Bandai Namco has confirmed that Dark Souls Remastered is being released for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC on May 25. This is in addition to the Nintendo Switch version of Dark Souls Remastered revealed during the surprise Direct event. According to a press release, Dark Souls Remastered is being developed by From Software, the studio behind the original trilogy, instead of being outsourced to a third-party studio.
"Experience the rich world of Dark Souls in upscaled 4K resolution with 60FPS when playing on a PlayStation 4 Pro system, Xbox One X, and PC," reads the press release. "Also, 1080p resolution with 30FPS is available when playing the game on Nintendo Switch with its TV mode."
"From their first timid steps to absolute mastery, players will build their characters by strategically adapting to daunting foes, exploring haunting locations, and amassing a large collection of weapons, armour and magic spells to utilise for a truly unique playstyle."
Dark Souls Remastered will also support "up to six players" for online multiplayer. A Dark Souls Trilogy box has been announced for PlayStation 4 in Japan. It features Dark Souls Remastered, Dark Souls 2: Scholar of the First Sin, Dark Souls 3: The Fire Fades Edition. Additionally, it will have soundtracks for each of the games, knight and bonfire bookends, an encyclopedia, and a special art set. As of yet this has not been announced for other regions.
At this point, developer From Software's Dark Souls doesn't need much explaining. It's a beloved, influential game that is critically acclaimed and has a fanbase as passionate about it today as they were when it originally launched in. These people have been calling out for a remaster of the game, especially considering that the original version had a number of glaring technical faults.
In GameSpot's original Dark Souls review Kevin VanOrd awarded it a 9.5/10, describing it as "riveting."
"Dark Souls requires intense focus," he said. "This isn't a lighthearted romp in a bright and colorful fantasy world; it's a methodical journey into the frightening unknown. And that's what makes it so riveting. Some games try to scare you with bump-in-the-night shocks and far-off howls, but Dark Souls doesn't require such predictable methods of terror. Its terrors emanate from its very core, each step bringing you closer to another inevitable death.
"How amazing that such a terrible place could be so inviting. The game's world is so memorable, and its action so thrilling, that it might invade your thoughts even when you aren't playing, silently urging you to escape the real world and return to this far more treacherous one. Dark Souls doesn't just surpass other dungeon crawlers; it skewers them with a razor-sharp halberd and leaves behind their soulless corpses."
The stunning first trailer for one of 2018's most anticipated sci-fi shows is here. Altered Carbon is Netflix's adaptation of Richard K Morgan's acclaimed cyberpunk novel, and it hits the streaming service on February 2.
The trailer delivers hugely impressive visuals, alongside a gritty detective mystery and some blistering sci-fi action. In the future, technology has advanced to the point that human consciousness can be downloaded and placed in storage or transferred to a new human host upon death. The story focuses on the world's wealthiest man, who is murdered; when his mind is transferred, he hires an ex-soldier to investigate who killed him. Check the trailer out above.
Altered Carbon stars James Purefoy (Rome, Trollhunters), Joel Kinnaman (Suicide Squad, The Killing), and Will Yun Lee (San Andreas). The showrunner is Laeta Kalogridis, who was a producer on Avatar, Shutter Island, and Terminator: Genisys.
The Dark Souls Trilogy box includes Dark Souls Remastered, Dark Souls 2: Scholar of the First Sin, and Dark Souls 3: The Fire Fades Edition. It also comes with soundtracks for each of the games, knight and bonfire bookends, an encyclopedia, and a unique art set. It's due out in Japan on May 24 and will cost roughly $450, but hasn't been announced for any other regions at this time. Check it out in the image below, courtesy of the official Japanese website.
When it releases on May 25, Dark Souls' remaster will be playable in upscaled 4K resolution with 60FPS when playing on PlayStation 4 Pro, Xbox One X, or PC. 1080p resolution with 30FPS will also be available when playing the game on Nintendo Switch on a TV. The game will also support up to six players on multiplayer. You can read all about the announcement for PS4, Xbox One, and PC here.
Square Enix is bringing another Final Fantasy game to PC this year. The publisher has announced that Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age, the recent PS4 remaster of the classic PS2 title, will be released on the platform via Steam early next month, on February 1.
Along with the same improvements and content found in the PS4 release, the Steam version of Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age will include some new features tailored for PC. The game will run at 60 FPS and is compatible with 21:9 ultra-wide monitors. Additionally, the New Game Plus and New Game Minus modes will be available right from the start, and Square Enix has added "new functionality to grant players max License Points and Gil from the configuration screen."
In addition to the Steam release, Square Enix is offering a premium Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age Collector's Edition for PC through its online store. The Collector's Edition costs $150 and comes with the same contents as the PS4 Collector's Edition, including a Judge Magisters mini bust set, soundtrack selection CD, and character art cards. However, the Collector's Edition won't include a physical copy of the game, but a download code instead.
Final Fantasy XII first debuted for PS2 back in 2006, while The Zodiac Age launched for PS4 last July. The remastered version features higher resolution visuals and other improvements, including an overhauled job system, a reorchestrated soundtrack, and the ability to increase the game's speed. GameSpot voted The Zodiac Age one of the best reissued games of 2017. Critic Miguel Concepcion awarded it a 9/10 in GameSpot's Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age review and called the game "an ideal definitive edition."
Ubisoft has revealed the patch notes for Rainbow Six Siege's 4.2 mid-season reinforcements update, which goes live at some point today (Thursday, January 11) on the game's PC technical test server. The biggest changes are nerfs for Ela, Ash, and Twitch--with small buffs for Capitao and Lesion--and an overall reduction in operators' concussion effects.
Ubisoft says it feels Ela is overpowered at present, and to help combat this, it is reducing the capacity of her SMG from 50 bullets to 40. The company says it will "consider other ways of nerfing this weapon if this [change] is not enough." Ela will also be weakened by a nerf to concussion effects in general; concussed enemies will no longer be halted from sprinting, and while affected players will still experience reduced movement speed and camera rotation, these effects will last just four seconds rather than the previous seven. Ubisoft specifically states Ela and Zofia will be affected by the change, but there's no mention of operators that utilize flashbang-type devices, such as Blitz.
Meanwhile Ash's R4-C assault rifle has seen a slight reduction in damage, Bandit will now receive one fewer barbed wire, and Twitch's shock drone will only contain five electricity bolts, rather than the previous 15. These operators were too strong, Ubisoft argues, so these changes are an attempt to bring the characters in line with the rest of the roster. With regards to Twitch in particular, the company stated: "The Shock Drone is the most 'stealthy' drone in the game. It makes nearly no noise when moving, and is only really detectable when it fires. Reducing the number of charges will make players stop to think about what they feel is worth shooting, and what is not.
"The other reasoning behind the change is what we refer to as 'gadget economy.' Given that she currently has 30 total charges available, this could lead to all Defender cameras and most gadgets being destroyed. This is simply too much. Being able to destroy 10 gadgets means that players will have to make a conscious decision on which Defender gadgets to leave up or destroy, instead of killing all Defender cameras, all the Defender gadgets, and having few shots to spare for an unsuspecting operator. In line with this, it is important to note that the average number of gadgets destroyed by one Shock Drone in a single round is 1.4 (this includes cameras). This ties into the previous point regarding the Shock Drone being spotted when it shoots."
In terms of buffs, Capitao's assault rifle is getting a slight damage increase, and Lesion's mines will now take 30 seconds to replenish, rather than 35 as before. Elsewhere, there are slight changes to the UI when a teammate is attempting to destroy the Defuser on Bomb, as well as a tweak to the look of the caster camera. A number of bugs have also been fixed; take a look at the full patch notes at the bottom of this article, via Ubisoft.
Bear in mind that these changes have so far only been announced for Siege's TTS. Ubisoft says it will review player feedback from this update before deploying it to the live game. The mid-season patch is highly anticipated, and especially so on PS4 and Xbox One, where the update will also contain a fix for Jager's infamous shield head bug. Ubisoft has not provided an estimate for when we can expect the patch to drop on live servers.
The latest season of Rainbow Six Siege DLC, Operation White Noise, launched in December, with a third year of DLC coming over the course of 2018. Lots more content will arrive throughout the year, including new characters, maps, co-op events, and more. You can already buy the Year 3 season pass--it's available now for $30 / £25 / AU $45. Purchasers can expect a bunch of VIP benefits such as extra credits, customization options, and shop discounts, as well as access to the new operators as soon as they launch. If you grab the pass before March 5, you'll also get a special Damascus Steel weapon skin, and if you owned the Year 2 pass, you'll receive an extra 600 credits. For more on the Tom Clancy game, check out our in-depth look at Rainbow Six Siege's astonishing comeback.
Rainbow Six Siege Update 4.2 Patch Notes
Ela's SMG will have a reduced magazine size
We have decided to lower the magazine size of her SMG from 50 to 40 bullets.
Ela overpowers her competition. Players select her almost every round, and for a good reason. All of the data we have on her (such as win ratio, K/D ratio, and Kills per round) shows that she needs to be nerfed. We have found this to be primarily because of her SMG and to a lesser extent her concussion mines.
The recoil of her SMG was already nerfed slightly with Y2S3.2, but this did not have the impact that we hoped.
For now, we're trying to balance her while keeping her SMG's uniqueness, which lets her fight several opponents at a time better than other defenders. We will consider other ways of nerfing this weapon if this is not enough.
In addition to the reduced magazine size, we will be reducing the overall strength of concussion effects across the board.
Reduction in concussion effects
With Y2S4.2 patch, concussion effects will no longer disable sprinting. It will still reduce movement speed and camera rotation speed, but affected targets will recuperate much faster (4 sec, instead of 7 sec). The effect on sight and hearing will still last a total of 7 sec.
This change will affect both Ela and Zofia. We believe this will most heavily impact Ela, as Zofia also has impact grenades to rely on for increased effectiveness.
Compared to other gadgets of this nature, the concussion effect is superior in almost every way: it greatly affects movement speed, massively slows down rotation speed, and also reduces a player's ability to hear and see.
Ash's R4-C nerf
We reduced the damage of the R4-C to 39 (from 41).
Ash is still a pick that is too attractive when compared to other attackers. We've compared her most popular weapon (R4-C) to other assault rifles stats and given the R4-C's very high rate of fire (860), its damage is a bit too high.
Capitao's Para-308 buff
We increased the Para-308's raw damage is to 48 (from 43). We also slightly reduced the intensity of the random components of its recoil.
Capitao right now is not attractive enough. His gadget suffers from a few issues that will need long-term solutions, but in the meantime, it's clear that his main assault rifle is too weak.
Twitch's Shock Drone Ammo
We reduced the max ammo for each Shock Drone to 5 (from 15).
Twitch right now is too strong. There are several possible reasons, one of them being that her drones have the potential to deny an unreasonable amount of electronics from defenders. We feel that this change will force players to start making choices about when to shoot or to save their ammo, and which Defender gadgets to destroy.
Bandit's barbed wire
Bandit will now have two barbed wire (down from 3).
Even if Ela has eclipsed Bandit's pick rate, players still pick him too often. Reducing the number of barbed wires he has should bring him more in line with other Defenders.
Lesion's Gu Mine refill timer
We lowered Lesion's Gu Mine refill timer to 30 sec (from 35).
Lesion is in an OK place right now, but could use a slight buff. By reducing the refill timer, it will encourage his specific playstyle of staying alive as long as possible to increase the strength of his defensive gadget.
Other Improvements
Temporal Filtering
The T-AA has been fully implemented. As part of this, the Resolution Scaling and Sharpness Factor slide bars are in the Options menu. With render scaling, you will be able to customize the ratio between render resolution and display resolution, which will allow you to maintain your target framerate. More details about Temporal Filtering and Anti-Aliasing can be found here.
Bomb UI Changes
We changed the player markers for players that are interacting with the Defuser. When a teammate is interacting with the Defuser, a new animation icon appears on the player. If your teammate is in the process of disabling the Defuser, you will also notice a new animated icon on that player. The new animated icon should make it easier to identify which teammate is currently interacting with the Defuser.
Additionally, once the teammate plants the Defuser, the progress of the Defuser replaces the round timer.
These are the first steps we are taking towards improving the Bomb game mode, and we will have more information about our next steps at the Six Invitational!
Caster Camera Improvements
We will be making some adjustments to the Caster Camera. These adjustments will improve the viewer experience for those watching the spectator camera, but also provide them with more information in a more digestible format.
Nintendo has a reputation for strong first-party games but limited third-party support. But with Nintendo Switch, the company is looking to turn that reputation around. And with today's surprise announcement of Dark Souls Remastered, the hybrid console is looking like an even friendlier platform for hardcore gaming experiences.
Nintendo ended today's Direct Mini presentation with a very short trailer and a May 25 release for Dark Souls Remastered. Dark Souls' previous re-release on PC was dubbed the Prepare to Die edition, which makes it sound a separate version of the game. However, in a press release following the Direct, Nintendo clarified that Remastered "includes the Artorias of the Abyss DLC, as well as improved framerate and resolution from the original." A remastered version of Dark Souls is also coming to PS4, Xbox One, and PC.
As part of today's Nintendo Direct mini presentation, the Japanese company revealed a new Mario Tennis game for Switch. Called Mario Tennis Aces, the title will be the first Mario sports game for Switch since the console's launch last year, and it's coming in Spring 2018.
Interestingly, Aces will contain a new story mode. That makes it the first Mario Tennis game to include a campaign since 2005's Mario Tennis: Power Tour (known as Mario Power Tennis in Europe and Australia). Few other details have been revealed so far, though we do know the game is being made by long-time Mario sports developer Camelot. You can watch today's presentation in its entirety here.
The most recent Mario sports game was Mario Sports Superstars, which launched in 2017 for 3DS. The last standalone Mario Tennis game, meanwhile, came for Wii U in 2015. We awarded it a 6/10 in our Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash review. "Ultra Smash does just enough to get by," wrote critic Scott Butterworth. "At moments it shines and at others it frustrates, but mostly it just coasts. Without substantial content to drive longevity, you may end up switching back to Mario Kart sooner than later, but if you're playing online--or better yet, with your friends at home--you'll likely overcome the game's frustrations and squeeze a solid few hours of fun out of its fast-paced, power-up-driven action."
After a cryptic tweet on Wednesday, January 10, the internet guessed Nintendo had something going on, and it turns out they were right. A surprise Nintendo Direct presentation has gone live, and you can watch it in its entirety below. The focus is primarily on Nintendo Switch games due out in the first half of the year, and if you want a rundown of all the news and the big reveals, you're in the right place. Here's everything Nintendo revealed during today's presentation.
The World Ends With You | 2018
Stretching into the Nintendo DS' back catalog, the cult hit The World Ends With You is getting a re-release on Switch. The game will let you choose from either touchscreen or traditional controls, and it will include a "sizeable new scenario." No specific release date was announced, but the game will be available sometime this year.
Pokken Tournament DX DLC | January 31, March 23
Pokken Tournament DX is getting some new DLC characters. The Deluxe Battle Pack paid DLC is available for purchase now and will have content release in two waves. On January 31, Wave 1 will bring the new battle character Aegislash along with the support set Mega Rayquaza and Mimikyu. The second wave, due on March 23, will introduce the battle character Blastoise along with a support set of Mew and Celebi. And if you purchase the battle pack now, you'll have immediate access to a new set of avatar items.
Kirby Star Allies | March 16
Kirby Star Allies was announced back at E3, but a new trailer for the game showed off a slew of new abilities. Artist and Spider change-up Kirby's available moveset, and there will also be a way to mix and match abilities when playing with friends in the Kirby's co-op mode. The game is set to release on March 16.
Dragon Quest Builders Demo | Out Now
A demo for the Mincraft-meets-DQ RPG is available on Nintendo Switch now. The game is set to release at the end of this month.
Hyrule Warriors Ultimate Edition | Spring 2018
If you'd been holding off on trying out the Zelda-themed Musou game Hyrule Warriors (or if you were just looking for another reason to jump back in), you're in luck: Nintendo Switch is getting a definitive edition of the game this spring. Hyrule Warriors Ultimate Edition will include all of the DLC content from both the 3DS and Wii U releases, including every map, mission, and character. And new additions to the game include the ability to play co-op on the same screen as well as Breath of the Wild-themed costumes for Link and Zelda.
Mario Tennis Aces | Spring 2018
A new Mario Tennis game from developer Camelot--the team behind the GBA game Golden Sun as well as numerous other Mario sports titles--is heading to Switch this spring. It will be the first Mario Tennis game to include a story mode Mario Tennis: Power Tour on GBA.
Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana | Summer 2018
The PS4/Vita/PC RPG from 2017 will make its way to Switch sometime this summer.
Super Mario Odyssey Update | February 2018
After the main story of Super Mario Odyssey ends, you'll be able to continue your adventures in Mario's epic new world with the help of Luigi. Mario's brother will open up access to a competitive Balloon World mode where you can work to asynchronously hide balloons for other players to find, or search for balloons hidden by other players. You'll be able to move up in a global leaderboard by both being good at putting balloons in hard-to-find spots and by quickly finding hidden balloons.
In addition, the free update will introduce several new snapshot filters as well as three new outfits:
Musician Hat + Outfit (to look like one of the New Donk City musicians)
Knight Armor + Helmet
SNK Heroines Tag Team Frenzy | Summer 2018
This new brawler from NIS is heavy on the fan service, but should also please fans of the classic SNK fighting series. Battles will focus entirely on the female fighters from SNK's various fighting game series. In addition, the Neo Geo game Art of Fighting 2 is available today as a port on Nintendo Switch.
The EA Originals is an incubator for the types of indie games you don't typically see from a publisher like EA, and this year the company is highlighting Fe. Announced last year, the game now has a February 16 release date. And Celeste, from developer Matt Makes Games, will head to Switch on January 25.
Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze | May 4
Continuing the tradition of updated Wii U games that get Switch ports like Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Pokken Tournament DX, Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze is due out for Switch on May 4. The game will add a new playable character, Funky Kong, who introduces his own unique twist on the original's platforming gameplay.
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 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. [Update: The account has also now been verified by Twitter.]
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.
Assassin's Creed Rogue, one of several entries in the AC series released in 2014, will have another opportunity for its day in the spotlight. Ubisoft has announced a remastered version of the game is on the way to PS4 and Xbox One, and it releases fairly soon.
Assassin's Creed Rogue Remastered, as it will be called, is being developed by Ubisoft Sofia, the same studio responsible for the original version. It will feature enhanced visuals on the two consoles, including a higher resolution and "improved environment rendering, visual effects, and textures." PS4 Pro and Xbox One X support is also included; whereas Remastered will run at 1080p on base PS4 and Xbox One systems, the two newer iterations of the consoles will support 4K.
In addition to the graphical improvements, Remastered will include all of the DLC previously released for Rogue. That includes the Armor of Sir Gunn Quest and Siege of Fort de Sable bonus missions, as well as the Master Templar and Explorer Packs. Those introduce new weapons, customization items, and outfits for players to use. Among those outfits is the one worn by Bayek, the protagonist of the franchise's most recent game, Assassin's Creed Origins.
Rogue is set between Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag and Assassin's Creed III and features a new character, Shay Patrick Cormac. After being betrayed by members of the Assassins, he joins up with the Templars. The game features some naval battles, the signature feature of Black Flag. When it was first released, it was missed by many, as it debuted in November 2014 for PS3 and Xbox 360 on the same day that Assassin's Creed Unity launched for PS4, Xbox One, and PC. A PC version was later released in 2015.
Rogue Remastered arrives for PS4 and Xbox One on March 20. A price has not yet been announced. For more on what to expect, check out our Assassin's Creed Rogue review.
Today's surprise Nintendo Direct presentation may have been all about new Switch games on the horizon, but the company also announced two new demos, now available for free in the Eshop. A demo is now available for Kirby Battle Royale on 3DS and one for Dragon Quest Builders on Switch is coming today. While it wasn't mentioned in the Switch presentation, Forma.8 is also getting a free demo today.
Kirby Battle Royale is a tournament game where 1-4 players face off in local or online battles. There are 10 different battle modes and a host of abilities, along with a single-player story mode, where you uncover King Dedede's nefarious plan while unlocking abilities and battle types in the Cake Royale tournament. The demo lets you play three battles in the single-player and multiplayer mode, while letting you try out the Sword, Cutter, and Beetle abilities. The game will release on January 19, and you'll be able to transfer any coins you earn in the demo to the full game at that time.
Meanwhile, players will be able to try out a demo of Dragon Quest Builders on Nintendo Switch. First released for PS4 and Vita in 2016, it's a sandbox spinoff of the Dragon Quest series positioned as the series' answer to Minecraft. The game has a very blocky visual style, with your primary objective being to find materials to craft buildings and other objects in order to rebuild the world of Alefgard (the backdrop for the first-ever Dragon Quest title). When it releases on February 9, it will come with Switch-exclusive content, like the ability to gather special materials with the Great Sabrecub to unlock retro customization options.
Also coming today in a free demo for Switch, Forma.8 is Metroidvania-style action-adventure game with a cool visual style and a huge world to explore. It puts you on the surface of an alien planet, where you're stranded alone. Your mission is to recover a lost, powerful energy source while discovering lots of mysteries about the world around you. The full game will release on February 23.
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, the platformer that came exclusively to Wii U in 2014, is getting re-released for Switch, Nintendo has announced. The port will include a new mode when it launches for Nintendo's hybrid console on May 4.
The entire game will be playable in local co-op, with one Joy-Con each, though further details are scarce for the new game right now. We do know, however, that the new mode will star Funky Kong. Donkey Kong, meanwhile, is also the star of new Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle DLC coming this spring.
Click image to view in full screen
We enjoyed the Wii U platformer when it first launched, though it wasn't without its problems. In our Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze review, critic Mark Walton wrote: "If the regular levels were as inventive as the boss battles, then Tropical Freeze would be a surefire hit, or at least a game that demands more of your attention. No matter how much I was looking forward to seeing DK in HD, it's difficult to maintain that enthusiasm when the end product plays it so safe: even the visuals fail to make an impact. They're nice enough, but like the level design, the environments are mostly bland. While you could argue that the visual style is true to the series, I think even traditionalists wouldn't mind something with a little more pizzazz behind it. As it stands, this a sometimes fun but mostly uninspired and unimaginative entry in the Donkey Kong series."
Another batch of games have now arrived on the Nintendo Switch Eshop. This week, the digital storefront adds 11 new titles, the bulk of which are available beginning today, January 11.
Headlining this week's releases is Super Meat Boy, the critically acclaimed, ultra-challenging platformer by developer Team Meat. The Switch version boasts a new multiplayer split-screen Race Mode that allows two players to compete against each other through individual stages or the entire game. It's joined by the prison-escape game The Escapists 2, as well as the stylish sword-fighting game Furi.
You can find the full list of this week's Switch releases below. In addition to all the new titles, a New Year sale is still going on in the Eshop. Switch owners can get discounts on a handful of great games--such as Thumper, Thimbleweed Park, Severed, and more--until January 15. A separate Eshop sale is also still going on in Europe, which offers deals on a handful of first-party titles like Arms, 1-2-Switch, and Flip Wars.
PUBG is about to move its current PC test build to its live server. The move will cause about four hours of server maintenance before ushering in a bunch of new additions to the game at 6 PM PT / 9 PM ET / 2 AM GMT. Developer PUBG Corp. says it's continuing to take steps to stabilize the game, and the latest update will also crack down on cheating and introduce two new loot crates. [Update: The new update is now available.]
Players on the live server will now be able to report any player you suspect of cheating from the replay feature, meaning you won't need to be killed by a suspected cheaper before you can use the in-game reporting tool. Cheating has been a constant concern in PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds, with the developer making continuous efforts to stop players from tweaking the system in their favor.
PUBG is also adding two new loot crates to the game, which will contain Desperado and Biker cosmetic items. The update will address an assortment of bugs and make some gameplay tweaks, and it adds 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.
Lastly, PUBG is also taking steps to improve game performance on PC. It has reduced the visible distance while you're in the air. It's also improving the performance of the server and client at the beginning of matches, and will be making small changes to the starting islands. You can see the patch notes below, and check out PUBG's full post on Steam for drop rates for the new loot boxes.
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
Today's surprise Direct presentation revealed a number of new titles in store for Nintendo Switch in the first half of 2018. Along with the newly revealed Switch port of Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, Nintendo has announced it is bringing another Wii U title, the Zelda hack-and-slash game Hyrule Warriors, to its hybrid console later this year.
Titled Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition, the re-release is slated to arrive on Switch sometime this spring. As its name implies, this version is the complete edition of the game. It comes with all of the maps, missions, characters, and DLC from both the original Wii U release and the expanded 3DS version, including Yuga and Ravio from A Link Between Worlds. It also introduces some new content in the form of Breath of the Wild-themed costumes for Link and Zelda.
Like the original game, Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition supports two-player local multiplayer on a single console. Whereas the Wii U version gave one player their own display on the Wii U GamePad while the other played on the television, Definitive Edition features a split-screen mode that allows two players to play together using a single Joy-Con controller each.
Hyrule Warriors is a Dynasty Warriors-style Zelda spin-off developed by Koei Tecmo. The game originally released for Wii U back in 2014 and was subsequently ported to 3DS with new content as Hyrule Warriors Legends. GameSpot awarded the original version an 8/10 in our Hyrule Warriors review. The game's spiritual successor, Fire Emblem Warriors, was released for Switch and New 3DS in October 2017.
Although Sony made a deal with Disney in 2015 to allow Spider-Man into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the former studio still retains the overall movie rights to characters from the webslinger's comic books. As a result, a series of spin-off Spidey movies are in the works, the first of which is this year's Venom.
The first official image from the film has now been released. It shows star Tom Hardy as photographer Eddie Brock; it's not the most exciting image, and we're yet to see the titular alien symbiote who takes him over. Nevertheless, it's good to see something official released, following the on-set videos and the early promotional banner we've had so far. Check the image out below, via IGN:
Venom hits theaters on October 5, 2018. It also stars Riz Ahmed and Michelle Williams. Zombieland's Ruben Fleischer is directing.
In related news, Sony recently released a trailer for a new animated new Spider-Man movie titled Spider-Man: Into The Spiderverse. This one focuses on Miles Morales, who started life in the Ultimate Universe but has since crossed over into various other Marvel comic realities. Check it out here.
Following rampant speculation online that Nintendo had something new to share, the company surprised everyone with a full Direct presentation this morning. Without fanfare or announcement, the 15-minute presentation runs through a slew of game announcements and release dates for Nintendo Switch that will occur throughout the first half of 2018. You can watch the full video above.
We have a full rundown of all the Nintendo Direct announcements and news here and in the links below, but the biggest surprise is yet another third-party port for Nintendo's hybrid console: From Software's Dark Souls. The presentation is also notable for only focusing on the first part of 2018, which leaves plenty of room for big announcements and more surprises as we get closer to E3.
There's still plenty of room for big announcements (like an N64 Classic or a Smash Bros. Remaster), but what did you think of today's presentation? Are you happy with the number of games revealed, or did this just leave you wanting more? Let us know in the comments below!
During the surprise Nintendo Direct Mini this morning, Nintendo announced that Super Mario Odyssey is receiving a free update in February with new items and opportunities to compete with other players online. Once the update is released, players who have completed the story mode can look forward to a new mode called Balloon World.
This area can be entered by talking to Luigi atop a skyscraper in New Donk City. Balloon World lets you hide balloons within stages that other players must race to find, and conversely, you can compete while racing to find other balloons hidden by players from across the globe--everyone's performances are ranked online.
The update will also introduce three new costumes: a Super Mario Sunshine-themed shirt and glasses, a musician costume, and a full set of knight armor. Lastly, new snapshot filters for the photo mode will also come with the update, including one that lets you create your own gold-tinted Mario coin pic.
Nintendo has announced that new Pokemon characters will be introduced Pokken Tournament DX, the Nintendo Switch fighting game, through upcoming DLC. The Deluxe Battle Pack was announced during its surprise Nintendo Direct and is available to purchase now.
New content will become available to those that purchase it in two waves, with the first arriving on January 31. This initial wave will include Aegislash as a new fighter and Mega Rayquaza and Mimikyu as support characters. This will be followed by the second wave of content on March 23, with Blastoise being added as a new playable fighter. Mew and Celebi will also be included as support characters. Nintendo is also giving a new selection of avatar items to those that purchase the Deluxe Battle Pack now.
Click image to view in full screen
Pokken Tournament was originally released for the Wii U. In the original Pokken Tournament review, GameSpot awarded it a 9/10. "Nintendo's Wii U provides a paucity of fighting games, but Pokken Tournament has redeemed that drought by being one of the best on any platform," reads the review. "Frequently magnificent to look at, delicately designed, and rewarding for players across all skill levels, it's the Pokemon fighting game deserving of a 20-year wait."
The World Ends With You, the RPG originally released by Square Enix for Nintendo DS, is coming to Nintendo Switch in 2018. The announcement of The World Ends With You: Final Remix was made during Nintendo's surprise Direct video, during which it was also confirmed that a "sizeable" new scenario is being added to the title.
In addition to the new content, The World Ends With You: Final Remix will be playable using touchscreen or with traditional controls. The original title allowed players to use a mixture of both to manage action across both the DS's screens.
The news will no doubt be exciting for RPG fans as The World Ends With You has a reputation for being a stylish and unique take on the genre. The World Ends With You is set in Tokyo and is imbued with the spirit of urban youth and the culture that surrounds fashion and music. It's cast of characters are pulled into a parallel plane of existence and forced to take part in a game that will decide their fate. Gameplay was action-focused and spread across both screens, with players interacting through the touchscreen and pressing the physical buttons.
The World Ends With You was produced by Tetsuya Nomura, who is well known for his work on the Final Fantasy series. In GameSpot's The World Ends With You review Randolph Ramsay awarded it a 9/10.
"Flawless presentation, gameplay depth, an engaging story, and innovation all add up to make The World Ends With You a worthy addition to the already-impressive pantheon of Square Enix works," he said. "There's very little to complain about in this package, which makes The World Ends With You a must-have for any DS owner needing an RPG fix."
Nintendo has confirmed the release date for Payday 2 on Nintendo Switch as February 27. The announcement was made during it's news-packed Nintendo Direct event, where the game's new character was also detailed.
This character is called Joy, who is described as computer wiz that specialises in heists. Also included in the event was confirmation that an online multiplayer mode will be included in the Switch version of Payday 2. Joy was described as being a timed-exclusive for the Switch version, so the character will eventually show up in Payday 2 on other platforms.
As previously detailed, Payday 2 runs in Switch's portable and tabletop modes, as well as docked. It will feature a new interface and touchscreen support on the platform. Payday 2 was originally released back in 2013 for PS3, Xbox 360, and PC. Since then it has made its way to PS4 and Xbox One. Overkill is also currently working on a VR version of the game.
GameSpot's Payday 2 review awarded the game a 7/10, with Chris Watters saying its "systems and mechanics all have small flaws and limitations, but they come together to set the stage for exciting heists that you'll want to pull again and again." He added: "As long as you can find some felons to fight alongside, Payday 2 is an addictive and challenging criminal pursuit."
In 2016, Swedish publisher Starbreeze announced it had fully acquired the rights to the crime game franchise, and confirmed that Payday 3 was in development.
We don't know too much else about the add-on as yet, but it will be included in the game's £16 / $20 season pass when it launches this spring, though you can also buy the new DLC separately. That season pass has already delivered DLC steampunk weapons and pixelated weapons, while a PvP mode was released as a free add-on in December. You can read more and see some gameplay of that in our in-depth look at how Mario + Rabbids' PvP mode revamps the game. The additional content expands on what was already an accomplished game, which we awarded a 9/10 in our Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle review.
"Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle exudes off-beat optimism that never dissolves," wrote our critic, Edmond Tran. "It's a consistent delight, no matter how challenging the road becomes, because Kingdom Battle's unique turn-based tactics system is in every way a pleasure to engage with. Coupled with the annoyingly infectious allure of Rabbids, and the always delightful, colorful world of the Mushroom Kingdom, Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle is an implausibly engrossing formula that is positively challenging and endlessly charming."
The regular season of the inaugural year of the Overwatch League begins this week. As the premiere esports circuit for the game, it's a massive undertaking by Blizzard, an entire year in the making. It'll feature over 100 players from around the world, with 12 areas playing host to them: Boston, Dallas, Florida, Houston, London, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seoul, Shanghai, and two in Los Angeles. Whether you're an avid Overwatch fan or a curious onlooker who has never escorted a payload, our explainer provides essential facts, from how the season will flow to how you can watch the matches in person. We also have a guide on how to watch Overwatch League online.
How is the season structured? The regular season, which begins on December 10, consists of four stages. Each stage lasts five weeks, with the final one ending on June 16. Incidentally, this end date is the Saturday after the E3 Expo. The first part of the Overwatch League schedule kicks off on January 10.
What are the big prizes? The prize pool awarded at the end of each stage is $125,000. The Overwatch League champions will be awarded $1,000,000.
Where is the tournament held? Blizzard opened an arena in Burbank, where all the Overwatch League matches will be held. This state-of-the-art facility features multiple sound stages, control rooms, player lounges, and even a Blizzard merchandise store. The arena already played host to the Overwatch Contenders matches and the Hearthstone Championship Tour.
$20 for the weekday (half day) events; begins at 4PM
$30 for the weekend (full day) events; begins at 11AM
The first day of regular season is sold out.
How can I track the season progress outside of overwatchleague.com? You track your favorite teams, keep up with league news, and set alerts using the Overwatch League app. You can even customize spoiler settings so you can watch completed matches without knowing the outcome in advance.
Are there new skins? Blizzard has released a new Overwatch update which, among other things, adds new skins. A lot of skins. There are 312 in all, with each character getting one for each of the League teams. You can see all of the new skins in our gallery, and you'll be able to snag one for free. You'll have to purchase others; you can read more about how you get the new skins here.
How many teams and divisions are there? There are 12 teams, split evenly into two divisions. They're made up predominantly of American teams, although the players come from all over the world. Mirroring the NFL, there are two Los Angeles teams, the Gladiators and Valiant. There also three international teams, the London Spitfire, the Seoul Dynasty, and the Shanghai Dragons.
Atlantic Division
Boston Uprising
Florida Mayhem
Houston Outlaws
London Spitfire
New York Excelsior
Philadelphia Fusion
Pacific Division
Dallas Fuel
Los Angeles Gladiators
Los Angeles Valiant
San Francisco Shock
Seoul Dynasty
Shanghai Dragons
Check out our gallery where you can learn about the teams' backgrounds, ownership info, and other fun facts.
Last year's Thor: Ragnarok was not only the biggest Thor movie to date, it was also by far the funniest film in the MCU. Acclaimed New Zealand comedy director Taika Waititi added a light-hearted, often silly sense of fun, with great dialogue and hilarious banter between Thor and the Hulk, alongside the expected superhero action.
A behind-the-scenes blooper reel has now been released that shows that the atmosphere on set was much the same as in the movie itself. It's a promo for the film's upcoming home entertainment release--check it out below:
Thor: Ragnarok can be watched digitally from February 20th, with the Blu-ray and DVD hitting shelves on March 6th. The full list of extras and bonus content is as follows, via Collider:
Director's Introduction
Deleted/Extended Scenes--Deleted Scenes include the Sorcerer Supreme, Skurge Finds Heimdall, and Hulk Chases Thor Through Sakaar. Extended Scenes include Thor Meets the Grandmaster, Stupid Avenger vs. Tiny Avenger, and Grandmaster and Topaz
Gag Reel--Watch a collection of goofs, gaffes and pratfalls starring the cast
Exclusive Short/Team Darryl--Fresh off being unseated as the ruler of Sakaar, the Grandmaster makes his way to Earth to start a new life. It's been over a year since Thor left Australia and Darryl has been struggling to pay his rent. Now Darryl needs a new roommate to help make the monthly payments. Unfortunately for Darryl, the Grandmaster was the only one who answered Darryl's Roommate Needed ad and with no viable options, the Grandmaster moves in.
Marvel Studios: The First Ten Years--The Evolution of Heroes--Marvel's universe is vast and transcends both time and space. We'll examine the Cinematic Universe as a whole and revisit each of our heroes' current location and their place in the current MCU timeline, as it all leads up to the one culminating event: Avengers: Infinity War.
Getting in Touch with Your Inner Thor--Thor: Ragnarok director Taika Waititi has brought his unique sensibility and sense of humor to the film in a great many ways but it is the evolution of Thor's own sense of humor, which stands out the most in the new film. This piece explores the impact Chris Hemsworth has made on the development of his widely-loved character and celebrates the mighty cast and crew who reveal the fun and hard work that went into assembling Thor's eccentric counterparts.
Unstoppable Women: Hela & Valkyrie--This piece explores the strong female characters in Thor: Ragnarok, their importance in the MCU, their incredible casting and their epic comic origins.
Finding Korg--A tongue-in-cheek interview with Taika on casting Korg. He describes the difficult search for just the right evolution of the character design, and the nuances of this instantly classic character in the MCU. This conversation will also delve into all the extraordinary visual effects that brought Korg, Sakaar and the worlds of Thor: Ragnarok to life.
Sakaar: On the Edge of the Known and Unknown--Sakaar is the collection point for all lost and unloved things. This documentary will answer all known and unknown questions while also exploring the hard work and creativity that went into creating the look and feel of Sakaar. From design inspired by Jack Kirby's classic artwork to the dedication of the visual development team to the awe-inspiring physical and digital production, you will see this distant world come alive.
Journey into Mystery--A deep dive story piece with the writers, director and producer Kevin Feige about the inspirations for Thor: Ragnarok within the comics. Most notably, the contest of champions limited series where the Grandmaster pitted our favorite heroes against one another as he does in the film. This piece also further explores Thor's comic book origins and classic arcs through interviews with some of the most important comic creators, such as Walt Simonson and Jack Kirby.
8-bit Scenes--Final Bridge Battle + Sakaar Spaceship Battle. Dive into these climactic sequences presented in retro video-game format.
The inaugural season of the Overwatch League begins on January 10. 12 teams split into 2 divisions will play for the next six months to see who is the ultimate Overwatch champion, while competing for a prize pool totaling $3.5 million. Unless you're fortunate enough to make it to Blizzard Arena in Burbank, California, you're going to have to watch the matches online.
Here are the details on where, when, and how you can keep up and follow your favorite teams during this first week of the Overwatch League regular season. In the meantime, you can start getting your hands on new Overwatch League skins in-game.
How and Where: Simply go to overwatchleague.com where live matches play out through an embedded Twitch livestream. Past matches will be archived under the site's Videos tab. You can also catch the matches directly on Twitch.com and at mlg.tv.
You track your favorite teams, keep up with league news, and set alerts using the Overwatch League app. You can even customize spoiler settings so you can watch completed matches without knowing the outcome in advance.
The Overwatch League and Twitch are also developing innovative rewards and other programs for fans, which will bestow the league's most steadfast viewers with unique Overwatch League in-game items with exclusives. More details about insider content and additional rewards for the biggest fans, as well as Cheering with Overwatch League Cheermotes, will be announced as they become available. The matches will be broadcast on multiple channels with three different languages: English, French, and Korean.
When: Here is the schedule for the first week of the first stage, which runs from January 10 to January 13 (times are in PST).
January 10, Wednesday
4PM - San Francisco Shock versus Los Angeles Valiant
6PM - Shanghai Dragons versus Los Angeles Gladiators
8PM - Dallas Fuel versus Seoul Dynasty
January 11, Thursday
2PM - London Spitfire versus Florida Mayhem
4PM - Philadelphia Fusion versus Houston Outlaws
6PM - Boston Uprising versus New York Excelsior
January 12, Friday
4PM - Los Angeles Valiant versus Dallas Fuel
6PM - Florida Mayhem versus Boston Uprising
8PM - San Francisco Shock versus Shanghai Dragons
January 13, Saturday
11AM - London Spitfire versus Philadelphia Fusion
1PM - New York Excelsior versus Houston Outlaws
3PM - Seoul Dynasty versus Los Angeles Gladiators
Click here to learn more about Overwatch League including facts about the season structure, how to buy tickets, and what apps you can download.
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
Earlier this week at CES 2018, HTC announced a more powerful, higher-resolution version of its high-end Vive VR headset, meant to push the upper boundaries of virtual reality even further. But there's also been a big development in the mobile VR space: Google has announced a new headset based on its Daydream VR platform that's fully standalone.
It's called the Mirage Solo, and it was built in conjunction with hardware manufacturer Lenovo. In contrast to Google's first headset, the Daydream View, which required a smartphone, the Mirage Solo is fully standalone and fully wireless.
It has a 110-degree field of view, which puts it ahead of other mobile headsets and brings it into line with the Rift, Vive, and PSVR. It runs on 4GB of RAM and a Qualcomm mobile processor, and Lenovo has built it with cameras and sensors to give it a much higher head-tracking capability than mobile headsets are normally capable of. It also has a 1440p screen and 64GB of internal storage.
The Mirage Solo will compete head-to-head with Oculus Go, Facebook's own fully standalone headset. However, the Oculus Go is coming out at a much lower price range: Facebook is targeting $200 for the headset, while the Mirage Solo will likely cost around $400 in the US. Lenovo and Google's headset is currently scheduled for release in the second quarter of 2018.
Although it was once a well-known and popular series, Prince of Persia went a little quiet during the PS3/Xbox 360 generation. A film based on the series and the most recent mainline game both launched in 2010, and since then, it's pretty much disappeared. But there may still be hope that the series could return: creator Jordan Mechner recently stated that he's working to resurrect Prince of Persia.
This week, model and TV host Chrissy Teigen posted on Twitter about how she had enjoyed Prince of Persia and wondered if the franchise was still alive. Mechner saw this post and responded, explaining that he and others are trying to garner interest in bringing it back. "Chrissy, I know a few other people who feel the same way," he said. "We're doing our best to make it happen!"
Chrissy, I know a few other people who feel the same way. We're doing our best to make it happen! https://t.co/guYWh1n0E8
Mechner developed the very first Prince of Persia game, which originally launched in 1989. Since then, he's helped with several other Prince of Persia games, including the first reboot in 2001 after Ubisoft took over publishing rights.
It is unclear if Ubisoft would consider publishing another Prince of Persia game. Assassin's Creed is often viewed as Ubisoft's successor franchise to Prince of Persia, considering their gameplay and setting similarities. With Assassin's Creed still going strong, Ubisoft may opt to focus on one third-person, historical action series. In the meantime, if you want to check out one of the previous games, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time is backwards compatible on Xbox One.
Battalion 1944, the crowdfunded World War II FPS that is being published by Square Enix, will finally hit Steam Early Access on February 1, its developers have announced. At that time, anyone can buy the game for $15/£12/€15, though it still won't be a finished game then.
Ahead of that launch, there will be a Battalion 1944 closed beta taking place on PC on January 20 and 21. You can sign up for a chance to play here on the game's website. Previous betas blocked people from sharing their gameplay but for this beta, people are free to publicly publish gameplay to social channels for all to see.
Battalion 1944 was successfully funded on Kickstarter in 2016, raising more than $450,000 from 10,000 backers. That was well above the studio's target ($142,000), and the extra funding allows the studio to make a game that developer Bulkhead Interactive claims will "challenge the biggest AAA shooters in the industry."
Battalion 1944 will be published through Square Enix's Collective division that works with independent studios to help them with things like marketing services and testing. A major pillar of the Square Enix Collective is that studios retain creative control and all brand rights.
The multiplayer shooter aims to capture the "core of classic multiplayer shooters" while using the "most advanced industry technology." In addition to PC, Battalion 1944 is coming to PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.
A standalone Black Widow movie that will star Scarlett Johansson in the leading role has taken its next step toward becoming a reality. While the movie is unconfirmed and unannounced, Variety reports that Marvel has found a writer for it: Jac Schaeffer.
According to the report, which cites unnamed sources, the Black Widow movie is only in the "very early" development stages. Importantly, Marvel has not even given the greenlight yet. Marvel president Kevin Feige reportedly met with "several" writers before signing Schaeffer, though the names of the others were not disclosed. The conversations between Feige and the prospective writers reportedly focused on what story they wanted to tell. Schaeffer's was apparently the best, or the one that Feige liked the most.
You might not know Schaeffer by name but she has some impressive accomplishments to her name. She wrote the script for the a comedy called The Shower in which aliens invade Earth during a baby shower. Oscar winning actress Anne Hathaway will star in the film. Schaeffer is writing the script for Nasty Women, a female-focused spin on Dirty Rotten Scoundrels that will also star Hathaway. Additionally, Schaeffer wrote, directed, and produced the 2009 movie TiMER as he theatrical debut.
There has been much discussion about a standalone Black Widow movie for some time now. In October 2016, Johansson said time might not be on her side. "If I did it, I'd have to do it while I still actually wanted to wear a skin-tight catsuit," she explained. "I don't know how much longer that's going to be." In 2017, Johansson said she had already spoken to Feige about the movie and that the initial discussions were positive. What's been keeping the movie from happening is the timing and schedules for Marvel and Johansson's other projects.
Johansson played Black Widow most recently in 2016's Captain America: Civil War. She's also going to be in 2018's Avengers: Infinity War. Do you want to see a Black Widow movie? Let us know in the comments below!
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