During the Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 reveal stream, Activision and Treyarch revealed that the PC version will live on Blizzard's Battle.net network. In addition to the franchise making its Battle.net debut, Black Ops 4 is exclusive to Blizzard's ecosystem for PC players; you won't be seeing the game on Steam.
All of Battle.net's social features will be integrated into Black Ops 4, such as friends lists, communication tools, seeing what others are playing on the platform, and party functions. This also means players will be able to communicate across games whether they're playing Overwatch or Black Ops 4, or any game for that matter. On top of living on Battle.net, Black Ops 4 is said to be specifically optimized for PC with options to run 4K resolution, 21:9 ultra widescreen resolutions, HDR, and an uncapped framerate. The game will be running on dedicated servers for online play as well.
The news doesn't come as too much of a surprise considering that Activision is the Call of Duty franchise publisher and the parent company to Blizzard, which is a prominent figure in the PC gaming landscape with the robust Battle.net ecosystem. Blizzard VP Jeff Kaplan stated that his team consulted with Treyarch on a number of features when building Overwatch, and was featured in the reveal video to outline the PC version of Black Ops 4. This is the second game not developed by Blizzard to make it onto Battle.net, the first being Destiny 2 from Bungie.
As promised, Activision unveiled a ton of details about this year's Call of Duty game during its big Black Ops 4 Community Reveal Event. One of the more surprising things we learned about the title, however, is that it won't feature a traditional single-player campaign, as previous installments in the series did.
In lieu of a single-player campaign, Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 will feature an assortment of solo missions that revolve around each of the game's Specialist characters. These will still contain the spectacular set-piece moments the series is known for, and they'll reveal each character's backstory and other details as players work their way through them.
The solo missions are set between the events of Black Ops 2 and Black Ops 3. A handful of previous Specialists return in this installment, including Ruin, Firebreak, and Seraph, and Treyarch says they've been reimagined this time around. There are also a number of new Specialists in the game; so far, we've seen ones named Recon, Crash, and Torque.
During today's stream, Activision also revealed Blackout, a new battle royale mode for Black Ops 4. Blackout features elements from the entire Black Ops series, including previous weapons, items, and characters such as Hudson, Reznov, and Mason. Players will also be able to pilot land, air, and sea vehicles in the mode as they battle to be the last player standing.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 launches for PS4, Xbox One, and PC on October 12. Like previous Black Ops games, it is being developed by Treyarch. This time around, the title won't feature thrust jumping or wallrunning, but it will once again have a Zombies mode. You can take a look at the box art for Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 here.
After weeks of teases and speculation, Activision finally pulled back the curtain on this year's anticipated Call of Duty game, Black Ops 4. Like previous entries, Black Ops 4 will come with a variety of different game modes, including the ever-popular Zombies, but this year's installment will also feature its own take on the battle royale genre.
Dubbed Blackout, the new mode pits players against each other in a fight to be the last one standing, just as in Fortnite and PUBG. Where Blackout differs from other battle royale games is that it draws heavily on previous Black Ops titles. Developer Treyarch says it wanted to create a battle royale mode "the Black Ops way," and to that end, it has incorporated elements from the entire series into the mode.
According to Treyarch, the map in Blackout is the biggest one the developer has ever created. Some of its locations are old maps taken directly from past entries, and players can use weapons and items from every previous Black Ops game, including the RC car. The map also features land, air, and sea vehicles, and players can play as Hudson, Reznov, Mason, and other characters from the series.
Activision announced a ton of new details about Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 during today's special reveal event. Along with Blackout, the publisher talked a lot about the new Zombies campaign, which is set across three unique maps and places a stronger emphasis on mystery. Activision also revealed that Black Ops 4 won't have a traditional single-player campaign; rather, the game will feature solo missions that focus on each of its Specialist characters.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 launches for PS4, Xbox One, and PC on October 12--nearly a month earlier than Call of Duty games typically launch. The PC version will be available exclusively via Blizzard's Battle.net service. Activision will hold a beta for Black Ops 4 ahead of its launch later this year, although exact details on that will be announced at a later date.
Activision has finally opened the floodgates and revealed a torrent of information about Call of Duty: Black Ops 4. In addition to all-new Specialists and multiplayer options, this year's installment of the popular shooter franchise will also come with a Zombies story mode.
In Zombies, four characters travel through time to battle an evil cult, while killing hordes of the undead along the way. It's set across three unique missions, each of which has its own map: The Nine, Voyage of Despair, and Blood of the Dead.
The Nine takes place in a Roman battle arena, where players must fend off zombies and special undead enemies using swords, shields, axes, and spears. Voyage of Despair takes place on the ill-fated Titanic that's teeming with zombies. Blood of the Dead is something of a throwback mission, with references to classic maps from previous Black Ops games. The mode also contains Zombie Rush, which Activision says is a simplified version of a traditional zombie mode.
In an effort to keep the game feeling fresh, Zombies will feature seasonal events called Callings. Additionally, it will have daily, monthly, and yearly events. It will also have various difficulty levels, complete with easy and hard challenges.
If you don't have buddies online to team up with, you'll be able to play alongside bots instead. The mode will also have over 100 different custom mutations you can add to the game to alter zombie and player skills. Anyone can also create custom competitions that can be shared online for other players to try.
Activision announced a ton of other details about Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 during today's special reveal event. Along with Zombies, the publisher detailed Blackout, the new battle royale mode, which will feature content from all previous Black Ops games. Activision also revealed that Black Ops 4 won't have a traditional single-player campaign; rather, the game will feature solo missions that focus on each of its Specialist characters.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 launches for PS4, Xbox One, and PC on October 12--nearly a month earlier than Call of Duty games typically launch. The PC version will be available exclusively via Blizzard's Battle.net service. Activision will hold a beta for Black Ops 4 ahead of its launch later this year, although exact details on that will be announced at a later date.
Rainbow Six Siege continues to expand and evolve, and with the Operation Para Bellum DLC on the way, the game is gearing up to add two new Operators. Publisher Ubisoft has now, finally, revealed the second of those two characters: Maestro.
A blog post on the official Rainbow Six website has lifted the lid on the new Defender, whose "expertise lies in blocking access to key locations." According to the post, "His blunt style allows him to see through smoke and mirrors, for which he has no patience." Ubisoft goes on to state that Maestro shines when he's joined by Alibi, the other new Italian defensive Operator.
Maestro's unique skill or gadget has not yet been revealed. Previous rumors had suggested he will carry bulletproof cameras, but that was later revealed to be coming to a number of Operators as part of a future update. Ubisoft is set to reveal more details about the upcoming season during the Rainbow Six Siege Pro League Finals on May 19-20.
Along with two new Defenders, Operation Para Bellum will introduce a Pick & Ban system, which gives players the ability to counter opponents by banning certain Operators from play. It also introduces a new map called Villa and makes a number of balance tweaks to existing Operators, particularly Echo, who will receive a second Yokai drone and other buffs. You'll be able to stream the Pro League Finals on Rainbow Six Siege's Twitch channel.
As is standard with modern comic book movies, Deadpool 2 includes a bonus scene during the credits as a special treat for fans. According to the writers of the film, though, it's not the scene originally shot for the end of the movie. However, the initial plan just didn't sit well with audiences when tested.
According to Rhett Reese, one of the movie's writers, the Merc with a Mouth was going to use Cable's time travel abilities in one very interesting way. "Deadpool goes back and kills baby Hitler at the very end. That's what was supposed to happen," he tells UpRoxx. "We shot it and we put it in front of an audience. He's got the crib and he's standing in the German nursery and he's leaning over the crib to do it and there was kind of this, 'ohhhhh.' And we thought we don't want to leave the crowd on an 'ohhhhh.' So it ended up coming out."
He continues, "Our last moment was Deadpool saying 'Maximum effort!' as he goes in to throttle the baby. It does make you squeamish." Cross your fingers that this particular makes it onto the home release of the film, given that it does exist out there somewhere.
While that might not have connected with audiences who saw early cuts of the film, it's not even the strangest version of the scene. Paul Wernick, who co-wrote Deadpool 2 with Reese, remembers it playing out differently in one version of the script. "There's even a draft of that scene where we back it up even more where he's standing over baby Hitler and says, 'God, that is a toughie.' He finds a Sharpie and draws a mustache on the baby--a little baby mustache--and says 'Maximum effort!'"
It's hard to blame the movie's creative team for not letting moments like these be the final impression on audiences. Still, it would be interesting to see what the reaction would have been, had the movie actually ended with Deadpool killing baby Hitler.
Funnily enough, that wasn't the only proposed post-credits scene that didn't end up making it into the movie. As Reese and Mernick reveal, there was also a potential scene that would have seen Chris Evans reprise his Fantastic Four role.
"There were different codas kicked around. There were more X-Force interviews that were talked about. One was Chris Evans as Human Torch," Wernick admits. As Reese explains, though, the idea never got far enough to pitch it to Evans. "Someone had the idea we actually did and we thought that was better. But we definitely had a lot more X-Force interviews with bizarre, random people coming in to interview," he says.
Looking further ahead, Deadpool creator Rob Liefeld has discussed some of the characters he'd like to see starring alongside the Merc with a Mouth in the future. Speaking to Comicbook.com, Liefeld indicated he wants to see the movies go big with cameos.
"Let's get the entire Six Pack who Cable used to run with," he said. "Let's get Bridge, let's get Hammer, let's get Grizzly. No, no, no, especially if there's more Cable we can go in that direction. I did a graphic novel last year that introduced a new nemesis for Deadpool. I was thinking smaller budget. Now, the budgets are insane. There is so much great stuff yet to come."
Given that Josh Brolin appears in both Avengers: Infinity War and Deadpool 2 as different characters, it would have been exciting for Evans, who plays Captain America, to do the same. Either way, the final version of Deadpool 2 does include a mid-credits scene, so make sure you don't leave early.
It was 2013 when Sylvester Stallone and his Expendables co-star Arnold Schwarzenegger teamed up to break out of a seemingly escape-proof prison in the movie Escape Plan. How do you up the ante? According to the trailer for Escape Plan 2: Hades, it's actually really simple.
First, instead of Schwarzenegger, you team Stallone with Avengers: Infinity War star Dave Bautista. Next, you have to find an even crazier prison--which is essentially scumbag Fight Club--and break into it so you can break someone else out of it. Third, sprinkle in a little bit of Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson, and you're ready to go.
Honestly, the trailer for Escape Plan 2 looks utterly ridiculous in the very best ways, and it's hard to not be excited about something this over-the-top. Given that most of Bautista's action fare, thus far, has found him painted green and fighting aliens, it's fun to see him like this, just getting to play action hero next to someone like Stallone.
Now comes the bad news. You won't get the chance to watch this one in theaters. This particular movie is being released direct-to-video, so, unfortunately, you'll only get to watch it on-demand or if you pick it up on DVD. That is, unless, everyone who reads this buys a copy, and it becomes a global phenomenon that demands a theatrical release. So get busy watching when Escape Plan 2: Hades arrives on June 29.
Gotham isn't over yet, as Fox has renewed the series for a fifth and final season. However, the show's producers are looking to the future, and it is looking decidedly Batman. Bruce Heller and Danny Cannon have received a straight-to-series order on yet another prequel to the Dark Knight's story--and it won't be connected to Gotham at all.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Epix has ordered 10 episodes of Pennyworth, exploring the history of Bruce Wayne's butler Alfred Pennyworth before he came to Gotham City. The show will follow Alfred's life in London in the 1960s after his time as a soldier in the British SAS, as he begins working with Bruce's father, Thomas Wayne.
Heller will write the pilot script and serve as showrunner on the new series, with Cannon joining as executive producer and director of the first episode--just as he did with Gotham. Still, it's important to note once again that this is not set in the same continuity as Gotham, but rather carve its own path in retelling this piece of the Batman mythos.
That means Sean Pertwee will not be reprising his Gotham role as Alfred in Pennyworth. However, an actor has not yet been cast in the role.
Interestingly, this isn't the only new DC Comics series Cannon's name is attached to. It was announced in January that he and Gotham executive producer John Stephens were developing Metropolis--a Superman prequel that follows Lois Lane and Lex Luthor--for DC Universe, the upcoming streaming network. As Deadline reports, that project is currently being redeveloped, while a release date has not been revealed.
We're less than an hour away from the public unveiling of Call of Duty: Black Ops 4. The world will get its first look at this year's highly anticipated Call of Duty game during Activision's special Black Ops 4 Community Reveal Event, which kicks off today at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET / 6PM BST (3 AM AET on May 18).
The event will be broadcast on both the official Call of Duty Twitch channel and website. For your convenience, we're also streaming the presentation on GameSpot, so you can tune in right here and watch along as Activision pulls back the curtain on this year's Call of Duty game.
Prior to the presentation, we'll be streaming the previous Black Ops title, Black Ops 3, and sharing our thoughts on what we can expect from the reveal event. Our Black Ops 3 stream kicks off at 9:30 AM PT / 12:30 PM ET and runs until Activision's presentation begins.
Outside of a few teases, Activision hasn't revealed many solid details about Black Ops 4. Like previous Black Ops titles, it is being developed by Treyarch, and it has been heavily teased that it will have a Zombies mode, although we know little about what that will entail.
We also know that Black Ops 4 is releasing for PS4, Xbox One, and PC on October 12--nearly a full month earlier than the November release slot that Call of Duty games typically occupy. We'll learn a whole lot more about the game soon, however, so stay tuned to GameSpot for our complete coverage on the Black Ops 4 reveal event.
The huge success of 2015's Jurassic World proved that the series of dinosaur thrillers still had plenty of fans, and inevitably, a sequel follows this summer. Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom hits theaters on June 22, and following the recent trailer, we have a new TV spot.
While some of the footage in the promo has appeared previously, there are some new shots in there. In particular, there's a slightly longer version of the scene featuring the huge aquatic Mosasaurus about to snack on some surfers, which looks like it could be one of the most incredible shots in the series to date. Check it out below:
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom stars Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Rafe Spall, Toby Jones, Jeff Goldblum, and BD Wong. It's directed by Spanish filmmaker JA Bayona, and co-written by Colin Trevorrow, who helmed the first movie.
In a recent interview with Walmart Gamecenter, Pratt spoke about how important the relationship between his character Owen and the Velociraptor Blue was to the movie. "Most of the relationships between man and beast in this franchise have been man marveling at the spectacle of this giant creature, or man running in fear and hiding and trying not to get eaten," he said. "So it's either fear or wonder, while the relationship between Owen and Blue is a different kind of relationship.
"It's more of a parent-to-child or master-to-subject type of relationship. He feels a lot of love for her. The best movies are about relationships, and this is a really pivotal and instrumental one in the story. She's very important, not only as a really cool dinosaur that we get to see fighting and moving around and living the way we assume a dinosaur like that would have looked."
Even though Fallen Kingdom doesn't hit theaters until June 22, the release date for the third movie has already been announced. In February, it was confirmed that it will arrive on June 11, 2021. It has also been announced that Trevorrow will return to direct it. This is Trevorrow's first movie since he was fired from Star Wars Episode IX last year.
Every year, The CW presents an Arrow-verse crossover, it gets tougher to keep track of, and 2018 will be no different. When Arrow, The Flash, Supergirl, and Legends of Tomorrow return in the fall and start building toward their annual four-show event, a new face and city will enter the fold.
For the first time ever, Batwoman will participate in the crossover and, with her, comes a new setting. "We are adding the city of Gotham into the Arrow-verse," CW president Mark Pedowitz announced at the network's upfront presentation to advertisers, according to TVLine. It's about time.
Arrow star Stephen Amell was on-hand to help announce the big news and said Batwoman will be fighting alongside The CW's stable of superheroes against the crossover's currently-unknown villain. This development marks a major shift in the Arrow-verse, which has always been careful to tread lightly around Batman and Gotham City.
While there have been throwaway lines alluding to Batman's public identity of Bruce Wayne and certain villains from the Dark Knight's rogues gallery have been featured on the shows--Ra's al Ghul, for instance--including the city and one of its heroes in such a major role is very different. It's also incredibly exciting, though. Even Superman has appeared in this universe, so keeping the world of Batman behind a lock and key always felt like something massive was missing.
The move comes at a very interesting time, though. Fox has announced a fifth and final season of Gotham, which essentially tells the origin story of Batman and his most-feared villains, while Epix has ordered a 10-episode series about the early life of Alfred Pennyworth, Bruce Wayne's butler, set in London.
No casting has been announced for Batwoman or anyone else in the annual crossover yet. Additionally, it looks like Black Lightning--another DC Comics TV show on The CW--remains outside of the Arrow-verse and, thus, not included in the event. That could always change, though. After all, Arrow, The Flash, Supergirl, and Legends of Tomorrow are no strangers to the multiverse. Still, even without Black Lightning, it's hard not to get excited about Gotham City entering this particular TV universe and what that could mean for other characters down the road.
Do you feel like exploring an irradiated Bostonian wasteland? Do you have an Xbox One? If you answered yes to those questions, you're in luck--Fallout 4 is free to play this weekend on Xbox One. You can download the free version of Fallout 4 here and play it between now and Monday, May 21.
If you find yourself enjoying your time in the game and want to continue playing after the free weekend is over, you can buy it--and all DLC--at a discount. The game itself is on sale for $15 / £10 / $20 AU on the Xbox Store, or you can get a physical copy of the Game of the Year Edition, which contains the game and all six expansions, for $30.
Alternately, Amazon U.S. is selling digital codes of Fallout 4 for Xbox One for $10 (£9 in the U.K.). Stock tends to run out fast at the online retailer, so grab it while it's available. Should you purchase the full game, any progress you make in the free trial will carry over.
Free play weekends are all well and good, but the question remains: is Fallout 4 any good? In a word, yes.
From GameSpot's 9/10 Fallout 4 review: "In the grand scheme of things, Fallout 4's minor issues pale in comparison to its successes. When you put the controller down, you think about the friend you betrayed to benefit another, the shifting tide of an incredible battle, or the moment you opened a drawer and found someone's discarded effects, making you wonder how they felt before the bombs fell. In moments like these, Fallout 4 can be an intoxicating experience. You're often forced to sacrifice something--a relationship, a lucrative opportunity, or your health--to make gains elsewhere. And the deeper down the rabbit hole you go, the more you wonder: what if I chose a different path? You second guess yourself, not just because you had other options, but because you aren't sure if you did the right thing. The fact that your decisions stick with you after walking away from the game is a testament to the great storytelling on hand. Fallout 4 is an argument for substance over style, and an excellent addition to the revered open-world series."
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Week 3 of Season 4 is well underway in Fortnite: Battle Royale, which means a new set of challenges are now available for Battle Pass holders. As usual, the challenges present a mixture of objectives to complete that allow you to level up your Battle Pass and unlock new rewards, but there's another bonus waiting for players who manage to clear them all.
As has been the case the past two weeks, players who clear all of the challenges in a given week will complete one of the game's new Blockbuster challenges. The reward for doing so is a special loading screen; while primarily cosmetic, the real value in the loading screen is that it hides a secret that leads to a free Battle Pass tier.
If you manage to complete all of Week 3's challenges, you'll get a loading screen that features a group of heroes huddled around a holographic map. If you look very closely at the map, you'll notice it displays a faint silhouette of a Battle Pass on the island, just left of the center of the screen.
Zooming in to the map reveals that the free tier is just southwest of Fatal Fields. Go to the marked location and you'll find a Battle Pass icon, which will reward you one free rank-up when collected. You can see the icon's exact location on our map above.
As before, you will need to complete all of Week 3's challenges and the corresponding Blockbuster challenge to be able to get the free Battle Pass tier; the item won't appear on the map unless you meet all of the prerequisites, so you won't be able to skip over any of this week's challenges to get the free rank-up, even if you already know its location.
Fortnite's Week 3 challenges consist of the usual mixture of straightforward objectives and some trickier tasks. Among the latter is a one that challenges players to find 10 rubber duckies. There are more than 10 scattered around the island, and you'll hear a distinctive sound when near one. If you need help, we've put together a guide on how to complete the Week 3 challenges.
Shenmue III has been delayed. The highly anticipated new installment in Yu Suzuki's beloved series was originally slated to release for PS4 and PC later this year, but publisher Deep Silver has announced that the game has now been pushed back into 2019.
According to Deep Silver, the delay is to give the development team more time to further refine the game. In an update on its website, the publisher said, "The extra time will be used to polish the quality of the game even further, to the high standards it deserves and release the product in the best possible timeframe."
The delay doesn't come as much of a surprise; despite being slated to launch in 2018, we've heard and seen little of Shenmue III thus far. A recent batch of screenshots showcased some improved character models, which were criticized for looking stiff and emotionless in the game's first teaser trailer.
Shenmue III was first announced during Sony's E3 2015 press conference. A Kickstarter campaign launched shortly after the title was revealed, and it would go on to become the most-backed video game in Kickstarter history, raising more than $6.3 million from nearly 70,000 backers.
While we may have to wait longer to see where Ryo's journey takes him, fans will soon have a chance to relive the previous two installments in the series. Sega recently announced it is releasing a Shenmue I & II collection on PS4, Xbox One, and PC later this year. Sega says the package features "fully scalable screen resolution, choice of modern or classic control schemes, PC graphics options, an updated user interface, and the option to enjoy either the original Japanese or English voiceovers."
Rockstar has rolled out another batch of content for Grand Theft Auto V. Along with a new selection of in-game bonuses and discounts, the developer has introduced a new, battle royale-inspired Adversary mode for GTA Online called Trap Door, which is available to play now on PS4, Xbox One, and PC.
Trap Door pits teams against each other on a floating platform that is shrinking "rapidly" throughout the match. Each time a player is killed, they are transported to the red zone, where they're given only a few seconds to escape to the main platform before the zone disappears and dumps everyone within into the ocean.
To commemorate the launch of Trap Door, everyone who participates in the new mode in the next few days will receive extra bonuses. From now until May 21, Trap Door is paying out double the usual amount of GTA$ and RP. You can jump into the mode either from the boot screen or by setting a waypoint to the Featured Adversary mode.
In addition to Trap Door, players will earn double GTA$ and RP for Biker Business Sell Missions, while Smuggler's Run missions will pay out double GTA$ this week. Those who also participated in last week's Business Week event will now find their bonus money waiting in their Maze Bank accounts.
On top of the aforementioned bonuses, players can save 30% off of Executive Office Garages in GTA Online this week. An assortment of "fan favorite" vehicles and weapons are also on sale; the full list of discounted items can be found below. You can read more about this week's GTA V discount on Rockstar's official website.
This Week's GTA Online Discounts
Vehicles
Mammoth Hydra -- 40% off (Buy It Now & Trade Price)
Following a slight delay, Epic has deployed the latest patch for Fortnite. Update 4.2 is now available across PS4, Xbox One, PC, and mobile, and it brings a handful of new items and some gameplay adjustments to both Battle Royale and Save the World.
On the Battle Royale side, Epic Games has introduced Epic and Legendary variants of the Burst Assault Rifle, which can be found as floor loot or in treasure chests, supply drops, or vending machines. Like other Burst Assault Rifles, the Epic and Legendary variants use medium ammo and have the same damage fall-off ranges.
Additionally, update 4.2 adds a new consumable to Battle Royale: apples. These can be found near certain trees around the map and restore five health points when eaten. Epic has also increased the drop rate for the Impulse Grenade by 5%, while a handful of items receive balance tweaks.
Specifically, Epic has buffed the Suppressed Submachine Gun. Both its damage and accuracy reset speed have been increased, as has its damage fall-off range. The Damage Trap, meanwhile, has been nerfed. It now does 75 damage (down from 125), although its reset time has been slightly decreased by one second. The damage radius and throw distance of the Remote Explosives have been increased, and they now damage all structures within their range.
Other notable changes in the update include a new auto-pickup option for the PC and console versions, which lets players automatically acquire items when they walk over them (provided they have enough space in their inventory). Epic has also addressed a variety of bugs and performance issues. You can find the full list of changes in the patch notes on Fortnite's website.
Update 4.2 was originally scheduled to roll out on May 15, but it was postponed when Epic discovered an unspecified issue prior to its release. While the update may have arrived a little later than planned, the newest set of weekly challenges for Battle Pass holders arrived as usual. We've put together a guide on how to complete the Week 3 challenges.
Here's some good news for everyone who hasn't purchased Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege: the game is free to play this weekend on PC, PS4, and Xbox One. Between May 17 - 20, you can access the entire game, complete with all the maps, modes, and operators released so far. You can find the specific times the game will be available for free around the world below.
To play on PS4, head to the PlayStation Store, find the Rainbow Six Siege product page, and download it there. It's available to download and play now. Just note you'll need a PlayStation Plus membership to participate.
To play on Xbox One, visit the Rainbow Six Siege product page on the Xbox Store. Then you'll be able to download and play it all weekend, even without an Xbox Live Gold subscription.
To play on PC, you'll need the Uplay PC Launcher. Open the Launcher, find the game on there, and download it. It's available now.
Any progress you make during the free play weekend will carry over to the full game if you decide to buy it. Between May 17 - 28, you can get the game for half price on the Xbox Store and PlayStation Store. On PC, you can get it for as low as $10 between May 17 - 21.
Rainbow Six Siege is a competitive team shooter with destructible environments. From GameSpot's Rainbow Six Siege review: "[W]hen Siege works, there's nothing else like it. It's not designed to appeal to all players, and that's exactly what allows it to be something special. With so much strategic depth, those periods between firefights actually become some of the most rewarding, while firefights themselves are made all the more intense by the knowledge that you're fighting for your life, not just your kill/death ratio."
Free Weekend Play Times
The Americas
PS4: May 17, 6AM PT/9AM ET - May 21 6AM PT/9AM ET
PC: May 17, 10AM PT/1PM ET - May 21 1PM PT/4PM ET
Xbox One: May 17, 12AM PT/3AM ET - May 21 12AM PT/3AM ET
These days there are so many video game sales at so many retailers that it's almost impossible to keep track of them all. To help you sort through the savings, we've compiled all the week's best deals into one handy guide. If you're looking for new PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, or PC games to play but you don't want to part with a bunch of cash, read on.
Multiplatform
Newegg has lots of fantastic newer games on sale for 25% off--just make sure you enter promo code EMCPUEU83 at checkout. Best Buy has a number of deals on games for all platforms, plus savings on Xbox One hardware. GameStop's weekly deals are also live now, so you can save money on an Xbox One S or get a handful of big games for half price.
Bethesda announced its newest game this week, and Rage 2 pre-orders are already live at a couple of retailers. Here are the pre-order bonuses you can expect to get if you lock in your pre-order now.
There's not a whole lot going on in the world of Nintendo Switch, but this week's Eshop sale is actually decent for a change.
Xbox One
But if you're looking for a great deal on a 4K console, you won't find a better one than this: Rakuten is selling Xbox One X for $400 (just make sure to enter the promo code at checkout). Also, the Xbox One Store has some great digital game deals going on right now.
And if you haven't bought Fallout 4 yet, you'll be pleased to hear you can play it for free on Xbox One this weekend.
The Witcher series, including expansions, is on sale right now for PC gamers. You can get the whole thing for $24, or buy the games piecemeal if you already own some of them. And the latest Humble Bundle is all about multiplayer games, so gather your friends together and get playing.
After much speculation, EA has finally announced Battlefield V. Little else is known as yet about the upcoming shooter, though this is the first time the company has confirmed the name of the next Battlefield title.
"The next chapter of EA DICE's groundbreaking all-out war saga is Battlefield V," reads a statement on the official Battlefield website. The statement goes on to confirm the game's full reveal is slated for May 23 at 1 PM PT / 4 PM ET / 9 PM BST (2 PM AET).
The reveal event will be hosted by TV presenter and comedian Trevor Noah. The stream, which will be hosted on YouTube, Twitch, and Mixer, will feature the development team sharing their vision for the game. As yet, we don't know which platforms the game is coming to, or precisely when it will launch; EA had, however, previously stated a Battlefield game was coming this fall.
The title "Battlefield V" previously leaked from multiple sources. Those same sources stated the game is set in the Second World War, though EA has not confirmed this as yet. Whatever the game's setting, it will be playable in June at the publisher's own EA Play event.
If EA does return to WWII, it will be the first in the series set during that era in a while: the last game set during the conflict was 2009's Battlefield 1943. The last Battlefield game was of course 2016's Battlefield 1, and the WWI game proved to be very popular with fans and critics alike.
After a series of teasers and an initial reveal trailer, Bethesda has finally shown off some Rage 2 gameplay. The PS4, Xbox One, and PC shooter features a lot of over-the-top action, a bunch of guns, and for the first time in the series, an open world. Take a look at the new footage for yourself above.
In addition, Bethesda has revealed a few more details about the upcoming game. "Born from a collaboration of the gods of shooters, id Software, and the masters of open-world mayhem, Avalanche Studios, Rage 2 packs a carnival of carnage so intense it can only come from two legendary AAA studios," reads a press release. "That's right, this is a f***ing AAAAAA game."
Bethesda has not yet confirmed a release date for Rage 2; it simply says the game is coming in Spring 2019. The sequel is set after an asteroid kills 80% of the world's population: "Ruthless and bloodthirsty gangs roam the open roads and the tyrannical Authority seek to rule with an iron fist." You play as Walker, "the last Ranger of the wasteland and a threat to [The Authority's] power." Your character is robbed of his home and left for dead, but you must now "rage for justice and freedom."
Nanotrite powers and vehicles return from the original game, meanwhile: "From monster trucks to gyrocopters, use an assortment of rugged and wasteland-ready vehicles to speed across the badlands. If you see it, you can drive it."
Shortly after Rage 2 was confirmed, a page on Bethesda's website revealed that it would be developed not just by id Software, but also Avalanche Studios--the company responsible for the Just Cause series and 2015's Mad Max.
Bethesda stated we'll see new Rage 2 gameplay at the company's E3 press conference, which is set for 6:30 PM PT / 9:30 PM ET on June 10 (2:30 AM BST / 11:30 AM AET on June 11). The company recently teased that the showcase might be its longest one ever, although beyond Rage 2, we know little else about what will be included.
Following a leak earlier this week, Microsoft today officially announced a new Xbox controller designed for people with limited mobility. The Xbox Adaptive Controller, as it's called, will launch later this year priced at $100 US.
In a blog post, Xbox boss Phil Spencer said the new Xbox One and PC controller takes into consideration the needs of gamers who may not be able to hold a controller for a long time or reach all the triggers and buttons. "On our journey of inclusive design, we have taken a wider view of our fans and a more inclusive approach to designing for them," Spencer said.
"By taking an inclusive design approach and considerations of gamers who might not be able to reach all the bumpers and triggers or hold a controller for an extended period of time, for example, we were able to design a controller that provides a way for more fans to enjoy gaming," Spencer added. "On our journey of inclusive design, we have taken a wider view of our fans and a more inclusive approach to designing for them."
Microsoft designed the controller in collaboration with The AbleGamers Charity, The Cerebral Palsy Foundation, Craig Hospital, SpecialEffect, and Warfighter Engaged. "We worked closely with them and directly with gamers who have limited mobility to assist in our development. Our goal was to make the device as adaptable as possible, so gamers can create a setup that works for them in a way that is plug-and-play, extensible, and affordable," Spencer said.
The controller has two big buttons built in that can be reprogrammed to work as any of the inputs on a standard controller using the Xbox Accessories app. Additionally, the Xbox Adaptive Controller supports external inputs from a range of third-party manufacturers, including PDP, Logitech, and Quadstick (you can see a full list here).
Spencer went on to say that Microsoft has been working on the Xbox Adaptive Controller for "years" already--and it may not be the last piece of kit that Microsoft creates with inclusivity in mind. "We realize that this is only one step along our journey of inclusive design and that we have more work ahead," Spencer said. "This has been a passion project for people around the world, both inside Microsoft and beyond."
The Xbox Adaptive Controller will be sold exclusively through the Microsoft Store. Microsoft will announce more details about the controller during E3, while pre-order availability details will also be shared in due time.
For more on the Xbox Adaptive Controller, check out the video above and read the full blog post on the Xbox Wire. You can also read this story from GameSpot sister site CNET in which editor Ian Sherr goes inside Microsoft's design lab to find out how the controller was made. Further still, you can check out CNET's video above to hear Spencer speaking directly about the Xbox Adaptive Controller and Microsoft's social responsibility to help support gamers.
With just a few hours to go before Activision is set to formally unveil Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, what appears to be the game's box art has leaked online.
CharlieIntel spotted the art, which shows three characters, including one in the middle who appears to be wearing some kind of exo-suit. The character in the middle bears some kind of resemblance to former San Francisco Giants pitcher Brian Wilson before he cut his hair.
— charlieINTEL.com @ #BlackOps4 Reveal (@charlieINTEL) May 17, 2018
All should be revealed soon, as Activision will officially reveal Black Ops 4 during an event scheduled for 10 AM PT on May 17. The event will be streamed live and you'll be able to watch the entire thing here on GameSpot. We will of course also have a full rundown of all the big news as it is announced, so keep checking back for more.
Black Ops 4 launches on October 12 for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.
Fortnite has taken the gaming world by storm, and now Red Dead Redemption and Grand Theft Auto parent company Take-Two Interactive has responded yet again to the game's success. During an earnings call today, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick doubled down on what he said before: you don't become an industry leader by following what other teams have done before you.
Speaking to analysts, Zelnick said he doesn't expect his studios--2K Games and Rockstar Games--to follow in the footsteps of Fortnite and PUBG.
"I think if one changed one's business to follow other people's big hits, you'd be constantly playing catch up," he said. "And to say you wouldn't be in second place is an understatement. You might remain in last place. So it's our job to innovate, and more often than not that has driven our success."
Zelnick added that what Fortnite's success shows is that some of the most successful games are the ones people don't see coming. As an example, Zelnick pointed out that some industry-watchers said Red Dead Redemption wouldn't succeed because Westerns had fallen out of favour. But of course, that game was a smash hit, and the sequel due this year is expected to be a massive success as well.
"Maybe the biggest learning [from Fortnite] is just the reinforcement of the fact that big hits by their very nature are unexpected. What drives a big hit is innovation not derivation," he said. "That's what we're proud of around here. When we put out Red Dead Redemption, the conventional wisdom was that western titles do not work in the video game business--and Red Dead Redemption was a big hit and we have extremely high expectations for Red Dead Redemption 2.
"So I think the fact that Fortnite surprised everyone, particularly given where Fortnite came from--after all, what is now in the market is based on a prior release that did not perform all that well. It's just a reflection of the fact that if you innovate and give consumers what they want, you can get an extraordinary result. And while we would love to corner the market in hits, and we certainly see it as our job to do so, we don't have all of the hits and we shouldn't expect to."
As Zelnick alluded to, Fortnite began its life as a paid game called Fortnite: Save the World, with the free-to-play Battle Royale iteration coming years later.
Also during the call, Zelnick said another thing Fortnite has made clear is that free-to-play as a business model has been "transformative" for gaming and helping to increase the reach of gaming overall.
"The free-to-play revolution, if you will, whether that's mobile or fixed, has been transformative for the business," he said. "It's massively increased the size of the business. There are a lot people who think Fortnite has welcomed into our industry people who didn't previously play video games. Some of that is anecdotal; it's hard to know, but I think some of that is right. This is all good news."
Take-Two already has a substantial free-to-play business through games released in China and through its relatively recent acquisition of mobile game studio Social Point. While free-to-play is an important part of Take-Two's business, Zelnick stressed that big-budget, narrative-driven, and highly polished juggernauts like GTA V and Red Dead Redemption 2 remain "terribly important" to Take-Two as a business.
If you're going to E3 this year, consider bringing your Nintendo Switch along. The company announced it will be giving out collectible pins to anyone seen playing their Switch in and around the convention center during the event.
According to the announcement, the pins will be handed out by roving Nintendo reps while supplies last. These are made exclusively for E3, so they'll be hard to find outside the convention center. Pins are a frequent giveaway item at booths, and this is likely to be in high demand among the attendees. Plus, bringing your Nintendo Switch is a fine way to pass the time while you wait in lines.
Public-facing promotions like this are part of the changing face of E3, as it becomes a hybrid between an industry press show and one made for consumers. Last year the convention opened its doors to the public for the first time, a trend that is repeating this year. Nintendo has been leaning into taking its messaging directly to fans for years--first by ending its stage presentations in favor of pre-filmed showcases, and then by hosting exhibition tournaments. This year the focus is Super Smash Bros, complete with its own tourney.
E3 2018 will take place June 12-14 in Los Angeles. Most of the big announcements will be packed into the days prior with press conferences from EA, Microsoft, Bethesda, Square Enix, Ubisoft, and Sony all spread out across Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. Nintendo's showcase will debut Tuesday morning, just hours before the show opens.
The new Super Smash Bros. game for Nintendo Switch will be playable at E3 on the show floor, which is open to the public. Given the profile and popularity of the franchise, many were understandably bummed about the idea of having to stand in line for a long time when they could otherwise be enjoying the show. The good news is that Nintendo today announced an early reservation system whereby you can secure a spot to avoid the lines.
Here's how it works: If you buy a ticket to E3 2018 by May 31 you'll get an email from the ESA--which organises E3--on June 5 with details on how you can reserve an electronic ticket to play. Nintendo said you'll want to be sure to add e3expo@e3expo.com to your email so it doesn't get associated as junk. You can reserve a "for fun" ticket to play casual matches, or a "for glory" ticket that puts you in a more competitive match. Your ticket will come as a QR code that you can either access on your phone or by printing it out.
Nintendo added that you need to sign up to play Super Smash Bros. for Switch. "No on-site registration will be available," the company said, so you will absolutely want to do this. Nintendo added that it's not taking reservations for other games at its booth; for those games, you can just show up and wait in line.
Additionally, Nintendo announced that it's giving away a collectible Nintendo Switch pin to people that the company spots playing the system at Nintendo's booth and throughout the Los Angeles Convention Center.
E3 2018 public tickets are available for $250 as part of the three-day Gamer Pass. In addition to access to the show floor, tickets get you into the E3 Coliseum, which is a theatre where developers discuss their upcoming projects as part of panel presentations.
The new Super Smash Bros. game for Switch launches this year, and given that it's one of Nintendo's biggest and most beloved franchises, it's expected to help Switch sales improve further still.
Nintendo's E3 2018 briefing is happening on Tuesday, June 12, as part of a pre-recorded Nintendo Direct-style video. After that, Nintendo will host its annual Nintendo Treehouse video presentation where more details and footage on upcoming games will be shared.
E3 is synonymous with giant video game ads, and this year is no different. These ads are already going up in Los Angeles, and one of the first appears to be a massive mural for the new Spider-Man PS4 game from Insomniac Games. Art director Jacinda Chew posted an image of a huge mural for the game that is currently going up in downtown Los Angeles.
The mural is truly gigantic, measuring eight storeys tall. You can see the work-in-progress mural in the embedded tweet below; right now all it shows is Spider-Man the character and the PS4 and Marvel logos. We'll have to wait to see how it all comes together.
Getting ready for E3! Our eight story mural is going up in downtown Los Angeles. 😀 pic.twitter.com/VhxbEiOTEz
We're expecting to see many, many more giant video game posters in and around the Los Angeles Convention Center soon, so keep checking back with GameSpot to see those.
[UPDATE] Developer 4A Games has released a statement regarding the delay of Metro Exodus. In a tweet, the studio said it knows this announcement is a bummer, but said Exodus is the most ambitious Metro game so far and it's taking time to make it the "absolute best." The studio also confirmed that "lots of new gameplay from a never before seen environment" will premiere at E3 next month.
We want everyone to experience the most ambitious Metro game to date at its absolute best. Therefore we've moved the release date to Q1 2019
We know this will be disappointing news for fans, but at E3 we will be revealing lots of new gameplay from a never before seen environment
Metro Exodus, the third game in the survival/horror/stealth/shooter series and the first to feature a more expansive world, has been delayed. The PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC game was originally due to launch this year, but it's now coming in Q1 2019, according to a press release from THQ Nordic. That works out to sometime in the January-March 2019 window.
In its press release, THQ Nordic did not provide a rationale or explanation for why the game was delayed.
Like the previous Metro games, Exodus stars Artyom, who is fleeing the ruins of the Moscow Metro with a band of survivors. Publisher Deep Silver says the game will be a "sandbox survival experience," with players exploring large, non-linear levels in a story that spans an entire year.
Exodus was announced during E3 2017 with a trailer that showed Artyom in a collapsed tunnel filled with skeletons. He then walked out into the open and fought a mutated rat beast. A follow-up trailer released during The Video game Awards in December 2017 showed even more mutated creatures and inhospitable environments (you can watch it again below).
The first Metro game, Metro 2033, came out in 2010. The most recent entry in the series was 2013's Metro: Last Light, so it's been a long time coming for a new game. The franchise was created and is developed by 4A Games, based on the works of Russian author Dmitry Glukhovsky.
Some new details have come to light about Amazon's billion-dollar Lord of the Rings TV show. Noted fansite TheOneRing says it has heard from multiple sources that the show will feature a young version of Aragorn. The series will "open" with a story focused on a young Aragorn, the site reported, though it's unclear how significant a role the character may have in the series as a whole.
Whatever the case, it's exciting to think about seeing a young version of the legendary ranger played by Viggo Mortensen in Peter Jackson's trilogy. As TheOneRing points out, Amazon has already confirmed the show will not be a retelling of the War of the Ring, and that's exciting because there is SO MUCH more could be explored with a young Aragorn. The site surmises that the show may pull from the Appendices, which are rich with detail.
[BREAKING] We have confirmed from multiple sources that @AmazonStudios new billion-dollar #LOTR series will open its first season centered on a young Aragorn. Let's discuss whats available and how this opens up Tolkien's Legendarium. A thread. #Tolkien /1 pic.twitter.com/mfbkf4jyX6
"This is the greatest advantage the show runners have: that so much of Tolkien's storytelling, even just in 'Appendix A,' covers a tremendous swath of time," the site said. "Starting with a young Aragorn narrative allows connections to his Numenorean bloodline (and to the founding of Gondor)."
"The fabric of Aragorn's story is just so rich," the site added. "Plentiful in new characters and familiar ones we already love. Recall in #BOTFA when #Thranduil tells his son about this person he must meet (even though we know in book-time Aragorn wasn't born yet)?"
TheOneRing speculates that, should the series focus at least initially on Aragorn, other characters that could show up include Aragorn's father, Arathorn, as well as Elrond's twin sons, Elladan and Elrohir. Aragorn's mother, Gilraen, could also appear.
Earlier this month, TheOneRight reported that Amazon was reaching out to "multiple established writers, directors, and showrunners" to discuss their ideas for the series. Jackson was reportedly on the list. J. Michael Straczynski--who created or co-created the shows Babylon 5, Crusade, Jeremiah, and Sense8--said he would "give a lung" to work on Amazon's Lord of the Rings show. Straczynski, who wrote the Clint Eastwood-directed Changeling, is a huge Lord of the Rings fan--he wrote a term paper in college completely in Elvish.
Grand Theft Auto V is phenomenally successful. The open-world PS4, Xbox One, and PC action game has now shipped 95 million copies, Rockstar parent company Take-Two announced during an earnings call today. That's up from the 90 million figure announced three months ago.
It is a tremendous result for Rockstar's game, which was already one of the highest-selling games in US history. The game regularly charts in the weekly and monthly top 10 sales charts in the US, UK, and Australia/New Zealand, which is incredible considering it came out in 2013. The game might have seen a bump recently due to the launch of the GTA V Premium Online Edition, which comes with the base game, an updated version of GTA Online, and extra in-game cash.
GTA Online mode is also performing well many years after release. For the latest quarter and fiscal year ended March 31, GTA Online did better than ever, exceeding Take-Two's expectations, the company said. However, Take-Two did not share any specific revenue or player figures for GTA Online.
GTA Online pulls in money from the microtransactions it offers. These are counted in Take-Two's "recurrent consumer spending category," which saw its performance grow year-over-year. Looking ahead, Take-Two management said GTA Online players can expect even more new content, with official and specific announcements coming later from Rockstar Games.
During an earnings call, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick talked about why he thinks GTA V has been and continues to be incredibly successful.
"I think what Rockstar Games has uniquely shown the ability to do is to make the title easy to approach and difficult to master," he said. "You can approach Grand Theft Auto V and Grand Theft Auto Online in any number of ways. If you're a hardcore gamer, you can find it super compelling. If you're somewhat more casual, you can find the experience super compelling. There is so much there now that you can very much define your own experience and create that for many, many hours of wonderful entertainment."
Rockstar's next big new release is Red Dead Redemption 2, which comes out in October for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. In other Take-Two news, the company announced today that a new 2K game--potentially Borderlands 3 or a new BioShock--has been delayed.
The critically acclaimed RPG Divinity: Original Sin II is coming to PS4 and Xbox One this summer, and along with a remapped control scheme, the console version will come with a number of significant changes. At a preview event, Bandai Namco revealed a list of adjustments being made to the RPG to tailor it to consoles and improve the overall experience.
Most notably, developer Larian has "completely reworked" Act 3 of the game. The Arx region now features new dialogue, NPCs, and quests in order to improve the story and overall flow of the game. Additionally, seven new combat encounters were added to Arx to resolve some questlines.
To ease new players into the game, Larian is introducing an optional tutorial level in the console version of Original Sin II. There's also a new, more welcoming difficulty setting called Story mode. This mode gives players the ability to flee from battle at any time and resurrect their party members an unlimited number of times.
Larian has also reworked the interface of the Journal and inventory screen. All Journal entries have been completely rewritten for extra clarity and are now divided into quests, lore, and origin quests. New map markers have also been added to help players better track quest objectives. In terms of inventory improvements, players can now select multiple items at once to more easily manage their inventory, as well as add unwanted items to wares.
Rounding out the changes are a number of balance and AI adjustments. Some underused skills, such as Petrifying Touch and Sucker Punch, have received buffs to make them more useable. The game economy has also been reworked so that armor prices reflect their usefulness, and the difficulty balance in Explorer mode and Hardcore mode has been improved.
Divinity: Original Sin II Definitive Edition launches on PS4 and Xbox One in August. Ahead of its release, Xbox One owners will have a chance to try the game out early. Starting May 16, the first three hours of Original Sin II will be playable for free via Xbox Game Preview. Those who purchase the game on Xbox One will get early access to the entire first act, which is approximately 20 hours of content. Any progress made can be carried over to the full game when it releases.
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