Hal Jordan--one of the Green Lanterns of Sector 2814, which includes Earth in its jurisdiction--has made plenty of enemies during his time as a space cop like Sinestro, Relic, and Nekron to name a few. However, one particular thorn in Jordan's side isn't even a Green Lantern villain, he's one of Superman's: Cyborg Superman.
That's right, the half-robotic Superman impostor from the Return of Superman story in the '90s is back, closing out the Evil's Might storyline, but this time, Jordan isn't holding back, and Cyborg Superman doesn't have the help of the Ravagers. And who better to bring back this character than the person that created him, Dan Jurgens?
In Green Lanterns #57, Cyborg Superman--once known as Hank Henshaw--returns to Coast City, the home of Hal Jordan. When Henshaw shows up, things tend to go awry for the inhabitants of the city. However, Jordan is around this time to stop Henshaw's destruction, as you can see in the exclusive preview of the issue above.
This story continues the Evil's Might story, where Henshaw battled the Green Lantern Corps across the universe. The villain found a way to hack into the Green Lantern Corps rings and he teamed up with the Ravagers for the fight. Now, it's just Jordan and Henshaw in this final battle for Coast City.
Green Lanterns #57 is written by Dan Jurgens, drawn by Mike Perkins, colored by Hi-Fi, and features lettering by Dave Sharpe. You can get a copy of the issue for yourself digitally or at a local comic shop on Wednesday, October 17.
With the final season of Gotham premiering next year, the show's producers have already lined up the next Batman-related series to take its place. Pennyworth will focus on the early adventures of Batman's butler, and the show's star has now been announced.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Jack Bannon will play the young Alfred. Bannon previously appeared in the award-winning The Imitation Game, as well as David Ayer's war drama Fury and the acclaimed TV show Ripper Street. He joins Ben Aldridge, who has been cast as Thomas Wayne in the show.
THR also provided a description for this new portrayal of Alfred, which sounds very different to the character played most recently by Jeremy Irons and Michael Caine on-screen. It states that Pennyworth's Alfred is "a boyishly handsome, cheerful, charming, clever young man from London. Honest, open-faced and witty, he's the kind of person people would never take for a SAS killer. Alfred doesn't know how to reconcile the kind-hearted boy he used to be with the cold, calculated killer he was forced to become. He's a man on the make, who doesn't know what to make of himself yet."
Although Pennyworth is written and produced by Gotham showrunner Bruno Heller, it is narratively unconnected to that show. It starts production in London next week and will premiere on Epix in 2019.
In related news, it has been confirmed that Gotham Season 5 will feature a number of time jumps. This final season will be based on the "No Man's Land" story from the DC comic books, and is expected to premiere in early 2019.
With the sheer number of new Pokemon that Game Freak regularly introduces to the series, there are inevitably some that get left on the cutting room floor. We recently got a glimpse at a handful of unused designs from the original Red and Blue versions, but the most shocking scrapped Pokemon we learned about was one dubbed "Gorochu," which was originally intended to be another evolution for Pikachu after Raichu.
Ultimately, Gorochu was cut from the titles before their release, and Game Freak would go on to introduce a pre-evolution for Pikachu instead in its follow-up games, Gold and Silver. Now that Pikachu back in the limelight thanks to the upcoming Let's Go Pikachu and Let's Go Eevee for Nintendo Switch, could we see its long-lost evolution Gorochu come back in some form? Not likely, according to Pokemon director Junichi Masuda.
"None of the Pokemon that we worked on, got to a point, and then discarded them have actually ever re-appeared yet, so I would say the chances are low," Masuda explained to GameSpot through an interpreter. According to Masuda, one of the reason Pokemon such as Gorochu end up being cut is that they don't fit into the game world.
"[W]e always have this base criteria at Game Freak of being able to explain why a certain Pokemon is in the world or why it exists in that world, trying to make it feel believable within the fantasy," Masuda said. "And usually the ones that get rejected are Pokemon that we weren't able to justify, I think. Usually there's a reason for why they weren't implemented, and as long as that reason still exists, they probably won't be put in the game.
"We always say Pokemon isn't a 'character game.' It's not a game where it's just the characters, but it's a game that shows this world where these living creatures are existing in a space. That's kind of a slight nuance, but that's what we always try to go for at Game Freak. It's not good enough that they're just cute. They have to have something more to it."
One of the inherent appeals of the Pokemon series is collecting the eponymous pocket monsters, but moving your Pokemon between games has always been complicated by the fact that the franchise spans multiple generations of hardware. Developer Game Freak has made strides in simplifying this with the Pokemon Bank service and Poke Transporter tool, allowing players to store all of their monsters in one place and access them across every mainline 3DS Pokemon title.
With the upcoming Let's Go Pikachu and Let's Go Eevee games for Nintendo Switch, the Pokemon series is once again jumping to new hardware. While the titles support connectivity with Pokemon Go, giving you the ability to transfer certain monsters from the mobile game for the first time, it remains to be seen if you'll be able to carry the Pokemon you capture in Let's Go over to the next Switch Pokemon RPG slated to arrive in 2019. Asked whether Game Freak was looking at allowing Pokemon to move between Let's Go and the next core entry, Pokemon director Junichi Masuda assures that the development team is working to make that possible.
"We're definitely always thinking of that kind of forward-moving functionality, especially since we've introduced Pokemon Bank," Masuda told GameSpot through an interpreter. "Now, up to Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, you're able to store your Pokemon, and we know they're very important to everyone. I mean, obviously, people would be very sad if they couldn't use their Pokemon in a future game. So, it does get complicated when you talk about the details and we're still figuring it out, but we do have plans to find ways to let players use their Pokemon in the next game."
We still know very little about the 2019 Pokemon game, but The Pokemon Company announced it will release in the latter half of that year. Unlike Let's Go Pikachu and Eevee, both of which streamline some of the series' mechanics to make it more accessible to newer and younger players, the 2019 game will be a "core" title more akin to those that released on 3DS, which presumably means that some of the elements that were removed from Let's Go--such as abilities and held items--will return.
In traditional Pokemon games, you set off on a journey to become a Pokemon Master alongside a rival, with whom you'll frequently cross paths and battle as you make your way to the Pokemon League. That's certainly still the case in Let's Go Pikachu and Eevee, but unlike your smug foe in the original Yellow version, your rival in the Switch games is much friendlier, offering you advice and even occasionally gifting you items when you run into each other.
This isn't new for the series; while your rivals in Pokemon Red and Blue and their follow-ups, Gold and Silver, were straight-up jerks, all of them since have been much friendlier toward you--particularly Hau and Lillie from Pokemon Sun and Moon, both of whom would also frequently give you items to help you along. During our recent interview with Pokemon director Junichi Masuda, we asked why it seems like the series has been shying away from the meaner rivals of earlier games.
"I think the biggest reason that rivals were more of a jerk in the early days is that we were just limited in what we could express with the pixel graphics," Masuda told GameSpot through an interpreter. "There's not much that you can do with that kind of little sprite on the screen, so we worked harder to characterize them through dialogue and give them certain personalities.
"Also, because it's just dialogue and there's not a whole lot going on on the screen, it doesn't give as harsh of an impression even if they're jerks, I think. Now we have HD graphics and the visuals are much more impressive. If you also made him a jerk, the impression would be a lot stronger on players. Another thing, just my own personal take, is that it feels that people with those kinds of personalities these days are just not as accepted by players as they were back then."
Fortnite v6.10 will add in-game tournaments, Epic has announced through its official site. Tournaments will be scheduled events open to all players to get in over the course of several hours and win as many points as they can. If you achieve the score goal, you'll get a pin to celebrate. Some special tournaments will use the pins as qualifiers for the next tier of a tournament or to win prizes.
Tournaments will be open to all players, but you'll need to opt in for crossplay to compete. All players participating in a tournament will be treated as equals regardless of their control input--mouse and keyboard, controller, or touch. Epic says it was carefully watching pro players during the Summer Skirmish, PAX West, and Fall Skirmish events, and have concluded that controller players can be a match for mouse-and-keyboard players. The studio will be continuing to look at the competitive landscape and may offer limited tournaments for inputs or platforms.
Matchmaking during a tournament session will match you against players with similar point standing. In the coming months, Epic will be developing tournaments to take place across multiple rounds with pins acting as qualifiers. Players can even earn a spot for the 2019 Fortnite World Cup using the in-game tournament system.
The first tournament kicks off today, and the initial tests will be continuing over the next few weeks. Check the first round of scheduled tournaments below.
Alpha Tournament (Solo)
Dates: October 16 - October 21
Description: Participate in the first in-game tournament, spanning across several days of daily competition!
Beta Tournament (Duo)
Dates: October 23 - October 25
Description: Grab a friend and take on the world - until you are the last two left.
Friday Night Fortnite (Squad)
Dates: October 19 - November 30
Description: Join your friends every Friday and kick off your weekend with some exciting Squad action.
Salty Springs Cup (Solo)
Dates: October 27 - October 31
Description: One week and three attempts to prove you're the saltiest that Salty Springs has to offer.
Tomato Temple Cup (Duo)
Dates: October 28 - November 1
Description: Become legends of the Tomato Temple Cup.
A new week means a fresh set of deals is now available at Best Buy in the US. Between now and October 21, you can get some nice discounts on PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch games, hardware, and services. Let's take a look at what's on offer this week.
Red Dead Redemption 2 comes out on October 26, but if you pre-order it you'll get a download code for a war horse and an outlaw survival kit. You can also pick up the game a bit early from any Best Buy store, starting at 9 PM on October 25. New this week is Ubisoft's toys-to-life game Starlink: Battle for Atlas. If you buy the starter edition from Best Buy, you'll get a free pilot (an $8 value).
Xbox One owners can save $10 on select controllers this week. This Astro gaming headset got a nice $60 price cut, dropping it to $100. And though the two items have no obvious connection, if you buy a Spotify gift card, you'll get a free month of Xbox Game Pass.
You'll find more game discounts below, but for a full list of the games on sale--along with lots of permanent price drops--check out Best Buy's video game deals page.
The Banner Saga Trilogy - Bonus Edition -- $30 -- Xbox One
Blizzard's acclaimed dungeon crawler, Diablo III: Eternal Collection, arrives on Nintendo Switch next month, but if you don't yet own the console, you'll be able to pick it and the game up together in one package. Nintendo has announced it is releasing a Diablo III: Eternal Collection bundle, which includes a specially themed Switch system and more.
The Eternal Collection bundle will be available exclusively from GameStop and retails for $360 USD, roughly the same price as a Nintendo Switch and a game together. Along with a digital copy of Diablo III, the bundle includes a Diablo III carrying case. The back of the Switch console and its dock are also adorned with Diablo designs. You can take a look at the items below.
The Eternal Collection bundle launches alongside the game on November 2. You can pre-order one now through GameStop. As for the game itself, it comes with the base campaign as well as all of the additional content Blizzard has released for it to date, including the Reaper of Souls expansion and the Necromancer class. Players will also be able to jump into Adventure mode right from the outset.
In addition to that, the Nintendo Switch version of Diablo III adds an assortment of exclusive Legend of Zelda-themed crossover content. Among them, players will be able to get a Cucco pet, a Triforce portrait, and a set of Majora's Mask-inspired wings. You'll also be able to customize your gear to look like Ganondorf's using a new transmog.
In other Diablo news, Blizzard recently confirmed it isn't working on Diablo III cross-play at the moment. The company also shared the schedule for BlizzCon 2018, which suggests something big for the Diablo series is planned. Shortly after that, some new Diablo-themed items were added on Blizzard's online store with the subtitle "Reign of Terror," but the company insists they're not related to any new content being prepared for the show. BlizzCon 2018 begins on November 2, the same day Diablo III: Eternal Collection hits Switch.
October is here, which means The Pokemon Company is giving away a new pair of Legendary Pokemon for Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon. We're in the penultimate month of the Year of Legendary Pokemon promotion, and this time around, you'll be able to get your hands on the cover mascots from Pokemon Black and White: Reshiram and Zekrom.
Once again, if you live in the US, you'll need to travel to a specific retailer to pick up a download code for the Legendaries. This time, the code is being distributed in the electronics section of Target stores from October 19-28. Those who live in Europe and Australia, meanwhile, will be able to get the Pokemon without leaving the comfort of their home; the Legendaries are being given out over the Nintendo Network in those regions from October 5-21.
As usual, the Legendaries can be redeemed in any seventh generation Pokemon game on 3DS, but which one you receive depends on the version you're playing. Those with Sun or Ultra Sun will get Zekrom, while players who have Moon or Ultra Moon will get Reshiram. The Pokemon will also come with different levels and movesets depending on your game. You can see all of the details below.
Pokemon Ultra Sun
Zekrom -- Level 100 (w/Gold Bottle Cap)
Fusion Bolt
Bolt Strike
Outrage
Stone Edge
Pokemon Sun
Zekrom -- Level 60
Slash
Zen Headbutt
Fusion Bolt
Dragon Claw
Pokemon Ultra Moon
Reshiram -- Level 100 (w/Gold Bottle Cap)
Fusion Flare
Blue Flare
Draco Meteor
Earth Power
Pokemon Moon
Reshiram -- Level 60
Slash
Extrasensory
Fusion Flare
Dragon Pulse
You can redeem your download code for the Legendaries using the Mystery Gift feature from the games' main menu. After selecting it, choose the option to receive your gift with a code/password, then input your download code when prompted. If you live in Europe or Australia, you'll need to select the option to receive your gift via the internet. Once that's done, the Pokemon will be downloaded into your game. You'll then need to pick it up from the deliveryman waiting inside any Pokemon Center.
Pokemon fans will soon have a chance to get their hands on October's free Legendary Pokemon for Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, but those aren't the only rare monsters up for grabs this month. To commemorate the release of the upcoming Lost Thunder expansion for Pokemon TCG, The Pokemon Company is also giving away a rare Mythical Pokemon for the 3DS games this month: the Thunderclap Pokemon Zeraora.
First revealed this past April, Zeraora is a fast, cat-like Electric-type monster debuting in the latest Pokemon movie, The Power of Us. This marks the first opportunity players will have to get their hands on one; like other Mythical Pokemon, Zeraora isn't obtainable within the actual games, so you'll want to add one to your collection while you can.
As usual, the way you'll be able to get Zeraora depends on where you live. In the US, players can pick up a download code for the Mythical Pokemon at GameStop stores from October 19 to November 9; in the UK, The Pokemon Company is distributing codes for Zeraora at Game stores from October 1 to November 15.
Unlike most of the other free Pokemon given out this year, you can only redeem the Zeraora code in either Ultra Sun or Ultra Moon. Regardless of which version you claim it in, the Pokemon comes at level 50 and is equipped with an Air Balloon, an item that negates Ground-type attacks until it is popped. It also knows the moves Plasma Fist, Thunder Punch, Close Combat, and Thunder.
To redeem your download code, first select Mystery Gift from the games' main menu, then choose the option to receive your gift via a code/password. Input your code and Zeraora will be downloaded into your game. You'll then need to pick it up from the deliveryman waiting inside any Pokemon Center.
In addition to Zeraora, The Pokemon Company will give away two Legendary Pokemon originally from the Black and White versions this month: Reshiram and Zekrom. More details on that distribution will be announced soon. In the meantime, you can see all the free Pokemon for Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon available right now.
When the sixth season of Arrow came to an end, Oliver Queen (Stephen Amell) was in handcuffs, after agreeing to face punishment for years of vigilantism as the Green Arrow. In doing so, his team was granted immunity and Felicity (Emily Bett Rickards) and William (Jack Moore) were sent to witness protection.
With the beginning of Season 7, viewers will be introduced to prison life for Oliver, and it isn't pretty. In fact, his incarceration is exactly as vicious as you might expect, and maybe more so. As seen in trailers and images from the new episodes, not only is Oliver a constant target for those he's locked up as the Green Arrow, but he's also isolated from those who can protect him.
"It's one of my favorite things this season, because it's just so different from anything we've done before," showrunner Beth Schwartz said during a press Q&A, following a screening of the premiere episode. "And it allows his character to be with other people. And I think that's the fun of it... we wanted to keep him separate, because the reality of when you're in prison, you're not with your family. So his storylines are with the characters in the prison. And not as much with everyone else. So they are pretty separate."
That means while he'll once again be tangling with the likes Danny "Brick" Brickwell (Vinnie Jones) and Derek Sampson (Cody Runnels), his moments with Diggle (David Ramsey) and Felicity will be few and far between. That said, it's not as if his friends and family won't have their own difficulties to deal with.
In several photos of Felicity from the premiere, it's clear she was attacked, which leaves the status of William up in the air. What's more, those two being separated from Oliver is taking a toll.
"They are not adapting well," Schwartz teased. "They are both pretty miserable. They are away, Felicity is away from her husband, William is away from his father, and their family, and their city, and their real lives. So, it's not going well."
Unfortunately, this isn't going to be something that is resolved quickly, either. While the idea of stranding the lead of a show in jail away from the rest of the cast seems like a problem most series would want to resolve quickly, Oliver isn't making a break for it anytime soon. In fact, after two months of filming, it was only the end of September when Amell was finally able to shave off the beard he grew for Oliver's stint in prison, just in time to start filming the annual crossover, which will see Batwoman enter the fold.
So when you watch the Season 7 premiere and see just how terrible prison is for Oliver, strap in because it's only going to get worse. Arrow premieres Monday, October 15, on The CW.
Red Dead Redemption 2 is big and bright, deep in the heart of Texas. Following an apparent look at the game size for PS4 Pro, the full file size on Xbox One has been revealed as well. The "Additional Information" section on the Microsoft Store lists its approximate size at 88.57 GB.
Weighing in at nearly 90 gigs puts it close to the leak from the PS4 Pro Bundle, which suggested it would be 105 GB. It's possible that the disparity can be chalked up to the Pro version downloading some extra textures, and that it would be similarly sized on Xbox One X.
Red Dead Redemption 2 appears to be mind-boggling in its level of detail, though. Its weapon customization alone lets you personalize each of the 50 weapons with a variety of barrels, grips, sights, and scopes, all with metals, woods, varnishes, and engravings. It has 19 realistically rendered horse breeds, fishing, and more.
Rockstar Games co-founder Dan Houser said the full campaign will last about 65 hours, which much more to do in the open world. That includes 2,700 actors performing 2,000 pages of script with another 1,200 doing motion-capture work. This all comes at a price, though, as developers had to put in some 100-hour work weeks. It takes influences from several recent Rockstar games like GTA5, Max Payne, and even Bully.
Red Dead Redemption 2 is set to release on October 26 for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. The multiplayer mode, Red Dead Online, will follow in November.
Epic Games has filed suit against two game streamers for posting videos of cheats in Fortnite and directing users to purchase those cheat tools. Brandon Lucas, who goes by "Golden Modz," is being sued for violation of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, breach of contract, and "tortious interference." Colton Conter ("Excentric") who often appears with Lucas in his streams, was also named in the suit.
Engadget reports that Epic is requesting that Lucas and Conter earnings be disgorged--giving Epic an extra share of their profits since they were obtained unjustly--along with standard damages and court costs. It has also requested that YouTube pull several videos. The studio isn't exactly hurting for money, so the tough legal stance appears aimed primarily at sending a message to cheaters.
Lucas, for his part, has said that other streamers were participating in similar behavior, and so he didn't think of his videos as problematic.
Cheating has been a pervasive problem for Fortnite. On top of the usual rationale of protecting the sanctity of its game, Epic has reason to be concerned about phishing schemes from sites claiming to give away cheats-enabled versions. The studio is aiming to beef up its anti-cheat mechanisms in the game itself, but cutting off the source by discouraging streamers from promoting cheats could help mitigate the need for those later steps.
For help making progress the old fashioned way, check out our challenges guide. That will help you earn progress toward your Battle Pass to earn this season's cosmetic items. Or for some lighter entertainment, watch daytime talk show host Ellen playing Fortnite with Ninja.
As expected, Sony's Venom was again the weekend winner at the US and Canadian box office. The movie pulled in around $35.7 million in the US and Canada this weekend, which represents a modest and expected second-week decline of 56 percent from its record-breaking opening the week prior. It's now made $142.8 million domesitcally after only 10 days.
Venom made $69.7 million at the international box office this weekend, and now the movie has made $378.1 million worldwide. All of these figures come from Entertainment Weekly.
The movie had a reported budget of $100 million, so it appears Venom is already a commercial access. This makes the already expected sequel even more likely. For more, you can read GameSpot's end-credits scene breakdown here to learn more about where Venom 2 might go.
Venom received a very poor reception from critics. The film has a 31% on Rotten Tomatoes and 35 on GameSpot sister site Metacritic--but audiences enjoyed it more. The film's B+ CinemaScore rating suggested that word-of-mouth would help its second-weekend box office continue on a nice pace, and with a drop off of only 56 percent, that's exactly what happened.
Venom outpaced the Bradley Cooper/Lady Gaga musical A Star Is Born for a second weekend in a row, while it also beat out newcomers First Man starring Ryan Gosling as astronaut Neil Armstrong and the Jack Black family comedy Goosebumps 2.
Sony's new movie, Venom, has received mostly poor reviews, but that hasn't stopped it from setting a new US box office record in its first weekend. And although it may also not be part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it is a comic book movie--and that means it borrowed some pages of the MCU playbook by including a pair of extra scenes after the credits roll. Its two post-credits sequences feature a surprising reveal, a sequel teaser, and some hype for another Spider-adjacent movie entirely. So technically there is a Spider-Man reference in Venom? Does this count? Obvious spoilers ahead--please consider yourself warned!
The first and most consequential of Venom's credits stingers features a rather abrupt jump to Eddie being escorted into a supermax prison by a guard, apparently on assignment for his newly resumed journalistic career. The actual angle of the piece and the outlet that commissioned it are never revealed, but that doesn't stop the guard from running down a list of intimidating Silence of the Lambs style rules Eddie has to follow upon conducting his interview, as if he's Clarice Starling about to meet Hannibal Lecter for the first time. Venom itself stays hidden and mostly quiet as Eddie approaches the cell, and we see a man painting the word "welcome" in blood on the walls of his cage, which happens to be a lone box in the middle of an otherwise empty room. He's the only prisoner kept here, we can assume for the safety of the other inmates.
As the camera focuses on his face, he's revealed to be played by Woody Harrelson, sitting in a white jumpsuit, done up with an almost cartoonish red wig. He never formally introduces himself but begins to speak as Eddie approaches, warning that when he "gets out of here, there's going to be carnage" before the scene cuts to black.
Though he's never formally named, it's pretty obvious that Harrelson is set to play Cletus Kasady in whatever Venom sequel might be in the works, the serial killing mass murderer who eventually comes into possession of his very own symbiote named--wait for it--Carnage.
In the comics, Carnage is actually one of the Venom symbiote's many offspring, created during a brief stint in which Eddie was incarcerated and kept in a cell next to Kasady, where it eventually bonded to him without Eddie's knowledge. Thanks to Kasady's major homicidal streak and psychopathic tendencies, and some comic book science involving the symbiote bonding to Kasady's blood directly (don't worry about it), Carnage became a massive and powerful threat almost immediately.
Physically, Carnage looks similar to Venom, except it's blood red in color and tends to fight with a bunch of gooey tentacle-like appendages in addition to its standard issue symbiote shape-shifting and brute strength. Unlike Brock, however, Kasady was never interested in trying to reign in Carnage's murderous, cannibalistic side, meaning Carnage basically just gets to cut a swath of destruction and terror wherever it wants, whenever it wants.
We can't be sure based on this scene alone just how the Carnage symbiote will come into play or how Kasady will bond with it. The movie universe hasn't dealt with the symbiotes reproducing so far, so it's likely that the family connection between the two will be changed. And given that Brock himself isn't actively incarcerated, there will probably be some other way for Kasady to come in contact with his symbiote--a rogue Life Foundation experiment, maybe? Some sort of Riot fragment that survived the crash? Alternatively, there's a slight possibility that the movie will posit Kasady already having Carnage inside him (hence the high security prison set up and the "there will be carnage" line) with the intent of building out that backstory somewhere down the line. Really anything is possible at this point.
In an interview with GameSpot, Venom director Ruben Fleischer elaborated on the scene and the casting choice of Woody Harrelson, with whom he has worked in the past.
"We tried at the end of our movie to lay the groundwork for a potential sequel, or a further story. And there's a character that's beloved by all Venom fans that does not appear in the body of our film that I think fans will be really excited to see," Fleischer said. "I found somebody who I have a relationship with and love working with. And I love all the characters that he's played. So to imagine him being an iconic adversary to Venom in the future is really exciting."
The only thing we can be sure of is that, should Venom be greenlit for a part two, Carnage fans will definitely have something to write home about.
Enter Spider-Man
Venom's second post credits segment was actually, technically, not a post credits scene at all, but a promotional clip for an entirely different movie: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, which is set for release this December. Heralded by a bright "Meanwhile, in another universe" title card, the clip featured the animated Miles Morales running from an unknown, masked enemy wearing a makeshift spider-style costume before winding up at the grave of the late Peter Parker.
He's then met by a very much alive Peter Parker, who he accidentally knocks out, prompting a Weekend At Bernie's style series of mishaps around New York in which Miles drags the very unconscious Peter around the city. The clip was previously showcased in part at San Diego Comic-Con this year.
Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse has no direct connection with either Venom or the MCU that we know of yet, and even if it did, it certainly doesn't impact the significance of this particular clip. Instead it's set to build its own multiverse populated by some fan favorite Spider-Man comics characters, hence the "Spider-Verse" title. So, no real hidden meanings or major clues for the future of Sony's superhero line on this one, just a little teaser for another movie headed to theaters this winter.
Iron Fist has been cancelled by Netflix. It's the first of the streaming giant's Marvel shows to get the chop, only a few weeks after Season 2 premiered on the service.
The news of Iron Fist's cancellation was reported by Deadline, which was given a joint statement by Netlix and Marvel Television. "Marvel's Iron Fist will not return for a third season on Netflix," the statement said. "Everyone at Marvel Television and Netflix is proud of the series and grateful for all of the hard work from our incredible cast, crew, and showrunners. We're thankful to the fans who have watched these two seasons, and for the partnership we've shared on this series. While the series on Netflix has ended, the immortal Iron Fist will live on."
Iron Fist was one of four initial Marvel shows that were produced by Netflix. But while Daredevil, Jessica Jones, and Luke Cage were well received by critics and fans, the first season of Iron Fist, which was released in March 2017, was met with mostly negative reviews. A new showrunner was brought in for Season 2, and most reviews agreed that it was an improvement over the first season. However, it has not been enough to save the show.
Finn Jones, who starred as Danny Rand (aka Iron Fist), took to Instagram to respond to the cancellation. He wrote: "With every end is a new beginning. I have an enormous amount of love and respect for everyone involved with the last two seasons of this show. Defending the greatest city in the world amongst the most talented and warmest people has been a privilege and a joy. Blessed to have taken this journey and grateful for the ongoing support."
The end of Iron Fist on Netflix isn't necessarily the last we'll see of the character however. The other three original Marvel shows are still continuing--and a second season of The Punisher is due next year--so it's possible that Jones might appear again in another Netflix series.
In addition, Disney is launching its own streaming platform next year, and we already know that new Marvel shows will be part of the content. The rumored series so far are based on characters from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, such as Loki and Scarlet Witch. However, Deadline states that it was Netflix's decision to cancel Iron Fist, rather than Marvel's, so the character could get a second chance on the Disney service.
In related news, Daredevil Season 3 hit Netflix this week. In his review, GameSpot's Michael Rougeau said the new season has a "much needed laser focus on the characters and stories fans actually care about." Check out the full review here.
Fortnite: Battle Royale's challenges for Week 3 of Season 6 are now available, which means it's time to get back on the grind and get those precious Battle Stars. Here's what's on tap for this week if you're interested in quickly leveling up your Battle Pass.
In the free to everyone section, this week's challenges involve reviving a player in five different matches, getting one Damage Trap elimination, and starting the multi-stage challenge by searching a chest in Lonely Lodge. That's all self-explanatory, though the Damage Trap elimination may take some perseverance.
In the paid Battle Pass section, there's some trickier ones, the first of which is a multi-stage challenge that begins with visiting Risky Reels and Wailing Woods in a single match. On top of that you'll need to hit a player with a Tomato from 15m or more away, eliminate an opponent in 10 different matches, and complete timed trials. Take a look at all the challenges for Season 6, Week 3 at the bottom of this story.
As a refresher, completing these challenges reward you with Battle Stars which, in turn, level up your Battle Pass and allow you to unlock the sweet, sweet cosmetics for your character. Challenges are available in two sets, with one for all players to do and another just for those that have paid for a Battle Pass.
These aren't the only challenges that are available to do this week, as developer Epic Games has also rolled out a set of Halloween-themed unlocks to acquire. While the Skull Trooper (Male), Skull Ranger (Female) skin, Skull Sickle Harvesting Tool, and Crypt Cruiser Glider are available to purchase in store, in order to get the Ghost Portal Back Bling you'll need to complete the Skull Trooper Challenges.
It's been a busy week for Fortnite as, along with the two sets of challenges, Epic has also launched Fortnite Update 6.02. This new patch introduces a Limited-Time Mode called Disco Domination as well as the new Quad Launcher weapon. You can read all about those, as well as the other tweaks and changes made, in the Fortnite 6.02 patch notes.
Fortnite Season 6, Week 3 Challenges
Free Challenges
Revive a player in different matches (5) -- 5 Battle Stars
Stage 1: Search a chest in Lonely Lodge (1) -- 5 Battle Stars
Damage Trap Eliminations (1) -- 10 Battle Stars
Battle Pass
Stage 1: Visit Risky Reels and Wailing Woods in a single match (2) -- 5 Battle Star
Hit a player with a Tomato 20m away or more (1) -- 5 Battle Stars
Complete timed trials (3) -- 10 Battle Stars
Eliminate an opponent in different matches (10) -- 10 Battle Stars
The weekend is over, but for Destiny 2 players, Xur--the mysterious merchant who's here to either delight or disappoint you--is still here for one more day. He's got another slate of Exotic items for sale, which you have a limited time to buy. Here's where to find Xur and what he's selling for this week.
Xur's Year 2 appearances have seen him return to his same old locations, and this visit is no different. Right now, you can find Xur on Titan. Head to the The Rig landing zone, turn left, and make your way through the open building. Once you reach the next wide open area, turn left again and drop down one floor. You'll find Xur hanging out in a building, as seen in the map below; you can also watch our video above for guidance on how to reach him.
In terms of items, it's the standard lineup: one Exotic armor for each class, and one Exotic weapon. The weapon is Tractor Cannon, the Portal gun-looking shotgun that prevents affected enemies from using abilities and makes them take more damage, especially from void. More entertainingly, however, it also blasts enemies backwards.
For armor, Titans get the Synthoceps gauntlets, which increases how far you can lunge with a melee attack and provides you with more melee and Super damage when surrounded by enemies. Hunters can pick up the Gemini Jester leg armor, which provides your dodge with some added perks: it disorients enemies and causes their radar to disappear temporarily. Warlocks can grab the Sanguine Alchemy chest armor; this buffs your Rift to provide you and allies with some enhancements. This includes being able to see your radar when aiming down sights and visual markers being placed on powerful enemies. You might already own this armor, but bear in mind that these are Year 2 versions that feature more perks than the versions from Year 1 you might have.
Alongside these specific items for sale, Xur offers the Fated Engram. This is expensive, at 97 Legendary Shards, but it guarantees you a Year One Exotic you don't already own, so it's a good way to fill out your collection, provided you can afford it.
Although last week didn't bring with it much in the way of new content, aside from the latest Ascendant Challenge, there is a lot coming soon. Tuesday, October 16, will see the release of the first of two big updates launching for the game this month. This patch will coincide with the debut of Festival of the Lost, Destiny 2's Halloween-themed event, as well as the next instance of Iron Banner. Unlike the first instance of the multiplayer activity after Forsaken's release, this one will have easier bounties, and each one will offer a piece of Powerful gear as a reward. For more on what's new in the world of Destiny, check out our guide to the latest weekly reset.
Some major changes are on the way for Destiny 2 later this month--Sleeper Simulant is being nerfed in Gambit--as is the Halloween-themed Festival of the Lost event and the next Iron Banner. In the meantime, we have the latest weekly reset, which doesn't bring much in the way of new content.
It does, however, mark a refresh for activities across the game, offering a variety of new ways to obtain Powerful gear. Here's the lowdown on what's new in the reset this week for Forsaken owners, including the Ascendant Challenge, Spider's big bounty, Eververse's store update, the Nightfall, and more. We've also got news on what's coming soon as well as a guide to Xur's location.
We've reached Friday, which means Xur has appeared. This week, he can be found on Titan, and he has the usual assortment of Exotic gear for sale--one weapon plus three pieces of armor (one per class). The highlight of the bunch is the shotgun Tractor Cannon, which, while not a new item, is great fun to use. You can get the full rundown in our Xur location and items guide.
Festival Of The Lost Detailed
Ahead of its launch on October 16, Bungie has provided details on what to expect from Destiny 2's first-ever Festival of the Lost event. In addition to the rewards and masks you can get, the company revealed that Powerful gear will be up for grabs as part of a murder mystery involving Master Ives. Daily bounties will offer Fragmented Souls, which can be cashed in for masks and a new auto rifle, while there will also be a brand-new activity called the Haunted Forest. You'll face increasingly difficult enemies in what sounds like a Horde-style mode with a 15-minute time limit. Additionally, if you're at the level cap, you'll get a bonus Bright Engram (with new items inside) each time you fill the XP bar, and new cosmetics will be for sale at Eververse.
Iron Banner Returns Soon
Festival of the Lost and the new patch aren't all that's launching on October 16. That also marks the start of the next week-long Iron Banner event, which features some revisions over September's instance. Most notably, you'll find bounties are easier to complete, and each one will offer Powerful gear.
Ascendant Challenge
Another new Ascendant Challenge--possibly the last original one we'll see for now before they begin to be recycled--is now available. The portal is located in a Lost Sector, and inside you'll have to deal with a gauntlet of enemies and (of course) some platforming. You'll need to use a Tincture of Queensfoil in order to see the portal, and be sure to grab the bounty from Petra before starting. The chest you receive at the end is nothing special, but the bounty itself offers Powerful gear.
Spider Bounty -- Wanted: Gravetide Summoner
For the third week running, the big bounty offered by Spider--the one that offers Powerful gear--is Wanted: Gravetide Summoner. But whereas last week's repeat of this did at least take you to a different Lost Sector, this one brings us back to the same one as two weeks ago. Take five Ghost Fragments to Spider to pick up the bounty, and you'll receive an Adventure on Titan's The Rig. Kill the boss in the Lost Sector to complete the bounty and earn Powerful gear.
Nightfall
As is typical, the Nightfall has been refreshed with three new choices of Strikes. You can pick from Warden of Nothing, The Corrupted, and The Pyramidion; all three have a recommended Power level of 540. Whichever you choose, there's a piece of Powerful gear for completing it. If you manage to do so while achieving a score of 100,000 or more, you'll also receive another Powerful gear.
Eververse
A new set of bounties are available from Eververse, most of which reward you with varying amounts of Bright Dust. The cost of these bounties varies, but as always, the most expensive one gets you the most Bright Dust for your investment--provided you finish it. This week, that bounty is Herosim in Battle (complete five Strikes from the Strike playlist), which will net you 150 Bright Dust upon completion.
The Rise of the Challenge bounty is available, which offers a Prismatic Facet as a reward. If you have a Facet on hand (or are willing to spend some Silver), you can activate the Matrix, which has a new set of items. Here's what's on offer:
Guardian Angel (Exotic weapon ornament for The Chaperone)
Death to Kells (Exotic ship)
Dragonfly Regalia Vest (Legendary Hunter chest armor)
Dragonfly Regalia Helm (Legendary Titan helmet)
Dragonfly Regalia Bond (Legendary Warlock bond)
Atlantis Shell (Legendary Ghost shell)
Astera Blade (Legendary ship)
Here I Stand (Legendary vehicle)
Jade Rabbit Projection (Rare Ghost projection)
Awkward Greeting (Rare emote)
Petra
Petra's location has rotated again, and we're back to the most pleasant of the bunch. She's in Divalian Mists, right next to the Dreaming City's landing zone. You'll want to speak with her to grab the Ascendant Challenge bounty, as well as The Orange Engine, which lets you do the mission of the same name. War for the Dreaming City has you again complete eight daily bounties for Petra during the week, and Gateway Between Worlds has you take part in the Blind Well. All four of these reward you with Powerful gear.
Clan Bounties
New clan bounties are now available. The weekly ones offer the biggest clan XP rewards, with Blindsight (completing the Blind Well at Tier III or above while in a fireteam with clanmates) offering the most. You can also pick up Band of Adventurers (complete three Adventures with clanmates) and House Advantage (complete Gambit matches with clanmates). Those ready to dive into the Raid can also taken on Summoning Ritual, which asks you to complete the challenge of the same name. Complete that, and you'll net yourself some Powerful gear.
Vanguard Strikes
The Vanguard Strikes playlist again has the same weekly challenge, which asks you to complete three Strikes while using the same subclass element as one of your Fireteam members. Do that for a piece of Powerful gear. You may want to consider picking Solar, as that lines up with this week's modifiers, which are as follows:
Solar Singe -- Solar damage increases slightly from all sources
Blackout -- Enemy melee attacks are significantly more powerful, and radar is disabled
Brawler -- Melee abilities deal more damage and recharge much faster
Daily Heroic Story Missions
Completing three daily Heroic story missions during the week will net you a Powerful gear, making it worthwhile to replay some old missions. These feature the same modifiers outlined above for the Strikes playlist, and you'll have five different options with varying Power levels:
Looped -- 280 Power level
Chosen -- 280 Power level
Pilgrimage -- 360 Power level
Ice and Shadow -- 360 Power level
Nothing Left to Say -- 500 Power level
Gambit
Head over to The Drifter in the Tower for a new set of bounties. The most important of the bunch to grab is the weekly one, Might of the Traveler. This has you do certain things--cast Supers, defeat enemies with Supers, and create Orbs of Light--to earn progress. Complete the bounty for a piece of Powerful gear.
Currently, we're in the midst of the Dreaming City's three-week cycle, so the special Primeval needed to begin the Malfeasance questline is not as likely to show up in Gambit (though it can still spawn). However, Bungie recently said it will soon make it spawn more often.
Flashpoint
The current Flashpoint is on Titan, which is where you'll also find the current Heroic adventure (Siren Song). Complete the Adventure for a piece of Powerful gear, and finish the Flashpoint--by completing Heroic adventures, Public Events, and Lost Sectors--for another.
The Netflix Marvel superhero universe has had its ups and downs, and nothing can really make up for how bad Iron Fist Season 1 was, and what it did to The Defenders. But sometimes when you hit rock bottom, there's a silver lining: There's no direction to go but up. The Punisher was pretty good, Luke Cage Season 2 was a step in the right direction, and even Iron Fist Season 2 was watchable. Now that we've mostly forgotten about Jessica Jones Season 2, it's time to return to where it all started: Daredevil. And you know what? It's good to be back.
Daredevil Season 3 has a lot preceding it, but except where it's relevant to Matt Murdock's story, it mostly ignores what's come before. In the first six episodes, which were sent to press ahead of time, there's no mention of Jessica, Luke, Danny, or The Hand. Even Elektra is just a memory, albeit one that haunts Matt still.
Daredevil Season 3 is about rebuilding. Matt (Charlie Cox) suffered his most emotionally and physically devastating defeat yet when an entire building fell on him at the end of Defenders, and he's forced to find the time and will to heal on multiple fronts. Fisk (Vincent D'Onofrio) has a scheme to get out of prison, but he puts himself at great risk to pull it off. Foggy (Elden Henson) and Karen (Deborah Ann Woll) are still dealing with the fact that Matt is gone, trying to put the pieces of their lives together without their best friend. Naturally, his eventual return in Season 3 will only complicate things further.
To fans, it's no secret that Matt survived the events of Defenders. He spends much of Daredevil Season 3's first half recuperating in the basement of the Catholic orphanage where he was raised, tended to by a nun who may or may not be his mother (in the comics she is; it hasn't yet been made clear in the show). At the season's start, his hearing has suffered, and without it his "sight" has also waned. An early season boxing match puts Daredevil's brutality, the actors' impressive physicality, and Matt's threshold for punishment all on display. Daredevil spends plenty of time wallowing in Matt's well earned nihilism, but even then it can be a joy to watch.
Fisk, meanwhile, proves to be the manipulative villain we remember him as from Daredevil Season 1. He flips and turns FBI informant, snitching on New York's Albanian mob and almost getting himself offed in the process. That triggers a transfer out of prison and into a cushy high-rise, "for his own safety," of course. He claims to be doing it all for Vanessa--played by Ayelet Zurer in Season 1, though she's yet to reappear in Season 3--but with the Kingpin, there's always the sense that there's more going on than we're ever made aware of. No doubt that shoe will drop before Season 3 is over.
Fisk's recruitment of crack shot FBI agent Benjamin "Dex" Poindexter--who we know from the comics as Bullseye--only begins to see its full payoff by the time Season 3 is halfway through. But Dex gradually proves himself to be a dangerous presence, an obsessive sociopath with perfect aim who was taught as a child to blend in with society. When the cracks in his "normal" life start to shake his foundations, Fisk knows exactly how to dig his fingers in deep.
The news of Fisk's "release" doesn't go over well in Hell's Kitchen, and protesters keep vigil outside his suite, adding to the feeling that this is all leading somewhere topical. Foggy and Karen fight back in their own ways--still working at the Bulletin, Karen starts investigating what Fisk is really up to, while Foggy attempts to get at him through legal means.
That's all to say that Daredevil Season 3 puts the focus where it belongs: on Matt, Fisk, Foggy, and Karen, the core characters that we originally grew to love or hate back in Season 1. With that re-anchoring comes some really cool stylistic choices; there's an entire sequence that plays out in black and white, half flashbacks, half imaginings, with one character walking back through another's life as he strives to learn everything he might use to his advantage. And there's a single-shot fight scene in these first half dozen episodes that's unbelievably impressive, easily rivaling any action that's come before in the whole Netflix Marvel universe.
So yeah, Daredevil is back. And thanks to its much needed laser focus on the characters and stories fans actually care about, you don't even need to be caught up; If you watched Daredevil Season 1 and then stopped, you could pick up again right at the start of Season 3. That definitely says something about how forgettable much of what came in the interim was. But regardless of where you've been all this time, Daredevil Season 3 is worth returning for.
What was Riot doing for the six months between then and now? Did it go on a killing spree across Malaysia? Was it dormant or hibernating--something the movie never gives any hint that Symbiotes might be capable of? Was it biding its time pretending to be someone's grandma? That blatant plot hole has nothing to do with Venom's general 1990s cheesiness as a character, or the considerable challenge of trying to make a Venom movie without a single reference to Spider-Man. It's just good, old fashioned, avoidable sloppiness.
Don't get me wrong: The lack of Spider-Man does cause problems. Specifically, the entire premise--that Venom chooses to stick around on Earth, attach itself permanently to Eddie Brock, and betray its entire species--doesn't really work in this movie. In the books, Venom's obsession with Spider-Man gives it common purpose with Eddie, and cutting Spidey out of the equation necessitates something take his place as their end goal. The movie tries to get around that by clumsily painting Eddie and Venom as Breakfast Club style lovable "losers" (actual, direct quote: "On my planet, I am kind of a loser, like you"). It's nonsensical, implausible, under-explained, and tonally weird; that line is easily the movie's biggest laugh, but not in a good way.
Venom is surprisingly funny, mostly in the verbal abuse the Symbiote whispers directly into Eddie's brain, usually after Tom Hardy's character does something Venom considers cowardly or embarrassing. When Eddie holds his hands up in surrender to law enforcement, Venom laments that he's "making us look bad;" when Eddie opts to take the elevator rather than jumping from a skyscraper, Venom calls him a "pussy." These moments are deliberately played for laughs, and they land well enough. The bigger problem is why an alien parasite from space talks like a frat bro, or, extrapolating further, why it needs eyes and teeth if its main form is a shapeless, pulsing black goo. These essential curiosities of Venom as a character are never so much as acknowledged, much less explained.
On the plus side, Venom and the other Symbiotes look pretty good in this movie. The CG work is somewhat inconsistent, and it definitely goes through ups and downs when it comes to raw fidelity. But unlike in his other live action incarnations (looking at you, Spider-Man 3), Venom actually looks like Venom here. The alien comes off as both lithe and powerful; it leaps around gracefully, but its hulking form also exudes menace and strength. The visual effect of Venom's vicious visage wrapping itself over Eddie's head is creatively executed, and Symbiote-on-Symbiote fight scenes play out in unexpected ways, with human hosts and alien parasites struggling to remain linked while trying to rip and tear their opponents apart.
Michelle Williams does just fine as Anne, although her attachment to Eddie is really inexplicable, as the two have zero chemistry. Even weirder is the willingness of her new doctor boyfriend (Reid Scott) to administer Eddie multiple MRI screenings, even after Eddie interrupts their fancy lunch date by climbing into a lobster tank (the Symbiote affects him in some truly strange ways).
Riz Ahmed does a great job as the megalomaniacal head of the Life Foundation, totally selling his character's belief that humans will have to mutate themselves using alien parasites if we want to survive climate change. That said, it's a pretty thin motivation, and Dr. Carlton Drake is an utterly one note villain. To be honest, the only character who actually experiences any kind of growth or change is the scientist played by comedian and actress Jenny Slate, who is terrific in this movie--and, unfortunately, underused.
Venom has all the ingredients of a decent superhero movie--10 or 15 years ago. With spotty CGI, poorly drawn characters, tonal inconsistency including forced "edginess" and awkward humor, sidelined female characters, and even cringeworthy licensed musical cues, it feels like a relic from the distant, pre-Marvel Cinematic Universe past. That may in part be attributed to the fact that it's been in production in one form or another since at least 2008. But its problems go way past simply being "old school," and ultimately, Venom lacks the charm, clarity, and ambition superhero fans have come to expect.
Barring a small handful of spin-offs, the Pokemon series is making its proper debut on Nintendo Switch next month with the release of Pokemon: Let's Go Pikachu and Let's Go Eevee. Based largely on the classic Pokemon Yellow version, the Let's Go games return the franchise to its roots in many ways. As in the original, the story is once again set in the Kanto region, and you'll only encounter the first 151 Pokemon (plus the newly revealed Meltan) during your adventure.
The Let's Go games also diverge from tradition in some dramatic ways, particularly in their connection with Pokemon Go. Not only are you able to transfer certain monsters you catch in the mobile game over to the Switch titles, they also employ Pokemon Go's catching mechanics, meaning you're no longer be able to battle wild Pokemon.
GameSpot recently had an opportunity to sit down with Pokemon: Let's Go director Junichi Masuda and lead game environment designer Kensaku Nabana. Through an interpreter, we discussed what it was like reimagining the traditionally 8-bit world of Kanto in 3D, what changes the development team made in bringing the games to Switch, and how the new Mythical Pokemon Meltan came to be.
Despite being inspired by Pokemon Yellow, Let's Go Pikachu and Eevee seem to introduce a lot of new elements not found in previous Pokemon games. What new things should we expect?
Junichi Masuda: The main flow of the story plays out very much like Pokemon Yellow Version. One of the reasons we wanted to do this is that we imagined a lot of fans of the original game were going to be playing through it. There are different parts, but I think they'll recognize the main beats of the story and feel some nostalgia there.
At the same time, we did add a decent amount of sub-events that weren't in the originals. It kind of gives it a different feel because there's a lot of trainers alongside their Pokemon in the actual world itself, so it would be a different impression than the original game, while also covering the same story.
Team Rocket seems to play a more prominent role in Let's Go Pikachu and Eevee. Does this mean we'll see more of Jessie, James, and Meowth during the story?
Masuda: Yeah, they definitely appear more in the game than in the original Pokemon Yellow Version. With these two games, we really set out at the very beginning with a main target in mind, which was younger kids who maybe didn't own their own smartphones and weren't able to really participate in the Pokemon Go craze that happened. They weren't able to go out and join in on that fun, so really providing them with a really fun experience that also had some of that Pokemon Go gameplay. But at the same time, we wanted to introduce these new players, for whom this might be their first Pokemon game, through the original story, kind of ease them into the Pokemon experience that way.
Also, I thought it would be fun if players who maybe enjoyed the original game--they're now much older, probably in their 30s--they'd be able to interact with maybe their own kids or other kids that they know that are playing the game. They would actually know the general flow of the story, maybe able to give advice like where to go next and things like that. With Team Rocket, because the animated series is popular--it's in like 85-plus countries--I imagine a lot of those younger kids will have seen the animated series, even if they haven't played the game. So, we're trying to add in the elements like that to make it easier for them to get into the world and recognize the setup.
In the original games, your rival was a huge jerk, but the one in Let's Go seems much friendlier. Why the change?
Masuda: I think the biggest reason that rivals were more of a jerk in the early days is that we were just limited with what we could express with the pixel graphics. There's not much you can do with that kind of little sprite on the screen, so we worked harder to characterize them through dialogue and give them certain personalities. Also, because it's just dialogue and there's not a whole lot going on on the screen, it doesn't give as harsh of an impression even if they're jerks, I think. Now we have HD graphics and the visuals are much more impressive. If you also made him a jerk, the impression would be a lot stronger on players. Another thing, just my own personal take, is that it feels that people with those kinds of personalities these days are not as accepted by players, I think, as they were back then.
In the original games, there was text or some sort of setting where "Pidgey eat Caterpie," for example. That was fine back then, I think everybody liked it. But, I think, as Pokemon has gone on, the fans kind of have their idea of what Pokemon should be. If we did that now, I think a lot of people wouldn't really like it, it would give them a bad reaction.
What about the old man standing outside Celadon Gym who says he loves looking at the pretty girls? Did you have to tone that down as well?
Masuda: Yeah, we definitely re-evaluated all those kinds of things. But at the same time, the fact that you remember that means that it was something memorable. We had to be very careful about which things to change and which things to keep as they were. Definitely check it out for yourself and see if he's still around.
What was it like having to reimagine the Kanto region in 3D? How hard was it to recreate the world for an HD console?
Kensaku Nabana: I was in elementary school when Pokemon Yellow Version came out, and I remember playing those games as well as a fan myself. So, when we were first starting out in the development of this game, we all went back and played Pokemon Yellow Version again, and I just tried to remember the world of Pokemon that was in my imagination when I was playing those games, because you had to fill in the gaps a lot back then. Really try and take what was in my imagination then and redesign the areas to look like that image I had in my head.
Also, keeping in mind that we put the focus on having a lot of Pokemon in the environment, walking around in the overall world this time around, so [we focused on] making the visuals look like something where that wouldn't seem strange. We initially explored a more photorealistic direction, but we settled on this more anime style approach, these cuter visuals.
It definitely leaves a strong impression, seeing how different some very famous scenes from the old game are in Let's Go, such as the first time you come to the S.S. Anne and see how much more majestic it looks. For some areas like Lavender Town, which was very creepy in the original games, how did you go about expressing that in Let's Go Pikachu and Eevee?
Nabana: Lavender Town is definitely one that I don't want to talk too much about and have you discover for yourself, but I definitely have the same impression as you. It's kind of this creepy, unsettling place. So, I initially approached it with that in mind and designed it to make it look like it would give that impression. But that wasn't enough for Mr. Masuda. He was like, "You've got to make it feel even creepier." He gave me a lot of specific directions to do that. So, I think it will be fun to see what it looks like.
It doesn't seem like held items and abilities are in these games. What is the reason for that?
Masuda: Yeah, that was actually a conscious decision. We don't have held items or abilities or eggs, or a lot of features that weren't in the original generation that got added later on. We had to be very careful in selecting which things we would update from the original games and which ones we would keep the same. I did like the appeal of the simplicity of the original Generation 1 games, as this being an entry title for new players joining the franchise to really experience something very similar to what kids did 20 years ago, but [we also wanted people to] enjoy some of these new gameplay gimmicks, like the Poke Ball Plus and the connectivity with Pokemon Go.
But, of course, we did have to update some other things. For example, we added more types later on and Pokemon got re-typed, so those exist in the game. And, obviously, you weren't able to run in the original game. We were only able to create four-way movement, so we decided that we probably couldn't do that today and it made it much easier to move around, I think.
Even though held items aren't in it, we've seen that Mega Evolutions are. Can you tell us how that's going to work? Traditionally, your Pokemon has to hold the right item to Mega Evolve.
Masuda: No real details, but I can guarantee it's very simple. We didn't really think too much about it and just kept it very simple to trigger Mega Evolutions.
Please tell us more about the new Pokemon, Meltan. Was it always planned to debut first in Pokemon Go? And was it designed in collaboration with Niantic, or internally at Game Freak?
Masuda: We definitely planned to debut it in Pokemon Go from the very beginning. We had talked about in the early stages of even Go's development that we want to debut a Pokemon, and we worked with Niantic to kind of figure out that functionality. I've been working on the development of Go since the beginning as well, so I've always had it in mind. But the design, that was done internally at Game Freak. I gave some specific setting directions to one of our designers who was also a fan of the original games and played them as a kid, so he had a really good idea of what I was looking for, based on this kind of very simple metal nut design. He definitely probably had the original Kanto Pokemon designs in his mind and tried to keep it as simple as possible. You know, they were more kind of basic back then compared to some of the more modern designs. He worked on that, and then once it was finished, we gave all the assets and everything to Niantic, we planned the event and had them execute on that, and it worked out.
Following up on Meltan's design, here in the States he's been given a joking/affectionate nickname of "Nut Boy." I'm curious how you feel about that nickname and if, perhaps, he has a similar nickname in Japan?
Nabana: I haven't really seen a lot of nicknames in Japan yet, but for the design, we really tried to make it look like it was kind of a more realistic-looking object, like something that maybe you could see it in real life. It would look weird, but it wouldn't stand out too much. Initially, I thought this would be a very divisive design, like some people might like it but some people won't. It looks really strange, but if you look at it more closely, it's kind of cute at the same time. But it seems like the reaction has been generally really positive, and that's been a lot of fun. There's been tons of fan art already and it was revealed just recently, so it's been exciting for us.
In the DS and 3DS games, there were a lot of events at stores that gave out free Pokemon via download codes. Is anything similar planned for Let's Go Pikachu and Eevee?
Masuda: The functionality from the previous games is in there, it's called Mystery Gift. It's in the game and I'm sure there'll probably be something, but I think with the limited selection of Pokemon, they're all fairly easily catchable in other games. I'm not sure how often or how frequent it's going to be with these particular games.
We've talked about transferring between Pokemon Go and Let's Go. When the "core" Pokemon game planned for 2019 arrives, will there also be transfer possibilities between Let's Go and that title?
Masuda: We're definitely always thinking of that kind of forward-moving functionality, especially since we've introduced the Pokemon Bank. Now, up to Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon, you're able to store your Pokemon. We know they're very important to everyone. I mean, obviously, people would be very sad if they couldn't use their Pokemon in a future game. So, it does get complicated when you talk about the details and we're still figuring it out, but we do have plans to find ways to let players use their Pokemon in the next game.
What are your favorite Pokemon games?
Masuda: Definitely Red and Green for me is the most memorable. It was a six year development with just nine of us, so we have a lot of memories from that time, both good and bad. One of the other things was that we didn't have much expectation that the game would be played by millions of people at the time. We were just developing it. At any time the company could have gone under and it may not have been released. But yeah, a lot of memories from that time.
Nabana: Red and Green, that's where I started as well. I played those games and I have great memories playing them, but over the 20 years as time went on, I think the memory got glamorized even more. It starts to just become this legend in my mind. Of course, we tried to make Let's Go Pikachu and Let's Go Eevee, the re-imagining of that, to kind of live up to those. It gets more and more beautiful in your mind as time goes on, so that's what we tried to do. So those are probably my favorite games, just in my memory.
But as a developer, I think being able to work on these games and try and update them for the modern time and work as a team lead on these games, that was probably my favorite experience so far.
Going back to Red and Green and how arduous the development process was. Is there anything from back then that you wanted to specifically address or implement when updating the adventure for Let's Go Pikachu and Eevee?
Masuda: With Red and Green and even games after that, at Game Freak we always wanted to have Pokemon appear in the overworld, in the field itself. But, specifically with the original games, there was no way of doing that with the Game Boy hardware. It just couldn't handle it. We really wanted to make them feel like living creatures that are in the world with you, so you'll see on Let's Go Pikachu and Let's Go Eevee they'll all have their own little unique movement characteristics. Some of them will run up and stop. They're kind of curious. It'll be fun to just discover how they all react to you.
One final question: any chance we see Pikachu's scrapped evolution, Gorochu, someday?
Masuda: You're probably not going to see it. None of the Pokemon that we worked on, got to a point, and then discarded them have actually ever re-appeared yet, so I would say the chances are low. One of the reasons for that is that we always have this base criteria at Game Freak of being able to explain why a certain Pokemon is in the world or why it exists in that world, trying to make it feel believable within the fantasy. And usually the ones that get rejected are Pokemon that we weren't able to justify, I think. Usually there's a reason for why they weren't implemented, and as long as that reason still exists, they probably won't be put in the game.
We always say Pokemon isn't a "character game." It's not a game where it's just the characters, but it's a game that shows this world where these living creatures are existing in a space. That's kind of a slight nuance, but that's what we always try to go for at Game Freak. It's not good enough that they're just cute. (Laughs) They have to have something more to it.
Nabana: I've worked on Pokemon designs myself and it really is a very arduous, time consuming process. You've got to talk to a lot of people, a lot of back-and-forth and really be able to justify it before we get to a final design.
Blizzard has announced a new round of balance changes for Hearthstone, and this one includes a major nerf to one of the Mage's classic mainstays. Two other changes hit cards that make for powerful combos and have made for strong archtypes of their own, but the biggest change by far is to one of the oldest cards in the entire game.
Mana Wyrm has been around since the beginning. It's a Mage card from the Classic set, and its combination of high health for the Mana cost and a strong synergistic ability with spells has long made it an auto-include for all sorts of Mage decks--from aggressive ones that snowball its attack power to tempo decks that use it to pick off early threats efficiently. That will all be changing soon. The card cost is being changed from 1 Mana to 2, effectively doubling its investment cost and cutting it off as a decisive turn-one play.
"Over time, we've been moving away from powerful, early-game 1-drops like Mana Wyrm," reads the designer notes. "It can often feel like the outcome of a game is decided by whether Mana Wyrm was played on turn one, and if it could be removed quickly by an opponent. Mana Wyrm has also steered us away from making powerful low-cost Mage spells. We'd like Mana Wyrm to remain an option for decks it synergizes with, while preventing it from being a huge turn one threat.
"At (2) mana, it will be easier to deal with Mana Wyrm the turn it's played, and it will be harder to buff it with cheap spells early in the match. We still expect it to remain an option in decks that have a heavy focus on cheap spells, but it should be a less appealing option in decks that aren't built with that focus in mind."
The other two announced balance changes are to cards that have been added in later sets, which means that unlike Mana Wyrm they'll both eventually cycle out of Standard play. The Mana Wyrm change, by comparison, is here to stay.
The first comes to Giggling Inventor, a powerful Taunt card that has been eyed for a nerf since it debuted with the latest expansion. Its Mana cost will go to 7 Mana up from 5. The tipping point appears to be that Giggling Inventor has been far too powerful in Quest Rogue decks, which makes all minions 4/4 as the reward for completing the Quest.
"We think it's important to take risks when making powerful cards, especially when it comes to neutral taunts, given the role they can play in encouraging minion interactions and making games more interesting. However, Giggling Inventor has stepped beyond its intended role, and we don't feel that it should be as effective as it currently is," the notes read. "At (7) mana, we expect Giggling Inventor will find its way into fewer decks in general--and be much less effective in Quest Rogue--while remaining situationally playable within specific deck archetypes, such as Evolve Shaman."
Finally, the Druid Legendary card Aviana will have its cost increased to 10 Mana from the current 9. This appears aimed at one very specific interaction: Aviana into Kun the Forgotten King. Since Aviana makes all minions cost 1, and Kun can restore all your Mana crystals, this combo allowed Druids to play a handful of huge minions in a single turn. While Blizzard notes it's still technically possible to pull this off with a Coin or Innervate, it will be less consistent. Plus, it notes, the cost change means the new card Juicy Psychmelon won't draw both parts of this powerful combo at once.
All of these balance changes are planned to be implemented on October 18.
Call of Duty day has come. Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 released on October 12 for Xbox One, PS4, and PC. While it doesn't feature a traditional campaign like the ones found in previous installments, it does come with single-player challenge missions, plus loads of multiplayer content, including a battle royale-style mode called Blackout and, of course, Zombies. Players will also get a stream of free DLC that comes out post-launch.
Below, you'll find all the information you need about pre-order bonuses, what editions are available, and which retailers you should buy from. You'll need a good amount of space set aside to install the game once you have it, but luckily, even if your connection is on the slow side, the installation is structured such that you can jump into the new battle royale mode, Blackout, once you're about a third of the way done.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 Standard Edition
Here's where you can order the standard edition of the game and for how much.
This edition is exclusive to GameStop. It comes with the game, the Black Ops Pass (which may or may not include all DLC eventually released), Steelbook, Pop Socket, 10 Specialist Patches, 3 Zombies Inspired Collectible Art Cards, 1,100 Call of Duty Points, and a Call of Duty Endowment (C.O.D.E.) Calling Card.
If you're looking for the most ornate, pricy edition of the game, this is it. It comes with a skeleton-themed box that lights up and makes sounds. Everything you see in the image above comes along with it, including Zombies heroes Figpins, a 1,000-piece puzzle, a comic book, lithographs for each Zombies stage, a Popsocket, a Steelbook, Specialist icon patches, the Black Ops Pass, as well as "additional bonus content."
Thursday marks the weekly refresh of challenges in Fortnite: Battle Royale, and the latest is no exception. Week 3 of Season 6 is now live with a fresh slate of seven challenges to complete between now and the end of the season. One of these in particular may prove to be difficult, as you'l need to track down and complete various timed trials. We've put together a quick guide, video (above), and map to help you get it done quickly; here's where to go and what to do.
The challenge in question is complete timed trials, which you may remember from Season 5, when this type of challenge made its debut. What you need to do and the process for completing it hasn't changed since then, so here's a breakdown. Scattered around the island are blue stopwatch collectibles and, when you pick one up, you'll have an allotted amount of time to grab the rest of the them that appear in the area. If you're new to this, it may take some trial and error as some of the collectibles require you to build your way up to them. Naturally, this means you'll have to have the relevant resources on hand to craft the necessary platforms. In some areas it can also be advantageous to hop in a vehicle to get it done quick, so you'll have to get a feel for whether that's the case and then grab an ATK.
When it comes to finding the location of the timed trials, we recommend going for the other challenges first, but keeping your eyes peeled for the blue stopwatch pickups. In particular, the "search a chest in Lonely Lodge" and "visit Risky Reels and Wailing Woods" challenges are good trials to have as the main focus. These two challenges involve travelling around the map, so you're likely to run into some trials along the way. This is a great way of streamlining the challenge completion process. Thankfully, there's plenty of timed trials scattered around the island. The ones we found are listed below, along with screenshots of their locations.
Click image to view in full screen
Outside Tomato Temple (Between G3 and G4)
Left of Dusty Divot (F5)
Hilltop south of Tilted Towers (D6)
Bridge near Shifty Shifts (D8)
Villains Hideout (Between B4 and B5)
Once you've completed three of the timed trials, you'll get yourself 10 precious Battle Stars. The rest of the challenges shouldn't be as difficult. Take a look at our full rundown of Season 6, Week 3's challenges for more information on those.
Fortnite is currently feeling a bit spooky for Halloween, and if you want to be extra effective at putting the fear in other Fortnite players, developer Epic Games has released a bunch of new cosmetic that are worth checking out. These include the Skull Trooper skin, which makes its long-awaited return with a few extra customization options. There's also the new Skull Ranger skin for the female character model, the Skull Sickle Harvesting Tool essential for that harbinger of doom look, and the Crypt Cruiser Glider so you look like death floating around the skies of Fortnite. These can all be purchased through the in-game store using V-Bucks.
However, the hottest Fortnite in-game item this Halloween is undoubtedly the Ghost Portal Back Bling, which emits ghostly apparitions of other skins. To get this you'll need to complete the Skull Trooper Challenges, which will take a fair bit of dedication. You can see all the Skull Trooper Challenges and new cosmetics here.
If you need a break from the challenge grind, Epic has introduced a new Limited-Time Mode called Disco Domination. This mode tasks two teams with taking control over the most number of dance floors on the Island. Naturally, to secure a dance floor you've got to dance long enough to raise a disco ball. This mode was added as part of update 6.02, which also included the new Quad Launcher weapon. You can read about both of these additions, as well as other tweaks and changes in the Fortnite update 6.02 patch notes.
Epic Games has revealed that there's a new vehicle on its way to Fortnite on PS4, Xbox One, PC, Nintendo Switch, iOS, and Android. If you boot up the game you'll be greeted with a splash screen with the latest news and, alongside details on the new Disco Domination Limited-Time Mode and the Fortnite Android open-beta, there's an image and description of the Quadcrasher.
This new vehicle seems to have been designed specifically to cause destruction and to that end it has a mean looking snowplow-like front. For good measure Epic has also outfitted it with a special boost ability. "Charge the boost to crash through structures or get some air," reads the description. A specific release date was not shared, but its appearance in the News feed says it's "coming soon." We know update 6.10 is scheduled for release sometime this week, and the Quadcrasher could be coming as part of that.
While we'll have to wait until its available to see the kind of destruction the Quadcrasher can cause, we're betting that it's going to be very useful for ploughing through any structures that other players build. This means that ultra-defensive players will have a rougher time if there's a Quadcrasher in the mix.
Fortnite Season 6, Week 3's challenges are now available and you can take a look at our breakdown to see what you need to do to complete them all. The challenge that stands out as being the trickiest involves completing time trials. We've already done the legwork to hunt down a few of them, so you don't have to. Check out our time trial location guide for all that information.
Halloween is looming, and Epic is getting into the spirit by adding some themed cosmetics to the game. The Skull Trooper skin makes its return with a few extra customization options, there also a Skull Ranger skin for the female character model, the Skull Sickle Harvesting Tool, and the Crypt Cruiser Glider. These are purchasable with V-Bucks from the in-game store. The big ticket item, however, is the Ghost Portal Back bling. To get that you'll need to complete the Skull Trooper Challenges.
When it comes to battle royale titles, Fortnite has some new competition from a big name franchise. Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 is available today and features Blackout, the series' own spin on the battle royale formula. You can read our Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 review impressions to see what our early impressions of Blackout are.
For a broader look at how today's biggest battle royale titles stack up against each other and an analysis of what makes each one distinct, Michael Higham has put together a feature that compares Fortnite, PUBG, and Blackout.
You can tell a game has hit it big when it starts appearing on the talk show circuit. Fortnite has made a handful of appearances outside the traditional gaming media and now hit once again with an extended spot on Ellen. In it, host Ellen DeGeneres explained following a rabbit hole from the Orange Justice dance to Fortnite to the notable streamer, Ninja.
Ninja made an appearance on the show, ostensibly to explain how to play and show Ellen the ins and outs. The result is a lot like fellow talk show host Conan O'Brien's ongoing Clueless Gamer, with the host cracking jokes at her own expense against the backdrop of playing a game.
Those seeking advice on how to play Fortnite like Ninja will have to look elsewhere, though, as the lesson only touches on the barest essentials of the game. Ellen comedically bumbles her way through very slowly dropping into position, finding and promptly wasting her one firearm, and ultimately getting killed. Not quite enough to get rich streaming.
We're reached the midway point of the the new month, and there remains plenty of new streaming releases. Media giant Netflix is launching a plethora of new content on its streaming service throughout the month. Starting on the first of October, new movies, TV series, and Netflix originals will continue trickling out onto the service, with new content being added pretty much daily. It can be a lot to go through, but don't worry, we will be highlighting some choice picks for you to check out. Here's what new on Netflix for October 2018.
Returning for a second season is the adult animated comedy Big Mouth. Comedians Nick Kroll and John Mulaney star as two adolescent boys going through puberty. The raunchy series has the duo trying to understand life, girls, and everything else while dealing with hormone monsters and uncomfortable moments in early sexuality. It's out now.
Speaking of returning Netflix originals, Castlevania comes back for a second helping on October 26. The series follows Trevor Belmont as he fights the evil forces of Dracula. Season 1 writer Warren Ellis returns, picking up on the huge cliffhanger from last year with Alucard. This season will add more episodes for a total of eight, doubling up from Season 1's four.
As far as movies and television go, October 1 saw Netflix release most of its content. Out of everything that hit that day, you'll want to watch/rewatch the classic '80s adventure movie The NeverEnding Story or the first rated-R Marvel movie that matters--sorry, Dolph Lundgren's The Punisher--Blade. Additionally, Blade II will be available as well. Also, Season 4 of Gotham is coming to Netflix as well, and you can see just how crazy this series has become for yourself.
Sadly, there are a few great items leaving the service as well. The fantastic comedy series Freaks and Geeks left on October 1, along with Sin City and The Lost Boys. Even though Halloween is right around the corner, The Babadook is headed out on October 14 and V/H/S 2 leaves on October 24.
Check out the complete list of everything coming and going from Netflix below, and if you're looking for more news from streaming services, we have complete October arrivals lists from Hulu and Amazon Prime Video as well.
Here's what's coming to Netflix in October
Available October 1
Angel Eyes
Anger Management
Billy Madison
Black Dynamite
Blade
Blade II
Blazing Saddles
Empire Records
Gotham: Season 4
Kevin Hart: Laugh at My Pain
Kevin Hart: Seriously Funny
Must Love Dogs
My Little Pony Equestria Girls: Rollercoaster of Friendship
Mystic River
New York Minute
Once Upon a Time in America
Pay It Forward
Pee-wee's Big Adventure
Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves
Rumble in the Bronx
She's Out of My League
Sommersby
The Dead Pool
The Devil's Advocate
The Green Mile
The Lake House
The NeverEnding Story
The Shining
V for Vendetta
Zack and Miri Make a Porno
Available October 2
Joe Rogan: Strange Times-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
MeatEater: Season 7-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Monty Python: The Meaning of Live
Monty Python's Life of Brian
Available October 3
Truth or Dare (2017)
Avail. 10/4/18
Creeped Out-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
The Haunting of Molly Hartley
Violet Evergarden: Special: Extra Episode
Available October 5
Big Mouth: Season 2-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Dancing Queen-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Élite-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Empire Games-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Little Things: Season 2-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Malevolent-- NETFLIX FILM
Private Life-- NETFLIX FILM
Super Monsters Save Halloween-- NETFLIX FILM
Super Monsters: Season 2-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
The Rise of Phoenixes-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL (Streaming Every Friday)
YG Future Strategy Office-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Available October 6
Little Things: Season 1
Available October 8
Disney's Sofia the First: Season 4
Mo Amer: The Vagabond-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Available October 9
Terrace House: Opening New Doors: Part 4-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Available October 10
22 July-- NETFLIX FILM
Pacto de Sangue-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Available October 11
Salt Fat Acid Heat-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Schitt's Creek: Season 4
Available October 12
Apostle-- NETFLIX FILM
Errementari: The Blacksmith and the Devil-- NETFLIX FILM
Feminists: What Were They Thinking?-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
FightWorld-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
ReMastered: Who Shot the Sheriff-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Tarzan and Jane: Season 2-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
The Boss Baby: Back in Business: Season 2-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
The Curious Creations of Christine McConnell-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
The Haunting of Hill House-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
The Kindergarten Teacher-- NETFLIX FILM
Available October 15
Octonauts: Season 4
The Seven Deadly Sins: Revival of The Commandments-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Available October 16
Ron White: If You Quit Listening, I'll Shut Up-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Available October 19
Accidentally in Love-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Ask the Doctor-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Best.Worst.Weekend.Ever.: Limited Series-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Derren Brown: Sacrifice-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Distrito salvaje-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Gnome Alone-- NETFLIX FILM
Haunted-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Hip-Hop Evolution: Season 2-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Illang: The Wolf Brigade-- NETFLIX FILM
Larva Island-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Making a Murderer: Part 2-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Marvel's Daredevil: Season 3-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
The Night Comes For Us-- NETFLIX FILM
Wanderlust-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Available October 21
Robozuna-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Available October 23
ADAM SANDLER 100% FRESH-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Available October 24
Bodyguard-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Available October 25
Great News: Season 2
Available October 26
Been So Long-- NETFLIX FILM
Castlevania: Season 2-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Chilling Adventures of Sabrina-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Dovlatov-- NETFLIX FILM
Jefe-- NETFLIX FILM
Shirkers-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Terrorism Close Calls-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Available October 27
Girl from Nowhere-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Available October 28
Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL (Streaming Every Sunday)
Available October 30
Fate/EXTRA Last Encore: Illustrias Geocentric Theory-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
The final season of Gotham won't premiere until 2019; however, with the show's final appearance at New York Comic-Con happening over the weekend, the Batman prequel series is at the center of a lot of buzz. Whether it's the news that Shane West will play Bane in the Fox show's final episodes or that Batman will finally make an appearance in the series finale, there's plenty to talk about.
One other topic of discussion over the last week is whether the show would jump ahead in time following the events of the Season 4 finale, in which Jeremiah (Cameron Monaghan) blew up the bridges that connect Gotham City to the rest of the world, essentially setting up a story inspired by the "No Man's Land" story from the DC comic books. During a visit to the show's set in New York City, GameSpot learned from multiple cast members that there would be a three-month time jump in the new season.
Thanks to a little clarification from executive producer John Stephens, though, it's not quite that simple. "We have a time jump of 391 days at the top of the premiere opener, but then we settle in back at 87 days," he said.
That means when the series returns, fans will see Gotham City a little over a year after Jeremiah destroyed the bridges, before settling back into its three-month jump. The season will then, assumedly, tell the story of how Jim Gordon (Ben McKenzie), Bruce Wayne (David Mazouz), and whoever else is left get the city to the point it's at on the 391-day mark.
Those aren't the only two time jumps at play in the final season, though. Speaking at Gotham's NYCC panel, Stephens also dropped another bombshell. The series finale will jump forward again, this time to 10 years in the future. It's at this point that the audience will meet Bruce as Batman. That said, it remains to be seen whether it'll be Mazouz in the cape and cowl.
Of course, any longtime fan of Gotham is probably keeping their fingers crossed, hoping that the young actor who was 13 years old when the show launched would end up getting to properly become Batman. To see whether that happens or not, though, you're going to have to wait for whenever the final season of Gotham premieres. All we know at this point is that it won't be until sometime early next year.
Fallout 76 is a very different kind of Fallout game, with a new focus on multiplayer across a massive open world. Bethesda is putting it through its paces with a beta test releasing later this month, and you can join in to help explore the wastes and gather technical feedback before its official launch. There's even a pre-beta stress test that a select number of fans will get access to. Here's everything to know about the beta.
When does the beta start?
The beta for Fallout 76 will begin on October 23 on Xbox One, and then expand to PC and PlayStation 4 the following week on October 30. Even if you've received a code, though, you may not necessarily be invited to the first wave. Bethesda plans to start small to stress test the game and expand slowly, so your actual start date may vary.
A separate pre-beta stress test also took place starting on October 13. That one is exclusive to Xbox One Insiders who have pre-ordered the game, and even then fulfilling those criteria only enters you into the pool of possible participants. Players of this stress test will be under NDA and unlike the beta, game progress will not be saved.
How long will the beta last?
Bethesda has not given a specific end-date for the beta, but it has explained that the servers won't be available 24/7 during the beta period. The studio says it will be running "targeted time frames" to force interested players together at the same time, which in turn will mark a better technical test. The game may be available for 4-8 hours on any given day, with Bethesda making adjustments and fixes during the off periods. This process will repeat until a few days before launch on November 14.
How do I get in?
The beta will be available exclusively for those who pre-order the game across PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4. Digital pre-orders will be entered into the pool automatically, while physical pre-orders will receive a code to enter into the accounts page once the beta has gone live on your platform of choice.
It's important to note that this code is not the beta code you enter to access the actual game download. Instead, the pre-order code is the one you enter into Bethesda's system to be put into the pool for code distribution. A separate code, which gives you access to the install, will follow at a later time as Bethesda rolls out its invites.
In the meantime, you can be sure you're prepared by creating a free Bethesda.net login. Also, make sure you have an active Xbox Live Gold or PlayStation Plus membership if you're playing on either console, since those will be required to access the online-only game.
Is the beta the full game?
The Fallout 76 beta is the full experience, and Bethesda says it is currently planning to allow players to carry progress over into the full game. However, console players will need to redownload the launch version, whereas PC players will not need to download a new version upon launch. The beta will be 45 GB.
How do I submit feedback?
Bethesda is inviting feedback across its variety of social media channels.
What else will I get for pre-ordering?
Aside from beta access, pre-ordering will get you 500 Atoms--Fallout 76's in-game currency. Atoms allow you to purchase cosmetic items from the shop. Bethesda has indicated that Atoms will be plentiful, but as we haven't seen the shop or prices yet, it's hard to say just how far 500 Atoms will go.
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