Epic has shared a few more details about the upcoming Android release of Fortnite. After launching on iOS back in April, the phenomenally popular battle royale game is coming to Android devices this summer, and the developer has now revealed that the game won't be available through the Google Play store like most other games for the platform. That allows Epic to make more money on each purchase in the free-to-play game, but it means that users will have to go through a somewhat unconventional process to download and install it.
Epic confirmed to GameSpot that Android users will not be able to download Fortnite on their devices from Google's digital store, but rather through its own service. According to the developer, this decision was made in part to bypass the 30% "store tax" that would normally be applied to purchases made on Google Play.
"It's a high cost in a world where game developers' 70 per cent must cover all the cost of developing, operating, and supporting their games," Epic said. "And it's disproportionate to the cost of the services these stores perform, such as payment processing, download bandwidth, and customer service."
This stands in contrast to the iOS version of Fortnite, which is available to download right from Apple's App Store. According to Epic, it would have likewise offered Fortnite for iOS through its own website if it were able to, but the closed nature of Apple's ecosystem prevented that.
The other benefit of offering Fortnite through its own platform, Epic says, is that it allows the studio to "bring its games directly to customers." Once it rolls out for Android, users will be able to go to Epic's website and download the game from there. However, if you're hoping to play the game on Android, you'll need to have a newer handset, as Epic says the game requires a "recent high-end Android smartphone."
The iOS version of Fortnite has been a major success for Epic since it arrived on the platform back in spring. It has reportedly crossed 100 million downloads on iOS alone and rakes in $2 million per day. While Epic hasn't shared any footage of the Android version in action yet, you can take a look at how the game runs on iOS in the video above.
It was recently discovered that Madden NFL 19, which is available now for EA and Origin Access subscribers before its public release, removed Colin Kaepernick's name in the YG song "Big Bank" featured on the game's soundtrack. The line is supposed to be "You boys all cap, I'm more Colin Kaepernick." However, his name was scrubbed from the verse sung by Big Sean, leading to a really strange edit that caught the attention of pre-release players.
EA has now explained that it was an "unfortunate mistake." According to EA, some of its developers did not believe they had the rights to Kaepernick's name, so that's why it was censored out of the song. EA indeed does not have the rights to Kaepernick, as he's not signed to any NFL roster, but this doesn't apply to the soundtrack.
"We messed up, and the edit should never have happened," EA Sports said.
Kaepernick's name will be added back with an update due out on August 6. "We meant no disrespect, and we apologise to Colin, to YG and Big Sean, to the NFL, to all their fans, and our players for this mistake."
JUST IN: EA Sports says it didn't mean to omit Colin Kaepernick's name in YG's song it licensed for use in Madden '19. Will add his name back in update. pic.twitter.com/ck8UhxI1fu
Kaepernick made international headlines in 2016 when, as the QB for the San Francisco 49ers, he sat during the national anthem. He told NFL media at the time that he did this in protest over the treatment of black people and people of color in the US.
Madden 19 officially launches on August 10, but EA/Origin Access subscribers can play a 10-hour trial right now. The premium edition then unlocks on August 7, while everyone can start playing on August 10. For more, check out GameSpot's Madden 19 Review in Progress.
Grand Theft Auto V, which was released four years and 10 months ago, is still doing huge business for Rockstar Games and parent company Take-Two Interactive.
The company announced today that GTA V has now shipped almost 100 million units. This is up fro the 95 million figure that Take-Two announced back in May. The game "outperformed" Take-Two's expectations during the quarter. Indeed, it continues to be a massive hit so long after launch, as it was the No. 3 best-selling game in the United States during June, outselling the new release The Crew 2 and other titles.
Not only is GTA V the base game doing well, but its GTA Online mode also did better than Take-Two expected. "Grand Theft Auto Online continued to exceed our expectations in the first quarter, as it has in every period since its release," Take-Two said.
Part of the reason why GTA Online has been and continues to be so successful is that Rockstar releases new content for it very frequently. The latest substantial update was GTA Online: After Hours, which Take-Two said "had a bigger week-one audience than last December's Doomsday Heist, which went on to be a record-breaking update."
Looking ahead, Take-Two said Rockstar plans to launch "much more innovative content" for the game in the weeks and months to come.
A big part of GTA Online is its microtransactions, and these have been performing extremely well. During an earnings call, Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick said "recurrent consumer spending" i.e. microtransactions performed better-than-expected this quarter.
The next big release from Rockstar is Red Dead Redemption 2, which launches in October.
The NPD Group has released its report for June, revealing which consoles and games sold the best during the summer month in the United States. Starting with hardware, Nintendo's NES Classic, which was brought back on June 29, was the month's best-seller in terms of total units. However, Sony's PlayStation 4 took the top spot as it relates to overall dollar sales.
This makes sense, of course, because the NES Classic costs significantly less than the PS4. Still, it's an impressive performance for Nintendo's classic system, especially when you consider it launched at the very end of June. Hopefully the rumoured N64 Classic comes next.
Also of note is that June 2018 was the first time since NPD's tracking began in 1995 that a NES console was the best-seller in terms of unit sales.
While the Xbox One didn't finish first, it had a strong June 2018. Sales, on a dollar basis, rose by nearly double compared to July 2017. Additionally, Nintendo Switch sales jumped by more than 50 percent, while PS4 dollar sales of course grew as well.
Overall, hardware spending in the US for June 2017 jumped by 52 percent year-over-year to $350 million. As mentioned, all major home consoles experienced growth, and the NPD Group said this was driven in part by the popularity of Fortnite, price cuts and bundles, and the re-launch of the NES Classic.
In terms of game sales, Nintendo's Switch-exclusive Mario Tennis Aces was the best-selling game of June 2018 in the US. It passes the N64's Mario Tennis to become the all-time single-month sales leader for a tennis game since NPD tracking began. Sony's PS4-exclusive God of War was No. 2 in June, and it remains the second best-selling game of 2018 behind Ubisoft's Far Cry 5. Another new Ubisoft game, the racing title The Crew 2, launched at the end of June and finished in the No. 4 position. Notably, it was outsold by Grand Theft Auto V, which was released nearly five years ago.
Another notable takeaway from June 2018 software sales is that the Switch was the only console that showed game sale growth in June. Additionally, full-game download sales grew "significantly," thanks in part to GOTY/Remastered/Anniversary re-releases.
Overall, software sales in June 2018 across console, portable, and PC hit $374 million, which is down 1 percent compared to the same period last year. With hardware and software combined, total June 2018 gaming revenue jumped 25 percent to $1.1 billion.
June 2018:
*Titles marked with an asterisk do not include digital sales*
Blizzard Entertainment has announced that Summer Games is returning to Overwatch again this year. The annual summer event will return August 9 and continue to August 30.
Summer Games first came to Overwatch in 2016 in celebration of the Olympics. The event unlocks content drops of exclusive summer-themed hero skins, as well as Lucioball--a Rocket League-type game mode. Lucioball returns for Summer Games 2018, and promo images seem to suggest the mode's arenas are moving to Busan, South Korea.
You'll get a kick out of this! ⚽ Team up with your friends for Summer Games on August 9. pic.twitter.com/VSyxMDTrc3
Also this summer, Blizzard is teaming up with Twitch Prime to bring players several in-game rewards for Overwatch. To unlock them, link your Blizzard and Twitch Prime accounts. The first set of rewards are available right now. Until September 3, all Twitch Prime members can claim two loot boxes that each contain four random items for Overwatch's newest hero: Wrecking Ball.
Starting in September, Twitch Prime members can also unlock a Golden Loot Box. Another Golden Loot Box will be available for Twitch Prime members in October. None of the boxes contain a fixed set of items, and they don't unlock season event items either.
The Pokemon Company has shared some more footage of Pokemon: Let's Go, Pikachu and Let's Go, Eevee, the upcoming Pokemon RPGs for Nintendo Switch. Five brief clips of the games have been posted on the official Japanese Pokemon YouTube channel (as pointed out by Pokemon fansite Serebii), and they give fans a look at some more Pokemon running around on the overworld.
Just as in Pokemon HeartGold and SoulSilver for the DS, players can have any Pokemon follow along outside of their Poke Ball while they explore in the Let's Go titles. As previous trailers for the games have showcased, each Pokemon has its own distinctive way of maneuvering about; small Pokemon like Nidoran trot behind the trainer, while larger monsters like Charizard and Onix can ferry players on their backs.
The aforementioned clips show off some Pokemon we haven't previously seen following around on the overworld, such as Golem and Electrode, who both roll like a ball. Caterpie, bless its little heart, does its best to keep up by crawling slowly behind. But perhaps the most surprising is Venusaur. While you might expect the heavy Grass-type to trundle along thanks to its squat stature, the clip reveals that Venusaur actually hops like a giant toad. You can take a look below.
Let's Go, Pikachu and Let's Go, Eevee are based on the classic Pokemon Yellow version, and just as in that game, players' starter Pokemon (Pikachu or Eevee, depending on which version you choose) will also keep you company outside of its Poke Ball. This time, players are able to pet and dress their partner Pokemon up in various costumes, as well as give them different hairstyles.
Fortnite's battle royale mode might get more attention these days, but PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds is still going strong. To help PUBG compete with its free competitor, a number of retailers have been putting it on sale in recent months. But right now the Microsoft Store is selling the Xbox One version of this Early Access game for the cheapest price we've seen yet: $12. You can buy it here. Considering that it normally retails for $30, that's a killer deal for the game that first pushed the battle royale genre into widespread popularity.
Much like Fortnite, PUBG has 100 players parachute onto an island, scavenge for weapons and equipment, and set out to kill each other. A deadly storm closes in as they do, herding everyone to a single spot on the map until only one player or team is left standing.
Unlike Fortnite, PUBG comes with more than one map. It has the original map, Erangel, plus a desert map called Miramar that was added in May. A third map called Sanhok is already live in the PC version of the game, and is coming to the Xbox One version later this summer. A fourth map is also in the works.
From GameSpot's 8/10 PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds review: "PUBG's technical shortcomings can undermine its broader achievements on rare occasions, but they don't override your desire to continue playing. Each phase of a match presents a different type of tension that is equal parts thrilling and terrifying, driven by the insatiable desire to be the last person (or squad) standing."
So if you've been considering picking up PUBG on Xbox One, now is the time to do so.
We may be only in the middle of 2018, but there's already an exciting roster of games releasing in 2019. Highly-anticipated games like Anthem, Days Gone, and Kingdom Hearts III make up only a small number of what's ahead. And that's not to mention the all the big games recently revealed at E3, like Resident Evil 2 Remake, Gears 5, and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, which we can't wait to get our hands on. To help you keep track of all the games coming out next year, we've compiled a list of all the noteworthy release dates for the biggest ones confirmed to come out in 2019 so far.
More dates are sure to be confirmed as the year goes on, so be sure to check back often as we update this article with new additions or potential changes. But if you're looking for this year's release dates, you can also reference our feature on the game release dates of 2018.
Below you can find a list of the biggest games that don't have explicit release dates but are confirmed to release sometime in 2019. We'll be moving each of these games into the release date sections above as soon as official dates are announced.
The Defenders, including Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, and Daredevil, got a mini-series last year, and several have gotten new seasons of their solo shows this year. Since three out of four Defenders will have gotten a second season by the end of the year, many were wondering whether Daredevil would as well, but now it's been confirmed that Season 3 will premiere before the year is out.
Many had initially thought that the third season of Daredevil wouldn't be premiering until 2019, precisely because the other Defenders were all getting new seasons this year, but Netflix had something to say about that.
Ted Sarantos, CEO of the streaming service, spoke about the its upcoming release slate during Netflix's Q2 earnings video, saying, "In the short term, we've got new seasons coming up, in the second half of this year, of Orange is the New Black, Ozark, Iron Fist, Daredevil, Narcos, the finale of House of Cards, the follow-up series to Making a Murderer."
This announcement is a definitive confirmation that Daredevil Season 3 is scheduled to premiere this year. There is no release date for the season yet, but there are a few promo photos out. Iron Fist Season 2 is also coming out on September 7, and a trailer has been released for the new season.
After the amazing gaming year that was 2017, many wondered how well 2018 would turn out. Fortunately for everyone, it has been great. The first half of the year has yielded a wealth of fantastic games, and there's more on the horizon. Upcoming games for the rest of this 2018 include slew of hotly anticipated new games, like Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Red Dead Redemption 2, Spider-Man, and a whole lot more. To help you keep track of all the games coming out and what has already released, we've compiled a list of all the noteworthy release dates for the biggest ones confirmed to come out in 2018 so far.
Game release dates change all the time and new ones arrive every month. Be sure to bookmark this page, as we'll be updating this article with more release dates or any potential changes to any of the dates below. And if you're eager to figure out the release dates from games next year, you can also reference our feature on the game release dates of 2019.
Below you can find a list of the biggest games that don't have explicit release dates but are confirmed to release sometime this year. There are also games listed that we expect to launch in 2018. We'll be moving each of these games into the release date sections above as soon as official dates are announced.
Rockstar has announced another cross-promotion weapon--the Stone Hatchet--that's unlockable in both Grand Theft Auto 5 and Red Dead Redemption 2. The weapon was originally uncovered by the Guru Team, who discovered the weapon while datamining in GTA 5. If you want the Stone Hatchet in RDR2, you'll have to earn it by playing GTA Online.
The Stone Hatchet is unlocked in GTA Online after completing a series of bounties for Maude Eccles. The next time you jump into GTA Online, be on the lookout for a text message from Maude. Retrieve all the bounties--dead or alive, it doesn't matter--and you'll earn the Stone Hatchet, along with a new Kills Challenge. Completing the challenge nets you a $250,000 in-game bonus and unlocks the Stone Hatchet in RDR2.
If you missed out on unlocking the Double-Action Revolver in GTA Online last year, you have another chance coming up. According to Rockstar, an in-game email that describes how to unlock the weapon "will soon reappear" in GTA Online. Once you do earn the Double-Action Revolver, completing its Headshot Challenge nabs you a $250,000 in-game bonus and unlocks the firearm in RDR2.
GTA Online is the online multiplayer component of Grand Theft Auto 5, which is available for Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS4, PS3, and PC. Red Dead Redemption 2 is launching for Xbox One and PS4 on October 26.
As we're approaching the release of Insomniac's Spider-Man game, it's become clear that the game nails the big things. For a lot of fans, getting the feel of Spider-Man right was the most important concern. We now know that traversing New York City indeed feels fantastic, with smooth, satisfying web-swinging and parkour that effortlessly carries Spidey from one corner of the concrete jungle to another. Combat, too, is easy to pick up yet complex enough to reward experimentation and encourage customization. Taking on the role of Spider-Man feels so good that it's very easy to overlook the other playable character.
Though you spend most of your time playing as Spider-Man (and plainclothes Peter Parker), some missions star his on-again, off-again girlfriend Mary Jane. She understandably hasn't been the focus of the pre-release hype; when I had a chance to play several hours of Spider-Man recently, I, like a lot of other people, was most interested in trying out web-swinging for myself. But after a few hours, a handful of story missions, and a lot of goofing-off as Spider-Man, I was surprised at how much MJ stood out.
This version of MJ is an investigative journalist, and she hasn't talked to Peter in months. They're reunited early in the game thanks to circumstances involving bigtime crime boss Wilson Fisk (suffice it to say his art collection is on sale). Peter is at the gallery to take out bad guys, while MJ is there to snoop around under the guise of covering the auction for an art publication. You play the first part of the mission as Peter, switching to MJ as a flashback in lieu of listening to her explain what happened.
The two are opposites in a lot of ways. MJ's part has no combat, just some low-pressure stealth and a minor puzzle; the main activity is taking photos of the art, which MJ comments on as you go. A samurai-like statue prompts her to comment about how history sometimes feels like a series of "boys dressing up and getting into fights," while a mask leads her to ruminate on Peter's secret and how, if she were a hero, she'd want people to see her face.
When MJ asks one too many probing questions, the art dealer tells her to leave. Instead, she pretends to head to the bathroom and sneaks her way to a back room to find the incriminating files she's looking for. Later, when the dust has settled, Peter asks MJ to dinner, and she asks him if he remembers why they broke up--it's implied that being Spider-Man and being a boyfriend don't exactly go together.
MJ, like Peter, wants to make the world a better place. She goes about it a different way both because she has no powers and because she's a different person; it's very clear from the relatively brief introduction that she and Peter don't always see eye to eye and that she isn't afraid to tell him that. All of this gives her the potential to be a powerful foil and provide much-needed depth to Spider-Man's superheroic story.
The unfortunate reality is that female characters in stories like this often exist solely to further the male protagonist's journey, and we don't know yet what MJ's place is in the game overall. Her role as a foil only works if she's also a well-rounded character in her own right; otherwise, any depth she seems to provide would be a convenient facade. But after only 20 minutes, I got a sense of the character she might end up being: someone strong-willed, clever, maybe a little rash, and who's interesting to play even though she can't swing from building to building.
A new event called Sanhok Forty-Fivers has started for PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds on PC. The event only lasts a week--ending August 5 at 7:00 PM PST / August 6 at 4:00 AM CEST / August 6 at 11:00 AM KST--so if you want to participate, grab some friends and get online.
Sanhok Forty-Fivers pits 20 teams against one another on Sanhok. Each team is typically composed of a four-person squad for a maximum of 80 players on the battleground, but playing in a full squad isn't mandatory. The safe zone is visible from the beginning and starts out pretty small so players land close together. Both Red Zones and Killer Spectating are disabled, weather is perpetually set to overcast, and it's impossible to kill your teammates.
The only weapons in Sanhok Forty-Fivers are throwables and firearms that take .45 ammo. Tommy Guns, Win94s, R45s, and P1911s spawn on the map, while Vectors drop in care packages. Care packages also carry 0.45 ACP rounds, level three gear, and other items that players might find useful.
The full details of Sanhok Forty-Fives can be read on Steam.
The test server for PUBG on PC is currently live. The new updates on the server tweak inventory management for weapon attachments and makes changes to the Erangel and Miramar maps--even adding entire new clusters of buildings. Weather effects have also been added so players occasionally parachute through cloudy skies that eventually roll over into rain or fog during the match. Bullets also penetrate through arms and hands to strike targets beyond enemy players.
This is not an instant win. Winners will be selected at random and receive an email with the code. Codes are for the Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 Multiplayer Beta only and do not give access to the full game when it launches officially.
Here are the official Beta dates:
Multiplayer Beta Weekend 1:
Friday, August 3 at 10:00am PT to Monday, August 6 at 10:00am PT (PlayStation 4 only)
Multiplayer Beta Weekend 2:
Friday, August 10 at 10:00am PT to Monday, August 13 at 10:00am PT (PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC)
Saturday, August 11, 10 am PT – 10 am PT Monday, August 13 (PC Only Open Beta)
The series which has become the most played in Call of Duty history, as well as a cultural phenomenon around the globe returns October 12th with the release of Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, a gritty, grounded, all-out combat experience. Black Ops 4 raises the bar for Multiplayer mode that increases tactical gameplay and player choice, along with the biggest Zombies offering ever with three full experiences at launch, and Blackout, where the Black Ops universe comes to life in a massive battle royale experience featuring iconic characters and locations from all four Black Ops games in a one-of-a-kind offering that is uniquely Black Ops. Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 transforms the established universe played by hundreds of millions of fans with the largest gameplay experience ever created in the series.
Sony isn't messing around this week when it comes to sales. Not only is the PlayStation Store running a Totally Digital sale on downloadable games and a Double Discounts sale that gives PS Plus members two times the savings, but now it's doing a surprise Flash Sale. This weekend, you can save money on even more PS4 games.
Ubisoft has a strong presence in the Flash Sale, with many of its recent popular games getting discounts. The most recent one is The Crew 2, on sale for $42. Having just come out in June, this game lets you race across the U.S., swapping between cars, planes, and boats instantly.
The Montana-set open-world shooter Far Cry 5 is down to $39. If you like the look of the three DLC expansions--a sci-fi themed one set on Mars came out recently--you can get the Gold Edition for $59. That version also comes with a copy of Far Cry 3 Classic Edition (which is also available on sale separately for $21).
If you're feeling antsy for October 5 to arrive so you can play Assassin's Creed Odyssey, you can pick up an installment there's a good chance you haven't played: Assassin's Creed Rogue Remastered. It's on sale for $18. And South Park fans can pick up South Park: The Video Game Collection, which contains both The Stick of Truth and The Fractured But Whole, for $32.
The final moments of Avengers: Infinity War were shocking and emotional for the characters on the screen and those watching in the theater. It left a lot of us with questions about the antagonist's decisions, which rocked the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Well, thanks to the audio commentary track for the movie, fans have some answers they've been searching for. Warning: Avengers: Infinity War spoilers ahead.
As a quick refresher, towards the end of film, Thanos had collected all the Infinity Stones and then used the power to eliminate half the sentient life in the universe. This included many of the Avengers. During the audio commentary for the movie, director Joe Russo shed some insight on why Thanos didn't just double the resources rather than killing everyone.
"People have asked us why Thanos didn't just use the Stones to double the resources in the universe," Russo said. "Clearly, he is not... he was told 'no' to an idea that he had, that he felt was the only solution, and then was proved right to himself when that solution was not acted upon. So his messianic complex, he is now committed to following through on the idea he had many, many years ago. He's not a stable--although he appears stable at times--he is not a stable individual."
That's not the only thing the audio commentary taught us about the movie. Screenwriters Stephen McFeely and Christopher Markus skipped over Thanos getting the Power Stone from Xandar to avoid repetition in storytelling. Additionally, we learned about Sir Kenneth Branagh's cameo early on in the film.
Infinity War is available digitally now, and it will get a physical release on Tuesday, August 14. The movie has a ton of special features, and if you're looking for all the spoilers, find out what we learned from the home release special features and the audio commentary.
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.
A new in-game event has gone live in Destiny 2, giving you a chance at some new gear and challenges through August 28. Best of all this is considered a holiday event, which means it's free for all players regardless of whether you've purchased either of the expansions or the season pass.
In Solstice of Heroes, you can talk to Ikora to play through reimagined story sequences, along with reworked Strikes and PvP matches. You can upgrade a new armor set to level 400 as well, which will make for a nice powered-up set in preparation for Forsaken in September. This is the only way to achieve a level 400 armor before then.
You can also snag some neat cosmetics from the Eververse, either by completing in-game challenges or purchasing loot boxes. All of this comes alongside the 1.2.3.1 patch, which squashes a few bugs to the Fabled Guardian Triumph and storing items in your Vault.
This lays the groundwork for the Forsaken expansion, which will release on September 4, just a week after Solstice ends. That expansion will introduce a ton of new weapons and gadgets, a new story that appears to signal the probable death of Cayde-6, a new faction, new Supers, and a new Raid. It will cost $40 by itself, or you can pay $70 for the Annual Pass. For more details, check out our pre-order guide.
Xbox Live Gold members can now treat themselves to a few more free games, now that August's offerings have been made available. This rotation includes four new games to come available at some point this month, two of which are out already: Forza Horizon 2, and Dead Space 3 via backwards compatibility. For Honor will join Forza Horizon 2 mid-month, and Disney Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two for Xbox 360 will replace Dead Space 3.
Forza Horizon 2 is a part of Microsoft's lavish open-world racing series, and a nice way to catch the need for speed before Forza Horizon 4 launches this October. For Honor is Ubisoft's melee combat game that pits historical factions against one another. Ubisoft has embraced a live model for a lot of its games lately, so For Honor has enjoyed a long lifespan in the competitive community. It has a free update planned for the fall to add a new faction. Death Squared, from July's GWG, will be available until For Honor replaces it.
Dead Space 3 closes out the space-horror trilogy with the addition of co-op play. Epic Mickey 2 is co-op too, but otherwise about as far from Dead Space as you can get. It sees the classic Disney mascot saving the Wasteland with a magic paintbrush, and his new best buddy Oswald the rabbit. As with all of the growing list of Xbox 360 backwards compatible games, these will be playable on your Xbox One too. And if you own the game disc, just pop it in and it will still work.
August 2018 Games With Gold
Xbox One
Forza Horizon 2 (August 1-31)
For Honor (August 16-September 15)
Xbox 360
Dead Space 3 (August 1-15)
Disney Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two (August 16-31)
If you're on the list, you may be able to help Sony test new PlayStation 4 firmware soon. Invites are going out for the beta of system software 6.00. If you signed up to be a tester, check your email to see if you've been selected for this beta round.
Those who are selected to participate will get a notification when the beta begins, and then need to visit the Settings menu to download it. Sony urges testers to play a wide variety of games to test the new software, and to provide feedback to the development team. Crashes and bugs can be flagged with their respective reports, and general feedback is invited on the beta forum.
Whatever new features may be coming in this update will remain a mystery until Sony is ready to roll it out to the public, as beta testers are sworn to secrecy. The whole numbered updates tend to add significant features, though. The 5.00 system update, for example, added new family settings and child safety features, friends list and follower tweaks, messages and setting customization, and other various quality-of-life improvements.
Microsoft has updated the Xbox One dashboard, giving its Netflix-style subscription program a better chunk of real estate. The Xbox Game Pass now occupies its own main header tab, sandwiched right between the Community and Store tabs.
Microsoft said in the announcement that this move follows feedback from fans that requested a faster way to find and discover the Game Pass offerings, as more players are going directly to the Game Pass menu to check out anything new. The company rolled out testing the new placement with Xbox Insiders in June, and the positive reaction led to widespread adoption.
The update not only gives more prominent placement, but also curates the content better. The new menu highlights popular and new Game Pass games, spotlights ones with DLC, and has recommendations based on your other downloaded games.
As one category rises another falls, though. The new Game Pass tab replaces the Entertainment tab on the dashboard. Microsoft notes in the announcement that you can still find the entertainment content inside the Store, where you can purchase movies, TV shows, and music like always. Still, the reduced prominence is hard to read as anything but another step back from the "all-in-one" always-online entertainment hub that made up the initial Xbox One pitch.
It's a new month, and that means another set of games for Xbox Game Pass, Microsoft's all-you-can-eat subscription service for games on Xbox One. The $10 per month service offers unlimited downloads of its library, which promises all first-party Xbox games on the day of release. This month the spate of games includes contract killing, cyberpunk shooting, and zombie slaughtering, just to name a few.
Available starting August 1, Game Pass includes the entire first season of Hitman, the episodic reboot of the classic series. Its sequel, Hitman 2--which abandons the subscription model--is launching this November. Ruiner is an action shooter set in a cyberpunk dystopia, and Ryse: Son of Rome was a much-talked-about Xbox One launch game renowned for its visual feats. The Escapists: Walking Dead takes the adorable pixel art and gameplay of The Escapists series and applies it to the zombie franchise. Dandara is a metroidvania with some fluid gravity-defying reversal.
A couple of Xbox 360 games are coming back as well. Dead Rising 2 was the bigger and weirder sequel to the original zombie-smashing hit, and this version includes all of the DLC costumes. For something a little more family friendly you can check out Kinect Rush: A Disney Pixar Adventure to explore worlds themed after animated classics.
Meanwhile, Microsoft has pushed out an update making the Game Pass interface a little neater. A new main Game Pass tab on the Xbox One interface takes you right to all of the offerings, with lists of recent additions, popular games, and other curated categories. Given the large and growing list of Xbox Game Pass games available, better discoverability was a must.
Insomniac's upcoming Spider-Man game has jumped to many fans' lists of most anticipated games, in part because it seems to so innately nail the free-swinging and improvisational feeling of the wall-crawling superhero. One part seems a little less at home for the web-head, though: a tower-climbing mechanic straight out of older Assassin's Creed or Far Cry titles.
As detailed in our preview of the first two hours, Spidey has to climb towers littered around Manhattan to find points of interest like side missions and collectibles. There's a handful of towers per district, so you'll be crawling your way up to find waypoints in iconic locations like Chinatown, Hell's Kitchen, and Central Park. It's an odd choice, given that Peter Parker is supposed to be well into his superheroic career at this point, and he's lived in New York City his entire life.
In the most recent Assassin's Creed Origins and upcoming Assassin's Creed Odyssey, Ubisoft has moved away from using towers to spot waypoints. Rather than "unfogging" the map and adding points of interest, these recent games have added markers to highlight items and areas that are unexplored. Far Cry 5 did away with towers altogether, and even cracked a joke at its own expense about it.
This wasn't enough to detract too much from the experience, though. In the preview, Edmond Tran says the game plays as good as it looks, with a greater focus on character interaction and a wide array of progression options. Insomniac has even found a way to bring the usual damsel-in-distress Mary Jane into a more prominent role with her own gameplay function. Still, the towers are said to feel a bit outdated and out-of-place here.
Following its run in other markets, Ant-Man and The Wasp has at long last arrived in theaters in the UK. It's already made a lot of money at the box office (if not quite as much as most Marvel movies). If you've still yet to see it--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.
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.
With Avengers: Infinity War's home release, we're learning a whole lot more about the film--including cameos--thanks to the special features included with the film. In addition to a cut scene featuring Jon Favreau reprising his role as Happy Hogan, it was detailed how an actor knighted by the Queen of England in 2012 opens up the movie.
Thor director Sir Kenneth Branagh, who most recently starred in Murder on the Orient Express and Dunkirk, did some voice over which plays during the Marvel logo, right before Thanos and company takes on Thor and the Asgardians. "This was an amazing surprise, by the way, and we had this idea very late in editorial, to ask the amazing Sir Kenneth Branagh to come in and do the opening distress call over the logo, that carries us and sets the stage and carries us into the scene with Thor and Thanos and Loki on the Ark," explained director Joe Russo during the audio commentary for the movie.
This wasn't a moment that was long planned though. During an interview with ET, Joe Russo explained this was a last-minute decision. "That literally is one of those crazy ideas we had sitting in the edit room--I don't know--two or three weeks before we locked picture maybe," explained Russo. "And we're talking about--you know--we needed a great actor to open the film that had the right gravitas to make you concerned for the Asgardians. And we went, 'Why don't we just ask Branagh? He's one of the greatest actors in the world?' Luckily, he said yes."
Avengers: Infinity War is out digitally now but has a limited amount of special features, which includes some deleted and extended scenes, and a few featurettes about the characters and locations seen in the film.
If you want the total Infinity War experience, you'll have to wait until August 14 for the 4K, Blu-ray, and DVD releases of the film. Including audio commentary, the physical release is stacked with extra special features, including what was released with the digital copy. These special features will give fans a ton of insight into the movie-making process, along with a few Avengers Easter eggs you might have missed.
Whether you prefer your movies on 4K Blu-ray, DVD, or digital, you'll be able to watch the blockbuster Marvel movie Avengers: Infinity War from the comfort of your own home soon--or even right now. The digital edition has been released, while the physical versions releases two weeks later, on August 14.
Both versions come packed with extras, from deleted scenes (including one with a fan-favorite character's cameo and a missing moment involving the Guardians) and commentary tracks to behind-the-scenes clips that show how a movie of this magnitude is made. The digital version comes with an additional 30-minute Marvel director roundtable discussion. These features are quite revealing in some ways, as we've already learned a lot about Infinity War from them.
Here's the full list of bonus features:
Strange Alchemy (5:08)--Share the thrill of characters from across the MCU meeting for the first time--and discover why some were teamed up together.
The Mad Titan (6:34)--Explore the MCU's biggest, baddest villain, his trail of influence through the stories, and the existential threat he represents.
Beyond the Battle: Titan (9:36)--Dive into the climactic struggle on Thanos' ruined world, including the epic stunts and VFX, to uncover the source of its power.
Beyond the Battle: Wakanda (10:58)--Go behind the scenes to find out how the filmmakers pulled off the most massive and challenging battle Marvel had ever attempted.
Deleted and Extended Scenes (10:07)
Happy Knows Best (1:23)--Tony and Pepper spar over the details of their upcoming wedding--until a hassled Happy Hogan pulls up with an urgent request.
Hunt for the Mind Stone (1:24)--On a darkened street, Wanda Maximoff and the wounded Vision attempt to hide from Thanos' brutal allies.
The Guardians Get Their Groove Back (3:20)--As Peter Quill and Drax quarrel over their failed mission to Knowhere, Mantis interrupts with news.
A Father's Choice (4:00)--Thanos confronts Gamora with a vision from her past—and with lying to him about the Soul Stone.
Gag Reel (2:05)--Watch your favorite superheroes make super gaffes in this lighthearted collection of on-set antics.
Audio Commentary (approx. 149 min.) by Anthony and Joe Russo, Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely
Now the only question is where you want to buy the movie. Here are your options.
Avengers: Infinity War Digital Edition
If you want to own it as early as possible, here's where you can pre-order the digital version of the Avengers: Infinity War.
You might have to wait two extra weeks, but if you like your movies in physical form, it's worth it. This version comes with a Blu-ray disc, plus a digital copy of the movie.
Avengers: Infinity War 4K Cinematic Universe Edition
This version of the movie also comes with a standard Blu-ray version, as well as a digital copy. In addition to the ones linked below, Best Buy has an exclusive steelbook edition of this version for $35. Target has an exclusive version that comes with a 40-page gallery book for $40, or one that comes with a red Iron Man Funko Pop for $42.
Don't have a Blu-ray player? No problem, get yourself a copy of the movie on DVD. Just note that, unlike the other physical versions, it doesn't come with a digital copy.
Avengers: Infinity War is officially out on Digital HD, so you can now watch Thanos go up against the Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy, Wakanda, and the Sanctum Sanctorum from the comfort of your living room. The digital version of the movie also has an assortment of extras.
These extras include featurettes explaining why certain characters were chosen to team up in the film and the history of Thanos, as well as how the two massive battles on Titan and Wakanda were created and filmed. A collection of deleted and extended scenes are bundled into the digital version as well.
You can watch the film from your iPhone, iPad, Android device, Roku, PS4, Xbox One, Amazon Fire TV, or any device that supports iTunes, Google Play, Vudu, Amazon, or Fandango Now. If you're looking forward to grabbing a physical copy of Infinity War, you'll have to wait a little bit longer. The movie launches on 4K Blu-ray, standard Blu-ray, and DVD on August 14, but you can pre-order the movie now. That comes with more special features and an audio commentary--all of which have revealed some new Infinity War details.
Avengers: Infinity War is the start to a massive conflict that Marvel's Cinematic Universe has been building towards for the past ten years--since 2008's Iron Man. The movie features heroes from all across the MCU, who team up to stop Thanos from collecting all the Infinity Stones and destroying half of all life in the universe. The film's conflict will conclude in the fourth Avengers movie--still unnamed--that's scheduled to premier in 2019.
There's a recurring source of tension in Ant-Man and the Wasp thanks to Scott Lang's sentence of two years under house arrest for his actions in Captain America: Civil War. No matter how many zany adventures Paul Rudd's character has in this sequel, he has to periodically race back to his San Francisco apartment and re-don his ankle bracelet whenever hapless FBI agent Jimmy Woo (the funny Randall Park) decides to check in on him. It's a fun bit, and it harks back to an earlier age in the MCU, when a Marvel hero's biggest concern could be staying out of trouble with the law.
We've yet to see what a post-Infinity War world looks like in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Regardless of how it eventually gets undone, what effect will Thanos's finger snap have in the short term? How will the tone shift in Avengers 4? Those questions are irrelevant in Ant-Man and the Wasp, which quickly places itself before the events of Infinity War. That may be a knock against it for those hoping for some answers, but this movie's tone is much lighter as a result, perfectly in line with the original Ant-Man's.
The first Ant-Man introduced Scott Lang (Rudd) along with Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) and his daughter Hope van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly). Ant-Man and the Wasp directly picks up their story following Scott's involvement in Civil War: Scott's two years of house arrest are almost up, but Hope drags him back into a life of illegal heroism in a plot to save her mother, Michelle Pfeiffer's Janet van Dyne, from the "quantum realm" in which she's been stranded for 30 years.
How can Janet be alive down there after all this time? How could Hank and Hope possibly find her? This movie is brimming with pseudo-scientific mumbo jumbo about things like "entanglement" and "quantum tunnels." It gets a little exhausting, but the movie is self aware about its own ridiculousness; at one point, Scott asks Hank and his colleague Bill Foster (Laurence Fishburne) whether they just stick the word "quantum" in front of everything to make it sound more scientific. Good question, Scott!
Ant-Man and the Wasp introduces a couple of new villains in the forms of Hannah John-Kamen's Ghost, who stalks the heroes in hopes of stealing their secret lab, and Walton Goggins' Sonny Burch, a black market merchant who decides he wants the quantum tech for himself. Goggins is his typical hilariously sleazy self, while John-Kamen's more overtly dramatic performance fits her character.
But most important is the Wasp herself, Evangeline Lilly's Hope van Dyne, who completely owns this movie. Hope proves--unsurprisingly--to be a much more capable Ant-Man than Ant-Man himself, with confidence and skill that are thrilling to watch. It makes the entire plot of the first movie--that Hank had to enlist the deadbeat Scott in the first place instead of just trusting his daughter to do the job--seem even more ludicrous in retrospect. Hopefully Lilly decides to stick around the MCU for a while, as her presence would be much appreciated in future installments.
Like the first Ant-Man, this movie has great fight choreography that sees both heroes frequently changing from normal to small to massive and back again in creative ways. Some of the most fun sequences are car chases where one or more vehicles are constantly shrinking down to Hot Wheels size and back to normal, throwing off pursuers and causing general zany chaos.
There's an added dash of humor from the fact that Scott's suit for much of the movie is malfunctioning, leaving him unable to control when he changes size. That leads to an especially funny sequence where Scott is running around his daughter's middle school at about 3 feet tall, trying to remain undetected. Cassie herself is still played by the ridiculously charismatic Abby Ryder Fortson, who gives Paul Rudd tit-for-tat in every scene they're in together.
Michael Peña's Luis returns with a vengeance too, with his voice-overed montage gag from the first--in which he tells a story while the characters he's describing act it out--is funnier than ever. This time around he gets injected with a sort of truth serum, causing his rapid fire rambling to span topics ranging from Scott's psychiatric health to his family's love of Morrissey. He's more actively involved in the story, as well, which is pure wish fulfillment for viewers who loved his character in the first movie.
Like the original Ant-Man, Ant-Man and the Wasp is primarily a palette cleanser in the MCU as a whole (the first movie was sandwiched in between the dense Age of Ultron and the dour Civil War). Ant-Man and the Wasp is hilarious, fun, silly, self aware, and creative. Filled with pseudo-science gobbledigook, crazy action, and multiple villains all vying for screen time, it's one of the most comic-booky MCU movies yet. The fates of all our favorite heroes after Avengers: Infinity War may still be up in the air, but in the meantime, Ant-Man and the Wasp is a welcome distraction.
The Good
The Bad
Lighthearted and funny
Pseudo-science mumbo jumbo gets ridiculous
Evangeline Lilly phenomenal as the Wasp
No answers for Infinity War fans
Multiple fun new villains
Creative shrinking-and-growing action
Self aware about its sillier aspects
Much-needed palette cleanser following Infinity War
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