't necessary, going with EA made a lot of sense," he said. "With Titanfall and Star Wars, EA has been a great development partner that supports us and doesn't interfere with our process for making games or studio culture.
"EA will provide us with more resources, access to new technologies, and expertise that we can tap into to that will help us make better games, and Respawn will retain the same creative freedom and culture we've always had. We've been talking closely with the leadership at EA and we share their values and vision for the future of being a developer-focused company that puts the players first."
The studio is currently at work on a new Titanfall game (a fact that was confirmed today), a third-person Star Wars title, and a VR game. Specifics on all of these have not yet been announced. We don't know what to expect from the Titanfall game, though Respawn has expressed interest in continuing the series. As for Star Wars, we know it's being directed by God of War III director Stig Asmussen.
Electronic Arts CFO Blake Jorgensen has again responded to the controversy surrounding Star Wars: Battlefront II's loot boxes and microtransaction systems. Speaking today at the 37th Nasdaq Investor Conference, Jorgensen described the situation as a "learning experience."
"It's been a great learning experience for us; we consider ourselves a learning organisation," he explained. "If we're not learning, that means we're failing in some way and we're constantly trying to watch what people do and how they play and listen to them to decide what's the best way to build great games."
At the end of November, Jorgensen something similar, explaining, "If we're not making some mistakes along the way and learning from them, that's when you should worry about us." He added at the time that EA removed microtransactions from Battlefront II because players felt it was bordering on a "pay-to-win" scenario.
"The reality is there are different types of players in games. Some people have more time than money, and some people have more money than time," he said. "You want to always balance those two."
Battlefront II's loot boxes come with items that can affect gameplay, and that's part of the reason why the system was so heavily criticised. Those loot boxes, which contain random items, are still available, but you can only get them by spending in-game credits, not by spending money. Some wondered why EA didn't take a page out of Overwatch's playbook and only offer cosmetic items in loot boxes that do not affect gameplay. Jorgensen said EA did not do this in part because it could violate the Star Wars canon.
"It's an amazing brand that's been built over many, many years," Jorgensen said last month. "So if you did a bunch of cosmetic things, you might start to violate the canon. Darth Vader in white probably doesn't make sense, versus in black. Not to mention you probably don't want Darth Vader in pink. No offense to pink, but I don't think that's right in the canon."
Welcome back to GameSpot News Roundup with Jess McDonell and Dan Crowd! If you like details about upcoming video game release dates and content drops, this show is for you!
God of War Release Date Leaked, Possibly
It's a digital storefront screwup that gives us a potentially big piece of news for Sony's upcoming exclusive, God of War. A few keen eyes on the internet spotted a change in the game's release date on it's PlayStation Store entry before it was quickly changed back. That date is in the near future, so tune in to find out when it could be!
PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds Gets More Desert Map Details
We already know that we'll be getting a good look at PUBG's new map when The Game Awards happen later this week, but developer Bluehole has been giving us little teases in the lead-up. We take a look at the new vehicle and talk about a bunch of proposed changes to the game.
Star Wars Battlefront 2's Free Content Revealed
EA and Dice have previously announced that Star Wars Battlefront 2's new characters and maps would be free for everyone, and now they've revealed what that the first round of new content will entail. Surprise! It's themed around the upcoming Last Jedi film. Find out who and what you'll get to play with later this month.
Thanks for tuning into GameSpot News! Let us know your thoughts on today's news, and we'll see you tomorrow!
Among the additions in Destiny 2's just-released Curse of Osiris expansion is a new Public Event on Mercury. Like those in the base game, players looking for an extra challenge (or simply better rewards) can activate a more difficult, Heroic version of this activity. However, doing so isn't simply a matter of pressing a button--and it's a more involved process than of any Public Event that we've seen before. Here's what you need to do.
After completing Curse of Osiris's first mission, head to Mercury and walk straight out of the Lighthouse. The Public Event starts near the two Vex who are standing at attention; stand near them and wait for the event flag to appear, then go toward the inner ring of the Fields of Glass. Enemies will begin spawning on the left and right sides from portals; kill them until an enemy with a yellow health bar named Keeper of Ages appears. It will drop orbs, which you'll then need to take to two warp gates near where it spawned. Then repeat this process on the other side.
Next, you'll want to wait for the catapult to turn around. Jump on top of it so you can reach one of the two islands on either side of the area. Kill the enemy named Keeper of Ages Present (or Past), pick up the orb it drops, and dunk it at the center of the island. You'll then see a Vex object floating near the back of the platform. Shooting this will provide platforms for you to jump on. You'll likely need more than one person to follow these platforms to the top of the island where they can activate a plate on the roof.
With the Heroic version of the event triggered, the Vex Gate Lord will spawn, this time with a shield. Kill the enemies around it and take the orbs they drop back to the gates from the first part of the event. Catapult up to the roof of the center area, and from here, you can dunk orbs to drop the Gate Lord's shield, allowing you to damage it. Repeat the process until it's dead to complete the event.
This Public Event is just one of the new pieces of content you'll find in Curse of Osiris. There's also new story content and Strikes on Mercury, as well as Crucible content and a variety of new weapons, gear, and cosmetics to acquire. Its release coincides with that of update 1.1.0, with another major Destiny 2 update due out next week.
Monster Hunter World is one of the first major releases of 2018, arriving for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One at the end of January (with a PC release following later). However, PS4 players won't have to wait until then for a chance to try the game. As Capcom announced during Sony's Paris Game Week conference, a Monster Hunter World PS4 beta will take place this weekend, and now the publisher has shared exactly when it will begin and what it entails.
The beta kicks off this Saturday, December 9, at 9 AM PT / 12 PM ET / 5 PM GMT and runs until the same time on Tuesday, December 12. As is typically the case, you'll need a PS Plus subscription in order to participate in the beta, as well as 5.9 GB of space available on your console to download it.
The beta features three quests across two environments: the Ancient Forest and Wildspire Waste. In the Ancient Forest, players will be able to hunt the Great Jagras and the Anjanath, while Wildspire Waste is home to the rock-headed Barroth. You can watch us footage of us successfully hunting the latter from Tokyo Game Show.
Each quest can be completed either solo or with up to three other players. You'll also be able to choose from all 14 different weapon types, which you can test out in the Training Room. Additionally, Capcom says players who complete each mission in the beta will earn "some useful bonus items" in the full title when it releases next month.
You can read more about the Monster Hunter World PS4 beta on Capcom's blog. The game launches for PS4 and Xbox One on January 26; Capcom still hasn't announced a release date for the PC version. The PS4 version will receive at least one exclusive DLC weapon set based on Horizon Zero Dawn.
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