Overwatch is back with a Free Trial, starting November 20 through November 26. But you have a chance to win the full game and extra content (MSRP: $60) that is yours to keep after the Free Trial ends.
This is not an instant win. No purchase necessary. Competition ends at 12:00 PM PT on November 30, 2018, in which 80 winners will be chosen at random and emailed a code.
Enter below:
The Free Trial for Overwatch starts November 20 through November 26. Overwatch's full roster of 29 heroes including the newly announced Deadlock Gang outlaw, Ashe, will be playable!
Players can explore 26 maps in a variety of modes, including Quick Play, Custom Games, and the Arcade, to experience everything Overwatch has to offer.
Free Trial players will also be able to level up, earn Loot Boxes, unlock a variety of different customization options for their heroes, and keep any progress made during the trial—as long as they purchase the game on the same Blizzard account / console account.
Don't forget you can pre-download Overwatch on your favorite console platforms store starting today to get ready ahead of the November Free Trial!
For more details, please check out the full blog post here: https://playoverwatch.com/en-us/news/22770110
If you're looking for a deal on a Nintendo Switch console or select games and accessories, you'll want to take a look at this. Today at 12 PM PT (3 PM ET), the retailer Daily Steals is planning to drop prices on select Switch gear to the lowest we've ever seen, according to CNET. Among the deals are a Nintendo Switch console for $180 (regularly $300) and Pokemon Let's Go Pikachu, which just came out and hasn't gone on sale anywhere else yet, for $35. The catch is that quantities are limited, so you'll want to click the buy button right away if you want a chance to grab one of these ridiculously fantastic deals.
In addition to the Switch hardware and new Pokemon game, you can get a Nintendo Switch Pro Controller for $40, Super Mario Party for $35, and Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze for $30. The deals will only be available on Daily Steals' Facebook page, and the transaction has to go through Facebook. There's also no shopping cart feature, so you'll have to do a separate transaction for each item you want to buy.
If you're looking for more deals on video games and entertainment, you can check out our Black Friday 2018 coverage, where we've compiled all the discounts you'll find this week on PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC games, hardware, and accessories.
They don't call it the Wasteland for nothing in the Fallout franchise. The series' nuclear war-ravaged world is complete with things like mutated creatures, radiation-soaked zombies, and plenty of other frightening creatures that hunt anybody foolish enough to go wandering around. But despite the hardships of the post-apocalypse, the Fallout series has also always had its survivors, whether they're farmers learning to cultivate an irradiated world, organizations hoping to rebuild society, or warlords trying to rule whatever's left.
Fallout 76 takes a different approach. Rather than the usual single-player RPG that finds players leaving an underground Vault to explore the Wasteland and meet the people who live in it, Fallout 76 removes NPCs and replaces them with other players.
The result is a Fallout game that feels a bit strange. It's hard to shake a feeling of loneliness while playing a game devoid of characters. Even though you're surrounded by other players from the start, there's a feeling that West Virginia is already dead, and you're picking clean its corpse.
The creepy feeling comes early in the game, after you leave Vault 76, where you've waited out the first 20 years of nuclear fallout. Your job as one of Vault-Tec's best and brightest is to rebuild the world. You're a little late doing that at the start of the game, thanks to over-partying the night before the Vault opens. As a result, the main quest at the beginning of the game has you following the Vault's former Overseer as she travels the world hoping to find and take control of three remaining nuclear missile silos--ostensibly to keep those weapons from ever being used again.
Tracking the Overseer's path through the Wasteland takes you the town of Flatwoods near the Vault, where you learn about some folks trying to make the post-apocalypse a better place: the Responders. This group, mostly consisting of former first-responders like paramedics and firefighters, roam the Wasteland looking to help people, and have set up several communities for that purpose. When you arrive in their town, you take part in an automated process to join up as a volunteer. It's a tutorial that has you wandering around town, trying to find the people who can teach you to cook, clean your water, and perform other essential survival tasks. The state of the town makes what you're going to find a foregone conclusion, though, and before long you confirm that none of the nice people of Flatwoods has survived.
Your Responder volunteer training continues apace, thanks to audio diaries left behind by the Responders who didn't make it, and which give you a sense of the lives they lived as they fought to survive their new world. Before long, you intercept a Responder radio signal that directs you to their headquarters at Morgantown, a larger city with an airport. The signal is pretty desperate: the Responders are expecting an attack by zombie-like people called the Scorched, and they need all hands on deck in order to repel it.
Spoiler alert: They didn't.
Fallout 76's lack of NPCs turns its setting into a ghost world, with the player arriving just after the worst has already happened. Stumble on the cabin of an old moonshiner and you might find evidence of his existence, but not the man himself. Head over to Grafton, a town where the mayor is broadcasting a radio signal asking for assistance, and you find the humans are dead and a computer is running the show. The world of West Virginia was full of people before--it just isn't anymore.
Contrast that with previous Fallout games and it becomes clear why Fallout 76 just feels a bit off. In past games, pretty much the first thing players do is stumble into post-apocalyptic civilization, where the people of the Wasteland aren't just eking out lives for themselves, but often thriving. One of the first people you meet in Megaton, the first town in Fallout 3, is its sheriff, which shows that the settlement isn't just a bunch of people barely hanging on, but one that has laws, and someone to enforce them. Places like Diamond City in Fallout 4, or the Strip in New Vegas, show just how strong civilization can become. These aren't just places where you pick up quests, they're evidence that Wasteland life continues. They make the world feel substantial and lived-in, and they give your actions in that world stakes.
Fallout 76 makes its approach a little more uncanny by constantly supplying audio diaries and information about those lost souls in whose wakes you follow. A group of audio tapes left by the Responders called Survivor Stories gives the characters just enough backstory to make their absences more haunting. Your path following the Overseer is similarly replete with bits of character-building audio, as your leader visits the important places from her pre-Vault life and talks about her memories. All these tiny stories are well-written and well-acted, which makes them stand out even more. There was life in the Wasteland in Fallout 76--we just missed it.
Adding other players to Fallout 76 at the expense of NPCs is a trade that sacrifices something essential about the Fallout games. The series has always been both somber and satirical in equal measure, but at its heart it was at least a little bit hopeful. The world didn't end when the nukes fell, it just changed.
Filling the Wasteland of Fallout 76 with players doesn't make it feel any less dead. We might build camps and buildings, but it's likely we'll all eventually put on party hats and aviator sunglasses, flash goofy emotes at each other, and try to murder each other. There's a transitory lightness to the multiplayer side of games like this that no amount of audio logs can overcome.
Without characters, Fallout 76 has no narrative balance against the people just screwing around in the Wasteland, and therefore, nothing to make the world feel substantial. It's sad, because the fascinating, engrossing stories of the people who once populated Fallout's West Virginia are there. They're just not around to make you care anymore.
Only a few years after Fallout 4's release, Bethesda surprised fans by officially announcing Fallout 76, the next entry in its beloved post-apocalyptic RPG franchise. The new game was revealed in a trailer after a series of teases, and Bethesda discussed it in more detail at E3 2018 and at QuakeCon 2018. We even got an opportunity to play the game at a recent hands-on preview event. But the game is out now, and we've only just began to make strides in Bethesda's sprawling adventure.
To ensure you're kept up to date on everything there is to know about Fallout 76, we've compiled all the information we have on the game so far: the platforms it's on, its online functionality, its anti-griefing features, and where the game falls in the series' timeline.
If you've been playing the beta, you'll be happy to know that the game is receiving a launch day update containing a ton of new content. In the meantime, be on the lookout for our full review, as well a slew of guides to help you get started in the game.
"Fallout 76 attempts to pull off some significantly new ideas for the series, but with few exceptions, they notably diminish many aspects of the game. Multiplayer is fun, but it's not an ideal way to enjoy questing, and the shooting mechanics aren't strong enough to make combat-heavy activities enjoyable for long periods. Things feel better as a solo experience, but the lack of in-universe characters makes becoming emotionally invested in the world and your goals difficult." Read out full early review impressions.
What is Fallout 76?
Fallout 76 is a prequel to all of the previous Fallout games. Set in 2102, you play an inhabitant of Vault 76 who emerges from the shelter 25 years after the bombs fell on America. Your task is simple: explore what remains of post-apocalyptic America and rebuild civilization.
Longtime fans will likely recognize Vault 76; although it's not a place we've visited before, this isn't the series' first mention of it. Both Fallout 3 and 4 reference it and, according to the Fallout Wikia, this West Virginia-based vault was occupied by 500 of of America's best and brightest minds. Unlike the more grotesque experimental vaults in the Fallout universe, Vault 76 is a control vault intended to be opened 20 or so years after a nuclear war. But if the Vault was supposed to open 20 years after the bombs fell, why have 25 years gone by? The story has a few surprises in store for those willing to tackle its myriad challenges.
Fallout 76 uses the Creation Engine, the same engine used to make Fallout 4, but it will purportedly feature much more graphical detail than its predecessor. Game director Todd Howard has said that Fallout 76 has new rendering and lighting technology, which allows for "16 times" the detail.
Who's Developing It?
Bethesda Game Studios, the Maryland-based developer responsible for the Elder Scrolls series and both Fallout 3 and Fallout 4, is at work on the game. In addition, Bethesda Game Studios Austin--formerly BattleCry Studios--assisted in fine-tuning the Creation Engine to support multiplayer functionality.
Is It An Online Survival Game?
Fallout 76 is a much different sort of game from its predecessors. It's "entirely online," but don't worry, you'll be able to play it solo too. According to Bethesda, the idea to take this approach to open-world survival came four years ago, when it started to work on building a multiplayer Fallout experience. Howard described the game's approach to survival as "softcore," which means death doesn't equal loss of progression.
You can form a party with up to three other players. You won't be able to manage your placement in servers when you login, as you'll automatically be inserted into a session with others upon booting up the game. Of course, you also have the option simply join alongside your friends and play together.
Howard commented that Fallout 76 will have dedicated servers that will support the game "now and for years to come." At launch, there will only be public servers, but Bethesda plans to introduce private servers that will allow players to invite friends to play in order to prevent undesirable behavior.
Some classic mechanics from past games will be changing to accommodate the shift to online play. For example, V.A.T.S has been reconfigured to work in real time, while still allowing players to target specific enemy body parts. But this time around, it has been updated to be more of a tool that allows you to spot out dangers in the environment.
How Big Is The World?
According to Howard, Fallout 76's world is four times the size of Fallout 4. There are six different regions to explore, and each has its own unique style, risks, and rewards. Confirmed areas include the West Virginia State Capitol, The Greenbrier, Woodburn Circle, New River Gorge Bridge, and Camden Park. Contained within each area is a variety of new creatures to encounter, some of which are based on West Virginian folklore. You can take at the full map in the image below.
What Can You Do?
Like previous games, players spend the majority of their time exploring and completing quests. However, Fallout 76 does not feature any human non-player characters, as all surviving humans are controlled by active players. Instead, the game uses a combination of robot NPCs, collectible recordings, and environmental storytelling in order to give players what they need to piece together quests and the story at large.
Given the game's premise of rebuilding the world, there's base-building elements similar to Fallout 4. You're able to set up a bases anywhere using an item called the Construction and Assembly Mobile Platform, or C.A.M.P. These can be placed down in the world and allow you to construct an impromptu camp. We got to see the player laying down walls and decorating the base with pool tables, toilets, and other household objects. As the "mobile platform" part of the name implies, your CAMP can also be picked up and relocated, allowing you to move your base anywhere in the world.
While you can help build the world, you can also destroy it. If you have the necessary nuclear launch codes, it's actually possible to access a missile silo to fire a nuke at any point on the map. Doing so irradiates the chosen area, but it also allows for the opportunity to discover rare weapons, gear, and items. Be wary; nuking an area also causes more powerful enemies to show up, making it more difficult to survive. But don't be discouraged by this, the C.A.M.P. blueprint system makes it easy for players to quickly rebuild their homes, and if they're privy to an incoming threat, they can pack their things and move to a new location.
As an online experience, player choice is incredibly important, going as far as giving players the freedom to choose who are the heroes and who are the villains. Early footage showcased multiple players engaging in combat and participating in friendly activities, which seems to indicate that players have the freedom to choose their paths in the world of Fallout 76.
How Does Character Creation And Progression Work?
There are similar character creation tools as Fallout 4. However, you're free to change your appearance at any point. In addition, you can also utilize the game's new photo mode during the creation process to better see how your character looks, as well as snap some shots you can share on social media.
The SPECIAL system returns and it's a bit different. Like previous games, SPECIAL encompasses the following stats: Strength, Perception, Endurance, Charisma, Intelligence, Agility, Luck. You're given one point to put into any of those stats every time you level up. The first thing you do when you emerge from the vault is pick a SPECIAL and then you pick a perk in that particular SPECIAL. Essentially, every SPECIAL is a pool of points for your perks.
But unlike previous games, perks are now cards you can equip and unlock as you rank up in a given SPECIAL; though, you're free to swap cards out at any time if you want to alter your build. Each SPECIAL characteristic you develop has a perk card cap of 15. These perk cards can be enhanced further from one to five points to increase their power.
You can obtain additional perk cards via Perk Card Packs (four random cards), which you earn every two levels initially (1-10), and then every 5 after that. You can also pick one perk card per level, usually from your SPECIAL choice. There are hundreds of Perks cards you can unlock, so naturally SPECIAL ranks cap out after a while (you gain a rank up in a SPECIAL each time you level up). At level 50, you'll stop increasing SPECIAL ranks, but you'll still get card packs.
How Does PvP Work?
When you shoot someone you do a little bit of damage, which can be equated to lightly slapping them in order to challenge them to a duel. In response to this, the other player can choose to ignore or engage. If they engage in a battle with you, they'll start to take full damage. The one who is killed in this consenting PvP match has the option to seek revenge. Doing so gives that person the opportunity to get double the rewards granted they're successful.
If you'd rather choose to ignore a PvP match, there's no way to escape being killed--despite the small damage dealt to you during the initiation phases. However, if you are killed by a player under these circumstances, that player becomes a Wanted Murderer and will receive no rewards from having killed you.
A Wanted Murderer is marked on the map as a red star and a bounty is placed on their head. Players looking to cash in on this bounty aren't visible on the Murderer's map. If the murderer is killed, the money from that bounty is taken out their stock.
In order to give players time to properly acclimate to how Fallout 76 plays, PvP won't be available to players until level five. And if you perish from any PvP encounter, the only thing you'll lose is the junk you've been collecting, which can be reclaimed after death if not already picked up by other players. You can always store junk in stashes found around the world, so as to safeguard a portion of your stock. Armor and weapons are retained in your inventory after death.
How It Plays: Our In-Depth Preview
We recently got a hands-on with a build of Fallout 76. It plays similarly to Fallout 4, but it features some new additions that subtly shift the paradigm established by past entries in the series. We got to experience three hours of the game, exploring a decent chunk of the opening area while taking on quests and generally working cooperatively with the players around us. There's a lot to unpack about how the upcoming multiplayer open-world RPG, so be sure to watch the video above and read our full thoughts in our in-depth preview detailing what we got to play.
Any Voice Chat?
It's possible to chat with your teammates and even strangers you discover out in the world. It's area-based so your ability to hear other plays will vary. But if you want nothing to do with strangers, it's possible to mute their voices entirely.
Guides And What To Do First
Fallout 76 is a massive game that just might overwhelm you right at the start. To help ease the pain of emerging from Vault 76, we've gathered together some recommendations of where to go first. But if you want a full rundown on stuff you should know before starting, check out our Fallout 76 beginner's guide. In addition, we have guides on Perk cards and Power Armor locations.
Release Date
Fallout 76 is being developed for PC, PS4, and Xbox One, and is currently scheduled to be released on November 14. Unfortunately, there's no word about a Nintendo Switch release, which didn't seem out of the question after the Skyrim re-release made it to that platform.
Fallout 76's new leveling system is very different from previous games. This time it's based around Perk cards, which you earn after leveling up or completing challenges. Every time you level up, you can put a point into one of the seven S.P.E.C.I.A.L. skills that make up your character's stats, and then pick a card to equip for the skill. The number of points you have in that skill determines how many cards you can have. For example, if you have four points in a particular skill, you can unlock four Rank 1 cards, or two Rank 2 cards, or one Rank 3 card and one Rank 1 card. A Perk card always starts at Rank 1, but if you want to upgrade its rank, you need to combine it with variable duplicates of the same card.
There are a bunch of cards to collect, and you get them every time you level up. You get Perk card booster packs every five levels, and what you get is more reliant on luck than anything. Regardless, if you're curious what's out there, we've got your covered. Below we've compiled every card we've earned so far and have broken them all down into their specific categories. Be sure to check back often as we update this feature with even more Perk cards.
If you're hungry for more guides, check out our in-depth feature highlighting essential tips you should know before starting. You can also read our survival guide for details on locations to visit first, as well as a basic rundown of the game's systems. If you're curious about our thoughts on the game, be on the lookout for our review in progress in the days ahead.
In the meantime, got any super useful Perk cards that don't see here? Be sure to tell us all about them and how great they are for your current character build in the comments below.
Many of the Strength Perk cards we've found help you dish out extra damage with the different weapon types, such as Slugger and Gladiator, which affect the damage of two-handed and one-handed weapons respectively. Others increase your ability to withstand the weight of your weapons and equipment. There's plenty for you to play around with if your objective is to utterly devastate enemies and players.
Perception
Accuracy, firearms damage, and environmental awareness is the name of the game for Perception. You'll want to net these bonuses if you're more an exploration-focused player whose also a fan of picking locks effectively and keeping your distance from enemies.
Endurance
It's not easy living out in the wasteland. Endurance Perk cards are going to increase your ability to resist diseases and radiation, as well as increase the effectiveness of your health items, and expand your repertoire of ways to get back into tip-top shape--for better or worse (refer to Cannibal).
Charisma
Charisma won't mean much if you're not the type to join up with friends. Most of the Charisma Perk cards we've found help heal teammates and offer bonuses to their statistics. But don't ignore Charisma Perk cards entirely, as there are some that help out solo players too, like Field Surgeon, which makes it so Stimpaks and Radaway work much quicker. There's also Bloocksucker, which makes drinking blood a totally viable way to quench your thirst! We're still debating on whether or not that's either creepy or charismatic..
Intelligence
As you'd expect, Intelligence Perk cards improve your ability to craft weapons and armor. They also offer bonuses to hacking, health gain, and explosives damage. There's plenty more that we've yet to find here, but these are the sorts of cards you'll want if you're more of a methodical tactician and tinkerer.
Agility
Agility Perk cards add some finesse to your survival, offering you bonuses to Action Points and your overall physical ability. Whether it's reducing the weight of food and drink or just making you better at sneaking, you'll want Ability Perk card bonuses if you favor physical capability over strength and endurance.
Luck
Luck Perk cards often increase your ability to pick up more money or resources. Others just improve an incredibly specific characteristic, like Can Do!, which ups your chances of finding an extra canned good when searching a container. Not every card we've found so far is useful, but it certainly doesn't hurt to stat into Luck every once in a while to see what interesting bonus you might get.
While playing the first handful of hours of Red Dead Redemption 2, I was coming to terms with kinda sorta...hating it. Rockstar's sprawling western just wasn't for me. It was too plodding, too deliberate, too time-consuming, and too dull. So many of the game's systems seemed designed deliberately to keep you from having fun while playing it. No matter how much I liked the original Red Dead Redemption--a game I'd fully completed in 2010, despite a lot of the same sorts of issues--I was getting ready to let the sequel ride off into the sunset that is deleting it off my PS4 hard drive.
Then I hit one of the game's best scenes (at least, so far), and it significantly changed my mind.
It's not exactly an easy task to get to that scene if you're already at odds with the game's pace. It comes in Chapter 2, after you have gone through quite a few tutorial missions, learning about brushing horses, tracking and hunting game through the wilderness, and improving camp. Red Dead 2's story isn't in any particular hurry to pull you along, but eventually you spend time with all of the Van der Linde gang's characters, and hanging around with them starts to become the story in itself. One mission sees you and your comrades mounting a rescue mission to save Sean, an outlaw pal who was captured by bounty hunters off-screen in the earlier Blackwater job that happens before the game's start.
It's not the mission to save Sean that turned the corner for Red Dead 2. That's another of those "fight a bunch of guys" missions common to video games, where you gun down a small army while ducking behind trees and random bits of wood to hide incoming fire. Red Dead 2's gunplay isn't especially engaging most of the time; leaving the game's sticky aim assist on basically does the work for you, but turning it off makes picking out targets finicky and difficult. But the gang and I managed to clear out the bounty hunters holding Sean and secure his release, safe and sound.
One evening not long after rescuing Sean, I returned to camp to find everyone in good spirits. Dutch, the gang's leader, declared Sean's return a major victory, and before long, a full-blown party started. Scattered groups of people in the gang started pounding whiskey, singing, dancing, and conversing. The camp came alive as the characters cut loose and had a rare bit of fun.
The party scene is, so far, my favorite thing that's happened in Red Dead 2. You can wander around, sitting by campfires and joining in as other members of the gang sing songs, to which protagonist Arthur doesn't always know all the words. You can ask one of the women of the gang for a dance, and somewhat clumsily sway with her, or offer a quick dip. You can listen to a variety of interactions, including Sean drunkenly trying to convince one of the camp's women, Karen, that he's in love with her--and then to their tryst in a tent, where both break down in whiskey driven tears. It's a moment that's both heartfelt and hilarious, especially when Sean stumbles back out of the tent afterward and playfully calls Arthur a creep.
The party lasts through the night, and while there's not a particularly large amount to actually do from a gameplay standpoint, it's one of the better moments in Red Dead 2 because it takes advantage of what's great about the game: its characters. You spend the party just learning about the people who make up the gang, and time spent with them deepens the story moments and conversations that come later.
It's nice, too, that for as much shooting and stabbing as you do in Red Dead 2, there are ways to interact with its world that don't come at the end of a gun barrel. The games industry is full of triple-A titles that have huge, beautiful, imaginative worlds, but your only way of taking part in those worlds is to kill the stuff within them. For all that imagination, the reality of what games offer is usually pretty narrow: kill, or be killed. In Red Dead 2, there are at least these other opportunities, where interacting with characters is as rewarding as sticking them up or gunning them down.
Video games as a medium often still struggle in trying to tell compelling stories, specifically focusing on plot and action while relegating character development and worldbuilding to collectible notes and audio logs. Games often feel like their creators fear that if players aren't constantly running from one battle to the next, they'll stop playing altogether--there's no time to waste on populating many games with people, even though the people within them are what make humans so interested in stories in the first place.
Red Dead 2 isn't afraid to let you stop and just spend time with its characters. The party scene has no real gameplay loop, there's no achievement or trophy tied to it, and you can basically set your controller down for most of it. Red Dead 2's confidence in its characters is such that the game is okay with you not playing for a bit, but instead just being there, in that moment it's trying to create for you. Rockstar's willingness to try to leave you in moments like that is refreshing, because so many games and developers aren't. When other developers are looking at Red Dead 2's success, I hope that's the lesson they take from it.
As you explore the wasteland of West Virginia in Fallout 76, you'll often happen upon abandoned Power Armor. This high-level piece of equipment is a special armor that can be enhanced further with pieces of armor plating. These pieces are usually around level 40, so you can't even use them until you're leveled up. But don't ignore Power Armor entirely because you're a low level! Remove the pieces attached and take the Chassis left over, as even without the armor plates attached, you'll get a bonus to your defense and a boost to your carrying capacity.
It's also worth noting that once you hop into a Power Armor chassis, it's yours for good just as long as you store it in your inventory or place it in your Stash. You'll want to start compiling Power Armor pieces early on so that you can be prepared to use them when you reach the appropriate level.
Power Armor is such a boon to your stats both early and later on, so it's well worth taking the time to seek them out. That and the Fusion Cores they often have on them are a valuable asset! To help secure you a set, we've gathered below Power Armor locations that are nearby Vault 76 and easy to get early on. It's worth noting that while these locations are set, sometimes there won't be Power Armor. This is because the game's world is persistent, so if a player has picked up that armor recently, that means it'll be gone. Lucky for you, a Power Armor set does respawn after a while. Remain steadfast and you'll grab one for yourself in due time!
Be sure to check back often as we highlight more easy-to-find Power Armor sets. If you're looking for more Fallout 76 guides, check out our survival guide, as well as our guide offering tips you should know before starting. You can also check out our feature showcasing all the Perk Cards we've found so far. If you're more curious about how the game is, we'll be putting out a review in progress sometime in the days ahead.
Portside Pub / Mama Dolce's Processing Plant
This set should be the first one you check for if you're keen on grabbing some Power Armor right away. It's located east of Vault 76; you'll see an area that looks like a train yard on the map. You can find the Power Armor in a warehouse located south of Portside Pub, which is a smidge westof Mama Dolce's Processing Plant. Refer to the map screenshot below for the exact location.
This warehouse is booby trapped, so you're going to want to be careful in your approach. Fortunately, you can take a staircase to enter the building from the roof to avoid most of the danger. Simply head up the stairs, making sure to steer clear of the explosives traps as they'll likely trigger as you pass through. Once you're inside the warehouse, drop down to find the Power Armor. If you need more visual direction, refer to the screenshots in the gallery above.
Morgantown Trainyard
The Morgantown Trainyard is just northwest of Portside Pub at the point on the map that appears as, well, you guessed it: a train yard. This Power Armor set is another one of the easier ones to grab, so you're more than likely to show up and find nothing. But don't give up!
When you arrive to the train yard, look out for a train carriage labeled as "USA Star." There are a couple in the yard, but the one you want is located just below a rusty crane nearby the east side of the main warehouse. The Power Armor suit is inside the carriage to your left.
Gorge Junkyard
This next Power Armor is at the Gorge Junkyard, which is directly east of Vault 76. If you've just started, you'll want to put off getting this set, as it requires a level 3 lock-picking skill. If you want to up your ability to open those pesky locks, try putting points into Perception as much as possible, and if luck is on your side, you'll receive a few Picklock Perk cards, which should get you to where you want to be.
Once you meet these requirements, head to the junkyard and find a green truck trailer amid the junk for the Power Armor. It should be south of the red beached ship on the northern side of the yard near a tiny shack. Refer to the map above for an estimate of where it is, as well as the shots in the gallery for a more visual look.
Aaronholt Homestead
This Power Armor location has a more lenient lock to pick coming in at a lowly Level 1--that said, it still requires you to have better lock-picking skill than zero, so don't go here unless you've leveled that up! Anyway, this location is a bit further out at the Aaronholt Homestead, which is located northeast of the ferris wheel on the map.
You'll find the set tucked away in a shack beside the three large silos. Be wary of the giant bugs in the area, as they're likely to be a nuisance to you if left unattended when you pick the lock.
Once you've reached a high enough level to wear a fully-equipped suit of Power Armor, you're likely to wonder what you can do to further enhance its abilities. Sure, you can take a chance and try finding better armor plating out in the world, but that's a well that'll run dry before too long. If you want true freedom in modifying and enhancing your Power Armor's plating and capabilities, you're going to need a Power Armor Station.
There are several Power Armor Stations scattered all around the world for you to use, but if you want true convenience, you're going to want your own. Like all craftable items in Fallout 76, you'll need the Power Armor Station's crafting blueprint before you can make it. This can be acquired by completing the side quest called "Miner Miracles," which can be initiated by visiting the Garrahan Mining Headquarters. In addition to the blueprint, completing this quest nets you the Excavator Power Armor.Below we run you through through the steps required to complete this quest.
It's important to note that you must be level 25 to access this quest, so if you don't meet this requirement, try checking out our other guides in the meantime, like our basic survival guide or our tips you should know before starting feature. But if you haven't found any Power Armor yet, look to our Power Armor guide highlighting a few locations where you grab a set pretty easily. And for some of our thoughts about the game, read our Fallout 76 early review impressions.
Step 1: Finding The Quest At The Garrahan Mining Headquarters
As stated, you're going to need to head to the Garrahan Mining Headquarters to initiate the "Miner Miracles" side quest. You'll find this old mining facility at the northeastern section of the Ash Heap region. Below you can find a screenshot pinpointing the location on the world map.
When you arrive, you're likely to be met by Super Mutants or robots, so dispatch them first. Once they're down, proceed with caution into the building's interiors; the place is booby-trapped with several explosive fragmentation mines (A mining headquarters with mines, hah). Once you've made it inside, look for a terminal around the rear of the building. Access it and select "Memo: Excavator Queries." Next, proceed to project manager's terminal on the east side of the building and access the file called "Excavator Module Blueprints." This will set you down a path to crafting all the parts of the Excavator Power Armor.
Step 2: Crafting The Excavator Power Armor
Crafting each individual piece of the Excavator Armor is going to take a bit of time. Some of its pieces require some rare components. Below you can find screenshots highlighting each piece's individual components.
Each armor piece requires an assortment of components to craft. You'll notice the components that are the hardest to come by are Nuclear Material and Black Titanium. If you're looking for Nuclear Material, it can be dismantled from specific types of Junk, like the Blast Radius Board Game, High-Powered Magnet, Vault-Tec Alarm Clock, Ignition Core, or the Rad Poker Board Game.
Black Titanium is dropped by Deathclaws. A good place to find these infamous creatures is the aptly named Deathclaw Island, which is the island to the west of the Typer County Fairgrounds. Another (far easier) way to get Black Titanium is from dismantling Miner Suit Scraps, which are dropped by Mole Miners. If you seek Black Titanium out in the world, you can quickly find a small supply of Black Titanium north of Garrahan Mining Headquarters right around the northwest corner of Lewisburg; it's located just off the road around the area.
For all the other components, try tagging them for search in the Power Armor crafting menu to help you find what you need either in your inventory or out in the world.
Step 3: Registering The Excavator Power Armor
Once you've painstakingly crafted all the parts of the Excavator Power Armor, simply equip the set and take it back to the Garrahan Mining Headquarters where you can register it by pressing the button on the building's east side. This will complete the quest and reward you the Power Armor Station blueprint.
Alongside the Week 6 Ascendant Challenge, Bungie's weekly reset in Destiny 2: Forsaken has provided a new bounty from Spider that rewards Powerful gear. This one is a target we've seen before, but the mission you'll complete is in a different location than the previous instance. Here's what to do to complete Wanted: Silent Fang.
As always with the big bounty offered by Spider, you'll get provided the info on where you need to go, thanks to an Adventure marker stationed outside of your Lost Sector destination on the designated planet. If you've done Silent Fang before, though, you might remember him in a different location. Silent Fang is still found in the EDZ, with the Adventure bearing a recommended Power level of 540. But whereas Silent Fang's last appearance was in Winding Cove (and before that, The Sludge), you'll find him this time in Sunken Isles, in the Skydock IV Lost Sector.
First, of course, you need to buy the bounty from Spider for five Ghost Fragments, which you can find from completing Tangled Shore bounties, patrols and Public Events. Once you have the bounty, go to the EDZ's Sunken Isles landing zone and zip underneath the big Cabal starship dock to activate the Adventure. This will then have you make your way through the Lost Sector, and eventually you'll reach Silent Fang, who is a giant Fallen Captain.
The one wrinkle for killing Silent Fang is that he spends most of the fight shielded, thanks to several weird Fallen machines scattered around the area. To take them out, look for glowing Exploding Shanks. Killing them will drop exploding orbs you can pick up and throw at the glowing machines to destroy them. Each time you wreck a machine, Silent Fang's shield will drop, allowing you to do some damage. You'll want powerful direct damage Supers and weapons that can do big damage in the limited window you have to hurt Silent Fang. Sleeper Simulant is always a hit, and the new Exotic Thunderlord can also be helpful.
You'll also want to stay as mobile as possible through the fight, as lots of Fallen enemies will appear to attack you in the tight room where you find Silent Fang, including a big Servitor who can be pretty annoying. The Lost Sector chest at the end is unlikely to provide any good rewards, but completing the Spider bounty provides you with a piece of Powerful gear.
Warframe is officially now available on the Nintendo Switch Eshop. It's a free download, but you'll need to ensure you've got a fair amount of storage available, as it requires 12.4 GB. We recently got to go hands-on with the port, and you can read on for our full impressions of what it's like to play on Switch.
Warframe has grown from a modest free-to-play experiment that was very much a work in progress to a remarkably impressive online game with an ever-growing fan-base. Since its launch in 2013, the action-RPG starring "Space Ninjas" slashing and shooting across the universe has evolved in a big way after its many expansions, giving players more ways to customize their characters and partner up in different scenarios--including open world settings--to take on the toughest challenges in the game. Out now on PC, PS4, and Xbox One, developer Digital Extremes and along with Switch port veterans Panic Button Games, have now set their sights on their most ambitious project to date--a port of the massive game for Nintendo Switch.
Set for release on November 20, Warframe will bring its fast-paced and kinetic gameplay to Nintendo's portable console, marking the first time the game will be playable on the go. To put into perspective how much of an undertaking it is to rework Warframe for Switch, the online game receives updates and content drops on a regular basis. Furthermore, the Switch release will launch with the game as it was prior to the Fortuna update--the largest expansion to date--offering 14 different planets to travel to, over 200 melee weapons and firearms to collect, more than 30 unique characters to level up and master, and an involved plot detailing the escalating war among different factions vying for control.
Diving into Warframe for the first time can be daunting, but once you get into the swing of it you'll find a game that offers a lot of variety and involved systems--something akin to the power grind and gameplay found in Bungie's Destiny. We recently tried out the Switch version of Warframe ahead of its launch and came away pleased with how faithful it was to the previous releases of the game, which was certainly a tall order in its own right.
As one of the console's few online-only games (putting it in the same company as the immensely popular Fortnite), Warframe will find a new audience on the mobile console. Like Fortnite, Warframe is a games-as-a-service title with its own of set of unique features and in-game purchases and won't require players to have access Nintendo Online.
One of the biggest challenges that Digital Extremes had to overcome was not only bringing the scale of Warframe to the Switch, but also figuring out how to translate its fast action and crisp graphical fidelity to a more modest platform. Digital Extremes teamed up with Panic Button Games, the same studio behind the solid Switch ports of Doom (2016) and Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus, and the two developers worked extensively over the last year to make sure the next port of the game could stand up alongside the versions. Speaking with GameSpot, Digital Extremes producer Mark Ollivierre and Panic Button Games' Studio GM Adam Creighton described the process of porting the game.
"All the games we've worked on are a little different, so they come with different challenges. Whether it's Doom or Wolfenstein 2 or even [Warframe]," said Creighton. "This is the first always-online game-as-a-service title that we've done for the platform, and it's definitely something we wanted to do. That's part of why there was a mutual interest on the Digital Extremes and the Panic Button side to do this. Because for me, I'm a portfolio person, this is very much where I see a big chunk of games going. Before we talked to Digital Extremes folks, this was a title that I enjoyed, wanted to be part of it, and I'd look at as kind of that epitome of a triple-A, free-to-play title."
If you're familiar with the feel and playstyle of the console editions of Warframe, you'll be able to pick up the Switch version easily. However, some clear concessions were made to ensure the game was in stable shape for the portable hardware. While other versions run at a consistent 60 FPS, the Switch port performs at a mostly stable 30 FPS and at 720p. Swapping between docked and undocked modes is simple and painless, and there isn't much difference in performance between the two--which is impressive. However, some occasional dips in frame-rate during the more intense encounters can occur, particularly when multiple players use their powers and weapons simultaneously.
With that said, the Switch version still does a solid job of keeping up with the action, while also highlighting the strengths of the console. There are surprisingly in-depth controller options that take advantage of the Switch's myriad play styles with the JoyCons, along with controller sensitivity options to tune the feel of the game to your liking. The Switch version also features motion-control functionality for actions such as fishing, shooting your firearms, and using other tools in-game. Having said that, the Pro Controller still feels like the optimal way to play the game.
The Switch will also features integrated voice-chat, allowing party members to communicate with each other in-game without the need for the Nintendo Switch Online mobile app. If you're a seasoned player, then you can import your account over to the Switch, which will be available to players during the launch window of the game. The Switch version will exist independently within its own ecosystem of players, though, and there are no plans for cross-play with other versions at this time.
During the development of the port, Digital Extreme and Panic Button got a chance to re-examine the internal workings of the game's code. While they acknowledge the technical changes between the different releases, they stated that the primary focus of the Switch release was to ensure that it could run at a solid frame-rate and keep all the action fluid and fast. In an interesting turn of events, the collaboration between Digital Extremes and Panic Button Games on the Switch release also led to some unexpected improvements for the PC, PS4, and Xbox One versions of the game.
"Considering the pace that we developed Warframe, we kind of develop a new system, and almost immediately move onto the next update," said Ollivierre. "So we don't always have the luxury to kind of step back and re-examine through old code to see if we can rediscover something. So having Panic Button come in and kind of run a fine-toothed comb through everything, through all the systems in its entirety, definitely exposed a couple sore spots and helped us massage those out, and implement them and improve the overall game across all of our platforms.
At launch, the Switch version of Warframe will offer a lot of content for players to dive into. Unfortunately, it won't have the recent Fortuna update, which added in the second open-world map and a new hoverboard traversal tool. Currently, the developers plan to release it on Switch sometime in January 2019. Still, the amount of content offered with Warframe on Switch is impressive, and the hardware manages to handle it well. Some of Warframe's best moments occur when you come up with nuanced approaches to traversal and combat, chaining different jumps, glides, and wall-runs together to swoop in on enemies for a quick kill with your immense arsenal of weapons and skills--and that's still true on Switch.
There's really no other game on the Switch like Warframe. Though it's often been seen as the "Destiny" before Destiny, it certainly goes out of its ways to offer up options and different adventures for players, all of which give off this unique flavor that makes it stand out online action games. It's one of those games that's gotten better with age, and with the amount of content that's still on the way, Warframe on Switch will likely be a solid gateway for those craving an involved action-RPG to dive into.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is right around the corner, staking its claim to the usually dormant release month of December. It's a massive iteration of the classic arcade fighter franchise, with a wealth of power-ups, modes, and options. To help keep them all straight, Nintendo has released a lengthy trailer.
The Overview trailer goes over the broad selection of characters and stages, the various types of power-ups you can expect to see, the Adventure mode, new Spirits mode, various multiplayer modes and options, Amiibo support, and more. It's a very thorough look at all Smash Bros. Ultimate has to offer, clocking in at more than seven minutes long. It's also all narrated to comedic effect by the Smash announcer.
Not quite all of the developments from previous Smash games are making the transition, though. We recently learned that it won't let you set custom moves like you could in Smash 4 on Wii U and 3DS. And while you can train your fighters with the Amiibo functionality, some of the new roster additions aren't coming in figurine form until next year. We did, however, get a nice look at some of the newest fighters in action.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is coming on December 7. Check out our guide to everything we know for more details.
Black Friday is now just a few days away, and at least when it comes to Nintendo Switch, 2018's deals look to be much better than last year's, when the system was still less than a year old. If you're in the market for a few Nintendo deals, you can actually find some Nintendo Switch games discounted right now, as Best Buy has launched its Black Friday sale for select My Best Buy members. But the majority of the deals, including Switch bundles and games, start later week.
Many stores have already released their ads, and in some cases, their offers will be available hours or even days in advance. In terms of the Nintendo Switch console, we're seeing an identical deal popping up in a lot of places since we first saw it in Target's preview ad. Target, Walmart, and Best Buy will sell the system for $300, as per usual (or $299 in Walmart's case), but the system will be a special bundle that comes with a free copy of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. Unfortunately, if you were hoping for a sub-$300 Switch, we have yet to see anyone drop the system's price. If the aforementioned bundle doesn't appeal to you, Kohl's has a more expensive option that also comes with $90 in Kohl's Cash.
A large number of Switch games are on sale, although the sheer scale of these deals is not the same as on PS4 or Xbox One, as you'd expect. Still, there are some good offers: last year's surprisingly excellent XCOM-like, Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle, drops to $20 at Best Buy; Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate drops to $35 at Target, Walmart, and Best Buy; Arms goes to $35 at Walmart; and Bayonetta 2 (which includes the previous game) will be $40 at Best Buy.
Nintendo will presumably launch its own game sale through the Switch Eshop, but as of yet that has not yet begun, as is the case with the PSN and Xbox Live sales. We'll report back if (but, more likely, when) it does.
Below, you'll find all of the Black Friday deals on Switch consoles, games, and accessories that we've spotted so far. More deals should be announced in the day ahead, and we'll keep this page updated. For even more, check out our full Black Friday deals coverage.
Firaxis has announced its second major expansion to Civilization 6, called Gathering Storm. The name is apropos, as it will introduce a number of new environmental effects along with other new features like a world congress, power and renewable energy, and more. It will release on February 14, 2019 for $40 on PC. The announcement did not detail Switch or mobile release plans.
The weather and power resources go hand-in-hand, as you'll be making choices that can impact the ecosystem and the fate of the planet. Natural disasters can wipe out your lands, but they could also enrich the land after they clear out. You'll be able to develop new advanced technologies and engineering projects, and negotiate plans with the world congress. Gathering Storm will also add eight more civs and nine more leaders, along with seven new wonders, and lots of buildings, districts, and so on.
Environmental effects include volcanoes, storms like blizzards and hurricanes, climate change, floods, and droughts. Your strategic resources will be consumed in power plants to produce electricity, but as time passes you can turn from a coal- and oil-based energy to renewable energy sources. Your choices regarding renewable energy can also have an effect on world temperature, melting ice caps, and rising sea levels.
You'll have new tools to deal with these global threats, with developments like canals, dams, tunnels, and railroads to overcome obstacles in your land. As your civilization evolves you can start to develop cities that are more protected thanks to flood barriers, expanding your build areas. You can also form alliances, influence city states, and compete in world games with the world congress. You'll be able to call a special session to address emergencies, vote on resolutions, and use diplomatic favor to negotiate promises from world leaders. A new era will also be added to the Technology and Civics trees to deal directly with the environmental effects.
The nine new leaders will each bring their own bonuses and nine new units, four new buildings, three improvements, two districts, and one unique governor. Those join the seven new world wonders and seven natural wonders, 18 new units, 15 improvements, 9 new buildings, 5 new districts, 2 new city sets, 9 new techs, and 10 new civics.
Finally, Gathering Storm will add two more scenarios. The Black Death will put you in the middle of the pandemic that ravaged Europe and western Asia and task you with keeping your people alive. The other, War Machine, is a multiplayer scenario putting you in the role of Germany or France at the outset of World War 1, in the midst of the invasion of Belgium. These will come alongside several new changes to the Espionage system, updates to Culture and Science victories, and new Historic Moments.
These all appear primed to add several new layers of strategy to an already complex and enrapturing game. "Civ 6 has a few rough edges, but they're pushed far into the periphery by spectacular strategic depth and intricate interlocking nuances," said critic Scott Butterworth in GameSpot's Civilization 6 review. "Any frustrations I experienced were immediately eclipsed by my desire to continue playing. Just one more turn, every turn, forever."
Among the most notable aspects of the Destiny 2weekly reset is the latest Ascendant Challenge for those who own the Forsaken DLC. This is the end of the six-week cycle of challenges, and it's one of the most spookiest and most involved. Here's where to find the Taken portal and what to do once you're inside.
As always, the first step is to pick up the Ascendant Challenge from Petra--this is what nets you a piece of Powerful gear for completing it. Once that's done, make sure you have a Tincture of Queensfoil. With that in hand, you'll enter the Lost Sector in Rheasilvia. You'll need to make your way through the entire thing, as the portal is located just behind the chest that unlocks after killing the boss. While optional, you might as well complete the Lost Sector to make things easier on yourself. With that out of the way, use the Tincture to gain the Ascendance buff, which allows you to see the Taken portal. The exact location can be seen in the video above and map below.
Jump through the portal to head to Cimmerian Garrison, located in the Ascendant Plane. Here, you'll be faced with what amounts to a gauntlet--you'll need to make your way through and kill an enemy at the end. Once you go inside, you'll be chased by three knights. As you progress, you'll have to deal with various enemies, including hobgoblins, shriekers, and thrall with yellow health bars. Take them out as you go, and you'll reach a point where you have to platform across some rocks (because it wouldn't be an Ascendant Challenge without some first-person platforming). Along the way, be mindful of the Taken corruption that will periodically explode with a blast of energy, which can send you falling you to your death if you aren't careful.
Once you're done platforming, you'll have to kill a knight to finish things out, but beware the shrieker that spawns nearby. With the knight dead, open the chest to complete the Ascendant Challenge. There may not be any special rewards inside there, but you'll get a piece of Powerful gear for turning in the associated bounty.
This week's reset marks the end of the Iron Banner, but there's something new to keep players engaged through the next week: bonus Infamy points in Gambit. If you're trying to finish any Season 4 Gambit Triumphs (or any other timed Triumphs, for that matter), you'll want to take advantage--Season 4 draws to a close at the next weekly reset on November 27. The start of Season 5 will see some info on the next expansion to Destiny, The Black Armory. Meanwhile, if you're looking for something else to do, you can always go earn the game's latest Exotic, Thunderlord, now that its three-week quest is fully unlocked.
With Black Friday coming right up, it's no surprise we're seeing lots of great deals on video games. But what is surprising is how much you can save on games that came out just a month or two ago. If the PS4 exclusive Spider-Man has been on your wishlist or gift list, now is the time to grab it, because it's on sale for a great price at several retailers, and you're not likely to find it cheaper anytime soon.
Spider-Man launched on September 7 exclusively for PlayStation 4. Made by veteran PlayStation developer Insomniac Games, the company behind the Ratchet & Clank series, it has received almost universally high marks from critics and players alike.
GameSpot scored Spider-Man 9/10, with Edmond Tran writing, "The feeling of embodying Spidey and using his abilities is astonishing, and the time spent on exploring its major characters help make its story feel heartfelt, despite superhero bombast. There have been open-world Spider-Man games before, but none so riveting and full of personality, none that explore and do justice to this many facets of the universe. Insomniac has created a superior Spider-Man experience that leaves a lasting impression, one that has you longing for just one more swing around New York City, even after the credits roll." You can read more in our Spider-Man PS4 review.
The post-release content for Spider-Man includes three DLC episodes. Two are available now, and the final episode is due out in December.
The showrunner of Netflix's critically acclaimed Castlevania series, Adi Shankar, has announced his next project. Following weeks of cryptic teases, Shankar revealed that he is working on a new animated series based on Capcom's popular action franchise, Devil May Cry.
No specific details about the series have been announced yet, but Shankar told IGN he "acquired [the Devil May Cry] rights [himself] so the jabronis in Hollywood don't f*** this one up too." He also said the series will, along with Castlevania, be a part of what his team is referring to as "the bootleg multiverse." Shankar confirmed the project by sharing a photo of himself dressed like Devil May Cry protagonist Dante on Twitter, which you can see below.
Prior to the reveal, rumors were rampant about what video game series Shankar would be adapting into a TV series next. The speculation began when he posted a photo on Instagram stating he's "working with an iconic Japanese gaming company to adapt one of their iconic video game series into a series." Soon after, The Wrap reported that Shankar was in talks to produce a series based on the Legend of Zelda franchise.
The Castlevania series premiered on Netflix in July 2017. Its second season arrived on the streaming service last month and is comprised of eight episodes. In our Castlevania Season 2 review, we wrote, "Although the seventh episode is full of slick action and exciting confrontations, it remains true that much of the season is spent introducing us to new characters while the existing ones--the ones you care about if you enjoyed Season 1--do little but mope and tread water."
Shortly after the premiere of Season 2, Netflix confirmed the Castlevania series is being renewed for a third season. No release date has been announced yet, but the next season will consist of 10 episodes and once again feature director Sam Deats and writer/executive producer Warren Ellis. Shankar, Fred Seibert, and Kevin Kolde will all also return as executive producers. We recently got to speak with Shankar about the challenges of making great video game adaptations.
Those in the market for a PlayStation 4 are in luck: Black Friday week is officially upon us, and it's brought with it a nice bundle. Alongside early deals from places like Best Buy (for My Best Buy members), retailers have taken certain deals online early, including those on PS Plus and PS4. If you're interested in a PS4, that means you don't have to wait or deal with the lines on Black Friday--you can get a $200 PS4 with a bonus game right now.
Sony's official Black Friday promotions on PS4 essentially lays out what the early ads and deals from stores are offering. When it comes to PS4 itself, the big deal is a $200 bundle including a 1 TB console and a copy of Marvel's Spider-Man. You'll find an identical sale at Best Buy, Walmart, and a number of other retailers, and they're all live right now--even Target, which labeled this as a doorbuster in its ad.
You could argue that $200 would be a nice price for the system alone, but to get a $60 game that was just released in September makes it even sweeter. Unfortunately, those looking for a PS4 Pro have far fewer options; there is a $405 Spider-Man bundle on Ebay as of this writing, but little beyond that.
If you're waiting for other deals, many stores will actually open on Thanksgiving Day, and as noted above, Best Buy early access has already begun. We're sure to see more deals pop up for PS4, and we'll continue to update this post as they emerge.
On the games side, we've already seen confirmed discounts for some of PS4's biggest games of the year, including God of War, NBA 2K19, and Call of Duty: Black Ops 4. We'll be hunting for deals all month long, so be sure to check back with us as more Black Friday ads are revealed, and check out our roundup of PS4 deals.
It's not Black Friday yet, but we already know several retailers will have deals for Rainbow Six Siege. In fact, some of them are live right now. Siege is available for Xbox One, PS4, and PC, but stores have only announced Black Friday deals for the console versions of the game.
We've outlined all the Black Friday deals for Rainbow Six Siege below. There are discounts scheduled for both Siege's standard and Advanced editions--the latter of which includes bonus in-game R6 currency and rare, time-limited content that was only offered during Operation Chimera. However, each store is offering a different deal for the game, so plan accordingly before you set out this Black Friday.
The best Black Friday Rainbow Six Siege digital deal is only offered through the Xbox One and PlaySTation 4's respective online stores. The game is normally sold online for $50, but is being discounted to $15 on the Xbox Marketplace and PSN for Black Friday. If you want a physical copy of Siege, you'll find the best deal at GameStop where both the Xbox and PlayStation versions of the game are scheduled to be sold for $15.
In our Rainbow Six Siege review, Scott Butterworth gave the game an 8/10, writing, "My experiences weren't always perfect, but when Siege works, there's nothing else like it. It's not designed to appeal to all players, and that's exactly what allows it to be something special."
Since release, Siege has doubled the number of its Operators with the addition of 22 new characters, and another two are scheduled to release December 2018 with the launch of Operation Wind Bastion--which will be available for early testing on Siege's PTR tomorrow. All Operators are added to the game for free--but must be unlocked with R6 currency if you don't buy the Season Passes--so you can buy the standard version of the game and still get the characters you've missed out on.
Tis the holiday season, or at least it will be very soon, and that usually means streaming services pump out some classic holiday movies. However, Netflix's new arrivals in December feels a little light on holiday fair, but at least the family can curl up next to the fire to spend the morning watching Friday After Next.
December may be a bit light on theatrically-released movies coming to the service for the final month of the year, but it has plenty of Netflix original films and series revolving around the holidays to keep you happy. On December 7, Nailed It! returns for a holiday special, where cooks around the world try their best to recreate beautiful-looking baked deserts and always fail miserably. Sabrina returns on December 14 for Chilling Adventures of Sabrina: A Midwinter's Tale.
In addition, there are a few non-holiday specials to keep your eye on as well. Andy Serkis' Jungle Book adaptation Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle heads to Netflix on December 7, which was announced it would be coming to the streaming service during the summer. December 14 is a big day for Netflix originals, and aside from Sabrina, Netflix will be revealing new seasons of Fuller House, Voltron, Inside the World's Toughest Prisons, and Travelers.
Netflix also has a nice present for you on December 25, Christmas day. Avengers: Infinity War is coming to the service, so you and your family can come together to watch Thanos try to snap everyone out of existence. That same day, Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations: Season 11 will be released as well.
Sadly, there are plenty of movies leaving Netflix in December as well. On December 1, all of Sons of Anarchy will be removed, along with Groundhog Day, Hellraiser, and Cabin Fever. There are a few more notable titles to watch before they leave Netflix like Battle Royale (December 10), Moana (December 20), and Troy (December 30).
Below you'll find everything coming to and leaving Netflix for the month of December.
Coming In December
Available 12/1/18
8 Mile
Astro Boy
Battle-- NETFLIX FILM
Bride of Chucky
Christine
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
Crossroads: One Two Jaga-- NETFLIX FILM
Friday
Friday After Next
Hellboy
Man vs Wild with Sunny Leone: Season 1
Meet Joe Black
Memories of the Alhambra (Streaming Every Saturday)-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
My Bloody Valentine
Next Friday
Reindeer Games
Seven Pounds
Shaun of the Dead
Terminator Salvation
The Big Lebowski
The Great British Baking Show: Masterclass: Season 5 Masterclasses
The Last Dragon
The Man Who Knew Too Little
12/2/18
The Lobster
12/3/18
Blue Planet II: Season 1
Hero Mask-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
The Sound of Your Heart: Reboot Season 2-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
12/4/18
District 9
12/6/18
Happy!: Season 1
12/7/18
5 Star Christmas-- NETFLIX FILM
Bad Blood-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Dogs of Berlin-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Dumplin'-- NETFLIX FILM
Free Rein: The Twelve Neighs of Christmas-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle-- NETFLIX FILM
Nailed It! Holiday!-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Neo Yokio: Pink Christmas-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Pine Gap-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
ReMastered: Who Killed Jam Master Jay?-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Super Monsters and the Wish Star-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
The American Meme-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
The Hook Up Plan (Plan Coeur)-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
The Ranch: Part 6-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
12/9/18
Sin senos sí hay paraíso: Season 3
12/10/18
Michael Jackson's This Is It
12/11/18
Vir Das: Losing It-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
12/12/18
Back Street Girls: Gokudols-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Out of Many, One-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
12/13/18
Wanted: Season 3-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
12/14/18
Chilling Adventures of Sabrina: A Midwinter's Tale-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Cuckoo: Season 4-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Dance & Sing with True: Songs-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Fuller House: Season 4-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Inside the Real Narcos-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Inside the World's Toughest Prisons: Season 3-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL Colombia, Costa Rica, Romania and Norway.
Prince of Peoria: A Christmas Moose Miracle-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
ROMA-- NETFLIX FILM
Sunderland Til I Die-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
The Fix-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
The Innocent Man-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
The Protector-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Tidelands-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Travelers: Season 3-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Voltron: Legendary Defender: Season 8-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
12/16/18
Baby Mama
Kill the Messenger
One Day
Springsteen on Broadway-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
The Theory of Everything
12/18/18
Baki-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Ellen DeGeneres: Relatable-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Terrace House: Opening New Doors: Part 5-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
12/21/18
3Below: Tales of Arcadia-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
7 Days Out-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Back With the Ex-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Bad Seeds-- NETFLIX FILM
Bird Box-- NETFLIX FILM
Derry Girls-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Diablero-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Greenleaf: Season 3
LAST HOPE: Part 2-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Perfume-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Sirius the Jaeger-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Struggle: The Life and Lost Art of Szukalski-- NETFLIX FILM
Tales by Light: Season 3-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
The Casketeers-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Wolf (BÖRÜ)-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
12/24/18
Hi Score Girl-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
The Magicians: Season 3
12/25/18
Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown: Season 11
Marvel Studios' Avengers: Infinity War
12/26/18
Alexa & Katie: Season 2-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
YOU
12/28/18
Instant Hotel-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
La noche de 12 años-- NETFLIX FILM
Selection Day-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
When Angels Sleep-- NETFLIX FILM
Yummy Mummies-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
12/30/18
The Autopsy of Jane Doe
12/31/18
The Bill Murray Stories: Life Lessons Learned From a Mythical Man
Coming in December
Watership Down: Limited Series-- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Leaving In December
Leaving 12/1/18
Cabin Fever
Cabin Fever 2: Spring Fever
Groundhog Day
Happily N'Ever After
Happily N'Ever After 2: Snow White
Hellbound: Hellraiser II
Hellraiser
Sons of Anarchy: Seasons 1-7
Spider-Man 3
Spy Hard
Stephen King's Children of the Corn
Swept Under
The Covenant
The Game
Leaving 12/4/18
Air Bud: Seventh Inning Fetch
Air Bud: Spikes Back
Air Bud: World Pup
Air Buddies
Cars Toon: Mater's Tall Tales
Spooky Buddies
Tarzan & Jane
The Brave Little Toaster Goes to Mars
The Brave Little Toaster to the Rescue
The Crimson Wing: Mystery of the Flamingos
The Search for Santa Paws
Tinker Bell
Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue
Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure
Leaving 12/7/18
Trolls
Leaving 12/10/18
Battle Royale
Battle Royale 2
Teeth
Leaving 12/15/18
Step Up 2: The Streets
Leaving 12/16/18
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
Leaving 12/17/18
Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2
Leaving 12/19/18
Ip Man: The Final Fight
Leaving 12/20/18
Disney's Moana
Food, Inc.
I Give It a Year
Leaving 12/22/18
Spotlight
Leaving 12/25/18
Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
Black Friday is fast approaching, and already several retailers--such as Best Buy, Target, and Walmart--have released the sales that customers can expect during the holiday. For the past few years, the Friday after Thanksgiving has presented a good opportunity to purchase an Xbox Live Gold subscription at a discount, and this year is no exception.
Xbox Live Gold allows you to play online multiplayer in Xbox 360 and Xbox One games that support the feature--such as Forza Horizon 4 and For Honor: Marching Fire Edition. A subscription also gives you access to several free games that Microsoft changes every month, and you can keep them for as long as you keep paying for the service. You get exclusive discounts on select titles in the Xbox Marketplace each month as well.
Normally, you can buy a one-month subscription for Xbox Live Gold for $10, three-month for $25, six-month for $40, and 12-month for $60. If you're just looking to try out the service, then buying a one-month subscription through the Microsoft Store on Black Friday is the way to go, as the price has been lowered to $1. The same is true for a year-long subscription, which will be discounted in the Microsoft Store to $40. For three-month, you'll want to take advantage of Walmart's 50% off Black Friday deal. Go to Target or Best Buy for a six-month subscription.
Every retailer and online store is offering different discounts for each subscription on Xbox Live Gold. We've outlined all of the current deals below, and will update the list as additional Black Friday sales for Xbox Live Gold become available. Be sure to check out our other Xbox Black Friday deal guides too.
Since this past February, The Pokemon Company has been giving away a new Legendary Pokemon for free every month as part of its massive Year of Legendary Pokemon campaign. We've now come to the final month of the promotion, and for the last giveaway, The Pokemon Company has saved two Legendaries from the classic Gold and Silver versions: Lugia and Ho-Oh. [Update: The Lugia and Ho-Oh giveaway is scheduled to end in only a few more days, making this your last chance to claim the Legendary Pokemon if you haven't yet.]
For a limited time, you'll be able to get one of the Johto Legendaries in any of the seventh-generation Pokemon games on 3DS, but the way to claim them differs depending on where you live. Those in the US will, once again, need to visit a certain retailer to pick up a download code for the Pokemon; this time, the code will be available at GameStop from November 2-25. UK residents, meanwhile, will need to go to a participating Game store to pick up a code, while those in Canada can get one from EB Games.
As before, which Legendary you receive depends on which version you own; those with Sun or Ultra Sun will get Lugia, while players with Moon or Ultra Moon will get Ho-Oh. The Pokemon will also come equipped with a Gold Bottle Cap in the Ultra games, have a higher level, and know different movesets. You can see the full details below.
Pokemon Ultra Sun
Lugia -- Level 100 (w/Gold Bottle Cap)
Aeroblast
Earth Power
Psychic
Tailwind
Pokemon Sun
Lugia -- Level 60
Skill Swap
Aeroblast
Extrasensory
Ancient Power
Pokemon Ultra Moon
Ho-Oh -- Level 100 (w/Gold Bottle Cap)
Sacred Fire
Brave Bird
Earthquake
Tailwind
Pokemon Moon
Ho-Oh -- Level 60
Burn Up
Sacred Fire
Extrasensory
Ancient Power
Once you've picked up a download code for the Legendaries, you'll need to redeem it using the Mystery Gift feature from the games' main menu. Select that, then choose the option to receive your gift via a code/password. Connect to the internet when prompted and input the download code; your Legendary will then be downloaded into your game. You'll then need to pick it up from the deliveryman waiting inside any Pokemon Center.
While you're at GameStop, you also still have a chance to pick up a free download code for the new Mythical Pokemon Zeraora, which is starring alongside Lugia in the latest Pokemon animated film, The Power of Us. The Zeraora distribution is scheduled to end on November 9. You can see all the other Pokemon giveaways going on now in our roundup of all the free Pokemon for Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon.
We're now in Black Friday week. While Black Friday 2018 is set for November 23, many deals and discounts are already available. It's going to be an ideal time to buy a PS4, some games games for the console, or accessories to use with it, and Best Buy already has its Black Friday sale live for some My Best Buy members, while PSN's digital sale is also live. We've combed through the full ads from Best Buy, Walmart, Target, and other retailers and have put together a collection of noteworthy PS4 deals below. We've also got a look at GameStop's full ad and PSN's sale.
Sony itself has announced its Black Friday promotions, and you'll find a lot of what retailers have to offer line up with these deals. When it comes to PS4 consoles, the best option announced so far is from Target, Best Buy, Walmart, and Sam's Club all of which get you a PlayStation 4 Slim 1TB and Spider-Man as a pack-in game for $200 (or $199 in the case of Walmart and Sam's Club). That's a great deal, seeing as the console normally costs around $300 and Spider-Man costs $60. Given it's part of Sony's official lineup of deals, you can expect to find this pretty much everywhere.
In terms of PS4 accessories, another doorbuster Target will offer is a PlayStation VR bundle that comes with a camera, Move controllers, Creed: Rise to Glory, and Superhot VR, all for $250; that deal is mirrored at Best Buy. If you want a cheaper route, several stores will have a $200 PSVR bundle. Also, both Target, Best Buy, and Kohl's will have DualShock 4 controllers available for $40, while Walmart beats them at $39. Again $200 for PSVR and $40 for controllers are among Sony's official Black Friday deals, so expect to see those from a lot of stores.
On the PS4 games side of the equation, there's plenty to save money on. The recent release Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 will drop to $40 at Walmart. Another recent one, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, will be available for $30. Both Detroit: Become Human and God of War will be available for $25 each, as will Far Cry 5. Assassin's Creed Odyssey is at its cheapest (so far) at Best Buy, where it'll be $30.
We've gathered all of the PlayStation 4 deals announced so far into one place so you can get the best deal on whatever it is you're looking for. We'll keep this article updated as more retailers announce their Black Friday plans, so check back later; for now, the big ads we've gotten are from Target, Best Buy, and Walmart. Depending on exactly what you're looking for, you'll be going to a different store.
You can find all of the PS4 Black Friday deals below, but you'll have to wait until closer to November 23 to get the discounts.
Following its early release through EA/Origin Access and the game's special editions, Battlefield V is now available on all platforms. If you're just diving in, you'll be able to grab the day-one update outlined below.
EA and DICE have issued patch notes for a day-one update to Battlefield V. It's out already for players who have gained early access through EA's subscription services or a special edition, and it's targeted mainly at a handful of stability issues and bugs.
The change log details the fixes. It fixes an issue in which team sizes could be very uneven, makes improvements to matchmaking to reduce disconnects, and addresses an error that would make the revive functionality stop working, among many others. In particular, a few distinct Airborne issues have been addressed by this patch, along with one in War Stories that would prevent you from collecting Letters.
The patch has a couple of platform-specific notes too. On Xbox One the patch improves how it resumes when you use the Instant-On function, while on PC it enables RTX ray tracing if your graphic card supports it. The studio also encourages feedback, which you can give through its forums or the Answers HQ.
Battlefield V reviews have started to roll out in advance of its release next week. GameSpot's own early impressions suggest there's a lot more to explore before the final verdict, but it's off to a good start.
"As of now, it feels as if Battlefield V is a variation on a well-established theme. It maintains the series tradition of grand spectacle with incredible sound design, impactful weaponry, and large-scale multiplayer chaos," wrote Michael Higham. "There's a lot more to dig into, like the fortification system, squad reinforcements perks, and how destruction may change map dynamics, and spending more time with the game will paint a better picture. At the end of the day, it's still Battlefield, and Battlefield V is shaping up to be a good one at that."
Change List
Fixed an issue that could result in a very uneven number of players at the start of a round.
Made improvements to matchmaking with a full squad which should result in less disconnects.
In some cases, the revive functionality would suddenly stop to function for all of the players on a server. This has now been fixed.
Further improvements to game client stability have been made.
In the Airborne game mode, spawn protection has been added when attackers spawn into planes. The planes are no longer as vulnerable to AA fire as they used to be at longer distances.
Fixed an issue in Airborne where the bomb carriers could finish arming the objective even though they were dead.
Players can no longer shoot down airplanes too quickly in Airborne, which could result in the attackers not being able to spawn.
In War Stories, players are no longer able to collect Letters while playing offline due to them not being able to update the persistence counters, which requires an online connection.
Fixed an issue where a weapon would disappear on the weapon selection screen.
Fixed an issue in Frontlines mode on Devastation where the bomb in some rare cases spawned inside a wall.
Fixed an issue which made the menus unusable when cancelling a matchmaking session.
Fixed an issue with the lens sight alignment on the MP34 weapon.
Xbox One Only
Improved how the game resumes when using the Xbox One Instant-On function.
PC Only
RTX ray tracing can now be enabled with graphics cards that support this function.
It's been nearly six months since the first trailer for The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part arrived, and finally we have another look at the upcoming movie. The follow-up to 2014's The Lego Movie arrives in February and this latest trailer suggests it will be every bit as entertaining as the first film.
Like the first promo, the latest trailer shows that Bricksburg is now a terrifying Mad Max-style post-apocalyptic wasteland. When the city is attacked by DUPLO invaders and Lucy/Wyldstyle (Elizabeth Banks) is kidnapped and taken into space, it's up to Emmet (Chris Pratt) and Batman (Will Arnett) to rescue her. The trailer also introduces us to another hero, the hunky Rex Dangervest, who has several familiar professions and is also voiced by Pratt. Check it out above.
The voice cast for The Lego Movie 2 also includes Tiffany Haddish, Channing Tatum, Jonah Hill, and Alison Brie. The movie is directed by Mike Mitchell, who previous helmed the hugely successful Trolls. He is actually the third director to be attached to the project, following Chris McKay, who instead made The Lego Batman Movie, and Rob Schrab, who exited the movie due to "creative differences." It hits theaters on February 8, 2019.
The movie will address some of the gender politics around both the first movie and the way kids play with toys. This is something that McKay, who remains on board as a producer, spoke about in a recent interview with Collider. "[It looks at] what's different and similar about gender, when a boy plays vs. how a girl plays," he said. "It's going to be like the first Lego Movie was, where it's about something else that's really profound. I'm really excited about where the movie is gonna go because it's about these things that are actual notions that people have that might even be unconscious biases, where people don't even realize that that's the way they're looking at the world."
The Year of Legendary Pokemon may be winding down, but The Pokemon Company still has a few more freebies for Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon players. Last year, it gave away several special Pikachu wearing Ash's hat to commemorate the release of the series' 20th film, Pokemon the Movie: I Choose You, and now you'll have another chance to add them to your collection.
From November 9-30, The Pokemon Company is distributing five Pikachu via Mystery Gift, each of which is sporting one of the various hats Ash Ketchum has worn throughout the anime series. Additionally, each Pikachu comes at a different level and knows a slightly different moveset that reflects the attacks it used at that point in the series.
While you could only claim one of the Pikachu the last time they were available, you'll be able to download all five this time around. To do so, you'll need to input the appropriate code via the Mystery Gift feature, which can be accessed from Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon's main menu. You can find the codes and other details on each Pikachu below.
Once you've selected Mystery Gift, you'll need to choose the option to receive your gift with a code/password in order to get the Pikachu. Connect to the internet when prompted and enter the code of the Pikachu you want, and the Pokemon will download into your game. You'll then need to pick it up from the deliveryman waiting by the desk inside any Pokemon Center.
In addition to Ash's Pikachu, Pokemon fans still have time to claim the last free Legendaries of 2018: Lugia and Ho-Oh. These are being distributed from November 2-25 via a download code, which you can pick up from a participating GameStop store. You can see all the other Pokemon giveaways going on now in our roundup of all the free Pokemon for Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon.
It's Black Friday week, and the big shopping day is officially this Friday, November 23. However, many deals will be live in advance; many stores open on Thursday, Thanksgiving Day, while some are actually available already.
Both Microsoft and Sony have launched their respective Xbox Store (now available even to non-Xbox Live Gold members) and PlayStation Store sales (check out our PSN sale recommendations). They get you discounts on a wide variety of digital games, as well as PS Plus. Meanwhile, Best Buy is offering its deals early for My Best Buy members right now, and the PS4 Spider-Man bundle that many stores are offering is already available.
There are plenty of physical stores you may want to hit up on Black Friday, and they all have different hours. Some places, like Walmart and Meijer are open 24 hours straight, while others like Target and Best Buy will be closing during the wee hours of the morning. It can be quite a bit to keep track of, especially if you're the type of Black Friday shopper that likes to hit up multiple stores during the event.
Luckily, we got you covered and have a list of all the major retailers and its store hours. As the countdown to Black Friday continues, more stores will reveal when they will be opening and closing, and we'll keep you updated. If you're looking for deals, check out our roundup of all the Black Friday deals, so far.
Many of the stores do not list the closing hours for its stores, so you may want to check with your local retailer as hours may vary. Here is a complete list, thus far, of stores you may be interested in checking out in alphabetical order, so take good notes before you brave the terror of Black Friday shopping.
Best Buy:
In-store: Thursday, November 22 at 5 PM to 1 AM on Friday, November 23 locally
Re-opening on Friday, November 23 at 8 AM locally
Elite Plus and Elite Members get access to deals on Sunday, November 18
All My Best Buy members get access on Monday, November 19 and Tuesday, November 20
Fanatical:
Live now
GameStop:
Online: Wednesday, November 21 at 9 PM ET
In-store: Thursday, November 22 from 3 PM to 10 PM locally
Friday, November 23 from 7 AM to 10 PM
Saturday and Sunday, November 24-25 from 10 AM to 9 PM
KMart:
In store: Thursday, November 22 starting at 6 AM to Midnight locally
Re-opening on Friday, November 23 at 6 AM to 10 PM
Kohls:
Online: Thursday, November 22 at 1:01 AM ET [Doorbusters]
In-store: Thursday, November 22 at 5 PM (Store closings vary by location)
Macy's:
Online: All-day Thursday, November 22
In store: Thursday 5 PM-2 AM locally
Friday, November 23 6 AM to 1 PM
Saturday, November 24 8 AM to 1 PM
Meijer:
In-store: Some deal start on Sunday, November 18 at 6 AM
Doorbusters start on Thursday, November 22 at 6AM
Microsoft Store:
Online: Thursday, November 22 at 12 AM ET
Office Max:
Online: Thursday, November 22 starting at 12:01 AM
In-store: Friday, November 23 at 8 AM locally
PlayStation Store:
Live now
Sam's Club:
In-store: Friday, November 23 at 7 AM
Sears:
In-store: Thursday, November 22 at 6 PM
Staples:
Order online on Thanksgiving
In-store: Friday, November 23 at 7 AM
Target:
In-store: Thursday, November 22 at 5 PM to Friday November 23 at 1 AM locally
Re-opening on Friday, November 23 at 7 AM locally
Walmart:
Online: Wednesday, November 21 at 10 PM ET / 7 PM PT
Pokemon Go's third Halloween event has come and gone, and it introduced a handful of new Ghost- and Dark-type Pokemon to catch--including another Legendary Pokemon. For a limited time, you'll be able to encounter the cover monster from Pokemon Platinum, Giratina, as a Raid Battle at Gyms, making it the first Gen 4 Legendary to arrive in Pokemon Go.
While the Halloween event concluded on November 1, Giratina will be available in Raid Battles until November 20. This likely won't be the last time it appears; Niantic frequently reintroduces previous Legendaries to the game, although that typically isn't until some time after their initial run, so you'll want to add a Giratina to your collection soon while you still have the opportunity. Here are some tips for catching one.
Battling Giratina
Like most of the other Legendary Pokemon to appear in Pokemon Go, Giratina will occasionally spawn as a Raid Battle at Gyms. In order to catch one, you'll first need to travel to a Gym where a Giratina Raid is taking place and battle it. Giratina is a tough opponent to bring down, however, so you'll need to team up with other players in real life if you hope to defeat it. If you've hit Pokemon Go's level cap of 40, you should be able to bring Giratina down with a team of 6-8 players, although the more players you have around, the better your chances of success are.
Giratina is a dual Ghost/Dragon Pokemon, which is a unique combination due to the fact each of those types is weak against itself in battle. Dragon Pokemon in particular fare very well against Giratina, so you'll want to bring monsters like Dragonite, Salamence, and Rayquaza along if you've managed to obtain any of them. Gengar and other Ghost Pokemon are also effective, although their typing and generally frail defenses make them susceptible to Giratina's attacks as well.
Outside of those choices, Dark-type Pokemon are likewise effective against Giratina, particularly if the one you encounter during the Raid knows Ghost attacks, which Dark Pokemon resist. Tyranitar, Absol, and Houndoom in particular will fare well against it. Mewtwo is a great choice to bring along as well if it knows Shadow Ball, and Pokemon with Ice or Fairy attacks are a decent alternative.
Catching Giratina
If you've managed to successfully defeat Giratina, you'll be rewarded with a ton of XP, Stardust, and items. You'll also receive a handful of Premier Balls, the only type of Poke Ball you can use to catch Legendaries. The number of Premier Balls you receive will vary depending on which Pokemon you use and if you battled it alongside your friends.
Much like Mewtwo, Giratina will be standing fairly far in the distance when you're trying to capture it. It will also attack often, so you'll need to time your throws very carefully. To maximize your chances of catching one, use a Golden Razz Berry before each throw. Giratina is slated to leave Raid Battles at 1 PM PT / 4 PM ET on November 20, so good luck!
Pokemon: Let's Go Pikachu and Let's Go Eevee are now available onSwitch, marking the series' proper debut on Nintendo's hybrid console. While not direct remakes of the classic Pokemon Yellow version, the pair follow its template very closely, featuring the same setting, story beats, and the original 151 Pokemon (plus their Alolan variants, which could be acquired either from certain NPCs or by transferring them over from Pokemon Go).
Despite their many similarities to Yellow, Let's Go Pikachu and Eevee do introduce some new elements to the series--most notably Meltan, a brand-new Mythical Pokemon that hasn't appeared in any previous mainline Pokemon game. Fittingly for a Mythical Pokemon, Meltan can't be acquired through normal means, so we've put together a guide explaining just how you can add it and its evolved form, Melmetal, to your collection.
How To Catch Meltan
The key to getting a Meltan in Let's Go involves connecting the games to Pokemon Go. As previously mentioned, you can link the mobile title to Let's Go via Bluetooth and transfer any Gen 1 Pokemon you've captured there over to the Switch games. The Pokemon you've transferred will then appear in the Go Park, a new facility that replaces the Safari Zone in Fuchsia City. See our full guide to connecting Go and Let's Go for more details.
To begin a transfer, simply speak to the receptionist at the front desk of the Go Park and follow the on-screen prompts. This is a one-way process; any Pokemon you send from Go to Let's Go can't be returned to the mobile game. However, you'll need to complete at least one transfer in order to catch Meltan, as sending a Pokemon to Let's Go will reward you with a special item in Go: the Mystery Box.
The Mystery Box is the key to summoning Meltan in Pokemon Go. Once opened, the Mythical Pokemon will begin appearing in the wild for a limited time, and you'll be able to capture it just as you would any other monster. However, you'll need to act quickly to catch as many as you can; the Mystery Box only remains open for 30 minutes, and you'll need to wait a full seven days before you can activate it again by transferring another Pokemon.
While you can typically only transfer the original 151 Pokemon, Meltan is the sole exception. Once you've managed to catch one in Go, you'll be able to send it over to the Let's Go titles the same way you would any Gen 1 Pokemon. You'll then be able to recapture it in the Go Park to add it to your team.
At the moment, this is the only way to obtain Meltan in either Go or Let's Go. You won't be able to find it in the wild in the Switch games, so if you're hoping to add one to your collection, you'll need to link the two titles together. However, The Pokemon Company has teased that a new Special Research questline revolving around Meltan will be available for Pokemon Go players sometime this winter, suggesting there will be other ways to acquire it in the future.
Meltan is a pure Steel-type Pokemon that stands at eight inches tall, making it one of the smallest monsters in the Pokemon universe. While it may not look particularly intimidating, it does have a notable distinction: Meltan is the first Mythical Pokemon capable of evolving, and it's able to grow into a hulking monster called Melmetal.
How To Evolve Meltan
As before, Pokemon Go is the key to obtaining Melmetal. In order to evolve Meltan, you'll need to feed it enough Candy in Go, just as you would evolve most other Pokemon in the mobile game. These are acquired each time you catch a Meltan or send one to Professor Willow, but be warned: you're going to need to capture a lot of Meltans if you're hoping to get its evolution, as the Mythical Pokemon requires a whopping 400 Candies to evolve.
Given how long it takes to reopen the Mystery Box, amassing enough Candy to evolve Meltan is a daunting prospect. Fortunately, if you've stocked up on Rare Candies, you'll be able to use them to expedite the process. You can also feed Pinap Berries to Meltan during the capture phase, which will increase the number of Candies you receive if you successfully catch it. Once you've evolved Meltan, you can transfer your Melmetal to the Let's Go games and recapture it in the Go Park.
Just as its base form, Melmetal is a pure Steel-type Pokemon. According to the series' lore, it was worshiped in ancient times because of its ability to create metal. It is also capable of learning a brand-new move called Double Iron Bash, a two-hit Steel-type attack that can make the opposing Pokemon flinch.
Valve's Steam Link device is almost sold out, and the company has signaled it doesn't plan to restock. It's already completely gone in Europe, and the company says it's almost sold out in the US as well.
In a statement, Valve said it "intends to continue supporting the existing Steam Link hardware as well as distribution of the software versions of Steam Link." That statement could signal a new version of the Steam Link hardware coming, or simply letting existing users know that they'll keep receiving support. The name has also been applied to a mobile app (available on non-Apple devices) and it has been integrated into TVs. The statement points out that support for those digital applications will continue as well.
The Steam Link allowed you to stream games from your gaming PC onto any display. Games could be streamed at 1080p and 60 FPS, and the device supported the Steam controller as well as third-party ones like the Xbox One, as long as you have the proper attachments for wireless controllers. The Steam Link went on sale last year for $20, and then received an even deeper temporary discount later in the year. Valve may have been attempting to clear some stock.
Steam Link was one budget option for getting your PC games onto your living room display, as long as you had a powerful PC to run the games natively. Valve also produced Steam Machines for the same purpose, to make PC gaming a more console-like plug-and-play experience.
We're officially just a couple days away from Thanksgiving and Black Friday. You might rightfully associate Kohl's with clothing and jewelry, but it does sell other items, and on Black Friday you'll find gaming deals along with TVs and other products. Kohl's typical giant Black Friday ad lists out the huge number of items it'll have discounted later this week.
Worth noting upfront is that Kohl's will offer $15 Kohl's Cash for every $50 you spend; this is effectively a limited-time gift card which can be redeemed between November 24-December 5. Additionally, you can get an extra 15% off when shopping online by using promo code CHEERFUL at checkout. Alternatively, if you're shopping in-store, be sure to get a copy of the flyer, as it contains a barcode that also gets you 15% off.
Kohl's isn't offering much in the way of televisions, but it does have a couple deals. There is a 49" LG 4K Smart TV for $330 (originally $450), and a 58" Samsung 4K Smart TV for $550 (originally $900). Supplies will be limited for both of these doorbuster sales, so it's first come, first served, and coupons do not apply to either of these televisions.
If you're looking to smarten up your house, Kohl's has multiple products on sale, all of which are doorbusters, so you'll have to act fast if you want them. Both the Nest Thermostat and Nest Video Doorbell will be on sale for $180 each. Kohl's has plenty of smart speakers as well. The Amazon Echo ($70), Echo Dot ($24), and Echo Spot ($90) will all be part of the doorbuster deals.
Many of these deals are available online and in store, but the doorbuster deals begin online at 1:01 AM ET on Thursday, November 22 and in stores at 5 PM, locally, the same day, but check with your participating local Kohl's store in case its hours vary. The standard Black Friday deals begin online at 1:01 AM ET on Monday, November 19 and in stores at 5 PM local time on November 22.
Check out some of the best Black Friday deals from Kohl's below. It's still early, and more may be added to the Black Friday list, so we'll keep you updated if there are any changes. You can also check out our roundup of the best Black Friday gaming deals at Target.
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