Sony is bringing back Days of Play this year, offering tons of deals on games and hardware. Alongside the great offers, the company is also releasing a new limited-edition PlayStation 4. The console and controller are blue, featuring iconic PlayStation details in gold in several places.
The Days of Play Limited Edition PS4 has a 1TB hard drive in the US and Canada, with a big gold PlayStation symbol on the top of the console. It comes with one matching DualShock 4 wireless controller, which also features gold PlayStation symbols on the touchpad. In Europe and Australia, the console is 500GB and includes two controllers. The blue and gold PS4 will be available starting on June 8, but Sony says it will only be around for a "limited time." It will cost US $300 / £250.
The special edition PS4 comes alongside a host of hardware deals for Days of Play. From June 8-18, you can get yourself a Jet Black PS4 Pro for $350 and a PSVR bundle for $200. There are also deals on controllers, including all colors of DualShock 4 controllers going for $40.
Of course, there are also deals on some big PS4 games too. God of War is the standout; you'll be able to purchase it for $50 during Days of Play. Gran Turismo Sport, Horizon Zero Dawn, and Shadow of the Colossus will all be on sale for $20, while MLB The Show 18 will be available at the sale price of $40. There are also deals on PlayStation Plus and other subscriptions, and you can see all the details on PlayStation's site.
E3 2018 is nearly upon us. The show formally kicks off on Tuesday, June 12, but as in recent years, many big-name publishers will host their own press conferences in the days leading up to the event. Nintendo's will once again take the form of a pre-recorded Direct-style video presentation, which is scheduled to air at 9 AM PT / 12 PM PT / 5 PM BST, just before E3 proper begins.
As usual, the company has been fairly secretive about its plans heading into this year's E3. Outside of confirming that Super Smash Bros. for Switch will play a prominent role both in its presentation and on the show floor, Nintendo hasn't announced any of the titles it plans on showcasing at the expo. However, we do know that the aforementioned video presentation won't be the extent of its plans for E3 2018.
Once again, Nintendo will follow its E3 briefing with a series of Treehouse Live streams, which will air each of the three days the expo runs. Additionally, Nintendo will host competitive esports tournaments for Super Smash Bros. Switch and Splatoon 2, the latter of which is set to receive a big, paid DLC expansion this summer. The Splatoon 2 World Championship begins on Monday, June 11, with the finals taking place on June 12. The Super Smash Bros. Invitational 2018 tournament will kick off shortly afterward and features well-known competitive Smash players from around the world.
Aside from that, however, we have little idea of what to expect from Nintendo at E3. The company has said that its presentation will focus primarily on games launching soon, so we'll get a much clearer idea of what its release schedule for Switch will be through the end of the year. It seems likely that we'll learn more about some of the titles that were announced at last year's E3, such as Metroid Prime 4 and Yoshi. We may also see more of the recently revealed Pokemon RPGs for Switch: Let's Go, Pikachu and Let's Go, Eeevee.
Whatever the case, we won't have to wait much longer to find out. Nintendo will broadcast its E3 2018 presentation on its YouTube and Twitch channels. GameSpot will also host a stream of the briefing, so you can tune in right here on June 12 to follow along with all of Nintendo's big announcements.
The Dragon Ball FighterZ roster continues to grow, as two more DLC characters have arrived for the Dragon Ball fighting game. Fused Zamasu and Super Saiyan Blue Vegito are both now available on PS4, Xbox One, and PC, and they can be purchased either individually or as part of the Dragon Ball FighterZ season pass.
Both Fused Zamasu and Super Saiyan Blue Vegito are fused warriors who appear in Dragon Ball Super. Fused Zamasu is one of the series' major antagonists and is the resulting fusion of Goku Black and the evil Supreme Kai Zamasu. In contrast to other characters on the roster, some of his special attacks give him the ability to fly freely through the air.
Vegito, meanwhile, is the fused form of Goku and Vegeta. His special, the Final Kamehameha, is a combination of Vegeta's Final Flash and Goku's signature Kamehamha. He's also a very brash and confident fighter, which is reflected in his moveset; in his reveal trailer, he can be seen casually throwing kicks with his arms crossed. You can see both characters in action in the trailer below.
Like the first pair of DLC characters for Dragon Ball FighterZ, Broly and Bardock, Fused Zamasu and Vegito can be downloaded individually for $5 / £4 / $7.55 AU apiece. Those who've purchased the game's season pass, meanwhile, will receive both fighters at no additional charge. As before, each character also comes with his own Lobby avatar and Z Stamp.
The Dragon Ball FighterZ season pass runs for $35 US / £22 / $40.95 AU. It gives players access to eight DLC characters upon their release. Thus far, four additional characters have been revealed, leaving another four unannounced fighters still on the way for the game, although publisher Bandai Namco hasn't hinted when they'll arrive.
The Incredibles came out in 2004. That's four years before Iron Man came out and jump-started the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Before then, superhero and comics-based movies were far more hit-or-miss; 2004 also saw the release of Hellboy (beloved) and Catwoman (less so).
It's now 2018, and the entire entertainment landscape looks very different thanks to the current superhero renaissance. It's into this new era that Pixar is launching Incredibles 2, and that presents no shortage of challenges, according to director Brad Bird.
"It's kind of like going out to the football field, and there's been way too many games on it, and there's kind of this dried dirt with a few sprigs of grass and everything's kind of clunky. Life doesn't grow there anymore," Bird said during a recent press conference at Pixar's headquarters in Emeryville, California. "There's that aspect where you feel like, 'Oh, Jesus, it's really been covered.'"
Bird compared superhero movies now to westerns around the middle of the 20th century. "If you had a television, 95% of what was on was a western," he said. "We're in that phase a little bit, and it makes it very challenging on a story level, because not only do you have every superhero under the sun and cross-promoting films and blah blah blah, but you also have a bunch of television shows...It's easy to freak out and go, 'Well, why even try?'"
He said he ultimately returned to what makes The Incredibles unique: the idea of a family of superheroes living in a world in which they have to hide their powers. And he said they found plenty there to explore still.
"When we were trying to sell the idea of the first Incredibles, one of the criticisms of it was, 'Well, what is it? Is it a family movie, is it a spy movie, is it a superhero movie? What is it? What is it? You gotta pick one,'" said Incredibles 2 producer John Walker. "And I think that's been the strength of both the films, is that they are all those things, and that isn't rooted in just the superhero genre."
Bird said they aren't necessarily trying to cater only to fans of the original or please any one group of fans.
"I think that it's really distracting to think of that, if you think about pleasing an audience that has no definition--it's old, it's young, it's east, west, north, south, conservatives, liberals, you know? Everyone in between. If you try to think about pleasing that--and what will they like two years from now? I mean, you just will curl up into a fetal ball and never come out of your room," he said. "The better way to think about it is, 'I'm going in to a darkened movie theater, the curtains are opening, and I'm seeing what? What do I want to see?'"
"I feel comfortable answering that question, rather than, 'What will audiences like? What will critics like? What did they like about the last one? And do I do it again because they like it or do I try to surprise them?'" he continued. "And the answer is a little bit of both. You want the characters to feel consistent; you want the world to feel consistent, but you don't want to be able to know what's going to happen next. So that's the challenge, and it's not an easy challenge to meet, but it definitely is your job if you're making films."
As Walker, the producer, pointed out, it's taken them 14 years to get this sequel made, which "suggests that we took the challenge seriously."
"There's a saying in the business that I can't stand, where they go, 'You don't make another one, you're leaving money on the table,'" Bird replied. "And it's like, Jesus, money on the table's not what makes me get up in the morning. Making something that people are going to enjoy 100 years from now is what gets me up. So if it were a cash grab we would not have taken 14 years. It makes no financial sense to wait this long. It's sheerly we had a story we wanted to tell."
Incredibles 2 is coming out 14 years after the original, yet the sequel picks up the story exactly where the original left off, with a villain known as The Underminer bursting through the ground and forcing the family into action. That makes this movie unique in the contemporary world of long-awaited follow-ups, and Incredibles 2 director Brad Bird explained exactly why in a recent press conference held at Pixar Studios in Emeryville, California.
"I thought about aging everybody the way everybody does, and then I thought, 'No, that sucks,'" Bird said. "So that's about as deep as it went."
When the X-Files returned to Fox after a decade and a half off the air, 14 years had passed in Mulder and Scully's world. When we caught up with Han Solo and General Leia in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, decades had gone by. They'd had a kid, gotten old, and grown apart. Bird didn't want to make any similar concessions for Incredibles 2--he wanted to spend more time with these characters as they were when we left them. And thanks to The Incredibles being animated, that was possible, although they had to replace a few voice actors.
That desire to revisit these characters just as they were stems from the way he originally conceived of the first Incredibles movie, Bird said.
"When I first had the idea, I went to a comic book shop and thought, 'I've got to think up new powers.' And after about a half an hour and the comic book shop, I realized every power has been done by somebody, somewhere," Bird described. "Right after that little epiphany, I realized that I'm not very interested in the powers. That's not the part that interests me. What interests me is the idea of having a family and having there be a reason to hide the powers."
If they were to jump 14 years in the future--the original Incredibles came out in 2004--Dash would have graduated from college and Violet would be around 30 years old. Mr. Incredible and Elastigirl would be going grey. Even if they didn't stretch the gap for the full 14 years--if, say, they put Violet in college and Dash in high school--Bird said he wouldn't be interested.
Concept art showing the Underminer fight in Incredibles 2
Besides, it would ruin their whole concept for Jack-Jack, the youngest member of the Incredible family. Bird said he gave each family member powers based on their stereotypical role in the traditional, nuclear family; "Men are always expected to be strong, so I had Bob have super strength," he said. "Women, or mothers, are always pulled in a million different directions, so I had her be elastic. Teenagers are insecure and defensive so I had Violet have force fields and invisibility. Ten year olds are energy balls that can't be stopped. And babies are unknowns; maybe they have no powers, maybe they have all powers."
The reveal at the end of the first movie that Jack-Jack is a "Swiss Army knife" of superpowers reminded Bird of the idea that babies can grasp multiple languages more easily than adults, and aging Jack-Jack would ruin that.
"That idea changes if you age the characters up," the director said. "And the insight into those periods of your life and those particular perspectives disappear once you age them up."
"I'm not interested in a college age Jack-Jack. I'm just not," he continued. "It stays more iconic if everyone kind of situates themselves."
Plenty of animated shows and features have chosen this route, as Bird pointed out. "I also was on the first eight seasons of the Simpsons, and that's worked out rather well for them, so I'll stick with that," he said.
When Incredibles 2 hits theaters on June 15, audiences will get to see exactly what happens after The Underminer bursts through the ground to attack the city of Metroville. Given how directly the story will continue in this sequel, it's safe to assume the Incredibles will rise to meet him.
It looks like Borderlands could be getting a new lease on life. The RPG shooter first came out in 2009 on PS3, Xbox 360, and PC, but now it may be coming to current-gen consoles as well in the form of a Game of the Year edition.
Gematsu reports the Korean Game Ratings Board has rated a title called Borderlands: Game of the Year Edition. While the game hasn't been officially announced, the news indicates a remaster is coming on PS4, Xbox One, and PC, in South Korea at least. This would mark the first time Borderlands has been re-released, unlike its sequels Borderlands 2 and Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel, which were remastered in Borderlands: The Handsome Collection in 2015.
In GameSpot's review of Borderlands, Chris Watters gave the game an 8/10 and praised its satisfying gunplay, tons of items and rewards, unique playable characters, and distinct art style in a sci-fi setting. "Though the core action doesn't change drastically over the course of the game, it is woven together in such a way that once it ensnares you, you'll want nothing more than to plunge into Pandora at any chance you get," said Watters.
"Combat is satisfying, and upgrading your skills and equipment is engaging. The constant stream of loot and experience is rewarding, and sharing it with some friends makes the experience that much richer and more exciting."
In other Borderlands news, developer Gearbox says, despite rumors, a game called "Borderlands 3" will not be shown at E3 2018. There have been many hints that another Borderlands sequel is in the works, which leaves the statement up for interpretation and the possibility that the game is simply not called that. Here's everything we know and want from Borderlands 3 at E3 2018.
E3 2018 promises to bring news on lots of big games, and EA's Battlefield V is definitely one we're excited to learn more about. Following the game's announcement earlier this month, EA and developer DICE plan to talk a lot more about it next month at E3. In this feature we're rounding up important details about the game including what we know about it so far, what's confirmed for E3, and what we hope to see from the game at the show. Here we go!
What We Know So Far
After weeks of rumors, EA officially announced Battlefield V during a livestream event in May. As suspected, the game is set during World War II, and it sounds like it builds on what made Battlefield 1 so great with its own set of exciting new features. Starting with what's on everyone's mind--the game has no loot boxes and all the maps will be free. EA is ditching the Premium Pass model of past games in favour of giving players access to maps and modes for free as part of an ongoing service model called Turning Tides. This is great news because it means no longer will players get separated based on DLC ownership. It's a smart move on EA's part because it will theoretically keep people in the game more--and spending more. EA is no charity, and you can still spend real money on cosmetics to create a unique-looking character. There are loads of new features in Battlefield V, including the ability to shoot grenades out of mid-air or drag a downed soldier out of the line of fire to heal them in a safer environment.
Battlefield is known for its destruction, and this is a big deal in Battlefield V, but also new for the franchise is the ability to fortify your encampments with things like a sandbag wall or by building a stationary weapon. One of the more intriguing new additions for Battlefield V is the Grand Operations mode. Building on Operations from Battlefield 1, Grand Operations are bigger and more involved multiplayer skirmishes that play out across multiple stages and modes--and there are rewards up for grabs. In addition to all the multiplayer updates and changes, DICE remains focused on single-player modes, too. Little is known about the campaign, but we know it'll be playable in co-op (the first time since Battlefield 3), and it will tell stories that "may be unfamiliar to players" instead of the well-known ones from Battlefield 1942. At least one of the War Stories will take place in Norway, with a narrative following a young Norwegian soldier fighting to stay alive during the German occupation. In what sounds like a refreshing, more unique take on war games, Battlefield V will offer War Stories from the perspective of saving your family members as opposed to saving the world.
What's Confirmed For E3
Being one of EA's biggest upcoming games, Battlefield V is expected to have a major presence during the publisher's E3 2018 briefing, EA Play. The game will be playable at EA's showcase, which is good news for fans who don't want to wait until October or the open beta. EA Play takes place at the Hollywood Palladium from June 9-11. You can find details about how to register for the event and buy a ticket here on EA's website. If you can't make it to the show, you can rest easy knowing GameSpot will have lots of news stories, previews, and gameplay videos for Battlefield V, so keep checking back for those.
What We Hope To See At E3
While EA and DICE have already shown off Battlefield V and offered the first details during the reveal event, we are hoping to see lots more of the WWII shooter at E3. EA would be smart to show off actual gameplay to help players understand what it looks like to shoot a grenade out of mid-air or pull a downed soldier to safety.
There are no loot boxes in Battlefield V, and we hope to see EA address this decision and stress to players that the game will not go down a pay-to-win path with the items it does allow you to buy with real money. Given what happened with Star Wars: Battlefront II, this will be front of mind for many, and EA would be smart to address this right away.
We also hope EA and DICE shine a light on Battlefield V's campaign, which could be one of its more intriguing elements. The story mode in Battlefield 1 did a fantastic job of showcasing lesser-known elements and locations from the Great War. World War II as a historical event has already been covered extensively in film and games, so it's refreshing to hear DICE plans to show off more intimate stories of how the war affected everyday people. At E3, we hope to see and learn more about the stories DICE plans to tell and the places the game will take players.
The Battlefield franchise is known for its impressive sense of scale--and it sounds like Battlefield V is going bigger than ever with its Grand Operations multiplayer mode. We hope to see EA discuss this mode at greater length and in more detail to help players get an idea for what this all about and why they should be excited.
San Andreas was originally available on the first Xbox, so both the Xbox and Xbox 360 versions will be compatible. Save games from the original Xbox release won't transfer, but owners will get a free upgrade to the 360 version, complete with all its enhancements. Midnight Club and its Complete Edition add-ons will be available.
Xbox One has been adding new backwards compatible games at a regular pace. Recently it addedSaints Row and Gat Out of Hell, along with Toybox Turbos. All that has combined to create a hefty and growing list of legacy games that are playable on the new hardware.
San Andreas may be best remembered for the "Hot Coffee" controversy. A sex scene had been planned for the game but was taken out of the final release. The scene itself, though, remained buried in the code and was uncovered by modders on PC. The reaction from advocacy groups was fierce and eventually led to the game being re-rated by the ESRB as Adults Only. The scene is inaccessible on Xbox systems, but technically the original release is still listed as an AO game on the ESRB website.
Believe it or not, E3 2018 is almost here. The annual gaming extravaganza returns to Los Angeles in June for what is poised to be one of the biggest weeks of the year for gaming news. As always, announcements and reveals will primarily come from the various conferences that take plays in the days leading up to E3; here's when all of those happen.
EA kicks things off on Saturday, June 9, with its EA Play briefing, while Microsoft and Bethesda will follow on Sunday afternoon and evening, respectively. Devolver Digital, a relative newcomer to E3 press conferences, will also host one on Sunday. Square Enix follows these on Monday morning; Ubisoft then takes its turn in the afternoon, with Sony's presentation slated for later that evening. The PC Gaming Show also happens on Monday. Nintendo then concludes the press conferences with its briefing on Tuesday morning.
Below we've laid out the exact schedule, complete with times, for all of this year's press conferences. It's unlikely any others will be announced at this point, but we'll keep this up to date with any changes. We'll be streaming all of these press conferences here on GameSpot as well as on Twitter. The show itself runs June 12-14, and like last year, it's open to the public--here's how to get tickets.
Every year for E3, the entire GameSpot crew get to wear some cool, custom-designed t-shirts. They're like band shirts, but without the band. And they really only come out once a year. This band analogy is quickly falling apart, but you can tell how long someone has worked at GameSpot by the number of classic E3 t-shirts they have in their wardrobe.
This year for both our booth design and official show shirt we partnered with designer Geo Law, who created so many cool concepts that we wanted to share them with our GameSpot family! While we'll be wearing these shirts at the show, these limited edition, E3 2018-exclusive designs will only be available for purchase to the general public at our online GameSpot storefront here.
These shirts will only be available for a limited time, so act now if you want to get a piece of E3 that will make all your friends say, "Cool shirt, where's it from?" Then you can lie and say, "I got it at E3 2018!" And use the promo code "GameSpotE3" for free shipping on any orders within the US.
Season 4 of Fortnite: Battle Royale is underway. In addition to taking part in matches like normal, that also means there are special challenges to complete. Beyond the regular Starter and weekly challenges, Season 4 also presents some additional ones: Blockbuster and Carbide. Here's everything you need to know and details on all of the challenges revealed so far.
All Fortnite players on PC, PS4, Xbox One, and mobile are eligible to complete the Starter challenges. These are relatively run-of-the-mill and offer different rewards, including Battle Stars and various minor cosmetics. The Battle Stars allow you to rank up the Battle Pass, which is where the vast majority of Season 4 skins and rewards are located, such as the coveted Omega skin pictured below. However, the free tier has a very limited number of goodies on offer. You'll need to purchase the full Season 4 Battle Pass for 950 V-Bucks to be able to obtain all of the rewards as you level up.
Purchasing the Battle Pass also entitles you to all of the weekly challenges. Another set of these opens up each week during the season and can be completed anytime between now and when Season 4 ends on July 9.
Some of the rewards available in Season 4
That's how things have worked in past seasons, but Season 4 also has new types of challenges. Blockbusters involve completing all of the challenges from a given week. Doing so earns you an additional reward on top of what you'd get from finishing those challenges anyway. The first Blockbuster challenge you finish pays out a loading screen, which serves as a clue that directs you to an in-game location where you can get a free Battle Pass tier. To find that, though, you'll have to actually complete all of the challenges from a week.
Also new in Season 4 are Carbide challenges. One of the rewards you immediately get for buying the Battle Pass is the Carbide skin. As you reach certain level milestones during Season 4, you'll complete Carbide challenges, which unlock different "styles" that let you customize the look of the Carbide skin. Completing three Carbide challenges also nets you a matching pickaxe.
Below, you'll find a complete list of all Season 4 challenges to be revealed so far, along with links to our maps and guides that will help you complete them all.
Fortnite: Battle Royale Season 4 Challenges
Starter
Outlive opponents (1,000) -- 5 Battle Stars
Play matches with friends (10) -- 5 Battle Stars
Deal damage to opponents (5,000) -- 5 Battle Stars
Land at different Named Locations (10) -- 5 Battle Stars
Play matches (50) -- Ace of spades cosmetic item
Play matches with at least one elimination (10) -- concept art
Hard: Win a match -- #1 cosmetic item
Reward: 5k XP (after completing four challenges)
Blockbuster
Complete all challenges in a week -- #1 loading screen
Complete all challenges in 2 different weeks -- #2 loading screen
Complete all challenges in 3 different weeks -- #3 loading screen
Complete all challenges in 4 different weeks -- #4 loading screen
Complete all challenges in 5 different weeks -- #5 reward
Complete all challenges in 6 different weeks -- #6 reward
Complete all challenges in 7 different weeks -- #7 reward
E3 2018 is nearly upon us, meaning the world is getting ready to hear more about their most anticipated games for the rest of the year and beyond. Apart from further insights about the big games still to come this year--such as Battlefield V, Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, and Red Dead Redemption 2--E3 typically offers a chance for games publishers to announce new projects.
What does that mean? Rumors, of course--and often leaks, too. The internet never lets us down in this department, and with an event as big as E3 just around the corner, now is prime time for this stuff to get out (or be fabricated!). We already saw Walmart Canada leak a bunch of unannounced games--some real, some we're less sure about--but there may well be more leaks on the way before announcement season kicks off with EA Play.
Following that, many of the industry's major publishers will hold their own conferences and events, including Sony and its PlayStation media briefing. The PS4 press conference starts on June 11 at 6 PM PT / 9 PM ET (2 AM BST / 11 AM AET on June 12), and we already know we'll learn more about Death Stranding, Ghost of Tsushima, Spider-Man, and The Last of Us: Part II.
This year's E3 unofficially gets underway with EA's pre-E3 event, EA Play, on June 9. That will be followed by press conferences from numerous other companies, which is where the bulk of E3's news will be revealed. For now though, check out our roundup of all the rumors and leaks that pertain to the world of PlayStation.
E3 2018 Rumors For PS4
Assassin's Creed Odyssey
A new Assassin's Creed was among the games seemingly leaked by Walmart Canada. Although that retailer listing was very non-specific--it didn't include a subtitle or number--we've now heard what could be the title for such a game. According to JeuxVideo, which reportedly received a photo of a collectible keychain, the new game is called Assassin's Creed Odyssey. The keychain itself consists of a helmet resembling one from Ancient Greece, perhaps indicating that will be the setting for the new game.
New Assassin's Creed, Just Cause 4, And More
Many of the expectations for E3 2018 were set in one go. Retailers have been known to leak things from time to time, but Walmart's Canadian website seemed to potentially spoil quite a lot with a single leak. Listings for numerous unannounced games went online in May, including Rage 2, a new Assassin's Creed, Dragon Quest 2, and Just Cause 4.
The sheer number, combined with some typos--such as Forza "Horizons" 5, rather than what would be the series' next game, Forza Horizon 4--made it all seem unlikely. However, Bethesda had an unusual response to the whole situation, and soon after we learned that Rage 2 is real (and since then, Lego DC Super-Villains). Two games from this list turning out to be legitimate doesn't mean the others are anything but placeholders or errors, but it does lend some credence to the possibility of them being real.
Borderlands Getting PS4, Xbox One, PC Re-Release
We know a new Borderlands is eventually coming, whether it's called Borderlands 3 or something else. Gearbox denies it'll be at E3, and publisher 2K recently delayed an unannounced game, which could be that Borderlands title. But it looks as if E3 might not be completely devoid of Borderlands news, as the Korean ratings board has listed Borderlands: Game of the Year Edition for PS4, Xbox One, and PC. While not official by any means, ratings board leaks are often a reliable source. Given the timing, we might just hear about this project at E3.
A New Splinter Cell Will Be Revealed
Another game mentioned in the Walmart Canada leak was something simply titled Splinter Cell. This might also turn out to be nothing but a placeholder, but Ubisoft itself has certainly set fans up to expect some kind of news related to the franchise before long. Following Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot's comments last year, the company released a Splinter Cell-themed update for Ghost Recon Wildlands earlier this year. That not only set up the potential plot for a new Splinter Cell, but it marked the return of beloved Sam Fisher voice Michael Ironside--and it doesn't seem like a stretch to think Ubisoft brought him in for more than just a small cameo.
Fallout 76 was revealed right before E3, and fans are understandably excited to dive back into the series' trademark post-apocalyptic wasteland. It might not be what you've come to expect from the open-world RPG franchise, however, as Kotaku's sources report it will be have online-based survival elements in a similar fashion to Rust or DayZ. Bethesda said we'll be hearing more at E3, so we'll surely find out more soon.
Cyberpunk 2077 (Or Another CD Projekt Red Game) Will Be There
We know CD Projekt Red, the developer of the Witcher series and the upcoming Cyberpunk 2077, is attending E3. A listing on the official E3 website earlier this year suggested the studio would be there to show off an RPG, although that was later removed. The company has not yet announced its plans for the event--if it has anything to publicly show at all--but fans have their fingers crossed that Cyberpunk (or the studio's other triple-A RPG) will finally be revealed properly.
Predictions And Confirmed Games
For more on what might show up at E3, check out our predictions for each of the major platforms. You can also see all of the games that have been confirmed for the show through the links below.
The long-awaited reboot of the classic '90s movie The Crow has stalled once again. The film was only a few weeks away from the start of production in Budapest, with Aquaman actor Jason Momoa set to star as the iconic comic book character. However, it has now been reported that both Momoa and director Corin Hardy have left the project over creative and financial issues.
According to Deadline, Momoa and Hardy quit following disagreements between Davis Films, the company which owns the rights to the property, and Sony Pictures, which was set to distribute it. Sony came on board back in September, but Deadline states that the deal between the two companies was never finalized. With Davis Films boss Samuel Hadida reportedly unable to close the deal, Sony was preparing to leave the project, leading to the departure of Momoa and Hardy.
This is just the latest in a long line of delays and problems for the Crow reboot. The movie was first set to start shooting in 2015, but original rights holders Relativity Media went bankrupt before this could happen. Another attempt to make it followed, but that also stalled, and Davis Films acquired the rights in 2016.
Hardy and Momoa had been attached to the project for several years, and earlier this year a release date of March 2019 was officially announced, leading many to believe that the movie might finally happen. However, with the film now lacking a star, director, and distributor, it is unclear what the cinematic future of The Crow is.
The Crow first appeared on the screen in 1994, and was adapted from James O'Barr's comic book. The film was a critical and financial hit, but it was overshadowed by the accidental death of star Brandon Lee on set. Three critically panned sequels followed--The Crow: City of Angels, The Crow: Salvation, and The Crow: Wicked Prayer.
Starting a day early--May 31--Amazon and Twitch Prime members can now download their free games for June 2018. To collect your freebies, just click the crown-shaped Prime Loot icon next to the search bar on Twitch. That opens a drop-down menu containing your free games.
Kicking off the freebies is Strafe, a gory first-person shooter that wouldn't look out of place in 1996. It's a fast-paced roguelike-inspired game with procedurally generated levels and tons of blood-spilling weapons. Next up are The Banner Saga and The Banner Saga 2, tactical RPGs about a Viking caravan trekking through a world inspired by Norse mythology. The many decisions you'll have to make will determine your success or failure.
Also included is Tumblestone, a puzzle game you can play alone or with friends that involves clearing out columns of colorful blocks. Last up is Treadnauts, a side-scrolling arena battle game in which you and some buddies control nimble tanks trying to blow each other up.
Twitch Prime is a perk for members of Amazon Prime. All you have to do to sign up is link your Amazon Prime account to your Twitch account. Once you do, you can download all five games for no cost between May 31 - July 1. They're yours to keep forever, even if you cancel Amazon Prime down the line. The only catch is that you need the Twitch desktop app to install them.
Other Twitch Prime benefits include free monthly in-game loot for popular games like Fortnite and Heroes of the Storm, ad-free viewing on Twitch, and a channel subscription every 30 days.
While PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds is off suing Fortnite for copyright infringement, a new patch has landed on PUBG's PC servers, introducing a host of changes, tweaks, and bug fixes. Some of these changes come in the form of the effectiveness of throwables (i.g. frag grenades, Molotovs, and stun grenades), a nerf of the M24 sniper, and a new anti-cheat mechanism.
With this new patch update, frag grenades see a damage and radius buff, Molotovs have an increased area of effect and will explode when shot mid-air, and stun grenades will impair players more effectively. The M24 was nerfed, removed from care package drops, and added to the world's loot spawn system, making it a viable alternative to the Kar98K bolt action rifle.
In addition to the anti-cheat tech--which is "currently only on the test servers [until] additional testing is complete," according to the patch notes--performance has been improved as well. The rendering of character models have been updated to prevent frame drops, character movement and animations while skydiving have been optimized to increase framerate, and abnormal vehicle physics should be resolved. Most notable, however, is the improvements made to the game's netcode, meaning you should see reduced network latency and improved server responsiveness. You can read the full patch notes here.
In our PUBG review, we awarded the game an 8/10, saying, "Even after hundreds of hours, PUBG continues to inspire rousing tales of victory and defeat."
PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds is available for Xbox One and PC.
E3 2018 is mere weeks away, which makes this prime time for rumors to take hold. Microsoft and the Xbox are especially rife with rumors, given that the company is keeping its plans so tightly under wraps. Unlike Sony which has already detailed its main focus and Nintendo which is sure to be featuring Smash Bros., we don't actually know much about what Microsoft has in store. This year, the Xbox is a black box.
That leaves plenty of room for rumor and speculation, so we've compiled some of the biggest rumors below. If you want to check out even more scuttlebutt leading up to E3, check out our full list of rumors. Or stay more grounded with our list of every confirmed Xbox game appearing at the show so far.
We'll know which of these rumors pan out once the press conferences debut. Microsoft's is scheduled for Sunday, June 10 at 1 PM PT / 4 PM ET. Bookmark our full conference schedule to plan all your viewing parties.
Assassin's Creed Odyssey
A new Assassin's Creed was among the games seemingly leaked by Walmart Canada. Although that retailer listing was very non-specific--it didn't include a subtitle or number--we've now heard what could be the title for such a game. According to JeuxVideo, which reportedly received a photo of a collectible keychain, the new game is called Assassin's Creed Odyssey. The keychain itself consists of a helmet resembling one from Ancient Greece, perhaps indicating that will be the setting for the new game.
Borderlands Getting PS4, Xbox One, PC Re-Release
We know a new Borderlands is eventually coming, whether it's called Borderlands 3 or something else. Gearbox denies it'll be at E3, and publisher 2K recently delayed an unannounced game, which could be that Borderlands title. But it looks as if E3 might not be completely devoid of Borderlands news, as the Korean ratings board has listed Borderlands: Game of the Year Edition for PS4, Xbox One, and PC. While not official by any means, ratings board leaks are often a reliable source. Given the timing, we might just hear about this project at E3.
Gears Of War 5, New Assassin's Creed, Just Cause 4, And More
Many of the expectations for E3 2018 were set in one go. Retailers have been known to leak things from time to time, but Walmart's Canadian website seemed to potentially spoil quite a lot with a single leak. Listings for numerous unannounced games went online in May, including Rage 2, a new Assassin's Creed, Gears of War 5, Dragon Quest 2, and Just Cause 4.
The sheer number, combined with some typos--such as Forza "Horizons" 5, rather than what would be the series' next game, Forza Horizon 4--made it all seem unlikely. However, Bethesda had an unusual response to the whole situation, and soon after we learned that Rage 2 is real (and since then, Lego DC Super-Villains). Two games from this list turning out to be legitimate doesn't mean the others are anything but placeholders or errors, but it does lend some credence to the possibility of them being real.
A New Splinter Cell Will Be Revealed
Another game mentioned in the Walmart Canada leak was something simply titled Splinter Cell. This might also turn out to be nothing but a placeholder, but Ubisoft itself has certainly set fans up to expect some kind of news related to the franchise before long. Following Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot's comments last year, the company released a Splinter Cell-themed update for Ghost Recon Wildlands earlier this year. That not only set up the potential plot for a new Splinter Cell, but it marked the return of beloved Sam Fisher voice Michael Ironside--and it doesn't seem like a stretch to think Ubisoft brought him in for more than just a small cameo.
This is less a rumor and more speculation, as fans believe we're nearing an announcement involving the Fallout franchise. Bethesda offered days of teases for Rage 2 before it was revealed, and, as of this writing, it's seemingly begun to do the same for Fallout. The company first tweeted a "please stand by" image similar to a screen we've seen in the series previously. Subsequently, it kicked off a livestream with the same image playing on a screen in the background, but with a Fallout Vault Boy figure in the foreground.
That's sparked speculation that we could see a new Fallout game or--perhaps more likely, given its Skyrim re-releases--a remastered version of Fallout 3 or 4, perhaps for PS4, Xbox One, PC, and Switch. Bethesda has said this year's press conference could be its biggest ever; clearly it's got more than just Rage 2 and updates to The Elder Scrolls Online to talk about.
Update: Indeed, Fallout news has arrived. Bethesda Softworks has officially unveiled Fallout 76, a new game developed by Skyrim and Fallout dev Bethesda Game Studios. We don't know a ton at this point about how it will play, but Kotaku reports it will be have online-based survival elements. Bethesda said we'll be hearing more at E3; if that is the form the game takes, Bethesda is sure to provide some indication at E3.
Cyberpunk 2077 (Or Another CD Projekt Red Game) Will Be There
We know CD Projekt Red, the developer of the Witcher series and the upcoming Cyberpunk 2077, is attending E3. A listing on the official E3 website earlier this year suggested the studio would be there to show off an RPG, although that was later removed. The company has not yet announced its plans for the event--if it has anything to publicly show at all--but fans have their fingers crossed that Cyberpunk (or the studio's other triple-A RPG) will finally be revealed properly.
Take-Two, the parent company of GTA and Red Dead developer Rockstar Games, has responded yet again to the Fortnite phenomenon. During an event, Take-Two president Karl Slatoff started off by saying any game that is massively successful like Fortnite is good for gaming because it brings new players to the market.
But will Take-Two release its own battle royale game? While Slatoff said "fast followers" can have success by chasing a trend, games that are direct copies tend to struggle. "I think there is something to be said about being a fast follower in certain situations," he said. "But you can't be a copy cat. You have to innovate."
Slatoff pointed out that while Fortnite and PUBG exist in the same battle royale genre, they are "very different games." As anyone who's played them knows, Fortnite is a stylised, more casual battle royale experience, while PUBG has a more serious look and feel to it. The way Fortnite differentiated itself--and the fact that it is free--no doubt contributed to its success. Slatoff added that Fortnite's base-building element might have appealed to the millions of young people who play Minecraft and are already familiar with building in games.
"You can't just get out there and do the same thing and hope to be successful," Slatoff said.
The executive observed that after League of Legends burst onto the scene, many other copy-cat MOBAs popped up--and they struggled. "You've got to do something different," Slatoff explained.
"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."
Insomniac's next game is Spider-Man, an action-filled game that doesn't just rehash the hero's origin story. Instead, it finds an experienced Peter Parker and his superhero alter ego defending New York City from a super villain threat. The game launches September 7 exclusively for PlayStation 4.
If you're ready to pre-order Spider-Man for PS4, you'll probably want to know what your options are. We have you covered below, with all the information you need about pre-order bonuses, the various editions, where to buy it, and how much it costs at each retailer. Let's swing into the details (sorry).
Pre-order bonus
Pre-order any version of Spider-Man, and you'll get a number of extra digital goodies. Here's a rundown of what you'll receive.
Spidey Suit Pack--Gain instant in-game access to three suits that alter your appearance and unlock new suit abilities.
Skill Points--Get a head start by having skill points to unlock abilities from the start of the game like active finishers, web grab, or faster web swinging.
Early unlock of a Spider-Drone Gadget--Unleash a mobile Spider-Drone to distract and web your enemies.
Spider-Man PS4 Custom Theme--Customize your PS4 with artwork from legendary comic book artist Adi Granov.
Spider-Man PSN Avatar--Represent your PSN profile online with the bold White Spider icon for your PSN avatar.
Spider-Man Standard Edition
The standard edition is just the core game, but if you pre-order it, you'll get the bonuses listed above. Here's where you can find the standard edition.
Amazon -- Currently unavailable at the time of this writing
The Digital Deluxe Edition of Spider-Man comes with the core game, the pre-order bonuses, plus a couple of extras, both digital and physical.
Marvel's Spider-Man: The City that Never Sleeps--consists of three post-launch story chapters featuring new characters and missions. Users will receive DLC by March 2019.
If pre-ordered before September 7, 2018, receive all pre-order bonus content, plus a custom, one-of-a-kind physical pin for Marvel's Spider-Man.
Here's where you can find the Digital Deluxe Edition:
Amazon -- Currently unavailable at the time of this writing
The Collector's Edition of Spider-Man comes with all the stuff included in the Digital Deluxe Edition, plus the following items.
Custom steelbook
White spider sticker
Mini artbook--contains unique, early-look concepts and unreleased artwork
Collector's Edition Marvel's Spider-Man statue by Gentle Giant
Marvel's Spider-Man: The City that Never Sleeps--Consists of three post-launch story chapters featuring new characters and missions. Users will receive DLC by March 2019.
Here's where you can buy the Collector's Edition.
Amazon -- Currently unavailable at the time of this writing
For anyone wondering when we'll get to return to the wasteland after 2015's Fallout 4, Bethesda has answered that question with a teaser trailer for the next entry: Fallout 76. The game has been confirmed for PC, PS4, and Xbox One. It will appear in Bethesda's presentation at E3 2018, which is scheduled for June 10 at 6:30 PM PT / 9:30 PM ET. While we don't have a release date yet or many other details besides what's shown in the cryptic, cinematic teaser above, we can make a few guesses.
The game seems to be based in or around Vault 76, in the year 2102. If so, that would make it the earliest game in the Fallout series (for reference, the bombs fell in 2077). The teaser shows a character in a vault jumpsuit strap on a Pip-Boy while TV footage tells occupants they'll need to rebuild society. That could be a hint that Fallout 76 will put more of a focus on the base-building elements introduced in Fallout 4. For more information, check out our article about everything we know about Fallout 76.
Whether you're a diehard fan of the series or you want to see what all the hype is about, you might be ready to lock in your Fallout 76 pre-order. If so, we have all the information you need below.
No pre-order bonus
Bethesda hasn't announced any pre-order bonuses so far for Fallout 76. Pre-orders of big games from major studios like this often come with a little something extra, so some kind of bonus could be announced in the future. If it is, we'll add it here.
Standard Edition
Suggested retail price: $60
The standard edition of Fallout 76 is the only one that's been announced so far. As such, it's the only one that's available to pre-order. If other editions are announced, we'll add them as retailers put them on their sites.
Amazon: $60 ($48 with Amazon Prime) -- PS4 | Xbox One | PC
Best Buy: $60 (with $10 reward) -- PS4 | Xbox One | PC
Monster Hunter World's 4.0 update is now available on PS4 and Xbox One. The patch, which weighs in at approximately 550 MB on Sony's console and 570 MB on Microsoft's, makes a long list of bug fixes and changes to the game, along with introducing a fearsome new monster to hunt.
The biggest addition to the game is Lunastra, a returning Elder Dragon from the series' 2006 installment, Monster Hunter 2. Known as the "Empress of Flame," Lunastra is the female counterpart of Teostra. She can unleash powerful attacks with her mate, and Capcom says her "capacity to alter the environment around her is unmatched."
Players can use the materials they gather from Lunastra to craft two new sets of armor for their hunters, Lunastra α and Lunastra β, as well as a variety of weapons and an adorable new costume for their Palico. Capcom says these materials also "resonate" with those from other monsters, particularly Nergigante and Xeno'jiiva. You can take a look at some screenshots of the new Lunastra gear below.
In addition to Lunastra, the 4.0 update introduces a new specialized tool called the Temporal Mantel, which "nullifies damage from powerful attacks by automatically evading." Capcom has also made a handful of gameplay adjustments. Most notably, players can now discover investigations for Tempered monsters when hunting one or breaking off its parts, and the developer says it should now be easier to pet the Poogie.
Rounding out the update are an assortment of bug fixes, many of which center on the Kulve Taroth Siege. In particular, Capcom has fixed an issue that would cause the Siege to end when a player goes to another quest. You can find the full list of changes in the patch notes for the 4.0 update, courtesy of Capcom's official blog, below.
Monster Hunter World Update 4.0 Patch Notes
Major Additions and Changes
You will now also discover investigations for tempered monsters when hunting a tempered monster or breaking its parts.
You can now change armor pigments and layered armor at all item boxes found within Astera (except the Training Area) or the Research Base.
It's now easier to successfully pet the Poogie.
The camera will not be forcibly moved by Scoutfly guidance when arriving at camp at the start of a quest.
The trophy conditions for "Monster Ph.D." were updated to no longer include monsters added in free title updates.
With this design change, you can now unlock the trophy/achievement by speaking to Ecological Research if you've already maxed out the research levels for the original lineup of monsters.
When performing the Shoryuken or Hadoken gestures, male characters (or armor that makes you look like a male character) will now use Ryu's voice from Street Fighter V, while female characters (or armor that makes you look like a female character) will now use Sakura's voice from Street Fighter V.
Bug Fixes
Regarding the problem of the new guild card lighting system introduced in Ver. 2.00 affecting the appearance of a player's character, the light settings have been adjusted to make it look similar to the lighting before Ver. 1.06.
Fixed a bug where only medals, not trophies, would be unlocked when ending the game while it is processing unlocked trophies and medals at the result screen. With this fix, if you have unlocked a medal but not a trophy, it will be unlocked the next time you get to a result screen.
Fixed a bug where Kulve Taroth's broken horn cutscene was interrupted and the siege could not be completed when Kulve Taroth's horns took separate damage right at the time they were completely broken off.
Fixed a bug where Kulve Taroth would go into an attack phase in area 1 and would not move to the next area, resulting in the siege becoming impossible to complete.
Fixed a bug where the siege of Kulve Taroth would end when a member of the siege goes to another quest, expedition or to the training area. This has been fixed so the siege can be continued.
Fixed a bug that occurs during the "Banquet in the Earthen Hall" quest when you open your Hunter's Notes while in the tent just as Kulve Taroth's horns are completely broken, causing the battle music to continue playing while the quest complete music plays on top of it.
Fixed terrain-related bugs in some locales.
Fixed a bug where a player would get an infinite buff under certain criteria upon a successful Foresight Slash.
Fixed a phenomenon where specific controls would allow you to link the Charge Blade's Super Amped Element Discharge into an Amped Element Discharge. This was unintended and after considering how it affects the game's balance, it has been removed.
Fixed a bug that allowed the player to face in a direction other than the reticle just before Wyvernheart is fired.
Fixed a bug that caused Gastodon to spot players in their territory even when wearing a Ghillie Mantle or hiding in bushes.
Fixed an issue where gestures could be performed when afflicted with any five elemental blights, blastblight, bleeding, but could not be performed when poisoned or afflicted with effluvium.
Fixed a bug where food skills would not be reflected on your Palico when joining a quest as a guest after eating at base.
Fixed a bug where the lighting on the two guns in the Devil May Cry Dual Guns gesture was not applied properly, making them look they were floating.
Fixed a bug where the Elderseal value for the weapon Taroth Buster "Decay" was set to "None". It has now been changed to "Mid".
Due to a data error, Taroth Strongarm "King" (Rarity 7) parameters were the same as King Gold Cutter (Rarity 6) in all areas except for number of augmentation slots. The Taroth Strongarm "King" has been updated with the following values.
Elemental Value: Fire 12 > Fire 18
Affinity: 20 > 30
Due to a data error, Felyne Lavasioth Helm α's elemental resistance had the same values as Felyne Uragaan Helm α. The following values are now applied to Felyne Lavasioth Helm α.
Fire Resistance: 4 > 3
Water Resistance: -3 > -3
Thunder Resistance: 1 > -1
Ice Resistance: -2 > 1
Dragon Resistance: -2 > 3
The Felyne Azure Star series was mistakenly marked as rarity 2 from Ver. 2.00 and onward. It has now been reverted back to rarity 3.
Fixed a bug where a beard set on a female character during character creation would not appear when equipping the Kulve Taroth β armor set.
The following bugs related to armor appearance have been fixed.
Some visual bugs affecting the female Azure Starlord Armor α were fixed.
Some visual bugs affecting the female Rathalos Coil β and Rath Soul Coil β armor were fixed.
Some visual bugs affecting the female Vaal Hazak Braces α armor were fixed.
Hair pops out less now while wearing the female Xeno'jiiva Headgear α/β, Vaal Hazak Helm α, Jyura Helm α, and Blossom Headgear α armor.
Hair pops out less now while wearing the male Butterfly Vertex (Low Rank, α and β) and Kirin Horn α armor.
Like much of the DC movie universe, the future of Batman on the big screen remains uncertain. War for the Planet of the Apes director Matt Reeves is attached to a new Batman movie, currently known as The Batman, but with no confirmed release date or lead actor to potentially replace Ben Affleck, it isn't clear when we might see it. However, some news has now emerged about the movie's potential villain.
This comes via Variety writer Justin Kroll, who stated on Twitter that the Penguin was being lined up to appear in Reeves' film. Kroll also revealed that Reeves is still working on the script and even if the Penguin doesn't ultimately appear, the character could instead be used in the Birds of Prey film which is also in development. Check the tweets out below:
Take this with a grain of salt as things are constantly changing in the DCEU but I'm hearing the Penguin is possibly the choice to play the main villain in THE BATMAN. Sources add even if Reeves decide to go another route the studio could then make him the main villain in BOP
Reeves is still working on the script, so that could always change but of the multiple BIRDS OF PREY scripts submitted, one does have the Penguin as the main heavy. Either way, it seems WB wants this character cast in the universe sooner rather then later.
As Kroll notes, the DC universe is in a state of flux, so things could easily change. The studio only has three movies officially scheduled for release--Aquaman, which releases in November, and Shazam and Wonder Woman 2, both of which are due next year. Beyond that, there are multiple projects in development, including Birds of Prey, a Joker origins movie, and Suicide Squad 2.
Reeves was hired to work on The Batman in February last year. At that stage he was replacing Ben Affleck as writer and director, with Affleck choosing only to star in the movie. Since then there have been multiple rumors that Affleck will step down as Batman following the failure of Justice League at the box office. However, the role has not yet been officially recast.
Last year, Reeves hinted at the direction he was looking to take his vision of Batman in. "I want to do a very point-of-view-driven [film]," he said. "In all the films what I try to do, in almost a Hitchcockian sense, is use the camera and use the storytelling so that you become the character and you empathise with that point of view. And I think there is a chance to do an almost noir-driven detective version of Batman that is point of view driven in a very, very powerful way. And hopefully it is going to connect you to what's going on inside of his head and inside of his heart."
Marvel is entering the digital CCG market with its own take on the popular mobile genre. Marvel Battle Lines promises hundreds of collectible heroes and villains from across the Marvel universe, with an extensive single-player campaign and competitive battles. The free-to-play game is being developed by Nexon and will be coming this year for iPhone and Android devices.
The single-player campaign will be written by Marvel writer Alex Irvine, and separate single-player activities will revisit famous Marvel storylines. The game will also pay homage to its comic roots by letting you flip over cards to read detailed histories of the characters.
The announcement didn't share much about the PvP options, but did give a detailed look at the character art created for the card game. It covers the gamut of heroes from classics like Spider-Man and Hulk to more recent favorites like Spider-Gwen and Jessica Jones.
This will be Marvel's second attempt, following 2007's Marvel Trading Card Game for PC, Nintendo DS, and PlayStation Portable. That was before the current trend of digital CCGs on mobile devices. The current market may be tough to crack, given the existing competition with games like Hearthstone and Elder Scrolls Online, among many others. Still, Marvel's stable of beloved characters give it an edge, and it has already produced a steady stream of successful mobile titles, so it could be a real contender.
E3 2018 is right around the corner, and that means a ton of video game news, announcements, and reveals are almost upon us. Several of the show's biggest games--Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, Battlefield V, Rage 2--have been announced in the weeks leading up to the event, but that doesn't mean E3 itself won't have some surprises in store for us. According to the rumor mill, there's quite a lot that could happen.
Rumors and leaks are par for the course, although last year was incredibly leak-heavy. 2018 has not yet proven to be quite so bad in that regard--save for the Walmart Canada incident--though there remains plenty of time for that to change. There have been rumors and reports about what we'll see at E3, and we've rounded up many of the biggest ones for you to peruse below. Some are much easier to believe than others, as is often the case. Compared with last year, though, it's going to be hard to top reports of a turn-based strategy game featuring Mario and Rabbids (although what was most surprising is the game turned out to be quite good).
This year's E3 unofficially gets underway with Electronic Arts' pre-E3 event, EA Play, on June 9. That will be followed by press conferences from numerous other companies, which is where the bulk of E3's news will be revealed. You can see the full E3 press conference schedule for more on when to expect news to roll in. In the meantime, check out all of the big rumors we've seen so far; we'll update this should any more arrive between now and E3.
E3 2018 Rumors
Assassin's Creed Odyssey
A new Assassin's Creed was among the games seemingly leaked by Walmart Canada. Although that retailer listing was very non-specific--it didn't include a subtitle or number--we've now heard what could be the title for such a game. According to JeuxVideo, which reportedly received a photo of a collectible keychain, the new game is called Assassin's Creed Odyssey. The keychain itself consists of a helmet resembling one from Ancient Greece, perhaps indicating that will be the setting for the new game.
Borderlands Getting PS4, Xbox One, PC Re-Release
We know a new Borderlands is eventually coming, whether it's called Borderlands 3 or something else. Gearbox denies it'll be at E3, and publisher 2K recently delayed an unannounced game, which could be that Borderlands title. But it looks as if E3 might not be completely devoid of Borderlands news, as the Korean ratings board has listed Borderlands: Game of the Year Edition for PS4, Xbox One, and PC. While not official by any means, ratings board leaks are often a reliable source. Given the timing, we might just hear about this project at E3.
Gears Of War 5, New Assassin's Creed, Just Cause 4, And More
Many of the expectations for E3 2018 were set in one go. Retailers have been known to leak things from time to time, but Walmart's Canadian website seemed to potentially spoil quite a lot with a single leak. Listings for numerous unannounced games went online in May, including Rage 2, a new Assassin's Creed, Gears of War 5, Dragon Quest 2, and Just Cause 4.
The sheer number, combined with some typos--such as Forza "Horizons" 5, rather than what would be the series' next game, Forza Horizon 4--made it all seem unlikely. However, Bethesda had an unusual response to the whole situation, and soon after we learned that Rage 2 is real (and since then, Lego DC Super-Villains). Two games from this list turning out to be legitimate doesn't mean the others are anything but placeholders or errors, but it does lend some credence to the possibility of them being real.
A New Splinter Cell Will Be Revealed
Another game mentioned in the Walmart Canada leak was something simply titled Splinter Cell. This might also turn out to be nothing but a placeholder, but Ubisoft itself has certainly set fans up to expect some kind of news related to the franchise before long. Following Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot's comments last year, the company released a Splinter Cell-themed update for Ghost Recon Wildlands earlier this year. That not only set up the potential plot for a new Splinter Cell, but it marked the return of beloved Sam Fisher voice Michael Ironside--and it doesn't seem like a stretch to think Ubisoft brought him in for more than just a small cameo.
This is less a rumor and more speculation, as fans believe we're nearing an announcement involving the Fallout franchise. Bethesda offered days of teases for Rage 2 before it was revealed, and, as of this writing, it's seemingly begun to do the same for Fallout. The company first tweeted a "please stand by" image similar to a screen we've seen in the series previously. Subsequently, it kicked off a livestream with the same image playing on a screen in the background, but with a Fallout Vault Boy figure in the foreground.
That's sparked speculation that we could see a new Fallout game or--perhaps more likely, given its Skyrim re-releases--a remastered version of Fallout 3 or 4, perhaps for PS4, Xbox One, PC, and Switch. Bethesda has said this year's press conference could be its biggest ever; clearly it's got more than just Rage 2 and updates to The Elder Scrolls Online to talk about.
Update: Indeed, Fallout news has arrived. Bethesda Softworks has officially unveiled Fallout 76, a new game developed by Skyrim and Fallout dev Bethesda Game Studios. We don't know a ton at this point about how it will play, but Kotaku reports it will be have online-based survival elements. Bethesda said we'll be hearing more at E3; if that is the form the game takes, Bethesda is sure to provide some indication at E3.
Star Fox Is Getting A Racing Game Called Grand Prix
The Star Fox franchise hasn't seen much activity in recent years save for the Wii U game Star Fox Zero, but that may change in the near future. According to leaks published around the internet and a report from Eurogamer, Retro Studios--of Metroid Prime and Donkey Kong Country Returns fame--is at work on a racing game called Star Fox: Grand Prix. Reddit user DasVergeben claims it will feature elements of F-Zero and Diddy Kong Racing, with an adventure mode and hub world.
Cyberpunk 2077 (Or Another CD Projekt Red Game) Will Be There
We know CD Projekt Red, the developer of the Witcher series and the upcoming Cyberpunk 2077, is attending E3. A listing on the official E3 website earlier this year suggested the studio would be there to show off an RPG, although that was later removed. The company has not yet announced its plans for the event--if it has anything to publicly show at all--but fans have their fingers crossed that Cyberpunk (or the studio's other triple-A RPG) will finally be revealed properly.
N64 Classic Edition Will Be Announced
While not E3-specific, there have been rumors about an N64 Classic Edition since the release of the NES Classic. With both that system and the subsequent SNES Classic proving to be huge successes, it would be no surprise to see Nintendo continue the trend by bringing a mini version of the Nintendo 64 to the market. Trademark filings have also suggested it's something Nintendo is at least considering, and Nintendo would be the ideal place to reveal its existence.
Predictions And Confirmed Games
For more on what might show up at E3, check out our predictions for each of the major platforms. You can also see all of the games that have been confirmed for the show through the links below.
Fortnite updates continue to rapidly roll out, and one of this year's additions to Battle Royale came in the form of Vending Machines. If you're able to find one, you can trade in building materials you've gathered in exchange for a variety of items, which vary from machine to machine. You'll often find these in the same spots, but they are not fixtures. With Season 4's Week 5 challenges tasking you to use one once again, we've detailed the common locations and where to find them, as well as exactly how they function and what prices are like.
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.
Week 5 challenges in Fortnite: Battle Royale are live, presenting Season 4 Battle Pass owners with another set of seven objectives to complete. These include some fairly routine objectives--one of which is bugged as of this writing--while a trickier one involves tracking down a Greasy Grove treasure map. More importantly, you'll need the cooperation of other players to do some dancing.
First up is the Hard-difficulty challenge to follow the treasure map found in Greasy Grove. You can head to Greasy Grove and track down the map to start this; alternatively, as with past instances of this type of challenge, you can actually head right to where the treasure itself awaits. This one is a bit trickier to find than most--it's on the outside wall of a structure just northeast of Snobby Shores. Simply land on the slanted roof or build your way up and you'll be able to collect the Battle Pass icon.
What isn't labeled as Hard but could be quite difficult is the challenge asking you to dance with others to raise the Disco Ball near Loot Lake. The ball itself is found in the northernmost of the three buildings that line the western shoreline of the lake. Enter the ground floor and you'll see the disco ball in the middle, surrounded by a dance floor in all four corners of the room. You'll need to coordinate with other players to all dance on these simultaneously; the process takes a few seconds as the disco ball rises up toward the ceiling. It's possible to do this with other random players, but your easiest bet will be to squad up with three friends and head there together.
Week 5 also tasks you to use a vending machine three times. This is relatively straightforward, but if you haven't used a vending machine before, you might be at a loss. Vending machines allow you to exchange crafting materials for items; they're located in fixed spots, but they don't always appear in every match. You can consult our vending machine location guide to find likely spots for these to pop up, but make sure to come with wood, stone, or metal--the cost of using the machine may be high depending on the rarity.
Racking up two eliminations with the minigun or light machine gun sounds straightforward enough, though it of course requires you to happen upon one of the two weapons. This is labeled as a Hard-difficulty challenge, but Epic Games has said it's currently bugged--kills aren't reporting correctly, so you may not get credit for any eliminations you pull off. Epic will provide more information when it has it; whenever it is working, you'll likely want to try doing this in a Solo playlist so that you don't have to worry about a downed enemy being revived.
The same advice holds true for the challenge asking you to eliminate three opponents in Lucky Landing--not having respawns should make this easier. The remaining objectives simply ask you to deal 500 damage with SMGs to opponents (anything in the SMG family will do) and to search seven chests in Dusty Divot, the meteor impact site added as part of the big Season 4 update.
Completing these challenges will reward you with Battle Stars, which rank up your Battle Pass and allow you to earn Season 4 skins and cosmetic rewards. Completing all of the challenges in a given week also completes a Blockbuster challenge, which entitles you to a new loading screen that directs you to spots where you can obtain a free Battle Pass tier. You can see how to complete every Season 4 objective released so far in our Fortnite challenges guide.
Fortnite Week 5 Challenges
Deal damage with SMGs to opponents (500) -- 5 Battle Stars
Search Chests in Dusty Divot (7) -- 5 Battle Stars
Use a Vending Machine (3) -- 5 Battle Stars
Dance with others to raise the Disco Ball near Loot Lake -- 5 Battle Stars
Hard: Follow the treasure map found in Greasy Grove -- 10 Battle Stars
EA and DICE are teasing a new multiplayer mode coming to Battlefield V. The "Airborne" mode will have players parachute into the combat area by plane, but it's not another battle royale. Instead, this mode is an objective-based attack/defend variant.
The details are so scant they were announced via tweet. It promises "you'll parachute into the battlefield and work with your squad to destroy enemy artillery, or defend them and make sure the threat from above is dealt with."
The paratrooper aspect seems aimed at making enemy entry points more unpredictable, which could add a wrinkle to a tried-and-true game type. EA recently began taking the wraps off of Battlefield V. Among other announcements, the company has confirmed it has no loot boxes and released its minimum PC requirements. It will release on October 13 for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
We're likely to see some of Airborne in action at the EA Play event, taking place just before E3 in Los Angeles. EA's press conference will begin on Saturday, June 9 at 11 AM PT / 2 PM ET. You can check out our full press conference schedule to plan your watch times.
As one month ends and another begins, there's plenty of new material for your viewing pleasure on Netflix. The end of May sees the return of a beloved Netflix original series, as well as the arrival of a Pixar gem. Meanwhile, the first couple days of June are a treasure trove of great movies.
The fourth season of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt arrived on May 30, making it easily the biggest arrival of the week. Among the guest stars appearing in the new season are Jon Hamm, Busy Philipps, Greg Kinnear, Bobby Moynihan, and Aidy Bryant.
On the film side of things, Coco debuted on the streamer on May 29, while June 1 sees the arrival of Disney's 101 Dalmatians, Rumor Has It, Righteous Kill, National Treasure, and Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist. Other titles include Miracle, Just Friends, The Departed, and The Covenant--for all of your boy witch movie needs.
Assassin's Creed Chronicles: Russia is part of the Chronicles trilogy of 2.5D side-scrolling platformers; it is free on Xbox One June 1-30. The other free Xbox One game is the Smite Gold Bundle, which packs in extra content for the free game such as 20 more gods and other items such as skins; it will be free on Xbox One June 16-July 15.
The free Xbox 360 Games With Gold titles for June are Sega's pretty great arcade racing game Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed (June 1-15) and the delightful adventure game Lego Indiana Jones 2: The New Adventures (June 16-30). Both games play on Xbox One through backwards compatibility.
Given that there are only a few days left in May, we expect Microsoft to make a global Games With Gold announcement very soon. Keep checking back for more.
Bethesda has officially announced the next entry in its beloved Fallout franchise, Fallout 76. After a day of online teases, it revealed the new project with a brief teaser trailer that offers some hints of what to expect and a look at its Vault 76 setting. But as Bethesda boss Todd Howard said just before it debuted, this was only meant as a tease--more is coming at E3 2018.
Still, we do know more than you might think after a single viewing. We've gone through the video a number of times and noticed a few noteworthy things. Bethesda has also confirmed the game's platforms, although there's not yet any word on a release date. That said, the company has made a habit of not announcing things far in advance, so it's reasonable to expect the wait won't be terribly long.
More will undoubtedly be revealed during Bethesda's E3 press conference, which happens on June 10. We'll also be hearing more about Rage 2 and whatever other projects the company has in the works--it's already teased that this will be its biggest show ever.
What Platforms Is It On?
Bethesda has confirmed Fallout 76 is being released for PC, PS4, and Xbox One. Unfortunately, there's no word about a Nintendo Switch release, which didn't seem out of the question after the Skyrim re-release made it to that platform. That could always be coming later, but for the time being, it's only coming to those three platforms.
Who's Developing It?
Bethesda Game Studios, the Maryland-based developer responsible for the Elder Scrolls series and both Fallout 3 and Fallout 4, is at work on the game. It's possible other Bethesda studios are also working on the project, but BGS is the only one confirmed in the extremely brief fact sheet shared with the press. Obsidian, developer of the beloved Fallout: New Vegas, had previously suggested it isn't involved with what Bethesda was teasing.
What Is Vault 76?
Given the game's name and what we see in the trailer, Vault 76 is seemingly set to play a major role in the game. Although it's not a place we've visited before, this isn't the series' first mention of it. Both Fallout 3 and 4 reference it and, according to the Fallout Wikia, it was occupied by 500 people who were meant to be a control group. It was intended to be opened 20 years after a nuclear war. A poster seen in the Vault shows its existence was meant to mark the United States' tricentennial in 2076.
When Does It Take Place?
Fallout 76 is at least partially set in the year 2102, based on the date subtly displayed on a Pip-Boy in the trailer. In Fallout lore, the bombs fell in 2077, and the first Fallout game was set in 2161; Fallout 2 in 2241; Fallout 3 in 2277; New Vegas in 2281; and Fallout 4 in 2287. That would mean this game is set far earlier than any previous title, which could offer a different sort of perspective on the world. The specific date on the Pip-Boy is October 27, 2102; that could be pointing to a release date for the game.
What Is Reclamation Day?
One of the most striking shots in the trailer shows the Vault's atrium decorated for something called Reclamation Day. Based on the celebration and imagery, it's likely this is the day the Vault is meant to open and the occupants are meant to begin rebuilding the outside world. What's curious is that the aforementioned dates don't quite match up--if the Vault was supposed to open 20 years after the bombs fell, why have 25 years gone by?
What Song Is Playing?
The trailer begins with the Pip-Boy playing a song--"Country Roads" by John Denver. It talks about going home to West Virginia, which could perhaps serve as the location for the Vault 76 and the game.
The Pokemon Company has confirmed that the core Pokemon RPG for Nintendo Switch, which was announced during Nintendo's E3 2017 presentation, is set to release in the latter half of 2019. This comes alongside the announcement of Let's Go Pikachu and Let's Go Eevee as well as Pokemon Quest.
The timing was confirmed in a tweet from the Pokemon company that read, "With #PokemonQuest and #PokemonLetsGo, there are so many new ways to explore the world of Pokémon! Trainers can look forward to even more with an all-new core series Pokémon RPG title in development for the second half of 2019!"
The Switch Pokemon game was teased by Pokemon Company president and CEO Tsunekazu Ishihara, who said at the time that the game may not release for over a year. He also said that series developer Game Freak would be making the game. No other details were given then or in the year following.
Recently, rumors about the upcoming Pokemon Switch game have been circulating. However, many of them--including that the game would be integrated with Pokemon Go, as well as the leaked title art--turned out to be for Pokemon Let's Go Pikachu and Let's Go Eevee, which are separate games.
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