If you're unhappy with the way your character looks in Monster Hunter World but have sunk too many hours into the game to start from scratch, you now have a chance to give your hunter a makeover. Ahead of next week's big Monster Hunter World update, Capcom has distributed a Character Edit Voucher, giving all PS4 and Xbox One players one free pass at tweaking their avatar.
The Character Edit Voucher is now available from the PlayStation Store and Xbox Store. With it, you can modify your character's gender and physical appearance. However, you won't be able to change your hunter's name, nor will you be able to edit your Palico's appearance or name.
The voucher is a single-use item, meaning you'll only have one opportunity to edit your hunter's appearance for free. If you're playing on PS4, you can grab the voucher directly from here; those on Xbox One can claim the item here. If you'd like to make any further changes to your hunter after using the freebie, Capcom will offer additional Character Edit Vouchers for purchase "at a later date."
The first major update for Monster Hunter World arrives on March 22. It most notably introduces a new monster to the game--the fearsome Deviljho--along with accompanying gear to craft. In addition to that, the update makes balance changes to almost every weapon type in the game and will no longer allow players to interrupt allies' carving animation, thereby preventing them from receiving their rewards.
Shortly after the Monster Hunter World update rolls out, Capcom will kick off the first seasonal event for Monster Hunter World: the Spring Blossom Fest. That runs from April 5-19 and features "daily fun activities," along with a redecorated Gathering Hub. Capcom will also hold two Event Quests during the Spring Blossom Fest: the first allows players to create the winning weapon from the community Weapon Design Contest, the Wyvern Ignition Great Sword; the second quest is for the Mega Man Palico armor.
As if Avengers: Infinity War wasn't already stuffed to the brim with actors and characters, the next chapter in the Marvel Cinematic Universe has just confirmed one more major name. Game of Thrones star Peter Dinklage will play a role in the movie.
No, he didn't appear in that amazing new trailer. Instead, Dinklage was confirmed by a new poster for the film, which features his name among the credits, sandwiched between Idris Elba (Heimdall) and Benedict Wong (Wong). However, what the poster doesn't reveal is who he's playing in the massive film.
In theory, he could be appearing via motion capture as a member of Thanos's Black Order, the four children of Thanos that do his bidding in the new film. Though Terry Notary has been confirmed to be playing Cull Obsidian and Tom Vaughan-Lawlor is in the role of Ebony Maw, both Proxima Midnight and Corvus Glaive have yet to officially have an actor attached to them. Of the two, Glaive seems most suited to be played by Dinklage.
Less likely is that the Emmy-winning actor would be reprising his character Bolivar Trask from X-Men: Days of Future Past. While chances are that the X-Men universe and the MCU will be joined eventually, Disney's acquisition of 20th Century Fox is not yet complete, which would make including the character rather difficult.
Graphics card prices are sky-high right now and have been for several months. Even though GPUs are being sold for two or three times their MSRP, they're still quickly flying off shelves thanks to the cryptocurrency craze. This has made it a horrible time to build or upgrade a gaming rig. Make sure you check out the video above for more details.
Lots of PC gamers have exclaimed that they're waiting for the bubble to burst, but considering cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin have been around since 2009, cryptomining doesn't show many signs of slowing down. If anything, it's been growing at a steady rate over the past decade.
Considering cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology are really interesting technologies that have the potential to be very disruptive in a wide variety of sectors, we have to consider the possibility that this might not be a bubble. While lulls and dips are expected to happen because the crypto market is highly volatile, this could be a new hurdle PC gamers have to deal with moving forward.
There's also the possibility that the pricing situation could get even worse. As it is right now, retailers like Amazon and Newegg are the ones reaping the benefits of the pricier GPUs. With Nvidia rumored to release a new line of GPUs in the near future, the graphics card manufacturer could inflate MSRP right out of the gate to get in on the action, too. We love PC gaming, but this could cripple the industry for who knows how long.
Couldn't AMD and Nvidia make GPUs geared specifically for miners? Or could they mitigate whatever makes gaming graphics card so effective at mining? It's possible, but would be difficult. Having spoken with AMD, the company told us that what makes a GPU good at mining is what makes it good at gaming. In other words, if a card manufacturer throttles mining performance, gaming performance would also suffer.
What are your options then? We suggest using browser extensions like Honey to give you GPU price alerts. Beyond that, right now is a better time to buy a pre-built rig. Vendors like Alienware and CyberPower PC have agreements with AMD and Nvidia that prevent them from overinflating the price of their systems based on the market value of GPUs. You could also build a PC with a high-end accelerated processing unit (APU) like AMD's Ryzen 5 2400G, which offers high-end integrated graphics. It performs roughly on par with a GTX 1050, so it isn't going to be a killer gaming rig, but it can tide you over until discrete GPU prices come down. Shadow is also on the horizon. The streaming service grants you access to a full-on, high-end Windows 10 PC in the cloud starting at $35 per month. It has some minor issues at the moment, but the tech is very promising. Beyond those options, we'll just have to hope for prices to return to normal.
Microsoft's open-world pirate game Sea of Thieves makes its anticipated debut next week. If you're considering picking it up but don't yet have an Xbox One (or have been thinking about upgrading to the more powerful X), the company has announced a new promotion that may pique your interest.
For a limited time, players who purchase a new Xbox One X from participating retailers will receive a digital copy of Sea of Thieves for free. The Xbox One X typically retails on its own for $500 and does not come bundled with any titles, making this a good opportunity to pick one up along with one of the console's most anticipated exclusives of 2018 at no additional cost.
The promotion begins in "most Xbox markets" on March 18 and will be available through March 24, giving you only a few days to take advantage of the offer. However, Microsoft notes that the exact start and end dates may vary depending on the region and advises players to check with their local retailers first. You can find more details about the promotion on Major Nelson's blog.
If you're more interested in the cheaper Xbox One S, Microsoft is also offering a Sea of Thieves Xbox One S bundle, which launches alongside the game next week. It retails for $300 / £250 and includes a digital copy of the title, a 1 TB Xbox One S, an Xbox One controller, and one-month subscriptions to both Xbox Live Gold and Xbox Game Pass.
Sea of Thieves releases for Xbox One and PC on March 20. That same day, it will also be available to player on Xbox Game Pass, thanks to Microsoft's new initiative to bring all first-party releases to the service day the day they launch. In the meantime, you can read the 10 reasons we're excited for Sea of Thieves and our hands-on impressions of the pirate game.
On Monday, WWE announced a women's battle royal match at Wrestlemania 34. The event was going to be called "The Fabulous Moolah Memorial Battle Royal," but after complaints about the name, the company decided to make a change.
Much like The Andre The Giant Battle Royal match for the men, which began in 2014, the 30-woman battle royal match was going to debut at Wrestlemania 34 and would be named after wrestling legend The Fabulous Moolah. However, the famed star had a dark side which consisted of many deplorable things, including pimping other female wrestlers out to make extra money on the side, as '80s wrestler Mad Maxine stated in the past (via Slam Sports). While WWE posted a video praising Moolah's career, fans took to social media to highlight the other side of the story.
On Thursday, chief brand officer of the WWE, Stephanie McMahon, announced on Twitter the event will be renamed.
Thank you @WWEUniverse for using your voice. What remains most important is that the "@WrestleMania Women's Battle Royal" will be a historic match and is part of @WWE's unwavering commitment to our Women's Division. #WomensEvolution#ChangeTheName
As a follow-up, WWE made a statement about the new name for the battle royal: "After further consideration, we believe it's best to proceed with the name 'WrestleMania Women's Battle Royal.' What remains most important is that this historic match is part of WWE's unwavering commitment to the Women's Division."
The Fabulous Moolah had a long career in wrestling, beginning in 1949. While she's noted for standing the test of time and remaining in the spotlight, even into the late '90s, she's also been accused of pimping out the young women she trained, stealing money from other wrestlers, racism, and having a stranglehold on booking, among other things. Moolah passed away in 2007 at her home in South Carolina at the age of 84.
The Wrestlemania Women's Battle Royal will take place at Wrestlemania 34 on Sunday, April 8, in New Orleans.
The much-anticipated invites for Fortnite mobile have gone out to select iOS users. We've been playing the game this afternoon, and it is indeed Fortnite for mobile, just as promised. You can check out our first impressions with the game above.
Fortnite mobile really does offer up the full Battle Royale experience. At least initially, the touch controls have proven somewhat difficult--there's a lot to manage without any physical buttons, though there is some generous auto-aim. Performance seems fairly good, though there is a noticeable visual downgrade from other versions.
One notable change from the PC, PS4, and Xbox One versions is an indicator that lets you know the direction of incoming fire and nearby chests. This is presumably meant to give players an opportunity to find these things while playing without sound, which is normally the easiest way for identifying those things.
In order to play Fortnite on mobile, you'll need an iPhone 6S/SE, iPad Mini 4, iPad Air 2, iPad 2017, iPad Pro, or a newer Apple device with iOS 11. Invites are being sent out by email to those who signed up--you can still do so on Epic's website--with Android support set to come in the next few months. If you registered but haven't gotten an invite yet, you may still receive one; Epic says more will be sent out "as the servers can handle more players."
The game will feature optional cross-play with other platforms and get the same updates as those versions. Epic describes it as a "work in progress beta," so you should expect to encounter some hiccups if you get in. Meanwhile, Epic has just released a new 3.3 update that adds Battle Royale and Save the World content.
The Witcher developer CD Projekt Red recently teased that series protagonist Geralt would make an appearance in a new game coming out this year. Fans instantly began speculating that he would be playable in the new SoulCalibur--a franchise known for its guest characters--and sure enough, Geralt is a SoulCalibur VI character. And it turns out that Bandai Namco isn't wasting the opportunity to let people know he's included.
Amazon listings for the PS4 and Xbox One versions of SoulCalibur VI have gone live, revealing the game's box art. It turns out that it's the same keyart we saw alongside the recent announcement, meaning that Geralt--along with Mitsurugi--is featured prominently right on the front of the box.
This isn't unusual for the series, but it's first confirmation that the tradition will continue. Bandai Namco likes to prominently display the franchise's guest characters on box art, whether it's Link in SoulCalibur II on Gamecube, Yoda or Darth Vader in the Xbox 360/PS3 versions (respectively) of SoulCalibur IV, Ezio in SoulCalibur V, and so on.
"We've collaborated with Bandai Namco artists to faithfully recreate Geralt, and shared original Witcher 3: Wild Hunt assets like Geralt's model, animations, and weapons," said CD Projekt Red community lead Marcin Momot. "I think Bandai Namco did an outstanding job of capturing all the details and introducing The Witcher to SoulCalibur in a way fans of both series will enjoy."
Among the other characters confirmed for SoulCalibur VI are Ivy, Zasalamel, Kilik, Xianghua, Nightmare, and new addition Groh. The game does not yet have an exact release date, but it's due out for PS4, Xbox One, and PC sometime this year.
Fortnite developer Epic has announced it is removing another item from Battle Royale--at least, temporarily. Due to a bug that was recently discovered, the studio will be taking the Boogie Bomb out of the game while it works on a fix.
Epic made the announcement on Twitter, tweeting that it will be "temporarily disabling" the Boogie Bomb until it can fix the bug. Like its name implies, the Boogie Bomb forces other players to dance uncontrollably for a set amount of time (or until they take damage). However, an exploit was discovered (via Reddit) that allows players to use the Boogie Bomb to carry unlimited weapons.
Essentially, by bombing themselves with the item, the game would let players continue picking up weapons beyond the typical item cap. Normally, Battle Royale limits you to carrying five weapons/items at a time, but thanks to the exploit, players could effectively pick up an unlimited amount, which would naturally give them an unfair advantage over others.
Unlike the smoke grenades, which were removed entirely from Battle Royale and placed in the "Vault," the Boogie Bomb will return once the exploit has been addressed. Epic hasn't provided a time frame for when it expects the Boogie Bomb to return, but the studio says it will provide an update once the issue has been resolved.
A bunch of new games are now available for Nintendo Switch. Compared to recent weeks, this one is fairly light in terms of releases; only 15 new titles arrive for the console, but they include one of Nintendo's most recognizable mascots.
Headlining this week's Switch releases is Kirby's Star Allies, the pink puffball's first adventure for Nintendo's hybrid console. Like most other Kirby games, Star Allies is a side-scrolling platformer. This time, however, players are able to explore alongside three companions (controlled either by the AI or other players) and use their powers together to progress through levels. You can learn more about the title in GameSpot's Kirby Star Allies review and review roundup.
Kirby Star Allies
Also available this week is Splatoon 2: Starter Edition. This version of the colorful Switch shooter features the same content as the base game, but it comes bundled with two sticker sheets and a strategy guide to help teach newcomers the basics of the gameplay. The Starter Edition arrives ahead of Splatoon 2's first paid DLC pack, the Octo Expansion, which releases this summer and adds 80 new single-player missions, along with the ability to play as an Octoling for the first time.
Some other notable titles out this week include the elegiac adventure game Last Day of June; the top-down shooter Tesla vs. Lovecraft; the fast-paced first-person platformer Clustertruck; the stylish physics puzzle game Neonwall; and the latest ACA Neo Geo game, Aero Fighters 3. You can find the full list of this week's Nintendo Switch releases below.
In honor of GOG.com's St. Patrick's Day Sale, we teamed up with them to give away 600 PCgame codesfree from their catalog. The PC game codes will be a mystery code, redeemable on GOG's platform, and are DRM-free.
This is not an instant win; scroll down to enter below. Competition ends Friday, March 16th at 5:00 PM PT. Six-hundred (600) winners will be emailed a code. Open worldwide, void where prohibited. No purchase necessary.
The new trailer for Avengers: Infinity War is here. The movie will see every major hero from the Marvel Cinematic Universe team up to stop the evil Thanos getting his hands on the Infinity Stones, and causing the end of the world. You can see our Infinity War trailer breakdown for all the small details.
The trailer gives a good indication of just how epic the movie will be, with huge battles between the Marvel heroes and Thanos's armies, and some amazing-looking action. But there's also plenty of humor, as some of the characters meet for the first time. In particular, it looks like Star Lord and Tony Stark might have an enjoyably spikey relationship. Check it out above.
Avengers: Infinity War stars Robert Downey Jr., Chadwick Boseman, Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Pratt, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Tom Holland. It hits theaters on April 27. It is directed by Joe and Anthony Russo, who helmed the last two Captain America movies, and will follow it up with next year's currently untitled Avengers 4.
Fortnite Battle Royale on mobile is almost exactly the same game as on PC, PS4, and Xbox One. There will even be crossplay between the different platforms. However, there are still a few differences to Fortnite on phones that are meant to assist with playing on a smaller, portable device.
Specifically, the iOS version adds a few visual cues to allow you to play without headphones. Events that otherwise would be conveyed through sound--footsteps or the direction of gunfire, for example--show up in the HUD.
If a player is moving nearby, a white arc will show up a bit outside of your crosshairs in the direction of the movement. If gunfire is nearby, a red arc will point you in that direction. The game also displays an indicator pointing you to chests, if you're in proximity to one.
The most obvious change is, of course, the lack of physical buttons; you move your character using on-screen controls. However, in spite of the virtual controls taking some time getting used to, Fortnite Battle Royale on iPhone is the full game, and it runs pretty well too. Be sure to check out gameplay of Fortnite running on iPhone in the embed above.
The game is live now and the first invites have been sent out; Android support will come in the next few months. In addition, it'll support optional cross-play with other platforms. Meanwhile, a new 3.3 update has launched for the game which adds Battle Royale and Save the World content.
Ubisoft has frequently updated For Honor since its release with new content and significant changes, and just recently it began Season 5 in the game. If you haven't had a chance to check out For Honor, Ubisoft also recently launched a discounted version of the game on PC.
The Starter Edition, as it's called, is exclusive to PC and costs $15 on Steam and Uplay, $45 less than the full version. As you'd expect, the Starter Edition comes with less content than the original, but it still contains the full single-player and multiplayer modes.
It does not contain all of the heroes, however. You'll get three Vanguard heroes that are unlocked from the start of the game, and you'll receive three more depending on which faction you pick. You'll have access to the progression and loot systems with these six heroes. If you want the other 12 heroes or access to hero customization, though, you'll need to shell out steel--the in-game currency that you can acquire by playing or by using real money.
Fortnite's explosive popularity over the last six months has seen a variety of celebrities embrace it. Drake just helped a Fortnite stream on Twitch to break a record for the site, and now Epic Games plans to bring both pro players and celebrities together for an event at this year's E3 that it calls Party Royale.
Details are still scant at this point, but it sounds like E3 will be home to a doubles tournament that pairs "some of the world's greatest athletes and entertainers with top Fortnite Battle Royale players." This Fortnite Celebrity Pro-Am will take place on an unspecified date in LA during E3, which runs from June 12-14.
"One team will rise to the top for ultimate bragging rights," Epic said on its website. "Who will claim Victory Royale? We'll soon begin building the teams, so stay tuned for more information on the event." It also promised details on competitive play's first season will be shared in the next few weeks.
Epic's website promises there will be a total of 50 celebrities and 50 pro gamers. Finding 50 of the former may be an easy task--outside of Drake, we've seen NBA player Josh Hart showcase his love for the game with a special pair of sneakers. NFL star JJ Watt has polled fans on whether they like Fortnite or PUBG more. Meanwhile, numerous athletes have celebrated during real-world games by commemorating Fortnite in various ways. We've also seen other celebrities share their enjoyment of the game online; actress Roseanne Barr randomly announced back in February that she's won 20 matches of Fortnite. Provided they're available, Epic may have trouble whittling the list down to just 50 names.
While reshoots on big movies are a standard part of the filmmaking process, there have been a number of high profile, more controversial reshoots over the past couple of years, such as on the Star Wars movies Rogue One and Solo and DC's Justice League. Earlier this week, it was rumored that the upcoming Deadpool 2 was also undergoing reshoots, following some negative test screenings. However, it has now been reported that the reshoots are to add more of the characters Cable and Domino, following positive feedback from fans.
The news comes via Collider editor-in-chief Steven Weintraub, who explained that the initial two press screenings were, contrary to those earlier reports, warmly received. However, one comment from audiences of both screenings was that audiences wanted to see more of Josh Brolin (playing Cable) and Zazie Beetz (as Domino).
"So when everyone in the audience gives notes and says, 'We want more Domino, we want more Cable,' the smart play for the studio, especially in the competitive summer, is, 'OK, well, how can we do that, how can we add these characters?'" Weintraub said.
"That's the main thing about the additional photography. There was no train wreck, there was no, you know, 'Fans hate this movie.' It was, 'How can we make a really good movie even better?'"
As Collider's story notes, the reshoots that are currently taking place are "specifically focused on adding more scenes with Domino and Cable."
Deadpool 2 stars Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool, plus Morena Baccarin, TJ Miller, and Brianna Hildebrand. David Leitch (John Wick, Atomic Blonde) is directing, replacing Tim Miller, who reportedly clashed with Reynolds over the direction of the movie.
With the final season of Game of Thrones due next year, fans are starting to look ahead to the prequel shows that are in development at HBO. While there are few details about what these series will be about--or indeed how many there will be--it has been reported that the network is planning to spend a lot of money on them.
A panel of HBO executives recently spoke at a conference in Israel and revealed that the potential budget for the shows is going to way beyond what was spent on Game of Thrones when it first launched in 2011. "$50 million [per season] would never fly for what we are trying to do. We are going big," senior VP of drama, Francesca Orsi said, via The Hollywood Reporter. "It feels like corporate malfeasance to not continue it."
Orsi went on to say that the network was planning "three, four, five spin-offs." In January, programming president Casey Bloys stated that although there were multiple shows in development, fans shouldn't necessarily expect to see all of them reach the screen.
"I've seen some exciting material," he said. "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."
Last year, Game of Thrones creator George R.R. Martin stated that he was working on one of the potential spin-offs with the main show's co-executive producer Bryan Cogman, and revealed that they were all prequels. "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."
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 last 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.
The first trailer for Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald has been released. The sequel to 2016's hugely successful Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them hits theaters in November and stars Eddie Redmayne as young magizoologist Newt Scamander, with Jude Law as the younger Albus Dumbledore and Johnny Depp as the villainous Gellert Grindelwald.
The trailer doesn't reveal too much about the plot, but it does show that Newt is going on missions for Dumbledore, this time to Paris, and that he must face Grindelwald on behalf of his mentor. Vinda Rosier (Poppy Corby-Tuech), Tina (Katherine Waterston), and Jacob (Dan Fogler) are all back too, and the movie looks set to deliver the same mix of magic and mystery that Harry Potter fans have come to expect. Check it out above.
There had been some controversy about the casting of Depp, following allegations of domestic abuse made against the actor by his now-ex-wife Amber Heard. In December, director David Yates defended Depp's involvement. "There was one person who took a pop at him and claimed something," he said. "I can only tell you about the man I see every day: He's full of decency and kindness, and that's all I see. Whatever accusation was out there doesn't tally with the kind of human being I've been working with."
In addition, Yates has also stated that although it has been long established that Dumbledore is gay, the film wouldn't address his sexuality directly. "But I think all the fans are aware of that," he told Entertainment Weekly. "He had a very intense relationship with Grindelwald when they were young men. They fell in love with each other's ideas and ideology and each other."
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald releases on November 16, 2018 release, and, according to Potter creator JK Rowling, will be the second of five movies.
Dwayne Johnson might not guarantee that a movie will be a hit, as last year's Baywatch proved, but there's no denying that his star power is what drives the marketing campaigns of many of his films. December'sJumanji: Welcome to the Jungle turned out to be one of the biggest hits of his career, and expectations are high for Rampage, which arrives next month.
A new trailer for the arcade game adaptation has now arrived, and as with the recent international promo, it very much plays on Johnson's appeal, with a new introduction from the man himself. It also features all the big monster mayhem that fans are expecting--check it out above.
Rampage hits theaters on April 20. It also stars Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Naomie Harris, Malin Åkerman, and Joe Manganiello. It's directed by Brad Peyton, who worked with Johnson on the 2015 disaster smash San Andreas.
Rampage was originally released in arcades back in 1986 before being ported to more than a dozen other platforms--it's appeared on everything from the Commodore 64 to the PS2. It's also seen a number of sequels produced, though by the time the movie comes out, it will have been more than a decade since the last of these, Total Destruction, was released.
This is one of three movies Johnson has heading to the big screen this year, along with Skyscraper and the wrestling biopic Fighting with My Family--in which he plays himself and serves as executive producer.
Steven Spielberg's long-awaited adaptation of the virtual reality bestseller Ready Player One finally arrives later this month, and a new trailer has been released. This gives us our best look yet at the blockbuster, which stars Tye Sheridan, Olivia Cooke, Simon Pegg, and Ben Mendelsohn.
Like the series of classic movie-inspired posters that were released last week, the new trailer taps into the vein of nostalgia that has driven much of the marketing so far. There's references to Jurassic Park, King Kong, and Back to the Future--not to mention the music of '80s pop superstars A-Ha. Check it out above.
Ernest Cline's novel was published in 2012, to huge acclaim. It is set in a dystopian future and focuses upon a teenager who enters a virtual reality world in an attempt to find three "Easter eggs" left by its eccentric creator. You can read our Ready Player One review for an idea of what to expect.
In an interview Collider, Spielberg admitted that while the film maintains the novel's nostalgia for the 1980s, there is be one major omission. "I've cut most of my movies out," he said. "Except for [Back to the Future's] DeLorean and a couple of other things that I had something to do with, I cut a lot of my own references out.
"I was very happy to see there was enough without me that made the '80s a great time to grow up. I think one of the reasons I decided to make the movie was that it brought me back to the '80s and lets me do anything I want, except for with my own movies."
Ready Player One premiered at the SXSW festival last weekend, and a host of Twitter reactions are now online. On the whole they are very positive, with many critics stating that the movie taps into the same mix of spectacle and emotion that made Spielberg's movies so popular in the '70s and '80s. It hits theaters on March 29.
Fortnite's popularity continues to rise. The mobile edition of the super-popular battle royale game launched today on iOS through an invite-only beta, and it's already topping the charts.
The mobile version is currently sitting at the top of the Free Apps chart for games on the App Store. It's a remarkable achievement considering you need an invite to get in. It's not immediately clear if this is the first time an invite-only game has reached No. 1.
The first invitations to the Fortnite iOS beta started going out on March 16, and more people will be added in the coming days and weeks. An Android version is also in the works, but it's coming later, and Epic has not said if there will be a beta for this version or not.
Star Wars: Battlefront II was heavily criticised for the way it allowed players to pay real money to get loot boxes that could contain items that actually affected gameplay. Some cried out that this represented a pay-to-win situation. It was a lot of bad press for EA. In response to this, EA removed microtransactions from the game completely just before its public launch, with the developer saying it needed more time to adjust them before bringing them back. Today, EA confirmed that microtransactions are coming back in April, though this time around you will only be able to purchase cosmetic items--that is, those that do not affect gameplay. Previously, EA let you pay for an opportunity to get items that gave you a theoretical advantage such as improved grenades or shields.
Before microtransactions return, however, EA is launching an update on March 21 that significantly changes how progression works. Presently, Star Cards and other items that impact gameplay, can be acquired in loot boxes--called Crates in Battlefront II--that you can unlock through normal gameplay progression. But with the new update, the only way to get Star Cards is through standard progression. "If you earn enough experience points to gain a level for that unit, you'll receive one Skill Point that can be used to unlock or upgrade the eligible Star Card you'd like to equip," EA said.
If you already acquired Star Cards, the good news is that you won't lose these when the update comes out. Additionally, all of the extra heroes and weapons you already unlocked will stay with you when the patch arrives.
Regarding Crates specifically, you'll get these in a number of ways, including logging in every day and completing the game's various timed challenges. Crates will only include cosmetic items--such as emotes or poses--as well as Credits.
Then in April, EA will launch a new in-game store where you can buy new character customisation options by spending Credits that you earn by gameplay or by spending Crystals that you can get with real money. As an example, EA said you'll be able to make a Rodian Resistance fighter, which wouldn't happen in the official Star Wars canon.
"If you did a bunch of cosmetic things, you might start to violate the canon," the executive said at the time. "Darth Vader in white probably doesn't make sense, versus in black. Not to mention you probably don't want Darth Vader in pink. No offense to pink, but I don't think that's right in the canon."
It remains to be seen how deep the customisation will go. Indeed, we wouldn't imagine Disney would be OK with the kind of situation Jorgensen offered up. Then again, this happened, so you never know what Disney might be OK with.
Whatever the case, EA said the updates to Battlefront II's progression system are a "major step" in the company's effort to "improve the core of the game and add new content."
In addition to the changes laid out below, EA said it is planning to add new modes to Battlefront II in the future to keep things interesting and fresh. Some of the modes will be "radically different" than anything that's come before. We'll report back with more details as they are announced.
The debate around Battlefront II's initial microtransaction system extended beyond gaming circles. Lawmakers from the United States and around the world launched investigations into loot boxes to, in some cases, try to determine if they constitute a form of gambling. In the wake of the Battlefront II controversy, the ESRB announced that it will put a label on games that will read "In-Game Purchases" to inform people, and in particular parents, that the game they are buying offers the ability to spend extra money. Some are questioning the effectiveness of this and asking if this new system will be effective at all.
Bandai Namco has detailed the next update for Dragon Ball FighterZ. The patch is scheduled to roll out on PS4, Xbox One, and PC today, March 16, and it's primarily focused on making gameplay improvements, although it introduces a couple of new features as well.
Among other things, Bandai Namco says the patch will "greatly improve" matchmaking and server stability for Ring matches. The patch also addresses a list of bugs affecting certain character, such as one that would cause Super Saiyan Blue Goku's x10 Kaioken Kamehameha combo to continue even if the opponent managed to escape the attack. Bandai Namco says recorded data on the Replay Channel will be deleted in order to implement these gameplay changes.
In terms of new content, the update adds a feature called Z-Unions, which are effectively "fan clubs" for each character. Players who join a Z-Union will receive special rewards, with even better ones unlocking the longer you stay in a Union. Additionally, the update gives players the ability to exit the Game Lobby using the stairs at the entrance. Bandai Namco is also adding a quick way to jump into the Offline Lobby from the game's title screen.
You can find the full patch notes for the upcoming Dragon Ball FighterZ update--courtesy of Steam--at the bottom of this story. In addition to the new update, Bandai Namco recently shared the first gameplay trailer for Broly. The legendary Super Saiyan was one of two DLC characters revealed for Dragon Ball FighterZ, the other being Goku's father, Bardock. Six additional as-yet-unannounced DLC fighters are also slated to arrive for the game in the future.
Dragon Ball FighterZ Patch Notes
Modes
Replay Channel: To enable implementation of the below gameplay adjustments (see "Gameplay" section), recorded data from Replay Channel will be erased
World Match: Changed rematch system to 3 matches in both Ranked and Casual World Match
Ring Matches: Improved match-making and server stability
Gameplay
SSGSS Goku: Fixed a bug that makes "x10 Kaioken Kamehameha" combo continue even if the opponent gets away from the attack
Captain Ginyu: Fixed a bug that makes Ginyu Force members collide with the opponent character and sometimes interrupts the latter's attacks
Nappa: Fixed a bug that makes Saibamen collide with the opponent character and sometimes interrupts the latter's attacks
All Characters
Fixed a bug that makes characters float in the air if Dragon Rush Clash happens when landing from mid-air back step
Fixed a bug that makes main characters say the wrong name when calling a Z-Change or Z-Assist
Fixed a bug that alters the hit box of Z-Assist characters under certain circumstances
Hit / SSGSS Goku / SSGSS Vegeta: Fixed a bug that triggers Z-Change voice over dialogues instead of Z-Assist ones
New Features
Z-Union: Added Z-Union feature that enables players to join "Unions" (fan clubs) of their favorite character and get special rewards. And the longer you stay in a Union, the better the rewards become.
Game Lobby: Added the possibility to leave the Lobby by using the stairs at the entrance
Offline Lobby: Added option to enter the Offline Lobby from title screen
This week marks the launch of Kirby Star Allies, the pink puffball's debut adventure on Switch and Nintendo's big marquee release of March. Much like other installments in the long-running series, Star Allies is a side-scrolling platformer featuring a variety of colorful stages and bosses, which players must overcome using Kirby's signature Copy powers.
That isn't the only trick in Kirby's repertoire this time, however. Star Allies also introduces the ability to throw hearts at enemies, which allows Kirby to befriend up to three of them (who can be controlled either by the AI or other players) to work alongside him in each stage.
The emphasis on recruiting enemies sets Star Allies apart from other Kirby games. GameSpot critic Peter Brown called the mechanic "a welcome change that keeps the otherwise traditional gameplay fresh" in our Kirby Star Allies review and praised the game as "just relentlessly charismatic."
With its release quickly approaching, other reviews for Kirby Star Allies have begun appearing online, a sample of which you can find below. For a wider look at what critics are saying about the new Kirby Switch game, be sure to check out GameSpot sister site Metacritic.
Game: Kirby Star Allies
Developer: HAL Laboratory
Platform: Nintendo Switch
Release date: March 16
Price: $60 / £50
GameSpot -- 8/10
"Star Allies is yet another Kirby game, but it's up there with some of the best. It's an artistic showcase, and a great opportunity for co-op platforming. The one real complaint you can levy at it is that it gates off its more challenging aspects, but the fact that they are present to begin with will please anyone who's grown weary of the series' painless platforming." -- Peter Brown [Full review]
IGN -- 8.3/10
"The name Kirby Star Allies isn't just for show. Whether you're adventuring through Dream Land with up to three friends or playing with competent AI teammates, Kirby's ever-rotating group of uniquely powered pals are the real stars of the show here. The creative ways you can combine abilities never gets old, which means there's great potential for replayability especially with friends. I just wish the final boss battle hadn't come just as the puzzles were starting to give me a challenge." -- Brendan Graeber [Full review]
Eurogamer -- Recommended
"There are some caveats, of course--after the 60 FPS action of the 3DS outings for Kirby, it's a strangely retrograde experience seeing Star Allies stick to something around 30 FPS for its action, a move that smarts all the more seeing as the game's menus and post-level screens play out at 60 FPS themselves. There's also the fact that many will bounce off Kirby's soft edges, not seeing the point of a game in which you're caressed through and one that never really asks too much of the player. It's kid's stuff, really--but if you've any love left for the kinds of far-fetched wonder we all used to play as kids, then Kirby Star Allies can be pretty sensational." -- Martin Robinson [Full review]
US Gamer -- 4/5
"I suppose Star Allies' biggest compliment is also its most obvious flaw: It's a Kirby game. By now, you ought to know if you love the little guy, or if you can live the rest of your life without touching another one of his games. While anyone who's just not into Kirby should pass on Star Allies, I can confidently say the series' fans are about to make a whole bunch of great new pals. Just try to hold off on eating them until you're really desperate." -- Nadia Oxford [Full review]
Game Informer -- 6.25/10
"Star Allies gets credit for a great soundtrack, great controls, and an epic finale. Even if the visuals are the epitome of generic Kirby, they look sharp. HAL delivers a polished Kirby experience here that plays well, but it ultimately amounts to a forgettable adventure that demands so little from the player that I sometimes felt like I was barely involved at all." -- Kyle Hilliard [Full review]
Polygon -- 7/10
"While it lacks the substance to properly satisfy longtime Kirby fans, Star Allies does at least seem genuinely earnest in its underlying belief in the power of friendship. The game is frequently chaotic and a touch under-baked, but it's hard to be too upset at a game where you can break down long-standing bonds of enmity and heal foes with a kiss. Even if it's on the brief and simple side, Star Allies demonstrates the polish and personality you've come to expect from the series. It's a kid-friendly romp through the franchise's most memorable moments, and the asymmetric gameplay and lively spirit of Kirby's latest journey make it a great way to introduce a new generation of fans to the series." -- Jeremy Parish [Full review]
Trusted Reviews -- 3.5/5
"A multiplayer spin on a formula that's now been a success for years, Kirby maintains his relevance once again. It may deviate from what old-time fans were expecting--and again, played alone it isn't as good--but still. If you simply want to put a smile on your face and have fun, Kirby Star Allies certainly ticks that requirement." -- Simon Miller [Full review]
This information comes from a source speaking to Reuters, which added that $500 million could be the all-up price tag for the first two seasons. The figure apparently covers the rights-fee that Amazon paid, along with estimated production and marketing costs.
Reuters added that $500 million in three times what Amazon paid for the first two seasons of its original show, The Man in the High Castle (a reported $72 million). That show reportedly helped Amazon add 1.15 million new Amazon Prime subscribers. So going by that logic, Amazon's Lord of the Rings show would need to do much better for an equal payoff.
That doesn't seem impossible, given that The Lord of the Rings is one of the biggest and most recognizable brands in all of entertainment. The Peter Jackson Lord of the Rings movies combined to make more than $2.5 billion, while Jackson's Hobbit films were even bigger, grossing almost $3 billion.
Little in the way of specifics is known about the Lord of the Rings show, but we do know it will be set before the events of The Fellowship of the Ring. The universe that Lord of the Rings author J.R.R. Tolkien created is absolutely massive, so there are countless opportunities for great stories to be told; it's exciting to think about.
Square Enix is holding a sale on Nintendo's Eshop, offering discounts on several Switch and 3DS games, including a few surprisingly recent ones. The headliner of the group is Lost Sphear, which released less than two months ago. It is discounted to $35 from the usual $50.
We had a lukewarm reaction to Lost Sphear, having enjoyed the strategic combat options but finding it too overstuffed with busywork. It was the second retro throwback from Square's new Tokyo RPG Factory, after I Am Setsuna–which had similar ups and downs. The standout of the group on the GameSpot scale is Theatrhythm Final Fantasy, which we felt was a charming and unique tribute to the series' iconic music.
Sea of Thieves, acclaimed developer Rare's Xbox One and PC pirate game, is almost here. Ahead of release, Microsoft has now released the game's launch trailer.
The video shows off the game's lovely visuals and customization options for characters and ships. Intriguingly, we also see a Kraken at the very end. What's that about? We can only imagine you'll have to do battle with the massive sea monster at some point in the game.
Sea of Thieves launches on March 20 for Xbox One and PC. It is an Xbox Play Anywhere title, so you get copies for both systems. Additionally, Xbox Game Pass subscribers on Xbox One can play the full game right away at no extra cost starting on March 20.
Among the things you can do in Sea of Thieves is fire yourself (or other players) out of cannons in order to reach islands faster or sneak aboard enemy vessels. To see more additional features coming with the game's full release, check out our gallery detailing 10 reasons why we're excited for Sea Of Thieves.
Though Fortnite is dominating a lot of the conversation around the battle royale genre in recent days and weeks, PUBG is still pushing ahead and performing well. On Xbox One, the game recently passed 5 million players, Microsoft announced today.
To celebrate the 5 million player milestone, developer PUBG Corp. is giving away a free cosmetic item--the PUBG5 jacket. Everyone who bought the game and created a character as of March 22 at 12:01 AM PT will get the free DLC. You can see the jacket in the image above.
Additionally, PUBG Corp. released an infographic that shows off some big-time stats about the game. Almost 5 million people have won chicken dinners, with the average time to win coming in at 34 minutes. 4.6 billion bandages have been used, while around 41 million people died by way of failing to escape the storm. 952,312 people were killed by way of the game's trademark frying pan.
While Fortnite might have eaten away at PUBG's dominance to an extent (thanks in part to Drake), the game remains immensely popular on Xbox One and PC. On PC, the game hit 2.5 concurrent players on Steam today, which is well ahead of the No. 2 game--CS: GO--which had around 540,000 concurrent users today, according to Steam's public data.
PUBG is only available for console on Xbox One thanks to a timed-exclusive partnership Microsoft has with PUBG's publisher. Though no official announcements have been made, PUBG Corp. has said it wants to bring the game to every platform, so a PS4 edition sounds more like a matter of when not if.
Ark: Survival Evolved, the dinosaur game that's sold millions of copies on PC, Xbox One, and PS4, is spreading to mobile. Developer Studio Wildcard today announced that it's working with War Drum Studios on a game that brings the "entire" game to mobile devices.
It will be free-to-play (the PC and console editions cost $60) and presumably supported by a microtransaction system as other free-to-play games are. According to Studio Wildcard, this is the "full online survival experience" from the PC/console version, translated for mobile. There will of course be dinosaurs and other creatures (80 in all), while other features from the PC/console version are making the jump as well, including crafting and building, as well as multiplayer.
A limited closed beta for Ark's mobile version is available now on iOS; the full game is slated to launch this spring for iOS and Android. You can see the game in action through the announcement trailer above.
Ark: Survival Evolved has been a big hit since its release on PC through Steam Early Access in June 2015. The game was later released for Xbox One and PS4, and across all versions, the game has reached 13 million players, Studio Wildcard says.
War Drum Studios, the developer of Ark for mobile, also worked on the mobile versions of Rockstar's Bully, GTA: Chinatown Wars, and GTA: San Andreas.
A Way Out, the new co-op game from the creator of Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons, is launching next week on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC. We caught up with game director Josef Fares recently, who gave us a demo and revealed some new details about the action game. Fares made headlines at the end of 2017 when he said "F**k the Oscars" and gave the middle finger directly to the camera during The Game Awards.
You can check out our complete, 35-minute demo in the video above, but we've pulled out some interesting takeaways into the bullet points at the bottom of this post.
A Way Out can only be played in co-op with another human, locally or online. Thankfully, there is a way to pretty much ensure you have someone to play with. At The Game Awards back in December, publisher EA announced a "friends pass free trial" for the game that lets you play the full title if your friend owns it.
Set in the '70s, A Way Out focuses on the story of two convicts who are on the run after a prison escape. The game launches on March 23, though because it is an EA-published title, EA/Origin Access subscribers will presumably get to play a trial early.
A Way Out Details From Fares
It will take you 6-8 hours to finish A Way Out
Developer Hazelight started with just 10 people on the project, before ramping up to around 40 later in development. Only 12 people worked on Brothers.
Fares wrote the script himself, though he worked with a "script doctor" as well.
Fares says EA has been very supportive and hands-off. "If EA wants to make an apple greener, I can say no," Fares said.
100 percent of the income from A Way Out will go to developer Hazelight. EA makes nothing, Fares said. EA helps with marketing and support, but apparently gets nothing from sales.
He acknowledges that EA has its fair share of issues, as all publishers do. "They sh*t and take a pee like everybody else," Fares said.
Fares is incredibly passionate about A Way Out and particularly its co-op multiplayer, saying he would turn down $10 million to make a strictly single-player game.
Fares would never make a game with mictrotransactions.
There are no plans for a Nintendo Switch edition, at least not yet.
One of the first Legendary Pokemon to be released in Pokemon Go will soon show up once again in the popular mobile game. Beginning today, March 16, Pokemon Go players will have another opportunity to capture the Gold and Silver Legendary, Lugia, for a limited time.
As before, players will encounter Lugia as a Raid Battle boss at Gyms. This time around, however, Pokemon Go developer Niantic says the Legendary Pokemon will know the "newly improved" Flying move Sky Attack, although Niantic didn't elaborate as to how the attack has been improved.
In order to capture Lugia, players will first have to team up with other trainers at a Gym to battle the powerful Pokemon. Only once Lugia has been defeated will each participant have a chance to catch it. Fortunately, The Pokemon Company has teased that Lugia will be easier to capture than it previously was if players are able to successfully take it down.
Lugia arrives on the same day that another Legendary, Rayquaza, leaves the game. March 16 also marks the day the rewards for Pokemon Go's Legendary Week will expire. As a result of that event, Pokemon that prefer windy weather--such as Salamence's first form, Bagon--have been more likely to hatch from Eggs. Players would also receive double XP as an additional bonus.
Lugia will be available in Pokemon Go until April 2. Shortly after it arrives, Niantic will host the third Community Day event. That takes place on March 25 and runs for three hours, beginning at 11 AM PT / 2 PM ET and ending at 2 PM PT / 5 PM ET. The featured Pokemon during this month's Community Day will be the classic starter Bulbasaur, although Niantic has yet to announce what it's exclusive move will be.
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