Last week's big Pokemon Go update introduced a new research quest system to the game, which gives players additional objectives to complete while playing. The system launched alongside a new storyline tied to the Mythical Pokemon Mew, but it appears that isn't the only Legendary players can discover by completing quests.
On Reddit, Pokemon Go players are reporting that the reward for their first "research breakthrough" is another encounter with the Legendary fire bird Moltres. Previously, players could only encounter Moltres in Raid Battles at Gyms. This required physically going to the location of a Raid and teaming up with other players for a chance to capture one, which is particularly a hassle for players who live in rural areas. Thanks to the new research quest system, players now have another avenue for getting Legendary Pokemon.
Research quests come in two varieties: Special Research and Field Research. The former are story-driven quests assigned by Professor Willow himself, the first batch of which leads to an encounter with Mew. Field Research, on the other hand, are distributed via PokeStops. Players can complete as many of these as they want in a day, and they will receive one stamp for the first Field Research task they do each day.
Completing research quests rewards players with a variety of items, while amassing seven stamps leads to a "research breakthrough." Niantic teased that achieving a breakthrough would unlock additional rewards, including a possible encounter with another Legendary. The developer hasn't announced what other Legendary Pokemon players will have a chance to capture through the quest system.
In addition to Mew and Moltres, another pair of Legendaries recently began appearing in Pokemon Go. For a limited time, the Eon Pokemon Latios and Latias will be available in Raid Battles in different parts of the world. The former can now be found in North America, South America, and Africa, while the latter is available in Europe and Asia. The Legendaries will swap regions beginning May 8, where they will remain until June 5.
The next Pokemon Go Community Day event takes place later this month, on April 15, and features the Electric-type Mareep. Beyond that, Niantic is partnering with Playmob to host a series of Earth Day Clean Up events on April 22. The events focus on cleaning up litter in public spaces and reward participants with in-game bonuses.
Heads up, deal hunters. Newegg is running a promotion that gets you 25% off select video games and accessories. If you dig around, you'll realize you can use it on brand-new games, too. That means you can get some of the hottest AAA games for $45 instead of $60. All you have to do is enter promo code EMCPTPT32 at checkout. But hurry up, because the code expires just before midnight Pacific time tomorrow night, April 5.
Which games qualify? We're so glad you asked. For starters, it works with Far Cry 5, which means you can take back cult outposts in open-world Montana for just $45. Check out our glowing 9/10 review along with these 11 Easter eggs and secrets.
Next up is Monster Hunter World, a game about killing enormous beasts and using their body parts to craft better gear that lets you kill even more ferocious beasts. In short, it's a lot of fun. We gave it 8/10 in our review.
Ni No Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom is all the rage these days with JRPG fans. Whether you're intrigued by the game's fantastic anime art style, action-heavy combat, or new city-building component, you may find it worth $45. It's a standalone story, so you don't even have to have played the first one. Here's our 8/10 review.
Remember to enter promo code EMCPTPT32 at checkout to get the discount. Newegg says the code could stop working before 11:59 Pacific time on April 5 if it run out of funds. So if a deal looks good to you, jump on it.
And if you're looking to save money on more video games, you'll probably want to look at our rundowns of the best games currently on sale on Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4. Happy deal hunting.
Some links to supporting retailers are automatically made into affiliate links, and GameSpot may receive a small share of those sales.
While the entirety of Westworld Season 1 was set within the Wild West-themed park of the title, it has been slowly revealed that there are other worlds that can be visited. One of these is a zone populated by samurai warriors, some elements of which were seen briefly during the final episode of the first season. We now have some further details about the area known as Shogun World, which will feature in the upcoming Season 2.
It reads: "For those for whom Westworld is not enough, the true connoisseur of gore can indulge their fantasies with the slash of a katana. Modeled after Japan's Edo period, Shogun World offers a chance for guests to embrace their inner warrior, in a landscape of highest beauty and darkest horror. Let your true self take shape in the land where self-discovery is an art form."
Shogun World was also seen briefly in the most recent trailer for the upcoming season, with Thandie Newton's character Maeve seen wearing a kimono. The Delos Experience also confirms that there are a further four parks which are currently "closed to the public." There has been much speculation about what these other worlds could be. The 1976 sequel to original 1973 movie Westworld was titled Futureworld, and it featured a number of different parks, including Medieval World, Roman World, and, er Spa World.
Westworld Season 2 premiers on HBO on April 22. In a recent interview with Vanity Fair, joint showrunner Jonathan Nolan spoke about the way that fans have taken to the show, and the level of analysis that every episode of Season 1 was subjected to. "When you're working on a show like this where there are layers and there are details and you try to make every piece count, you're hoping that people will engage on that level," he said. "In our wildest dreams, we didn't expect the level of fan engagement and dialogue, [especially] that moment when they figured out the plot twist for episode 10 42 minutes into Episode 2!"
It's the beginning of a new month, which means Xbox Live Gold subscribers now have another free batch of games to download. Two new freebies are now available for Xbox One and Xbox 360, with another pair of titles set to follow halfway through April.
On Microsoft's current-gen console, Gold members can now download The Witness, the acclaimed puzzle game from developer Thekla and Braid designer Jonathan Blow. On the 360 side, subscribers can grab Cars 2, the video game adaptation of the Disney/Pixar film, at no charge. The latter is also playable on Xbox One thanks to backwards compatibility.
Both The Witness and Cars 2 were actually available to download a little early this past weekend. The former will be available for free throughout the entire month, while the latter will return to its regular price on April 15. Gold members also still have a little more time to download one holdover from March's Games with Gold: the stylish first-person shooter Superhot. That will remain free until April 16.
Two more free Xbox One and 360 games are slated to arrive on April 16. On the newer console, Gold members will be able to download Assassin's Creed Syndicate, the 2015 installment that's set in 19th century London. Meanwhile, EA's horror game Dead Space 2 will be available on the 360 side. Like Cars 2, it is also backwards compatible on Xbox One. You can take a look at the full list of April's free Games with Gold below.
Wildly popular game Fortnite is suffering from server issues once again. In this case, matchmaking has been impacted, which could prevent you from joining a match on mobile, PS4, Xbox One, and PC. Epic has taken some measures to address the problems, which include disabling a newly added playlist for the time being and matchmaking in general.
The status page on Epic's website shows that matchmaking is suffering from a "major outage." The page adds that matchmaking has been disabled as the studio works to resolve the problem, though there's no ETA for how long this will last. This move came shortly after the studio took two other steps to deal with the situation: It's turned off the Squads version of the High Explosives v2 playlist and instituted a cooldown in between attempts to join the matchmaking queue.
These issues come on the same day that Epic rolled out the 3.4 content update for Fortnite. This did not require a download but did add new content--namely, the Vending Machine--and make weapon balance changes. Meanwhile, the PS4 version received a new update to resolve a crash, although that patch was mistakenly much larger than intended.
High Explosives v2 is the latest limited-time mode to be added to Battle Royale. As the name suggests, it plays out like the earlier version of High Explosives, as players are restricted to explosive weapons only. This iteration includes some of the more recently added weapons, including Remote Explosives and the Guided Missile.
The latest Fortnite update has brought with it a new addition to Battle Royale in the form of Vending Machines. These present players with an opportunity to buy items using the materials they've gathered during the match, and you'll tend to see them in the same locations--but not always. Here's where to find them and exactly how they work.
You'll find Vending Machines all around the map--typically indoors, if our experience is any indication, though we've also found one that was outdoors. Each one has three items for sale and will gradually rotate through them. You can wait for it to change to the item you want to purchase, or you can hit the machine with your pickaxe to make it jump to the next of the three.
Vending Machines are each randomly assigned a rarity level at the start of a match, as the patch notes explain. They then sell items at that specific rarity--one for each material type (wood, stone, and metal). You'll need a specific amount of that material to buy the corresponding item, though you're free to buy as many items as you wish, provided you can afford it. That may put a renewed emphasis on collecting materials with the pickaxe, even for players who don't care about building. Here's how much items will cost at each rarity:
Common (white) items -- 100 materials
Uncommon (green) items -- 200 materials
Rare (blue) -- 300 materials
Epic (purple) -- 400 materials
Legendary (gold) -- 500 materials
In terms of finding the Vending Machines, they're scattered all across the map, but they don't always appear in the same spots. You can see what it's like to interact with some in the video above, and we've also compiled the map you see above, which combines the discoveries of Reddit user clizzythegod with those we've found ourselves. As you'd expect, you'll most easily find Vending Machines in high-density areas like Pleasant Park, Tilted Towers, Salty Springs, and Retail Row, but there are others in unnamed parts of the map.
Vending Machines were added as part of Fortnite's 3.4 content update for mobile, PS4, Xbox One, and PC. This is part of developer Epic Games' new plan to roll out new content every other week. These content updates won't individually require you to download anything, as it seems the additions will be included as part of earlier patches. The 3.4 content update has also kicked off a new limited-time mode, High Explosives v2, and made weapon balance changes.
Pokemon Go is putting some of its eager trainers to work tidying the planet to celebrate Earth Day. The Pokemon Go Earth Day Clean Up is a series of events to take place on April 22, inviting trainers to meet and take care of their environment and neighborhoods.
Coordinating the event will be handled by Playmob, which is partnering with community organizations. Each event will focus on gathering garbage and debris in public spaces. Those who participate can receive a special avatar item, and a collective prize will be awarded to all trainers if enough of them participate. If 1,500 trainers participate, everyone will get double catch Stardust for Ground, Water, and Grass-type Pokemon for 48 hours. If more than 3,000 participate, it will become triple.
You can find the event closest to you by visiting the official site. Niantic and Playmob are also encouraging fans to donate to the Mission Blue Foundation ahead of the April 22 events. Mission Blue is an organization that raises awareness and support for marine protected areas.
"We know gaming can be an amazing force for good" Playmob founder Jude Ower said in the announcement. "It's a pleasure to work with such a purposeful and innovative studio and the inspirational and devoted teams behind Mission Blue and all the supporting NGO partners, collaborating on what we see as the start of a bigger movement towards global solutions through play."
As she's strong with the Force, maybe her parents were Jedi--perhaps even Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) himself. In the end, though, they were nothing. "Filthy junk traders," as Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) put it. For director Rian Johnson, this was the only possible answer. "We're not here to give Rey an easy time; we're here to put her on the hard path so that she has to," he previously explained. "Because that's the path of a hero."
However, it seems there was another plan at one point. After directing The Force Awakens, Abrams had his own ideas about Rey's parentage and how it would play out in the Star Wars universe. Simon Pegg, who appeared in the film in a minor role of Jakku junk trader Unkar Plutt, claims as much on an episode of the Happy Sad Confused podcast.
"Well, I know what JJ kind of intended, or at least what was sort of being chucked around. I think that's kind of been undone slightly by [The Last Jedi]," the actor says. "There was some talk about, you know, a kind of relevant lineage for her. But I honestly don't know, and I don't know if anybody knows. We shall see."
Given that Abrams could retcon Rey's parents when he returns to direct Episode IX, it will be interesting to see if his vision for that particular story ever comes to the forefront. Don't expect to find out any time soon, though. There's still almost two years before Star Wars: Episode IX arrives in theaters on December 20, 2019. Then, get ready for a new trilogy of movies in the franchise from Johnson.
A huge sale is currently going down on the Nintendo Switch eShop, which means you can buy games big and small at substantial discounts. It even has a big first-party Nintendo game on sale--and Nintendo games are notorious for keeping their value well past their release dates. So let's dive in and see which discounted games are worth adding to your collection.
The big Nintendo game that's currently on sale is Arms, which is available for $42 instead of its typical price of $60. This game asks what would happen if every character in a fighting game had springs for arms that could stretch across great distances. The answer is: a lot of quirky combat. Read our Arms review for a full rundown of the game. And act fast if you want it, because it goes back up to normal price Friday, April 6.
Another highlight is the SteamWorld franchise sale. On Switch, you can buy SteamWorld Dig for $5, and SteamWorld Dig 2 and SteamWorld Heist: Ultimate Edition for $15 (that's $5 off their normal prices). The Metroid-style SteamWorld Dig 2 is probably the best of the bunch, but the turn-based SteamWorld Heist is also highly esteemed. The 3DS and Wii U versions are discounted as well.
Other notable price drops include Rockstar's detective game L.A. Noire for $37 instead of $50 and the "soccer with cars" game Rocket League for $15, down from $20. The music game--or, as the developer calls it, "rhythm violence" game--Thumper is down to $12 instead of its usual $20.
Far Cry 5 has become the fastest-selling game in franchise history in its opening week, according to Ubisoft. The company claimed $310M USD in its first week, double the opening sales of previous franchise record-holder Far Cry 4. That also makes it the second-biggest launch ever for Ubisoft, behind The Division.
The announcement also mentions a few other launch week stats. Far Cry 5 was streamed for more than 55,000 hours. Players were were ambushed by 8,651 skunks, caught 5.1 million fish, and spent 1.1 million hours with Cheeseburger the bear. The most popular gun for hire was the pilot Nick Rye, while the most popular animal companion was Boomer the dog–which makes sense, given that he's a very good boy.
We heard just this week that Far Cry 5 had hit the top spot on the UK sales charts, so this announcement isn't too surprising. This is the first time the open-world series has taken place in America. It's set in the fictional Hope County, Montana after an attempt to arrest the leader of a doomsday cult goes awry.
In GameSpot's Far Cry 5 review, Edmond Tran praised the vast open-world exploration and precise gunplay, though he found some story missions to be a chore. Fortunately there appears to be lots to see and do, including some clever Easter eggs to find. Currently the first live event has you burning animals to a crisp. If you're thinking of picking it up, make sure to check out our tips for beginners.
Epic Games has revealed the latest additions coming to Fortnite. But unlike in the past, this won't come as part of a new update you have to download; instead, it's like a delayed rollout for the contents of the previous patch. The first such "content update," as Epic calls them, has arrived on all platforms and introduces the Vending Machine, among other changes and additions.
With the 3.4 content update's release, Vending Machines will be scattered across the island in Battle Royale. These will each randomly pick a rarity and then sell three items at that level in exchange for materials. The higher the rarity, the higher the price. There's no limit to how many items you can buy, provided you can afford it. Here's how much items will cost at each level:
Items found in a Common (white) version will cost 100 materials.
Items found in a Uncommon (green) version will cost 200 materials.
Items found in a Rare (blue) version will cost 300 materials.
Items found in an Epic (purple) version will cost 400 materials.
Items found in a Legendary (gold) version will cost 500 materials.
Each material type--wood, stone, and metal--will have a corresponding item that it can be exchanged for. The vending machine will display one at a time and slowly rotate through them. To buy what you want, you can either wait for it to show up, or you can hit the Vending Machine with your pickaxe to skip to the next of the three items. They don't always appear in the same locations, but we have a guide to finding Vending Machines.
This content update will also introduce a new limited-time mode, an altered version of the explosive weapon-centric playlist High Explosives. More importantly, balance changes are being implemented for weapons. A number of them are gaining "first shot accuracy," which means the first round fired will be 100% accurate, so long as you haven't fired recently, aim down the sights, and are standing still. Here are the new weapons to gain first shot accuracy:
Suppressed Submachine Gun
Tactical Submachine Gun
Pistol
Suppressed Pistol
Revolver
Hand Cannon
Assault Rifle
Burst Assault Rifle
These aren't simply buffs for the weapons, as damage falloff--the distance at which their damage is reduced--has also been altered. You can see the specifics in the full patch notes on Epic's website.
The 3.4 content update is out now on mobile, PS4, Xbox One, and PC. For more, check out what the full 3.4 update added recently, as well as the recent PS4 patch--which mistakenly turned out to be much larger in size than intended.
Rare has rolled out a new update for Sea of Thieves. Following a round of maintenance, patch 1.0.2 is now available to download on Xbox One and PC, and it primarily addresses a number of bugs and performance issues.
The patch weighs in at roughly 450 MB on each platform. The most notable change it makes is to a ship's respawn distance after it sinks. Following the update, ships will now respawn "outside of visible view" of the ship that attacked it. "This is in response to lots of player feedback which highlighted that the previous spawn distance was resulting in 'griefing' behaviour and stalemates at the forts," Rare said.
In addition to that, the update tweaks the mermaid teleport function. Now, players will have to drop any treasure they are carrying before a mermaid prompts them with the option to return to their ship. Rare says the reason for this change is because it "wanted to make it more clear that when you teleport you leave your treasure behind."
Finally, the new update fixes a number of server and crashing issues. It also addresses an assortment of bugs, such as one that would cause a player to fall through their ship and into the ocean if they repeatedly jump on a mid-deck barrel or chest. You can find the full patch notes on the official Sea of Thieves website.
The Sniper Shootout event may have recently ended, but a new limited-time mode is now underway in Fortnite: Battle Royale on PS4, Xbox One, PC, and mobile. For the next few days, players can take part in High Explosives v2, a modified version of the explosive-centric playlist that ran back in December. [Update: Server and matchmaking issues have caused Epic to disable the Squads variant of High Explosives v2 for the time being.]
As its name implies, High Explosives v2 is all about blowing things up. All non-explosive weapons are disabled in this mode, leaving the Grenade, Impulse Grenade, Remote Explosive, Rocket Launcher, and the recently added Guided Missile as the only weapons players will be able to use.
In addition to that, the wait time for the first four storms has been shortened by 1:50, and friendly fire has been disabled. Loot spawn rates have also been adjusted in the mode; supply drops spawn 50% more consumables and 100% more materials, and the material drop rate has been increased by 50%. Solo and Squads versions of the mode are available. You can read more about it on the official Fortnite website.
High Explosives v2 arrives alongside the 3.4 content update, the first of Epic's new bi-weekly content schedule for Fortnite. This update also introduced Vending Machines to Battle Royale, which are scattered around the island and dispense weapons in exchange for materials, as well as some balance changes for certain weapons.
A new Fortnite patch is also now available for PS4, which fixes an unspecified crash. However, an issue with the patch is causing it to be much larger than Epic intended. Despite this, the developer says the update is "safe to download" and the size issue should be resolved soon.
Spider-Man is one of the most-anticipated PS4 exclusives of the year, and now we know when the superhero game will launch. Your friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man will come to the console on September 7, 2018.
Few other new details have been revealed about the game as yet, though the game's box art has been revealed--take a look at it below. Spider-Man was unveiled at E3 in 2016, and it will tell a completely new story that's not tied to any one movie or comic. It contains an open world to explore, and you can use your environment to your advantage by, for example, throwing nearby objects at enemies. Post-launch DLC and special editions will also be available and have just been detailed.
The adventure game is being developed by Insomniac, the company behind big games such as Sunset Overdrive, Resistance: Fall of Man, and the original Spyro the Dragon games. The company says Spider-Man's open world will be much larger than that of Sunset Overdrive.
The release of the much-anticipated Spider-Man game for PS4 from Insomniac Games is drawing near. Sony has confirmed its release date comes on September 7, and alongside the base game itself there will be several special editions, pre-order bonuses, and post-release downloadable content.
At the lower end is the Digital Deluxe edition. It comes with the base game and "new story chapters" coming as post-launch DLC in the form of Marvel's Spider-Man: The City That Never Sleeps. This DLC consists of three chapters containing new missions, villains, characters, and suits for Spider-Man to wear. More details on the DLC will be announced later. The Digital Deluxe edition is priced at $80 in the US; international pricing hasn't been announced.
If you're willing to part with more cash, the Collector's edition will be available for $150. This will be limited in quantity and offers the same DLC as the aforementioned version. It also comes with a steelbook case, a mini artbook, and a Spider-Man statue--which has only been partially revealed. On the PlayStation Blog, Insomniac teases, "Pay extra special attention to the statue though and you'll notice something is obviously missing. We haven't revealed the entire statue for the Collector's edition, just Spider-Man perched on top of something. What could that be? It's too spoilery to show you now, but stay tuned!"
Those in the US and Canada who pre-order the Digital Deluxe edition will also receive a "limited edition" collectible pin by mail; it shows Spider-Man in the same pose as on the box art. Other pre-order bonuses are available for all editions of the game and include the Spider Suit Pack, a Spider Drone gadget, five extra skill points, and a PS4 avatar and theme. The Spider Suit Pack comes with three alternative outfits, one of which, Spider-Punk, is showcased in the video at the top of this post.
You can see both of the special editions pictured in the gallery above, along with the standard edition's box art. We recently got a look at some new gameplay, and we have ideas about what we'd like to see in the full game.
Update: Sea of Thieves' server status has now been restored on both Xbox One and PC, meaning you can sail the seas to your heart's content. There is also a 450 MB patch to download on both platforms. Among other changes, the update tweaks how far away your ship will respawn after you're killed. Original story follows.
Sea of Thieves' servers are currently down for maintenance, and they will be for some time. Players will be unable to access the game on Xbox One and PC until 6 AM PT / 9 AM ET / 2 PM BST / 11 PM AET.
Developer Rare hasn't stated a reason for the maintenance, and it isn't clear whether you'll be required to download a title update to play following the downtime, as was the case after a similar maintenance window last week. The pirate game has encountered a number of problems since launch, including delayed Achievement unlocks and connectivity issues, and these are listed as ongoing issues on Rare's website. It's unclear whether the ongoing maintenance will solve those issues.
Rare has also canceled its planned change of introducing a death cost in Sea of Thieves. The developer had planned to charge a small amount of in-game gold for each time you died, but this has now been canned following fan feedback.
In our Sea of Thieves review, critic Peter Brown awarded the game a 6/10. "There may come a time when Sea of Thieves is able to entice me back," he wrote. "And I imagine that will be with a mix of new mission types and hopefully the promise of rewards that allow for new types of interactions, if not improve my character's capabilities. For now, it's a somewhat hollow game that can be fun for a handful of hours when played with friends, and something worth trying out if you happen to be an Xbox Game Pass subscriber. Even though it's hard to wholeheartedly recommend, I like enough of what I see to hold out hope that things will eventually improve as the game continues to be patched and updated with new content."
Fortnite: Battle Royale has proven to be far more popular than developer Epic Games could have anticipated, but it's done an impressive job of rolling out new content to the game. It's now formally outlined how it will do so on a regular schedule moving forward.
Through what it calls "content updates," Epic will add new things and make changes every other week. What's notable is that these updates won't require you to actually download anything--they'll presumably be included as part of the previous patch, with that content then unlocking when Epic is ready to do so. For instance, following the 3.4 update released last week, we're now getting the 3.4 content update this week.
"This new cadence allows us to iron out more complex bugs, while continuing to provide fun content every week," Epic explained on its website. The company may continue to roll out other patches as necessary, as we just saw with the new PS4-specific update, but fans should now have a better sense of when to expect new additions.
The 3.4 content update brings the Vending Machine to Battle Royale, allowing players to exchange materials for items. It also makes some weapon changes and kicks off the next limited-time mode, High Explosives v2.
With the Xbox One Spring Sale in full swing this week, and a new Deals With Gold sale live, Xbox gamers can save tons of money on games. In fact, so many great games are available at discounted prices that it can be hard to find the ones you want in the vast sea of deals.
Let's fix that problem by sifting through all the games currently on sale on the Xbox Store and highlighting the best games at the best prices. Take note: both the Xbox Spring Sale and this week's Deals With Gold sale end on April 9. Click over to the Spring Sale page to make your purchases.
A lot of games came out last fall, so there's a good chance you missed some of them. The Spring Sale is a great opportunity to scoop up the ones that fell through the cracks for cheap. Assassin's Creed Origins came out after a two-year wait, rather than the usual one, and it's clear the extra time went to good use. This Ancient Egypt-set installment represents a great evolution for the franchise. Read our Assassin's Creed Origins review for details.
The shooter series that had been inching its way into the future over the past few years jets back to the past in this installment. It drops you in the European theater of WWII, where you get to kill Nazis just like your grandpa might have done. Check out our review.
A fast, frenetic gore-fest, Doom delivers exactly the kind of experience you'd expect from a game about tearing through demons while listening to heavy metal. It's pure, mindless fun. And now that it's Xbox One X enhanced, it's optimized for whatever Xbox hardware you're packing. Read our review here.
Not all games get it right from the jump. Sometimes they need to experiment and listen to the community before they hit their stride. That's what happened with this shared-world shooter. Once a few intriguing expansions came out and Ubisoft filled out the endgame, it seems to have clicked. And with a sequel in the works, now's a good time to see what all the fuss is about. Here's our recent second look at The Division.
Other great Xbox One deals
The Xbox Spring Sale has lots of other games available at huge discounts. Here are some of the other games that caught our eye.
It's increasingly hard to avoid spoilers for big movies and TV shows these days, especially ones that promise to deliver genuine shocks and surprises. There have been many rumors about the upcoming Avengers: Infinity War--including that not all the heroes will make it out alive, so the movie's directors have now taken matters into their own hands.
Joe and Anthony Russo took to social media to post a note appealing for fans not to spoil the movie's surprises. Using the hashtag #ThanosDemandsYourSilence and with the Infinity Gauntlet in view, the brothers explained that only selected footage will screen in advance of the movie's premiere, and that the film's true plot was yet to be revealed.
"We're asking that when you see Infinity War, in the coming months, that you maintain the same level of secrecy so that all fans can have an equal experience when they watch it for the first time," the note says. "Don't spoil it for others, the same way you wouldn't want it spoiled for you." Check the note out below:
Avengers: Infinity War stars Robert Downey Jr., Chadwick Boseman, Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Pratt, Benedict Cumberbatch, Tom Holland, plus pretty much every major actor from the last decade of Marvel movies. It hits theaters on April 27.
Following last month's trailer, a new TV spot was recently revealed, alongside some new posters for the movie. The posters are all themed around the color scheme of the Infinity Stones, and while they don't reveal new information, they do provide a look at many of the cast members and how their characters look going into Infinity War. However, Ant-Man and Hawkeye remain absent, just as they have from all the trailers so far.
In related news, the Russos recently teased fans about the still-unknown title of next year's Avengers 4. Last year, Marvel boss Kevin Feige explained that the reason that the title hadn't been revealed was because it will spoil the events of Infinity War, and last week the directors confirmed this. "The fact that the Russo brothers won't give us the Avengers 4 title because it spoils Infinity War scares the s**t outta me," a fan tweeted, to which the brothers replied replied, "It should."
With the upcoming Avengers: Infinity War likely to be packed with shocks and surprises, directors Joe and Anthony Russo this week attempted to head off spoilers by appealing to fans to keep the movie's secrets. A note they released asked viewers not to "spoil it for others, the same way you wouldn't want it spoiled for you." Following this, Spider-Man actor Tom Holland has released his own excellent response.
Avengers: Infinity War stars Robert Downey Jr., Chadwick Boseman, Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Pratt, Benedict Cumberbatch, Tom Holland, plus pretty much every major actor from the last decade of Marvel movies. It hits theaters on April 27.
Following last month's trailer, a new TV spot was recently revealed, alongside some new posters for the movie. The posters are all themed around the color scheme of the Infinity Stones, and while they don't reveal new information, they do provide a look at many of the cast members and how their characters look going into Infinity War. However, Ant-Man and Hawkeye remain absent, just as they have from all the trailers so far.
In related news, the Russos recently teased fans about the still-unknown title of next year's Avengers 4. Last year, Marvel boss Kevin Feige explained that the reason that the title hadn't been revealed was because it will spoil the events of Infinity War, and last week, the directors confirmed this. "The fact that the Russo brothers won't give us the Avengers 4 title because it spoils Infinity War scares the s**t outta me," a fan tweeted, to which the brothers replied, "It should."
Ghost Recon Wildlands recently celebrated its one-year anniversary, but that didn't mark the end of Ubisoft's support for the game. The publisher has confirmed a Year 2 of content is on the way, which will consist of a variety of updates for both the PvE mode and the Ghost War PvP mode.
The "substantial post-launch support" in Year 2 will include four free "major" content drops. Each of these will be dubbed a Special Operations update, has some kind of theme, and will offer both PvE and PvP content. Part of this comes in the form of addressing fan-requested additions. On the campaign side, there will also be "special free missions and special challenges with exclusive rewards." Ghost War will likewise see new content, although not all of it will be free.
First up during Year 2 is Special Operations 1, which launches for PC, PS4, and Xbox One on April 10. It essentially serves as a substitute for what was planned in the fifth and sixth updates from the original Ghost War update roadmap; it adds the Sabotage mode and five maps exclusive to the mode, a class (one of six coming during Year 2), perks, and weapons. It includes the ability to customize AI teammates' outfits using any gear you can equip, which Ubisoft says is the top request from players. PvE will get a "special themed" mission and challenges that offer up exclusive rewards.
While the aforementioned content will largely be free, Ubisoft will also offer a paid season pass. The Year 2 pass offers a week of early access to the new Ghost War classes, a customization pack with exclusive items, and eight Battle Crates (four Special Ops, four Ghost War). This will be priced at $30 in the US; international pricing has not yet been shared.
A Metal Gear Solid movie is coming. It's being directed by Kong Skull Island director Jordan Vogt-Roberts, who is saying all the right things about making the movie the right away. It's too early to say if it'll break the video game movie curse, but it sounds like Vogt-Roberts gets it. And it's encouraging to know he's been working alongside--or at least consulting with--Metal Gear creator Hideo Kojima on the film early in the production process. That can only help.
He recently held a video meeting Kojima to presumably discuss the film, and yeah, that's all well and good. But the bigger, more important story here is the mug that Kojima brought to the meeting. Vogt-Roberts shared a screencap of his video session with Kojima, and this includes the odd-looking mug. We thought about it, and are wondering if that is some kind of crazy lid on top? To keep the drink hot? And the design itself--what's that all about? Please help us understand.
If you have any thoughts on this Very Serious And Important Topic, please leave them in the comments below. We'll update this post accordingly as new information becomes available.
On a more serious note, in August last year, Vogt-Roberts told GameSpot that the Metal Gear movie was undergoing a re-working of the script to make it more in line with what fans want to see. He recalled an important meeting with Sony Pictures executives where they took on board his thoughts about how the movie, at the time, might have been going down the wrong path.
"I was able to go to them and say, 'Let's stop where we are, because I think we're heading down a direction that doesn't fully capture why people love this game, what Kojima's voice is, why people who have played this game for decades love it, why people who have never played this game will love it,'" Vogt-Roberts said. "I was able to say, 'Let's really think about whether we're making the truest, most balls-to-the-wall Metal Gear version of this--the most Kojima version of this. And even if that means we make it for a little bit less money, let's make the version of this that's true to what it is, fully committed to what Kojima's voice is.'"
"I think that [filmmakers] have looked at a video game movie and said, 'Oh, that's flashy! That's cool!'...and there's very little desire to really understand the tone and the atmosphere," he said. "A big part of it is not fully committing to the source material, being able to say 'No, this is what makes this great, so let's figure out how we translate it.'"
It is still early days for the Metal Gear solid movie. There is no word on a release date or cast, but of course we will be covering all the news about it, so keep checking back for more. Vogt-Roberts has some familiarity with video game productions, as he directed the Destiny 2 New Legends Will Rise live-action video.
As for the Metal Gear series, the latest installment is Metal Gear Survive, which launched in February to a tepid critical reception. It was the first new release in the long-running series following Kojima's departure from Konami. Kojima is now working on the PS4 game Death Stranding with the new version of his studio Kojima Productions.
The new PUBG map, Savage, is currently available to testers--and only Solo is supported. But that is changing, as developer PUBG Corp. announced today in a Steam post that it is opening up support Squads on the game's experimental test server.
You need a key to access this, and if you were not able to secure one already you can grab one on the PUBG website here. There is not telling how long they'll be available for, so if you're interested, you should act quickly. There are "hundreds of thousands" of keys being made available, but given how big PUBG is, they could run out.
If you get in and want to play Squads on the new map, you should be aware that you might see longer matchmaking times. In addition to adding Squads support, PUBG Corp. is updating the current version of the Savage map with the following changes:
Increased the item and weapon spawn rates inside residential buildings and small cabins to improve the looting experience along the outskirts of the map.
The first blue zone circle will show up right at the beginning of the match so players can plan their strategy before parachuting.
Blue zone time adjusted to speed up gameplay during the first phase of the match.
Red zone frequency has been lowered
There are now fewer explosions inside each red zone. The size of the red zone remains the same.
Vans now spawn less often. The two-wheeled motorcycle spawns more often. Motorbikes with sidecars have been removed from Codename: Savage.
Savage is much smaller than the two existing PUBG maps, which leads to faster and more frenetic matches. PUBG creator Brendan Greene says the map "should give you all a much more intense and faster-paced Battle Royale experience."
If you're not in the Savage beta, there is still fairly new PUBG content to check out. PUBG Corp. recently released a new update that added a weapon skin system, allowing players to customize the look of their weapons with cosmetics obtained through new crates. Additionally, the developer is giving away a free weapon skin to PC players for a limited time to celebrate the one-year anniversary of PUBG's early access release.
The remastered version of From Software's celebrated action RPG, Dark Souls, arrives on a new generation of consoles in a little over a month. Along with improved visuals and framerate, the game features an assortment of gameplay tweaks and quality-of-life changes that should make the experience a bit smoother for all players.
In terms of online play, Dark Souls Remastered supports up to six players, as opposed to four in the original version. In addition to that, the Dried Finger, which allows you to summon more players in a quicker amount of time, can now be purchased from the merchant in Undead Burg, giving you the ability to get it much earlier in the game.
Bandai Namco is also implementing the password matching system from Dark Souls III, making it easier to play together with your friends. In PvP, the Estus Flask will now be the only healing item that players can use, and Estus Flasks will be restored after players defeat a red phantom.
The quality-of-life changes extend beyond multiplayer as well. Most notably, players can now use multiple of the same item at once rather than having to select them one at a time. Moreover, Bandai Namco is adding a new bonfire next to Vamos the Blacksmith in the Catacombs, and players will now have the ability to switch covenants at bonfires rather than having to trek back to their original locations.
Dark Souls Remastered releases for PS4, Xbox One, PC, and Nintendo Switch on May 25. The game also supports 4K resolution and 60 FPS on PS4 Pro and Xbox One X; you can take a look at some new footage of Dark Souls Remastered running on PS4 Pro here. The Switch version, meanwhile, releases alongside an exclusive Amiibo figure.
From Software's brutally challenging RPG Dark Souls was one of the most acclaimed and influential titles of the last generation, and soon a new audience will have a chance to experience it courtesy of Dark Souls Remastered. The upcoming remaster is scheduled to release this May on PS4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC, giving players a chance to revisit the world of Lordran with improved visuals and framerate.
Dark Souls was already a beautiful game when it originally released in 2011, but the upcoming remastered version looks even better, particularly when played on a PS4 Pro or Xbox One X. Like many other contemporary titles, the game is tailored to take advantage of the added horsepower from Sony and Microsoft's new consoles, supporting 4K resolution and 60 FPS.
We recently got a chance to see just how Dark Souls looks and performs on modern hardware. In the video above, you can watch us play through the opening portion of Dark Souls Remastered, running through the first 30 minutes of the game on a PS4 Pro.
While the Switch version isn't quite as visually impressive, it still likewise receives a nice boost over the original game, running in 1080p at 30 FPS when docked. It will also release alongside an exclusive Amiibo figure that allows you to perform the famous "praise the sun" emote when scanned. Switch owners will have a chance to try Dark Souls Remastered out a little early through a network test beta, which will be held sometime ahead of the game's release.
Dark Souls Remastered launches for PS4, Xbox One, PC, and Switch on May 25. In GameSpot's original Dark Souls review, critic Kevin VanOrd called the title "riveting" and awarded it a 9.5/10. "Dark Souls plays by its own rules, and in doing so, provides an unforgettable adventure that seeps into your being and invades your thoughts," he wrote.
Lugia may no longer be available in Pokemon Go, but two more Legendary Pokemon have taken its place. Beginning April 2, players around the world will be able to encounter Latios and Latias, the twin Eon Pokemon from Ruby and Sapphire.
Both Legendaries arrive in the game simultaneously, but each one can only be found in a different part of the world for a limited time. From now until May 8, Latios can be encountered in North America, South America, and Africa, while Latias will appear across Europe and Asia. On that date, the two Pokemon will swap regions, where they will remain until June 5.
As with most other Legendaries, Latios and Latias can only be found in Raid Battles as Gyms. Players will first need to team up with other trainers to battle the Pokemon, and only once the Legendaries have been defeated will you earn a chance to capture them.
Both Latios and Latias are dual Psychic/Dragon-types, meaning they're particularly susceptible to Dark and Fairy Pokemon. If you don't happen to have any in your collection, Niantic says Pokemon such as Tyranitar and Mawile will also begin appearing in Raid Battles, giving you a chance to amass a powerful team before you take on the new Legendaries.
Niantic has introduced a string of new Legendary Pokemon to Pokemon Go in recent months. Earlier this year, players were able to battle three other Gen 3 Legendaries: Groudon, Kyogre, and Rayquaza. The Gold and Silver Legendary Lugia also returned to Raid Battles for a limited time. Most recently, Niantic introduced a new research quest system that gives players the chance to encounter the game's first Mythical Pokemon, Mew.
Niantic is hosting the fourth Pokemon Go Community Day later this month. The event takes place on Sunday, April 15, and will feature the Electric-type sheep Mareep, though the developer hasn't yet revealed what event-exclusive move it will be able to learn.
Far Cry 5's menus have been promoting the upcoming release of Live Events, and the first of these is finally available. Well Done provides you with a specific objective and offers special rewards for completing it during the allotted time; here's how to access Live Events and what awaits you.
You'll want to first boot up the game and load up your save. From there, bring up the in-game menu (the one with your map, inventory, and so on) and tab over to the Online area. From here, you can select Live Events, which takes you to a screen that informs you of the current event. You'll be informed of the objective and be able to accept the quest, which you can then complete as you play normally.
Well Done, as this first Live Event is called, tasks you with killing animals using fire. Provided you don't have any moral qualms with that, there's one other wrinkle that stands in your way: You can't use the two most obvious means for doing this, the flamethrower and molotovs. As a result, you'll need to rely on things like flame arrows to secure the required number of kills.
The Live Events screen tracks both your personal progression and the community's progression. A special reward awaits for meeting the threshold with each. Personally, you'll rack up some Silver Bars once you've made some progress; rack up all 20 kills and you'll get a Prestige flamethrower called Flamebearer. You'll also earn some Silver Bars as the Far Cry 5 community makes progress on the event; at 150,000 total kills, participants will receive a Flamebearer outfit to wear--and this threshold was passed in less than a day. You'll have to complete your portion by the time the event ends on Tuesday, April 10.
Live Events are another piece of the long-term content Far Cry 5 promises to offer. Outside of the campaign itself, which is playable in single-player or co-op, there's also the Far Cry Arcade, where you can create levels or download and play those created by other players. Beyond that, Ubisoft itself also has quite a bit of DLC on the way, and it sounds pretty out there. For more on what to expect from the game, check out our Far Cry 5 review.
One of 2016's best games, Hitman, is getting a re-release. Hitman: Definitive Edition is coming to PS4, Xbox One, and PC on May 15 this year (May 18 in the UK), packaging together the base game and all its DLC.
That means you get Hitman Season 1, the extra Game of the Year Edition content, the Summer Bonus Episode, and the Blood Money Requiem pack. In addition, the Definitive Edition will include a new set of cosmetics based on other properties from developer IO Interactive: one is based on Freedom Fighters, one on Mini Ninjas, and one on Kane & Lynch. The game's previously-released Xbox One X and PS4 Pro enhancements will be included, but not all add-on content is included on the disc--you'll have to download a file that weighs in at 12-24 GB, depending on platform.
Interestingly, the new re-release will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros., the publisher behind big franchises such as the Batman: Arkham and Middle-earth series. The company's press release states Hitman: Definitive Edition is a "part" of an agreement that pertains to the Hitman series. It's therefore unclear what the arrangement means for the next game in the series, which is currently in development.
Rainbow Six Siege and Overwatch are often held up as great examples of evolving games, with Ubisoft and Blizzard continuing to support their multiplayer titles long after their respective release dates. Both games are excellent team-based multiplayer shooters, both utilize a hero system to add depth and replayability, and both have very passionate fanbases. But which game is better?
Our new show, Versus, kicks off with an episode dedicated to pitting the two shooters against one another. Seasoned Overwatch player Tamoor Hussain is in the red corner, fighting for Blizzard's colorful shooter over a three-round argument. Oscar Dayus, meanwhile, is over in the blue corner championing Rainbow Six Siege. Be sure to watch till the end to see the quick-fire round... it goes places.
Let us know who you think won the debate in the comments below, or head over to YouTube to vote in our official poll, and we'll let you know who wins the most votes in next week's episode. For more on Tamoor's favorite shooter, check out the latest Overwatch PTR patch notes, or for more on Oscar's game of choice, take a look at some possible new Rainbow Six Operator leaks.
Check back next week for another episode of Versus, where we'll be debating whether PS4 or Xbox One has the better exclusive games so far. New episodes drop every Wednesday at 6 AM PT / 9 AM ET / 2 PM BST / 11 PM AET on GameSpot.com and YouTube.
Square Enix has shared some new information about Dragon Quest Builders 2, the sequel to its Minecraft-like Dragon Quest spin-off. On the game's newly launched Japanese website (via Siliconera), the publisher revealed new details and shared the first screenshots for the upcoming PS4 and Switch RPG.
Like the first title, Dragon Quest Builders 2 is a building-centric sandbox RPG. Players assume the role of a Builder and must craft a variety of buildings and objects out of the materials they gather from the environment. This time, players can select either a male or female protagonist and assume the role of the ancestor of the legendary Builder who restored the world.
Where the original Dragon Quest Builders tasked players with rebuilding Alefgard (the setting of the very first Dragon Quest), the upcoming game begins when players wash ashore on a deserted island, which is completely devoid of any inhabitants. Square Enix also revealed that Malroth, the final boss from Dragon Quest II, will play a prominent role in the story and is even mentioned in the game's Japanese subtitle.
Dragon Quest Builders 2 was first announced last summer, during the Dragon Quest Summer Festival 2017 event. It is in development for Nintendo Switch and PS4 and boasts a number of improvements over the original game. Most notably, player will be able to swim and collect resources underwater in this adventure, and the game supports multiplayer for up to four players.
The first Dragon Quest Builders originally launched for PS4 and Vita in 2016. The game was also released for Switch back in February. We called it a "strong match for the Nintendo platform" in our Dragon Quest Builders review and said the new Switch-exclusive features "adds another layer of endearment to a game already brimming with charm."
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