PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds has been a phenomenon this past year. Not only has it seen explosive growth, but it's also helped inspire a wave of other battle royale games coming this year. If you have an Xbox One and haven't hopped on the PUBG drop plane yet, now's your chance. PUBG is currently free to play for Xbox One owners through Sunday, April 22. The only catch is that you have to be an Xbox Live Gold subscriber to take advantage of the free play weekend.
To download the full-game trial, simply head to the Xbox Store or click into the Gold section on the dashboard of your Xbox One. Any progress you make during the free play weekend will carry over into the full game, should you decide to buy it down the line.
Now is a good time to buy, too, because the Xbox One version of PUBG is getting the desert map Miramar next month. Seeing as Erangel is the only map available now for Xbox One players, that will effectively double the game's playable real estate. Along with the new map will come three additional vehicles: a minibus, pickup truck, and jet ski.
In addition to the free play weekend, the Xbox One version of PUBG is getting a limited-time DLC pack that contains some new outfits (see below). The pack costs $7 and will be available from April 19 to May 19.
Meanwhile, the developers are currently working on a smaller map for PUBG on PC, dubbed Codename: Savage. If history is any indication, it should arrive on Xbox One a few months after it lands on PC.
Not everyone is a PUBG fan. If you're firmly in the camp of the free-to-play competitor Fortnite, you'll be pleased to hear that game just got an update and is offering players double XP this weekend. Let the battle of the battle royale games begin.
The first poster for the reboot of horror classic Halloween has been released. The movie arrives in October and sees original star Jamie Lee Curtis return to the franchise that made her famous. It's directed by acclaimed indie director David Gordon Green (George Washington, Pineapple Express), with a script co-written by comedian and actor Danny McBride (Eastbound and Down, Alien Covenant).
The poster is simple and moody, featuring a close-up of the masked face of Michael Myers, the iconic killer of the Halloween series. The mask has seen better days and it certainly suggests that the movie is going for a seriously scary vibe. Check it out below.
Halloween hits theaters on October 19. It's produced by Blumhouse Films, which has released some of the most successful horror movies of recent years, including Get Out, Split, and the Purge and Paranormal Activity franchises. John Carpenter, who directed the original 1978 Halloween, is involved as a story advisor and is reportedly composing the movie's score. Although nothing is known about the story, last year Carpenter revealed the movie will be a direct sequel to the original, ignoring all the other sequels and remakes that have been released over the past 40 years.
In a recent interview with Charleston City Paper, McBride spoke about his and Green's approach to the movie, and how they were tapping into the more subtle scares of the first film. "The original is all about tension," he said. "Laurie Strode [Curtis' character] doesn't even know that Michael Myers exists until the last minutes of the movie. So much of it you're in anticipation of what's going to happen and the dread that Carpenter spins so effortlessly in that film, I think we were really trying to get it back to that.
"We're trying to mine that dread. Mine that tension and not just go for gore and ultra-violence that you see some horror movies lean on. To us, it was all about bringing back the creep factor and trying to find the horror in your own backyard, in our own homes."
We're giving away a God of War Limited Edition 1TB PS4 Pro, grey DualShock 4 Controller, and copy of the game!
This special bundle features a fully customized Leviathan Grey 1TB PS4 Pro console inspired by Kratos' Axe, a matching DualShock 4 wireless controller with insignia, and a copy of God of War Day One Edition.
Entry is open to United Kingdom residents only, since the prize is shipping from the UK. Competition ends Monday, April 30 at 7:00 PM BST. One (1) winner will be chosen.
Enter below (the additional entries are OPTIONAL to increase your chances of winning):
While Wrestlemania 34just wrapped up, there is another major 2018 WWE event on the horizon: Greatest Royal Rumble. On Friday, April 27, Saudi Arabia will host this show, which can be streamed on the WWE Network. The main event for the show will be the largest Royal Rumble match of all time.
The card for the show is starting to come together, with new matches being added to the event over the course of the next two weeks. If you're wondering why there aren't any women's matches on the card it's because of the country's extremely conservative views, and women can attend the show but cannot wrestle.
Because of the time difference, the show will air in North America at 12 PM ET / 9 AM PT with a Kickoff show on the network starting one hour prior, as the show begins in Saudi Arabia at 5 PM BST / 7 PM AST. As of this writing, there's no clear indication of how long the show will be, but advertisements for it have said all the major WWE titles--minus the two women's ones--will be on the line, so expect this to be a longer event.
The main event of the evening will be the Greatest Royal Rumble match, a Royal Rumble consisting of 50 wrestlers. Prior to this event, the 2011 40-man Royal Rumble was the only Rumble to have more than 30 superstars involved. We'll keep you updated when new matches are added to the card. As of now, there are seven confirmed matches for it.
Greatest Royal Rumble Match Card
Undertaker vs. Rusev (Casket Match)
The Bar vs. Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt (For the Raw Tag Team Championship)
John Cena vs. Triple H
The Bludgeon Brothers (c) vs. The Usos (For the Smackdown Tag Team Championship)
The Miz vs. Seth Rollins (c) vs. Finn Balor vs. Samoa Joe (Ladder match for the Intercontinental Championship)
Jeff Hardy (c) vs. Jinder Mahal (For the United States Championship)
Brock Lesnar (c) vs. Roman Reigns (Steel cage match for the Universal Championship)
AJ Styles (c) vs. Shinsuke Nakamura (For the WWE Championship)
50-Man Royal Rumble
If for some reason you can't watch Greatest Royal Rumble when it airs--because it's on in the early morning--don't worry because GameSpot will be covering it live.
The Nintendo Switch Eshop is adding a bunch of new releases this week, headlined by the arrival of South Park: The Fractured But Whole. It won't be available until April 24, but when it drops it will bring the first two DLC packs along with it. Danger Deck and From Dusk Till Casa Bonita will be available to purchase as well, and the third expansion, Bring the Crunch, is coming later this year to all platforms.
The offerings are sparse among other Nintendo platforms. Wii U gets Aqua Moto Racing Utopia, and 3DS gets Cycle of Eternity: Space Anomaly. In addition, Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp is updating with a Fortune Cookie Shop, which doles out random items, and Gulliver, a seagull who can help you get rid of unwanted clothing and furniture.
Syfy is continuing to beef up its comic book offerings. Currently, the network is home to DC Comics drama Krypton, along with the adaptation of Grant Morrison's graphic novel Happy. Now Syfy is turning another property into a series--and it has enlisted some big names to make it a reality.
Joe and Anthony Russo, who directed the upcoming Avengers: Infinity War, will executive produce an adaptation of Deadly Class, based on the graphic novel by Rick Remender and Wes Craig. Set in the 1980s, the series will follow a homeless teenager "recruited into a storied elite private school where the world's top crime families send their next generations," a press release reads. That teen will then have to stick to his own moral code, as he struggles to survive the school.
The cast includes some very interesting and exciting names, as well. Benedict Wong (Avengers: Infinity War), Benjamin Wadsworth (Teen Wolf), and Lana Candor (X-Men: Apocalypse) will all star. Joining the Russos as executive producers are Remender, Miles Orion Feldsott (Bionic Woman), Mike Larocca (Spy), Adam Targum (Banshee), and Lee Toland Krieger (The Age of Adaline). Krieger also directed the pilot.
There's no word on when Deadly Class will premiere just yet, though it's not the only project Syfy has in the works. The network is also adapting George RR Martin novella Nightflyers, which is in production now.
Just like the ongoing BioWare Store closeout sale, Bethesda is throwing a clearance sale all of its own, and for similar reasons. The current iteration of the Bethesda Store will shut down on April 25. The game maker hopes to unload its inventory before that happens, so it's offering major price cuts on gear from franchises like Fallout and The Elder Scrolls. The store will reopen in May, but for many items, now is your last chance to grab them--and at a major discount, no less. During the closeout sale, shipping is limited to the US.
You'll find tons of apparel on sale. You can get t-shirts ($5) and hoodies ($20) featuring characters and logos from games like Wolfenstein 2, Dishonored 2, and Prey. A Vault 111 track jacket is on sale for $15, down from $48. You can even buy ugly Fallout or Dogmeat holiday fleeces for $5, down from $40. If you're still cold, a scarf featuring the Imperial dragon symbol from the cover of Skyrim is on sale for $5, down from $24. Most of the messenger bag prices are discounted to the $10 - $20 range as well.
In terms of collectibles, you can get a Nuka Cola bottle cap wall clock ($25), Vault Boy bobbleheads ($5), and pins galore. The store has also dropped prices on art books and guides for various games, as well as discounts on the games themselves. It has puzzles ($5), a Skyrim spell book ($5), and high-end statues on sale for over $100 off (though most of them still cost over $100).
In short, there's tons of fun stuff for fans of Bethesda's game portfolio. For the full list of discounted items, be sure to check out the Bethesda Store's sale page. And if you're a fan of BioWare, it has similar items based on Mass Effect and Dragon Age in its clearance sale, so check that out too.
If you're after deals on video games, you have loads of ways to save on PS4, PC, and Xbox One games this week. And whether you've played it before or not, it's never a bad time to download Peggle on PC for free.
PUBG Corp. has been regularly expanding PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds with new features since it officially launched on PC back in December, such as the recently added event mode. The developer has announced it is currently at work on another highly requested feature, which will be implemented on the game's test server "soon."
In a post on Steam, PUBG Corp. revealed that it is introducing the ability to select which map you want to play. "Map selection is something that players all over the world have continuously asked for," the developer wrote. "We take your feedback extremely seriously, but we also want to be thoughtful about how we implement changes to PUBG."
Once the feature is available, players will be able to select if they'd prefer to play on the original Erangel map or the newer Miramar when starting a game. If both maps are selected, the game will randomly choose between them. You can take a look at a screenshot of the map selection UI below.
"Work on the feature is almost complete," PUBG Corp. says. The developer hasn't revealed a time table for when players can expect it to arrive in the live game, but it will first be implemented on PUBG's test server, with an official launch following "soon" after.
In addition to Erangel and Miramar, PUBG Corp. is currently working on a third map dubbed Codename: Savage, which is a quarter of the size of the previous two. PUBG Corp. recently held a second round of testing for Savage this week, though that was only available to select players who received a beta key for the Closed Experimental Server. PUBG Corp. is also working on an underground cave system for Savage.
The 1980s animated series MASK is in development as a feature film at Paramount. Deadline reports that the movie studio has tapped The Fate of the Furious director F. Gary Gray to develop and direct. The producers are looking to attach a writer for the concept, described as "a contemporary subculture movie with a youth empowerment angle."
MASK was introduced in 1985 by toy company Kenner, and so the seasons would align with planned action figure launches. It followed the brilliantly-named "Mobile Armored Strike Kommand" unit, a group of elite commandos with vehicles to match. They took on a cabal of terrorists known as VENOM, which stood for Vicious Evil Network of Mayhem.
If that all sounds vaguely similar to another hot '80s toy property, G.I. Joe, you're not the only one to have noticed. A few years ago, Paramount and Hasbro were planning a massive cinematic universe of '80s nostalgia, which would team up G.I. Joe, Micronauts, Visionaries, Rom, and MASK. Earlier this year, though, the writers attached to that project said it had been scuttled. This is the first we've heard of a MASK adaptation being back on track, but it seems unlikely to fold into G.I. Joe-iverse.
[Update] Blizzard has said that, as of yet, Rialto is not available in the PTR as previously indicated. It is expected to become available in the next few hours.
Overwatch's latest map, Rialto, was added as part of the game's limited time Retribution PvE mode. The arena appears to have proved popular, as developer Blizzard has now added it as a PvP map on the game's Public Test Realm on PC.
This time round, Rialto is set during the day, rather than night as it is on Retribution. The map is only available for Escort matches right now and will likely come to the main game on PS4, Xbox One and PC soon.
Retribution is live now and runs until April 30. Alongside the PvE mode and returning cosmetics from last year, you can also take part in the returning Uprising PvE mode. Both of these, like the Junkenstein's Revenge mode released around Halloween, are only available on a limited-time basis because Blizzard doesn't think they offer the necessary level of long-term depth.
An update was recently released for the live version of Overwatch that nerfed D.Va and buffed Reaper, among other balance changes. D.Va's damage output has decreased, while Reaper's Death Blosson now reloads his shotguns after it's used. His Wraith Form, meanwhile, now grants a 50% speed bonus (up from 25%), and the ability can now be canceled.
The digital PC game retailer GOG is running a PC game sale based on its "most wishlisted" games and DLC. It's called the Most Wanted Games sale, and it runs through April 23. You can find all of the items on sale on GOG's website but below we'll run down some of the best deals in the sale.
If you have a couple hundred hours you're looking to fill up, you can't go wrong buying The Witcher 3: Game of the Year Edition for $20. It comes with the enormous action-RPG, plus the two massive expansions that came out later. It's a killer deal on one of the best RPGs ever made.
Speaking of superb RPGs, Divinity: Original Sin 2 is on sale for $38. It's a fully modern isometric RPG that we loved. Fans of the genre may also want to check out the enhanced editions of these classics: Planescape Torment for $7 and Baldur's Gate 2 for $5.
Thoughtful types may enjoy the cryptic puzzles in The Witness for $16, while fans of intense action will be better suited with Superhot for $12 or Hotline Miami 2 for $4. Old-school gamers who haven't checked out Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove or Owlboy can give them a try at $20 each.
Horror game fans can save money on titles like Darkest Dungeon ($10), which tasks you with keeping your party sane in addition to keeping them alive. The freaky game Soma also got a steep price cut, landing it at $6.
Those are just a few of the many "most wishlisted" games on sale at GOG. Visit the front page of the site to see the full list.
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If you have a pile of games you're ready to trade in, you can get extra cash at GameStop for a limited time. Usually when you trade in a game, you can choose to have it paid out as a lower amount of cash or a higher amount of store credit. From now through April 22, however, GameStop is paying out just as much cash as it would store credit.
There are a couple details to note here. It's only valid at participating stores in the US and Guam, and it's not valid in California (sorry, folks). You can see a list of the ineligible stores here.
But if you want cash for your trade-ins, now is the time to make the trades. If you don't want to be surprised by the trade-in value, you can find out how much GameStop pays out here. And if you want to compare the results to other retailers, you can do the same at these links for Amazon and Best Buy.
GameStop has one other trade-in deal going on that could be useful for anyone planning to buy God of War or Nintendo Labo when they launch on April 20. If you put your trade-in credit toward those games, you'll get up to 40% extra value, depending on your Pro membership level. You can find the details for that deal here.
Fortnite's v3.5.2 update is now available for PS4, Xbox One, PC, and mobile, and it introduces a handful of new content to both Battle Royale and Save the World modes. On top of a new limited-time playlist, Epic has thrown in another incentive to play the game this weekend: double XP.
From now until Sunday, April 22, all Fortnite players will earn twice the normal amount of XP when playing Battle Royale mode. Save the World fans also have an enticing reason to play this weekend, as Epic is offering free Into the Storm llamas. Players will receive a llama each day they log in this weekend, with four to collect in total.
The double XP weekend coincides with return of the 50v50 game type. Epic had originally planned to hold the limited-time mode last week, following the release of the 3.5 update; however, it was postponed due to ongoing account issues, which came after the game experienced a significant bout of downtime.
50v50 v2 is a "new and improved" version of Fortnite's first limited-time mode. As its name suggests, it pits two teams of 50 players against each other in a fight for survival. Each team has 10 minutes to loot the map at the start of a round, during which time the storm closes in on an already-visible circle. Supply drops will also fall every two minutes in batches of three to six, but they will only land within the final storm circle.
In addition to the new limited-time mode, update 3.5.2 introduces another new weapon to Battle Royale: the Light Machine Gun. This gun can be found as floor loot and in Treasure Chests or Vending Machines, and it has a fast fire rate and a 100 round magazine. The update also addresses an assortment of bugs and adds a new weapon to Save the World. You can find the patch notes here.
God of War is now available for pre-loading on PlayStation 4, for those who purchased digital copies. That gives you several hours to load it up before the game unlocks at midnight ET tonight. In addition, Sony Santa Monica has issued a day-one patch. The patch weighs in at 6.1 GB and updates the game to version 1.1. We'll share the patch notes as they become available.
If you haven't yet pre-ordered at all, you may want to check out our release date and pre-order bonus guide. Various goodies come from different retailers, and the Digital Deluxe version is available exclusively from the PlayStation Store. It comes with a digital art book, digital comic issue, a PS4 dynamic theme, and a few pieces of equipment.
God of War has received a round of rave reviews, including our own GameSpot review, in which Peter Brown praised it for continuing to deliver hard-hitting combat while finding new avenues for storytelling. All of that has made it the current highest-rated PS4 exclusive on our sister site Metacritic.
If you're an Amazon Prime or Best Buy Gamers Club Unlocked Member, you already get 20% off pre-ordered games. But if you haven't subscribe to one of those paid programs, you're usually stuck paying full price for games at launch. We have some good news for those folks. Any PS4 owner looking for a discount on God of War can save a few bucks by pre-ordering it at Green Man Gaming. The standard edition is on sale for $54, and the digital deluxe edition costs $63.
In either case, that's a 10% savings. Both versions are digital copies, so you'll get a code you can redeem on the PlayStation Store. Though God of War pre-loading is live now, Green Man Gaming doesn't guarantee you'll get the code early enough to pre-load. That said, the retailer promises "we are in constant talks with the publisher to ensure keys are released as early as possible."
Ten percent isn't a huge discount, but every little bit helps when you want to save some cash. If you are an Amazon Prime or Gamers Club Unlocked member, you can still pre-order the physical version of the game for $48. For more information, see our God of War pre-order guide.
In case you're wondering whether the game is worth pre-ordering at this point, you'll probably want to check out our God of War review, in which we said, "In many ways God of War is what the series has always been. It's a spectacular action game with epic set pieces, big-budget production values, and hard-hitting combat that grows more feverish and impressive as you progress. What may surprise you is how mature its storytelling has become."
And if you need more convincing, check out our God of War review roundup to see what other reviewers have said about the game. (Spoilers: it's gotten lots of perfect scores).
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Heads up, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch owners. Newegg is running a promotion that saves you money when you buy Xbox or Nintendo Eshop gift cards. That means, if you're planning to buy a digital game from either store in the future, you're guaranteed to save money, whether the game is on sale or not. And if the game is on sale, the savings stack, sweetening the deal even more. But don't delay, because the gift card deal ends April 25.
Xbox One owners can buy a $100 Xbox gift card for $85 by entering promo code EMCPTEY48 at checkout. That gives you a guaranteed 15% off any purchase you make--for instance, on a popular game like PUBG. If you buy a game that's already on sale (like these horror games this week), you'll get even more savings.
For Nintendo Switch, 3DS, and Wii U owners, you can get a $50 Eshop gift card for $45 by entering the promo code EMCPTEY49 at checkout. That's a savings of 10%. If you're looking to add that discount onto an existing deal, you can find all the deals currently available on the Eshop right here. For Switch owners, Darkest Dungeon is a solid bet. As for 3DS, you can't go wrong with Etrian Mystery Dungeon or Persona Q.
In either case, the gift cards come in the form of codes Newegg emails to you. Just enter the code on the respective digital store, and it'll be added to your account. Then, the next time you buy a game, you can apply it to the purchase for instant savings.
Some links to supporting retailers are automatically made into affiliate links, and GameSpot may receive a small share of those sales.
The final trailer for Deadpool 2 has been released. The superhero sequel hits theaters in May, and this latest promo doesn't hold back on insane action or irrelevant humor. It looks like there's going to be lots of amazing-looking confrontations between Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) and Cable (Josh Brolin), plus plenty of references to rival superhero movies. Brolin's role as Thanos in Marvel's Avengers: Infinity War and the dark tone of the DC universe are both mocked in this trailer.
It also reveals the identity of some of the other members of X-Force, the superhero team that Deadpool puts together to fight Cable. We already knew about Domino (Zazie Beetz), and the video confirms that Terry Crews is indeed playing Beldam. Beyond that, we have Shatterstar (played by Iron Fist's Lewis Tan), and er, Peter, a normal guy who replied to Deadpool's ad. Check the trailer out above.
Deadpool 2 also stars TJ Miller, Morena Baccarin, Brianna Hildebrand, and Julian Dennison. It is directed by David Leitch (John Wick, Atomic Blonde). He replaced Tim Miller, who reportedly clashed with Reynolds over the direction of the movie. Last month, it was reported that the film had undergone reshoots to add more footage of Cable and Domino, who had proven very popular with audiences at test screenings. The movie hits theaters on May 16.
In a recent interview with Collider, Brolin spoke about the physical challenges of playing Cable. "I got beat to s*** on that movie," he said. "I had stuntmen throwing me all over the place. I've got a shoulder issue, I've got a knee issue that I've got to deal with now, but we got through it. We got through it. I pushed hard and I suffered because of it."
Gaming's annual extravaganza E3 is quickly approaching, and a number of publishers have begun announcing the dates and times of their conferences for the big event. Microsoft has already outlined its plans for this year's expo, and now the company has shared further details about what Xbox fans can expect from its E3 2018 showing.
Unlike previous years, Microsoft will not have a presence inside the Los Angeles Convention Center, where E3 is traditionally held. Rather, the company is "taking over" the nearby Microsoft Theater, which will be the venue of all its livestreams, fan events, and hands-on demos for this year's show.
Before the expo proper begins, Microsoft will host its annual E3 press conference on Sunday, June 10, at 1 PM PT. On Major Nelson's blog, Microsoft said this year's briefing will offer everything from "in-depth looks at previously-announced games to trailers for our unannounced titles coming in 2018 and beyond," although it hasn't teased which titles will be discussed.
The press conference can be streamed on the Xbox Mixer channel or via the Mixer app for Xbox One and Windows 10. Fans will also be able to watch it live at Microsoft Stores or through additional streaming services, which will be announced closer to the event.
The following day, Microsoft will broadcast the first E3 edition of its show, Inside Xbox. That airs on Monday, June 11, at 3 PM PT and will feature "exclusive announcements, game demos, interviews, giveaways, and more." Additional streams will be broadcast on Mixer every day of the show; the full schedule of those will be shared "soon."
Microsoft will also once again host its FanFest event during E3. Fans can register for a chance to win tickets to the show on the official Xbox website. 400 people will be chosen to attend the FanFest event from June 10-11, while 1,000 will have a chance to win the new Xbox Briefing-Only Fan Tickets. Regardless of which ticket you win, you will be able to attend Microsoft's E3 2018 press conference in person. You can find more details about the FanFest event on Major Nelson's blog.
It's been a long wait, but the second round of original Xbox backwards compatible games have finally arrived on Xbox One. Eight more classic Xbox titles are now playable on Microsoft's current-gen console, with another batch set to follow next week.
If you still own the disc for any of these titles, you can pop it into your Xbox One and begin playing. The games are also available for purchase digitally from the Xbox Store. Most of them retail for US $10 / £9 / AU $14.95, while Morrowind and Hunter: The Reckoning are US $15 / £12 / AU $19.95 apiece.
The upcoming dinosaur thriller sequel Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom doesn't hit theaters until June, but news has already started to emerge about the third movie in the series. Jurassic World 3 is set for a 2021 release, with Colin Trevorrow, who directed the first film in 2015, returning to helm it. Trevorrow has now given a few clues as to what to expect.
Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Trevorrow revealed that Jurassic World 3 will go in a different direction to Fallen Kingdom. "If I could contextualize each film, I would say Jurassic World was an action adventure, Fallen Kingdom is kind of a horror suspense film, and Jurassic World 3 will be a science thriller in the same way that Jurassic Park was," he said.
Of course, we don't know that much about Fallen Kingdom either, but the new trailer released this week did reveal some more details about the plot. As Trevorrow suggests, it certainly looks like it will have a stronger horror influence, which isn't surprising, given director J.A. Bayona previously helmed the acclaimed Spanish chiller The Orphanage.
Trevorrow also told EW that he returning to direct Jurassic World 3 on the request of Steven Spielberg, who directed the original Jurassic Park in 1993. "Steven Spielberg asked me," he said. "When he asks you, what can I tell you, man? In all honesty, over my past few years, I've grown to love and cherish the value of the gift that I've been given with this franchise."
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom releases on June 22. It stars Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Rafe Spall, Toby Jones, and BD Wong, with Jeff Goldblum reprising his role from the original Jurassic Park.
As well as introducing a host of upcoming young stars, the hit Netflix show Stranger Thingshas given a series of famous names from the '80s and '90s some of their biggest roles in years. Winona Ryder is, of course, one of the main stars, but there has also been roles for the likes of Matthew Modine, Paul Reiser, and Sean Astin. Now two more names can be added to the list--Cary Elwes and Jake Busey.
According to Empire, Elwes and Busey are set to join the cast of Stranger Things3. The news was revealed by Netflix's chief content officer Ted Sarandos, who described the actors as "guest performers." Empire also reveal some extra information about their characters; Busey will play Bruce, who is a "corrupt and sexist news reporter," while Elwes is Mayor Kline, a "slick and self-serving politician."
Elwes is best known for his lead role in the much-loved 1987 fantasy comedy The Princess Bride, as well as Robin Hood: Men in Tights and the first Saw movie. Busey meanwhile starred in the sci-fi classic Starship Troopers and will be seen later this year in the much-anticipated The Predator.
Although the third season of Stranger Things does not yet have a release date, production is set to begin next month. Producer Shawn Levy recently revealed that Season 3 will be set in the summer of 1985, following the convention of the last two seasons, which were set a year apart in '83 and '84 respectively.
In January, Levy gave a few more hints as to the direction of the next season. He suggested that the story emphasis might shift, with Will no longer the center of the show's supernatural scares. "We're going to give Will a break," he said. "We're not going to put Will through hell for a third season in a row. He'll be dealing with stuff, but he won't be at rock bottom the way we forced the amazing Noah [Schnapp] to play."
The Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling are coming back. Netflix has confirmed that the acclaimed comedy drama GLOW, which is centered around the '80s all-female wrestling cable show of the title, will return for its second season this summer. It has also released a new teaser.
The teaser is styled as an '80s pop video and shows all the main characters, including Ruth (Alison Brie), Debbie (Betty Gilpin), Cherry (Sydelle Noel), Carmen (Britney Young) and Rhonda (Kate Nash) getting ready to hit the ring. They are lip-syncing to the sounds of Michael Sembello's classic song "Maniac," which featured in a similar sequence in the movie Flashdance, and there's an appearance from their grumpy manager Sam, played by comedian Marc Maron. Check it out above.
GLOW Season 2 will hit the streaming service in its entirety on June 29, and like Season 1, will consist of ten 30-minutes episodes. The cast also includes Jackie Tohn, Britt Baron, Chris Lowell, Bashir Salahuddin, and Rich Sommer.
In an interview with TV Line last November, Gilpin spoke about preparing for this season's many wrestling scenes. "The cast took a lot of wrestling lessons for Season 1," she said. "But the preparation this time around was more intense, because we picked up where we left off. I mean, I just had a wrestling match with a character that won't be named, and a week later, I still feel like my soul was in a five-car pileup accident. And it feels amazing."
Sega's beloved Dreamcast classic Shenmue is coming to modern platforms. During the Sega Fes event in Japan, the publisher announced it is bringing both the first Shenmue and its sequel, Shenmue II, together in one package to PS4, Xbox One, and PC later this year. And while they will boast some improvements, these are not full on HD remakes or remasters.
The Shenmue I & II collection is billed as the "best Shenmue experience to date." The compilation comes with a host of modern features, including "fully scalable screen resolution, choice of modern or classic control schemes, PC graphics options, an updated user interface, and the option to enjoy either the original Japanese or English voiceovers."
Sega hasn't announced pricing details or an exact release date for Shenmue I & II, but the collection will be available at retail and digitally from the PlayStation and Xbox Stores, as well as Steam. You can take a look at some screenshots from the title in the gallery below.
The first Shenmue originally launched in 1999 and, at the time of its release, had the distinction of being the most expensive video game ever created. Its sequel followed in 2001, although it was only released on Dreamcast in Europe and Japan; the game was later ported to the original Xbox in 2002.
Both titles star Ryo Hazuki, a young martial artist on a quest to find his father's killer and uncover the secret behind a mysterious item known as the Dragon Mirror. The titles were renowned for their impressive open world, deep battle system, and variety of minigames. You can read more about each in our original Shenmue review and Shenmue II review.
Sega had previously said it was "investigating" a potential re-release of the Shenmue games, although at the time the publisher said it wasn't simply a matter of porting the titles to modern consoles. "With games as immersive as [Shenmue and Shenmue II], there are further complications [involving] licensed products that were included in the original games," Sega Europe community manager Dan Sheridan said.
A new installment in the series, Shenmue III, is currently in development for PS4 and PC, following a successful crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter. That game is being published worldwide by Deep Silver and is planned to launch sometime this year. You can see some recent screenshots of Shenmue III.
God of War is the next major PS4 exclusive, and its release date is coming quite soon--it's out on April 20, meaning time is running out if you're eager to pre-order. With this game, developer Sony Santa Monica promises Kratos, the GoW himself, has some depth to him. He's not just raging at the world, as he's been known to do in previous entries. This time around he's joined by his son Atreus as they head into the land of the Norse gods. Most importantly, he has a beard.
But fans of the series shouldn't worry Sony has created a low-key game about feelings. This is still a God of War game, and although Kratos has traded in his chain-blades for a magic axe, he still slices through enemies, spilling gallons of blood and gore. You can read all about what to expect in our God of War review, which is quite positive. In it, Peter Brown says, "In many ways God of War is what the series has always been. It's a spectacular action game with epic set pieces, big-budget production values, and hard-hitting combat that grows more feverish and impressive as you progress. What may surprise you is how mature its storytelling has become."
If you're planning to pre-order God of War, you'll want to know where you can get it, what comes in the special editions, and how much each version costs. Strap in. Here comes a firehose spray of God of War pre-order info.
Pre-Order Bonus
First, the pre-order bonus. If you pre-order God of War from a participating retailer, you'll get three shield skins. They're called Buckler of the Forge, Dökkenshieldr, and Shining Elven Soul Shield. Now say that three times fast.
Pre-order God of War from GameStop, and you'll get the Luck of Ages XP Boost, an in-game item that gives you additional experience points.
God of War - Standard Edition
Suggested retail price: $60
This is the standard version of the game, so all you get are any standard pre-order bonuses depending where you buy it.
The Stone Mason Edition comes with all the digital goodies from the Digital Deluxe Edition, plus all the physical items from the Collector's Edition. The extra $20 this edition costs goes toward the following small items:
If you want to think about God of War each time you pick up a controller or glance at your console, buy the Limited Edition God of War PS4 Pro Bundle. It comes with a 1TB hard drive and some slick God of War ornamentation.
Where to buy the Sony Limited Edition God of War PS4 Pro Bundle:
Fortnite's Guided Missile has proved to be a divisive item since its introduction, with some fans unhappy about how powerful the weapon is. Developer Epic Games has now removed the Guided Missile, dooming it to the Vault, for the time being at least.
"We've gotten a lot of feedback around the Guided Missile, in particular concerns over fairness and strength of the weapon," Epic said in a post on Reddit. "We share your concerns, so we've put the Guided Missile into the Vault while we figure out the next steps for its future."
This isn't the first time players have been unable to access the guided missile in Battle Royale: a recent update introduced an animation issue that meant Epic was forced to temporarily remove the weapon. That move has now been extended indefinitely, until Epic decides how to handle the missile going forward.
In the same post, Epic shared some details regarding Fortnite's upcoming 3.5.2 update. The developer says it is fixing a recently-introduced bug that caused players to sometimes shoot their own structures when attempting to peek. In addition, recent changes to weapon equip times--which attempted to balance a technique where people would rapidly change between multiple low rate-of-fire guns--are being tweaked. The equip time changes will be rolled back for Snipers and Crossbows in v3.5.2, since these items don't benefit as much from quick switching. Epic is, for the time being at least, keeping the longer equip times for Shotguns, the Revolver, the Hand Cannon, and the Rocket Launcher, but it says it will continue to improve on the animations in a future update.
In other Fortnite news, the game's Week 8 Challenges are live now. They include one that tasks you with dancing on multiple Dance Floors, and another that will have you searching between Three Boats. The challenges are available on PS4, Xbox One, PC, and mobile, provided you own the Season 3 Battle Pass. Completing challenges allows you to level up the Battle Pass more quickly, earning you Season 3 skins and rewards.
The next crossover event in Monster Hunter World is now available. With the Spring Blossom Fest event ongoing, a new quest is now available on PS4 and Xbox One that allows you to get your hands on the crafting materials necessary to dress your Palico up like Mega Man.
The event quest itself is called A Rush of Blood, and it's an Arena where you have to hunt two Odagarons. One of these is an adorable, miniaturized version of the monster. That wrinkle aside, it's an otherwise standard 7-star mission, with limits of 50 minutes and three faints. Completing it will reward you with Mega Man Tickets, which are one of the resources necessary to craft the new gear. You'll have to repeat the fight several times to get enough tickets for everything.
With those in hand, head to the Smithy and open the Forge Palico Equipment section. Go to Full Armor Sets, and you can craft the Mega Man gear, which consists of two High Rank pieces: the Mega Man Helmet and Mega Man Suit. This costs three Mega Man Tickets.
For the Palico weapon, you'll go to the Standard Equipment area of the Forge Palico Equipment section. Toward the bottom of the High Rank weapons, you'll find find the Mega Man set's weapon, called the Mega Buster. This costs an additional two Mega Man Tickets, meaning you'll need five total to craft everything.
One unique aspect of this gear was teased during its original announcement. Depending on what weapon your character has equipped, you'll hear different classic Mega Man music when your Palico has this gear on. However, this is only true in the event quest; you unfortunately won't be hearing it during your regular adventures.
You have only a limited time to collect the necessary materials for this gear, as the event quest will only be available until April 27. The Spring Blossom Fest, meanwhile, ends on April 19 and provides an opportunity to get a new greatsword and armor.
Week 8 challenges in Fortnite: Battle Royale involve several objectives that you may need some assistance in completing. There are three challenges in particular--involving dance floors, three boats, and vending machines--that are not immediately obvious based on their descriptions. Here's how to tackle those, as well as the remaining Week 8 challenges, for Battle Pass owners on PS4, Xbox One, PC, and mobile.
The most intriguing-sounding of the bunch is the one that tells you to dance on different Dance Floors. These aren't something we've seen in the game previously--they've just been added as part of the new 3.5 update. This challenge wants you to find them and perform a dance emote while standing on top of them. You'll need to do this with three dance floors in all, though you can accomplish this across multiple matches. So far, we've only found three dance floors total; you can find them by heading to the southeastern corner of Flush Factory, grid B4 (west-southwest of Pleasant Park), and grid I6 (just east of Retail Row). The dance floors are located on the ground floor of newly added buildings. The locations are pictured in the map below, along with another challenge's location.
The trickiest of the challenges that Epic labels as being Hard has you search between Three Boats. As has been the case with similar objectives in the past, you don't get a treasure map or anything here--you simply have to recognize the landmarks that it's referring to. If you assume boats would be at Loot Lake, you're correct. The Battle Star you have to collect is located at the end of a small dock on the southeastern corner of Loot Lake's island. You can land right there at the start of a match and pick it up (by holding the same key/button used to open chests)--just be aware that you won't actually see it until you're very close to the ground.
Week 8 also brings a challenge to use a Vending Machine; these were added in the 3.4 content update. Visit one, and you're able to exchange building materials you've collected for items. These don't always show up in the same spots, but there are areas where they frequently show up. You can see those in our Vending Machine locations guide.
The remaining Week 8 challenges are less complex, though some of them come down to circumstance. You'll need to deal 500 damage to enemies with an explosive weapon, which can be done with grenade-type items or launchers. (However, you'll have to do it without one option, as the Guided Missile has been disabled temporarily.) Searching chests in Snobby Shores will involve simply spending some time in the area and exploring thoroughly--a good strategy, as always, is to check in the attics of buildings. Make sure to use an assault rifle as soon as you get one to get your three Assault Rifle eliminations, and if possible, do so in Dusty Depot, where you need to rack up three eliminations. All four of these might be easiest in solo playlists, where players can't be revived and you don't have teammates hogging any weapons.
Completing challenges rewards you with a specific number of Battle Stars--either five (for normal ones) or 10 (for Hard ones). These in turn allow you to level up your Battle Pass more quickly, which in turn unlocks Season 3 skins and rewards.
Following its most recent update, Fortnite's next set of challenges have gone live on PS4, Xbox One, PC, and mobile. Week 8 involves the usual mixture of straightforward objectives and several that will either require some additional legwork or a guide to completing them.
The most notable of the bunch is one that asks you to dance on different Dance Floors. These are newly added areas in the latest update, and you'll have to find a total of three to do your thing on in order to pass this challenge. Fortunately, you don't have to do all of this in a single match.
Another one that may trip you up is a Hard-difficulty challenge telling you to search between Three Boats. This requires you to know the map well, have a guide, or to just piece together that Loot Lake is where you'll find boats. Head there and pick up the Battle Star on the southeastern dock to complete the challenge.
Finally, the last of the trickier Week 8 challenges is one asking you to use a Vending Machine. These were added in the 3.4 content update and allow you to exchange materials you've collected for different items. You can check out our Vending Machine locations guide to find the most likely areas for one to show up.
Other Week 8 challenges include one that asks you to deal damage with explosive weapons. That should be easy enough, although you'll have one less weapon with which to do so, as the Guided Missile has been disabled temporarily at the time of this week. That's due to an animation bug following the release of Fortnite's 3.5 update.
You can check out the full list of challenges below--these are available to complete on PC, PS4, Xbox One, and mobile, provided you own the Season 3 Battle Pass. Completing challenges allows you to more quickly level up the Battle Pass, earning you Season 3 skins and rewards.
Fortnite Week 8 Challenges
Use a Vending Machine -- 5 Battle Stars
Deal damage with Explosive Weapons to opponents (500) -- 5 Battle Stars
Search Chests in Snobby Shores (7) -- 5 Battle Stars
Dance on different Dance Floors (3) -- 5 Battle Stars
Hard: Search between Three Boats -- 10 Battle Stars
Now, with God of War's release date drawing ever closer, reviews have gone live for the next big PS4 game, and it seems critics are impressed. In our God of War review, Peter Brown awarded the action-adventure title a 9/10, saying it's a "spectacular action game with epic set pieces, big-budget production values, and hard-hitting combat." For more on what critics thought, check out our review roundup below, or head over to Metacritic for a wider view of the game's critical reception.
Game: God of War
Developer / Publisher: Sony Santa Monica / Sony
Platforms: PS4
Release Date: April 20
Price: US $60 / £53 / AU $100
GameSpot -- 9/10
"In many ways God of War is what the series has always been. It's a spectacular action game with epic set pieces, big-budget production values, and hard-hitting combat that grows more feverish and impressive as you progress. What may surprise you is how mature its storytelling has become. Like Kratos, God of War recalls the past while acknowledging the need to improve. Everything new it does is for the better, and everything it holds onto benefits as a result. Kratos is no longer a predictable brute. God of War is no longer an old-fashioned action series. With this reboot, it confidently walks a new path that will hopefully lead to more exciting adventures to come." -- Peter Brown [Full review]
IGN -- 10/10
"I expected great action from God of War, and it delivers that handily. But I didn't expect it to be a thrilling journey in which every aspect of it complements the others to form what is nothing short of a masterpiece. It's a game in which Kratos, a previously one-note character, becomes a complex father, warrior, and monster, embattled both on the field and within his own heart about how to treat his son; one in which the world opens up and shifts, offering rewards in both gameplay and knowledge of its lore that I treasured with each accomplishment. The obvious care that went into crafting its world, characters, and gameplay delivers by far the most stirring and memorable game in the series." -- Jonathon Dornbush [Full review]
GamesRadar+ -- 5/5
"I don't think it's possible to overstate just how good God of War is; how well realised its world, how nuanced and layered its characters and storytelling. The depth and craft of its combat, puzzles and almost every system it has sparkles and shines with an indulgence and luxury that regularly stopped me in my tracks to drink it all in. Whether breathless and bloody in the aftermath of an axe-hacked victory, or watching Kratos and his son Atreus share a genuinely human moment, this is a level of game making that doesn't happen often. The final question really isn't about where it sits in any game of the year discussions, but rather its place in eventual game of the generation talks." -- Leon Hurley [Full review]
The Guardian -- 5/5
"It is rare to play a game so accomplished in everything it sets out to do. God of War is a standard-setter both technologically and narratively. It is a game that, until recently, would have been impossible." -- Keza MacDonald [Full review]
Game Informer -- 9.75/10
"Years ago, Kratos killed the deities of Mount Olympus in a gory rampage. Now, in the Norse realm, he has remade himself into a different kind of god. He is quieter and more deliberate, affected by his history but not constrained by it. Kratos' reinvention serves as a narrative hook, but it also parallels the series' evolution as a whole; where God of War once relied on bombast and bloodlust, now it leaves space for strategy and nuance. It still has superb action and plenty of jaw-dropping moments, but it supports them with a new level of depth and maturity. God of War learns from its past while clearing an exciting path for the future, and emerges as one of the best games of this generation." -- Joe Juba [Full review]
Variety -- No Score
"Kratos remains capable of startling violence. But there is a sense that even Sony Santa Monica has recoiled from some of 'God of War's' legacy, and the game is better for it. It is a game that treats its history with respect where appropriate, but without obligation, even in its very concluding moments. This new God of War has some rough edges remaining in its transition to something new, but even in its concluding moments, it commits to its vision in a way that few games do--and it's the first time the series has felt vibrant and important in a decade." -- Arthur Gies [Full review]
Polygon -- 10/10
"A decade ago, director Cory Barlog helped establish the God of War franchise as an iconic gory and debaucherous video game romp. While its antihero, Kratos, had pathos (he killed his wife and daughter in a fit of rage, his skin forever grayed by their ashes), it served little dramatic purpose, rather existing as a grimdark excuse for his god-slaying and orgy-having ways. Barlog--now older, a father--has returned to the series with a bundle of talented designers, many of whom served on the earlier games, to make good on that rich but neglected potential at its core. There's still plenty of gore, but the now the guts have meatiness." -- Chris Plante [Full review]
Eurogamer -- Recommended
"Like Kratos, the god of fury who must learn not to fear his son, this is a strange beast, really. The latest technology and astonishing craft and artistry are employed to deliver a game of extremely simple pleasures--a wash of new pseudo-ideas that cannot hide the fact that the basics remain unfixed because they were not broken. God of War dresses things up, in other words, but it is ultimately the same deal it always was. As is the way with myths, I guess. As is the way with gods." -- Christian Donlan [Full review]
Fortnite continues to evolve, and developer Epic Games has now released a new update for the game to iterate on it once more. The v3.5 content update--officially dubbed v3.5.2--reintroduces the limited time 50v50 mode and adds a new weapon, with plenty of bug fixes and balance tweaks also included in the patch.
Epic says 50v50 version 2 is "new and improved." Each team jumps out of their own bus and has 10 minutes to loot the map at the start of a round, during which time the storm closes in on an already-visible circle. You'll then have five minutes to fight, before another five minutes with the storm shrinking to the end. Supply drops come in batches of between three and six, fall every two minutes, and only land inside the final storm circle.
Battle Royale's new weapon, meanwhile, is the Light Machine Gun. Its Rare variety deals 25 damage, while the Epic version deals 26, and they can be found in Floor Loot, Treasure Chests, and Vending Machines.
Elsewhere in the new update, recent changes to peeking have been rolled back after some players found they were accidentally shooting their own buildings. Finally, there are some big bonuses to be gained over the coming days. From now until Sunday, April 22, players will receive double experience points in Battle Royale and an Into the Storm Llama each day you log in to Save the World.
It's not clear, however, whether the 3.5.2 update includes the recently-announced changes to weapons' equip times. Epic previously stated the tweaks would come in this week's update, but there is no mention of them in the latest patch notes. The guided missile is gone now, after concerns over its balance and fairness. Take a look at the full patch notes below, via Epic.
From Thursday, April 19 until Sunday, April 22 players will receive the following:
2x experience when playing Battle Royale.
An Into the Storm Llama each day in Save the World.
Remember to log in to claim your Llama on each of these days to collect all four.
Resiliency improvements to help prevent extended downtime.
Fix for a high-frequency crash on Xbox One
Gifts of appreciation to our community for your patience during our unexpected downtime on 4/12 - Part 2:
Battle Royale - 20 Battle Pass Stars
Save the World - 1600 Seasonal Gold
Battle Royale
Gameplay
Peeking is being reverted back to how it functioned prior to v3.5.
This should solve the issue causing players to accidentally shoot their own structures while trying to peek. More info here.
Limited Time Mode: 50V50 v2:
Two teams of 50 fight to the finish!
Due to this being a "large squad" mode, Profile Stats will not be tracked. Daily & Weekly challenges will still work, with the exception of the Squad-based challenges ('Place Top 6 in Squads', etc.).
Storm and map:
Each team has a bus, approaching the island from opposite directions. On the map, the friendly bus has a blue outline, enemy has red.
Final storm circle visible on minimap at start.
Players have 10 minutes to loot the map as the storm closes in on the circle, then 5 minutes to fight, and another 5 minutes as the storm shrinks to the end.
Supply drops come in batches of 3-6, fall every two minutes, and only land in the final storm circle.
Added dotted line to map, which indicates the "battle lines" between the two teams. Crossing the line will make running into enemies more likely.
Loot:
Farming resources increased 75% over default.
Increased floor loot spawn likelihood by 15%.
Floor Loot spawns double ammo.
Ammo boxes spawn triple ammo.
Chests spawn double ammo & consumables.
Supply drops spawn double ammo, and an extra consumable, resource drop and trap.
Bug fixes and mode improvements:
Fixed a bug that created uneven teams where one side could have more than 50 players.
Downed players lose health more quickly than normal (10 health per tick).
Weapons And Items
Light Machine Gun added.
Rare and Epic rarities.
Can be found in Floor Loot, Treasure Chests, and Vending Machines.
25 / 26 damage (Rare / Epic).
100 round magazine, fires Medium ammo.
5 second reload time.
Save The World
Missions And Systems
Into the Storm: Encore
Crank up the Steel Wool and get ready to fight as Lars continues his journey into the storm.
Complete this new questline to unlock one of the four new Cyberpunk Heroes.
Weapons And Items
Mercury LMG
Energy assault weapon with a moderate rate of fire and large magazine size.
Available in the Event Store at 8pm EST on April 19.
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