A handful of new deals are now available in the US PlayStation Store. This week's selection of discounts is very slim, but PS4, PS3, and Vita owners can still take advantage of some deals that are available as part of PSN's ongoing holiday sale, which concludes next week.
You can find the full list of games on sale right now on the PlayStation Store site; some of the above deals were highlighted by Twitter user Wario64. Most of these discounts will only be available until January 16, giving you only a few more days to take advantage of any that may interest you.
Those eager to get their hands on Monster Hunter World will be able to sample it once again as part of a final beta test for the upcoming game. Unlike the second beta that ran in December, this one will introduce some new content, but it'll unfortunately once again be limited to PlayStation 4.
Capcom announced the third and final beta test today, which will run just days before the game's full release. The PS4 beta begins at 6 PM PT / 9 PM ET on January 18, or 2 AM GMT on January 19. It concludes on January 21 (or 22) at the same time.
Monster Hunter World's first beta was conducted in early December, exclusively for PlayStation Plus subscribers on PS4. A second beta followed later in the month for all PS4 owners consisting of the same two areas and three monsters to hunt: the Great Jagras, Anjanath, and Barroth. All of that will be present in this final beta, but you'll also get to square off against World's flagship monster, the Nergigante.
Nergigante is an Elder Dragon and the monster featured on World's box art. The full game also sees the return of several other Elder Dragons, as well as the introduction of some new ones, which are showcased in World's new trailer.
While Total War fans may have worried that developer Creative Assembly had gotten side-tracked by fantastical games like its Warhammer series, it promised last year that a new historical game was in the works. The studio has now finally revealed the next history-based strategy game in the series, and it takes players to China 2000 years ago.
Total War: Three Kingdoms is set in China in the year 190 CE. Details are still scant, and we don't know what changes or additions it makes to the established series formula. However, Creative Assembly and publisher Sega have released a cinematic announcement trailer, which serves to establish what kind of state the nation was in at the time.
The official description states, "China is in turmoil. The Han Dynasty crumbles before the child-emperor. He is but a figurehead; a mere puppet for the tyrant warlord Dong Zhuo. It is a brutal and oppressive regime, and as Dong Zhuo's power grows, the empire slips further into the cauldron of anarchy. But hope yet blossoms.
"Three heroes, sworn to brotherhood in the face of tyranny, rally support for the trials ahead. Sensing opportunity, warlords from China's great families follow suit, forming a fragile coalition in a bid to challenge Dong Zhuo's remorseless rule. Will they triumph against the tyrant, or will personal ambition shatter their already crumbling alliance and drive them to supremacy? The crucible fizzes. Allegiances shift. The fires of conflict stoke opportunity. Only one thing is certain: the very future of China will be shaped by its champions."
Three Kingdoms releases for PC sometime this fall. We'll report back as more details are shared.
Over the past couple of months, Bungie has published blog posts, held livestreams, and taken to Twitter to address some of the more contentious issues surrounding Destiny 2 on PS4, Xbox One, and PC. Responding to public feedback and frustration about Bungie's perceived lack of transparency, the studio has stated an intention to be more open. Recently, the developer revealed that it will talk about the future of the game on Thursday, likely with a heavy emphasis on player feedback.
On Twitter, game director Christopher Barrett stated that he does, in fact, read and watch as much feedback as possible across many platforms. And, presumably based on what he's read, he also announced that he'll discuss some of what's in store for Destiny 2 in 2018 later this week.
"For anyone curious--I read Bungie forums, I read Reddit, I read Twitter, I watch Twitch," he wrote. "I also play Destiny. I share your love of the game. I'll talk about where we are headed Thursday."
This is likely in reference to the "development update" that Barrett and Bungie teased last week, although what it'll detail is unknown. It's possible that we might get at least a hint about the next expansion for the game. Recently, a PlayStation Store page leaked that showed Destiny 2: Gods of Mars as the next DLC pack, but Bungie has yet to say anything official about it yet.
Among the biggest surprises in tech news last year was the announcement of a collaboration between Intel and AMD. The two companies announced in November that they had partnered to produce fast integrated graphics solutions for laptops, and at the Consumer Electronics Show, the two revealed what they've come up with.
Intel is launching a new G-series of its Core i chips, which combine Intel's H-series CPUs with a custom version of AMD's Radeon RX Vega GPU. It utilizes Intel's Embedded Multi-Die Interconnect Bridge (EMIB) to make this happen and is equipped with 4 GB of dedicated HBM2. Intel says the end result is a chip that "reduces the usual silicon footprint to less than half that of discrete components implemented separately." In effect, what that means is much smaller and more power-efficient devices--laptops in particular--which are capable of more demanding tasks, such as virtual reality.
Among the devices this will be utilized in is a new Intel NUC (Next Unit of Computing), which is pictured in the gallery above. Previously codenamed Hades Canyon, Intel says it offers the company's smallest VR-capable system ever. Two different variations of the NUC will be available. There's the more powerful NUC8i7HVK, which is based an unlocked 8th gen Intel Core processor and Radeon RX Vega M GH graphics. The alternative is the more modest NUC8i7HNK, which still uses an 8th gen processor but utilizes Radeon RX Vega M GL graphics tech.
The chip will also be used in new devices from HP and Dell, as well as an upcoming cloud gaming service being developed by Gamestream and Artesyn. We're still waiting on details regarding that, but as CNET notes, this could mean Intel and AMD compete with Nvidia and its GeForce Now service.
Updates for the early access version of PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds on Xbox One continue to roll out. The latest patch is now available and makes some technical improvements, adds some options, and fixes some bugs. We decided to put it through its paces on Xbox One X in our latest livestream.
As you can see in the video above, PUBG seems to be running smoother than ever on console, although it still suffers from framerate issues, even on the more powerful Xbox One X. You can see the new option in the settings menu to adjust aim acceleration (something that did not previously exist), and we managed to play without having the game crash. Developer PUBG Corp. said that "a number of known crashes" were addressed with this latest patch.
One other notable change is an increase to the damage players can deal against vehicles. As our own Nick Margherita describes early in the stream, vehicles were previously a safe haven for players on Xbox One. Whereas someone in a vehicle could easily be killed on PC, that was not the case previously on console, allowing vehicles to serve as an arguably cheap way of surviving the late stages of a round.
Following its debut in December, PUBG remains in the Xbox One's early access Game Preview program. There's no telling how long it will remain in this state; the PC version finally hit 1.0 in December, adding a new desert map and more. You can see what we think of that version in our PUBG review.
The Xbox One X is about two months old now, which means there hasn't been much time for deals involving the system. Those in the market for one right now have some good options to choose from, as a pair of retailers have promotions centered around Microsoft's powerful console.
First and foremost is one on Ebay being offered by highly rated seller Antonline. It drops the usual $500 price of the system down to $460 and throws in a free copy of Overwatch: Game of the Year Edition. That's the version of the game that includes everything from the earlier Origins Edition along with some free loot boxes. This Xbox One X bundle is new and unopened, with free shipping available in the US, though it can also ship to other countries. A limited quantity is available; there's no telling when this will sell out, so you should act quickly if you're interested.
Alternatively, Antonline is also offering a nice deal through Newegg. Over there, you can pick up the console for $499 and receive a free $50 gift card to Newegg, which can be spent on games, controllers, or anything else the site sells. Free shipping is also available with this offer, which runs through Saturday, January 13. Through Newegg, Antonline also sells an Xbox One X bundle with PUBG and Ghost Recon: Wildlands for $519, or PUBG and Overwatch: Game of the Year Edition for $530.
The Xbox One X is at its best when paired with an HDR-capable 4K display, but even those with 1080p TVs stand to benefit from its additional horsepower. For an idea of what to expect, check out our Xbox One X review.
The Humble Monthly Bundle for February has been revealed. It includes Civilization VI and two DLC packs--the Australia Civilization and Scenario Pack and the Vikings Scenario Pack--for only $12.
Each Humble Monthly Bundle gets you a mystery assortment of games. Paying the $12 subscription fee early grants you access to Civ 6 immediately, with six other games to follow on February 2. Civ 6 released in 2016 and normally costs $60.
The February Bundle coincides with the release of Rise and Fall on February 8. Humble also recently tweeted a deal that gets you a $20 store credit when you purchase the Monthly Bundle annual plan. You can check out all the details on the Humble Bundle website.
The newly added team skins are not simply available in a loot box, as is typically the case. Instead, they're purchased with League Tokens, which you can buy in bundles ranging in price from $5 (100 Tokens) to $100 (2,600 Tokens). Individual skins cost 100 Tokens. Players will receive 100 Tokens just for logging in between now and February 13, essentially netting them a free skin. Completing a full collection, however, will be a pricey proposition, coming in at around $1,200. You can see all the new Overwatch skins in our gallery.
Outside of the skins, this patch makes it so that Zenyatta's Orbs of Discord and Harmony show the Zenyatta player the target's health bar. The game's main menu is now home to a new Overwatch League area, where matches can be streamed. And console players gain some new options, as all communication wheel selections can be bound to a button and crouching can be designated as something you have to press and hold. Additionally, Ana's controls have a new setting for Friendly Aim Assist Strength that can help dictate the assistance you receive when aiming at teammates.
A wide variety of bugs are also addressed with this patch. These include items not displaying properly when opening a loot box, the "checkpoint reached" voiceline playing at the final goal on Eichenwalde, and a variety of problems with Doomfist's Rocket Punch, such as not destroying objects that it should.
Time to suit up! Overwatch League home-team skins are now live and can be purchased via our new League Token system, which allows players to directly support their favorite Overwatch League team (or teams!). Home-team skins are available for all 12 OVerwatch League teams and all 26 Overwatch heroes.
General Updates
General
Players can now watch the Overwatch League stream via the Overwatch League menu option when games are live
[PS4/XB1] Players can now bind all communication wheel options to a gamepad button
[PS4/XB1] An option to press and hold crouch rather than toggling the ability has been added under Options > Controls > Movement
[PS4/XB1] A slider for "Friendly Aim Assist Strength" has been added to Ana's control options under Options > Controls > Hero. This will make it easier to aim at allies
Weapon accuracy is no longer increased or decreased when shooting at Genji's Deflect or abilities that block projectiles (e.g. Winston's Barrier Projector or Mei's Ice Wall)
User Interface
Heroes
Zenyatta's Orb of Discord and Orb of Harmony will now display its target's health bar
Bug Fixes
General
Fixed an issue that prevented earned items from being displayed when a Loot Box was opened
Fixed a bug that caused a duplicate "Current Competitive Season" selection to appear in the Career Profile dropdown menu
[PC] Fixed a bug that prevented players from being able to navigate in-game menus with the tab key
Fixed a bug that prevented UI elements for Tracer's Blink from displaying when switching between first- and third-person view in spectator mode
Fixed a bug that prevented the ammo count for Doomfist's Hand Cannon from displaying when switching between first- and third-person view in spectator mode
A.I.
Fixed a bug that prevented the Bastion and Torbjörn bots from pathing to some areas on the first point of Eichenwalde
Fixed a bug that caused the Lúcio bot to fall off the map while navigating King's Row
Competitive Play
Fixed a bug that caused the meters remaining to display twice when players approached the final five meters on Escort and Escort/Assault maps
Game Browser and Custom Games
Fixed a bug that prevented the Ultimate Duration Custom Game modification from properly adjusting Soldier: 76's Ultimate length
Deathmatch
Fixed a bug that caused the Play of the Game highlight and the end-of-match screen to not display for the last player to die in the match
Heroes
Fixed a bug that prevented Doomfist's Rocket Punch from destroying breakable objects
Fixed a bug that could cause Doomfist's Rocket Punch knock back to be inconsistent if he collided with an enemy using a movement ability (e.g. Winston's Leap)
Fixed a latency issue that caused Doomfist's Rocket Punch to travel through an enemy instead of dealing damage
Fixed an issue that sometimes caused Doomfist's Rocket Punch's directional movement to be unpredictable
Fixed an issue that allowed enemies to jump over Doomfist's Rocket Punch instead of taking damage
Fixed a bug that caused enemy players hit by Doomfist's Rocket Punch to sometimes move along the wall impacted instead of taking damage
Fixed a bug that caused Doomfist to move along the terrain if he impacted it with Rocket Punch
Fixed an issue that caused enemies hit by Doomfist's Rocket Punch to impact inclines instead of traveling up them
Fixed a bug that caused Doomfist's Rocket Punch to deal wall impact damage to Mercy if she used Valkyrie
Fixed a bug that caused Doomfist's Rocket Punch to activate before intended if he was near Mei's Ice Wall
Fixed a bug that sometimes caused Doomfist to fall through the ground if he used Seismic Slam on inclines
Fixed an issue that canceled Doomfist's Seismic Slam when it was unable to reach the targeted location
[PC] Fixed a bug that caused Junkrat's RIP-Tire camera perspective to linger on the target after detonating
[PC] Fixed a bug that caused Junkrat's RIP-Tire to be silent to enemies while traveling on rooftops or when airborne
Fixed a bug that sometimes caused Snowball's antenna to stretch out of proportion when Mei's Beekeeper skin was equipped
Fixed a bug that sometimes caused Mercy's Resurrect "Reviving" message to remain on the targeted player's screen after the cast was finished
Fixed a bug that caused players targeted by Mercy's Resurrect to no longer see their Respawn timer if her cast was interrupted by an enemy
Fixed a bug that caused players targeted by Mercy's Resurrect to no longer see their Respawn timer if her cast was interrupted by an enemy
Fixed a bug that prevented players from using Moira's Biotic Orb if she used Fade or died while using Biotic Orb
Fixed an issue that caused Moira's "Ultimate almost ready" voiceline to sometimes play when her Coalescence was fully charged
Fixed a bug that caused Reinhardt's Charge to knock back enemies instead of pinning them
Fixed a bug that caused the visual effects of Sombra's EMP to display when the ability was interrupted by an enemy player
Fixed a bug that caused Sombra to face the incorrect direction after she teleported with Translocator
Fixed a bug that sometimes caused Torbjörn's turrets to not fully heal when he used Molton Core
Fixed a bug that prevented Carbon Zenyatta's in-game portrait from displaying the correct color
Maps
Fixed a bug on Eichenwalde that caused the "Checkpoint Reached" voiceline to play when the payload reached its final destination
Fixed a bug that allowed Reaper to Shadow Step to unintended locations on Horizon Lunar Colony
Bandai Namco continues to show off new characters from Dragon Ball FighterZ ahead of the game's launch this month. The publisher has shared a new trailer that showcases another recently revealed fighter in action, the stoic assassin Hit.
Like Goku Black, who was recently shown off in his own trailer, Hit is a major character from the ongoing Dragon Ball Super series and is one of the most feared fighters from Universe 6. His signature ability is the Time-Skip, which allows him to jump a fraction of a second ahead in time to get the jump on an opponent. As you can see in the trailer above, his moveset in Dragon Ball FighterZ emphasizes striking and lightning-fast movements.
Bandai Namco is holding another beta for Dragon Ball FighterZ this weekend. The beta runs from January 14-16 and is available to all PS4 and Xbox One players, but those who pre-order Dragon Ball FighterZ digitally from the PlayStation or Xbox Stores will get to access it a day early, on January 13. The beta features 11 playable characters, including Beerus, Kid Buu, adult Gohan, and Nappa. Players will also be able to witness two Dramatic Scenes during the beta.
The holiday season is finally over, and now we can look back to see which games dominated the Christmas sales rush. Sony has released the charts for the top ten most-downloaded games across PS4, Vita, PlayStation VR, and add-on content, and the lists contain some notable surprises.
Coming in first place on PS4 (and shocking no one) is Call of Duty: WWII, which also happens to be the top-grossing game overall for the year. At second place is the delightful and ridiculous multiplayer game Gang Beasts, which finally launched in full last month. This means that Gang Beasts beat out Star Wars: Battlefront II, coming in at third place, and the perennially popular GTA V at fourth place. Another surprise is the physics-based puzzle game Human: Fall Flat, which ranked at ninth place. Check out the full list below.
Sony also recently revealed the top ten best-selling games of the whole year, and Call of Duty was, of course, number one. But with Friday the 13th at third place and Horizon: Zero Dawn at fourth, there are still some surprises on this list, too. Check out the full list of best-selling PS4 games here.
Best-Selling PS4 Games For December 2017 On PlayStation Network
Twitch recently announced that it has secured exclusive broadcasting rights for the Overwatch League, and a new report asserts that the deal cost a pretty big sum of money. The streaming service apparently spent $90 million on getting broadcast exclusivity for the much-anticipated esports league over the next two seasons.
The number comes by way of Sports Business Daily, which also reported that this likely makes the deal the biggest in esports history. With the deal, Twitch becomes the exclusive third-party platform for viewing matches; half of this season will also air on MLG.tv, Overwatch publisher Activision-Blizzard's first-party streaming service.
Overwatch League is one of the most formalized esports leagues in existence. It features teams centered on cities rather than esports organizations, and some teams have connections to existing professional sports clubs. The first match goes live on January 10 at 4PM PST when the San Francisco Shock take on the Los Angeles Valiant, and these can be streamed on overwatchleague.com, Twitch's website, or at mlg.tv.
To celebrate the event's launch, an Overwatch update has added a bunch of new Overwatch skins. To learn more about Overwatch League, check out GameSpot's other coverage below:
It was 2016 when Daniel Bryan retired as a professional wrestler in WWE due to injuries sustained in the ring--specifically concussions. Since then, Bryan has been very open about his speaking with multiple doctors specializing in brain injuries with hopes of one day competing for WWE again. Thus far, though, he's been unable to get cleared by the company's medical team.
Speaking at the Television Critics Association winter press tour panel for the 25th anniversary of WWE Raw, Triple H, who serves as a WWE executive in real life, shed a little light on the situation and what it would take for the company to allow Bryan to compete. "There can be no exception, medically," he says. "If the belief is that he's not healthy enough and it is a risk for to perform, then I don't know why we would ever allow him to step in the ring unless it can be proven otherwise."
Triple H continues, "We have some of the best medical people in the world working for us. Our wellness policy, our concussion programs, out protocols--I'll put them up against any on the planet."
Thus, the company is standing by their own doctors, regardless of the specialists Bryan sees on his quest to wrestle again. "The medical experts will make the determination of whether Bryan can set foot in that ring or not," Triple H explains. "Personally, for him, I know it's something he loved doing and I hope he has that opportunity. But at the same point in time, he's married and has a child. We serve the human being first."
For his part, Bryan recently said in an interview that he would likely step away from his current role at Smackdown Live general manager once his contract expired, should he not be cleared to wrestle again. "When my [WWE] contract is up, I would wrestle elsewhere if WWE would not clear me," he admitted on Rosenberg Radio.
Particularly in light of the success that The Witcher III: Wild Hunt has enjoyed, anticipation is high for the next project from developer CD Projekt Red. But news on the new game, Cyberpunk 2077, has been hard to come by in recent years, despite the fact that it was originally announced in 2012 and a teaser trailer (above) was released in early 2013. That makes any morsel of information big news, but the latest development on the Cyberpunk front may not even qualify for "morsel" status.
Cyberpunk's official Twitter account has been dark since December 5, 2013, when it shared a link regarding an award it won for that 2013 trailer. Today that all changed, with the account coming back to life for what surely had to be an important announcement, right? Not quite.
"Beep." That's it. Or, more accurately, "*beep*," with asterisks, as if to indicate this is merely the sound, and not even the word. Why? What is this purpose of this tweet? Is it a joke from a bored community manager? A sociological experiment? A warning that Skynet has come to life?
Presumably, this is merely meant to remind people about the game and to drum up interest before a proper re-reveal later this year. If that's the case, it's worked--in less than an hour, it's accumulated more than 2,000 retweets and 4,000 Likes on Twitter, and this undoubtedly won't be the only post you see online from a gaming publication about the tweet.
With development Witcher 3 and its DLC comfortably behind it, 2018 does seem like as good of a time as any for CD Projekt Red to formally unveil Cyberpunk 2077. (That was actually one of our recent predictions for 2018 in gaming.) Whether that proves to be the case remains to be seen, but it would be nice to think the company didn't dust off the cobwebs on its Twitter account just for the hell of it.
Microsoft's anticipated pirate game, Sea of Thieves, is set to launch for Xbox One and PC this spring, but some players will have a chance to go hands-on with the title much sooner. Following a technical alpha in December, developer Rare has announced the dates for its Sea of Thieves closed beta, which is scheduled to take place later this month.
The closed beta begins at 4 AM PT / 7 AM ET / 12 PM GMT on January 24 and runs until 12 AM PT / 3 AM ET / 8 AM GMT on January 29. Players who either joined the Sea of Thieves Insider Program prior to December 1, 2017 or have pre-ordered the title will be able to access the beta. Rare says the beta isn't a sample of the full game but a tailored experience "that offers a true taste of the pirate life."
If you pre-ordered Sea of Thieves digitally from the Xbox Store, the beta will automatically appear in your game library 24 hours before it begins. If you reserved the game at retail, you'll first need to redeem the code you received for the Black Dog cosmetic pack. Once you've done that, the beta will then likewise appear in your library the day before it starts. In both cases, you'll still need to download and install the beta before you can participate.
Sea of Thieves is an open-world, co-op adventure in which players can form pirate crews and plunder treasure, with the object being to become a "Pirate Legend" by increasing your reputation with each of the game's trading companies. Rare recently shared more details on how progression works in Sea of Thieves.
Call of Duty: WWII's first major DLC, Resistance, launches later this month, and Activision has shared another new preview video for the expansion ahead of its release. While the previous Call of Duty trailer focused on the new maps coming in the DLC pack, this video showcases the new Nazi Zombies chapter that Resistance will introduce, The Darkest Shore.
Set just days after the events of the previous Nazi Zombies chapter, The Darkest Shore takes place on a "secluded" island, where Doktor Straub continues his sinister experience. The chapter introduces new zombies to hunt, which Activision says will be "more cunning, quick, and even more bloodthirsty than before." It also adds a fog environmental effect, which will make it much more difficult to spot approaching enemies. Here's how Activision describes The Darkest Shore:
"The Darkest Shore follows our heroes into the next chapter of their dangerous journey. Only days after the horrific disaster of Mittelburg, the crew has received intel that suggests Doktor Straub is on an island just north of Germany. Blanketed in fog, this island is surrounded by Nazi air and sea power--and crawling with the Undead. Marie, Drostan, Olivia, and Jefferson will need to battle all this and more to uncover the mysteries hidden within the Darkest Shore."
In addition to the new Nazi Zombies chapter, the Resistance expansion adds three new multiplayer maps: Valkyrie, Anthropoid, and Occupation--the latter of which is a remake of the Modern Warfare 3 map, Resistance. It also introduces a new War Mode mission called Operation Intercept, which tasks players with rescuing French resistance fighters and escaping safely.
Like previous Call of Duty DLC, Resistance will have a timed exclusivity period on PlayStation 4. The expansion will be available for PS4 players beginning January 30, with an Xbox One and PC release following a month later. Those who purchased Call of Duty: WWII's $50 season pass will get access to Resistance for no additional charge, while all other players will be able to purchase it separately.
A new patch is on the way to PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds. This marks the second update the title has received since it left Early Access on PC last month, and it introduces some exciting new features and content to the massively popular battle royale game.
One of the big new features coming to PUBG is the replay report tool. In an effort to further stamp down on cheating in the game, developer PUBG Corp. is implementing a new system that allows players to report suspected cheaters from PUBG's replay feature. "We encourage you to use the replay report tool as it is an effective and efficient way of making us aware of the players who are undermining your enjoyment of the game," the developer wrote in a post on the Steam forums.
Additionally, the update introduces two new types of loot boxes, which will contain Desperado and Biker cosmetic items. Both of the new crates are currently available on PUBG's test server, and every test server player will receive 100,000 BP and six Early Bird keys in order to open and try out the new crates. However, PUBG Corp. says these items and BP are strictly for testing purposes and won't be transferrable to live accounts. Both the loot crates and replay report tool will be implemented in the live game once the test build is deemed to be stable.
Beyond the new loot crates and reporting system, the update will address an assortment of bugs and make some gameplay tweaks, such as adding more objects to certain sections of the desert map Miramar in order to provide more coverage for players. One tweak that players may not be as excited about, however, is to the in-game energy drink. PUBG Corp. says it has "changed the design of the energy drink," so it appears players will, sadly, no longer be able to get their hands on a can of Hot Bull.
PUBG Corp. hasn't yet indicated when the features will be released for the live game, but they are currently available on PUBG's test server. The developer says the "live server update schedule will be announced later on." In the meantime, you can find the full patch notes for PUBG's latest update below and on Steam.
PUBG Update #2 Patch Notes
World
Added more objects around La Bendita on Miramar to increase the amount of cover
Gameplay
Reduced the visible distance when parachuting down in order to test the optimization of server and client performance at the early phases of the game
Item
Changed the design of the energy drink
UI/UX
Adjusted the squad team colors (players 1~4) to better reflect their callout names (yellow, orange, blue, green)
Adjusted squad team colors to make them more consistent between different colorblind options
Added a function where a player can select more detailed criteria for the "Cheating" category in the in-game report tool
You can choose multiple items or you can just report without selecting any of them
Replays
While player's nameplate is on (H key), now you can check the current weapon of that player by pressing G key
Added report button in replay
Report button pops up when pressing RMB on the player list (TAB key)
While observing / following mode, report button appears on the timeline (J key)
Added a care package icon changing effect according to the status
The icon will be different when the care package is falling and looted by other players
Adjusted replay system so that now a player can watch the replay without extra delay in the following cases
Solo mode
When the player won the match
When all teammates are eliminated
Bug Fixes
Fixed the issue where when a player lands from the plane the position of character teleports intermittently
Fixed the issue where character animation is frozen when rejoining after a crash
Fixed the issue where the red zone disappears instantly after it formed
Fixed the issue where some vehicles spawned on Miramar are stuck to an object and unable to move
Fixed the issue where a player sometimes couldn't pass through a door even though it was open
Fixed the issue where mouse cursor would disappear on a replay map
Fixed the issue where when replay and death cam were played, the crosshair was bouncing
Fixed the issue where the falling speed meter text was showing abnormally in Portuguese
New Content
Added two new crates (free / paid)
You can open the paid crate box with the Early Bird key which is purchasable in Steam market
In order to test the stability, 100,000 BP and 6 keys will be granted to each account (test server only) The below chart shows the crate box drop rate
The new free/paid crate box has a 40% drop rate and the previous crate boxes (Wanderer and Survivor) have a 10% drop rate
DESPERADO (new paid crate box) : 40%
BIKER (new free crate box) : 40%
Wanderer : 10%
Survivor : 10%
The below chart shows the individual drop rate per item that can be earned through the new free/paid crate boxes (displayed down to two decimal places):
With the second beta for Dragon Ball FighterZ quickly approaching, Bandai Namco has shared some more details about the upcoming demo. On Twitter, the publisher revealed the full lineup of fighters and modes that players will be able to try out during the beta, including a handful of recently announced characters.
The Dragon Ball FighterZ open beta kicks off for everyone at 12 AM PT / 3 AM ET on January 14 and runs until the same time on January 16. It will feature 11 playable characters. While many of them were previously available in the closed Dragon Ball FighterZ beta back in September, the lineup also includes some newly announced characters like Beerus, Kid Buu, adult Gohan, and Nappa. The full beta roster consists of:
Goku
Vegeta
Adult Gohan
Frieza
Kid Buu
Cell
Piccolo
Krillin
Nappa
Android 18
Beerus
Additionally, the beta will feature seven stages and a handful of modes to try out. Players will also be able to witness two Dramatic Scenes, which recreate iconic moments from the anime and manga series when you meet certain conditions during a battle.
The biggest news in cybersecurity last week was the discovery of the Meltdown and Spectre vulnerabilities in modern computer processors. They affect virtually all computers in the world, and as a result of this severity, hardware companies have been scrambling to create and release updates that patch the holes. In its haste, however, it appears that Microsoft released a series of updates for Windows that could break AMD systems. Recently, the company was forced to remove these updates from some systems running AMD processors and graphics cards.
As reported by ComputerWorld, users had begun complaining of bricked computers last week. Some AMD users had run into blue screen errors, an inability to restart their computers, and other issues.
Earlier this week, after several days of complaints, Microsoft pulled the patches from some AMD systems and acknowledged that they had been causing issues. But Microsoft placed the blame squarely on AMD, stating on its website that "some AMD chipsets do not conform to the documentation previously provided to Microsoft to develop the Windows operating system mitigations to protect against the chipset vulnerabilities known as Spectre and Meltdown."
Microsoft promised that it'll work with AMD to resolve the problems as soon as possible, but it has not provided a specific timetable yet. In the meantime, you can check out our feature on what PC gamers need to know about Meltdown and Spectre here.
While most hit horror movies have inspired multiple sequels over the years, few have made it to double figures. Hellraiser has now joined that exclusive club (alongside the Friday The 13th and Amityville franchises) with the upcoming Hellraiser Judgment. The first trailer for the tenth film in the series has now been released.
From the looks of it, Hellraiser Judgment contains all the elements that fans of the series will expect--bizarre killings, quasi-religious imagery, horrific creatures, and buckets of gore. And of course, Pinhead, the iconic leader of the demonic Cenobites, makes an appearance. Check the trailer out above.
A synopsis for the film has also been released. It reads, "The dreaded Pinhead returns in the next terrifying chapter of the classic Hellraiser series. Three detectives trying to stop a diabolical serial killer are sucked into a maze of otherworldly horror, where hellish denizens including the Auditor, the Assessor, and the Jury await to pass judgment." The movie hits VoD and home entertainment formats on February 13, just in time for Valentine's Day.
The Hellraiser series kicked off with Clive Barker's classic 1987 movie, which was based on one of his short stories. The flawed but ambitious Hellbound: Hellraiser 2 followed a year later, and since then there has been a steady stream of movies, some better than others. Hellraiser Bloodline (no.4) took Pinhead to space, while Hellraiser Inferno (no.5) is notable for being the directorial debut of Scott Derrickson, who most recently helmed Doctor Strange for Marvel.
The offbeat superhero show The Tick is returning to Amazon Video next month. The first six episodes hit the streaming service last summer, and the next batch will be available from February 23.
A new trailer for the show has been released. Guardians of the Galaxy's Peter Serafinowicz plays the antennae-spouting hero of the title once more, with Griffin Newman (Search Party) as his reluctant accountant sidekick, Arthur Everest. The cast also includes Watchmen star Jackie Earl Haley as the villainous Terror, and Rogue One's Alan Tudyk as the voice of Dangerboat (who is a talking boat). Check it out above.
The Tick was created by Ben Edlund and first appeared in 1986 as a spoof of superheroes, initially in a comic strip before heading up his own title in 1988. Edlund is an executive producer on the show.
In an interview with Uproxx last year, Edlund spoke about striking the right tonal balance for the show. "I'd say that's the highwire act here," he said. "To me, it's a dangerous, but I think an exciting and interesting, move to take things seriously while still having fun with them. It creates a strange, interesting kind of crisp new air in it.
"I think for someone who cannot allow The Tick to grow or stretch, or find new territory, it might feel wrong, and that'd be okay. But I feel like what's happened is, a lot of the people I was worried about--the people The Tick's grown up around, and I've worked with, and fans that have weighed in so far--a very good number of them are feeling this new [approach]."
This marks the third time the character has been adapted for TV. In the mid-'90s he featured in an animated series, while a live-action show was broadcast on Fox in 2001. Although that only lasted nine episodes, it received strong reviews and has since gained a cult following. A terrible side-scrolling beat-em-up video game was also released in 1994.
There are no fewer than three X-Men movies due in 2018--Deadpool 2, X-Men: Dark Phoenix, and The New Mutants. The latter is not as high profile as the other two hotly anticipated sequels, but it's perhaps the most intriguing film of the lot. Director Josh Boone has previously described The New Mutants as a "horror movie," and last year's first teaser certainly suggested that this is what we can expect.
The movie arrives in April, so a full trailer is due very soon. In the meantime, a spooky new promo has been tweeted by the movie's official account. It shows the character of Sam Guthrie--aka Cannonball--who is played by Stranger Things star Charlie Heaton and seems to be undergoing some sort of traumatic flashback. Check it out below:
The New Mutants is released on April 13, 2018. It also stars Maisie Williams (Game of Thrones), Anya Taylor-Joy (Split), Henry Zaga (13 Reasons Why), and Alice Braga (Elysium).
In an interview last October, Boone revealed that the movie could kick-start a trilogy of scary X-Men movies. "We brought it to Fox as a trilogy of films, really all based on that long run by [Marvel writer Bill] Sienkiewicz, and kind of incorporates some stuff from later issues in the '80s," he told Collider. "These are all going to be horror movies, and they're all be their own distinct kind of horror movies. This is certainly the 'rubber-reality' supernatural horror movie. The next one will be a completely different kind of horror movie.
"Our take was just go examine the horror genre through comic book movies and make each one its own distinct sort of horror film. Drawing from the big events that we love in the comics."
In related news, the first images from X-Men: Dark Phoenix were revealed last month. The movie will focus on the character of Jean Grey, who becomes corrupted by Phoenix Force that provided her with her powers, forcing her to turn them against the X-Men. It hits theaters in November.
The first of 2018's superhero movies is Marvel's Black Panther, and it hits theaters next month. The character of T'Challa, the crime-fighting king of Wakanda, made an impressive debut in 2016's Captain America: Civil War, and his standalone movie looks sets to deliver the action-packed goods.
A new extended TV spot has landed, and it features plenty of new footage. There's more of Andy Serkis's shady arms dealer Ulysses Klaue, confrontations between T'Challa (Chadwick Boseman) and the villainous Erik Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan), and tons of thrilling action. Check it out above.
The trailer follows the previous ones that were released in December, October, and June. The movie is directed by Ryan Coogler (Fruitvale Station, Creed), and the cast also includes Lupita Nyong'o, Martin Freeman, Angela Bassett, and Forest Whitaker. It hits theaters on February 12, 2018.
In a recent interview with Fandango, Coogler spoke about the character of Killmonger, and what sets him apart from previous Marvel bad guys. "I will say what makes him different--not from all Marvel villains, but I think a lot of Marvel villains--is that he has a real world sensibility to him," he said. "I think it's a benefit of having Mike as an actor, but he's a character that I think will feel very familiar to audiences. I think Marvel has had villains who you can relate to, but I think even more than that, you feel like he's of this world. He's very grounded, I would say."
In related news, it was confirmed recently that Jordan will return for Creed 2, the upcoming sequel to Coogler's hit Rocky spin-off. The film is to be directed by Steven Caple Jr, following the decision of writer and co-star Sylvester Stallone to step aside from directing duties.
Monster Hunter is one of those series known just as much for its punishing difficulty as its actual gameplay. It's become a mystical franchise of sorts, often talked about in vague, awed terms by those who don't know it, and with fervor by those who do. Traditionally, Monster Hunter games have appealed to a small cult following, with a steep learning curve that dissuades many players from checking it out.
However, the series' first Western console release in several years is approaching with Monster Hunter World, and a huge new group of players will have the chance to check it out. To help guide these beginners and hopefully reduce the learning curve, a group of fans have created a cool new support group.
Called Adopt-a-Hunter, it's designed to pair up a veteran with a new player, so that the vet can explain some of the tricks and nuances of Monster Hunter that the game may not explain. It also will likely give the new player access to communities of other Monster Hunter players that they can play with.
It's great to see a fan initiative attempting to become a sort of tutorial system for the game; it'll hopefully help players learn the game and prevent them from becoming discouraged by its difficulty. Signups for Adopt-a-Hunter are open now at its website; according to the FAQ, matches will be sent out a few days before launch. You can learn more about the initiative at the site.
The WSJ report from November said that Nintendo planned to have a creative role in the production of the film, and that series creator Shigeru Miyamoto will potentially serve as a producer. Miyamoto has previously experimented with film, even releasing a series of Pikmin shorts. Last year, Nintendo made it clear it was interested in expanding to films but that it would like to do "more than just license something."
1993's live-action Super Mario Bros. movie was a critical and commercial failure, with star Bob Hoskins--who played Mario--said it was the worst movie he's ever been a part of.
Over the years, Nintendo has been very hesitant to bring its franchises--which with Mario, Zelda, Donkey Kong, and others are among the biggest names in all of entertainment--to movies and TV. Given their prominence in the entertainment world, Hollywood has surely come knocking for adapatations, and now it appears Nintendo is ready to move ahead. Netflix was reportedly interested in making a Zelda TV show, though this never happened.
The catalog for PlayStation Now--Sony's PS4 and PC game-streaming service--adds more games on a monthly basis. Today, January 2018's additions were announced, with 16 games joining the library. The newly added titles include the well-received horror game Until Dawn, the remastered version of action-adventure game Gravity Rush, and the first-person story game Everybody's Gone to the Rapture.
Sony also announced which games were the "most popular" on PS Now during December. Red Dead Redemption, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, and Mortal Kombat topped the list, but details on whether this counts playtime, number of unique users, or some other statistic was not disclosed.
Ubisoft has announced a new figurine based on Far Cry 5's cult leader, Joseph Seed. The statue is called "The Father's Calling," and it shows the Eden's Gate leader in his trademark pose: shirtless and raising a rifle to the sky to inspire his followers.
The figure stands 32cm tall and is made of PVC. The gun that Joseph is holding is removable, as is the sceptre on the base. The Joseph figure is part of the Ubicollectibles line and was made in partnership with developer Ubisoft Montreal. According to its listing on the Australian Ubisoft Store, it will go for $89; pre-orders are open now and the figure ships on March 22.
In Far Cry 5, players are trying to take down Joseph, who leads the doomsday cult Eden's Gate. Joseph's message and teaching inspires the people of Hope County, Montana to rise up and take over, violently, and you'll be tasked with restoring order. It is the first Far Cry game to be set in America.
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.
A new update is out now for Madden NFL 18 and while it is not a particularly big one, it does include some notable changes for EA's professional football game. Starting off, it fixes an issue where some AI-controlled running backs would move too slowly or fail to perform special moves. This patch also fixes an exploit where you could force kick-returners to run out of bounds inside their own five-yard line in some situations.
Additionally, this new Madden 18 update substantially reduces how often you'll get faked out on defense with a player-controller defender when trying to defend a ball carrier who is performing a special move. With an AI-controlled defender, the number of fake-outs in the same scenario sees a "slight" reduction.
In addition to these changes, EA said in its blog post that it is aware that players want to be able to better tackle a ball-carrier who is performing a juke or a spin. The developer is working on this, for both user-controlled and AI-controlled defenders. You can see the full patch notes below for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.
With the NFL playoffs now in full swing, you might be thinking about picking up Madden NFL 18. If you can wait, EA typically offers a less-expensive Super Bowl edition of the game in late January/early February, though nothing has been confirmed for this year as of yet.
Madden NFL 18 January 9 Patch Notes:
Gameplay Updates
Substantial reduction to fake-outs for user controlled defenders when defending ball carrier special moves
Slight reduction to fake-outs for AI controlled defenders when defending ball carrier special moves
Addressed an issue that was causing some AI controlled ball carriers to move slowly and/or not perform special moves
Tuned to decrease range of width on kickoffs to address the kickoff exploit that could force returners out of bounds inside their own five-yard line
Rockstar has rolled out the latest weekly update for Grand Theft Auto V. As was the case last week, the developer hasn't introduced any major new features with this update, though players can find another cool new vehicle and an assortment of deals and bonuses in GTA Online.
The aforementioned vehicle is the stylish Lampadati Viseris, which is available now at Legendary Motorsport. Players with access to a Mobile Operations Center or an Avenger will also be able to trick it out with some optional upgrades such as front-facing machine guns. You can take a look at the Lampadati Viseris below.
Additionally, Rockstar is offering double GTA$ and RP rewards on all Lester Contact Missions for a limited time. You'll be able to take advantage of these bonuses until January 15. You can also get a 25% discount off of the following items until that day:
Nagasaki Ultralight
Aircraft Weapons
Vehicle Armor
Headlights & Neons
Skirts
Spoilers
Suspension
Turbos
This week's Premium Stunt Race is Island Hopping, which is restricted to the Blazer Aqua. As always, everyone who participates in the Stunt Race will receive triple RP, while those who finish within the top three will earn a big GTA$ payout. The Time Trial this week is Maze Bank Arena. Players who are able to beat the target time will be rewarded with GTA$ and RP.
Recent Articles:
You are receiving this email because you opted in at our website.
No comments:
Post a Comment