If you're in need of new shows and movies to stream this week, Netflix is ready. The streaming service is adding quite a bit of content for the week, including your first taste of 2018 Winter Olympics programming.
While the Olympics don't kick off until February 9, NBC is debuting a two-part special, 2018 Olympic Winter Games Preview: Meet Team USA & Go for the Gold. The specials--which are available now--will only be streaming for a limited time, getting removed from Netflix at the conclusion of the games. In them, you'll get to know the athletes on Team USA and their stories leading into the Olympics.
If the winter games aren't something you're interested in, though, there's still plenty to watch on Netflix. New seasons of Friday Night Tykes, Grace and Frankie, and Trolls: The Beat Goes On all arrive this week, along with movies like Dallas Buyers Club and Wild Hogs.
The Xbox One's backwards compatibility feature, introduced in November 2015, lets you play original Xbox and Xbox 360 games on the current-gen console. But what games are available? We've rounded them all up--and we'll continue to update this post as new games are made available to the extensive list. More are added regularly, although new original Xbox games will be less common. [Updated January 16 with three more games]
Xbox One Backwards Compatibility Lineup:
Xbox
New titles are bolded
Black
BloodRayne 2
Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge
Dead to Rights
Fuzion Frenzy
Grabbed by the Ghoulies
The King of Fighters Neowave
Ninja Gaiden Black
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
Psychonauts
Red Faction II
Sid Meier's Pirates
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic
Xbox 360
New titles are bolded
0 Day Attack on Earth
3D Ultra Minigolf Adventures
A Kingdom for Keflings
A World of Keflings
Aegis Wing
Age of Booty
Alan Wake
Alan Wake's American Nightmare
Alice: Madness Returns
Alien Hominid HD
Altered Beast
Anomaly Warzone Earth
Arkanoid Live
Army of Two
Assassin's Creed
Assassin's Creed II
Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood
Assassin's Creed III
Assassin's Creed Revelations
Assassin's Creed Rogue
Assault Heroes 2
Asteroids & Deluxe
AstroPop
Aqua
Babel Rising
Band of Bugs
Banjo Kazooie: Nuts n Bolts
Banjo Tooie
Banjo Kazooie
Batman: Arkham Origins
Battlefield: Bad Company
Battlefield: Bad Company 2
Battlefield 3
BattleBlock Theater
Battlestations: Midway
Bayonetta
Beat'n Groovy
Bejeweled 2
Bejeweled 3
Bellator: MMA Onslaught
Beyond Good & Evil HD
Bionic Commando Rearmed 2
BioShock
BioShock 2
BioShock Infinite
Bloodforge
Blood Knights
Blood of the Werewolf
BloodRayne: Betrayal
Blue Dragon
Bomberman Live: Battlefest
Boom Boom Rocket
Borderlands
Borderlands 2
Bound by Flame
Braid
Brain Challenge
Bullet Soul
Bullet Soul: Infinite Burst
Bully: Scholarship Edition
Burnout Paradise
Cabela's Alaskan Adventures
Cabela's Dangerous Hunts 2013
Cabela's Hunting Expeditions
Cabela's Survival: Shadows of Katmai
Call of Duty 2
Call of Duty 3
Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare
Call of Duty: Black Ops
Call of Duty: Black Ops II
Call of Duty: Ghosts
Call of Duty: World at War
Call of Juarez Gunslinger
Capcom Arcade Cabinet
Carcassonne
Cars: Mater-National Championship
Cars 2
Castle Crashers
Castlestorm
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
Catherine
The Cave
Centipede & Millipede
Child of Light
Civilization: Revolution
Clannad
Commanders: Attack of the Genos
Comic Jumper
Comix Zone
Condemned
Contra
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
Crazy Taxi
Crystal Quest
Crystal Defenders
Cyber Troopers Virtual On: Oratorio Tangram
Dark Souls
Dark Void
Darksiders
Darksiders II
Daytona USA
de Blob 2
Dead Rising 2: Case West
Dead Rising 2: Case Zero
Dead Space
Dead Space 2
Dead Space 3
Dead Space Ignition
Deadfall Adventures
Deadliest Warrior: Legends
Deadliest Warrior: The Game
Deadly Premonition
Deathspank: Thongs of Virtue
Defense Grid
Deus Ex: Human Revolution
Deus Ex: Human Revolution Director's Cut
Dig Dug
Dirt 3
Dirt Showdown
Discs of Tron
Disney Bolt
Disney Castle of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse
Disney Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two
Domino Master
Doom
Doom II
Doom 3: BFG Edition
Doritos Crash Course
Double Dragon: Neon
Dragon Age: Origins
Dragon's Lair
Driver: San Franciso -- added January 16
DuckTales Remastered
Duke Nukem: Manhattan Project
Dungeons & Dragons: Chronicles of Mystara
Dungeon Siege III
E4: Every Extend Extra Extreme
Earthworm Jim HD
Earth Defense Force 2017
Earth Defense Force: Insect Armageddon
Eat Lead: The Return of Matt Hazard
The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
Encleverment Experiment
Escape Dead Island
F1 2014
Fable Anniversary
Fable II
Fable II Pub Games
Fable III
Faery: Legends of Avalon
Fallout 3
Fallout: New Vegas
Far Cry 2 -- added January 16
Far Cry 3
Far Cry 3 Blood Dragon
Feeding Frenzy
Feeding Frenzy 2
Fighting Vipers
Final Fight: Double Impact
Flashback
Flock
Forza Horizon
Fret Nice
Frogger
Frogger 2
FunTown Mahjong
Galaga
Galaga Legions
Galaga Legions DX
Garou: Mark of the Wolves
Gatling Gears
Gears of War
Gears of War 2
Gears of War 3
Gears of War: Judgment
Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved
Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved 2
Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions
Ghostbusters
Ghostbusters: Sanctum of Slime
Gin Rummy
Girl Fight
Goat Simulator
Golden Axe
Go! Go! Break Steady
Golf: Tee It Up
Grand Theft Auto IV
Grid 2
Gripshift
Guardian Heroes
Gunstar Heroes
Guwange
Gyromancer
Gyruss
Half-Minute Hero: Super Mega Neo Climax
Halo: Combat Evolved
Halo 3
Halo 3: ODST Campaign Edition
Halo 4
Halo: Reach
Halo: Spartan Assault
Halo Wars
Hard Corps: Uprising
Hardwood Backgammon
Hardwood Hearts
Hardwood Spades
Harms Way
Haunted House
Heavy Weapon
Hexic 2
Hexic HD
Hitman: Absolution
Hydro Thunder
I Am Alive
Ikaruga
Ilomilo
Injustice: Gods Among Us + disc-only Ultimate Edition
Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet
Interpol: The Trail of Dr. Chaos
Iron Brigade
Jeremy McGrath's Offroad
Jet Set Radio
Jetpac Refuelled
Jewel Quest
Joe Danger Special Edition
Joe Danger 2: The Movie
Joust
Joy Ride Turbo
Juju
Jurassic Park: The Game
Just Cause 2
Kameo
Kane & Lynch 2
Killer Is Dead
The King of Fighters '98
The King of Fighters 2002
KOF Sky Stage
Lazy Raiders
Left 4 Dead
Left 4 Dead 2
Lego Batman
Lego Indiana Jones
Lego Pirates of the Caribbean: The Video Game
Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga
Limbo
Lode Runner
Lost Odyssey
Lumines Live!
Luxor 2
Mad Tracks
Magic: The Gathering 2012
Marlow Briggs and the Mask of Death
Mars: War Logs
Mass Effect
Mass Effect 2
Mass Effect 3
Matt Hazard: Blood, Bath, and Beyond
The Maw
Medal of Honor: Airborne
Meet the Robinsons
Mega Man 9
Mega Man 10
Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance
Metal Slug 3
Metal Slug XX
Midway Arcade Origins
Might & Magic Clash of Heroes
Military Madness
Mirror's Edge
Missile Command
Monaco: What's Yours Is Mine
Monday Night Combat
Monkey Island: SE
Monkey Island 2: SE
Monopoly Deal
Moon Diver
Motocross Madness
Ms. Splosion Man
Ms Pac-Man
Mutant Blobs Attack
Mutant Storm Empire
Mutant Storm Reloaded
MX vs. ATV Reflex
N+
NBA Jam: On Fire Edition
Neogeo Battle Coliseum
Nights Into Dreams
Of Orcs and Men
Omega Five
Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising
Operation Flashpoint: Red River
The Orange Box
Outland
Pac-Man
Pac-Man C.E
Pac-Man CE DX+
Pac-Man Museum
Peggle
Peggle 2
Perfect Dark
Perfect Dark Zero
Persona 4 Arena
Phantasy Star II
Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds
Pinball FX
Planets Under Attack
Plants vs. Zombies
Poker Smash
Portal: Still Alive
Portal 2
Prince of Persia
Pure
Putty Squad
Puzzle Quest
Puzzle Quest 2
Puzzle Quest: Galactrix
QIX++ Puzzlegeddon
Rage
Raiden IV
Raskulls
Rayman 3 HD
Rayman Legends
Rayman Origins
Red Dead Redemption
Red Faction: Armageddon
Red Faction: Battlegrounds
RoboBlitz
Rocket Knight
R-Type Dimensions
Runner 2
Sacred 3
Sacred Citadel
Saints Row: The Third
Saints Row IV
Sam & Max: Beyond Time & Space
Sam & Max Save the World
Samurai Shodown II
Scarygirl
Scrap Metal
ScreamRide
Sega Vintage Collection: Alex Kidd & Co.
Sega Vintage Collection: Monster World
Sega Vintage Collection: Streets of Rage
Sega Vintage Collection: ToeJam & Earl
Shadow Assault/Tenchu
Shadow Complex
Shadowrun
Shadows of the Damned
Shank 2
Shinobi
Shred Nebula
Shotest Shogi
Silent Hill: Downpour
Skate 3
Skullgirls
Skydive
Slender: The Arrival
Small Arms
Sniper Elite V2 -- added January 16
Soltrio Solitaire
Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed
Sonic & Knuckles
Sonic Adventure
Sonic Adventure 2
Sonic CD
Sonic The Fighters
Sonic The Hedgehog
Sonic The Hedgehog 2
Sonic The Hedgehog 3
Sonic The Hedgehog 4: Episode 1
Sonic The Hedgehog 4: Episode II
Soulcalibur
Soulcalibur II
South Park: The Stick of Truth
Space Ark
Space Giraffe
Space Invaders Infinity Gene
Spelunky
The Splatters
Splosion Man
SSX
Stacking
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II
Steins; Gate 比翼恋理のだーりん (Japan only)
Steins; Gate (オリジナル版) (Japan only)
Steins; Gate 線形拘束のフェノグラム (Japan-only, requires game disc)
Strania
Street Fighter IV
Stuntman: Ignition
Super Contra
Super Meat Boy
Super Street Fighter IV Arcade Edition
Supreme Commander 2
Syberia
Tecmo Bowl Throwback
Tekken 6
Tekken Tag Tournament 2
Texas Hold 'Em
Ticket to Ride
TimeShift
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas 2
Tomb Raider: Underworld
Torchlight
Tour de France 2009
Tour de France 2011
Toy Soldiers
Toy Soldiers Cold War
Toy Story 3
Tower Bloxx Deluxe
Trials HD
Trine 2
Tron: Evolution
Ugly Americans: Apocalypsegeddon
Unbound Saga
Undertow
Virtua Fighter 5 Final Showdown
Viva Piñata
Viva Piñata: Trouble in Paradise
The Walking Dead: A Telltale Games Series
The Walking Dead: Season 2 - A Telltale Games Series
The Walking Dead: Michonne - A Telltale Miniseries
It's been a quiet period for new additions to the Xbox One's backwards compatibility library. Following a number of additions in November, Microsoft's BC team took a break for the holidays, leaving us without any new titles for several weeks. Now, the first new releases of the year have arrived, with several more Xbox 360 games now being playable on Xbox One.
There are three new arrivals in all. The most noteworthy of the bunch is Far Cry 2, the excellent open-world first-person shooter. It's joined by another shooter, Sniper Elite V2, and racing game Driver: San Francisco, which is the most recent entry in the Driver series.
All three are now playable on Xbox One. If you own a physical disc, you can simply pop that into the system to begin playing. Digital copies can be found in the Ready to Download area of the My Games and Apps section on the console, or you can buy the games directly through the Xbox Store. As it happens, Far Cry 2 is among the Xbox games on sale this week.
Nearly 150 games were added to the backwards compatibility list last year, including the first original Xbox games. Those are not expected to be added as frequently as Xbox 360 games; the next batch is due out sometime this spring. There's no set schedule for new Xbox 360 games, but in the past we've typically seen additions come no more than a week apart. For a look at what's already playable, check out our list of all the Xbox One backwards compatible games.
Adult Swim's newest animated series Hot Streets has quite a history from its inception, and it's entirely possible it wouldn't exist without Rick and Morty creators Dan Harmon and Justin Roiland. It's a story that stretched back to 2005 for Brian Wysol, who is now showing his series to the world.
"Around 2005, I was living in Orange County and had been working property management and I really hated that job," he remembers in a look at the history of Hot Streets, which you can see first below. "I could buy equipment where you could make your own cartoon. So I spent all the money that I had."
It's then that he found Channel 101--the web-based short film competition created by Harmon and Rob Schrab. "Channel 101 is a monthly contest where anybody in the world can enter a five-minute fake TV pilot that then gets screened in front of an audience," JD Ryznar, a voice on Hot Streets, explains. "They then vote for their favorites and the five favorites get to come back and make another episode."
One of those voting was none other than Roiland, who became a fan of Wysol's. "So I would see his stuff monthly or at least hope to see it monthly because I was always such a big fan," he says. Of course, not everyone was a fan and some of his animated shorts did not win over the majority of the audience. It did not deter Wysol, though. "This guy doesn't give a f*** at all," Roiland jokes. "It's amazing."
So amazing that when the time was right, Wysol decided to pitch an animated series to Adult Swim with Roiland on board as one of the voices. As with his reception at Channel 101 events, though, the pitch session with the network was not going well, at first. Then Roiland stepped in.
"I literally had [Adult Swim senior executive vice president Mike] Lazzo watch like three or four of his shorts and he was like, 'Alright, greenlit to series,'" Roiland remembers. Looking back on the journey, Wysol himself can't believe how far he's come. "I went from making a cartoon by myself in my apartment to having a team of amazingly talented professional animators," he says. "It was exciting to be able to escape my old job and to make cartoons, which is my dream."
Hot Streets airs Sunday nights at midnight on Adult Swim.
You may have seen Sega teasing a new game recently, and now the company has revealed its upcoming title. It's a spiritual successor to Theme Hospital called Two Point Hospital, and it's coming to PC in "late 2018."
The game is being made by a new UK company called Two Point Studios, formed by some of the ex-developers of Theme Park, Black & White, and Fable. Together, Sega and Two Point say the game will come "packed with the humor, charm, and replayability fans of the genre have come to expect," the former of which is evident in the first trailer--take a look at that above.
"We're delighted to finally announce the fruits of our partnership with Two Point Studios and reveal Two Point Hospital to the world," said Sega Europe's VP of publishing, John Clark. "We're committed to finding and working with the best new studios, ones that fit with Sega's ethos to deliver new IP with strong franchise potential. Two Point Studios' vision for Two Point Hospital and their ambitions for it fit perfectly with that notion and we look forward to releasing their game later this year."
Theme Hospital launched back in 1997, itself a spiritual successor to Theme Park. The games spawned a series of management sims that included Theme Aquarium, Sim Theme Park (Theme Park World in Europe and Australia), and SimCoaster (Theme Park Inc in Europe). However, the latter was the final game released by the series' developer, Bullfrog, after the company was acquired by and merged into EA.
Xbox One X promised to bring even more beautiful graphics to your favorite games, and it's been delivering. With over 100 titles and counting, Forza Horizon 3's update has joined the ranks, and is available now.
Microsoft says the update allows you to play Horizon 3 in "native 4K," including the Hot Wheels and Blizzard Mountain expansions. The patch contains a bunch of visual enhancements for Xbox One X, from "improved car reflections and shadow resolutions" to "improved texture detail for road and terrain surfaces" and more.
"These enhancements are all about the visuals," said developer Playground's creative director, Ralph Fulton. "We know that our fans really value great image quality, so we've taken this opportunity to deliver that to them with this update on Xbox One X. On top of the obvious enhancement to native 4K, there are a number of other improvements we've made which really take advantage of the added definition 4K brings. Reflections are sharper and clearer, environment shadows are crisper and better defined, the quality of motion blur has been increased to make the driving experience significantly smoother, and better anisotropic filtering improves the detail visible in environment textures, particularly on the roads themselves.
"For me, the biggest improvement is in the combination of 4K and HDR though, especially in Forza Horizon 3's dynamic time-lapse skies. The sky is such a huge part of nearly every scene in the game that it affects the feel of the game a great deal, and the improvements we've made to reflections and shadows really complement it."
For more on Xbox One X Enhanced updates, check out all the Xbox One X Enhanced games confirmed so far. This master list includes all the games with updates available right now, which ones are coming soon, and which titles have updates in development.
The variety of historical settings of Assassin's Creed games has always been one of the highlights of the series, as it's fascinating to explore a dynamic, living recreation of Victorian England or Ancient Egypt. Previously, however, if you simply wanted to explore the cities and environments of the games, you still had to put up with some combat and storyline.
Today, Ubisoft announced the release date and price for a new mode, called Discovery Tour, for Assassin's Creed Origins that allows players to learn more about Ancient Egypt without the pressure of questlines or combat. It's designed specifically as an educational experience, and it'll let you see the entire world at your own pace.
There are two main components to Discovery Tour. First, the mode opens up the entire world to free-roaming, and quests and combat are turned off. This way, players can simply wander through the cities, villages, and deserts to see what Ancient Egypt might have been like.
Secondly, Ubisoft will also add daily guided tours to the game to provide players with a way to gain specific knowledge of Egyptian society and history. These tours will be curated by historians and Egypt experts.
Discovery Tour will be available as a free update to anyone who owns Assassin's Creed Origins on PS4, Xbox One, and PC on February 20. In addition, it'll be available as a standalone download for $20 only on PC.
In other news, Ubisoft announced that the first piece of DLC is coming to Assassin's Creed Origins on January 23. Called The Hidden Ones, it adds a new region, storyline, weapons, and more. In addition, a new patch was released today that improves the behavior of tamed animals and allows you to sell back outfits, among other things.
Microsoft has rolled out a new batch of game discounts for Xbox One and Xbox 360. A big selection of titles are on sale for both platforms this week, and you don't need an Xbox Live Gold subscription to take advantage of most of them.
As per usual, the bulk of this week's deals are available on Xbox One, but only a handful of discounts are reserved for Xbox Live Gold members. Those with Gold can pick up the ever-popular Grand Theft Auto V for $30 / £27.50, while an assortment of microtransaction bundles for the game are also on sale for Gold subscribers. Additionally, Halo 5: Guardians Digital Deluxe Edition is $30 / £21, L.A. Noire is $30 / £26.24, Slender: The Arrival is $2 / £1.60, Defunct is $10.49 / £8.74, and Feral Fury is $2.50 / £2.
On Xbox 360, Gold members can get Red Dead Redemption for $9 / £7.49, which is also playable on Xbox One thanks to backwards compatibility. Additionally, the game's Undead Nightmare expansion is available for $5 / £3.37. All 360 owners, meanwhile, can find discounts on various Far Cry titles and DLC, including Far Cry 4 ($12 / £4), Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon ($6 / £4), and Far Cry 2 ($6 / £2.69), which was just added to Xbox One's backwards compatible library.
The above deals will only be available until 3 AM PT / 6 AM ET on January 23, giving you a week to take advantage of them. You can find the full list of this week's Xbox game discounts on Major Nelson's blog.
With the new season of The Handmaid's Tale comes a vastly expanding world for the Hulu series. The show stretch beyond Gilead to the Colonies where exiled handmaids escape to and the funeral for a handmaiden--both settings that were revealed in the first photos for the new season.
Now, though, much more about the season is becoming clear. In the first-look trailer for the episodes, it's clear that a resistance against Gilead is growing and at the heart of it is Offred (Elisabeth Moss). "There is more than one way to resist," Moss told reports at the Television Critics Association winter press tour. "There is resistance within her, and that is a big part of this season."
Moss also says motherhood is a major theme for the season, as Offred--whose real name was revealed to be June--comes to terms with her pregnancy and the possibility of bringing a child into such a troubled time. "It's a wonderful thing to have a baby but she's potentially having it in this world," Moss admits.
Beyond Offred, though, there is even more to the season. Executive producer Warren Littlefield reveals Hulu increased the budget of the series for Season 2, which allows them to build out the world even more. The second episode, for instance, will visit the Colonies described by Margaret Atwood in her original novel.
That new area will first be explored in the second episode of the new season. To help tell that story, creator and executive producer Bruce Miller reveals that Oscar-winning actress Marisa Tomei, most recently seen in Spider-Man: Homecoming, will guest star on the series. Littlefield tells GameSpot she will appear only in this one episode. Her role will be that of a commander's wife in the Colonies, according to Miller.
The second season of The Handmaid's Tale premieres on April 25 on Hulu. You can stream all of Season 1 now.
Speaking at the ACE Comic-Con, McFarlane explained that his movie would be very different from other recent R-rated comic book adaptations. "It's funny in Hollywood, if you say you want to do an R-rated movie, they go like 'Oh like Deadpool and like Logan?'" he said, via The Playlist. "For me, no. Deadpool, to me, was a PG-13 action movie. It just had some naked butts and a couple f-bombs. Other than that, I thought it was the same PG-13 formula.
"I'm talking R. I'm talking that there will not be a lot of fun, there will not be any stupid lines in it. I never like my hero to make a joke right when the jeopardy was at its highest. I felt that if my hero wasn't afraid right now, why should I be? I want my heroes to go 'S**t, what do I do now?'"
In an interview last year, McFarlane was asked how confident he was about his ability to direct the movie, which will be his debut. "I didn't used to draw comic books and I drew comic books and I won awards," he said, via Deadline. "I don't know how to read music and I have a Grammy Award. I'm spending my own money so who cares if it doesn't work out? It's a $10 million budget movie, and [a studio] would just get a 22-year-old punk director. I just want to be the old punk directing it."
The Spawn comic book was first published in 1992 and was massively popular, with the first issue selling 1.7 million copies. However, the 1997 film adaptation received a negative critical reception and underperformed commercially.
It's a big day for Destiny 2, with the first Faction Rally of Season 2 kicking off. Before that happens, though, a new hotfix is set to arrive, the launch of which coincides with maintenance. Servers for the game are offline as Bungie prepares to launch the new update. Here are the details on how long it will take and when the game will come back online.
As announced last week, this maintenance period will follow the standard pattern for Destiny 2. The process began at 8 AM PT meaning no one can now sign into the game. At 9 AM PT, everyone who was already online will be booted offline. Maintenance is expected to run until 12 PM PT / 3 PM ET / 8 PM GMT (7 AM AET on Wednesday, January 17), by which time you should be able to download and install the new hotfix. Specific timing could always change, but we'll update this story with any word from Bungie.
Patch notes for the hotfix have not been shared, but it deals primarily with unlocking seasonal content for all owners of the game. Previously, Bungie intended to lock things like Faction Rallies to those who owned the latest DLC, but anger from fans caused the developer to reverse that decision. The Faction Rally planned for December was canceled and will now launch today with new gear.
Battlefront II's 1.1 update is headlined by a couple of pieces of new content. Specifically, the patch adds a version of the planet Crait built for Blast mode. In addition, Iden Versio's TIE Fighter has been added as a playable Hero ship in multiplayer. Its special abilities include Afterburner, which gives it a burst of speed; Laser Barrage, a rapid-fire and high-damage barrage; and dual Proton Torpedoes.
There's also a suite of Star Cards added alongside the new ship that provide perks and bonuses. For example, one decreases Afterburner cooldown time, and another increases Proton Torpedo damage. You can see the full list of abilities and Star Cards below.
Additionally, the patch rebalances some Hero and class-specific stats; a few weapons have been tweaked, too. Alongside general bug fixing and performance improvements, the update specifically fixes problems with the Officer's Recharge Command and Finn's Big Deal abilities. Check out the full patch notes below.
In other Battlefront II news, the game was recently nominated for two DICE awards. It's up for Outstanding Achievement in Character and Outstanding Achievement in Sound Design.
Patch Notes
New Content
Blast on Crait Map
Iden Versio's TIE/In fighter
Afterburner--Gives the starfighter a temporary speed boost and breaks enemy missile lock. The Afterburner can be cancelled after a short time
Laser Barrage--Charges up a rapid fire barrage which deals high damage
Dual Proton Torpedoes--Fires two proton torpedoes which track the locked target and deal high damage
Inferno Leader--For the duration of Inferno Leader, all enemies within a radius are revealed to allied players. These enemies receive increased damage from all sources
TIE Fighter Star Cards:
Engine Heat Dissipator--Decreases the Afterburner cooldown
Monster Hunter fans in the United States won't have to resort to importing if they want their PlayStation 4 to herald their love of the series. The new special-edition version of the PS4 Pro is officially coming to the US, Canada, and Europe alongside a new standalone version of the white PS4 Pro system in the former two countries.
Dubbed the Rathalos edition, the Monster Hunter World-themed console features the likeness of the Rathalos enemy on the top of the console in a subtle grey, along with red highlights. The top of the system also features the game's logo in gold, while the front is adorned with gold symbols. The system comes with a special red World controller, a physical copy of World, and some digital content. That includes a dynamic PS4 theme and two in-game bonuses: the Origin armor set and Fair Wind charm.
This package is priced at $450/£380, which is actually a slight discount if you were planning to pick up both a PS4 Pro and World. (The game features visual and performance enhancements when played on a PS4 Pro or Xbox One X.) However, if you're interested, you'll only be able to pick it up at one retailer in the US, as it's a GameStop exclusive. Sony notes on the PlayStation Blog that quantities will be "very limited" when it launches on January 26, the same day as the game itself. There's no word on an AU release yet.
Alternatively, those in the market for a PS4 Pro will soon be able to pick up the Glacier White version of the system, which had been previously bundled with Destiny 2. Like the Rathalos bundle, this will be a GameStop exclusive in the US, where it will be available for the standard $400 later this month. In Canada, it will only be available through EB Games for $500 CAD. The color was already available in Europe.
Grand Theft Auto V's latest multiplayer update is out now on PS4, Xbox One, and PC, and, as usual, it adds a new car and multiplayer mode. In addition, there are some sales on in-game items and new bonuses.
This week's featured vehicle is the Grotti GT500, a sleek sports car that has a bit of a classic, muscle-car look to it. "Contemplate how stunningly attractive this car makes you look," its promo poster declares.
The new multiplayer mode, meanwhile, is an Adversary mode called Air Quota. Up to four teams and 16 players face off and transform through a series of aircraft, from helicopters to jets to jetpacks. Air Quota awards Double GTA$ and RP from now until January 22.
There's a handful of good discounts on in-game upgrades and items, too. This week features sales on Facility upgrades, including styles, graphics, and a security room upgrade (all 25% off). The Buckingham Pyro and HVY Nightshark vehicles are also 25% off.
Finally, this week's Premium Stunt Race is Plummet, which is locked to Supers. The featured Time Trial is Tongva Valley. As always, the top three finishers in the Stunt Race will get extra GTA$ while everyone will earn Triple RP. If you beat the par time in the Time Trial, you'll get bonus GTA$ and RP.
AMC's zombie drama The Walking Dead is changing showrunners. It has been reported that Scott Gimple will leave the role he has occupied since 2013, and will be replaced by Angela Kang, who has previously worked on the show as a writer.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Gimple will now serve as chief content officer for the Walking Dead media franchise, which also includes the spin-off show Fear the Walking Dead, as well as "gaming and future brand extensions on a variety of platforms." Kang has worked on the show since 2011, and has written over 20 episodes. She will take over at the start of Season 9, which is expected to premiere in the fall.
This change of personnel comes at a time of falling ratings for The Walking Dead. The 7.9 million broadcast viewers of the mid-season finale last month was the lowest number since Season 2's in 2011. This is in comparison to the 10.58 million viewers that watched the mid-season of Season 7 in 2016, and nearly half of what the equivalent episode achieved for Season 5 in 2014.
Last month, producer David Alpert defended the show in light of its decline in viewers. He explained that looking at the figures for the show's live broadcast was misleading as to how popular it really is. "I don't think in any way the brand has lost its relevance in general," he said. "I think we're just seeing a decline in urgency across all media to consume something at a specific time. I still get people coming up to me at conventions talking about, they're in the middle of season six. They can't believe what's going on."
Although Marvel has traditionally announced release dates for its movies several years in advance, it has been more secretive about its plans for the Marvel Cinematic Universe after the current Phase 3 ends. Spider-Man: Homecoming 2 is the only movie with an official release date after Phase 3 closes with 2019's Avengers 4, but we now know that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3 will be released in 2020.
The news comes via director James Gunn, who helmed the first two Guardians movies and will direct Vol. 3. Gunn was asked by a fan on Twitter about a third film in the space fantasy series, to which he replied "coming in 2020."
Gunn first confirmed that he would return for another Guardians movie in April last year. "There is a history in Hollywood of haphazard endings to trilogies, and I didn't want to become a part of that dishonorable tradition of pretending the third one doesn't exist," he explained. "I couldn't do it for the money, and I couldn't do it because it was what other people wanted me to do. I needed to do it because it was what I needed to do. So, yes, I'm returning to write and direct Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3."
In a subsequent Facebook Q&A Gunn hinted at what fans might see in Vol. 3, including the intergalactic police agent Nova. "Nova comes up occasionally as someone we might use," he said. "We're going to be setting up new characters. It's going to really expand the cosmic universe [and] will be the last movie of this version of Guardians of the Galaxy."
The eighth and final season of Game of Thrones is now confirmed for 2019, but HBO has no intention of saying goodbye to its hugely popular fantasy show. Last year it was reported that the channel was developing five spin-off shows simultaneously. Now programming president Casey Bloys has confirmed that they are all still in the works, but that fans shouldn't necessarily expect to see all of them reach the screen.
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, Bloys revealed that it would be 2020 at the earliest before we saw anything more from the Game of Thrones universe. "If we do a pilot and series, nothing is going to air on HBO until at least a year after the final season," he said. "We're not doing a final season and then, 'Following it at 11 pm...'"
"I've seen some exciting material," he continued. "We have really great writers working on these. But there's no timetable. Not everybody is on the same schedule, so I've seen different versions of different things. But there's no timetable about when a decision would be made about any of them. I'll do anywhere from zero to five, though probably more likely one. We'll see."
In November, it was reported that all five potential series would be prequels. Game of Thrones creator George R.R. Martin is writing one with the main show's co-executive producer Bryan Cogman, and updated fans about its progress on Tumblr.
"I can say that, like the other pilots, it will be a prequel rather than sequel, a successor rather than a spin-off," Martin said. "Bryan's series will be an adaptation, and one that will thrill most fans of the books, I think, set during a very exciting period of Westerosi history. And I'll be working with him every step of the way; we're going to be co-creating the show."
Earlier this month it was confirmed that the final season of Game of Thrones will be just six episodes long. Although we know it will arrive in 2019, a premiere date is yet to be announced. Seasons 1-6 all premiered in March or April on HBO, while Season 7 debuted this past July. If HBO follows either of those premiere windows, that will mark over a year-and-a-half since the previous season ended, which will be the longest gap between seasons in the show's entire run.
Civilization VI's first big expansion, Rise and Fall, is coming soon, and today developer Firaxis showed off more of what you can expect from the DLC. Rise and Fall adds a bunch of new systems, and a new video details what those will do and how your experience will change.
These new features include Dark Ages, a Loyalty System, Governors, and Emergencies. Golden Ages have been a mainstay of the Civilization series for a while now, but Rise and Fall adds a counterpart with Dark Ages. If your Era Score isn't high enough, you can enter into a Dark Age, which reduces citizen happiness and can cause your cities to revolt or secede. However, Rise and Fall also adds Dark Age policies which can affect your progression positively; in addition, it is easier to achieve a Golden Age when coming out of a Dark Age.
Loyalty, meanwhile, can affect your civilization's borders and resource production. Low loyalty can cause rebellion in certain cities, which can lead to them declaring independence. The new unit type, Governor, can affect Loyalty, as well. These units can help improve tiles and give other bonuses.
Finally, Rise and Fall adds an interesting new cooperation system called Emergencies. When something happens on a map--such as a city-state seizure, or a nuclear attack--it can trigger an Emergency, which prompts non-allies of victim civilizations to band together. These temporary teams are given a quest to complete in a certain amount of time.
This month is a particularly busy one for beta tests. In addition to the Dragon Ball FighterZ open beta that took place this past weekend, Square Enix has now kicked off one for its own upcoming fighting game, the PS4-exclusive Dissidia Final Fantasy NT.
The beta began on January 12 and runs until January 21, giving players over a week to try out the arcade fighter. Unlike the previous Dissidia Final Fantasy NT beta that took place back in August, this beta is open to all PS4 players, regardless of whether or not you're a PS Plus subscriber. However, you'll need to have a Plus subscription in order to play the full game online after it launches.
The beta is available to download now on the PlayStation Store and weighs in at a rather hefty 18 GB. Square Enix hasn't specified which of the game's characters will be playable during the beta, but the publisher has said that the beta roster "will vary at regular intervals."
Dissidia Final Fantasy NT is a three-on-three fighting game starring heroes and villains from throughout the Final Fantasy series' history. It will feature 28 characters at launch, with an additional six set to arrive post-release as DLC. Square Enix hasn't revealed who these six fighters will be, but they're included in the game's season pass, which players will receive with the Dissidia Final Fantasy NT Digital Deluxe or Ultimate Collector's Editions.
Dissidia Final Fantasy NT launches for PS4 on January 30. Ahead of its release, players can already snag a piece of DLC for the game. Those who purchase a specially marked package of Nissin Cup Noodles can receive a code for the Royal Raiment DLC outfit for Final Fantasy XV protagonist Noctis. That offer is currently only available for US residents. You can read more about it on Nissin's website.
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."
Update: Psycho-Pass: Mandatory Happiness is now free on PS4 as well as PS Vita in the US. However, you may have to 'purchase' the game on PS4 and PS Vita separately, since it is not normally part of Sony's Cross-Buy scheme. The below text has been altered to reflect the change. Original story follows.
It's the start of a new month--and a new year--which means more free games are now available for PlayStation Plus subscribers. January's allotment of free PS Plus games are out now on the PlayStation Store, meaning that titles like Deus Ex: Mankind Divided and Batman: The Telltale Series have temporarily dropped to the low, low price of free for paying subscribers.
Mankind Divided is the headlining PS4 freebie this month. The dystopian cyberpunk role-playing game casts you as Adam Jensen and tasks you with catching a terrorist group, which you can do by being a stealthy detective or a tech-enhanced killing machine, or some mixture of both.
As for Telltale's Batman game, this is the first season of the story and puts players in tricky situations as both Bruce Wayne and his crime-fighting alter-ego. The decisions you make will have some consequence on the relationships around you, and the overall story.
Other PS4 freebies in January include the wacky and fun party game That's You! (if you're outside of North America) and StarBlood Arena (which requires PlayStation VR). Additionally, PS Vita's free games, Uncanny Valley and Psycho-Pass: Mandatory Happiness, are both free on PS4, too. You may have to 'purchase' Psycho-Pass on PS4 and PS Vita separately, however, since it is not normally part of Sony's Cross-Buy scheme. Note that in Europe and Australia, Psycho-Pass is only free on PS Vita, not PS4. Finally, PS3 owners get Sacred 3 and The Book of Unwritten Tales 2 for free.
You can see January 2018's full PS Plus lineup--covering PS4, PS3, and Vita--below, or you can claim them on the PlayStation Store.
A new year means a new selection of movies and TV shows arriving on Netflix. We're now well into January, and this month, a number of films, shows, and specials will debut on the streaming service, including several Netflix Originals.
The most notable arrival is the Batman series of films. Batman, Batman Returns, Batman Forever, and Batman & Robin are all now available to stream, having been added as of January 1. Additionally, Christopher Nolan's Batman Begins have also debuted. They were joined by all four movies in the Lethal Weapon series, National Treasure, and The Godfather trilogy.
When it comes to TV, January has brought new seasons of originals One Day at a Time, Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee, Grace and Frankie, and The Adventures of Puss in Boots. Among other arrivals are all five seasons of Showtime's Episodes, the second season of Colony, and a new batch of Eastsiders episodes.
Sadly, along with the arrivals come the months departures. Leaving Netflix in January are seven Saw movies, several Pokemon animated films, and The Addams Family, for starters. Perhaps most importantly, all six seasons of Lost disappeared from the streamer on January 4. So if you've been meaning to revisit that cursed island, it's time to clear out your schedule.
Final Fantasy XV is coming to PC at last, and it'll launch with a bunch of new content alongside all of the previously released DLC. But console players won't be left out: Square Enix has also revealed the Royal Edition for PS4 and Xbox One, which is essentially a Game of the Year edition that comes with every piece of additional content.
The Royal Edition comes with the base game, the four big DLC packs from the season pass (Episode Gladiolus, Episode Prompto, Episode Ignis, and the Comrades multiplayer expansion), and the new DLC launching with the PC version. It also features new box art from series artist Yoshitaka Amano, which you can see below. It'll cost $50 / £40.
If you don't want to re-buy the game again, Square Enix will also sell the Royal Pack, which comes with the new content, for $20 (international pricing has yet to be revealed). This includes a new dungeon, boss fights, a new vehicle, and additional features like a first-person mode.
The Royal Edition and Pack launch on March 6. The PC version launches on the same day and comes with several PC-exclusive features like native 4K support, high-quality ambient occlusion and advanced hair support. It costs $50 in the US; check out Final Fantasy XV's PC requirements here.
The Legendary Pokemon Kyogre is now available in Pokemon Go. Players can now encounter the Sea Basin Pokemon at Gyms in Raid Battles, where it can be found for the next several weeks.
As with other Legendaries, you'll need to team up with other players to battle Kyogre; only after defeating the Pokemon will you have a chance to capture it. Kyogre is a powerful Water-type, so players will want to bring Electric- and Grass-type Pokemon such as Jolteon, Zapdos, and Exeggutor to gain the advantage over it.
Pokemon Go developer Niantic had been teasing that Kyogre would be the next Legendary coming to the popular mobile game. The studio released a promotional image featuring the monster for Pokemon Go's recent holiday event, which also introduced 20 more Water- and Ice-type Pokemon originally from Ruby and Sapphire to the game.
Kyogre marks the second Gen 3 Legendary to arrive in Pokemon Go thus far, following its counterpart from Pokemon Ruby, Groudon. Players no longer have a chance to encounter that Legendary, as Groudon stopped appearing in Raid Battles on January 15. Niantic hasn't announced any plans to bring Groudon back to Pokemon Go, though it will likely return to the game at some point in the future.
Players will be able to encounter Kyogre in Pokemon Go until February 14, just over a month after it first began appearing. Similarly, the Legendary Psychic-type Mewtwo will also be available in the game for a while yet; however, unlike other Legendaries, Mewtwo only appears in invite-only EX Raids.
In other Pokemon Go news, Niantic has announced a new monthly real-world event for the game called Community Days. These events have players gather in local parks to meet other Trainers and capture Pokemon. January's Community Day will feature a special Pikachu that can use Surf, just as in the classic Pokemon Yellow version.
Warner Bros. has revealed a brand new entry in the Scribblenauts series, and it's coming to PlayStation and Xbox for the first time. Titled Scribblenauts Showdown, the word-based party game is coming to PS4 and Xbox One--in addition to Nintendo Switch--on March 6.
The new title is designed primarily to be played with friends: up to four players can partake in "more than" 25 mini-games, which are served up in different forms depending on which mode you select. Showdown is a competitive mode in which finding the best word the quickest is the key, while Versus supplies various mini-games for you and one other friend to battle in, one-vs-one.
Sandbox is a more traditional Scribblenauts mode that will be familiar to fans of the series. Here you can summon a variety of objects--publisher Warner Bros. says over 35,000 items are available in-game--to solve objectives either by yourself or with a friend. Eight new levels are included, as are hidden collectibles and achievements.
The Scribblenauts series made its debut in 2009 on the DS, becoming popular for its creativity in letting you conjure a number of items by simply writing down your desired object. It has since spawned four sequels on various platforms, though none of those successors ever came to PlayStation or Xbox. The most recent in the series was Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure, which came to 3DS, Wii U, and PC in 2013. A sixth game in the franchise was planned, but it was canceled after developer 5th Cell ran into financial trouble and was forced to lay off a number of employees. Showdown is being made by the developer of Lucius, Shiver Games.
Update: Bandai Namco US announced via Twitter that this weekend's beta has come to a close, but there will be one more 24 hour beta opening because of the network issues faced. The beta extension will not occur today, but on a different date.
Thanks to all of you who playtested the Open Beta of DRAGON BALL FighterZ, your participation was invaluable and we've decided to do another round of open beta testing (24hr. period). Dates & times to be announced soon, stay tuned! #DBFighterzBETApic.twitter.com/4ldSsb1Jdt
If you're trying to hop on the Dragon Ball FighterZ beta this weekend, be prepared to run into some issues. The beta is currently undergoing some network issues, which are being addressed.
Bandai Namco US announced via Twitter that this weekend's beta isn't going quite as smoothly as planned. Due to some network errors that "cannot be addressed quickly," the beta may be extended past this weekend.
FighterZ, the DRAGON BALL FighterZ Open Beta is experiencing network issues that cannot be addressed quickly. We'll keep the Open Beta online but you might experience problems during gameplay. We may extend the Open Beta, more info here: https://t.co/5WMdnjzVQ5#DBFighterzBETApic.twitter.com/4c7EJCqhFE
"Our team is working hard on optimizing the open beta but ran into some issues that cannot be addressed in a short amount of time, so we are asking for your patience until the next server update," the team's full statement, posted to Facebook, reads. "The current open beta will remain online and available so that the players who can log in and play it, can keep doing so. Please note, that if we cannot address the issues within a decent amount of time, we will consider extending the open beta of Dragon Ball FighterZ."
Bandai Namco US has yet to release any other details about the network issues. When more news arises, or if an extension is announced, we will update this story.
Just a few months after the big 5.0 PlayStation 4 system update, Sony is preparing to release its next major firmware patch. Furthermore, you could get the included improvements early, as Sony has announced it is holding a beta for the update.
"You can register to be a beta tester anytime between today and the start of the beta expected in February," Sony stated. There's no word yet on what's included in the update, but the company did call it a "major" one. North American players can sign up here, while Europeans can click here to register. You can also opt in to automatically take part in future update betas, and those in North America will receive an exclusive avatar for doing so.
To be eligible you'll need to own a PS4, be connected to the internet, and hold a PSN master account, and those in North America must be at least 18 years old. Bear in mind registering doesn't guarantee you access, and if selected you can always roll back to the previous live system version at any point. Finally, this is the first time players from Canada are eligible to take part in a PS4 update beta.
The most recent PS4 update brought the console to version 5.03, while the most recent major update, 5.0, included new features based around the console's in-built streaming capabilities, as well as an enhanced Friends List, more versatile Quick Menu, and overhauled parental control features.
Final Fantasy XV launched for PS4 and Xbox One in 2016, but PC owners are still waiting to play the open-world RPG. Now, publisher Square Enix has announced the game's PC port will arrive on March 6.
The PC version will support "native 4K (maximum 8K)" resolution and HDR, as well as mods. Other features, revealed with a trailer last year, include high-quality ambient occlusion and "advanced hair simulation." The port--which costs $50 / £40--also includes all the season pass content (Episode Gladiolus, Episode Prompto, Episode Ignis, and the Comrades multiplayer expansion), a new dungeon, extra boss fights, an added in-game vehicle, and new features such as a first-person mode. Take a look at the port's system requiremtents at the bottom of this article.
Additionally, Square Enix has revealed a new version of Final Fantasy XV for PS4 and Xbox One titled the Royal Edition, which leaked recently. This bundle--which costs $50 in the US with international pricing yet to be revealed--includes all of the added content coming to the Windows Edition; alternatively, those who already own Final Fantasy XV on console can buy a $20 add-on called the Royal Pack, which includes all of that added content. Finally, the Royal Edition comes with new box art from long-time Final Fantasy artist Yoshitaka Amano--take a look at the new artwork below. The Royal Edition and Royal Pack both launch on the same day as the Windows Edition, March 6.
The DLC has expanded upon what was already a fine game. Our critic, Peter Brown, called the JRPG "a fascinating game" with a "beautiful world and exciting challenges." He awarded it an 8/10. For more, take a look at our full Final Fantasy XV review.
Final Fantasy 15 PC Edition System Requirements
Minimum Specifications
Recommended Specifications
4K HDR Specifications
OS
Windows 7 SP1/ Windows 8.1 / Windows 10 64-bit
Windows 7 SP1/ Windows 8.1 / Windows 10 64-bit
Windows 10 64-bit Fall Creators update
CPU
Intel Core i5-2500（3.3GHz or higher）
AMD FX-6100 (3.3 GHz or higher)
Intel Core i7-3770 (3.4 GHz or higher)
AMD FX-8350 (4.0 GHz or higher)
Intel Core i7-3770 (3.4 GHz or higher)
AMD FX-8350 (4.0 GHz or higher)
Graphics Card
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 760
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050
AMD Radeon R9 280
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 760
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050
AMD Radeon R9 280
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti
Main Memory
8 GB
16 GB
16 GB
Screen Resolution
720p
720p
4K (2160p) HDR
Hard Disc Free Space on SSD
100 GB
100 GB
155 GB
Sound Card
DirectSound compatible sound card, Windows Sonic and Dolby Atmos support
DirectSound compatible sound card, Windows Sonic and Dolby Atmos support
DirectSound compatible sound card, Windows Sonic and Dolby Atmos support
The Nintendo Switch launched in March with no video streaming services whatsoever. Nintendo said this was because it wanted to focus on games and games alone for launch, and that strategy seems to have worked, as the console has sold incredibly well thus far. The video streaming service Hulu was added in November 2017 but Netflix is still nowhere to be seen. All hope is not lost however, as Netflix has now confirmed that it remains in discussions with Nintendo about bringing a Netflix app to the Switch...someday.
"We are still exploring the opportunity with Nintendo, but don't have definitive plans to share at this time," a Netflix spokesperson told Polygon.
The Netflix support Twitter account recently alarmed some Switch owners when it tweeted about there being "no plans" to launch a Netflix app on the hybrid console. That tweet has since been removed. The statement from Netflix is more open-ended and positive-sounding.
The Nintendo Switch is the fastest-selling console ever in the US for its first 10 months. Worldwide, the system has now sold 7.63 million units, though this figure is only accurate as of September 30 so it does not include any holiday sales. Nintendo will update the sales figure when it reports earnings next, on January 31.
Gears of War creator Epic Games' popular, stylized shooter/building game Fortnite has passed a new player milestone. More than 40 million people have downloaded the game as of January, the studio told Rolling Stone. This is up 10 million from 30 million in December.
Epic wouldn't provide any details on how the 40 million downloads are spread between the paid Save the World version and the free PUBG-like Battle Royale mode. Whatever the case, 40 million is a massive figure, the likes of which many games never come close to reaching.
Also in the interview, Epic says it has no current plans to add a new map (Battle Royale currently only has one) or introduce vehicles. Regarding the lack of vehicles, Battle Royale lead designer Eric Williamson said, "We don't have a need to add vehicles to get around the map because our travel times allow you to get mostly wherever you want to go."
The interview covers other subjects as well such as under-the-hood improvements to make the game look and run better and more. You can read the full interview here at Rolling Stone.
Battle Royale's map is getting big new update this week on PS4, Xbox One, and PC that introduces new points of interests such as new named areas. Additionally, the map's biomes will be divided up more clearly with the aim of helping players distinguish them. "The swamp feels swampier, the mountains feel more mountain-y. Really, the different areas of the map feel more unique," he explained. For more on the changes, check out the embedded video above.
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