A new image gives us our first good look at Zachary Levi's costume in the upcoming Shazam film. In it, we see Levi's Shazam in full superheroic costume enjoying a soda with his buddy, Freddy Freeman, outside a convenience store.
Entertainment Weekly debuted the image and offered some insights from director David Sandberg on getting the look right. "I wanted to keep the shorter cape as a throwback to the original because that's something that sets him apart from Superman or Batman," he said. "It makes him feel a bit more Golden Age superhero, which is the vibe I'm going for."
For those unfamiliar, Shazam is literally just a big kid. He's the superhero alter-ego of the young boy Billy Batson, making him an iconic golden age example of the boyish fantasies that comic books were built around. Levi will have to display a playfulness that matches the part, which may give some lightheartedness to the DC Cinematic Universe, often criticized for being too dark. This image shows one such moment, as Billy spends time with his best friend.
This is the first view of the full costume we've gotten, though Levi previously showed off a banner of his character from the torso up. He was enjoying a soft drink in that picture too. Shazam is set to release on April 5, 2019.
With the announcement that HBO ordered a pilot for a Game of Thrones prequel series in June, many fans have been cautiously optimistic that the prequel will help ease the inevitable mourning period following the end of the hit series. HBO only officially ordered a pilot, but now that the studio has confirmed a start date and location to film, it's starting to feel more real.
Belfast Telegraph reports that filming will begin in October in Belfast, Northern Ireland through The Paint Hall studio, which handled most of the filming for Game Of Thrones in Ireland.
Jane Goldman wrote the pilot and has been tapped as the showrunner for the series; you may know her from her work writing the Kingsman films as well as Kick-Ass and Stardust. The spinoff will follow the progression from the Age of Heroes into the Long Night, which takes place roughly ten thousand years before the events in the original show.
George RR Martin, writer of books and producer of shows, revealed that the working title of the show is The Long Night. He also provided some details about the process, and potential other spin offs, when he wrote in a blog post, "None of the characters or actors from Game of Thrones will appear in the new show. All of the successor shows we've been developing have been prequels, as I have mentioned before. This one really puts the PRE in prequel, since it is set not ninety years before Game of Thrones (like Dunk & Egg), or a few hundred years, but rather ten thousand years."
The final season of Game of Thrones will air next summer. Fingers crossed that the shooting for the spin-off pilot goes well and the show is good enough to fill the void that Game of Thrones is sure to leave.
Destiny has gone a long time without a new faction to test your abilities. The Taken were introduced via DLC, but even they were reused enemy types--albeit with a cool blue glow. Then Destiny 2 came without introducing a new faction at all, but the upcoming expansion Destiny 2: Forsaken will correct that.
The Scorn are a group of mutated Fallen enemies, which does give them the look of re-skinned enemies like the Taken. But according to a Game Informer cover story, their attack patterns are distinct. These fearsome foes are built around aggression unlike any other enemies so far.
A perfect example comes in the Screeb, a mutation similar to Thralls. They run at full-sprint towards you at all times, attempting to explode when they get close. Raiders are the foot soldier of the Scorn, equipped with void buzzsaws and teleporters to move around the battlefield. Ravagers carry flaming weapons that do a high degree of damage, but destroying the weapon will backfire and burn them. Chieftains are akin to Fallen Captains, while Mongrels are the size of Hive Ogres. Finally, Lurkers are huge shielded brutes.
Destiny 2: Forsaken kicks off with the death of the popular character Cayde-6, leading the Guardians back to the Reef to fend off the latest threat. The DLC will also introduce a new Gambit mode, a hybrid of PvP and PvE. The expansion will launch September 4, and Bungie has a bevy of purchase options with different bonuses and gear. Check out our pre-order guide for more information.
Heads up, deal hunters: a new sale on Xbox One and Xbox 360 games is live on the Microsoft Store. You can find the full list here, but we've sorted through the offers and selected some of the best deals on the best games below. Note that some of the deals are only good for Xbox Live Gold subscribers, while others are available to everyone. The sale ends July 16, so don't put off buying any games you've had your eye on.
If you like board games but don't like keeping track of all those cards, dice, and plastic pieces, you're in luck. This week, Ubisoft has dropped prices on a number of its digital versions of Hasbro games. You can pick up Battleship or Risk for $6 / £5, or Monopoly Deal for $2 / £2. The first two are more or less straight renditions of the board games. Monopoly Deal is a fast-paced card game version of Monopoly, which is great for anyone who falls asleep playing the board game.
In anticipation of Mega Man 11 coming this fall, you can scoop up the entire core series for cheap on Xbox One. Mega Man Legacy Collection contains games 1-6 and is on sale for $6 / £5. Mega Man Legacy Collection 2 has games 7-10; it's on sale for $12 / £7.
A handful of other noteworthy games are on sale, including the gorgeous RPG Child of Light for $5 / £4, the recently-released Sword Art Online: Fatal Bullet for $42 / £35, and the horror game Zombi for $6 / £5. And if anyone tells you games are a waste of time, you can pick up Rocksmith 2014 Edition - Remastered for $16 / £16 and actually learn how to play guitar. That'll show them.
For more deals on Xbox One and Xbox 360 games, check here.
Whether you prefer your movies on 4K Blu-ray, DVD, or digital, you'll be able to watch the blockbuster Marvel movie Avengers: Infinity War from the comfort of your own home soon. The digital edition lands on July 31, while the physical versions release two weeks later, on August 14.
Both versions come packed with extras, from deleted scenes and commentary tracks to behind-the-scenes clips that show how a movie of this magnitude is made. The digital version comes with an additional 30-minute Marvel director round-table discussion.
Here's the full list of bonus features:
Strange Alchemy (5:08)--Share the thrill of characters from across the MCU meeting for the first time--and discover why some were teamed up together.
The Mad Titan (6:34)--Explore the MCU's biggest, baddest villain, his trail of influence through the stories, and the existential threat he represents.
Beyond the Battle: Titan (9:36)--Dive into the climactic struggle on Thanos' ruined world, including the epic stunts and VFX, to uncover the source of its power.
Beyond the Battle: Wakanda (10:58)--Go behind the scenes to find out how the filmmakers pulled off the most massive and challenging battle Marvel had ever attempted.
Deleted and Extended Scenes (10:07)
Happy Knows Best (1:23)--Tony and Pepper spar over the details of their upcoming wedding--until a hassled Happy Hogan pulls up with an urgent request.
Hunt for the Mind Stone (1:24)--On a darkened street, Wanda Maximoff and the wounded Vision attempt to hide from Thanos' brutal allies.
The Guardians Get Their Groove Back (3:20)--As Peter Quill and Drax quarrel over their failed mission to Knowhere, Mantis interrupts with news.
A Father's Choice (4:00)--Thanos confronts Gamora with a vision from her past—and with lying to him about the Soul Stone.
Gag Reel (2:05)--Watch your favorite superheroes make super gaffes in this lighthearted collection of on-set antics.
Audio Commentary (approx. 149 min.) by Anthony and Joe Russo, Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely
Now the only question is where you want to buy the movie. Here are your options.
Avengers: Infinity War Digital Edition
If you want to own it as early as possible, here's where you can pre-order the digital version of the Avengers: Infinity War.
You might have to wait two extra weeks, but if you like your movies in physical form, it's worth it. This version comes with a Blu-ray disc, plus a digital copy of the movie.
Avengers: Infinity War 4K Cinematic Universe Edition
This version of the movie also comes with a standard Blu-ray version, as well as a digital copy. In addition to the ones linked below, Best Buy has an exclusive steelbook edition of this version for $35. Target has an exclusive version that comes with a 40-page gallery book for $40, or one that comes with a red Iron Man Funko Pop for $42.
Don't have a Blu-ray player? No problem, get yourself a copy of the movie on DVD. Just note that, unlike the other physical versions, it doesn't come with a digital copy.
No Man's Sky has a huge new update on the horizon, coinciding with its release on Xbox One, and now publisher Hello Games has a released a new video highlighting all the features that have been added since its initial release on PS4 and PC. The list is substantial, including many tweaks and additions that completely alter how the game is played.
When No Man's Sky first came out, initial reaction was lacklustre. The space exploration game boasted over 18 quintillion planets, each one generated by an algorithm and populated with plant and animal life, and your quest is to explore them on your (loosely defined) mission to reach the center of the galaxy.
"No matter how many solar systems you jump to or planets you explore on the 'direct' path to the center of the galaxy, you'll grow tired of repetitive NPC interactions and the planets' implied-but-shallow variety, and you'll lose interest in new ships--and perhaps the journey altogether," wrote Peter Brown in GameSpot's No Man Sky review. In August 2017, we revisited No Man's Sky when its update, Atlas Rises (which introduced story mode), was released. At that time, Justin Clark found that the game was a more robust, welcoming, and accessible experience than before.
All the new additions across expansions, and the new video itself, are no doubt to attract more players to the game's now expanded gameplay (which promises to grow even further). Check out the new video above along with Hello Games' breakdown of all the biggest additions to the game, since release.
A regenerated universe--Star systems now have their own wealth, economy, and conflict levels
Stargates--Stargates allow you to quick travel to any plant
New biomes--New biomes and terrain revisions mean more variety of planets to explore
Exocrafts--Three exocraft types, each with their own strengths, enable advanced planetary exploration
New game modes--The game now has four different gameplay modes:
Normal mode: Standard conditions and difficulty
Survival mode: More hazards, conflict, and fewer resources
Permadeath mode: The same as survival mode, but dying once results in game over
Creative mode: Unlimited health, resources, and no building costs
Base building--Allows you to colonize home plants, create biome-specific crops, and hire alien recruits
Story and missions--30-hour story mode exploring the origin of the universe, and the ability to take on extra missions from alien lifeforms
Terrain manipulation--You can now create complex colonies and shape the terrain around you
Challenging space combat--Tweaked AI means more challenging battles, along with new weapons and bounties
Interstellar freighters--Purchase, customize, and use a freighter as a mobile base
The Xbox One version of No Man's Sky releases on July 24 (July 27 in Europe), and will include all of the updates that have been released in the game so far including smaller patches. A new update, called Next, will be rolling out on all platforms on the same day, and multiplayer will be coming to the game in the same frame.
Far Cry 5 will launch its next round of DLC, this time taking a journey to Mars, next week. The "Lost On Mars" adventure will hit PC, PS4, and Xbox One on July 17. You can buy it standalone for $10, or with the $30 Season Pass. Needless to say, you won't be in Montana anymore.
Instead, Lost on Mars sees the bumble-headed Hurk and Nick Rye head to the red planet to stop an invasion of Earth. You join your two good buddies to take on the alien threat with a host of new equipment, including the Blaster of Disaster, Hellfire, and Morphinator, all of which probably do exactly what they sound like. You can also traverse the planet with Space Jets.
The DLC will also add Mars assets to Far Cry Arcade, allowing you to make and play sci-fi maps. The DLC will unlock some new weapons for use in Hope County as well, in case you really want to show a bunch of cultists who's boss with weapons like the Obliteratorrrr, Taser Phazer Annihilazer, Nerve Reaper, and Grape Popper.
One more DLC adventure, Dead Living Zombies, is set to release next month. Those both join the first expansion content, a Vietnam-themed mission that similarly had you stranded in an unfamiliar locale. GameSpot's Far Cry 5 review praised its gunplay and beautiful open world, despite some major narrative hang-ups and some sub-par story missions.
By Anonymous on Jul 11, 2018 11:23 pm Dark Souls Remastered on PS4, Xbox One, and PC has a new patch that cracks down on cheaters, while its anime cousin Code Vein gets delayed.
Over the past few years, Netflix has greatly increased its anime library. This includes slightly older series like Death Note as well as newer ones like One-Punch Man, and many of them were popular before coming to Netflix. But there are also Netflix Original anime, which are licensed by and exclusive to the streaming platform. Recent hits include Aggretsuko and Devilman Crybaby, and the catalog continues to grow.
Traditional anime fans are often sticklers when it comes to what can be called "anime." This is especially true with shows like Netflix's Castlevania and the upcoming Cannon Busters, which aren't made entirely by Japanese creators and, to some fans, fall into a hard-to-define gray area. During Anime Expo 2018, we spoke to several Netflix anime creators about what qualifies as anime, how anime is evolving, and more.
Featured in this interview are Castlevania producer Adi Shankar, Cannon Busters showrunner and longtime animator LeSean Thomas (whose previous work includes The Boondocks and The Legend of Korra), renowned Japanese director Shinji Higuchi (whose new series, Dragon Pilot, is coming to Netflix on September 21), and director of anime at Netflix John Derderian. Be sure to read our roundup of Netflix's latest anime announcements for more details on the upcoming series. The following interview has been edited for length and clarity.
I want to start off with something you [LeSean Thomas] said on Twitter very recently about defining anime. I think anime fans are very big on defining what is and what is not anime, and with series like Castlevania and Cannon Busters, that's something certain people get testy about. What does "anime" mean to you as a creator and with Netflix in particular?
LeSean Thomas: I mean I think that's a fascinating question, and it's almost always the case with Americans or Westerners asking other Americans or Westerners what anime is and what it isn't. I have yet to see, at all, anyone asking a Japanese animation director or creator or producer...what anime is, because then that would sort of be counterproductive to their argument of what they believe anime is because of the lens in which they're viewing anime as a descriptor, from a Western point of view. So usually anime is associated with the belief that the animation is only from Japanese creators and Japanese people, all animated by Japanese animators.
It can't be identified as anime as they view it as a Western descriptor unless that's the case. If there's an American creator working with Japanese animators, then this vocal minority that we're already talking about don't view it as anime. So these are arbitrary rules, created to sort of control...or protect, if you will, this sort of identity that they attach to the bodies of works. I mean, it's been a topic of discussion for the last few years with me and other people. I would sort of deflect the question towards [Shinji Higuchi] to see what he would think about that question.
These are arbitrary rules, created to sort of control...or protect, if you will, this sort of identity that [fans] attach to bodies of works.
Shinji Higuchi: It's very difficult to answer. If I'd only worked on anime, I'd probably have a lot more concrete vision about that...When it comes to working on animation, I'm kind of on the [fringes]. So now that I'm producing animation, there's a certain theory to creating anime, but I'm creating this animation [Dragon Pilot] on the assumption, like, how much of that theory I can break.
The protagonist is not the definition of "kawaii" at all. The character, or the protagonist--there tend to be a certain personalities that comes with [that] you expect from the anime characters, but we want to take another look at what it should be when we develop the characters for the show.
[...]
John Derderian: [At Netflix], we're trying to enable vision, and it kinda touches on your question [about] people that love anime. Someone on my team that always talks about anime as a "tribe" of people with passion and deep love, reference points, a catalog. You can talk to LeSean for an hour about every reference he has. There's such a love, and [Thomas and Adi Shankar] are a part of that "tribe" of anime and so they can step to the table and make the best anime there is. They can step to the table and contribute to that conversation and that evolution of anime.
But to be clear, Netflix is doing a ton of more traditional, manga- and light novel-based anime and we will continue to do a ton of that. We've invested heavily in Japan, into partnering with the the studios in Japan to basically enable an art form that has been--especially 2D animation, which has been struggling and kind of disappearing a bit. We think it's one of the greatest art forms on earth and we wanna continue to support it, and the home of anime is Japan.
There also seems to be a group of people that are highly attached to simulcast anime rather than the Netflix style of releasing a whole season at once. Like with Little Witch Academia--a lot of people were really upset about having to wait for that show.[Editor's note: Little Witch Academia was released on US Netflix as a full season after the Japanese broadcast had concluded.] Is simulcasting something you consider at Netflix?
Derderian: I mean for us, the challenge with the simulcast window is none of the rest of Netflix is on that window. So it creates little bit of a challenge for us--and we have tried it and we'll probably experiment around it--but overall we'd rather invest and get the best subs and dubs we can get. Let people experience it how they want to, whether they want the dub experience or the subtitle experience, but it does take a couple of months [to produce].
The best [solution] is we're doing a lot of original anime, and in that there is no waiting anywhere. They'll launch in Japan and the US at the same time with all the complements of language assets. We want to invite a lot of people into anime, so dubs are often way to do that, but we also wanna give someone who loves the Japanese voice actors to listen to them and understand that.
Is it a different process working on a typical episode-by-episode TV schedule versus the Netflix-style full-season package?
Higuchi: I really don't have too much experience delivering [a show in package form] except for a standalone movie. So when we create a series that is broadcast episode by episode by episode, we always have to think about how we can keep the audience captured, wanting to know what's next. So we want to keep their interest for a week or so.
So when we produce [a show episode by episode] we can use the user's imagination. So when users finish watching the show, they can kind of use their imaginations about the stories they just watched...That one week [gap] can be utilized very effectively. So when the episode is done, you have [to wait] one week, and then another episode airs...But if we're going to do [in the Netflix style] we won't be able to use that particular method.
When we create a series that is broadcast episode by episode by episode, we always have to think about how we can keep the audience captured, wanting to know what's next.
Thomas: I guess essentially you would associate it with watching a box set of a series that you haven't seen yet. You sit down and you watch them all at once. So what we're doing is we're comparing experiences. I don't think it has any impact on whether the show is good or not, right? ...We are talking about a new form of information sharing, and content consumption weekly is largely rooted by advertising bias and advertisers being able to maintain the draw of a season so that they [can] continue to generate money to sell product. With a packaged deal, it's kinda like buying DVD box sets. So for me, you're getting the same results, you're just getting it over a stretch of time...I guess what we're saying is, "Which one is better? Which one do you prefer?" And I think that it's up to the individual.
Adi Shankar: It's allowing new types of creators and new types of information to get out there globally. It's no mystery why people are abandoning movie theaters, because there's no room for experimentation, you're locked into a format. You're locked into a time length, right? If I describe my day, and you describe your day, and we have the same five seconds to tell that story, it's gonna sound kind of similar. But all of a sudden, if you're like, "Well, can you describe your day with nuance over 10 hours?" All of a sudden, that same story, even if we have the exact same story, we're gonna tell it differently. The beats are gonna move, right? So, it's not even experimentation, it's creating the blueprint for the way stories are going to be told going forward.
Fortnite Season 5 is on the way, and that means another big patch is incoming soon. The servers will go down for an indefinite amount of time, and once the staging is all finished the Season 5 changes will finally be revealed.
According to a tweet from Epic Games, the server downtime will begin tomorrow, July 12 at 4 AM ET / 1 AM PT / 8 AM GMT. In a linked Reddit thread, the team also notes that this patch will be larger than normal, and recommends checking to make sure your auto-update settings are on. Plus, be prepared for possible slow download speeds, and save any content you want from your existing replays.
Epic has been dropping hints in the lead-up to the Season 5 launch. Rifts that appeared after a missile launch have been transporting objects in and out of the game world. That includes foreign historical objects popping up out of thin air inside Fortnite, and some Fortnite objects showing up in the real world.
Those clues have led to suspicion that this season will have some kind of time-travel or history theme, which seems supported by Epic's choices of teaser images. You can check out everything we know so far while we not-so-patiently await to see what's in store this time around.
By Anonymous on Jul 11, 2018 10:25 pm Join us as we jump into Sonic Mania's new Encore DLC, which includes new playable characters, remixed stages, and more.
If you own a PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, or PS Vita, you can save money on hundreds of games right now. Sony is running a massive mid-year sale on the PlayStation Store, with discounts on games like Fallout 4 ($18), Diablo III: Eternal Collection ($36), and Assassin's Creed Origins ($36). Sweetening the deal even more is that PlayStation Plus members get an extra 10% off the sale prices. The ongoing sale runs through July 17, and you might think that's all the discounts you'll get this week. You'd be wrong, though not by much. A small handful of other games have gotten discounts on the PlayStation Store, so let's dive in.
Grand Theft Auto V has been one of the best-selling games each year since its initial launch in 2013. It's hard to imagine anyone who could possibly be interested not having already bought it. But seeing as it was the best-selling game in June 2018 on the PSN in the US, that's apparently not the case. If you haven't added this massive blockbuster game to your collection, you can grab it this week on PS4 for the all-time low price of $20.
Other new discounts on the PlayStation Store include Dead Cells, a Metroid-style roguelike that's coming to PS4 on August 7. It's been getting lots of positive buzz during its early access period on PC, so it may be worth pre-ordering for $20 instead of its regular price of $25 once it launches.
PSVR owners can pick up Eagle Flight and Werewolves Within for $20 each this week, and Resident Evil fans may want to grab Umbrella Corps while it's available for the same price. Finally, party people can grab a pile of multiplayer mini-games with the Jackbox Party Quadpack, on sale for $42.
If this week's new deals seem paltry, just hop over Sony's massive mid-year sale for big savings on hundreds of other games.
When Terminator 2: Judgement Day returned to theaters in 2017 with a 3D re-release, it was refreshing to see how much the film still held up, even though the technology used to make movies has so drastically changed. However, there are a few things that stand out as looking rather dated.
One of those moments is when viewers see things from the Terminator's (Arnold Schwarzenegger) point of view. The user interface of the T-800 looked rather simple, old, and very red. With a sequel to Terminator 2 heading to theaters in 2019, though, the team at visual effects studio Territory partnered with Adobe to give Arnold's robot character a new view of the world.
Territory Studio, the team whose recent visual effects work was featured in Avengers: Infinity War and Blade Runner 2049, put the Adobe XD user experience design software to the test and managed to created a reimagined heads-up display for the T-800 that visually seems a lot more believable when watching the film in 2018.
"The biggest challenge we faced in the project is taking such an iconic screen and building out something that is as complex as the technology that we know and making it feel a part of the Terminator canon," Territory Studio motion designer Brandon Mata says.
While it remains to be seen what the T-800's UI will look like in the next Terminator film--or if viewers will see anything from his point of view--what Territory and Adobe have come up with is exciting to see. The user interfaces of computers don't look quite like they did in 1981 anymore and given that the T-800 is from the future, perhaps it's time to start thinking with the future in mind. After all, every computer needs an upgrade at some point.
Whatever the case, it's interesting to look back and see just how wrong the world was about what the future would look like. Whether it's Demolition Man thinking cursing would be outlawed and Taco Bell would be the last restaurant standing after the so-called "franchise wars" or movies like Terminator 2 having very simple ideas about the technology that was to come, clearly those making the guesses were way off.
That's okay, though. Thanks to unofficial upgrades like this and the actual Demolition Man themed Taco Bell coming to San Diego Comic-Con, fans of these movies are getting the best of both worlds.
Fortnite Season 5 is just around the corner, and Epic has been steadily hinting at a historical or time travel theme this time around. Those clues are slowly getting more explicit, and the latest teaser image appears to be at it again--perhaps even showing an upcoming piece of equipment in the process.
The teaser image dropped on Twitter shows a stylized axe similar to Viking and Scandinavian hatchets. We can probably expect to see the axe make an appearance in Fortnite proper, perhaps as part of the Season 5 Battle Pass, which should be full of new cosmetic rewards. The same image appeared in today's in-game updates menu, with the phrase "Worlds Collide." That would seem to tie in with everything we've seen happening in the past few weeks.
For days, Fortnite has been home to strange time-bending shenanigans. After a missile launch appeared to open rifts in the map, strange historical objects have been phasing into existence. The effect goes both ways, too, as some items that have disappeared from the Fortnite map have popped up in unexpected places in the real world. Or sometimes, llamas. All of that has led to speculation of a time-travel theme for Season 5, which this latest tease seems to imply as well. The objects popping up in-game don't seem to match the time period, so this all stands to reason.
Fortnite Season 5 is scheduled to begin on Thursday, July 12, at 1 AM PDT / 4 AM EDT / 9 AM BST / 6 PM AET, so you have precious little time left to finish the Season 4 challenges. You can also take that time to finish your fan film for a screening and a bunch of V-Bucks.
Let's get extreme, but not in like a late-90s/early-00s type of way with dirtbikes doing backflips and drinking Mountain Dew while wearing Jnco jeans. WWE is taking things to the extreme in its aptly titled Extreme Rules PPV. It is coming to the WWE Network on Sunday, July 15, and the show will take place at the PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA.
This will be the eighth major WWE event of the year, including the bizarre Greatest Royal Rumble PPV back in April. Last year, WWE produced 16 PPVs, but only four of them were dual-branded--meaning both superstars from Raw and Smackdown appeared on them. Now, in 2018--post-Wrestlemania 34--all WWE PPVs are dual-branded, which will cut down on the amount of events the company holds, which was every two weeks at times. WWE will be holding special events, like the previously mentioned Greatest Royal Rumble in Saudi Arabia and October's Super Show-Down in Australia. In total, WWE has 14 PPVs planned for 2018.
Extreme Rules
This PPV may give WWE fans some insight as to what's happening August 19 at Summerslam, which will once again take place at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. A few of the matches that happen here may even happen again next month. One of the newest rivalries that has legs to carry into next month is Braun Strowman vs. Kevin Owens. While their steel cage match is the first, big, sanctioned match for their rivalry, it won't be their last, regardless of the outcome.
In addition to the Monster Among Men taking on Owens in a cage, the rivalry between former Intercontinental Champion Seth Rollins and and current title holder Dolph Ziggler continues at Extreme Rules and has a good chance to carry into Summerslam as well. The two wrestlers have put on stellar matches in their previous meetings with each other, and a 30-minute iron man match is the perfect way to showcase both of their talents and build on the stories WWE has been setting up the past couple of months.
Start Time
12 AM BST (July 16)
7 PM ET
6 PM CT
5 PM MT
4 PM PT
Per usual, a Kickoff Show will air on the WWE Network--and most likely YouTube--one hour prior. As of this writing, there are eleven matches on the card for the evening, one of which will be on the Kickoff. Everyone who's getting ready for Extreme Rules has their favorites to win each match, and GameSpot is no different. We've gone through the upcoming card and decided with great certainty who will win each of these matches. There may be a few title changes for the evening, but one thing is for sure: it's going to be a Happy Rusev Day, no matter who wins.
Make sure to come back to GameSpot on Sunday, July 17 for live coverage of WWE's Extreme Rules as well as some followup pieces as well. If you're looking for more wrestling, check out some rumors about the PPV and these WWE movie cameos you might have missed.
The New Day vs. Sanity (Tables Match) (Extreme Rules Kickoff)
Kicking off the whole Extreme Rules event is New Day vs. newcomers Sanity in a tables match. The two have been at each other's throats for the past few weeks, so they'll have a chance to put each other through tables in the opening match of the evening. Sanity is still new and could use a good push, so I'm giving the win to them.
Our prediction: Sanity wins
Second prediction: Nikki Cross shows up
Braun Strowman vs. Kevin Owens (Steel Cage Match)
For months, I was waiting for Strowman to enter the main event picture and take the title off of Brock Lesnar. Additionally, after Chris Jericho left WWE, I was waiting for a storyline that was worthy of Kevin Owens' talent. The WWE Creative Gods have finally answered my prayers. After being trapped inside a port-a-potty and flipped over--which is Strowman's specialty--Owens found himself on the Extreme Rules card with the Monster Among Men in a steel cage match. This is perfect for this storyline, and it's easily one of the best-built matches on the card. No matter the outcome, the audience will be the winner. However, this is a rivalry I want to see continued into Summerslam, especially since Lesnar isn't going away any time soon, so an Owens win makes sense here to have him continuously taunt Strowman, who will demand a rematch.
Our prediction: Owens wins
Roman Reigns vs. Bobby Lashley
In the continuing saga of "Who Does Vince Think The Audience Will Buy As Brock's Next Opponent?" Bobby Lashley has stepped up to the plate. However, he has to get through Roman "I'm Always The #1 Contender Regardless Of My Win/Loss Record" Reigns. As much as I don't care for Lashley, I'd much rather see him in a main event picture over Reigns, if those are our only choices right now. Do we really need to see Lesnar/Reigns again? At least with Lashley, we'll get to see more than just six Superman Punches for 15 minutes. And Lashley has the build, strength, and durability to last against "The Beast."
Our prediction: Lashley wins
Finn Bálor vs. "Constable" Baron Corbin
Maybe it's just me--I hope not--but Baron Corbin dropping the "Lone Wolf" gimmick and becoming the "Constable" for Stephanie McMahon has reinvigorated his career. This should be a fun match and maybe even one of the surprises of the evening. While I want Balor back in the main event picture, this rivalry has legs, and because of that, I'm giving the win to Corbin in hopes it continues into Summerslam.
Our prediction: Corbin wins
Deleters of Worlds (c) vs. The B-Team
(For the Raw Tag Championship)
Raw's tag team division is a bit of a mess. It feels like it's in this weird holding pattern, and there's just not a lot of hype around it. Something needs to change, and while a win for The B-Team may not be the kick in the butt the division needs, it's a push in the right direction for now.
Our prediction: The B-Team wins
The Bludgeon Brothers (c) vs. Team Hell No
(For the Smackdown Tag Championship)
Smackdown's tag division isn't much better than Raw's. The Bludgeon Brothers have run through the entire division on the Tuesday night show, and it's made all attempts at someone else winning the title futile in the process. Luckily, Team Hell No is back and provided some hope for Smackdown's tag team scene. While I'm hoping this is all another stepping-stone to get Bryan to take on Miz at Summerslam, I think Bryan and Kane have a chance to win the titles.
Our prediction: Team Hell No wins
Carmella (c) vs. Asuka (with James Ellsworth suspended above the ring in a Shark Cage)
(For the Smackdown Women's Championship)
After more wacky James Ellsworth antics on the July 10 episode of Smackdown, General Manager Paige decided that his meddling had gone far enough, and during Extreme Rules, he will be suspended above the ring in a shark cage, so Carmella and Asuka can have a fair fight. Originally, I assumed Ellsworth would accidentally help Asuka. However, the stipulation will still affect the finish in some way. My new prediction is that Ellsworth will somehow find a way to cheat--maybe he has brass knuckles he tosses down to Mella--getting her disqualified and giving Asuka the win. However, Asuka won't win the belt, and the two will have a rematch at Summerslam.
New prediction: Asuka wins by DQ
See original prediction below.
Hopefully, I'm not the only person who is excited James Ellsworth is back, even though Carmella doesn't need him around anymore. Obviously, Ellsworth will be involved, even though Carmella and Asuka could easily have a great match on their own. In a perfect world, this would be a great match to showcase Carmella and have her look like a champion who could stand on her own. However, I have a feeling Ellsworth is going to ruin it for her, and Asuka will somehow get the win.
Our prediction: Asuka wins after Ellsworth interference goes wrong
Dolph Ziggler (c) vs. Seth Rollins (30-Minute Iron Man match)
(For the Intercontinental Championship)
Remember when Dolph Ziggler won the United States Championship and abandoned it? Well, now he's the Intercontinental Champion, and I'm surprised he didn't walk away from this one as well. Ziggler and Seth Rollins have been putting on some stellar matches, so an Iron Man bout feels like the perfect fit. This is going to be a close one, but I'm giving Ziggler the win.
Our prediction: Dolph Ziggler wins
Alexa Bliss (c) vs. Nia Jax (Extreme Rules match)
(For the Raw Women's Championship)
Nia Jax will get her rematch for the Raw Women's Championship after Alexa Bliss cashed in her Money in the Bank contract last month. Jax, as champion, didn't work exceptionally well the first time, primarily because she was switched from face to heel in order to take on Ronda Rousey, which made no sense. Until her character can get back on track, Bliss should and will remain champion.
Our prediction: Alexa Bliss wins
Jeff Hardy (c) vs Shinsuke Nakamura
(For the United States Championship)
After spending the past couple months kicking AJ Styles in the groin, Shinsuke Nakamura has moved on to challenge Jeff Hardy for his United States Championship. This has to be a turning point for Nakamura. His character is working so well as a heel, and he's got to win a title sooner or later. A long-term rivalry between these two would be great, but it needs to start with a Nakamura win.
Our prediction: Shinsuke Nakamura wins
AJ Styles (c) vs. Rusev
(For the WWE Championship)
Happy Rusev Day! Anyone else feel like this match came out of left field? Sure, Rusev has a huge following behind him as of late, and at some point, he should be back in the title picture, but this feels a little too quick. AJ Styles has been a phenomenal champion for Smackdown, and it's just not time for the title to go to someone else yet.
Our prediction: AJ Styles wins
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