Venom is kind of like Spider-Man's evil twin. The character is a symbiote, an alien lifeform that attaches itself to a sentient host. He gives the host many abilities, some of which are similar to Spider-Man's except, instead of shooting elastic webs, the host's body essentially becomes them at will.
With some versions of the character, Venom is an anti-hero, while in other interpretations, he's a straight up villain. What's unique about this movie is that it's a Venom standalone film which means the focus will not be on Venom vs. Spider-Man; it's all about Venom and his host. We are expecting to get a pretty good look into Venom's abilities and the power dynamic between symbiote and host.
What It's About
The Venom standalone movie will follow provocative journalist Eddie Brock as he gets as he's infected by the Venom symbiote. The degree of power that it has over its human host is in a state of constant flux, so there's always some question as to who is in the drivers seat. It looks like this symbiote has some plans beyond kickin' it inside Eddie though.
Venom attaches itself to Brock when he investigates a shady corporation called the Life Foundation which is rumored to be taking "volunteers" and testing something on them that inevitably ends in their death. Conflict ensues as Brock is unsure how much control he has over Venom.
Who's Who
Crew
Venom will be directed by Ruben Fleischer who also directed Zombieland and Gangster Squad.
There are several writers credited with penning the screenplay, including Kelly Marcel, Will Beall, Scott Rosenberg, and Jeff Pinker.
Cast
Eddie Brock and Venom will be played by hollywood's favorite Australian bad boy, Tom Hardy who has featured in titles like Inception, Mad Max, and The Dark Knight Rises.
Riz Ahmed who you may know from HBO's The Night Of, plays Carlton Drake, the corporate hotshot who has some morally questionable ideas about what the symbiotes mean for humanity.
Michelle Williams from Manchester By The Sea will play Ann Weying, an employee for Drake and Brock's love interest.
Jenny Slate, the comedian who voices Marcel The Shell and has appeared Parks and Recreation, will play Dora Skirth, a young scientist who helps Brock figure out what's going on with the symbiotes.
A full length trailer has been released for Venom that opens with a look into Eddie Brock's day-to-day life. He's a reporter who has made a living by asking powerful people questions that they don't want to answer; this is how he meets Carlton Drake. While trying to learn more about Drake's nefarious activities, he encounters a human who has a symbiote inside them and unwittingly transfers it to Brock. When Brock starts hearing voices in his head and watches his limbs turn into black, dextrous matter, he's pretty sure something is up.
We get a good look at Venom, and in the trailer and he is pretty freaky looking, with an incredibly long tongue and multiple rows of teeth. His amorphous black musculature is probably the coolest part though; it erupts from Tom Hardy when he needs to fight some guys off, re-attach himself to a motorcycle in mid-air. You know, normal stuff.
What We Want At Comic-Con
Sony will have a Hall H presentation at San Diego Comic-Con that, in all likelihood, will include Venom. We are unsure who will attend, but we hope the cast and crew will be there.
One of the biggest remaining mysteries about the movie is how Woody Harrelson will feature in the plot. Hopefully someone on the panel, preferably Harrelson himself, will officially confirm the casting and offer some insight into his character.
A really big question that still needs answering about Venom in general, is whether he will crossover with Spider-Man or any other MCU characters. The answer is probably no for this movie. The issue is that while Disney owns the film rights to all the Avenger characters, Sony owns the film rights to the Spider-Man characters (including Venom), and only loaned them to Disney so that they could make a Spider-Man franchise that would be a part of the Avengers. For now, it looks like Sony is creating their own MCU which means a crossover is unlikely.
Luckily, we won't have to wait too long after San Diego Comic-Con to see the movie. Venom hits theaters October 5.
Fortnite Season 5 has kicked off with a distinctly historical theme. As we may have guessed from the Scandinavian axe teaser, Viking paraphernalia plays a big part in this season, including its biggest XP chase. The Legendary "Ragnarok" skin is the level 100 Battle Pass reward, but it also lets you customize your look as you upgrade it.
The skin sports six different styles in all, each adding another few pieces of armor or kit or facial hair as you progress. You begin as a tough-looking but otherwise standard warrior, and by the end you can dress up as a pretty terrifying specter.
Level 1: Default
Level 2: Unlock at 35,000 XP
Level 3: Unlock at 75,000 XP
Level 4: Unlock at 125,000 XP
Level 5: Unlock at 250,000 XP
Level 6: Unlock at 500,000 XP
You can check out the full range of looks above and let your envy at those final skins act as your encouragement to grind out the proper amount of XP. This season also introduces a host of other changes, including an All-Terrain Kart for transporting your crew, a bunch of new changes and additions to the map, motion controls on Switch, autofire on mobile, and more. A separate Drift skin also is also available through the Battle Pass with its own variety of looks from XP milestones. Be sure to check out our full roundup of the changes along with our challenge guide to grind out that Ragnarok XP.
The Fortnite community is packed with skilled players who are likely eager to learn more. And with Season 5 finally online, chances are you're looking for new ways you can overcome the incoming competition. If you're keen on winning, you need to know the ins and outs of everything you can do in the game. Not only do you need to outsmart and outgun other players--you need to effectively use your building capabilities to traverse the map, fortify your positions, and beat out the competition. Luckily, the changes that Season 5 does make don't do much to alter the core mechanics of the game.
Players who've been around the block in Fortnite: Save the World have no doubt picked up a lot of tactics, strategies, and pieces of information that can help elevate them to multiplayer success. For everyone else, it can be tough to pick up on all of Fortnite's idiosyncrasies and hidden bits of information--especially since the free Battle Royale mode doesn't include a tutorial.
Experienced players are likely looking to improve while adjusting to fast-paced nature of the game. But even advanced players might need a new tip or two better their skills. In the slides ahead you can find 10 tips to help expert players get an edge over the competition in time for Season 5.
Speaking of which, a sea of intrigue developed around Fortnite Season 5 with a slew of mysterious teases that pre-empted the event. However, the new update is finally active and packed with a bunch of new stuff including map changes, new skins, and a new Battle Pass. "Viking ships, desert outposts, and ancient statues have appeared across the island," reads the official description from Epic Games. "Hop in an All Terrain Kart (ATK) with your squad and uncover all-new mysteries and locations that await." For all the details on the new content, here's what you need to know about everything offered in the Season 5 update, as well as a look at the game's current weekly challenges.
It really is tough to overestimate how crucial sound is in Fortnite. You'll use it to catch people sneaking up on you, zero in on enemies who are shooting at you, and track players for ambushes. You're at a disadvantage listening to the game over your computer speakers, TV speakers, or even a sound system, when compared to players who are armed with a quality pair of surround sound headphones. Sound is possibly the best tool in your arsenal in Fortnite, so make sure you're able to use it as effectively as possible.
Speed Is Key Early On
As you get the hang of the map, you'll want to move as fast as you can to find good weapons early. That starts with your jump from the game's flying party bus at the beginning of each match: If you're confident in your fighting abilities, pick a spot with lots of buildings, and dive straight for it. Avoid falling over hills and other high-elevation areas, as these will cause your glider to auto-deploy sooner than if you dive toward lower-elevation spots like water or canyons. The idea is to fall to earth as fast as you can, so that you can beat other players to the guns--and take them down.
While it's good for new players to close doors behind them to protect themselves, once you're used to the flow of the game, you don't have to worry about hiding yourself nearly as much. Get into a building, find what's useful, and move on as fast as you can--the ol' "loot and scoot" approach. Acquiring high-quality guns early will set you up for success against players who have weaker gear than you, so get used to moving on to new locations quickly, and looting as much as you can as fast as you can. Just be cautious about it, so that you don't bumble into an ambush.
Don't Pick Up Everything
Among the best habits you can make as you advance your Fortnite career is to be discerning about what you pick up and what you leave behind. It's tempting to snatch up everything you come across--because you never know when you might want to switch between a pistol, a rifle, and a shotgun, right? In practice, though, you'll probably use one or two guns for most of a match, unless you've got the rarer and more useful ones like sniper rifles, miniguns, and rocket launchers. Having a handful of white or green pistols that you don't intend to use will just slow you down when it comes time to switch out for better loot. Instead, make quick decisions about what you need and what you don't, and act accordingly. Stopping to manage your inventory can leave you vulnerable, so grab only what you really need, and learn to ignore the less useful loot. Also: While you have to manually pick up weapons and items, ammo gets picked up automatically... so if you're looking at a pile of loot and all you want are the bullets, save time by just running over it to avoid accidentally picking up the wrong stuff.
Double Up Your Guns For Added Damage
While you're being discerning about what guns you pick up, remember that two of the same weapon can actually be pretty useful--particularly when it comes to the pump shotgun and the bolt-action sniper rifle. By having two of these guns in adjacent inventory slots, you can avoid the wait between shotgun pumps or sniper reloads, and instead just switch to your second version of the gun to fire a second shot immediately. The quick switch can be tough to get used to, but with the power that this move affords you, it's worth training yourself to switch rather than wait to reload. It's a great way to maximize your lethality against other players.
Chop Down Trees For More Wood
Where you get your materials matters. Especially early on, you want to grab as much wood as you can manage, as it's highly useful in battles and for protection. You can bash down buildings and break up boxes for wood with your pickaxe--but as it happens, these dispense less wood than trees. Pick the right tree, and you can gather up 40-plus units of wood from a single node, quickly filling up your materials and giving you plenty to use in a pinch. Pine trees whose green portions reach close to the ground tend to be the best, but it's worth experimenting as you play, to learn where on the map you can get the most materials fastest.
The same is true with other materials. Brick walls yield some brick, but piles of rocks out in the wilderness are even better. You can also get a decent haul of metal from destroying vehicles, but be wary: Sometimes, smashing up a car will set off its alarm, which can draw other players to your location.
Wood Trumps Metal (In Certain Cases)
Materials in Fortnite have a few little quirks. Generally, wood is the weakest material, while brick is a little stronger, and metal is the strongest. In practice, this means that wood structures can take the least amount of damage before they break altogether, brick structures have more health than wood, and metal structures have the most health. Heavier materials come with drawbacks, though. Brick structures take longer to build (and reach full health) than wood structures do, and metal takes the longest.
Wood really shines when it comes to quickly dropping walls in the middle of a firefight. The thing is, a freshly spawned, incomplete wood wall starts with more health than a freshly spawned, incomplete brick or metal wall (100 health points for the wood, 70 for the brick or metal). That means a wood wall can save you from more shots when you're building in the heat of battle than the other two materials. The easiest way to think about it is this: A fresh wood wall will collapse after two close-range shotgun blasts when you first drop it; a brick or metal wall will collapse after only one shotgun blast. Use wood for firefights, and save your brick and metal for stronger fortifications closer to the end of a match.
Take (Or Build) The High Ground
High ground will win you fights in Fortnite, and that doesn't just mean high hills or cliffs--although these offer better vantage points in general. In firefights, practice quickly building upward as you fight enemies. You can drop walls and then ramps to protect yourself as you climb, and shooting down on other players nets you more headshots and damage, while offering you better protection. Quickly making a ramp surrounded by walls means that you can jump up and take potshots at enemies below while also making yourself extremely tough to hit. When you can, build up for the advantage... and if the other player is trying to get above you, try to get higher or force them to change locations, to take their advantage away. Just make sure to quickly pop wood walls in front of your ramps, lest the other player blast them out from under you. Hitting the bottom of a ramp will collapse it, and the damage you take from falling could cost you the fight (and the match).
Watch For (And Mark) Supply Drops
Every so often, the flying bus will drop a supply crate. The crates' drop positions are marked by blue smoke grenades on the ground, and they float down on balloons once they're dropped. These crates contain some of the best loot in the game, including the minigun and rocket launcher, so they're definitely worth your attention--but they're likely to attract other players, too.
Supply drops are great places for an ambush, and one way to pin down where the drop will be is to "mark" it. Like just about everything in Fortnite, supply drops are destructible, and you can damage their balloons from afar with your gun. Doing so causes the crate's health bar to pop up, which stays on your screen even if structures or other things obstruct your line of sight to the crate itself. Marking crates means that you can more easily get to them when they hit the ground, but be ready to fight anyone else with the same idea.
Use The Storm To Your Advantage
The ever-advancing storm--the circle that constantly contracts to make the play area smaller and smaller--is a danger that you constantly need to avoid in Fortnite. It also affords some benefits, however. While the storm damages you when you're in it, for much of any given match, that damage is not immediately deadly. You can sometimes use this tactically; the edge of the storm is a great place to catch desperate players as they scramble to get to safety. Conversely, you might be able to duck through the tough-to-see-through edge early in the match to lose anyone in the eye of the storm who's battling you (although that's a tough gamble, and not for everyone).
Especially in a match's endgame, the storm can be a tool as much as it is a danger. It lets you ensure that you won't be attacked from behind when you keep close to its edge. If you're more centrally located and can take up a good position, the shrinking circle can help you as it forces players to either take storm damage, or move toward you and open themselves up to attack. It's important to always stay aware of the circle--but as the match draws toward its end, keep thinking about where you can set yourself up to use the storm as a weapon against your enemies.
Complete Daily Challenges To Earn V-Bucks
V-Bucks are Fortnite's premium currency, which can be used to purchase cosmetic items to make your character wear cooler clothes or deploy more fun emotes. The best way to get an effective amount of V-Bucks is to buy them with real money. If you're willing to put in the time, it's also possible to earn a few just by playing the game--but it'll take you a while.
Playing Fortnite earns you experience points based on your performance in a match, and each time you earn enough, you level up, which earns you one "Battle Star." After grabbing 10 Battle Stars, you advance to a new "tier," and at certain tiers, you unlock new emotes and other items. It's possible to earn tiers faster by completing Daily Challenges, which are listed on the Lobby screen when you log into Fortnite. Challenges require you to complete special actions, like killing a set number of players with a specific gun. Challenges give you a bunch of experience points and five Battle Stars for completing them, which can help you earn tiers a lot quicker. If you're playing for free, you can earn 100 V-Bucks roughly every 14 tiers (which isn't very much).
Your return on investment is slightly better if you pony up the money to purchase the V-Bucks for a "Battle Pass," which will run you 950 V-Bucks--or a little less than $10 ($9.99 buys you 1,000 V-Bucks). The Battle Pass puts you on a different, much more rewarding tier track, allowing you to earn a lot more cosmetic gear as you level up. The Battle Pass track also includes V-Bucks, dishing out 100 V-Bucks once about every seven tiers, but it also comes with experience point boosts that can get you there quicker.
With a new season in Fortnite: Battle Royale comes a new Battle Pass. Season 5 is officially live, and with it, we have the Season 5 Battle Pass. For those already familiar with past versions, the basics of how it works have not changed dramatically--you'll play, complete challenges, rank up, and earn rewards--hopefully including the sought-after level 100 skin, Ragnarok. There are a variety of new skins available along with other cosmetic rewards, and we've also gotten a new category of item called "toys" that you can obtain and then play with during a match.
There are, however, some key differences with the Battle Pass to be aware of. One of changes is great news for those who don't want to pay for any V-Bucks to spend on the Battle Pass but still want new things to do each week. Here's everything you need to know about the Season 5 Battle Pass, including its price, changes to challenges, and the skins you can unlock.
How Does The Battle Pass Work?
The Season 5 Battle Pass operates much as it did in the past. As you play, you level up your profile, which rewards you with Battle Stars. These Battle Stars in turn rank up your Battle Pass, thus unlocking a variety of rewards. These rewards are divided into two tiers: A small number obtainable by all players, and those that are reserved for Battle Pass owners. You don't have to purchase the Battle Pass right away in order to avoid missing out; you can buy it mid-season and retroactively earn the premium rewards based on the tier that you've already reached.
However, there is is a benefit to grabbing the Battle Pass sooner rather than later. Among the premium rewards you'll receive are XP bonuses, both for playing in general and those for playing in a party with friends. Because leveling up with XP translates into Battle Stars (thus ranking up your Battle Pass), it's in your interest to grab the Battle Pass early and benefit from those bonuses. Purchasing the Battle Pass also gets you access to all challenges throughout the season (more on those in a moment), which are an easy way to earn Battle Stars and rank up further.
How Much Does It Cost?
As in the past, the Battle Pass costs 950 V-Bucks, a premium currency obtained with real-world money. Buying the smallest available bundle (1,000 V-Bucks) costs $10, leaving you with 50 V-Bucks to begin saving toward purchasing a skin, cosmetic, or a future Battle Pass. There is no option to buy the Battle Pass directly with real-world money, as had been the plan at one point. That said, it is arguably an excellent value due to the way the Battle Pass rewards you with further V-Bucks (something we dive into further below).
Everyone Gets (Some) Challenges For Free
Weekly challenges have been a big highlight of past Battle Passes. By purchasing one, you'd receive a set of seven new objectives to complete each week, which in turn allowed you to rank up your Battle Pass more quickly and earn rewards. Those without the Battle Pass could still earn a very select number of rewards, but they only had access to a single set of seven Starter challenges for the duration of the season.
For Season 5, there are no Starter challenges. Instead, each set of weekly challenges has been broken up into free and premium sections. These objectives offer up either five or 10 Battle Stars, with the latter being reserved for Hard-difficulty ones. Each week will have one Hard challenge for free players, while the other two are reserved for Battle Pass owners. Notably, the 5k XP bonus available each week is reserved for Battle Pass owners; you have to complete four challenges in a given week to unlock this, meaning it's only possible with access to the week's full suite of challenges.
You Still Get Free V-Bucks
As noted above, the Battle Pass costs 950 V-Bucks, but that arguably pays for itself if you play routinely. Among the premium rewards available in the Battle Pass are V-Bucks--every six to 10 tiers, you'll earn 100 free V-Bucks. (There are also two 100 V-Buck rewards in the free reward tier, at ranks 18 and 34.) By reaching rank 58, you'll have earned 1,000 V-Bucks, which is more than you'll have spent on the Battle Pass in the first place.
There's an additional 500 V-Bucks still to be earned after that, though doing so will require a fair amount of playtime. Epic estimates earning every reward in the Battle Pass takes from 75-150 hours, but if you play regularly and complete a lot of challenges, it shouldn't be hard to earn back most or all of what you invest in the Battle Pass.
Road Trip And Drift Take Are The New Blockbuster And Carbide Challenges
One of Season 4's wrinkles to the Battle Pass was the introduction of Blockbuster and Carbide challenges. These are back for Season 5, but with new names: Road Trip and Drift, respectively. Both of these require you to purchase the Season 5 Battle Pass to complete.
Road Trip challenges task you with completing all seven challenges from any single week. The reward is a loading screen which--if Season 4 is any indication--will lead you to a secret Battle Star that ranks up your Battle Pass by one tier. There are seven Road Trip challenges in total, and by completing all of these (meaning you fully complete seven weeks of challenges), you'll earn a bonus reward that looks to be a Legendary skin. We won't be sure of what it is until at least the seventh week of challenges are live.
Drift challenges are similar to Carbide, in that you're basically just asked to play a lot. This time around, however, rather than being asked to reach a certain level, you're tasked with gaining a certain amount of XP--from 10,000 up to 200,000. Each of the five challenges offers a new style option for the Drift skin, an outfit which you'll receive for free as soon as you buy the Battle Pass. If you complete four of the five Drift challenges (meaning you've earned 100,000 XP total), you'll also receive the Rift Edge harvesting tool, an alternative for the pickaxe.
What Are The Rewards?
You'll immediately get a handful of rewards for purchasing the Battle Pass, including the aforementioned Legendary Drift skin, as well as as the Epic Huntress skin. You also get access to all challenges and an immediate XP bonus, as well as five free Battle Pass tiers for Season 6's Battle Pass.
By ranking up the Battle Pass, you'll earn a variety of skins, V-Bucks, sprays, emoticons, gliders, harvesting tools, back blings, loading screens, emotes, contrails, and XP bonuses. There's also a new type of item, toys, that allow you to play around with others during a match. These include a golf ball and a basketball. You can see every single reward available in our rundown, or check out all of the skins and cosmetics here.
The Last of Us Part 2 writer and co-director Neil Druckmann announced that Ellie will be accompanied by an NPC in the upcoming game. So far the only gameplay of Ellie we've seen is of her fighting solo against a murderous group of enemies, but apparently that isn't representative of the full game. The news broke during a Buzzfeed interview.
Druckmann didn't confirm who the NPC would be, saying, "Well, so, Ellie used to be an NPC, but she's the protagonist in this story, so the player is controlling Ellie. It's safe to say with the game that we made in the past that there will be some NPC with you in this story, even though we're not showing [the NPC] in this demo."
Fans are already beginning to hope that Ellie's companion will be Mina, the woman she kissed in the E3 2018 trailer. However, it could also be Jessie, Mina's ex, who spoke to Ellie at the beginning of the same trailer and seems to patrol on the outside of the protective community like Ellie does. We doubt that Part 2 will pull a switch on the original game's dynamic and make Joel the accompanying NPC, but anything's possible at this point. It might be one of the women from that unsettling Paris Games Week trailer we got last year, or someone we haven't even been introduced to yet.
The Last of Us Part 2's release date hasn't been announced, but we know that the game is launching on PS4. Read up on everything we know about Part 2 so far, and check out our pre-order guide if you already know you want to buy the game.
After coming to PC in March, Warhammer: Vermintide 2 has officially launched on Xbox One. And if you're a subscriber to Microsoft's Game Pass service, you can play it for free. That's good news to anyone who wants to help fight off a rat infestation.
A sequel to Warhammer: End Times - Vermintide, Vermintide 2 is basically like Left 4 Dead in a Warhammer setting. It takes place in the apocalyptic End Times. You and three companions must fight through 13 levels to survive against Chaos soldiers and hordes of humanoid rat creatures called Skaven. You do so by arming yourself with an array of medieval and fantasy weaponry (plus a few guns) and hacking, shooting, and magic-blasting them to ribbons.
From GameSpot's Vermintide 2 impressions: "Vermintide 2 even looks like Left 4 Dead 2 at times, with its same starting camera angles and chatter between characters. But Vermintide 2 is much less predictable; its AI does its best to continually throw new strategies at you. There is no sense of safety, making winning far more satisfying. Tomes and grimoires, which are rewards for risking rat-induced peril and exploring levels, also change the game considerably, adding extra layers of strategy and difficulty. Meanwhile, the diverse class system adds a huge layer of replayability that keeps things fun and varied."
Developer Fatshark says the game has sold well on PC, moving half a million units in its first four days after launch. Not long after it launched, the developer released anupdate that sanded down some of the difficulty spikes. Warhammer: Vermintide 2 is slated to arrive on PS4 sometime this year; you can sign up for a beta here.
Vermintide 2 isn't the only new game to appear on Game Pass this week. Rocket League arrived on June 10, while last week saw the additions of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion and Fallout 3, among others. You can find the full list of Xbox One and Xbox 360 games available on Xbox Game Pass here.
The arrival of Fortnite Season 5 on PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC, and mobile also means there's a brand new Battle Pass featuring a bunch of new cosmetics, ranging from Outfits and Back Bling to Gliders and Contrails. For avid players, this means it's time to start the unlock grind all over, but is it worth the time and effort? We'll let you decide for yourself.
We've put together a look at all of the skins, bling, trails, and gliders that have been added in the latest update, so you can take a look at them and decide whether you really want them. If you're new to Fortnite (where have you been?) and not familiar with how the Battle Pass works, here's what you need to know courtesy of developer Epic Games:
"Play to level up your Battle Pass. The more you play, the more rewards you earn. Level up faster by completing Weekly Challenges. Earn up to 100 rewards worth over 25,000 V-Bucks (typically takes 75 to 150 hours of play). You can purchase the Battle Pass anytime during the season for 950 V-Bucks."
So, to get the rewards, all you've got to do is buy a Battle Pass in-game and then play as much as you can. If you're interested in these rewards, you're better off buying the Battle Pass soon, as you'll receive XP bonuses that will speed up your progression throughout the season. As mentioned above, you can also boost the process by doing weekly challenges, which net you bonus Battle Stars. The first week of Season 5's challenges are up, and you can find a guide on where to find the Risky Reel treasure map and where to search floating lightning bolts.
Finally, the patch that ushered in the new season introduces new gameplay mechanics, changes some of the map, and makes a number of tweaks to the way the game plays and performs, so make sure to read the full Fortnite Season 5 update patch notes. You'll find a new, golf kart-style vehicle that lets you drive around with a full squad, while the map adjustments see a number of significant changes; most notably, there's a huge desert area that replaces Moisty Mire.
DC's spin-off movie focusing on the early life of the Joker had been rumored for some time, but this week it was finally confirmed that it was happening and that Joaquin Phoenix (Gladiator, Walk the Line) will take on the lead role. Now Phoenix has spoke about his decision to play the Clown Prince of Crime.
In an interview with Collider, Phoenix spoke about his process in choosing a role, and how he was impressed by director Todd Philips. "I take a lot of time and consideration when making decisions and what I'm gonna work on, always," he said. "So, in some ways, the process, which is obviously reading a script and meeting a filmmaker and then continuing to have meetings and discussions with Todd."
"I think he's very impressive and he seems to have a very interesting understanding of this world and what he's trying to say," Phoenix continued. "And so there is something very appealing about that and working with him on this particular project. It feels unique, it is its own world in some ways, and maybe, mostly, it scares the f***ing s**t out of me or something. It might as well be the thing that scares you the most."
Phoenix went on to suggest that the Joker origin movie wouldn't be a standard mainstream superhero adventure. "I wouldn't quite classify this as like any genre," he said. "I wouldn't say it's a superhero movie, or a studio movie. It feels unique, and I think more than anything, and probably the most important thing, is Todd seems very passionate about it and very giving, and so that's exciting.
"I think, underneath the excitement of these films, and the size of them, there are these incredible characters that are dealing with real-life struggles. And sometimes that is uncovered and exposed, and sometimes it isn't, and so I always felt, like, there were characters in comics that were really interesting and deserve the opportunity to be kind of studied. And so I think that's what Todd sees appealing about this idea."
Philips is best known for the Hangover movies, and he has also co-written the script for the Joker film. This week it was reported that it will have a budget of around $55 million, which is well below what other DC movies have cost to produce. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the film is "meant to be darker and more experimental in tone and content (at least as experimental as a studio can be with established brands such as DC), which is described as being akin to a crime drama."
The new Joker movie does not currently have a release date and is separate from the other one starring Jared Leto. Phoenix's movie will reportedly have no impact on Leto's portrayal of the Joker in future movies--including Suicide Squad 2and his standalone film.
By Anonymous on Jul 12, 2018 11:22 pm Fortnite Season 5 brings radical map changes to PS4, Xbox One, PC, Switch, and mobile, while a new Pokemon Let's Go trailer shows off customizaton.
Funko has announced a new "Pokemon Pop" line of collectible figurines, starting with the series mascot, Pikachu. The announcement was made official shortly after a fan on the Funko subreddit found one of the figurines at a local Target store.
In fact, the electric mouse will be a Target exclusive, and it will start rolling into stores this month. The store noticed by a fan apparently jumped the gun, but that let the Meowth out of the bag on Funko finally obtaining the Pokemon license. This is the first Pokemon Pop that Funko has produced, and more are sure to be on the way.
Two new Pokemon games are due this year: Let's Go Pikachu and Let's Go Eevee. The pair of Nintendo Switch games share some similarities with the popular Pokemon Go, including the capture mechanics and the ability to transfer your captured monsters with Go. But they also utilize the turn-based battle system of the more mainline Pokemon games. A new trailer showing off the customization options was just released as well. A separate core Pokemon game is coming to Switch in 2019.
Funko has become known for its homages to just about every kind of geek culture imaginable, from big-budget movies like Avengers: Infinity War to retro video games to TV shows like Stranger Things. At E3 2018, Microsoft even gave Funko a brief moment on its stage, announcing the mobile game Gears Pop.
By Anonymous on Jul 12, 2018 11:17 pm Join Ben and Erick as they check out the latest season in Fortnite while trying to accomplish some challenges, drive a golf cart, work on their short game and more.
The Year of Legendary Pokemon rolls on with another pair of free Legendaries for Pokemon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon. Next month, The Pokemon Company is giving away two powerful monsters that originally appeared in Pokemon Black and White versions: Tornadus and Thundurus.
Continuing the trend of previous distributions, the Legendaries will be given out in different ways depending upon your region. US residents can pick up a free download code for the Pokemon at the electronics section of Target from July 13-28; those in Europe can download the Legendaries over the Nintendo Network via Mystery Gift from July 6-22; and players in Canada will receive a code in the Pokemon Trainer Club newsletter.
As before, the Legendaries can be redeemed in any seventh-generation Pokemon game, although the one you receive will differ depending on which version you have. In Sun and Ultra Sun, players will get the Electric-type Thundurus, while those with Moon and Ultra Moon will receive the Flying-type Tornadus. The Pokemon will also come at different levels and know different moves depending upon the game. You can see the moveset for each Legendary below.
Pokemon Ultra Sun
Thundurus -- Level 100 (w/Gold Bottle Cap)
Thunderbolt
Focus Blast
Grass Knot
Nasty Plot
Pokemon Sun
Thundurus -- Level 60
Discharge
Crunch
Charge
Nasty Plot
Pokemon Ultra Moon
Tornadus -- Level 100 (w/Gold Bottle Cap)
Hurricane
Heat Wave
Grass Knot
Tailwind
Pokemon Moon
Tornadus -- Level 60
Air Slash
Crunch
Tailwind
Rain Dance
The code you receive can be redeemed via the Mystery Gift feature from the games' main menu. After selecting it, choose the option to receive your gift with a code/password, input the code, and the Pokemon will be downloaded to your game. (Players in Europe must choose the option to receive their gift via the internet to download their Legendaries.) You'll then be able to pick your Pokemon up from the deliveryman waiting inside any Pokemon Center.
Since February, The Pokemon Company has been giving away free Legendaries for the seventh-gen Pokemon games. Following the Tornadus and Thundurus distribution, players will be able to get the Hoenn Legendaries Groudon and Kyogre in August. In the meantime, you can see all of the free Pokemon available for Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon right now.
Nearly ten months after its release, Fortnite: Battle Royale continues to be a massive success. With the debut of Season 5 on PS4, Xbox One, Switch, PC, and mobile, it seems that players can't get enough of its vibrant take on the battle royale genre. But if you're reading this, chances are you're a newcomer who has taken interest in the game and wants to know what it takes to do well. The Season 5 update revamps the game's map and introduces some new mechanics, such as Rifts that teleport you high up into the air, but the core mechanics of the game remain unchanged.
While you might be familiar with the battle royale games, Fortnite is a bit different. The game continues with the last-player standing format, but adds its own twist that changes everything: you can instantly build walls and stairs, allowing you create fortifications to protect yourself.
Fortnite drops you onto an island with 99 other players, and the last player (or team) left alive wins. Though it's similar to games like PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds, plenty of small differences make Fortnite into a very distinct experience. Knowing what to carry, when to shoot, and what to build are essential if you're going to be the last person alive on the island.
You won't find a tutorial in Fortnite: Battle Royale, so when you drop onto its island, all you have are your wits and whatever you can find along the way. Here's everything you need to know to get a strong start--and maybe survive long enough to find yourself a rocket launcher.
After a slew of mysterious teases that pre-empted the event, the Fortnite Season 5 update is finally active. With it comes a slew of fresh new content including map changes, new skins, and a new Battle Pass. Here's what you need to know about everything offered in the Season 5 update, as well as a look at the game's current weekly challenges.
If you're already a Fornite: Battle Royale veteran, check out our advanced tips guide, the six biggest mistakes that beginners make, and our guide covering all the things that we wish we knew before playing the game. Got any tips you don't see here? Let us know in the comments. And for more on our Fortnite Season 5 coverage, check from the links below.
Fortnite: Battle Royale starts with 100 players dropping out of a vehicle (in this case, a flying bus) onto an island below that's littered with weapons. Check your map at the outset and watch the flight path carefully--where you land is your first big decision in Fortnite, and it can help you get off to a fighting start.
Your first order of business is weapons, and if you're new to the game, you'll also want to try to avoid other players. Weapons are mostly found inside buildings, so pick a drop location with a few structures, but try to avoid major settlements or towns along the flight path early on. Those places have great gear, but also attract a ton of players; you'll want to avoid a fight straight off until you've gotten a little more comfortable with the game. Usually, it's best to hold off jumping for a few seconds to pick your spot and stay away from the largest pack, which usually jumps as soon as the doors open. You can also set waypoints on your map screen, making it easier to locate any structures or settlements you've got in mind for looting.
You'll start your jump by skydiving, but at any time, you can follow the onscreen prompt to deploy your glider. Flipping to your glider early will make you fall slower, allowing you to cover much more distance. Use this to get away from other likely drop points that other players might be headed to, but don't take too long--the faster you hit the ground and gear up, the better. Be sure to keep an eye out for other players dropping nearby as you head down, to avoid getting ambushed or falling into a fight. Your goal is to survive, so as you're learning the ropes, it's best to let other players take each other out, rather than go looking for a battle.
The Storm Is Your Greatest Enemy
Like PUBG, Fortnite matches are dictated by "the circle"--or, in this case, "the storm." Near the start of each match, a large circle will appear on the map in a random position, dictating the eye of the storm. Outside of this circle, the approaching clouds will damage and kill you. A timer in the corner of your screen notes when the storm will contract, creating a new, tighter circle. Over the course of the match, the storm will close in more and more, shrinking the play area on the island and forcing everyone closer together until only one (or one team) remains.
This means that paying attention to the circle's location and the timer are your top priorities. You can't just run to the center of the first circle that appears in a match and stay there, because smaller circles won't always have the same center point. Often, the movement of the circle means you'll have to make a run for it to escape the storm, leaving you vulnerable to attack. Always keep the circle in mind, and know where you need to be. The best practice is to get there quickly and carefully.
Gather Resources First
When you first land on the island in Fortnite: Battle Royale, you'll be armed only with your melee pickaxe. You can fight people with it... but that's not especially effective, and will get you killed against pretty much any other weapon. The pickaxe's main use is for bashing through structures and gathering resources, the latter of which is one of the first things you want to do--provided you're far enough from other people that it won't immediately draw attention. Breaking up anything causes a commotion; for instance, you might destroy some vehicles to get a decent bounty of metal, but you risk triggering its alarm and broadcasting your location to other players.
To start: Smash walls, structures, and (especially) trees, and gather yourself at least 300 units of wood. This will supply you with key materials that can keep you alive. If you switch to the building menu, you'll see that you can cycle through a few structures, like floors, roofs, walls, and stairs. You'll need resources to build those things, so gather materials quickly before taking off toward the circle. It's much safer taking time to gather materials in the early game than it will be later on, and you can smash just about anything to get the wood, brick, and metal necessary to make stuff.
Practice Building (Especially Under Fire)
With your resources in-hand, you'll want to spend your first few matches learning the ways that buildings can help you. Building structures is Fortnite's claim to fame--and using structures creatively will get you out of trouble, help you traverse the map, and provide cover in a firefight. You don't want to be building constantly, but you need to get comfortable with the system, so that you can make whatever you want as fast as possible when things get hairy.
The build menu lets you choose a structure, its material, and its location very quickly. Once you click the button to start building something, it constructs itself automatically. This means that even under fire, building is a viable option: If you start to take fire, you can lay down a wall ahead of you to absorb some of the incoming bullets while you use it as cover and shoot back. Ramps get you over otherwise impassable terrain and can help you create instant high ground that give you an advantage over other players. It's a system that you definitely shouldn't sleep on, because it can give you serious advantages.
Just note that structures make noise as you're constructing them, and messing around in the build menu can leave you vulnerable. Player structures are also visually very conspicuous. The various materials have their pros and cons, too; brick and metal sound like the stronger materials at first blush, but using them in construction takes longer than wood, and they can be tougher to find. In touch-and-go battle situations when you need immediate cover, wood is usually the right call, while brick and metal are better saved for endgame fortifications when you expect to be in tougher fights.
Gear Up
As soon as you hit the ground, it's time to hunt for weapons, so head into a building and grab whatever's there. All your usable items go into one of five inventory slots, located on the bottom of your screen (that goes for guns, as well as health and support items). You'll want to get armed with whatever you can find straight away--but don't be afraid to drop things in favor of better weapons.
Weapons come in several varieties. You'll find close-range shotguns and long-range assault and sniper rifles, as well as pistols, SMGs, and occasionally rocket launchers and more. Weapons also have rarity classifications: Weapons with white auras around them and white icons in your inventory are the most common and also the weakest; green are uncommon and a little better; blue are rare and better still; purple are epic; orange are legendary; and gold are mythic. As a general rule, the higher the tier of the gun--and the better it is. Rarer weapons are often more accurate and more powerful, and come with add-ons like silencers or scopes. Swap out more common guns for rarer ones during the course of the match to increase your firepower.
You'll find a lot of these rarer guns in treasure chests, which are hidden in buildings. These are indicated by a glowing gold light and a humming sound, but they're usually hidden behind walls that you might have to destroy (or attics that you'll need to build stairs to reach). Always try to seek out chests, as they have valuable gear--such as bandages and shield potions--as well as guns. You'll definitely need all the supplies you can get if you want to be a contender in a match's late game.
Keep Quiet
The large scope of Fortnite: Battle Royale's island means that players can spread out quite a bit. Finding other people and avoiding detection are two of your main concerns in a given match, because it's easy to get ambushed or taken out from afar. Especially as matches go on and the play area contracts, you'll be closer to players--and they'll be able to hear you moving around, building, and shooting. Sound and silence are essential tools to victory, and good speakers or headphones is highly recommended to help you get a bead on what's happening around you and locating the source of sounds.
Running is a noisy way to move around, and sprinting is even louder, and even kicks up some dust behind you. You can reduce your movement sounds by crouching and moving more slowly, but note that even rotating your character creates the sound of footsteps. Doors also make a ton of racket, but in Fortnite, you'll often find it's possible to jump through a window and avoid doors entirely. You'll also want to avoid shooting unless absolutely necessary, as the sound is like raising a flag on your location--although silenced weapons help with that issue a great deal.
Finally, gathering resources with your pickaxe and building stuff makes a lot of noise, often for an extended period of time. These are essential to survival at Fortnite, but always be aware that when you smash or build things, you might be giving away your location.
Don't Fight Unless You're (Pretty) Sure You Can Win
Firefights in Fortnite, as in other Battle Royale games, can start out looking like clear victories and quickly become disasters. Your greatest advantage at all times is surprise, but you only have one life to live. This crucial fact means that often, it's better to ignore another player and stay hidden (if you can't get the jump on them), rather than attack them and risk losing it all, even when you have great weapons.
Aiming in Fortnite is a little harrowing as well, which can make actually hitting other players tough at any kind of range. First off, you'll want to pick the right gun for the job: Up close, even a fairly common-level shotgun can be devastating with a headshot, while further away, assault rifles and sniper rifles can take people out before they know what hit them. Take your time, line up your shots, and make sure your opponent is within range so that you take them down before they can react. Survival is your most important goal, so use discretion: If you're not confident you'll be able to take down whoever's in your sights quickly and cleanly, you're probably better off letting them go.
Be Careful In The Open
Players used to PUBG know that the game often consists of sprinting across open ground, trying to get to a closing circle. In Fortnite, moving into the open is just as harrowing, because the cartoonish art style makes you more visible at a distance--and you can't get any lower to the ground than a crouch. This means picking your path when you move in the open is an essential skill to learn, and the players who live the longest typically minimize their time in the open or move smartly to different positions to avoid getting caught.
First, use structures and cover like cliffs and boulders to your advantage, to protect your back or sides and limit the areas you have to keep an eye on. Next, move quickly while in the open, and carefully and slowly when you're in cover. The human eye is built to detect movement, so you're safest when you're not in motion. You can occasionally hide among pine trees or in bushes to make yourself even tougher to spot. You'll also want to make use of Fortnite's third-person perspective to position your character to peek around corners and through doorways before you enter them, and avoid walking into an ambush (or right into someone hiding in a corner, out of your line of sight).
Another quick tip: Close doors behind you. It's an easy way to make it less obvious that you're in a building, and this makes it tougher for other players to track you.
Drink Shield Potions As Soon As You Find Them
Health in Fortnite: Battle Royale is divided into two types: your player health, which is a green bar on the bottom of your screen, and your shield, which is a blue bar--each topping out at 100 points. Shield depletes before health, and when your health is gone, you're dead. You won't start the match with a shield, however, so you'll have to find one.
Treasure chests are the places where you'll often find health items--and in particular, blue shield potions. These take up a space in your limited inventory, and since you won't start the match with a shield, it's usually best to drink these as soon as you find them, as your shield lasts until it takes damage. Shield potions come in two types. Larger shield potions give you 50 shield points, and can be stacked twice to double your health; smaller shield potions give you 25 shield. Only the larger potions can push you up to 100, though: If you use two small shield potions, you'll top out at 50 shield points.
Note that shields won't protect you from falling damage, so take care of yourself. If you can find health items like bandages and medkits, you'll likely want to hang onto them for later use (bandages give you 15 health to a max of 75, while medkits will heal you fully). A rarer healing item called Slurp Juice--which comes in a purple bottle--replenishes your shield and gives you back health over time at a rate of one point per second for 25 seconds, making it more versatile in a sticky situation. Even rarer Chug Jugs are also extremely useful, fully restoring your health and shield, but requiring 15 seconds of your time to use.
Watch For Player Buildings
As matches wear on, you're likely to start seeing player fortifications. The good news is that player buildings are usually square, blank, obvious towers... so you'll usually see them from a distance. They're great indicators of where players are staked out, so if you ever spot a tower or other fortification, you should absolutely approach it with caution--it usually means someone's waiting with a scoped rifle, hoping to take down passersby.
Often, when you're on the ground and spot a tower, it's best to keep clear of it. Usually, fortifications suggest that players are well-stocked and ready for a fight from a distance--and if they're up high, they typically have a line-of-sight advantage. If you're looking to fight someone in a tower or other structure, you're going to want strong weapons. The newly added minigun can chew up materials like wood and brick pretty well, and tough-to-find rocket launchers can absolutely devastate fortifications. You should always try to bring the right tools for the job.
Fall damage can play a big part in some of these fights. If you can destroy the bottom of stairs or the supports of a tower, you might be able to collapse it altogether, so pay attention to how you can use the environment and the construction to your advantage.
Never Trust Cover
No cover in Fortnite is foolproof. Just about everything in the game is destructible--not just player-constructed fortifications. Even buildings on the map can all be wrecked with the right weapons; locations that feel safe generally aren't, and every wall can be destroyed in the middle of battle.
This means that even when you're hiding out or grabbing cover in a firefight, you should always be prepared to move, strafe, run, and otherwise do your best to avoid fire. Walls won't save you--and especially late in the game, the likelihood of someone bringing along a rocket launcher or minigun to a battle increases tremendously. Those things annihilate cover pretty easily, so learn not to rely on it. Mobility is often your greatest ally, so jump and build to give yourself additional advantages in battle.
Be Careful When Looting Defeated Players
Fights in Battle Royale games are almost always close calls that fill you with adrenaline, and taking down another player always comes with a rush of relief. Don't let your guard down, though; every time you fire your gun, you announce yourself, and the loot that players drop when they die makes those locations targets for other players. Immediately after winning a fight is when you need to be extra-careful.
Instead of rushing up to a dead player and going through all their gear (which can leave you very vulnerable), it's often better to take a beat, grab cover, and survey the situation. Other players might be attracted to the gunfire or spot the loot as you're on your way to grab it, allowing them to get the drop on you. Similarly, you might be able to use the dead player's loot to get the drop on them. Being careful is key to survival in Fortnite: Battle Royale--so play smart, and always expect another player lurking nearby. The same goes for the supply drops, which occasionally get ejected into the sky by the party bus as it flies overhead. The drops have great loot, but almost always attract a lot of attention, so approach them carefully.
Use This Time To Learn
Most of these tips are geared toward teaching you how to keep yourself alive in Fortnite, and it can be tempting at the start to hole up inside a building deep in the circle with the first gun you find, trying to outlast everyone else. You might even find yourself getting into the top 10 players in a match without firing a shot. It's worth it to experiment in Fortnite: Battle Royale, especially early on. Learn your capabilities and get a handle on how other people play the game. In other words: Go get yourself killed.
Finding good weapon locations, discovering how to use buildings effectively, and getting used to how guns handle in firefights is all part of what it takes to win in Battle Royale games. Fortnite matches pit you against 99 other players, so the likelihood that you're going to lose is extremely high. Embrace it, and use your first matches to build skills rather than hide out in an attempt to win. You'll do better in the long run when you start to learn the ins and outs of the game, as well as what you're comfortable with and how you can best succeed. You can also spectate other players once you're dead, which can clue you in on how more experienced players approach the game--it's a highly useful learning tool.
Fortnite's Season 5 officially launched today, bringing with it new challenges (and rewards), a whole new area of the map with the World Collide event, Rifts to send players skywards, and Karts to transport your whole team. Along with all the new additions are a few tweaks and changes on the game's mobile version, including the addition of autofire.
Autofire, which enables the player's weapon to automatically fire when the aim is over an enemy in range, can now be enabled. This new option should make the touchscreen controls easier to manage, as you previously had to swipe to aim and tap to fire with the same thumb. Players can activate autofire after launching by going to Options, then Custom HUD Layout, then Select Fire Mode. There are now three options: Tap-to-Fire, Dedicated Fire Button, and Autofire.
There are also a few bug fixes for those playing on iPhone and iPad. The Thermal Scoped AR will now have proper visual effects on all devices, vehicle passengers can now detonate Remore Explosives, and Health and Shield numbers will no longer be displayed as your own while speculating. Epic Games also says entering Build Mode while holding the fire button on mobile will no longer affect your ability to build in the future.
There are many other tweaks to the overall game, many of which affect the mobile version, and to see full details you can read Epic Games' Fortnite patch notes. Of course, a new season means a new Battle Pass with tons of cosmetics, ranging from Outfits and Back Bling to Gliders and Contrails. To see what's new, check out GameSpot's gallery of Season 5 rewards, and read our full Fortnite coverage in the stories below.
Fortnite Season 5 has begun and with it comes the first batch of challenges for players to undertake. This time around however, things are going to work a little differently. Challenges are split into two sections for Season 5: Free and Battle Pass. The former is made up of three challenges, while those who purchase the Battle Pass will have access to seven in total.
For the most part, Week 1 of challenges for the new season shouldn't be too tricky. In the free section it's all about dealing damage and taking out opponents using weapons including the SMG, the Stink Bomb, and grenade. On top of that, you'll have to search a Supply Llama--all fairly straightforward stuff, provided you've got the skills to pay the bills.
In the Battle Pass section, things get a little trickier, as you'll have to do some exploration. In order to complete those challenges you'll need to head to Snobby Shores and seek out seven chests, which you should be able to spot pretty easily provided you spend enough time there. On top of that you're going to have to search seven floating Lightning Bolts and take down three opponents in Retail Row.
There's also a treasure hunt, which will be the trickiest of the bunch. Lucky for you, we've done it and can help guide you through it. As with last season's instances of this challenge, you can explore Risky Reels to locate the treasure map, or you can simply head to where the treasure is--if you know where to go. In order to find the treasure, head to the tunnel south of Tomato Town, then climb on top of the northern entrance to find the Battle Pass icon. Take a look at the images above to see how it's done.
Free
Deal damage with SMGs to opponents (500) -- 5 Battle Stars
Follow the treasure map found in Risky Reels (1) -- 10 Battle Stars
Eliminate opponents in Retail Row (3) -- 10 Battle Stars
Fortnite's Season 5 update is packed with new content and changes to the game. To get a good grasp of everything that's going on with it, take a look at the full Fortnite Season 5 patch notes.
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