Now that Ant-Man and the Wasp has arrived, the next big ticket item in the MCU's perpetual motion machine is Captain Marvel, so doubtless you've been hearing a lot about Carol Danvers. But there's a pretty good chance you've also come across another, strikingly similar superhero code name in your quest for knowledge--not Carol Danvers, not Captain, but Kamala Khan, Ms. Marvel.
Kamala's name has been in the news even outside of tangential Captain Marvel related searches since Marvel Studios head honcho Kevin Feige confirmed that she's in the cards for future MCU phases. So naturally the question becomes: Who the hell is Kamala Khan/Ms. Marvel anyway?
Well, like most things in the world of superhero comics, it's a little complicated. The first thing you'll realize when you search for "Ms. Marvel" is that Carol Danvers has also used that name. Kamala is actually the fourth person to hold the mantle, while Carol was the first. Kamala debuted in 2013, so she's actually pretty new on the scene all things considered, and came into play just as Carol was making her official switch from "Ms." to "Captain" full time.
A teenaged Pakistani-American girl, Kamala got her start as a side character. Her first appearance was actually in the background of Captain Marvel #14 where she watches Carol in action against a Kree supervillain named Yon-Rogg. Essentially, Kamala is the Marvel Universe equivalent of a fangirl--she loves comics and her favorite heroes and keeping up with their stories. It just so happens that she lives in a world where they actually exist, so it's more like following a celebrity for her than following her favorite fictional characters.
She didn't just decide out of the blue to try her hand at the superhero lifestyle, despite her passion for it. Kamala was born without powers, and for the vast majority of her life believed herself to be completely human. During a 2013 event called Inhumanity, the Terrigen Mists, a mutagenic substance that gives the Inhumans their abilities, spread across the globe and triggered a process called Terrigenesis in Kamala (and many, many other unsuspecting people around the world).
Essentially, she was suddenly wrapped up in a weird looking alien cocoon and emerged later with her latent Inhuman genes activated. For her, that meant the ability to polymorph her cells--she can stretch her limbs, grow her appendages, transform her features, and otherwise alter the general size and shape of her body at will. She calls it the ability to "embiggen," a word that's since become something of a catch phrase.
With her new powers, Kamala began trying to ease her way into the superheroic lifestyle, and there was no shortage of missteps along the way. She managed to thwart a robbery (thankfully learning that her Terrigenesis had also given her an accelerated healing factor after she was shot in the process) and go up against a real deal supervillain named the Inventor before she decided to officially take on the codename Ms. Marvel and make herself a costume--inspired by Carol's colors and design, of course.
From that point on, she began trying to protect her home of Jersey City as best she could using her idols as examples, and even gaining the attention of some of the Marvel Universe's A-listers like Wolverine, Spider-Man, and of course Carol herself. In addition to her revolving door of team-ups, Kamala has been a member of several super teams, like the Champions, the Protectors, the Carol Cadets (a team obviously started by Carol herself), and even the Avengers for a time.
Since her debut, Kamala has become virtually synonymous with the Ms. Marvel identity and one of Marvel's most popular heroes for new comic book readers. She tends to specialize in a mix of high-flying superheroic action adventure and slice of life, coming of age stories focused on her home life and high school career. Unlike Carol, her powers don't come from Kree genetics, but the complicated relationship between the Inhumans, the humans, and the newly mutated "New Inhumans" or "Numans" puts her in a similar brand of conflict: Both Carol and Kamala exist in the overlapping areas between two different worlds, and they both struggle with finding where their responsibilities actually lie.
It's not totally clear where Kamala might find her footing in the future of the MCU, especially considering Captain Marvel's mysterious circumstances and decades-long absence from the public eye (Captain Marvel is conspicuously set in the '90s, years before the contemporary MCU). But as the MCU pushes forward with characters like Peter Parker and Shuri blazing trails for teenage superheroes, there's definitely room being made for more--and Kamala's print popularity and versatility make her a shoe-in for upcoming phases, even if it requires a little reconfiguration of her origin story to make it work.
Amazon Prime Day is a 36-hour event that runs July 16-17 and offers savings on all kinds of products from the mammoth online retailer. You need to be a Prime member to take advantage of the deals, but you can get a free one-month trial and cancel it later if you want. But other retailers aren't just sitting around and letting Amazon soak up all the consumer spending. To stay competitive, several other retailers are doing sales of their own. Here are some of the best ones going on.
Newegg's FantatasTech Sale
Newegg's anti-Prime Day sale is called the FantasTech Sale. Starting at 12 PM PT / 3 PM ET and running for four days, Newegg will cut prices on all kinds of tech products, from gaming PC components to computer monitors to audio equipment. Below are some standout deals at Newegg--but note that not all deals will be live for the full run of the sale.
Best Buy is running a Big Deals Days sale that ends July 17 at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET. It has discounts on things like phones, TVs, laptops, and home theater equipment. There's not much in the way of game discounts, but Best Buy just announced that if you want to trade in your copy of Madden NFL 18 and put the credit toward Madden NFL 19 (which releases August 10), you'll get the credit value of the game, plus an additional $10.
The digital PC game seller Fanatical has a whole lot of Capcom games on sale right now (games come in the form of Steam codes). From Resident Evil to Dead Rising and Mega Man, you can save on games in some of the publisher's biggest series. Some highlights are below, but you can find the full list here.
Target is doing its own online-only sale on July 17. Called the One-Day Sale, this event features discounts on games, movies, iPhones, clothes, and more. You can see the full ad here.
However, Sam Fisher appears to be suffering some technical setbacks. Larry Hryb (aka Major Nelson) tweeted that engineers are investigating reports that Splinter Cell isn't showing as free for some users. If it doesn't appear properly on the store when you check in, the problem will likely be fixed soon enough.
As always, any new Xbox 360 games added to the Games with Gold service are backwards compatible, so you can play them on your Xbox One. They join a large and growing list of backwards compatible games, since Microsoft has made it adding new games a priority.
Those are the inclusions with Gold, but separately, Microsoft also offers its Game Pass subscription service for $10 per month. That has a wide selection of its own, including all new first-party games alongside their regular releases.
July 2018 Games With Gold
Xbox One
Assault Android Cactus (July 1-31)
Death Squared (July 16-August 15)
Xbox 360 (playable on Xbox One)
Virtua Fighter 5: Final Showdown (July 1-15)
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Conviction (July 16-31)
Dwayne Johnson is one of the busiest stars in Hollywood, and back in December, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle became the most successful movie of his career. But this doesn't mean that everything he puts his name to is a guaranteed hit, as the disappointing weekend results for his latest film, the action thriller Skyscraper, have shown.
Skyscraper made an estimated $25.4 million in its first three days, and entered the chart in third place. While this is better than the $22 million debut of Johnson's 2017 flop Baywatch, it is below the studio's $30 million prediction, and well under Jumanji's $36.1 opening. The biggest movie this weekend was the animated movie Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation, which made an impressive $44.1 million, while Marvel's Ant-Man and the Wasp slipped into second place, with an estimated $28.8 million take.
The week's other new entry into the Box Office Top 10 was the sci-fi comedy Sorry to Bother You, which rose from No.16 after expanding the number of theaters it is playing in. Pixar's Incredibles 2 continued to do strong business in its fifth week, and is now the most successful animated movie of all time in US. It has made $535.8 million to date, soaring past Finding Dory's $486.3 million.
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom dropped to No.5 from No.2, while horror sequel The First Purge and the thriller Sicario: The Day of Soldado continued to do well amongst more adult audiences. Finally the comedy heist reboot Ocean's 8 clings on at No.10, and has to date made an impressive $132 million from a more modest budget than many of its big summer franchise rivals.
You can see the full Top 10 list for the July 13-15 US box office below, as compiled by Box Office Mojo.
US/Canada Box Office For July 13-15:
Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation – $44.1 million
The Legendary Pokemon Regice has been a fixture of Raid Battles since it debuted in Pokemon Go last month, but it won't be available for much longer. The Legendary Titan is only scheduled to appear until this Thursday, July 19, making this your last opportunity to add one to your collection before it leaves the game.
As with other Legendary Pokemon, players will first need to team up with other Trainers in-person at Gyms to battle Regice, and only after the Legendary has been defeated will they earn a chance to capture it. Just as its name implies, Regice is an Ice-type, which makes it especially vulnerable to Fire, Rock, Steel, and Fighting Pokemon, such as Blaziken, Machamp, and Tyranitar.
Regice originally debuted in Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire as one-third of the Legendary Titan trio, along with Registeel and Regirock. The remaining two Legendaries are also slated to debut in Pokemon Go later this summer, although Niantic has yet to announce the exact date when either will begin appearing in Raid Battles.
In the meantime, Pokemon Go players will soon have another chance to catch a previous Legendary Pokemon. As a reward for achieving the Global Challenge goal during the Pokemon Go Fest event this past weekend, Niantic will host a special Zapdos Day on July 21. The Legendary bird will be available around the globe for a three-hour window of time that day, and players will even have a chance to encounter a Shiny variant.
Beyond Zapdos Day, players still have a chance to capture a special summer-style Pikachu, which is available for a limited time to celebrate Pokemon Go's second anniversary. Niantic has also revealed the first details for the next Pokemon Go Community Day. Unlike previous events, it will take place on two days, August 11 and 12, and feature Eevee.
The 1978 horror classic Halloween was a hit with audiences, so much so that sequels and reboots followed it for the next two decades. Michael's killer mask may have gotten a little shabby by now, but it looks like he's no less ready to terrorize Haddonfield, Illinois.
What It's About
Halloween will focus on Laurie Strode and her family, a few decades after the events of the original Halloween movie where she and a few of her friends were terrorized by a serial killer in a mask named Michael Myers. The movie will reportedly be ignoring the events of the other sequels in the franchise, and is instead acting as a direct sequel to the original movie.
Myers has been locked up in prison for all of these years, but he finally escapes after a convenient bus crash, and now, he's coming back for Strode and potentially her whole family. This time, though, Laurie will be ready for him because she knows he's coming and has been getting ready for it since the events of the first movie.
Who's Who
Crew
The film will be directed by David Gordon Green (Pineapple Express).
Green, Jeff Fradley, and Danny McBride penned the script together.
John Carpenter, writer and director of the original film, returns to the franchise as executive producer, consultant, and composer of the movie's score.
Cast
Jamie Lee Curtis is reprising her role as scream queen-turned-badass grandma Laurie Strode.
Nick Castle is returning to the role of Michael Myers for the first time since the original film--at which point he was credited as "The Shape."
Judy Greer (Jurassic World) will play Karen Strode, Laurie's daughter.
Andi Matichak (Orange is the New Black) plays Allison, Laurie's granddaughter.
What's Been Released So Far
Universal released a trailer for the upcoming slasher film in June. It starts with a look at what life has been like for Strode since the initial event; she has become something of a mythical figure in her city's lore. There are several shots of her training with weapons, seemingly preparing for Michael's eventual return. The question that remains is whether anyone else is ready. There are several shots of panic as Michael makes his long awaited return, and a good jump scare at the end.
Universal has a whole lot of titles coming out soon that would fit into the Comic-Con niche, but they will be focusing onHalloween and M. Night Shyamalan's Glass; two of its most highly-anticipated films.
We know that some of the cast and crew will attend, including Jamie Lee Curtis. We want to know more about Michael's killer intentions, if they are more complex than just blood, that is. And we'd like to know more about how Laurie and her family have been doing since that infamous Halloween night years ago. Apparently, there will be some sort of surprise at the presentation, but whether it has to do with Glass or Halloween, or both, we can't say at this point.
Regardless of whether the surprise is about Halloween, we should get some new information before ithits theaters October 19, 2018.
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 Dina, the woman she kissed in the E3 2018 trailer. However, it could also be Jesse, Dina'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.
Amazon is going all out to drum up excitement for Prime Day, its annual sales event that sees tons of products across all categories get temporary price drops. Prime Day 2018 is a 36-hour event that kicks off July 16 at 12 PM PT (3 PM ET / 12 PM BT) and runs through July 17. While we don't know exactly what items Amazon will put on sale during Prime Day, the company has already begun offering up free PC games for anyone who links their Amazon Prime and Twitch accounts. All told, 21 free games are available throughout July. The only catch? You have to be an Amazon Prime member to take advantage of the deals. Thankfully, there are some loopholes.
The free games for Prime members in July include Tacoma, Brutal Legend, Hue, and a whole lot more rolling out each day between now and Prime Day. You can find the full list here. And if you stick with your Prime membership after July, you'll continue to get a bundle of free games each month through Twitch--much like PlayStation Plus and Xbox Live Gold.
If you haven't been a Prime member in the past 12 months, you can sign up here to start a one-month free trial (students get six months for free). That will get you all the free games from Twitch that are available between now and Prime Day. The games are yours to keep forever, even if you cancel your Prime membership before your first payment is due.
Let's say you've been a Prime member in the past 12 months, so the free trial doesn't apply to you. Don't worry, you don't have to drop $120 on a one-year membership to get your free games and take part in the Prime Day sales. Instead, you can subscribe for a month for $13 and take advantage of the deals. Then, if you want to cancel your membership before you're charged for a second month, you can.
Amazon Prime members get more than just free games from Twitch. The service also includes free two-day shipping on over 100 million products, access to Prime Video, Prime Music, and select free Kindle ebooks each month. If you shop at Amazon regularly or play PC games, it's probably worth the money.
With June well behind us, Sony has revealed the list of best-selling games on PSN for the month. The breakdown is divided into three lists: PlayStation 4, PS Vita, and PSVR, and Sony has also provided the most downloaded free-to-play games, PS4 themes, and PlayStation Classics.
The number one best-selling game for PS4 in June is Grand Theft Auto V, which comes as no surprise considering the title has been dominating sales charts since its release. It's followed by FIFA 18 and God of War, with the rest of the list mostly composed of popular multiplatform titles that released prior to 2018 or recent PS4 exclusives.
Two battle royales dominated the free-to-play download list: Fortnite and H1Z1, with the latter managing to take the top spot. Job Simulator was the best-selling PSVR game for the month, while Stardew Valley was the best-selling PS Vita title and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas was the best-selling PS Classic. We've compiled all of the lists of the best-selling games and themes on PSN below.
June marks the halfway point for the year, and 2018 is already shaping up to be another incredible period for PlayStation. Plenty of 2018 exclusives are already beginning to dominate the PSN sales charts, like God of War and Detroit: Become Human. So far, this year has been a nice follow up to PlayStation's 2017.
If you're still looking for something to play on your PS4, check out our gallery of the best PS4 console exclusives. It lists every game that's released as a console exclusive for the PS4 that we've given a review score of 8/10 or higher. We've also compiled a list of the best cheap PS4 games if you want to save a little money.
A new trailer reveals that Dead Cells is leaving Early Access and officially launching on August 7. That same day, the game will also release on Xbox One, PS4, and Nintendo Switch. Dead Cells has already sold nearly a million copies since its Early Access release on PC in May 2017.
Dead Cells is an action-platformer inspired by titles like Metroid and Castlevania. The title also features rogue-lite elements, like permadeath, and has proven to be a punishingly difficult game. Dead Cells is launching with 13 levels, four bosses, over 80 different weapons and skills, and four special powers. The new trailer details a few of the environments the player will traverse, as well as the enemies and bosses that they'll have to kill on their journey. Most of the special powers and many of the weapons and skills make an appearance in the trailer too.
You can pre-order Dead Cells right now, unless you're hoping to grab the title on Nintendo Switch. Switch pre-orders open up on July 18. If you're grabbing the game on console, pre-ordering is the way to go. There's a 20% discount on all console pre-orders, which knocks the U.S. price down to $20.
Dead Cells launches on August 7 for Xbox One, PS4, PC, and Nintendo Switch. If you need more information before buying the game, listen to us discuss on The Lobby why players should care about Dead Cells. If you want to see Dead Cells in action, watch our Let's Play of the game.
With Marvel and Star Wars absent from San Diego Comic-Con this weekend, there's much focus on what DC is bringing to the show. The studio has three movies scheduled for release over the next 18 months--Wonder Woman 1984, Shazam, and Aquaman--and we know that trailers for the latter two are set to debut at SDCC. In advance of this, the first poster for Aquaman has been revealed, together with a tease for the trailer.
The poster shows Jason Momoa as Aquaman, perched on a rock in the ocean, surrounded by all manner of sea-life. The trailer tease, meanwhile, was tweeted by director James Wan and is a picture of an editing suite where Wan states he is "working overtime to put the finishing touches for this coming week." On the screen we can see an image that is presumably from the Aquaman trailer, with our hero holding his trident aloft while the tail of a large sea beast crashes into the waters in front of him. Check the tweet out below, and the poster at the end of this story.
This latest image follows a new picture from the movie that was revealed last week. It showed the royal palace of the Fisherman King, who is played by Djimon Hounsou. We've also had recent images revealing many of the other characters, including Orm (Patrick Wilson), Vulko (Willem Dafoe), Queen Atlanna (Nicole Kidman), and Black Manta (David Kane).
In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Wan spoke about the technical challenges of making a film set entirely underwater. "It was a very technically challenging shoot to be on," he said. "Working with water, and even the dry-for-wet sequences are very complex. Our equivalent of two people sitting around chatting in the underwater world is super complicated.
"You have to think about CG with the hair, and how their clothing moves, how are they floating, what kind of rig we put them on, and all that stuff. [It's] very difficult and time-sucking to do all of this. So it was not an easy shoot--but hopefully it will pay off in spades down the line."
Aquaman hits theaters on December 21. For more, check out GameSpot's look at what we want from DC movies & TV shows at SDCC 2018.
Everyone knows reading is good for you. If you're the type to crack open the occasional book, you'll want to take a glance at this deal at Amazon that's good through the end of Prime Day. This special offer gives you $5 off any book order of $20 or more. That's up to 25% off, and it's in addition to any discounts Amazon already has on the books in question. To get the savings, you have to enter promo code PRIMEBOOKS18 at checkout. The deal expires at 11:59 PM PT July 17 / 2:59 AM ET July 18.
It wouldn't be a special offer without some good old restrictions. This deal only applies to physical books (sorry, Kindle readers), and it must say "sold by Amazon.com" on the books' product pages. Also, the promo code is only good one time per account, so use it wisely. You can read the full terms and conditions here.
This deal doesn't require an Amazon Prime membership, but the rest of the Prime Day deals do. If you want to take advantage of the deals but you don't have a membership, you can get a free month of Prime for free. Here are some suggestions for gamers looking for books to read.
All month, Amazon has been giving free PC games to Amazon/Twitch Prime members to build anticipation for Prime Day. Guess what? Prime Day has arrived. And right now Amazon and Twitch are giving away 10 PC games for free to Prime members. These are among the 21 free games for Prime members in July.
The availability windows vary depending on the game, but one game goes away each day, so grab these games while you can. For instance, this is your last chance to grab the humorous point-and-click adventure game Deponia: Doomsday, so make sure to claim that one today.
The latest free game is Tyranny, an RPG made by Obsidian in which you play as a villain. From GameSpot's 8/10 Tyranny review: "It reaches beyond the standard heroic fantasy RPG where you slay monsters and save the kingdom, inverting that familiar story and setting and creating something utterly different--and somewhat depressingly realistic." It's free until July 17.
To get your free games, you'll first have to link your Twitch and Amazon Prime accounts. Then head to Twitch.tv and click the crown icon next to the search bar. That opens a drop-down menu where you'll find your free games, along with any other freebies you haven't collected yet. Just note you'll need the Twitch desktop app to access the games.
Tomorrow you'll be able to download Broken Age, the final game available in July. You can find the full schedule and descriptions of each game here.
Update: Following Sunday's news of Hogan's return, he has already starred in a brief video to promote a new charitable cause. WWE is launching what it calls the Superstars For Hope campaign, which will support both the Special Olympics and the Lucile Packard Foundation for Children's Health. You can donate at the campaign's website to receive various items and experiences. Hogan himself plays it straight, not acknowledging his return to the company but referring to himself as a WWE Hall of Famer. The video and original story follow below.
Although Extreme Rules isn't a PPV that people get very hyped about--it's not on par with WWE's bigger events like Wrestlemania or the upcoming Summerslam--something huge happened during the show to make it quite notable. Hulk Hogan, who had been banished from the company due to racist remarks, returned to a WWE ring for the first time in over three years, since his last appearance at Wrestlemania 31. However, he was never on camera, although his place in the WWE Hall of Fame has been secured (again).
Earlier on Sunday, Hogan was spotted in Cleveland, which is about a two hour drive away from Pittsburgh, where Extreme Rules was taking place. This got a lot of people talking about whether or not Hogan would appear on the show. Later in the day, WWE stated that the superstar has been reinstated into the Hall of Fame. Knowing all this, it was a surprise to many fans when Hogan didn't have a moment on the July PPV.
On the Kickoff Show, it was mentioned that Hogan was backstage during the event. That, along with a tweet from Hogan--seen below--gave fans a lot of hope that the Hall of Famer would show up. But when would he come in? Would it be during the early moments of the show, during Reigns vs. Lashley, or maybe even during AJ Styles vs. Rusev? Regardless, fans got excited over nothing, as Hogan never came out, which is a bit problematic since WWE's coverage of its relationship with Hogan prior to the PPV overshadowed Extreme Rules as an event. I guess we'll all just wait until Summerslam to play the "will he, won't he" game one more time.
Just met with the @WWE Superstars and on all levels the volume of love and support was overwhelming. I've been praying for this day and I finally feel like I made it back home. Only Love 4 the #WWEUNIVERSE brother HH
Hogan was shunned from WWE back in 2015, when a sex tape of the wrestler was released, and in it, he went on a racist tirade. WWE terminated its contract with Hogan, and he was removed for the company's website and the Hall of Fame. Over the past year, the two have been repairing their relationship, and back in March, rumors circulated that Hogan would appear on the 25th anniversary of Raw. When he didn't, more rumors began that Hogan would be coming back after he appeared in HBO's Andre The Giant documentary. Many speculated he would return at Wrestlemania 34. Again, Hogan wasn't there.
He began working for WWE--then WWF--in late 1979 after Vincent J. McMahon picked him up from Georgia Championship Wrestling. When McMahon's son, Vince bought WWF in 1982, he decided to make Hogan the centerpiece of the show because of his look and charisma. Hogan is the main reason WWF blew up during the '80s and early-'90s. He wasn't just the most famous wrestler in the world, he was one of the most famous people in pop culture. Hogan left WWF for WCW in 1994 and formed the NWO with Scott Hall and Kevin Nash, which fueled what would eventually be known as the Monday Night Wars between WCW and WWF. While Hogan hasn't wrestled with WWE since Summerslam in 2006, he's appeared numerous times to host events and give a leg drop here and there to other wrestlers.
For more Extreme Rules, check out our live coverage of the event.
Niantic's popular mobile game Pokemon Go turned two this month, and the developer is celebrating the milestone in a few notable ways. On top of the ongoing summer style Pikachu event, the studio shared a new piece of art to commemorate Pokemon Go's second anniversary, and it contains the first hints that a new generation of Pokemon is on the way.
The artwork, which you can see below, features the trainers and other human characters from Pokemon Go surrounded by many Pokemon that have appeared in the game to date, including several Gen 3 Pokemon and Alolan forms. Intriguingly, among the Pokemon are Turtwig, Chimchar, and Piplup, the starting trio from the series' fourth generation titles, Pokemon Diamond and Pearl.
This marks the first time that Pokemon Go has publicly acknowledged any Gen 4 Pokemon, which seems to hint that the Sinnoh monsters are coming to the game in the near future. This certainly wouldn't be the first time Niantic has teased the arrival of new Pokemon in this manner. Last year, the developer commemorated Pokemon Go's first anniversary with a piece of art that featured Gen 2 Pokemon, which had yet to be added to the game at the time.
In addition to the Gen 4 starters, the Mythical Pokemon Celebi can also be seen in the new artwork. Players who attended the recent Pokemon Go Fest event in Chicago were the first to have a chance to capture Celebi, but everyone else will have an opportunity via a new Special Research quest line, which Niantic says will be available "in the near future."
The aforementioned summer style Pikachu can also still be found in Pokemon Go for a limited time. Unlike a regular Pikachu, this variant sports sunglasses and a straw hat, and it'll appear in the wild through the rest of the month. Meanwhile, the latest Legendary Pokemon, Regice, will only appear in Raid Battles until July 19. The remaining two Legendary Titans, Regirock and Registeel, will follow later this summer.
Nathan Drake from the Uncharted series is a classic roguish anti-hero, and since his debut in 2007 fans have suggested various actors who could take up the role. That list always includes Firefly and Castle star Nathan Fillion, and now we can see it in action thanks to a short fan film by Allan Ungar.
The fan project only clocks in at about 15 minutes, but it's a pretty full Uncharted experience. We get to see Nate in over his head, a desperate skin-of-his-teeth fight scene with some comedy peppered in for good measure, unlocking some ancient mysteries, and then some banter with good buddies Sully (Stephen Lang from Avatar) and Elena (Mircea Monroe of Book Club).
Ungar's own filmography is relatively obscure; he most recently wrote and directed Gridlocked in 2015. This film shows an affection for the source material, though, and it's well-made enough to garner some attention from the community. Fillion himself was promoting this project as of a few days ago.
Meanwhile a big-budget adaptation of Uncharted is in the works, from Stranger Things director Shawn Levy, and starring current Spider-Man actor Tom Holland as a young Drake. Naughty Dog's Neil Druckmann recognizes that it may be jarring for fans to see someone other than Nolan North in the lead role, but he hopes that a new take on the material will keep it from feeling like it's already been done in the cinematic games.
WWE's PPV, Extreme Rules, aired on the WWE Network on Sunday, July 15. It was an evening featuring a few non-traditional wrestling bouts. This included Iron Man, Steel Cage, Tables, and Extreme Rules matches sprinkled throughout the evening. Full results for the Kickoff Show and the Main Card are below, but the biggest news involved Hulk Hogan returning to WWE. If you're a fan of the ex-UFC fighter, there was also plenty of Ronda Rousey to be seen in the crowd.
This year's show took place at the PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, PA. If you're interested in watching the entire event and don't already have it, you can still get a one-month trial subscription of the WWE Network for free. If you don't like the service, you can cancel after watching Extreme Rules.
Surprisingly, there is only one Extreme Rules match during the evening, and that bout will be for the Raw Women's Championship between Nia Jax and Alexa Bliss. However, one of the most entertaining matches of the evening should be Braun Strowman vs. Kevin Owens in a steel cage. Strowman has made Owens' life rough the past month, and recently, Owens got trapped in a porta potty, which Strowman flipped over. Will Owens try to get revenge or try to escape the cage as quickly as possible? If you're interested in more thoughts on Extreme Rules, check out predictions for the event and find out just how wrong we were.
In case you're not caught up, don't worry; we put the final results in spoiler blocks.
WWE Extreme Rules 2018 Match Card:
The New Day vs. SAnitY (Tables Match on KICKOFF SHOW)
Sin Cara vs. Andrade "Cien" Almas (KICKOFF SHOW)
Braun Strowman vs. Kevin Owens (Steel Cage Match)
Roman Reigns vs. Bobby Lashley
Finn Bálor vs. "Constable" Baron Corbin
Dolph Ziggler (c) vs. Seth Rollins (30-Minute Iron Man match for the Intercontinental Championship)
The Bludgeon Brothers (c) vs. Team Hell No (For the Smackdown Tag Championship)
Deleters of Worlds (c) vs. The B-Team (For the Raw Tag Championship)
Carmella (c) vs. Asuka (For the Smackdown Women's Championship with James Ellsworth suspended above the ring in a Shark Cage)
Jeff Hardy (c) vs Shinsuke Nakamura (For the United States Championship)
AJ Styles (c) vs. Rusev (For the WWE Championship)
Kickoff Show
Sin Cara vs. Andrade "Cien" Almas
Almas wins by pin at 7:00.
New Day vs. Sanity (Tables Match)
Young puts Kingston through a table at 7:34.
Main Card
Deleters of Worlds (c) vs. The B-Team (For the Raw Tag Championship)
Dallas pins Hardy at 7:57.
Finn Bálor vs. "Constable" Baron Corbin
Balor gets the rollup pin at 8:18.
Carmella (c) vs. Asuka (For the Smackdown Women's Championship with James Ellsworth suspended above the ring in a Shark Cage)
Carmella pins Asuka at 5:23.
Jeff Hardy (c) vs Shinsuke Nakamura (For the United States Championship)
Nakamura pins Hardy in 4 seconds. Four seconds.
Braun Strowman vs. Kevin Owens (Steel Cage Match)
Owens get chokeslammed off the cage and wins at 8:10.
The Bludgeon Brothers (c) vs. Team Hell No (For the Smackdown Tag Championship)
Harper pins Bryan at 8:14.
Roman Reigns vs. Bobby Lashley
Lashley pins Reigns at 14:54.
Alexa Bliss (c) vs. Nia Jax (Extreme Rules match for the Raw Women's Championship)
Bliss wins by pin at 7:20.
AJ Styles (c) vs. Rusev (For the WWE Championship)
Styles pins Rusev at 15:32.
Dolph Ziggler (c) vs. Seth Rollins (30-Minute Iron Man match for the Intercontinental Championship)
Ziggler retains his title after a 4-4 draw at the end of the time limit.
Kurt Angle comes out. He says the fans don't want to see a tie, so he announces sudden death. Next fall wins.
McIntyre distracts Rollins, and Ziggler gets the pin.
Ant-Man and The Wasp has arrived in theaters, and it's already making a lot of money at the box office (if not quite as much as most Marvel movies). If you've still yet to see or--or you just did--and are wondering if it has any post-credits scenes to stick around for you, you're in luck. As is the Marvel way, it does indeed: There are a total of two after-credits scenes to check out after the movie "ends" (I guess we should lean into calling them stingers this time around, right?). The real question on everybody's mind has been whether the after-credits scenes connect Ant-Man and the Wasp with Avengers: Infinity War or 2019's Avengers 4. The answer? Unfortunately, yes. Warning: Spoilers ahead for Ant-Man and the Wasp.
In the first scene we get a look at what Scott, Hope, Hank, and Jan have been up to in the time immediately after Jan's return. They've taken their lab-sized bridge to the Quantum Realm and either totally rebuilt it or just conveniently shrunk it down with Pym Particles to fit in the back of a van, and now, Scott's about to make the jump. This time, he's not on a rescue mission, but after more "quantum particles," which he alludes to being part of Ghost's "cure" (the solution to her problem of phasing in and out of different quantum states uncontrollably).
It's worth noting that with this new, smaller bridge, Scott isn't using the submarine like vehicle that Hank used when he went to pull Jan out. He's just going in with the Ant-Man suit and a plucky attitude. That matters because just seconds after Scott successfully makes the jump, he suddenly finds himself out of communication with the team back in the normal sized universe operating the device's control panel. Unsurprisingly, we learn that all three of them were dissolved into dust care of Thanos's Infinity War finger snap, right at the most inopportune time, leaving Scott presumably stranded in the Quantum Realm with no way to get out, no way to communicate with the outside world, and no one alive with the knowledge that he's even there at all.
It's a pretty bleak fate, given how obscure the Quantum Realm is to begin with, and with Hank, Jan, and Hope gone, the list of people smart enough to engineer a way to reach him--or even aware that the Quantum Realm exists--shrinks pretty dramatically.
The second post-credits scene takes place immediately after the first. We're taken to the Lang house--eerily deserted, with the TV cut to an emergency broadcasting channel. Upstairs, the giant ant "stand in" Hope programmed to mimic Scott's routine keeps on keeping on, oblivious to the apocalypse, playing Scott's drum set.
There's basically an endless list of possibilities revolving around the Quantum Realm. Obviously, part of Avengers 4 is going to have to deal with Scott either getting out of or going further into the Quantum Realm. We learned in this movie that quantum particles can literally affect the nature of reality and can cause (or, significantly, reverse) the phasing of matter between parallel universes. We also learned that spending enough time in the Quantum Realm alters one physiology and can imbue a person with the ability to control--or at least manipulate--quantum particles in people's bodies.
Granted, it's pretty unlikely that Scott is going to stay trapped in the Quantum Realm for as long as Jan was, but we shouldn't rule out the possibility that he's going to come out the other side displaying similar energy manipulation abilities, at least temporarily.
With abilities like that, or with the quantum particles he harvested (and, maybe, can continue to harvest), there's a whole new list of potential failsafes against the Infinity Stones. It's probable--maybe even likely--that when the Stones destroy matter, they're not actually vaporizing it, but instead forcing it to phase out of our reality into another--maybe even into a place that is touching or related to the Quantum Realm. Failing that, it's certainly more than possible that the quantum particles are a way in which the Stones can be reliably counteracted; even if people were literally reduced to dust, if quantum particles can alter the fabric of reality, what's to say they couldn't reach into an alternate universe and pull a new version of a vaporized person back into our dimension?
It's also worth considering that the Quantum Realm may have literally been out of reach of Thanos's snap all together, and thus, in one way or another, immune to the Infinity Stones' powers. Of course, there's the chance that Scott just got lucky enough to not be one of the people randomly chosen, but he's atypical for the surviving group in that he wasn't one of the original Avengers, which is one of the major commonalities between nearly all of the remaining heroes post-Infinity War. If the Quantum Realm is somehow safe from the Stones abilities, it may come into play in a totally different way come Avengers 4 next year.
We're now well into July 2018, and with a new month comes another batch of free titles for PlayStation Plus subscribers. As per usual, July's PS Plus lineup consists of six games divided up across PS4, PS3, and Vita, all of which are available to download at no charge through the end of the month.
Headlining PS4's selection of freebies is Heavy Rain, the narrative-driven game from Detroit: Become Human developer Quantic Dream. Heavy Rain originally launched for PS3 back in 2010 and was re-released on Sony's current-gen console in 2016. Joining it is Absolver, a unique and flexible third-person adventure/fighting game in which players can fully customize their fighting style.
On the PS3 side, Plus subscribers can now download the classic 3D platformer Rayman 3 HD, as well as Extreme Exorcism, a retro-style platformer in which players hunt their own ghosts. Extreme Exorcism is available in place of Deception IV: The Nightmare Princess, which was initially announced to be one of this month's free PS Plus titles. The game is also playable on PS4 via Cross-Buy.
Finally, Vita owners can download the acclaimed adventure game Zero Escape: Zero Time Dilemma and the action game Space Overlords for free this month. Like Extreme Exorcism, the latter also supports Cross-Buy with PS4, getting you four possible freebies on that platform in July.
All of the aforementioned games will remain free to download for PS Plus members until next month, when they'll return to their regular prices. You can see the full list of July's free PS Plus games below.
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.
With July's Community Day now behind us, Pokemon Go developer Niantic has shared the first details about next month's event. August's Community Day will kick off on Saturday, August 11, but unlike previous events, it will return for an encore the follow day, August 12, giving players two chances to participate next month.
Despite being available for an extra day, August's Community Days will still each only run for three hours, as was the case with previous events. During the designated times, players will find increased spawns of a particular Pokemon and earn bonus rewards for playing.
Niantic will host August's Community Day during the same window of time each day, although the time the events begin will vary depending upon where you live. You can find the scheduled Community Day hours for each region below.
The featured Pokemon during August's events is Eevee. In addition to appearing in much greater numbers than usual, players will presumably also have a chance to find a Shiny Eevee during the event hours. As with previous Community Days, Eevee will also be able to learn a special move during the event, although Niantic has not yet revealed what that will be.
On top of increased Eevee spawns, players who participate in August's Community Days will earn other in-game bonuses. This time, players will receive triple the normal amount of Stardust for capturing Pokemon. Additionally, any Lure Modules that are activated during the event will last for three hours, rather than their usual 30 minutes.
Before August's Community Days arrives, Niantic recently hosted the second annual Pokemon Go Fest in Chicago. That event took place on July 14-15, but even players who couldn't attend in person were able to participate in Global Challenges. Niantic revealed that each region was successfully able to meet its Global Challenge goal during the event; as a reward, the developer will host a special Zapdos Day event on July 21.
Moreover, the Alolan forms of Diglett and Geodude have begun appearing in the wild around the world. Niantic also briefly brought back the Legendary Pokemon Lugia to Raid Battles this past weekend, temporarily replacing Regice. The latter has returned as a Raid Boss following Pokemon Go Fest and will remain in the game until July 19.
As part of Amazon Prime Day, the online retailer is offering big discounts on a variety of products. In terms of games, we expect there will be decent discounts on a variety of titles, as well as consoles. However, it's a great time to get memberships to platform specific online services for cheap too. Amazon UK is currently offering 15 month membership for PlayStation Plus for £35, which is down from the normal price of £70.
The deal is for a digital download code, which means that once you've completed your transaction, you'll get the code instantly. PlayStation Plus itself comes with a bunch of extra benefits. In addition to giving you access to Sony's online services across PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation Vita, you also get exclusive discounts on the digital PlayStation Store. Additionally, on a monthly basis, members get a selection of free titles that they can keep for as long as they stay subscribed. Beyond that there can be early access to betas and you'll also be granted 10 GB worth of cloud storage, which is handy if you want to backup your save files and access them remotely.
Prime Day will last all of July 16 and some of July 17 too. If you need a quick breakdown of what it is, read our article on Everything You Need To Know About Amazon Prime Day 2018. In that you'll find a breakdown of the history of the sale day, timing on how long it goes on for, how you can take advantage of the discounts, and a few deals too. We've also got some tips on how to make the most of Amazon Prime Day.
If you're looking for an Xbox flavoured discount, we'll be sure to let you know the moment Xbox Live memberships are going cheap. However, if you're after a console, the 1TB Xbox One S is currently going for very cheap, and it includes three games and an extra controller.
Amazon Prime Day 2018 has officially begun and the deals are coming in fast. For those who have been looking to purchase an Xbox One lately, today might be the day as a particularly good discount is available. On Amazon UK, the Xbox One S 1TB console is available with Sea of Thieves, Forza Horizon 3, Minecraft Explorers Pack, an extra Minecraft themed controller, and a vertical stand for £199.
Ordinarily, that bundle would be available for £400, so you'd be saving yourself a significant amount of money with the deal. It also helps that there's a good selection of games. While Forza Horizon 3 might be an older release, it remains of the best games on the Xbox One and a standout title within the racing game genre. Minecraft is, of course, always popular and continues to be updated with regular content. Finally, Sea of Thieves is the newest release available as part of the bundle, and it's got a lot to offer for those wanting to live the fantasy of a pirate, sailing the seas and gathering treasure.
The vertical stand is an added bonus, as is the Creeper controller, which sports the iconic blocky Minecraft texture and comes in a grassy green color. While not quite the latest version of the Xbox One (that'd be the Xbox One X), this version of the console is still very capable, supporting HDR (you'll need a HDR capable TV) and having a sizeable hard drive. Not a bad deal, all in all. Remember that you'll need to be an Amazon Prime subscribers to make use of the discount.
If you're catching up, make sure to check out our article on Everything You Need To Know About Amazon Prime Day 2018. That'll explain how long the sale will last, what you need to do to make the most of the discounts, and what you can look forward to getting on the cheap, if you are inclined to part with some cash. We've also got some tips to make the most of Prime Day.
If you're already an Amazon Prime subscriber, you can grab some free games right now on Twitch, the streaming platform owned by the retailer. Check out the pre-Amazon Prime Day deals here.
With games ballooning in size it's usually a good idea to have external storage options for your gaming console of choice. For those on Xbox One looking for a little extra space, the UK's Amazon Prime Day has a deal going that is worth considering. As part of its sale, the official Seagate 2 TB hard drive is available for £65, down from £88. This is pretty handy if you download a lot of games digitally or have a bunch of installs taking up precious memory.
Since it's just a standard USB input, you're not limited to using the hard drive just on Xbox devices, you can--if you so choose--plug it in to a PC or even a PS4 for a quick memory expansion. It just might just be a little strange to see the iconic Xbox green sitting next to a PlayStation device.
This discount is only available to Amazon Prime members, but if you haven't already subscribed, there's a few workarounds that can get you signed up for free for a limited time or discounted if you're a student. Check out our breakdown of Everything You Need To Know About Amazon Prime Day 2018 for more on that. We've also got 7 tips to get the most out of Prime Day 2018 if you're looking to be extra savvy while shopping.
If you haven't already got an Xbox One but are thinking of buying one, the Xbox One S is on sale as part of Prime Day. It's the 1 TB Xbox One S model and it comes with Sea of Thieves, Forza Horizon 3, Minecraft Explorers Pack, a vertical stand, and an extra controller.
For those that are already Amazon Prime subscribers, Twitch, the online streaming platform Amazon owns, is giving away some free games. You can learn all about those and see some of the freebies the retailer is dishing out in our pre-Amazon Prime Day deals article.
Amazon Prime Day is upon us. Starting at 12 PM PT / 3 PM ET / 12 PM BT, Amazon kicks off a major site-wide sale on items ranging from video games and technology to baby gear and patio furniture. The only catch is that you have to be an Amazon Prime member to take advantage of the deals--but seeing as most people can get a free month of Prime for free, that's hardly a barrier to entry.
Here are the different kinds of deals you'll on Amazon Prime Day 2018.
Early Access Deals
While Prime Day is already going on in the UK, those in the US are still waiting. Thankfully, Early Access deals on Amazon devices and are already available now.
These deals run for 24 hours and can take place during the lead-up to Prime Day or during Prime Day itself. Remember, though, that Prime Day is a 36 hour event, so not all Spotlight Deals will last the whole duration of Prime Day.
Prime Day Exclusive Deals
These are deals that run the entire duration of Prime Day. Keep in mind that it's still possible to miss out on them if they go out of stock.
Lightning Deals
Often the best deals Amazon offers on Prime Day are limited-time, limited-stock Lighting Deals. These can run out of stock fast, so the best way to keep up with them is through the Amazon app on your iOS or Android phone. You can get a sneak peek at the day's Lighting Deals by pressing "Today's Deal" in the top left app menu, then the "Upcoming" tab. Find a deal that you want and tap "Watch This Deal" to get notified when it starts. Happy deal hunting.
If you're on the hunt for some good discounts today is going to be one of the best of the year, thanks to Amazon Prime Day. The online retailer's annual sale promises to slash prices on a range of products, from video games and TVs to USB drives, phones, and many other gadgets. Of course, to make the most of the day you'll need to be an Amazon Prime subscriber, but if you haven't already signed up for a membership, there are some workarounds to save you money on doing that too. Make sure to read our article on Everything You Need To Know About Amazon Prime Day 2018.
Since this is a great opportunity to get games, movies, and pretty much anything else involved in enjoying those, GameSpot will be providing regular updates on the best deals. Over the course of the week we'll highlight specific discounts that we think are worth your attention, and we'll also have some round-ups of the best PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and general gaming deals. Other retailers will no doubt want to benefit from the increased interest around buying, so we'll make sure to let you know if there's good discounts anywhere else too.
While the deeper Prime Day discounts will surface today, we've had some decent ones in the lead-up to the sale. Twitch, the streaming platform owned by Amazon, has been giving away free games in July. If you haven't already been getting them, it may not be too late, you can read all about the pre-Amazon Prime Day deals here.
Prime Day can also provide it's fair share of comedy, alongside hot discounts. Watch the video above to see Joey Yee talk about some of the weirdest products you may be able to get on the cheap. Honestly, you'll probably be surprised and a little bit horrified by some of the things he's been able to find.
Fortnite Season 5 is officially underway, and there's plenty of new content for players to sink their teeth into. We've already extensively covered the changes and additions, but we also wanted to collect all the new tips and tricks you'll have at your disposal. Unless you've dug into the patch notes, there are some notable changes across all platforms that you might not realize; here are some of the biggest.
First and foremost, you'll want to know about the changes made to shotguns--especially considering how significant they've been to player strategy in the battle royale. Shotguns will now indicate how many pellets actually hit, with visible markers appearing within the reticle. You won't be able to cycle between two shotguns like you could before though, as there is now a short period of time after firing a shotgun where another shotgun can't be fired. Measure your shots carefully, or just find another way to kill someone.
For anyone who's struggled to get a revive in a past 50v50 or Teams of 20 game, worry no longer. Fortnite is implementing XP bonuses for reviving teammates in both limited-time modes. You'll only get three bonuses a match though, with an extra 30XP the first time and 10XP for the follow-up second and third time. Hopefully, this influences more players to offer a helping hand instead of leaving their teammates to die.
The Storm is also getting an update. Circles seven, eight, and nine will still shrink but they'll also be able to shift in random directions. You'll need to be ready to hoof it at a moments notice.
Between matches, hitting the "Play Again" button now allows players to preview pickaxe visual and sound effects in the Item Shop, Battle Pass, and Locker.
You'll also have access to the same sound visualizer that were created for mobile on all platforms. Flipping it on puts a small visual indicator on your screen that alerts you to nearby gunfire, footsteps, or chests. However, audible sound effects are muted while the visualizer is on. The new option can be found in the Accessibility tab. Don't worry about it if you play on a mobile platform, you'll be unaffected by this change.
Season 5 of Fortnite: Battle Royale has kicked off on PS4, Xbox One, PC, Nintendo Switch, and iOS. As before, the new season brings with it an assortment of new challenges to complete, as well as a variety of Battle Pass rewards to unlock. This time, however, Epic has made a few notable changes to the way certain Battle Pass challenges operate. Here's everything you need to know about the new Season 5 challenges and details on all of the ones available so far.
Once again, players who purchase the Season 5 Battle Pass will get a set of objectives to complete every week, which in turn will go toward leveling the Battle Pass up and unlocking new rewards. Unlike past seasons, however, weekly challenges are now divided into two categories, Free (which are available to all Fortnite players) and Battle Pass (which are reserved for those who've purchased the Pass). That means that even if you haven't bought the Battle Pass, you'll still be able to complete certain objectives and earn rewards.
If you do decide to pick up the Battle Pass partway through the season, you'll be also able to retroactively unlock any premium rewards you've earned based on the tier that you've already reached. However, one of the advantages of purchasing the Battle Pass early is bonus XP, which is awarded for playing in general and for playing in a party with friends. Since leveling up with XP translates into Battle Stars, you'll want to grab the Battle Pass as soon as you can and take advantage of these bonuses.
Drift challenges, on the other hand, task you with gaining a certain amount of XP. There are five Drift challenges to complete in total in Season 5, each of which reward you with a new style option for the Drift skin. If you manage to complete four out of the five Drift challenges, you'll also unlock the Rift Edge, an alternative for the pickaxe.
You'll find a complete list of all Season 5 challenges available so far below, along with links to our maps and guides that will help you complete them all. You can see all of the new skins, cosmetics, emotes, sprays, and other items to unlock this season in our gallery of Fortnite Season 5 Battle Pass rewards.
Fortnite: Battle Royale Season 5 Challenges
Road Trip
Complete all challenges from any week -- loading screen
Complete all challenges from any 2 different weeks -- loading screen
Complete all challenges from any 3 different weeks -- loading screen
Complete all challenges from any 4 different weeks -- loading screen
Complete all challenges from any 5 different weeks -- loading screen
Complete all challenges from any 6 different weeks -- loading screen
Complete all challenges from any 7 different weeks -- loading screen
Reward: Mystery Legendary item (likely a skin)
Drift
Gain 10,000 XP -- Drift Stage 1 style
Gain 25,000 XP -- Drift Stage 2 style
Gain 50,000 XP -- Drift Stage 3 style
Gain 100,000 XP -- Drift Stage 4 style
Gain 200,000 XP -- Drift Stage 4 style
Reward: Rift Edge (Epic harvesting tool)
Week 1
Free
Deal damage with SMGs to opponents (500) -- 5 Battle Stars
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--provided you can unlock it in the first place.
Reaching level 100 is no easy feat in and of itself; Epic estimates it takes 75-150 hours to unlock everything the Battle Pass has to offer. Once you're there, you can accumulate XP to unlock six different styles, 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.
Epic Games has kicked off Season 5 of Fortnite, coinciding with the release of the big 5.0 update. This doesn't include a new map--we still have just the one--but the island has changed pretty significantly across PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC, and iOS. Here's what to look forward to next time you boot up the game.
A number of the map tweaks are significant enough that they warrant prominent mentions in the 5.0 patch notes. Having diversified the map previously with new biomes, another of these--desert--has been introduced for Season 5. And it's done so in a big way, as the southeastern corner of the map has been replaced. Moisty Mire, which was never a terribly interesting region to begin with, is gone.
In its place, we have a large desert, the centerpiece of which is a new named location, Paradise Palms. This looks like a fairly unnatural town in the middle of a desert, like a neighborhood on the outskirts of Las Vegas. Just to the north, the race track remains in place, though it's now been paved. The desert makes for a much different-looking map as you make your way across in the Battle Bus, and it also dramatically changes the skyline for a good portion of the island.
Epic's patch notes make note of a "few unnamed POIs [that] have also appeared across the island," referring to points of interest. That may not sound like much, but some of these are quite exciting. There are simple moai statues to be found, for instance, but to the west, between Snobby Shores and Greasy Grove, a hilltop is now home to what looks like a viking village, complete with a docked ship that's close to plunging off the side.
Dusty Divot, the most significant map tweak from Season 4, has also been changed up. Although its name remains the same, it's no longer the same crater it once was, as trees and wildlife have overtaken the area. You'll even find some pools of water.
Another Season 4 addition was Hop Rocks, consumable items you could find scattered around the map (particularly near Dusty Divot, where the comet landed) that allow you to temporarily jump much higher than usual. Season 5's take on this seems to be Rifts. Tying in with the tears we saw toward the end of last season, you can now move into one of these to be instantly teleported high up in the air. It's amusing, but it also offers a potential tactical use as it lets you quickly reposition.
Knowing how Fortnite has operated in the past, there are sure to be secrets that players will uncover in the days and weeks ahead. It's possible that even more areas could be brought into the map--the cracks in the sky seen at the end of last season are still there. For now, players can look forward to a fresh zone to battle to the death on--and if Epic is short on ideas for what it could do next, we have some ideas for new maps.
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