While Deadpool 2 may not technically exist in the main Marvel Cinematic Universe, it still happily employs the time honored tradition of the post-credits scene--with an extremely Wade Wilson twist tossed in for good measure, of course.
Don't pretend like you didn't come here for spoilers--there are a lot of those ahead.
As the dust clears in the final conflict between the X-Force and "Firefist," we see Negasonic Teenage Warhead and her girlfriend, Yukio, tinkering around with Cable's time travel tech, which, according to him, should be all but useless now, keeping him stranded in the present day. Apparently, however, the gadgets of the not-too-distant future are no match for the engineering prowess of the X-Men, because NTW and Yukio are able to fix the device and pass it over to Wade.
That's right: Deadpool can time travel now, and it goes pretty much exactly the way you'd expect.
The first stops in Wade's timeline-manipulation grand tour are well within the scope of his own movie. He immediately hops back to prevent the death of his girlfriend, Vanessa, by correcting his botched cream cheese spreader throw and nailing her would-be murderer right between the eyes. Next up is the rescue of Wade's favorite faux X-Force (fauX-Force?) member, Peter AKA Sugar Bear, the regular guy with no powers. Peter met his untimely and grisly demise the first time around after he became the unfortunate recipient of Zeitgeist's acid vomit, so Wade steps in just moments earlier, telling him to go home before he can put himself in more danger.
It's worth noting that he does not try and save the rest of the team. Sorry, Terry Crews fans.
After the great Peter rescue things start to take a far more meta twist as Wade begins to hopscotch through various other movies. His first stop is 2009's X-Men Origins: Wolverine and the infamous "first appearance" of Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool. "First appearance" gets scare quotes in this case because, as fans will quickly tell you, the Deadpool who appeared in Origins was basically anything but Deadpool--a mutilated science experiment, sure, but other than that? Not so much. Origins' Deadpool was a mouthless, shirtless, dead eyed foot soldier who had about ten minutes of screen time total, so present day Wade is here to clean up the mess. Deadpool is dead, long live Deadpool.
The final stop on his trip is even more meta. Wade roles up to the home of Ryan Reynolds in 2010, as he first lays eyes on the script for the disastrous Green Lantern live action movie where Reynolds starred as Hal Jordan, complete with CGI costume and digitally enhanced comic book muscles. Green Lantern has become infamous as one of the pinnacles of bad superhero movies. So naturally, it's the perfect target for Deadpool's self-aware gags. Wade shoots Reynolds in the head, "preventing" Green Lantern from ever existing in the first place. Case closed. No more jokes about green cartoon super suits to be found here, folks. As far as DP is concerned, it never happened. Time to move on.
Now, what does any of this mean? That's a great question. Obviously, especially in the case of the movie-hopping, some of these gags exist just to be gags. Deadpool killing a previous, inferior version of Deadpool simply provides some laughs for fans who have been paying attention these last nine years.
Even with the in-universe stuff, it's pretty safe to assume that the continuity of Deadpool is a "Butterfly Effect" free zone. Wade saving Vanessa probably doesn't mean that the plot of Deadpool 2 never happened, saving Peter probably doesn't cause some sort of temporal ripple that means Cable never stuck around at the end, and so on. That type of consequence exists in movies like X-Men: Days of Future Past, but not here.
It's one of the benefits of being a character like Wade Wilson: You get to pick and choose what rules you want to follow and when. If anything sticks in a relevant, plot-enhancing way it'll likely be a continued role for Morena Baccarin, should she return for any sequels. And that's good enough for us.
A new set of weekly challenges is now available for Fortnite on PS4, Xbox One, PC, Nintendo Switch, and iOS. Unfortunately, there also appears to be a newly discovered bug in the game that presents some problems for one of this week's objectives.
Players are reporting on Reddit that damage caused by Grenades isn't being counted toward the "deal damage with a Clinger, Stink Bomb, or Grenade" challenge. Likewise, players on Epic's forums say they've experienced a similar issue with the Clinger; according to these users, the game inconsistently counts the damage Clingers deal toward their progress.
This is problematic because the challenge in question can only be completed using the three specified weapons. With two-thirds of them effectively unusable due to this bug, it becomes much more difficult to clear the objective. Epic hasn't publicly addressed the issue as of this writing, although the studio typically resolves issues with the game quickly.
This certainly isn't the first time a problem has arisen in Fortnite that prevented players from completing a weekly challenge. Last week, Epic had to temporarily disable the shopping cart and ATK due to a bug. As a result, players weren't able to finish the flaming hoops challenge, which hinged entirely upon leaping through the hoops using either of the vehicles.
Fortunately, players have the entire season to complete Fortnite's challenges, so there's still plenty of time to get your Battle Stars. While you wait for Epic to resolve the Grenade issue, you can complete some of this week's other challenges, such as following a treasure map found in Snobby Shores. For more on Fortnite, be sure to check out our complete Season 5 coverage below.
As is standard with modern comic book movies, Deadpool 2 includes a bonus scene during the credits as a special treat for fans. According to the writers of the film, though, it's not the scene originally shot for the end of the movie. However, the initial plan just didn't sit well with audiences when tested.
According to Rhett Reese, one of the movie's writers, the Merc with a Mouth was going to use Cable's time travel abilities in one very interesting way. "Deadpool goes back and kills baby Hitler at the very end. That's what was supposed to happen," he tells UpRoxx. "We shot it and we put it in front of an audience. He's got the crib and he's standing in the German nursery and he's leaning over the crib to do it and there was kind of this, 'ohhhhh.' And we thought we don't want to leave the crowd on an 'ohhhhh.' So it ended up coming out."
He continues, "Our last moment was Deadpool saying 'Maximum effort!' as he goes in to throttle the baby. It does make you squeamish." Cross your fingers that this particular makes it onto the home release of the film, given that it does exist out there somewhere.
While that might not have connected with audiences who saw early cuts of the film, it's not even the strangest version of the scene. Paul Wernick, who co-wrote Deadpool 2 with Reese, remembers it playing out differently in one version of the script. "There's even a draft of that scene where we back it up even more where he's standing over baby Hitler and says, 'God, that is a toughie.' He finds a Sharpie and draws a mustache on the baby--a little baby mustache--and says 'Maximum effort!'"
It's hard to blame the movie's creative team for not letting moments like these be the final impression on audiences. Still, it would be interesting to see what the reaction would have been, had the movie actually ended with Deadpool killing baby Hitler.
Funnily enough, that wasn't the only proposed post-credits scene that didn't end up making it into the movie. As Reese and Mernick reveal, there was also a potential scene that would have seen Chris Evans reprise his Fantastic Four role.
"There were different codas kicked around. There were more X-Force interviews that were talked about. One was Chris Evans as Human Torch," Wernick admits. As Reese explains, though, the idea never got far enough to pitch it to Evans. "Someone had the idea we actually did and we thought that was better. But we definitely had a lot more X-Force interviews with bizarre, random people coming in to interview," he says.
Looking further ahead, Deadpool creator Rob Liefeld has discussed some of the characters he'd like to see starring alongside the Merc with a Mouth in the future. Speaking to Comicbook.com, Liefeld indicated he wants to see the movies go big with cameos.
"Let's get the entire Six Pack who Cable used to run with," he said. "Let's get Bridge, let's get Hammer, let's get Grizzly. No, no, no, especially if there's more Cable we can go in that direction. I did a graphic novel last year that introduced a new nemesis for Deadpool. I was thinking smaller budget. Now, the budgets are insane. There is so much great stuff yet to come."
Given that Josh Brolin appears in both Avengers: Infinity War and Deadpool 2 as different characters, it would have been exciting for Evans, who plays Captain America, to do the same. Either way, the final version of Deadpool 2 does include a mid-credits scene, so make sure you don't leave early.
Usually when Deadpool falls back on a tired trope, he turns to the camera and milks it for comedic effect. When he dives in front of a bullet, the next words out of his mouth are to make sure the cinematographers caught it in slow motion--that kind of thing. That lets Deadpool have his bloody cake and stuff it in his disgusting gob hole too; these movies can rely on silly superhero tropes, as long as Deadpool breaks the fourth wall and plays it up. "Woo! Superhero landing!"
Luckily, Ryan Reynolds' Merc with a Mouth is still hilarious, irreverent, and irritatingly irresistible. The character, tone, and humor haven't changed from the original, so if you liked Deadpool the first time around, chances are you'll like Deadpool 2 as well, despite its flaws.
To explain much of Deadpool 2's plot would spoil it, but suffice to say things don't go well for Wade Wilson from the start. Like in an Iron Man sequel, the "hero" spends a lot of this movie wallowing and feeling sorry for himself, although Wade's version of that involves a lot more dick jokes than Tony Stark's. Eventually he recruits the other members of the X-Force, faces off with Cable (Josh Brolin), and meets up with Julian Dennison's character Russell, who calls himself Fire Fist--a nickname Wade is quick to make fun of.
Deadpool 2 is full of bait-and-switches. Characters you think are going to be important wind up not mattering at all. The X-Force--Terry Crews' Bedlam, Bill Skarsgard's Zeitgeist, Rob Delaney's Peter, and Lewis Tan's Shatterstar--aren't featured nearly as heavily as the trailers led us to believe (except, thankfully, Zazie Beetz's Domino, the freshest part of the whole film). Brianna Hildebrand's Negasonic Teenage Warhead and Stefan Kapicic's Colossus get about as much time as they did in the first Deadpool, while the newcomer to their crew, Shioli Kutsuna's Yukio, is onscreen for about 20 seconds total.
On the other hand, seemingly minor additions to the cast, like Dennison's Fire Fist, are actually integral to the plot, and not necessarily to the movie's benefit (Dennison is sometimes funny, but he's playing against type here, and it doesn't always work).
Deadpool 2's overarching plot doesn't really work. It relies too heavily on those aforementioned tropes, and on top of that it forgets to give you a reason to care about much of what's happening. Wade has his own goals in this movie, but they're actually counter to what you'll want to happen as the viewer, especially after a particularly conspicuous MacGuffin gets introduced partway through. Cable and Domino are undeniably cool, but like the other new characters, they have very little depth. At most, we get to know their basic motivations (if that).
All that said, Deadpool 2 is still hilarious. The character's best jokes always come from breaking the fourth wall and making references to other superhero movies and characters. Deadpool 2 pokes fun at the DC movies universe, Infinity War, the other Marvel movies, the other X-Men movies, and even certain previous Ryan Reynolds superhero roles. There are some extremely fun cameos, and the introduction, through Cable, of time travel into Deadpool's "continuity" (such as it is) makes for a collection of fantastically clever gags.
The action is still a stylish blast to watch, too, especially when the new characters get involved. Domino's power of "really good luck" lets her practically glide through action scenes without a scratch, while Cable makes good use of his "Winter Soldier arm," as Deadpool refers to it. The Merc himself uses his own regenerative body in horrifying new ways, including breaking his own arm in multiple places to put someone in an uncomfortable headlock. At one point he has to re-grow his entire bottom half, and he spends a whole scene "shirt-cocking it." If you're having trouble picturing that, think Winnie the Pooh.
Overall, Deadpool 2 mostly works for all the same reasons that the original did. Reynolds carries the movie on his back--although this time around he should have shared the load a little more evenly with some of his talented co-stars, particularly Beetz and Brolin. But Reynolds' Wade Wilson is just as charming as ever, in his own twisted way, and Deadpool 2 delivers the laughs, action, and gruesome maimings that fans want.
At long last, a premiere date has been revealed for The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, the Riverdale sister series coming to Netflix. As revealed at the TCA press tour, the first season of Sabrina will bow on October 26, just in time for Halloween. The streaming service previously ordered two seasons.
The news was delivered by an army of blonde witches, handing out bloody red candied apples and chanting, "Something wicked this way comes," as the lights went out. Then the lights came back, the witches spun around, revealing the release date printed out on the backs of their high school varsity jackets.
Sadly, no footage of the series was shown during the surprise presentation. Given that the show will arrive in just a few months, though, that will likely change soon.
According to an official synopsis of Chilling Adventures, the series "imagines the origin and adventures of Sabrina the Teenage Witch as a dark coming-of-age story that traffics in horror, the occult and, of course, witchcraft. Tonally in the vein of Rosemary's Baby and The Exorcist, this adaptation finds Sabrina wrestling to reconcile her dual nature--half-witch, half-mortal--while standing against the evil forces that threaten her, her family and the daylight world humans inhabit."
The series comes from Riverdale showrunner Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and stars Kiernan Shipka, Miranda Otto, Lucy Davis, Ross Lynch, and Michelle Gomez, among many others. While it's expected to be set in the same universe, a crossover may not be so easy. While both shows hail from Warner Bros. TV, Riverdale and Sabrina are airing on different networks.
Of course, it's always possible that somewhere down the line they can cross each other's paths. In the meantime, get ready for the arrival of Sabrina Spellman and her bewitching friends on October 26.
Avengers: Infinity War is a truly great movie--that's something that is hard to dispute. However, it's also a long movie. With a run time of nearly three hours, it turns out quite a bit of footage had to be trimmed from the final cut.
Unfortunately, one of the scenes that got pulled out of the film actually helps in connecting some major dots. Thankfully, the digital release of the film comes with deleted scenes that help make sense of it all, along with numerous special features that share new details.
In the theatrical cut of Infinity War, the Guardians of the Galaxy head to Titan--the home planet of Thanos--after the villain kidnaps Gamora (Zoe Saldana). Viewers are left to assume they set their sights on Titan thanks to a message from an escaped Nebula (Karen Gillan). Unfortunately, the film never shows whether the team got her message.
Thankfully, the deleted footage shows they did--and in a hilarious way. Stuck in space with no idea of where Thanos went, Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) is drowning his sorrows in KISS music, while the rest of the team ignores the coded messages being sent by Nebula. Once they finally figure out what's happening though, Quill is irate as he reads the messages.
The missives sent by Nebula include:
"Gamora is alive."
"Thanos is taking her to Titan."
"Why aren't you responding?"
"Are you getting my important secret coded messages?"
"Tell Quill not to lose my sister a second time or I will sew his face to his genitals."
Clearly, Nebula means business. From there, the team finally heads to Titan in an attempt to rescue Gamora. As with the cut cameo featuring Happy Hogan, this isn't necessarily a scene that holds the movie together and is mostly for laughs. Still, it would have been a welcome addition to the final cut.
The digital release of Avengers: Infinity War is available now. You'll be able to purchase it on Blu-ray on August 14.
Now that Avengers: Infinity War is getting its home release, there are some very interesting tidbits about the film seeing the light of day for the first time. For instance, did you know there was a fan-favorite character that was originally featured in the movie before his scene was cut out?
In the deleted scenes that come with the digital release of Infinity War, it's revealed that Happy Hogan (Jon Favreau) once had a very funny role in the film. As it plays out in the theatrical version of the movie, Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) and Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) discuss potentially having a child while on a walk in New York City. The scene ends when Dr. Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) summons Stark.
A deleted version of that scene plays quite a bit longer, though, as Happy appears on a golf cart and complains about having to hold off the paparazzi while the two have their personal chat. "You two should just elope because this media circus that's going on is driving me crazy," he tells the couple. "This is me on edge because I'm trying to keep all the pictures out of the paper and off the internet so your wedding's not ruined. Remember that kid from TMZ that you had me trade paint with on the FDR Drive? Well, I got a case against me now!"
It's not hard to see why the moment was cut from the final version of the film--it doesn't exactly advance the plot at all and it mostly played for jokes. In a movie like Infinity War, practically everything means something. Still, one more moment of levity before everything falls apart would have been nice.
The digital release of Avengers: Infinity War comes with a slew of other special features, including a roundtable discussion with the various MCU directors and even more deleted scenes. It's available now. The film will arrive on Blu-ray on August 14.
When MoviePass announced in August 2017 that it was changing its business model to a monthly subscription that cost $9.95 and allowed users to see a movie every day, the floodgates were officially open. Since then, the concept of movie ticket subscription services has become the norm for those that like to routinely head to theaters.
As you'd expect, with interest in the idea surging, competition has presented itself. MoviePass isn't the only subscription service in the game anymore--and it might not even be the best, either. To find out which subscription service offers the best value, GameSpot put MoviePass, Sinemia, and AMC's Stubs A-List to the test. Here's what you need to know about each one and why it might be the right choice for you. But bear in mind that MoviePass has been facing some financial difficulties, even resulting in tickets being unavailable at times. Change is also afoot as the company plans to increase its price and change the availability of movies.
MoviePass
The service that started it all. MoviePass was the first to offer a massive number of movie tickets for a low monthly price and has made quite a name for itself in the process. How can you not when charging $9.95 a month for a movie ticket every day?
What Works
If you go to the movies a lot, MoviePass is a great option. The ability to see up to 31 movies every month for a $10 flat rate (soon to be $15) is hard to beat--even if there aren't 31 movies released in any given month. In theory, you could stay up to date on every major release. Additionally, MoviePass offers in-app ticket purchases from select theaters, which is a nice perk.
What Doesn't Work
The theaters that offer in-app ticket purchases are rare. The only other option is to check into the theater when you arrive and buy your ticket on the spot. All tickets must be purchased the day of the screening, so you can't plan ahead too far. Another wrinkle is that premium formats (3D, IMAX, etc.) are not available with the service at this point.
Additionally, MoviePass has begun assessing upcharges--Peak Pricing--for "in-demand" movies. However, the company hasn't revealed how it will determine what is in demand or how much the upcharge will be in all cases. According to the company, the new charge will start at $2. And as noted above, specific availability for new releases is set to change in the near future.
The biggest knock against MoviePass, though, is the service itself. The terms of the subscription keep changing. Over the last year, this service has not only begun restricting you from seeing a movie a second time but is also requiring users to submit photos of their ticket stubs and is tinkering with temporarily locking specific movies in certain locations. When attempting to buy a ticket to a screening of Red Sparrow back in March, the title was simply blocked out on the app. When I tweeted MoviePass to ask why, it quickly responded, "As we continue to enhance our service for everyone, certain inventory may not be available at all times." Of course, there was no warning that this would be happening.
AMC Stubs A-List
The newest player on the block is AMC's response to MoviePass. The world's largest movie theater chain has integrated a subscription service to its loyalty points system. AMC Stubs A-List offers three tickets each week for the monthly price of $19.95.
What Works
The most exciting thing about A-List is it's all contained within the AMC Theaters app--it's where you find the movies, buy the tickets, and have them scanned at the theater. With that in mind, it's also linked to your Stubs account. As a member, you get access to Stubs Premium, which allows you to collect points from concession purchases that earn you rewards.
The nicest perk of A-List, though, is access to premium formats. Not only can you watch movies repeatedly, but you have access to IMAX, 3D, Dolby, and AMC Prime screenings. There are no restrictions.
What Doesn't Work
The big problem with A-List is it only works at AMC theaters. While it is the world's largest theater chain, that doesn't mean everybody lives near one. If there's not an AMC in your neighborhood, you're out of luck.
Of course, there's also the fact that you're paying twice as much as MoviePass for less than half of the movies. However, this should only concern you if you know you'll be seeing more than three movies each week.
Sinemia
Sinemia is seemingly a dark horse that came out of nowhere. However, it's been around since 2014 with offerings in the UK, Canada, Turkey, and Australia. It made its presence known in the US market in May with four different pricing options:
$4.99 per month for 1 standard movie ticket
$6.99 per month for 2 standard movie tickets
$9.99 per month for 2 of any movie ticket (3D, 4D, IMAX)
$14.99 per month for 3 of any movie ticket (3D, 4D, IMAX)
What Works
The best thing about Sinemia is it allows you to purchase tickets to just about any movie theater. Those locked out on MoviePass typically aren't in Sinemia and it also works for the AMC theaters found in A-List. There are also a variety of plans to meet your moviegoing needs, provided you don't head to the theater multiple times each week.
For fans of premium format films, the top two plan options give access to IMAX, 3D, 4DX, and practically any other upcharge option a theater might offer--and it's all included in your monthly price.
What Doesn't Work
The biggest issue with Sinemia is the app itself. In trying to simplify the design, it's become a bit confusing. Want to buy a ticket to an upcoming film? Head to the planning tab. From there, though, you'll have to switch over to the Fandango app to find a theater and showtime.
After manually entering the information into the Sinemia app, a temporary credit card number will be unlocked that you can then transfer back over to the Fandango app--or Atom Tickets or MovieTickets.com--to purchase there. It can make for a difficult process.
There also doesn't seem to be a simple way within the app to find out how many tickets you have left. These are all problems that could be addressed in a redesign. Still, given that you're paying up to $15 each month for three tickets, it could make the hassle more than it's worth.
The Bottom Line
Truthfully, each of these subscriptions has some merit. Sinemia offers the least tickets, but access to premium theaters and formats. MoviePass offers the most tickets, but more restrictions and a constant state of flux when it comes to service rules. Meanwhile, AMC Stubs A-List offers a middle-of-the-road number of tickets for the highest price, but with surprisingly few restrictions outside of only being available at AMC theaters.
In the end, though, there is a clear winner. While it may be the newest on the scene, AMC Stubs A-List is exactly what I'm looking for when it comes to a movie ticket subscription. Everything is housed within the app, it's really easy to use, and IMAX, 3D, and other premium formats are offered--what's not to love?
That said, if you don't live near an AMC theater but still want to see tons of movies every month, MoviePass may be your best bet. However, if you're part of the 88% of MoviePass's audience that the company says sees two or fewer movies each month, check out Sinemia. It may not be the best-designed app, but it allows you to easily treat yourself to IMAX and 3D screenings.
Disclosure: Sinemia provided GameSpot with a trial subscription to evaluate the service for this story.
While it won't go into production until next year, Showtime just dropped quite a bit of interesting information about the TV adaptation of Halo they're currently developing. The tidbits came during Showtime's panel at the TCA press tour, a twice-annual event in which broadcast and cable networks present their upcoming shows.
When asked by GameSpot if the series, which is expected to begin shooting in 2019, would feature fan-favorite character Master Chief, both Showtime Networks president David Nevins and president of programming Gary Levine confirmed he would. What's more, when pressed during a small group interview after the Showtime panel, Levine added that Chief would be a lead character on the show.
Longtime fans of the Halo franchise might find that odd, given that Master Chief has never shown his face. What other TV shows feature human characters that remain faceless? However, according to Levine, the issue of Chief never unmasking is central to the show.
"It is a key question and an important part of our series is all I'll say," he teased.
As for what the show will look like, Nevins was quick to point out this is now Showtime's take on Game of Thrones. "It is futuristic space-based science fiction," he said. "It is not fantasy. I think there's been one iconic franchise in my opinion in the history of television in that category and that's Star Trek. Probably 10 or 12 of the top 20 movies of all time are futuristic sci-fi and, weirdly, television hasn't turned up those kinds of franchises."
Of course, while this may be space-based sci-fi, writer and showrunner Kyle Killen certainly isn't known for that genre. With credits like the TV show Lone Star and the movie The Beaver to his name, he doesn't immediately sound like a likely candidate for the adaptation.
However, as Levine explains, "We made a conscious decision to hire a writer not known for sci-fi and not known for big battle movies or anything. Because that's already baked into the Halo franchise and we will service that. But we also want to ensure that we get underneath the formidable armor of the Spartans."
And it's important to note that Killen will not be adapting previous Halo stories. "It is a new story but we are being incredibly respectful of the canon," Levine says. "We are working with the Microsoft/343 people to make sure we don't violate any of that."
As for when it will release, there is no set date. However, given the detailed world Showtime is attempting to build with the show, Levine says the best bet for when Halo will debut is "probably 2020."
It's been over a year since Fargo Season 3 ended. With creator Noah Hawley hard at work on Legion, it wasn't clear exactly when the next installment of the anthology series would come. Finally, though, there's some news--and it's big.
FX announced at the TCA press tour that Season 4 of Fargo will go into production in 2019 and star legendary stand-up comedian Chris Rock. According to a press release, the new season will be set in 1950 Kansas City, as two criminal families--one African American, the other Italian--work together to control organized crime. As part of their alliance, though, they've agreed to trade their eldest sons.
The actor's joining the series marks his first series regular role since being the voice of the narrator on Everybody Hates Chris, a show he also created. In Fargo, he plays "the head of one family, a man who--in order to prosper--has surrendered his oldest boy to his enemy, and who must, in turn, raise his son's enemy as his own," the release says. "It's an uneasy peace, but profitable. And then the head of the Kansas City mafia goes into the hospital for routine surgery and dies. And everything changes."
As usual, it sounds like the next season of Fargo is going to be a wild ride, and it's one that cannot come soon enough. Of course, given that it won't go into production until sometime next year, there's no telling when it will actually be released. Perhaps the third season of Legion, which was ordered by FX in June, will film and be released first.
No other casting details about the new season have been announced.
Ubisoft recently announced Child of Light and Valiant Hearts are being ported to Nintendo Switch, but it may have hidden a sequel tease in the process. In a tweet from Ubisoft Montreal's Patrick Plourde apologizing for the long silence, a piece of partially obscured paper appears to read "Child of Light II."
Technically the only visible portions are "of Light II" and pieces of the L and D in "Child." The implication seems clear enough, though. The title paper sits along with a longer document that is largely illegible. The page is so prominently displayed, for no other apparent reason than to tease fans with the almost-promise of a sequel. This doesn't mean the game is confirmed, however, as Ubisoft has not made any formal announcement.
Child of Light is a hand-drawn RPG originally released across various platforms in 2014. It was meant to show off the UbiArt framework and used a combat system similar to the Grandia series. It follows Aurora, a girl who wakes up in a strange land after suffering from a terrible illness.
In GameSpot's Child of Light review, Tom McShea praised its somber tone and continuously surprising art design. "There are so few games willing to explore that dull ache that I became mesmerized by Aurora's journey, even when I needed to step away from her plight while I regained my composure," he wrote. "Child of Light is a wonderfully realized, somber adventure, and I couldn't be happier that such a game exists."
With the start of Fortnite Season 5, Week 5 comes a few new challenges to complete. One of those will require you to run around the game world in search of Rift Portals to use, which much easier said than done. Rifts were a key part of the start of Season 5, as they transformed large areas of the Fortnite's island. Interacting with them teleports you high into the air above the island, allowing you to plummet down to the ground or use the elevation to glide around.
The difficult part of this challenge is actually finding these portals, as they appear randomly. Generally, you'll have to run around and just keep your eyes open, so we recommend just getting on with the other challenges and staying alert. However, there is one extra tell to look out for: when a rift opens, there is a booming sound that serves as an audio cue to alert players nearby that one has opened--so keep your headphones on and turned up.
If you've never seen one before, they look like blue tears in the fabric of reality. They're tricky to see during the daytime, since they can blend into the brilliant blue sky, so it's worth constantly scanning the sky above you.
Although there's no specific location to find the rifts, anecdotally, we've found we run into them most in the new areas that were added to the game at the start of Season 5. As a result, we recommend taking regular trips to the desert biome at the bottom of the map and hanging around Snobby Shores too. We've also had some luck finding them in the vicinity of Tomato Town and Risky Reels, so give those a shot if you're struggling.
If you're still trying to do the other challenges for Fortnite Season 5, Week 5, we've put together a guide on how to follow the Snobby Shores Treasure Map, which is the other more time-consuming quest. Those still catching up on previous weeks' challenges can also take a look below, where you'll find a guide for the entire season thus far, along with some recent news surrounding Fortnite. Alternatively, you can head over to our dedicated Fortnite Season 5 challenge guide.
We're now into Season 5, Week 5 of Fortnite, which means there's a new selection of challenges for players on PS4, Xbox One, PC, Nintendo Switch, and iOS to undertake. As with previous weeks, the newest batch are split between challenges that are available to all players, and a small selection of additional ones that are only accessible to paid Battle Pass owners. Completing the challenges unlocks Battle Stars, which contribute towards leveling up the Battle Pass and unlocking fresh new items to customize your character wish..
This week's challenges for the free tier involve searching for seven chests in Junk Junction and eliminating three opponents in a single match. On top of that, you'll need to use three Rift Portals. Since Rift Portals appear randomly, this one is going to involve spending some time running around searching for them, so we recommend getting on with the other challenges but keeping an eye out for rifts.
For Battle Pass-exclusive challenges, you'll have to deal 300 damage with a Clinger, Stink Bomb, or Grenade; hit a golf ball from tee to green on five different holes, and eliminating three opponents in Shifty Shafts. As with previous weeks, the trickiest of the bunch is following the treasure map found in Snobby Shores.
As usual, you don't need to find the map to actually complete the hunt for the Battle Star, but if you want to see it, you can take a look below for an image. The Battle Star is located on the roof of the northernmost crypt inside Haunted Hills. The quickest and easiest way to get yourself up there is to build structures until you're high enough to jump on. Take a look below to also see a map of the exact location where the star can be found.
Along with getting Battle Stars, completing any four challenges will get you 5,000 XP. Take a look below for a complete list of challenges.
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Fortnite Season 5, Week 5 Challenges
Free
Search Chests in Junk Junction (7) -- 5 Battle Stars
Use Rift Portals (3) -- 5 Battle Stars
Eliminate opponents in a single match (3) -- 10 Battle Stars
Battle Pass
Deal damage to players with a Clinger, Stink Bomb, or Grenade (300) -- 5 Battle Stars
Hit a golf ball from tee to green on different holes (5) -- 5 Battle Stars
Follow the treasure map found in Snobby Shores (1) -- 10 Battle Stars
Eliminate opponents in Shifty Shafts (3) -- 10 Battle Stars
On August 8, Epic Games rolled out Fortnite update 5.20, introducing a number of new features to the game. Steady Storm became available as a limited-time mode and the double barrel shotgun was also added to the game, making those that get their hands on it devastatingly powerful at close range. You can read the full Fortnite update 5.20 patch notes to see everything that was added and changed.
If you're still trying to do older challenges, take a look at the list of our previous Fortnite Season 5 coverage below, where you'll find guides for each week as well as all the important news surrounding the game, such as Epic's decision to go around the Google Play Store when releasing Fortnite for Android.
The Torchlight series is making its return after six dormant years, with Torchlight Frontiers. The sequel carries the series' visual style into a shared persistent world for players to explore. It will hit PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One in 2019.
The original Torchlight was a throwback to Diablo-style gameplay before the release of Diablo 3. This time, the focus is on teaming up with your friends (and their pets) to hack and slash your way through dungeons together. The world will be persistent and dynamically generated, making for plenty of areas to explore and loot to collect. The debut trailer shows off the series' stylized characters in a new area, along with some of the monster design.
The game is coming from the newly formed studio Echtra Games, led by Runic Games and Blizzard North co-founder Max Schaefer. The studio has tapped veterans from both the Diablo and Torchlight franchises to head up the effort.
Both the original Torchlight and Torchlight 2 received positive reviews from GameSpot, citing the variety of loot, musical score, budget price, and solid use of action-RPG tropes. This new game will have to contend with the heavy work Blizzard has put into tweaking and building upon Diablo 3 since its release, along with the recent word that multiple Diablo projects are in the works.
The Red Dead Redemption 2 gameplay trailer has dropped, revealing just how protagonist Arthur Morgan will interact with the world, his gang, and even his horses and assorted wildlife. Rockstar is making sure that the world and its inhabitants can be interacted with in ways aside from shoot-outs, and one large part of that is an expanded conversation system.
In the trailer, Morgan is seen interacting with characters in a variety of ways based on contextual conversation prompts. Two prompts are available at a time, and they change based on actions you've already taken. We see prompts for Greet, Defuse, Antagonize, Threaten, Dismiss, Beat, Rob, and Choke, among others.
In practice, the trailer shows a few examples. Arthur antagonizes a local into fighting, and later defuses a tense situation with a man brandishing a gun by telling him he doesn't care about his business. He stops a witness by firing a warning shot, and then he can threaten him to keep him quiet. At one point he comes along a man hanging precariously from a ledge, and can either help him up or kill him. That segment of the trailer ends by saying it's up to you decide just how honorable Arthur Morgan is.
Epic Games' wildly popular battle royale title, Fortnite, is getting a beta release on Android on August 9, however, this will initially be exclusive to Samsung devices. As detailed by CNET, Fortnite beta invites will be sent first to Samsung device owners, and it can be downloaded to Samsung Galaxy S7 phones and above, which means the S7, S7 Edge, S8, S8 Plus, Note 8, S9, S9 Plus.
The exclusivity period for Samsung will last from August 9 to August 12, during which it can be downloaded through the Fortnite Android website. The Fortnite beta will become widely available on other Android devices from August 12. Those that purchase the new Samsung Note 9 or Galaxy Tab S4 will get access to the new Galaxy outfit, which you can see below.
Anyone without a Samsung device can sign-up to be invited on the Fortnite Android site. Epic has also released a list of other devices that the beta will be playable on:
As previously detailed, Epic will bypass the Google Play Store for Fortnite's Android release and directly distribute the game to players. This allows Epic Games to make more money from the free-to-play title, as Google will not be entitled to a portion of the money spent on in-game transactions. In a statement shared with GameSpot, Epic said the decision allowed the company to get around the 30 percent "store tax" that would ordinarily be applicable to purchases made on Google Play.
"It's a high cost in a world where game developers' 70 percent must cover all the cost of developing, operating, and supporting their games," Epic explained. "And it's disproportionate to the cost of the services these stores perform, such as payment processing, download bandwidth, and customer service."
Although Fortnite is available on iOS, Apple's ecosystem does not allow for similar measures to be taken for those devices. Nevertheless, the game has become incredibly successful. Analysts have said that Fortnite's iOS version made an average of $2 million per day over a 10-day period, following the start of Season 5 in July. By August, Fortnite on iOS had crossed over 100 million downloads.
If you're on the hunt for a new phone and don't mind splashing out a bit of cash, check out CNET's Samsung's Galaxy Note 9 preview, which breaks down all the features and explains how it compares to other devices such as the Galaxy S9, iPhone X, and the Note 8.
The Red Dead Redemption 2 gameplay trailer shed a lot more light on just how Arthur Morgan and his gang of outlaws will operate in the upcoming action game, but it also revealed some story threads as well. We know that, as a prequel, this tells the story of Dutch's gang, where the first game's protagonist, John Marston, made his outlaw name. However, the new trailer reveals that his family is along for the ride too.
In a pair of blink-and-you'll-miss-it cameos, we see both Abigail Marston and her son, Jack. Both of them are sitting at a campfire as the gang gathers around. In a separate scene, Abigail talks to Morgan one-on-one, and the mini-map at one point shows an "A" icon--possibly for Abigail. It seems the whole Marston family will factor into this story.
Conspicuously absent is John Marston's daughter, who was mentioned but unnamed in the first Red Dead Redemption. She was said to have died of a fever a couple years after he left Dutch's gang, so it's possible she'll factor into the story too, and simply wasn't seen in the footage released today. Alternately, she could have both been born and passed away after Marston left the gang.
The rest of the trailer focused mostly on how Morgan and his gang will operate within the world, moving from the heartland to the Wild West as law enforcement chases them out of their hideouts. And naturally, it's full of sweeping vistas of mountain ranges and prairies, dangerous wildlife, card games, and shoot-outs. This trailer kicks off a series that will explore the gameplay systems in-depth, and more are on the way.
Sony has reached an impressive milestone: in the 24 years since the original PlayStation launched in Japan in December of 1994, the company has sold over 500 million PlayStation consoles (525.3 million, to be exact). To celebrate, Sony's releasing the PS4 Pro 500 Million Limited Edition. It's a new translucent dark blue version of the console that will be limited to 50,000 units worldwide. It will be available on August 24.
The PS4 Pro 500 Million Limited Edition comes with a DualShock 4 controller with the same translucent blue shell, a 2TB hard drive, vertical stand, and PlayStation Camera. The front of each system will have a commemorative copper plate with its unique serial number etched on it. Some will have "extra special" serial numbers like 09995 (U.S. Launch Date of the original PlayStation: September 9th, 1995), 01115 (U.S. launch date of PS4: November 15, 2013) and 01013 (U.S. launch date of PS VR: October 13, 2016). It will sell for $500 / £450.
The 500 Million Limited Edition DualShock 4 will be available as a standalone item for $65 / £55 on August 24. Additionally, you'll be able to buy a 500 Million Limited Edition Gold Wireless Headset with the same translucent blue design and copper detailing for $100 / £78 on September October 11 in Europe.
Pre-orders for the PS4 Pro will be available in Europe on August 14 from retailers including Amazon UK, Game, Smyths, ShopTo, and Very. There's no word yet about US pre-orders. Sony says that all of the items will be available in very limited quantities, so don't be surprised if you have a hard time finding them in stock.
The 525.3 million sales figure includes PlayStation, PS2, PSP, PSP Go, PS3, PS Vita, PS Vita TV, and PS4. The hardware that contributed most to that figure is the PS2, which is also the bestselling console of all time. Since its release in 2000, the PS2 has sold over 155 million units. The PS4 is no slouch, though, as it has shipped roughly 82 million units and counting.
Rockstar Games has finally shown off a gameplay trailer for Red Dead Redemption 2, giving the many eager fans out there the first opportunity to see exactly what playing the sequel will be like when it launches later this year. The video provides a much deeper look at the game world, how players can interact with the Van der Linde gang, build a reputation for main character Arthur Morgan, and more. Check it out above.
"In the late 1800s, America was evolving, on its way to becoming the most powerful country in the world," a voice over in the trailer states. "New immigrants arrived, thriving outposts became towns, and civilization was spreading into the huge, wild, and lawless frontier. With Red Dead Redemption 2, Rockstar Games aims to create a living world that's not simply open, but deeper, more interactive and detailed than ever, combining action, storytelling, and gameplay in new ways as you live, ride, and fight to survive as an outlaw in a notorious gang."
As shown in the trailer, Red Dead Redemption 2 features a vast American landscape that encompasses everything from harsh mountain trails and dense forests to untamed swamplands, sweeping deserts, rugged livestock towns, and cities that are undergoing the process of modernization. Players will be able to move between these locations seamlessly and each one provides a variety of activities and missions to engage with.
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As Arthur Morgan, you roll with the Van der Linde gang, who are being pursued across America by Lawmen intent on snuffing out the age of outlaws. The way players interact with fellow gang members is key to Red Dead Redemption 2's narrative and its gameplay, so they are always available to talk to, either for general chit-chat or to get missions and activities from. You can also take your compatriots in crime out with you to hunt, go drinking, or rob.
The Van der Linde gang has a dedicated camp that evolves over time. Players will frequently return to the camp to take on missions and activities, as well as build their relationships with other members of the gang, as previously mentioned. Here, the group can eat, sleep, perform chores, and play games together. The camp needs to be maintained and each member of the gang is involved in that process. For upkeep, the camp needs a regular supply of provisions, be it food or cash. Although players can choose not to contribute and leave it to others, helping out will lead to Arthur being rewarded for his efforts. Interestingly, camp locations will change as the story progresses, which makes sense given that they're outlaws on the run.
Red Dead Redemption 2 also lets players interact with the majority of other characters in the game world, and these interactions will change depending on the situation and context. Since you're an outlaw, you can choose how to approach the world, either behaving like an upstanding member of society or choosing to cause trouble. Depending on the approach the world and the people, around you will react accordingly. In the trailer Arthur is shown calling out to a passing rider, smack talking tough guys, and reasoning with a sheriff. He intimidates a witness into silence by beating him, and also talking someone else down from getting violent.
The horses are another big pillar of Red Dead Redemption 2's gameplay, as they are as much a companion for Arthur as it is a transportation option. As with the first game, wild horses can be tamed and ridden, but this time will behave differently depending on their breed. Some may be better suited to traversing certain terrain, while others may get spooked easier when around action. To build a bond with horses, players are able to feed them and groom them, and if they're upset, you can ease their stress and calm them too. As the player, and Arthur, deepens the bond with a horse, its stamina and speed develops, and it also becomes easier to calm it.
Needless to say, horses are also pretty handy for carrying equipment. Saddlebags can be utilized to hold extra weapons, killed animals, and pretty much anything else that Arthur isn't able to stuff into his pockets.
Arthur, who is a senior member of the Van der Linde gang and, as a result, has the confidence of its leader, Dutch, joined the gang when he was a boy and treats its members as family, inspiring deep loyalty from him. Given that the life of an outlaw is all that he's known from a young age, he's desperate to protect his lifestyle and his family, and make sure they're taken care of. Despite being an outlaw, the player can define how honorable Arthur is through actions. The way they choose to approach missions and activities, as well as their general conduct in daily life in the open-world will dictate the level of honor Arthur has. This, in turns, opens up different opportunities and has varying consequences.
In terms of shooting and combat, shooting and fighting have been improved to make combat feel "deep and engaging at all times." Guns now have unique characteristics with realistic reload and recoil so the action feels grounded.
Up until now Rockstar has provided precious few details on Read Dead Redemption 2's gameplay, opting instead to release three cinematic trailers that deliver some insight into the story of the game and set the mood for it. Red Dead Redemption 2 takes place in America in the year 1899, at the end of the wild west era. Lawmen have begun hunting the last remaining outlaw gangs, killing off those that don't surrender.
"After a robbery goes badly wrong in the western town of Blackwater, Arthur Morgan and the Van der Linde gang are forced to flee," Rockstar explained. "With federal agents and the best bounty hunters in the nation massing on their heels, the gang must rob, steal and fight their way across the rugged heartland of America in order to survive. As deepening internal divisions threaten to tear the gang apart, Arthur must make a choice between his own ideals and loyalty to the gang who raised him ... Red Dead Redemption 2 is an epic tale of life in America at the dawn of the modern age."
The story follows outlaw Arthur Morgan and the Van der Linde gang as they fight for survival by robbing and stealing their way across the heart of America. A previous trailer confirmed that the first Red Dead Redemption's protagonist, John Marston, will make an appearance.
We learned a ton of new information about Super Smash Bros. Ultimate during Nintendo's latest Direct. The company shared more details on many of the game's features and revealed five new characters that'll be joining the roster. According to game director Masahiro Sakurai, those won't be the only newcomers appearing in the title.
During the presentation, Sakurai teased that there are still "a few" unannounced fighters in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. He didn't provide any hints as to their identities, but he did confirm that Nintendo plans to unveil every character before the game launches, so fans won't have to wait until December to learn the entire roster.
Nintendo bookended the latest Direct by announcing two entirely new fighters. The presentation kicked off with the reveal of Castlevania's Simon Belmont, who'll be debuting in Ultimate alongside the Dracula's Castle stage. The Direct concluded with a look at another brand-new addition to the roster, and it's one of fans' most commonly requested characters: Donkey Kong's nemesis, King K. Rool.
Nintendo also unveiled a trio of Echo Fighters--characters based on other fighters in the game. Simon's descendant, Richter Belmont, was the first new Echo Fighter revealed, followed by Chrom from Fire Emblem Awakening and Dark Samus from the Metroid Prime series. Players will have the option to display Echo Fighters as separate characters on the selection screen or stack them on top of the fighter they are based on.
Nintendo's Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Direct delivered a ton of new details about the upcoming fighting game, kicking off with the announcement of Simon and Richter Belmont as playable characters. Those weren't the only new fighters introduced during the broadcast, however; Nintendo also revealed that Fire Emblem Awakening's Chrom and Metroid Prime 3's Dark Samus are joining the roster.
Like Princess Daisy and Richter Belmont, both Chrom and Dark Samus are Echo Fighters--clones of other characters already on the roster with their own appearance and slightly tweaked moves. Chrom is based on Roy, while Dark Samus is, naturally, an Echo Fighter of Samus, boasting many of the same abilities as the bounty hunter.
Nintendo also revealed a few more details on how Echo Fighters work. Players have two different options for displaying the characters on the roster; they can either be laid out as separate fighters on the selection screen, or stacked atop the character they're based on. If the latter option is chosen, players will be able to change between the fighters simply by pressing a button.
That wasn't the extent of the new character reveals during the Smash Bros. Direct. Nintendo closed out the presentation by revealing one more new addition to the roster: Donkey Kong's much-requested nemesis, King K. Rool. The villainous croc is an entirely original fighter, boasting moves inspired by his appearances in the Donkey Kong Country series. He can throw his crown like a boomerang and deflect attacks with his...ample stomach.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate launches for Nintendo Switch on December 7. The game features the largest selection of playable characters and stages in the series to date, with nearly 70 announced fighters thus far and more than 100 stages. You can read more about the game in our roundup of everything we know about Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Nintendo kicked off its latest Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Direct by revealing a brand-new character: Simon Belmont from the Castlevania series. The new fighter was introduced via a grim cinematic trailer, which began with Luigi exploring a dark castle filled with supernatural monsters before being struck down by Death (but he's okay). The reaper was then attacked by a mysterious cloaked figure, who removed his hood to reveal his identity as the legendary vampire hunter.
Just as in Konami's classic series, Simon uses many of his signature items in battle, including his iconic whip. According to director Masahiro Sakurai, Simon's whip is a bit slow and leaves him vulnerable, but it has a longer average reach than other fighters and can be controlled freely. Simon can also throw axes and crosses, as well as use holy water in battle. His Final Smash, meanwhile, is the Grand Cross; it stuffs opponents into a coffin and launches them.
Simon's accompanying stage is Dracula's Castle, which Sakurai notes is the darkest stage in the game. Attacking candlesticks around the level will drop items. Iconic Castlevania bosses and enemies such as Medusa and Flea Man also appear on the stage, as will Dracula--although Nintendo is keeping the conditions that make him appear a mystery. The stage also features 34 new and classic music tracks.
Simon isn't the only Castlevania representative joining the Ultimate roster. His descendant, Richter Belmont, will also appear in the game as an Echo Fighter. He has his own distinct voice, appearance, and animations, but his moveset is similar to Simon's. Another iconic Castlevania protagonist, Alucard, also appears in Ultimate as an Assist Trophy, and his moves are inspired by Symphony of the Night.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate launches for Nintendo Switch on December 7. We learned a ton of other details about the game during the new Direct presentation and got a look at several other new fighters, including Chrom, Dark Samus, and the much requested King K. Rool from Donkey Kong Country. You can catch up on all the news in our roundup of every announcement from today's Direct.
We're in the thick of Season 5 of Fortnite: Battle Royale on PS4, Xbox One, PC, Nintendo Switch, and iOS. As with previous season, the latest one brings with it a selection of new challenges to complete on a weekly basis, as well as a variety of Battle Pass rewards to unlock for your troubles. 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 newest Season 5 challenges, details on all of the ones available so far, and exactly how to get them all done.
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.
There are two other types of challenges to complete this season as well: Road Trip and Drift. The former are much like the Blockbuster challenges from Season 4; when you complete all of the challenges in a given week, you'll receive a special loading screen that points to the location of a hidden Battle Star. 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. For a limited time, you can also complete special anniversary challenges tied to Fortnite's birthday event.
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
J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth is one of the most famous fictional worlds in all of pop culture. And thanks to the Middle-earth video games, you can run around in it, slaying hordes of Orcs, building an army, and trying to put a stop to the evil forces of Mordor. It's a good time, and right now it's also much cheaper than usual. Today only, PC gamers can pick up the second game in the series, Middle-earth: Shadow of War, for just $15. That's a great deal, considering it's going for $60 on Steam right now.
It's a one-day deal available at Fanatical, an online retailer that sells games for Steam. The deal will vanish on August 10, so if you've been on the fence about picking up Shadow of War, you'd better do it soon if you want it cheap. And while you're on there, you can check out the other deals going on in the Fanatical's Summer Sale.
Middle-earth: Shadow of War takes place between the events of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. Like its predecessor, Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor, the game follows Talion, a warrior seeking revenge on the death of his wife. Your job is to raise an army by recruiting Orc captains in an effort to attack Sauron where he lives.
In GameSpot's 7/10 Middle-earth: Shadow of War review, our critic wasn't crazy about the story, but he pointed out many of the game's redeeming qualities. "Narrative problems aside, some of the setpieces are breathlessly fun. You ride a drake, team up with some ridiculous Orcs, fight an imposing, flame-winged Balrog, battle the Ringwraiths. It's a greatest-hits compilation of the most bad-ass moments from The Lord of the Rings. After a slow-building introductory act, the game gains momentum as it crashes toward what seems like a final standoff against the forces of evil. And this fight addresses criticism of the previous game; it's an epic multi-stage battle that does still have QTEs, but no more than the ones you find while playing through the game normally."
And just last month, Shadow of War got a major update that completely removed the unpopular microtransaction market from the game. If it sounds like your kind of thing, grab this deal before it goes away.
Bethesda's popular free-to-play mobile title Fallout Shelter has now brought in more than $90 million from its microtransactions across iOS and Google Play, according to a new report. Research company SensorTower (via Gamasutra) says the first Fallout mobile game has now made $93 million from the sale of its "lunch boxes" and other items that players can buy with real money.
The firm also stated that Fallout Shelter microtransaction revenue was around $212,000 on June 15 this year, which marks the highest single-day since September 14, 2015 (~$237,000). The revenue was almost evenly distributed between iOS (49%) and Google Play (51%). It was also estimated that 59 percent of Fallout Shelter's revenue has come from the US.
If Fallout Shelter can hold its current revenue patterns, it could reach $100 million by the end of the year. The game reached 100 million downloads in September of last year.
The $93 million revenue figure only applies to Fallout Shelter's iOS and Android versions. The game is also available on PC, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PlayStation 4, so the title has surely made much more than $93 million when all platforms are combined.
Given the immense popularity and profitability of Fallout Shelter, it makes sense that Bethesda is continuing down the mobile game path with The Elder Scrolls: Blades later this year. While details have not yet been announced, the game is likely to have microtransactions in some form. For more on Blades, you can check out GameSpot's interview with Todd Howard.
Home Alone actor Macaulay Culkin has revealed one of the roles he turned down--and it's a very big one. Speaking on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast, Culkin said he was relentlessly pursued for The Big Bang Theory, which is one of the biggest, most popular, and enduringly successful modern TV shows.
Culkin told Rogan that he passed on the show at least three times. It's not exactly clear which role Culkin was apparently being eyed for, but it sounds like one of the leads.
"They pursued me for The Big Bang Theory," Culkin said. "And I said, 'Noooo.' It was kind of like, the way the pitch was, 'Alright, these two astrophysicist nerds and a pretty girl lives with them. Yoinks!' That was the pitch. And I was like, 'Yeah, I'm cool; thanks.' And then they came back at me again, and I said, 'No, no, no; again, flattered--but no.' Then they came back at me again, and even my manager was like twisting my arm."
Culkin said he lost out on lots and lots of money by passing on The Big Bang Theory, but decided against it because the process of making a TV show didn't strike his fancy. On the podcast he said he's living comfortably today, owning properties in America and abroad, and living "a life of leisure," as he calls it.
"I'd have hundreds of millions of dollars right now if I did that gig," Culkin said. "At the same time, I'd be bashing my head against the wall."
The five original actors are set to make around $900,000 per episode for the upcoming 12th season, according to Variety, so indeed, Culkin passed on what could have been a large sum of money.
Culkin, 37, played Kevin McCallister in the 1990 Christmas classic Home Alone and its 1992 sequel. He's also known for his parts in 1994's The Pagemaster and Richie Rich. In his adult life, Culkin played in a pizza-themed band called The Pizza Underground and, more, recently launched a new, totally absurd project called BunnyEars. He recently traveled to Thailand to film his part in the Seth Green movie Changeland.
The Big Bang Theory, which airs on CBS (whose parent company CBS Corp. owns GameSpot), recently wrapped up its 11th season. It is confirmed for Season 12, which debuts in September, and discussions are underway for Season 13. The ensemble cast includes Jim Parsons, Johnny Galecki, Kaley Cuoco, Simon Helberg, Melissa Rauch, Kunal Nayyar, and Mayim Bialik.
Season 11 averaged 14 million viewers per episode, making it one of the most popular shows on TV, according to Variety. A spinoff, Young Sheldon, premiered in 2017.
The controversy and debate stirred up by Star Wars: Battlefront II's microtransaction system was one of the biggest stories of 2017. The news made international headlines. People outside of gaming circles were even talking about it.
In the wake of this, EA is moving away from loot boxes, and now an EA executive has spoken about how the drama is changing how the company makes games.
EA's vice president of strategic growth, Matt Bilbey, told GI.biz that the situation was so dramatic that EA decided to re-think the framework of how it designs and tests games. This is part of a directive called the "EA moral compass," Bilbey explained.
"I ran a team internally with [EA chief design officer Patrick Soderlund] post-Battlefront to actually redesign our game development framework and testing platforms to ensure we're giving our game teams the right guidance--we'll call it an EA moral compass--at the beginning of development so that we're designing our live service early, we're testing it early, testing it with gamers who are giving us feedback so we ensure those pillars of fairness, value, and fun are true," Bilbey said.
At E3 this year, EA talked about how Battlefront II was a big learning for the company no doubt due in part to the response about its monetisation methods.
"We launched our game in November of last year and clearly we didn't get it quite right," Battlefront II design director Dennis Brannvall said. "Instead of coming out of the gate and sprinting like we really wanted to, we had to take a step back and make sure that we were delivering a game that players really wanted."
Microtransactions are big business for EA and other publishers, so you should expect these companies to continue to push in this area. The problem with Battlefront II was that the items contained inside its loot boxes included perks that affected gameplay, so it became a pay-to-win scenario. Today, the game only lets you buy cosmetics.
Big franchises like Call of Duty and Battlefield are jumping on the battle royale bandwagon this year, but another big time series, Assassin's Creed, isn't taking a stab at it just yet. Game director Scott Phillips was asked by Game Informer if there have been any meetings about putting a battle royale mode in Odyssey, and he responded by saying no, there haven't been.
That's all he had to say on the subject (this was part of Game Informer's rapid-fire interview video series), but Phillips did go on to say that Odyssey won't have multiplayer at all. Head-to-head multiplayer was introduced to Assassin's Creed with 2010's Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, but later games in the series moved away from this. For Odyssey, Phillips said he wanted the development team united to make the best possible game (he also said in the interview that a total of eight studios are working on Odyssey).
"Splitting that focus for our team and the amount of time we had to make the game was, for me, not the right call," Phillips said about Odyssey not having multiplayer. "Delivering this giant open-world RPG is the way to do it and I think that's what Assassin's Creed should be."
Odyssey will be a "full RPG" that's focused on player choice and agency, Phillips said. He also said in the video that Odyssey has a bigger map than last year's Assassin's Creed: Origins, and that it is a "much longer" game. Here are some other takeaways from the interview:
You can pet any tamed animals, including lions and bears.
You can't pet random dogs walking around
Will it come to Switch? Phillips wouldn't say.
The photo mode will probably be available at launch.
You can half a dozen romantic partners, and you can romance them all at once.
While PES 2019 doesn't officially release until August 30, everyone can try it starting now. A free demo for the professional football game is out now on PS4, Xbox One, and PC.
The demo gives you a sampling of what's in the full game. This includes the following:
Exhibition Match -- lets you play a single game
Quick Match -- lets you play online
Co-Op -- Lets you play 3-on-3 with friends or AI
Two stadiums: FC Barcelon's Camp Nou and FC Schalke 04's Veltins arena
12 teams
Liverpool FC
FC Barcelona
Schalke 04
Internazionale
Inter Milan
Monaco
Sao Paulo
Flamengo
Palmeiras
Colo-Colo
Argentina
France
Once you get into a game, you'll see some of what's new for PES 2019 including "visible fatigue" that shows your player getting tired and over time. There are also new shooting mechanics and ball physics, while the game should look better overall.
You can download the PES 2019 demo on your preferred platforms by using these links: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC. For more on PES 2019, check out GameSpot's previously published video and written coverage here.
A demo for FIFA 19, which is coming in September, is also expected, though EA Sports has not yet announced when it will be out. Keep checking back with GameSpot for more.
Blizzard has released some key figures from this past weekend's Overwatch League Grand Finals--and they're huge. The event brought in 10.8 million viewers worldwide, Blizzard said.
The Grand Finals consisted of two matches in two days. To put the figure into perspective, 10.8 million viewers is more than total number of viewers for all of the Week 1 matches earlier in the year. For the important 18-34 demographic, the Finals attracted an "average minute audience" of 605,013. With rebroadcast figures added in, the average minute audience for both days was more than 1 million, Blizzard said.
The event was available to watch in lots and lots of locations, including Twitch and MLG, as well as broadcast TV in the United States on ESPN channels. Highlights of the tournament were shown on ABC. And in China, the matches were shown on ZhangQi TV, NetEase CC, and Panda TV. In South Korea, the finals aired on MBC.
The London Spitfire beat the Philadelphia Fusion 2-0 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York to win the inaugural Overwatch League Grand Finals.
While the first season has ended, there will be an All-Star Weekend event coming up later this month with some of the best players from the league facing off. In other Overwatch League news, the league recently added teams in Atlanta, Georgia and Guangzhou, China for the second season.
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