It's been nearly two years since former WWE World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan was forced to retire from active competition due to health-related issues--namely concerns over concussions he had sustained while wrestling. However, things may be changing for the Smackdown Live general manager after a new interview.
In fact, Bryan is hinting that there is a plan in place, should he be cleared for active competition ahead of Wrestlemania 34. "I used to think that the percentage of the WWE ever clearing me was low. I think, with the stuff that I have done, it has gone a little higher, but I don't know how much higher," he tells The National, while promoting WWE. "There is one way to go if I don't get cleared and then there is another way to go if I am cleared. I am hoping to be cleared, but I don't know which way it goes."
According to Bryan, at this very moment, he is not cleared. However, he's adamant that he has done everything he possibly can to get cleared by the company--including getting cleared by every doctor he's seen. However, WWE has always maintained that the only way he'd wind up back in the company's ring is if he was given the green light by one of its own doctors. WWE executive Triple H explained in January, "If the belief is that he's not healthy enough and it is a risk for to perform, then I don't know why we would ever allow him to step in the ring unless it can be proven otherwise."
These new developments are interesting, given that Bryan's contract is reported to be expiring later in 2018. Making things even more intriguing is the rumor that WWE has already approached Bryan about a smaller role at Wrestlemania.
Twitter account Wrestle Votes, which has broken WWE news in the past, cites a source claiming WWE wanted Bryan involved in a match, though he would take very few bumps and only do light work in the ring. According to the source, Bryan turned down the offer as he wants to do more.
Whether this all amounts ti Bryan returning to the ring at Wrestlemania 34 remains to be seen. However, nearly two years after his retirement, it's never seemed more likely that he would lace up his boots for one more match. As for where he'd be most effective on the card, the easiest choice would be turning Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn into Owens and Zayn teaming against Bryan and Shane McMahon. It would give all four men a marquee match on the show and allow Bryan a chance to ease his way back into active competition. Then again, there's also a ready-made feud with The Miz, stemming from their heated Talking Smack exchange in 2016.
Wrestlemania 34 airs like on the WWE Network on April 8. Currently, other matches on the show include Charlotte vs. Asuka for the Smackdown Women's Championship, Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar for the WWE Universal Championship, and AJ Styles vs. Shinsuke Nakamura for the WWE Championship. John Cena is also expected to face The Undertaker on the show.
Last week marked the release of Burnout Paradise Remastered, an updated version of EA's popular 2008 racing game. Despite only just launching, however, players already have a chance to pick it up at a discount.
As part of GameStop's big Play Days sale, Burnout Paradise Remastered is on sale right now for both PS4 and Xbox One. The game typically retails for $40, but for a limited time, you can grab it on either console for $30. Likewise, Amazon has dropped the price of the physical version of Burnout Paradise Remastered for both consoles to $30.
The Play Days sale is only available until March 24, giving you a few days to take advantage of the above price if you're considering picking up Burnout Paradise Remastered. In addition to that, the sale encompasses a variety of other new and recently released titles--including Monster Hunter World, Call of Duty: WWII, and Destiny 2--as well as various collectibles and accessories. You can find the full list of discounted items on GameStop's website.
Burnout Paradise Remastered launched for PS4 and Xbox One on March 16, with a PC version slated to follow later this year. It includes a significantly improved version of the original Burnout Paradise, along with eight add-on packs plus the Legendary Cars pack, which introduced vehicles from movies such as Back to the Future and Ghostbusters.
GameSpot called Paradise "a superbly fun racer" and awarded it a 9/10 in our original Burnout Paradise review. Critic Alex Navarro wrote at the time, "Developer Criterion has invented a world wonderfully suited to Burnout's nature, a city built exclusively to cater to your destructive whims. And while a few design hitches here and there get in the way now and again, by and large Burnout Paradise delivers an experience that is both true to the Burnout name and wonderfully fresh-feeling all at once."
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Ever since God of War was revealed for PS4, it's been clear the game would differ from its predecessors in the series. It appeared to have a slower pace, combat seemed vastly different, and Kratos now had a son! As it turns out, those assumptions are true: the game does feel unlike anything the series has seen before.
We recently got to check out the action title's opening couple of hours, and in the video above you can watch resident God of War expert Tamoor Hussain and series newcomer Dave Jewitt discuss what they saw. There's also some great gameplay of Kratos's new ice axe and shield combination.
They go on to talk about how Kratos's son, Atreus, feels relevant to both the story and the gameplay; Kratos is a stranger in the Nordic land he finds himself in, and he relies on his son to teach him about Norse culture and to decipher the people's runes and language. Atreus also helps out in combat, so he's doesn't feel like a burden, as many video game companion characters do.
Burnout Paradise Remastered has entered the UK physical sales chart at No.1, according to sales monitor Chart-Track. For the week ending March 17, the racing game was the best-selling boxed game in the UK, with fellow new entry Kirby Star Allies debuting at No.2.
Second place is still an impressive finish for the Nintendo Switch platformer: it's the most successful launch ever in the UK for a Kirby game, with the previous record of No.15 jointly held by 3DS titles Kirby Triple Deluxe and Kirby: Planet Robobot.
Below the two new games it's a familiar story in the top 10. FIFA 18 rises one place to No.3, while Grand Theft Auto V (No.4) and Mario Kart 8: Deluxe round out the top five. The only other new entries for this week are the current-gen version of the Devil May Cry HD Collection, which debuts at No.13, and fantasy RPG Beast Quest, which manages a No.35 finish in its first week on sale.
You can read the full top 10 sales chart below, courtesy of UKIE and Chart-Track. Note this table does not include digital sales data, and so should not be considered representative of all UK game sales.
Are you in need of new shows and movies to binge? Thankfully, Netflix has your streaming fix thanks to a large number of new originals and a few films being added to the service over the course of the week.
The most notable title arriving on the streamer is the second season of Santa Clarita Diet, the dark zombie comedy starring Drew Barrymore as a member of the brain-eating undead community. The first season was a funny and bizarre trip into suburban life when you're a zombie, and Season 2 will likely continue the trend. The new episodes will see Joel McHale, Maggie Lawson, and Gerald McRaney join the cast in guest roles.
The first season of anime Sword Gai The Animation will also debut on the service this week, along with Netflix originals Alexa & Katie, Dinotrux Supercharged, The Mechanism, and Requiem. Additional titles for the week include In Search of Fellini, Conor McGregor: Notorious, and Red Trees.
As Netflix adds more and more original content every week, the streaming service is also removing a lot of popular titles from its library. March is no different, with dozens of films and TV shows being removed.
Among the most notable departure is the Jaws franchise of films. All four movies disappeared from Netflix on March 1. Likewise, the movies Less Than Zero, Baby's Day Out, and Ferngully: The Last Rainforest were removed at the beginning of the month. Later in the month, Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, The Good Son, and The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou will go away, as well.
When it comes to TV, seasons of Archer, The Killing, Life In Pieces, The Carmichael Show, and The Finder will no longer be available to stream. You can take a look at everything leaving Netflix in March below. After that, check out every title the service is adding next month. Arrivals on the service include new seasons of Marvel's Jessica Jones and Santa Clarita Diet. Additionally, you can see what both Hulu and Amazon Prime are debuting in March.
Leaving Netflix in March
March 1
A Gang Story
Anastasia
Baby's Day Out
Eyewitness
FernGully: The Last Rainforest
First Response
Forget and Forgive
Hitch
Jaws
Jaws 2
Jaws 3
Jaws: The Revenge
Less Than Zero
Memento
Slums of Beverly Hills
The Chase
The Craft
The Panic in Needle Park
Trigger Point
Two Wrongs
xXx
March 4
Chloe
Safe Haven
March 6
The Finest Hours
March 8
Victoria
March 11
Believe
Glitch
March 12
Standby
Disney's The Santa Clause
Disney's The Santa Clause 2
Disney's The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause
March 13
Breakout Kings: Season 1
City of God: 10 Years Later
London Has Fallen
The Killing: Seasons 1-2
March 14
Archer: Seasons 1-7
March 19
V/H/S: Viral
March 20
Zootopia
March 22
Steve Jobs: One Last Thing
March 24
Voltron 84: Season 1
Who Framed Roger Rabbit
March 26
The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
March 29
The Gates: Season 1
March 30
Life in Pieces: Season 1
March 31
Awake: Season 1
Bordertown: Season 1
Breakout Kings: Season 2
Brickleberry: Seasons 1-3
Cooper Barrett's Guide to Surviving Life: Season 1
Sea of Thieves developer Rare is known for its sense of humor, and with its new game, it appears to be focusing more than ever on embracing its community. Those two things have come together to make for a special day one patch--which is not at all what you likely think.
It's customary for games in this day and age to receive large updates on day one that add essential features or make big changes or fixes. Rare has decided to poke fun at that and leverage the fact that it has a game where eyepatches are en vogue. As pictured in the image below players can now acquire a Day One Patch--an eyepatch with the number 1 on it. It can be purchased for one gold from the General Clothing shop from now until March 29.
This is a callback to an early suggestion from Reddit user Jefabell, who recently proposed this exact idea. Rare doesn't shy away from its inspiration either, as the item's description reads, "A message in a bottle from Jolly Jefabell washed ashore. Eyepatch makers read it and said, 'aye.'"
HTC's next iteration of its Vive VR headset, the Vive Pro, is coming soon. Following its reveal earlier this year, HTC has now confirmed both a price and release date for the headset, along with a promotional offer to encourage early adoption. And with the introduction of a new model, HTC is slashing the price of the existing Vive.
Vive Pro will be available for $799/£799, HTC has announced. Notably, that's only for the headset itself--that price doesn't include any controllers, base stations, or the wireless adapter. By contrast, the basic Vive includes two controllers and two base stations in addition to the headset. That package has seen its price cut by $100 and is now available for $499/£499 with a free copy of Fallout 4 VR.
The Vive Pro begins shipping on April 5 and is now available for pre-order on the Vive website, among other places. Purchases of the headset made by June 3 come with a free six-month Viveport subscription, which gets you an allotment of free games each month.
Vive Pro has dual OLED displays with a combined resolution of 2880 x 1600, which is a marked increase over the standard Vive's 2160 x 1200. When we tried it back at CES, we found it to be a notable improvement and thought Vive Pro might be the best VR headset to date.
While the lack of included controllers and base stations isn't ideal for first-time Vive buyers, HTC notes that existing Vive owners can easily upgrade. The headset-only package can be purchased to replace their current headset, with the old base stations and controllers working with Vive Pro.
Sonic had arguably been in a down period for some time, but last year's Sonic Mania was widely regarded as a return to form for the hedgehog. That digital-only game is finally set to get a physical release, but not just for the existing game. Sega has announced Sonic Mania Plus, a physical re-release of Mania that introduces some new content and features.
Among the additions are two new playable characters, Mighty and Ray. There's also a new Encore mode and an expanded version of the four-player competition mode where you go head-to-head with other players. This was all shared during a Sonic panel at SXSW and then teased on Twitter, so we don't yet know all the details.
Sonic Mania Plus will be available in a physical package this summer for Switch, PS4, and Xbox One. That's notable, as the only physical version of Mania was the Collector's edition (which came with a digital copy of the game itself). This new Plus version includes holographic packaging, a 32-page art book, and a reversible cover that makes the game look like it's for Genesis.
Sonic Mania goes packaged with Sonic Mania Plus! Mighty and Ray join as playable characters, new Encore mode, 4P Competition mode, Holographic packaging, 32-page art book, and more. Summer 2018. pic.twitter.com/4U74kJ7xuG
On the heels of the Western release of Kazuma Kiryu's last chapter with Yakuza 6: The Song of Life, Sega has announced that we'll soon be able to relive the earlier days--Yakuza Kiwami 2 is coming to PlayStation 4 in North America and Europe on August 28, 2018. The Japanese version, called Ryu ga Gotoku: Kiwami 2, has been out since December 2017, but the localized version is now on the way. Kiwami 2 is the remake of the original Yakuza 2 that came out for the PlayStation 2 back in 2006 (Japan) and 2008 (West).
Yakuza 2 picks up one year after the events of the original game where Kiryu finds himself stuck in inter-clan drama yet again. Turmoil inside the Omi Alliance (rivals of Kiryu's own Tojo Clan), turns animosity into a war in the streets of series-long home Kamurocho. This is all thanks to a coup within the Omi led by the main villain Ryuji Goda. The son of an old Tojo chairman has to return to the yakuza lifestyle to protect the families, with plenty of help from Kiryu of course. And the beloved, yet unhinged Goro Majima also has to pitch in to keep the clan afloat.
Familiar faces like Makoto Date, Osamu Kashiwagi, Haruka Sawamura are central characters to the plot, alongside the Osakan detective Kaoru Sayama who makes her series debut to keep a sharp eye on Kiryu. This is only the setup for the rollercoaster ride that is Yakuza 2.
A completely new addition in Kiwami 2 is a whole campaign called The Truth of Goro Majima where we get to play as the man himself and uncover how he became a construction business tycoon just before the events of Yakuza 2. Playing as Majima was a highlight in the prequel Yakuza 0, and fans got to peer into the personal life of one of the series' most distinguishable characters.
We get another dose of everyone's idol, Goro Majima!
Kiwami 2 uses the new Dragon Engine which is the graphical foundation for Yakuza 6. It provides the best visual fidelity the series ever had, but also allows players to enter shops and buildings without loading times, even during fights. Yakuza 2 brings fans back to Tokyo's fictional red-light district of Kamurocho and also takes us to the riverside Osakan town of Sotenbori; these two locations will look better than ever with the Dragon Engine.
Yakuza isn't complete without its minigames; Golf Bingo and Virtual On are a few of the smaller things to get into. However, the fan-favorite Cabaret minigame from Yakuza 0 makes a return along with the most-valuable platinum hostess Yuki. Majima will also get the Clan Creator minigame as seen in Yakuza 6.
This isn't the first time a PS2-era Yakuza game was remade. Yakuza Kiwami came to the West last year and modernized the series' first release with additional substories, the Majima Everywhere subplot, and tweaks that made the storytelling more cohesive. Voiceovers were re-recorded to capture the improved localization, one aspect the series is known for, and Kiwami 2 is getting the same treatment.
Yakuza Kiwami 2 will be available both digitally and physically for $50; pre-ordered and first-run copies will come in a special steelbook with artwork of Kazuma Kiryu and Ryuji Goda.
If you're in the market for new games to play, you now have a chance to pick some up for cheap. GameStop has kicked off its Play Days sale, a limited-time event that offers some nice discounts on various titles and accessories for PS4, Xbox One, PC, and Nintendo Switch.
From now until March 24, customers will find deals on an assortment of games for each platform, including some that were just recently released, like Burnout Paradise Remastered, which is already on sale for $30. Additionally, Capcom's incredibly successful new game Monster Hunter World is available for $45, while the newly released Scribblenauts Showdown is $20.
In terms of hardware, all Xbox One wireless controllers are $10 off, and customers can save up to $10 off of select Switch accessories. While the Xbox One X itself isn't discounted, those who pick one up during the sale will get a digital copy of Sea of Thieves for free. A number of toys and collectibles are also on sale, including Pokemon TCG decks and packs. You can find the full list of deals during the Play Days event on GameStop's website.
Fortnite's mobile test is not taking long to grow. Epic Games has already sent out the first invites to select iOS users, and now it's provided some participants with the ability to invite their friends--so if you know someone who's in, now is the time to start bugging and/or bribing them for a code.
Some Fortnite mobile players, including one of us here at GameSpot, has received an email informing them that friend invites are now available. "You have new friend invites ready to send!" the email reads. "Share them with your friend to give them instant access to the Fortnite Invite Event on iOS."
At least in our case, we received three invites. These aren't sent through the email itself; instead, you have to open up the game on your mobile device, log in, and send them out from there. As pictured below, if you have invites to send, you'll be alerted by a notification in the upper-right corner of the screen. Click that, and you're presented with links to send out each invite. Once it's accepted, you and the recipient will automatically be added to each other's friends list.
Fortnite mobile is only in beta currently, but as Epic promised, it does essentially deliver the full Battle Royale experience (as you'd expect, because cross-play is set to be offered with other platforms). It does feature some minor changes, such as a new indicator to point out things (like nearby chests) in case you're playing without sound. You can check out some Fortnite mobile gameplay in the video above. An Android version is also in the works and will be released in the coming months, and the ongoing iOS test will continue to expand.
Spoilers for Netflix's Jessica Jones including the finale of Season 2 below!
In the newest episodes of Jessica Jones, Trish "Patsy" Walker spends a lot of time trying to become a superhero, and she causes Jessica a lot of pain as a result. Don't hold it against her, though. Trish didn't have a choice. It's just who she is.
See, in the comics, Patsy Walker moonlights as the costumed superhero Hellcat. If Jessica Jones' latest season is any indication, it won't be long before her Netflix counterpart is following suit. Patsy's alter-ego is just part of the story, however. How Patsy goes from teen idol to spandex-clad hero in the comics is an odd and fascinating tale--and if you're caught up on Jessica Jones Season 2, it's going to sound awfully relevant.
Just a normal teenage girl
In the Marvel Universe, Patsy has always been a star. She beat the Fantastic Four to the spinner rack by almost 20 years. By the time Tony Stark got around to strapping an arc reactor to his chest, Patsy's flagship comic was already celebrating it's 105th issue. Spider-Man, Wolverine, and Thor? Patsy's older than all of them.
In 1944, Timely Comics (the company later known as Marvel) launched Miss America Magazine, a hybrid publication that combined comics with fashion and dating tips from Hollywood stars, profiles of up-and-coming celebrities, and advice columns. While the 16-year-old superhero Miss America was positioned as the magazine's big draw (her name is in the title, for goodness' sake), Patsy Walker quickly stole the show.
When Patsy made her first appearance in Miss America Magazine #2, writer Otto Binder described her as "wholesome" and "mischievous"--in other words, "a typical teenager" who "might be your next-door neighbor." Patsy Walker's teen adventures proved to be a perfect fit for the magazine. While Miss America is busy fighting an electric-powered supervillain, Patsy spends her debut trying to woo the hunky musician Swoon Strong before her would-be boyfriend, other fans, and her bratty younger brother can get in the way.
If you've ever read Archie comics, you know what Patsy Walker was like. Patsy has a beleaguered love interest, Buzz Baxter, and a foxy rival named Hedy Wolfe. Most of Patsy's struggles involve finding new jobs, surviving school and suburbia, and navigating her ever-turbulent love life. They're silly stories, but many are remarkably well made. Cartoonist Al Jaffee was the main artist on Patsy's books for years until Harvey Kurtzman snatched him up for MAD Magazine, where he's been ever since. That's a lot of talent, and it shows on practically every page.
Patsy became a star almost immediately, and while Miss America disappeared from her own magazine just a few issues after its debut, Patsy stayed for the duration--and then some.
A few months after her debut, she got her own comic book. In 1952 Patsy and Hedy shared the spotlight in a series called Patsy and Hedy. A third spin-off, Patsy and Her Pals, launched in 1953.
Patsy Walker, Patsy's flagship series, ran from 1945 until 1967. Cancellation wasn't the end for the teen star, however--she just needed a career change to bring her in line with the times.
All grown up and on the prowl
Technically, Patsy Walker ushered in the Marvel Age of Comics. In June 1961, Patsy Walker #95 was one of the first two titles to carry the name Marvel Comics on the cover (the other was Journey into Mystery #69). Patsy didn't officially join the Marvel superhero universe until a few years later, however, when she and Hedy gawked at the stars attending Reed Richards and Sue Storm's wedding in The Fantastic Four Annual #3.
It's a single panel cameo, but it was enough to convince writer Steve Englehart that Patsy was a part of the larger Marvel Universe. In Englehart's Amazing Adventures #14, Patsy gets caught up in a fight between police and the X-Men's Beast. This wasn't the same flighty teen girl that fans remembered, however. This Patsy was all grown up. To drive the point home, Amazing Adventures #15 opens with Patsy in a slinky nightgown, something that Englehart seems pretty proud of.
Patsy helps hide Beast's real identity from the police, and Beast repays the favor in Englehart's Avengers #141 by convincing Captain America to let Patsy tag along on a mission. Naturally, Patsy gets caught up in the action. At the end of Avengers #144, Patsy dons a fallen villain's costume and christens herself Hellcat. Buzz, Patsy's estranged husband, serves as Hellcat's first nemesis.
Englehart liked Patsy as a hero because, unlike other Marvel characters, she's "a typical girl." Patsy's past wasn't marred by tragedy. She wasn't caught in a lab accident, she wasn't forced to wear a costume, and she's not driven by guilt or vengeance. She just wants to help.
Patsy, bringing two different worlds together
Hellcat went on to have a number of adventures with the Avengers and the Defenders, including marrying the Son of Satan himself, Daimon Hellstrom, befriending She-Hulk, and committing suicide (don't worry, she got better). Patsy's strangest story, however, happened when Marvel tried to reconcile her superhero career with her lighthearted past.
In Defenders #89, Hellcat's friends learn that, when Patsy was a child, her mother wrote and drew a series of teen humor comics starring Patsy Walker. As Hellcat tells the story, the comics became incredibly popular, transforming Patsy into a teen idol. In other words, all of those Patsy Walker comics from the '40s, '50s, and '60s? Those exist in the Marvel Universe too, making Patsy just as much of a star there as she was here.
That's the foundation for Trish's arc on Jessica Jone. On Jessica Jones, It's Patsy! was a television show, not a comic book, but the basic beats are the same: an overbearing stage mother, a reluctant teen idol, an accidental entry into the world of superheroes, an association with the Defenders, and a quest to become a hero herself.
In the comics, Patsy doesn't battle addiction or fight off nosy fans, but she's got some (literal) demons of her own. She married Daimon Hellstrom, the actual son of Satan, in The Defenders #125--naturally, Buzz Baxter crashes the wedding--and later committed suicide thanks to his influence. If you thought that Mama Walker was overbearing and controlling on Jessica Jones, in the comics she tried to sell Patsy's soul in exchange for everlasting life. Whether it's on the screen or on the page, Patsy's got issues.
That doesn't stop her from trying to help the people around her, however. That's Patsy's whole deal, even if they don't always make the best decisions along the way. Or, to put it another way: when Trish busts out cat-like reflexes and catches her cellphone during her last scene in Jessica Jones' sophomore season, it's not just a random plot twist. It's destiny.
Fortnite developer Epic has kicked off a new limited-time mode in Battle Royale on PS4, Xbox One, and PC. For the next few days, players will be able to jump into the short-lived Blitz mode, which promises "swift storms and lots of loot."
Blitz was one of the new limited-time modes Epic teased last month for Battle Royale. As the studio previously described, the mode features much shorter matches than usual, which Epic says makes them "faster [and] more intense." In Blitz, the maximum duration of a match is only 15 minutes, and each match begins with the storm circle already closing in.
On top of the shortened match times, loot availability has been adjusted in Blitz mode. The likelihood that treasure chests and ammo boxes will spawn during a match has been significantly increased, and Floor Loot spawns "nearly 100% of the time." The spawn interval of Supply Drops and their descent time have also been decreased, while harvest resources have been doubled.
Epic hasn't announced an exact end date for Blitz mode, but limited-time events in Battle Royale typically run for about a week, giving you only a few days to participate before it is removed from the rotation. You can find more details about Blitz mode on the official Fortnite website.
Blitz mode rolls out shortly after the release of Fortnite's 3.3 patch. Along with an assortment of bug fixes, that update moved Smoke Grenades into the Vault. In their place, Epic introduced Supply Llamas and a new weapon in Battle Royale: remote explosives, which can be placed on the map and detonated from a distance. Another weapon, the Boogie Bomb, has also been "temporarily disabled" due to a bug, although it will return to the game once Epic has resolved the issue.
A new Fortnite update is now available on PC, PS4, and Xbox One, but in addition to checking out the new stuff it has to offer, Battle Royale players have some other things they can now do. Fortnite's week 4 challenges have rolled out for Battle Pass owners, and some of them might prove to be tricky.
The full list of challenges is outlined below; one requires you getting the right weapon and utilizing it efficiently (dealing a specific amount of damage with a sniper rifle), while another has you tracking down chests in the Flush Factory or supply drops around the map. There are two in particular that you might need some help with.
The first of these is not labeled as Hard; you're told to visit five different ice cream trucks. These are scattered around the map--there are more than five in total, with a handful located right inside major locations like Tomato Town, Pleasant Park, and Retail Row. Others are in less obvious locations, though you can track them all down with this map shared by Reddit user imkairu.
What is labeled as Hard is the challenge that reads, "Search between a Vehicle Tower, Rock Sculpture, and a Circle of Hedges." That somewhat vague clue is pointing you toward a point in the southeast corner of the map, in the G9 section. It's just on the edge of some water--you can see it in this screenshot from Reddit user __Kaneda__, or see the map they provided here.
You can check out all of the week 4 challenges below. Keep in mind that, despite being added weekly, you have the entirety of Season 3 to finish these out. That means you can also go back to complete previous weekly challenges.
Weekly challenges are only available to those who own the new Season 3 Battle Pass, which costs 950 V-Bucks. It expands the number of optional tasks you're given in Battle Royale and allows you to unlock more items like outfits, gliders, and emotes. The Season 3 Battle Pass also includes new types of items, such as loading screens and Back Bling. Check out our gallery of Battle Pass rewards for a look at everything you can get.
Fortnite: Battle Royale Week 4 Challenges
Deal damage with Sniper Rifles to opponents (500) -- 5 Battle Stars
Search Chests in Flush Factory (7) -- 5 Battle Stars
Search Supply Drops (3) -- 5 Battle Stars
Visit different Ice Cream Trucks (5) -- 5 Battle Stars
Hard: Search between a Vehicle Tower, Rock Sculpture, and a Circle of Hedges (1) -- 10 Battle Stars
Hard: Trap Eliminations (1) -- 10 Battle Stars
Hard: Eliminate opponents in Tomato Town (3) -- 10 Battle Stars
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.
Sea of Thieves is a big release for a variety of reasons. It's the first big original game from Rare in quite some time, the first big Xbox One exclusive of the year, and the first of Microsoft's games to launch day and date on Game Pass. Whatever your reason for playing, you'll be doing so at a different time depending on where in the world you reside. Although it has a release date of March 20, this is an online-only game, and servers go online at various times in different regions.
The first players are actually already online--regions like New Zealand, Australia, and Japan are already in, but you'll still be waiting if you're located in the West. Those in the UK won't get online until late tonight--12 AM GMT on Tuesday, to be precise. In the US and Canada, meanwhile, servers go online at 9 PM PT/12 AM ET, so you'll actually be able to play on Monday if you're not in the Eastern Time Zone.
A full schedule for when servers come online can be seen on the Sea of Thieves website. This gradual rollout will hopefully prevent any online connection issues from popping up, but you can keep an eye on the situation with Rare's server status page.
As noted above, Xbox Game Pass member will get access to Sea of Thieves for free at the same time the game goes on sale for Xbox One and PC. That allows you to play for as long as you remain a Game Pass subscriber. Alternatively, you can get a free copy of the game right now by purchasing an Xbox One X.
Unfortunately, reviewers weren't granted access to Sea of Thieves in advance of its release, so we don't yet have a review. You can check back in the coming days for our impressions of the game. In the meantime, check out the 10 things we learned from the recent beta.
This week's biggest games are all about working together. In Sea of Thieves, you and your pals can run your very own pirate ship. In Attack on Titan 2, you can team up to take down the titular titans. And in A Way Out, your only path out of prison is playing cooperatively. On the single-player side, you can solve cases with everyone's favorite electric mouse in Detective Pikachu, or save the world in Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom.
Sea of Thieves -- March 20
Available on: Xbox One, PC
If I tell you that Sea of Thieves is all about gathering a pirate crew with your friends, you can probably figure the rest out: you can explore a massive ocean, run a tight ship, battle other crews, search for buried treasure, and so much more. You might even run into a kraken or two.
Maybe your crew would rather defend your hometown from giant, people-eating freaks. This follow-up smash-hit anime game picks up right after the first, and this time you'll be able to play the whole thing in co-op, or take on the challenge alone with new co-op characters.
A Way Out is a forced co-op game--one player controls Leo, the other controls Vincent--where your goal is to escape prison. In practice, this means one of you can be stuck in a cutscene while the other explores or approach a situation from multiple vantage points.
Don't expect to be choosing starters and earning gym badges in this Pokemon adventure. Instead, you'll guide a talking Pikachu and his human helper Timmy as they solve cases around town. There are plenty of clues to find and suspicious characters to interrogate.
This RPG sequel had its own set of delays, but it'll soon be time to help King Evan restore his stolen throne. New to the game are the Pikmin-like Higgledies, which can be commanded in battle. And you'll definitely be having plenty of those across the game's expansive world.
Epic Games announced earlier this year that it would close the doors on one of its ongoing projects, the third-person MOBA Paragon. Part of its rationale for doing so was trouble acquiring and retaining players, but the massive success of Fortnite's Battle Royale mode--which has required more of Epic's resources--was also a contributing factor. With a move made today, the success of Fortnite and death of Paragon is suddenly great news for many developers.
In addition developing games of its own, Epic is the studio behind Unreal Engine, which is licensed by numerous companies to create their own games. As of today, Epic has decided to not let the work it did on Paragon go to waste. A "full array" of Paragon's assets have now been released to all Unreal Engine 4 developers. Epic estimates the cost of building those assets--which include 20 "AAA-quality characters" and their skins, animations, visual effects, and dialogue, as well as environmental assets--at over $12 million, which is an eye-opening figure. And that's now all in the hands of developers for free from the Unreal Engine Marketplace.
What this means is that UE4 developers can now freely grab those assets and put them to use in their own projects. In addition to what's already available, Epic will also release even more Paragon assets that cost millions of dollars to produce. These will be released this spring and summer. More details for developers are available here.
It's an unusual move to see, as developers rarely give away assets even from unreleased projects. Just how developers choose to make use of these assets remains to be seen. You probably won't suddenly see Paragon characters running around in Friday the 13th: The Game or other UE4 games, but the work Epic has already done may benefit other developers, particularly younger ones who can learn from it.
Paragon remains playable for the time being, but Epic is offering refunds for all purchases ever made in it. Paragon's servers will shut down on April 26.
Microsoft's open-world pirate game Sea of Thieves makes its anticipated debut this 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.
The next Pokemon Go Community Day is right around the corner. Ahead of the event, developer Niantic has shared more details about what bonuses players will have a chance to get, including the exclusive move for this month's featured Pokemon.
The next Community Day takes place on Sunday, March 25. As detailed on the official Pokemon Go website, the event will run during a specific three-hour window of time, kicking off at 11 AM PT / 2 PM ET and concluding at 2 PM PT / 5 PM ET. During those hours, players will earn triple the normal amount of XP for capturing Pokemon, and Lure modules will last for three hours.
In addition to those bonuses, players will encounter increased spawns of the Grass-type starter Bulbasaur, which is the featured Pokemon for this month's Community Day. However, as was the case with last month's event, Bulbasaur won't be able to learn the exclusive Community Day move; rather, its final evolution, Venusaur, can, provided you're able to evolve it during the event.
If players manage to evolve Ivysaur into Venusaur before Community Day ends, the Pokemon will learn the powerful Grass-type attack Frenzy Plant. This applies to any Ivysaur you own, even those that were obtained prior to the event. However, the Pokemon will only learn Frenzy Plant if it evolves during the event hours, giving you only a brief window of time to get the exclusive move.
In the meantime, a new Legendary Pokemon is now available in Pokemon Go. From now until April 2, players have another chance to capture Lugia, the Legendary Psychic- and Flying-type originally from Pokemon Gold and Silver. This time, Lugia knows the "newly improved" Flying move Sky Attack, but if players are able to successfully bring it down, it should be much easier to capture than before.
One of the first Legendary Pokemon to arrive in Pokemon Go is having a second run in the popular mobile game. Beginning 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 arrived on the same day that another Legendary, Rayquaza, leaves the game. March 16 also marked the day the rewards for Pokemon Go's Legendary Week expired. As a result of that event, Pokemon that prefer windy weather--such as Salamence's first form, Bagon--had 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, and players who manage to evolve it into Venusaur during the event can learn the powerful Grass-type attack Frenzy Plant.
Looking to add more games to your Xbox library? The next run of Games With Gold freebies are now available on Xbox One and Xbox 360 for those with an Xbox Live Gold subscription.
On Xbox One, Superhot--the FPS where time only advances when you move--is free. And on Xbox 360, the puzzle game Quantum Conundrum from Portal designer Kim Swift drops to the low, low price of $0.00. The latter can also be played on Xbox One through backwards compatibility. A Games With Gold title from earlier this month, Trials of the Blood Dragon, remains available until the end of the month. Quantum Conundrum will also return to its regular price at that point, while Superhot will be free until April 15.
Claiming these games will add them to your library and allow you to play them for as long as you remain an Xbox Live Gold member. Both of these games originally arrived a bit earlier than expected, but they've now replaced two of the existing Games With Gold games.
You can download March 2018's free Games With Gold titles on your console or you can get the download process started by clicking these Xbox.com store links:
Following a delay, the next PC game to be offered for free to Twitch Prime members is now available. The original Devil May Cry--not to be confused with 2013's DMC: Devil May Cry--is up for grabs to everyone with a Prime subscription for a limited time.
Free games and other in-game content (like the recent Fortnite pack that's still available) are offered periodically through Twitch Prime. This Devil May Cry freebie was originally set to go live last month but was delayed due to "unforeseen technical circumstances." As a result, the promotion will run until April 3, giving you just under a month total to claim it. You can grab it from Devil May Cry's hub or by clicking the Prime Loot button in the top navigation bar from anywhere on Twitch's site. You'll need to use the Twitch desktop client in order to download the game, but the game is yours permanently once you claim it.
Devil May Cry was originally released in 2001 on PS2. It's a stylish action game that has spawned several sequels. A collection of the first three games, Devil May Cry HD Collection, launches for PC, PS4, and Xbox One on March 13. It features remastered versions of Devil May Cry, Devil May Cry 2, and Devil May Cry 3 with improved visuals and a 60 FPS framerate. You can see a trailer of it above.
Twitch Prime is the premium membership of livestreaming service Twitch. Without knowing it, you may already have a subscription, as Twitch Prime is one of the benefits that Amazon Prime members receive. If you're an Amazon Prime member, you can claim your Twitch Prime membership here. Since the DMC promotion first started, Twitch has announced plans to expand its free games program, with 10 games coming between March and April.
If you haven't already picked them up, March has brought a new batch of free games for PlayStation Plus members to download. Although this month's lineup is no different from the average one in terms of total games, there are some excellent titles to be had across PS4, PS3, and Vita.
Alongside that, Ratchet & Clank is also free right now. This is the most recent entry in Insomniac's long-running platforming series, although it's technically not an original game. It's based in part on the animated film, which itself was based on the original Ratchet & Clank game.
That's not it for PS4 owners, who will receive a total of five games this month thanks to Cross-Buy. Both games available on Vita, Claire: Extended Cut and Bombing Busters, are free on Plus, as is one of the two PS3 games, Mighty No. 9. PS3 owners also get their hands on Legend of Kay.
The real March madness is how much binging you'll be doing with everything new coming to Netflix. The streaming service is going all out with its March additions, including a ton of new originals, along with more movies, TV shows, and specials.
While there are over 50 originals being added to the streamer in March, there are two you need to pay very special attention to. Firstly, the new season of Marvel's Jessica Jones. Krysten Ritter is back as the whiskey-drinking hero, along with co-stars Rachael Taylor (Trish) and Carrie-Anne Moss (Jeri Hogarth). Notably, David Tennant will also reprise his role as the evil Killgrave in a guest appearance. The new season of Jessica Jones arrived on March 8--International Women's Day.
The other major original to keep an eye out for is the return of Santa Clarita Diet--the horror comedy zombie series starring Drew Barrymore and Timothy Olyphant. The first photos from the new season were released recently, showing new characters moving into the neighborhood and more undead insanity. New episodes of Santa Clarita Diet arrive on March 23.
As for movies, the Cruel Intentions trilogy--yes, it's actually a trilogy--will begin streaming in March. Other new titles include Adventureland, Jackass: Number Two, Wet Hot American Summer, and Let Me In.
It's not all good news, though. With the arrivals come the departures. March will see all four Jaws films leave Netflix, as well as three seasons of Brickleberry and the Santa Clause trilogy.
Nintendo is giving Switch owners another glimpse at some of the many intriguing titles on the way for the console soon. The company announced on Twitter that it is streaming another presentation tomorrow, this one focusing entirely on indie games coming to Switch.
The Nindies Showcase, as the broadcast is dubbed, airs on Tuesday, March 20, at 9 AM PT / 12 PM ET. Nintendo hasn't revealed how long the presentation will run, but it will highlight the "hottest upcoming indie games for Nintendo Switch." You'll be able to stream the Nindies Showcase on Nintendo's website.
Aside from that, we know very little about tomorrow's presentation. Nintendo hasn't specified which games it will showcase during the broadcast, although there are a few we can reasonably expect to see, such as Runner3; publisher Nicalis recently confirmed that title will launch for Switch (as well as PC) on May 22.
It's a new week, and that means Microsoft has rolled out a fresh set of deals on Xbox Live. The lineup of deals this week is not all that extensive, though there are some solid offers to be had across Xbox One and Xbox 360.
Moving to Xbox 360, some of the deals include Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare ($20) and Call of Duty: Ghosts ($16), as well as Farming Simulator 15 ($15). A bunch of Farming Simulator 15 DLC is also on sale this week on Xbox Live.
Go to Major Nelson's blog to see a full rundown of this week's Xbox One and Xbox 360 deals, some of which require an Xbox Live Gold membership. The offers expire on March 19.
In addition to this month's free Legendaries for Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, players can claim three more rare Pokemon right now for no charge, provided you have a Pokemon Bank account on 3DS. The Pokemon Company is giving away the final evolved forms of the Alola starters--Decidueye, Incineroar, and Primarina--as a free bonus for using Pokemon Bank, and these are a little different from the ones you can get in-game.
Unlike typical Alola starters, each of these Pokemon comes with their Hidden Abilities, which cannot normally be obtained in the games. Decidueye's Hidden Ability is Long Reach, which allows it to use moves without making contact; Incineroar's is Intimidate, which lowers your opponent's Attack stat on entering the battle; and Primarina has Liquid Voice, which turns all sound-based moves into Water-type attacks.
The free starters can be downloaded in any seventh-generation Pokemon game (Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon or Sun and Moon). After inserting your game of choice into the 3DS, access the Pokemon Bank app and you'll receive a notification that the gifts are available. You must then turn the game on and pick the starters up from the deliveryman waiting inside any Pokemon Center.
Pokemon Bank is a premium cloud storage service that allows players to store and move Pokemon between all sixth- and seventh-generation 3DS Pokemon games. The service carries an annual fee of $5 / £4.49. Fifth-generation Pokemon can also be transferred to Pokemon Bank via a companion app called Pokemon Transporter.
Pokemon fans have a lot of free Pokemon to look forward to this year as part of the Year of Legendary Pokemon celebration. Each month in 2018, The Pokemon Company will give away a free Legendary for the seventh-generation Pokemon games. March's freebies are Regigigas and Heatran. Players in Europe can download the Legendaries right now via Mystery Gift, but those in the US will receive their codes in the March Pokemon Trainer Club newsletter, which you needed to sign up for by March 1.
PSN's big Call of Duty and Square Enix sales may now be over, but Sony has rolled out a new selection of discounts in the US PlayStation Store. This week, PSN is holding a Great Indoors Sale, which offers discounts on a ton of games across all of Sony's platforms. [Update: The Great Indoors Sale ends tomorrow, March 20, making this your last opportunity to take advantage of the below deals and discounts.]
As usual, the biggest selection of deals is reserved for PS4, with PlayStation Plus subscribers saving an additional percentage off of most featured titles. The sale encompasses a number of 2017's biggest releases. Among other titles, players can pick up Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus for $40.19 ($45 without a Plus subscription), Dishonored: Death of the Outsider for $15 ($18), Ghost Recon Wildlands for $19.79 ($25.79), and XCOM 2: War of the Chosen for $30 ($34).
Most of the above deals will only be available from now until 8 AM PT / 11 AM ET on March 20. You can find some other notable discounts for each platform below. For the complete list of games on sale this week, check out the PlayStation Store.
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