We're nearing the end of Season 7 of Fortnite, but Epic still has plenty of challenges in store for players before Season 8 arrives. Week 7's challenges are now available across all platforms, giving everyone another opportunity to score Battle Stars and unlock some Season 7 rewards. This week's objectives are fairly straightforward, although perhaps the trickiest of the bunch is to visit seven Expedition Outposts.
On top of leveling up your Battle Pass, there's an extra incentive to complete as many challenges as you can this season. If you manage to finish all of the tasks from a given week, you'll complete a related Snowfall challenge, which will reward you with a special loading screen. These screens typically feature some cool artwork, but what makes them particularly worthwhile is they also contain a clue that points to a free Battle Star or Banner--depending on how many weekly sets of challenges you've completed--hidden somewhere around the map.
If you've completed seven weeks' worth of challenges, you'll unlock the loading screen pictured below. This one features the mysterious Ice King sitting ominously on his frozen throne. While the clue each loading screen hides is typically subtle, this week's is easy to spot. Look on the left side of the image and you'll notice a Battle Star peering out between the ice surrounding the throne, giving you a clear indication of where you need to go.
The Ice King's castle can be found atop Polar Peak, the snowy mountain that appeared at the beginning of Season 7. Chart a course to the area at the start of the match, make your way into the throne room, and the Battle Star will appear next to the throne, just as teased. Collect it and finish the match, and you'll level your Battle Pass up by one tier.
If you need help finding the Battle Star, you can watch us collect it in the video above. As usual, however, this Battle Star will only appear if you've completed enough challenges and unlocked the above loading screen, so you won't simply be able to go to the right location and find it if you haven't put in the necessary work.
Season 8 of Fortnite is approaching, and some strange new objects have started to appear in the game, most notably a mysterious ice sphere. We'll likely learn more about its significance in the coming weeks, but in the meantime, you can still complete any remaining challenges from this season. We've put together tips on how to do that in our complete Season 7 challenges guide. You can also peruse the guides below to see where to find this season's other free Battle Stars and Banners.
Giga Wrecker, a 2017 Steam platformer by Pokemon developer Game Freak, is officially coming to consoles. Publisher Rising Star Games has confirmed it is bringing the title to PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch later this year under the moniker Giga Wrecker Alt, and it'll include additional content and other console-exclusive features.
Among other things, Game Freak has added 20 new puzzle stages to Alt. Rising Star says the game will also introduce a new companion character "to assist players with the game's increasingly challenging puzzles," as well as a much more formidable Iron Man mode, in which players take five times as much damage as normal. You can take a look at the announcement trailer below.
Giga Wrecker is set in a post-apocalyptic world that has been ravaged by an army of invading robots. Players take on the role of Reika, a young girl who is given a power known as ARCHE, which allows her to control debris. Players will need to use this ability in order to navigate the world and solve environmental puzzles, manipulating rubble into different shapes to create makeshift platforms, weapons, and other objects.
We first heard that Giga Wrecker could be coming to consoles last week, when a rating for the game appeared on the Taiwan Digital Game Rating Committee. Rising Star hasn't announced a release date yet, but the title is slated to launch digitally for all three consoles later in 2019. Limited Run Games will also distribute physical copies of Giga Wrecker Alt for PS4 and Switch.
Giga Wrecker isn't the only title coming from Game Freak. The studio is also developing a "core" Pokemon RPG for Switch, which is slated to release sometime this year. On top of that, the developer is working on a non-Pokemon RPG for the hybrid console tentatively known as Town.
One of The Division's most notable achievements in 2016 was its rather unorthodox approach to PvP gameplay. Within the center of post-outbreak Manhattan was the Dark Zone, an isolated, untamed space where you could engage in timed events, small skirmishes, and even backstabbing temporary allies. With The Division 2, Ubisoft has some interesting plans for expanding the Dark Zone concept, most of which will have you rethinking how you'll tackle the infamous no man's land.
We recently played several hours of the upgraded multiplayer mode, designed by original Rainbow Six developer Red Storm Entertainment. In the first game, the Dark Zone incorporated competitive multiplayer gameplay into the core systems and mechanics of the online world, allowing the agents to seamlessly transition between engagements against AI and other players in the volatile region. The developers refer to this gameplay loop as PvPvE: player-versus-player-versus-environment. While inside the zone, there are many opportunities to acquire powerful loot, but with significantly greater risk tied to it, thanks to tougher enemies and the threat of shady players looking for a chance to steal your loot.
Though clever in its design, and offering some fun encounters, the Dark Zone in the original game--even after several updates--was largely dominated by the hardcore playerbase. This gave the setting a reputation for being uninviting for those that weren't used to the steep learning curve and sink-or-swim setup. With this in mind, The Division 2 places a larger emphasis on making the Dark Zones more worthwhile for all players, offering more reasons to stay and explore the new systems at work. Furthermore, the sequel will feature not one, but three separate zones across Washington D.C.--DZ East surrounding Capitol Station, DZ South encompassing the waterfront, and DZ West within Georgetown.
Over the course of the campaign, your agent will be tasked to investigate the Dark Zones, allowing you to get your feet wet before things kick off. During our session, we opened the massive door leading into Dark Zone East and established various safe houses throughout the region. The on-boarding process for each Dark Zone also offers up some interesting narrative details, revealing what went wrong in the area and which faction of enemies has taken over. After completing the zone's introductory missions, the core content in the region will unlock, letting you enter skirmishes against AI and other players, or team up with others to secure loot.
In another promising change, Dark Zone loot has been significantly overhauled. In the first Division, anything you found in the Dark Zone had to be "extracted" before it could be used. Extractions required you to make a last stand in a certain area to get gear airlifted out while enemies and other players swarmed in to stop you and steal the loot. For the most part, loot found in the zones in The Division 2 won't require extraction and will be free to use upon pickup. However, you'll still find contaminated weapons that will require extraction, but they're now for rarer types of gear. This is big improvement because it not only rewards those who can only invest so much time in the zones, but it also lessens the frustrations found from getting easily sniped by opportunistic players upon extraction.
The sequel also does more to balance the initial power dynamics within the zones, normalizing all players' stats to ensure they're on an even playing field. The developers described this change as "fair, but intense," with the expressed purpose of allowing players of varying skill levels to see what they can find in the untamed areas. While this may bother some of the hardcore players, this change makes exploration of the Dark Zones more viable during the initial grind. However, you'll still come across players possessing unique loadouts and skill levels, ensuring most encounters will be unpredictable.
One of the more devious aspects of the original Dark Zone was its Rogue gameplay system. At any point, players could choose to turn on one another and steal their loot before it reached extraction. While this was intended to be a strategic choice within the first game, it more often than not resulted in severe griefing from high-level players. In The Division 2, the Rogue system has gone through an overhaul, redesigning the general loop to offer more options outside of the strictly PvP design from the last game.
To put it simply, Rogue status activates when you decide to get greedy. Throughout the zones are loot caches and special events that tie into the Rogue loop. If you decide to break into a locked loot chest, as opposed to using a Dark Zone key, then you'll immediately become Rogue for a limited time, momentarily placing you on the map for others to see. Even looting dead players will briefly turn you Rogue. While you may want to keep a low profile and wait for things to die down, special events will open up for Rogue players, allowing you rack up credits and resources, which can be turned in to unique vendors hiding out in the Dark Zone.
Potentially, you could reach the upper Rogue tiers without engaging in combat. The more Rogue actions and events you take on, the better the rewards and the higher your status will become. If enough time passes, you'll eventually become a main target for others, opening up a manhunt within the zone. In our session, some of the most intense moments came from when we were Rogue, which meant we were constantly looking over our shoulders to make sure we weren't being followed by other players looking to take us down. With more incentive to enter Rogue status outside of general PvP hijinks, there could be some potentially challenging scenarios for players to tackle--especially for those who aim to stealth through the Dark Zone.
With that said, getting a handle on the new Rogue mechanics sometimes resulted in cumbersome and awkward moments. While it's easy to go Rogue, simply by engaging in nefarious actions or simply activating it with the press of a button, the system itself can feel a bit too nebulous. A big issue we came across was that it was difficult, trying to get a sense of when you could actually target other players, or if they could target you. Likely intended as a safe-guard against griefing, you can only fire upon other players if they share Rogue status. So if you see another Rogue player in the wild, and you're not of similar status, you'll need to enable it to engage.
As it stands, this approach can create a minor disconnect from the overall pacing and dynamic systems in the Dark Zone. In one case during a Rogue mission, we found ourselves trading bullets with another group, only for the fight to abruptly come to an end once we found out another player turned in a quest--which immediately disabled the Rogue status for all of us in mid-fight. Having said that, the developers are still tweaking aspects of the design, so the final game may see a change.
At first glance, many of these changes seem to lessen the risk and ensuing dread that was synonymous with the Dark Zone. While that's certainly true to an extent, it also serves as a sampling for what's to come during the end-game. After the campaign's completion, one zone will become a contested area, and this will switch to a different location each week. Essentially a hardcore version of the Dark Zone, level and gear balancing will be disabled, player status is neutral by default, and friendly fire will be active at all times. With these changes, the contested Dark Zones could become some of the most chaotic and unpredictable areas the series has seen yet.
While the Dark Zone is still the main attraction for The Division 2's competitive gameplay, the developers have also added in an additional layer that exists outside of the PvPvE loop. Picking up from the previous game's 1.8 update that brought in 4v4 PvP, The Division 2 will also have traditional competitive multiplayer modes. Known as Conflict, this organized form of PvP will allow players to take part in standard team deathmatch and domination game types against others--with all their levels normalized. Conflict will also feature unique stat-tracking and rewards exclusive to the mode, including new cosmetics. However, at launch there will only be three maps and two game types, which quickly became repetitive during our hands-on. The developers were clear in stating that more competitive offerings will come during post-launch, which they aim to keep supporting for the long term.
The Division 2 felt very familiar to the original game, and that's OK. As it stands, the original game had a pretty spectacular post-launch period, and seeing that the sequel aims to keep that second wind going is reassuring. While some of the new innovations and changes in the sequel still need some work, it is interesting to see that its developers are trying to rethink the various elements of the competitive multiplayer, and how it can all coalesce within the online world. If you want to get some hands-on time with The Division 2 yourself, Ubisoft recently revealed plans for the upcoming private beta, which you can register for now on their site.
Now that all the Forges are unlocked in the latest expansion for Destiny 2, The Black Armory, players are busy grinding for new Exotic weapons and completing all the expansion's secrets. But for those who still working on grinding up to the new Power level cap of 650 and completing all the things the last expansion, Forsaken, had to offer, there's the Dreaming City's Ascendant Challenge.
This week, the curse has been reset in the Dreaming City, which means the Shattered Throne dungeon is no longer available--a bummer for anybody who needs to finish it to unlock Izanagi's Burden from The Black Armory. It also brings us back to Week 2's challenge. Below, you'll find a complete guide on where you need to go and what to do to complete this week's bounty to earn Powerful gear.
The Ascendant Challenge always involves you heading through a portal to the Ascendant Plane, but the particulars of what you're doing are entirely different from week to week. To start out, you'll need a consumable item called the Tincture of Queensfoil. With a Tincture in hand, make your way to the Garden of Esila area near the southernmost point of the map, as seen in the image below. Consuming the Tincture will provide you with the Ascendance buff that allows to see a Taken portal that's somewhat hidden on a cliffside. Jump in, and you'll be teleported to the Ascendant Plane's Forfeit Shrine.
Once you're there, you'll have to fend off Taken--or just avoid them--while trying to secure three Arc Charges around the area. Once you pick one up, head toward the center starting area, near the giant Blight ball. Walk into the bright point at the bottom to dunk the charge you're holding. Repeat the process two more times and you'll receive an endless supply of Super energy that will help you to kill all of the remaining Taken in the area. Once they're dealt with, you can complete the bounty (netting you Dark Fragments and Powerful gear) and open a chest.
Given that the bounty (not the chest) offers Powerful gear--a reliable way of increasing your Power level--this is an activity you'll definitely want to take part in once you're able. But bear in mind it is a challenge, so be sure to come prepared. It can be done solo, but having multiple teammates to grab charges and draw the enemies' attention can help immensely.
Free games are always good, and PlayStation Plus members can try an extra one for a limited time soon. This weekend the PS4 shooter Firewall Zero Hour is free for anyone with an active PS Plus subscription, though you'll also need a PSVR headset to play.
Firewall Zero Hour launched in August 2018 to a positive reception. The tactical shooter is multiplayer-based, pitting squads of four against each other. It ordinarily costs US $40 / £25 / AU $40, so to be able to play it for free is quite the deal. The offer is valid from January 18-20.
January's free PS Plus games are also live now. PS4 owners can pick up Steep, an extreme sports game from Ubisoft that lets you ski, snowboard, and glide in a wing suit to go from a mountain's snowy peaks to its powdery base. The other PS4 game for January is Portal Knights, which takes the building component of Minecraft and constructs around it an RPG that encourages crafting and exploration.
PS Plus members should note that, starting in March 2019, Sony will no longer give away free PS3 and PS Vita games for PS Plus members. If you subscribe to PS Plus primarily for those free titles, you'll want to turn off your subscription's auto-renewal option or cancel it then.
Pioneer, the sci-fi project teased within Watch Dogs 2, has seemingly been canceled. A trailer for the space exploration game was found in a Watch Dogs 2 mission that had you infiltrate Ubisoft's real-life San Francisco office. However, ex-Ubisoft game director Alex Hutchison has now cast doubt on the project's status.
"RIP Pioneer," he stated on Twitter, including a link to the game's trailer. When followers asked if this meant the project was dead, he simply responded with crying emojis. Ubisoft has declined to comment, but then the game was never officially announced in the first place. It was seemingly due to be revealed at E3 2017, before needing to be "retooled," according to Kotaku's sources in November 2016.
There's no sign, meanwhile, of a third Watch Dogs game, which has been heavily rumored to be set in London. The next major Ubisoft title to launch will be February's Far Cry: New Dawn.
Some criminal enterprises may be using Fortnite's virtual currency to launder money. The Independent reports that security firm Sixgill found evidence of criminals purchasing V-bucks in bulk using stolen credit cards, then selling the V-Bucks to players at a discounted rate to turn it into "clean" money.
Most of these V-Bucks transactions reportedly occur on the dark web, which is Sixgill's specialization. Smaller quantities have been found being sold on the open web. The agency says it has seen operations being run in English, Chinese, Russian, Spanish, Arabic. The launderers are said to use cryptocurrency to further obscure the source of their money.
The agency has not found exactly how much profit this has made for the criminals engaging in it. It notes that the pool of money flowing through and around Fortnite has increased with the game's popularity, alongside mentions of the game on the dark web. Fortnite items grossed more than $250,000 on Ebay over a 60 day period last year.
This has raised criticisms that Epic is not taking a proactive enough role in rooting out misuse of its platform. Industry watchers have previously raised concerns of security on Android, where Epic circumvented the Google Play store, leaving them open to phishing schemes. More recently, security experts raised alarm at a potential hack.
"Epic Games doesn't seem to clamp down in any serious way on criminal activity surrounding Fortnite, money laundering or otherwise," Sixgill senior intel analyst Benjamin Preminger said. "While completely stopping such criminal activity is extremely difficult, several steps could be taken to mitigate the phenomenon, including monitoring the transfer of high-value goods in the game, identifying players with large stockpiles of V-Bucks, and sharing data with relevant law enforcement agencies."
GameSpot contacted Epic Games for comment, and received the following statement from a spokesperson:
"Epic Games takes these issues seriously, as chargebacks and fraud put our players and our business at risk. As always, we encourage players to protect their accounts by turning on two-factor authentication, not re-using passwords and using strong passwords, and not sharing account information with others."
If you've been keeping up with the weekly Fortnite challenges, you may notice that Week 7's set has one particular challenge that you'll have done recently. The challenge in question involves visiting seven Expedition Outposts, which is something you had to do for Week 4 back in early January. For those who've completed Week 4's challenge, this should be a cinch, but if you need a helping hand, we're here for you.
Expedition Outposts can be spotted on the map as little red dots. In the game world they exist as small red bunkers with a globe icon surrounded by arrows on them. For the most part, they're surrounded by X-4 Stormwing planes, which are pretty easy to spot from high up, so look out for those if you need markers. To make things easier, we've got a list of bunker locations below, as well as a map to show your their exact locations.
Week 4's bunker challenge tasked players with eliminating enemies in the bunker areas. However, for Week 7's variant, all you've got to do is find them and hang out in the area for a second. When you do so, you'll see your progress towards completing the challenge advance. The easiest way to get it done is to hop out of the Battle Bus and land on a bunker, leave the game, and repeat until you're done.
Expedition Outpost Locations
Southeast of Lazy Links (F3)
Northeast of Pleasant Park (D3)
Southwest of Pleasant Park (C4)
West of Dusty Divot (F5)
West of Lonely Lodge (I5)
West of Paradise Palms
South of Shifty Shafts (D8)
Once you're done with this challenge and you've pocketed the Battle Stars, it's on the others. We've got a full list of Fortnite Season 7, Week 7 challenges, which shouldn't be too difficult to complete. Don't forget that Fortnite's 7.20 update brought back glider redeploy, so you can make good use of that to get challenges done, provided you manage to get a hold of the new item that enables it. Since one of the challenges also requires you to score damage, keep an eye out for the new gun: the Scoped Revolver. That'll be handy in dishing out big damage from a safe distance.
The new patch also heralded the arrival of a mysterious icy orb, which is floating above Polar Peak. While it's unclear what exactly it is, does, or will do, it's likely tied into a big event coming to the game soon. It could be part of Season 8, which means you should try and finish up remaining challenges from Season 7 before it's too late. You can use our comprehensive Fortnite Season 7 challenge guide for help with the trickier challenges from previous weeks.
We're now in Week 7 of Fortnite Season 7. There's a new collection of challenges now available, so if you're planning on unlocking everything the Battle Pass has to offer you'll need to grind them out. Complete the challenges, earn the Battle Stars, level up the Battle Pass, and unlock the cosmetics--you know how it goes.
As always, challenges are separated into two categories. The first is a free set available to anyone that has the game. The second set, however, is exclusive to those that have spent V-Bucks to unlock the premium version.
In the free category, players will need to visit seven Expedition Outposts that are scattered across the island; we've put together a map and video (above) to help you figure out where to go and what to do. Other free challenges include being asked to use a Rift or Rift-To-Go in three different matches, and also to score three pistol kills.
If you've got the paid Battle Pass, you can get yourself a few more Battle Stars. To do so, you'll need to complete a multi-stage challenge that begins with you landing at Salty Springs.Once you've done that, the next stage will reveal itself--there are a total of five stages. You'll also need to search seven treasure chests at either Loot Lake or Frosty Flights and destroy one X-4 Stormwing while it's in flight. The final challenge is another multi-parter which begins by asking you to do 200 points of damage in a single match.
Take a look below for a full breakdown of all the Fortnite Season 7, Week 7 challenges.
Week 7 Challenges
Free
Visit all Expedition Outposts (7) -- 5 Battle Stars
Use a Rift or Rift-To-Go in different matches (3) -- 5 Battle Star
Pistol Eliminations (3) -- 10 Battle Stars
Battle Pass
Stage 1: Land at Salty Springs (1) -- 1 Battle Star
Search Chests at Loot Lake or Frosty Flights (7) -- 5 Battle Star
Stage 1: Damage opponents in a single match (200) -- 3 Battle Stars
Things are getting weird in Fortnite once again. Kevin the Cube might be a distant memory at this point, but for those that miss having a giant, mysterious entity floating in the air, there's something new to get excited about.
On January 16, as part of the 7.20 update, an icy orb appeared above Polar Peak. If it ends up being anything like dearly departed Kevin, it will lead to a world event. Interestingly, group of eggs also showed up beneath the castle, and a bunker has been found near Happy Hamlet--it was previously blocked by an iceberg.
The orb's frosty nature fits with the winter theme for the season. At the start of Season 7 an icy chill swept through the island, giving certain areas a snowy makeover. It could be that the orb either expands the impact of this cold spell, or completely undoes it, changing the state of the island as setup for Season 8. The eggs and bunker are likely to play a part in what happens on the island next, but as of yet what that is remains unclear.
Fortnite's 7.20 update also brought back glider redeploy and introduced a new gun: the Scoped Revolver. You've still got a few more weeks to complete remaining challenges from Season 7, and you can use the tips in our complete Season 7 challenges guide to get it all done before the new season kicks off.
When Metro Exodus was first revealed at E3 2017, it overwhelmingly appeared to be an open-world game. Publisher Deep Silver later clarified Exodus would be a "sandbox survival experience," with players exploring large, non-linear levels throughout the game. So not quite open-world, but something approaching it, then. If a four-hour preview build is anything to go by, Developer 4A Games has fulfilled that promise, but it remains to be seen if the move turns out to be a positive one for the hitherto underappreciated series.
In theory, marrying Metro's survival gameplay with an open(ish) world is a great idea. Exploring a wide environment, scavenging for resources, and, well, struggling to survive sounds exactly like Far Cry 2, aka The Best Shooter Ever Made (don't @ me). However, in practice, it has so far turned Metro from a flawed but focused survival experience into a flabby and frustrating sub-standard shooter.
The two levels I played were set during different parts in the story; one sees the returning playable character Artyom stranded from his teammates in a jungle environment and the other has him investigating a town of bandits in the desert. 4A Games wouldn't say when during the campaign these levels are set, but certainly being dropped in isn't ideal preparation for a relatively involved survival game. In these areas, the increased scope and playing field felt like it undermined the core of the Metro series' gameplay experience. Identikit enemies filled both levels--enemies who are both plentiful and powerful, two attributes that are acceptable by themselves but aggravating when combined with a severe lack of ammunition and dissatisfying, fiddly combat that makes a giant crossbow feel like a spud gun. Difficulty is not something I dislike, but at least make it fun to overcome that difficulty; being trapped in a die-respawn-die loop because there are no spare bullets in the vicinity makes it feel unfair.
Making your map a physical item Artyom carries is a nice touch that helps keep you grounded in Metro's desolate Russian world. However, this immersion is broken by very 'videogamey' problems, such as needing to press a button every time you want to climb a ladder, or being unable to hop in and drive an intact, running Jeep to my destination. The immersion feels a little half-baked, and it's at its weakest during character interactions. Even ignoring Artyom's insistence on never uttering a word except in loading screen diaries, any conversation between two NPCs feels forced. Problems include uneven dialogue, stilted delivery ("The general situation here is completely awesome, sir!"), and sentences simply pausing in their tracks if you move out of range and resuming from the same spot minutes later when you come back into range. Finally, in the missions I played the open-ish environments don't seem to have added to Metro in any meaningful way: objectives still needed to be completed in a particular order, there's still a very linear critical path and few interesting landmarks, and during the demo at least, the player has seemingly no agency over the story.
Instead, Exodus is at its best when you're indoors. Freedom for freedom's sake is replaced by a sense of paranoia and claustrophobia, emphasized by your watch's blinking blue detection indicator, your atmospheric gas mask display, and the sound of your own heavy breathing--it's just you and your senses in here. Stealth is a more realistic approach given the smaller environments and cramped spaces, meaning it's easier to defeat enemies by hand-to-hand takedowns, thereby conserving ammunition. and preventing reinforcements from being called. Things still aren't perfect, but at least some of the frustrations from outdoors combat are avoided and having that cache of ammo does make gun-on-gun combat feel more engaging than the more desperate times outdoors.
Here, Exodus shows promise, but given the focus on the game's openness in its marketing material and my reservations about that change in structure, I'm a little worried about this latest entry in the Metro franchise. I loved Last Light, so I hope developer 4A Games can clear the leaves from Metro Exodus' track in the month to go until launch.
Mortal Kombat 11 made a surprise debut at the 2018 Game Awards with a shockingly right-around-the-corner release date of April 23. While that was enough to kickstart the fighting game community buzz, the initial cinematic trailer was short on gameplay details, leaving ravenous fans hungry for more details. However, at the time, NetherRealm promised a longer in-depth look on January 17, and the date is finally here.
Today, the developer, along with publisher Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, is set to host a grand unveiling event, which will have fans and community members in attendance. For those that aren't able to go, the event is also being streamed. We'll have a live feed of the event here and provide you with regular updates on all the news from the show. Pre-show interviews are underway at the time of this writing, and then the keynote will start at 11 AM PT / 2 PM ET / 7 PM GMT.
So far we know a few key details. The Steam page teased custom character variations, possibly borrowing from the latest in NetherRealm's other fighting series. It also boasted the return of "Klassic" fighters, and a story mode that continues the saga. The trailer showed Raiden, along with two Scorpions. That could signal some sort of multi-verse or time travel implications. A beta is planned for March on PS4 and Xbox One, so we're likely to hear more details about that as well. NetherRealm has already revealed the cover art.
Pre-ordering MK11 will net you Shao Khan as a playable character, but the roster has plenty of room. We've heard rumors of a Spawn cameo, and athlete and actress Ronda Rousey teased an appearance at the show, so she may be involved in some capacity.
We're likely to hear much more very soon, but in the meantime you check out our pre-order guide for more details.
The first trailer for the upcoming John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum is here. This is the third movie in the acclaimed action series, which stars Keanu Reeves as the retired hitman who is reluctantly brought back into his old life.
The trailer shows that the movie picks up right after the events of Chapter 2. Wick is on the run after killing a rival on the supposedly neutral ground of the Continental Hotel, with every hitman in New York after him. There's tons of cool-looking action, including Wick being chased on horseback through the streets of Manhattan, and an appearance from Sophia, the new character played by Halle Berry. Check it out above.
John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum also stars Ian McShane, Lawrence Fishburne, Jason Mantzoukas, Mark Dacascos, and Angelica Huston. It's directed by Chad Stahelski, who helmed Chapter 2 and co-directed the first movie, and releases on May 17.
Even though the movie is still several months away, Stahelski has already spoken about the possibility of John Wick: Chapter 4. He told Entertainment Weekly last month: "If people go see the movie, and it makes money, and they came back to us, Keanu and I have ideas for days. I could live here for the rest of my career. If people like it and want to watch more, I could think of way worse ways to spend your career. But, you know, we're in the entertainment business. We'll let the audience figure that out."
A John Wick TV spin-off named The Continental was also announced by Starz last year, but there has been no further news about the status of this project.
343's commitment to expanding and improving upon Halo: The Master Chief Collection continues with a new update available now for all players of the Xbox One game.
Following the big update in November that added the very-excellent "match composer" feature, the first big update of 2019 introduces a new "modern aiming" option, more skulls for Halo: Combat Evolved, a lot of bug fixes, and more.
The first thing you'll notice with the update is that the Halo: MCC menu screen now has a winter makeover. The animated menu screen shows snow falling on a warthog. It's peaceful and serene. This new title screen replaces the Flood-inspired screen that was launched to mark celebrate the game's Flood event that started back in October. Going forward, 343 said it plans to release more "menu takeovers" that are based on and inspired by in-game events and challenges.
When you actually get into the game, one of the first things you may notice is the new "modern aiming" option. Some players remarked that Halo: MCC's aiming feels a little bit off for some games. You'll find the new setting in the "Aim Control" section of the controller settings tab for each game in Halo: MCC. With modern aiming turned on, aim acceleration zones are "smoothed" out so the game feels more like Halo 4 or Halo 2 Anniversary. You can revert to "Classic" aim control if you don't like how it feels.
There are also new skulls for Halo: Combat Evolved. You can see a full rundown of these below as written by 343, but some of them include "Anger" (enemies fire weapons faster and more frequently), "Catch" (enemies throw and drop more grenades), and "Tough Luck" (enemies go "berserk," basically).
New Halo: CE Skulls
Anger – Enemies and allies fire their weapons faster and more frequently.
Bandana – Fixed a bug with this skull so now energy-based weapons have infinite ammo as well.
Catch – Enemies throw and drop more grenades.
Ghost – A.I. characters will not flinch from attacks, melee or otherwise.
Sputnik – the Mass of objects is decreased, making them more easily displaced
That's Just Wrong – Strengthens the hearing of both allies and enemies. They will now notice the slightest sound of reloading or drawing a weapon, footsteps, etc. A.I. also have increased accuracy.
Thunderstorm – Field Promotions to the ranks of all A.I. characters so they are more difficult to fight, smarter, and more dangerous.
Tough Luck – Enemies always go berserk, always dive out of the way, and never flee.
Additionally, 343 has released a new playlist--Super Duper Fiesta. This new playlist includes Fiesta game types for Halo 2 classic and Anniversary, as well as Halo 3 and Halo 4. The new playlist replaces Team Action Sack.
What's more, 343 has made changes to Halo: MCC's match composer. In addition to replacing Action Sack with Super Duper Fiesta, the changes include the following:
Match Composer Settings Changes:
Removed Action Sack and replaced with Super Duper Fiesta
[4v4] Added a Super Duper Fiesta! Game preset.
[4v4] [H2, H2A, H3, H4] Added Super Duper Fiesta! Entries.
[8v8] [H3, H4] Moved BTB Heavies entries from Action Sack to Slayer at low weighting
[8v8] [H4] Moved Dominion entries from Action Sack to King of the Hill.
In other news, the Halo 3 hardcore team doubles playlist has been removed from all matchmaking playlists. 343 pulled it because "engagement has slowed" and because tournaments that used it are now over.
As for the bug fixes, there are many, spread across the entire game and the specific titles within it. For Halo: CE, the update fixes a bug that caused "inconsistent hit detection" when aiming at players with poor connections. In Halo 2, the update addresses a problem related to the Bandana skull, and in Halo 3, the update fixes an issue related to the Shade Turret not appearing in post-game reports. A full rundown of changes is below as written by 343.
Halo: MCC Bug Fixes:
Global
Cleansed the Flood infection from the main menu
Added error handling to prevent users from joining each other from different versions of the game
Fixed an issue where players could not enter gameplay using custom map or game variants in offline LAN
Fixed an issue where menu music volume slider changes were not respected while in a squad
Fixed some navigation inconsistencies in the main menu
Fixed an issue where the descriptions for some campaign killstreak medals were inaccurate in the medal chest
Halo: CE
Fixed an issue that resulted in inconsistent hit detection against players with poor connections
Fixed an issue where the Bandana skull did not grant infinite ammo to energy weapons in Campaign
Halo 2
Fixed an issue where the Bandana skull did not grant infinite ammo to energy weapons in Campaign
Halo 3
Fixed an issue where the Shade Turret was not appropriately displayed as the tool of destruction in the post-game carnage report
ODST
Improved messaging around which playlists support co-op play
Forge & Films
Fixed an issue where incorrect file sizes were being displayed for films
Fixed an issue where the character limit for map variant names was displayed inaccurately in Halo 3
Fixed an issue where players were forced to re-enter a map variant name after inputting an invalid description
The update doesn't fix all the problems in Halo: MCC, however, as some of the known issues 343 spoke about included checkpoint loss in Halo: CE and Halo 3 campaigns, as well as career stats pages showing as blank or otherwise bugged.
This won't be Halo: MCC's last update, as 343 teased that there is "plenty more MCC goodness coming" in 2019. In the future, 343 plans to add the much-request custom game browser to the game, improvements to the post-game carnage report, and updates that help fix issues related to vulnerabilities that bad actors can exploit to kick people out of games.
Halo: MCC got off to a very rocky start when it launched back in 2014. It was nearly unplayable for some. 343 never gave up on the title, however, and all of these updates demonstrate the studio's ambition to constantly and significantly improve the experience. And it sounds like 343 will continue to improve the game in 2019 and beyond.
"We look forward to continuing this open dialogue and partnership through 2019 and beyond. We would like to offer our heartfelt thank you everyone in the community who has supported and helped improve MCC by playing, critiquing, and providing thoughtful feedback," 343 said.
Halo: MCC is free with Xbox Game Pass, and its inclusion there has surely helped keep player figures at a decent level. All these years after release, it's still easy to find a match, and that's great to see for Halo fans.
The next big Halo game is Halo Infinite, which is in development for Xbox One and PC. Little is known about the game, however, and it sounds like it still may be a long time off.
Star Wars: Episode IX is filming right now, and actor John Boyega--who plays Finn--has teased something "visually crazy" for the much-anticipated sci-fi film.
Boyega shared a cryptic image on his Instagram page of his distressed hands after a day of shooting. The caption of the image reads, "The whole team pushed themselves today to achieve something visually crazy! I've had many moments of shock on set but not like today and I can't wait until you know why."
It's intriguing to think about what Boyega might be referring to. The Star Wars franchise is known for its spectacle over-the-top sequences, and we can only imagine what Episode IX will deliver in this department.
Episode IX hits theatres this December. It is the third and final instalment in the new trilogy that started with 2015's The Force Awakens. The movie was set to be directed by Jurassic World's Colin Trevorrow, but he was fired and replaced by JJ Abrams, who directed The Force Awakens.
Lost and Lord of the Rings actor Dominic Monaghan will play an unspecified role in Episode XI.
From Software has revealed that its changing how it tells stories when it comes to Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. The contrast of beauty against death will still be present in its narrative, but Sekiro will be about a specific character with his own backstory as opposed to a nameless, blank slate protagonist like in previous Soulsborne games.
"We're trying to tell more of a drama, if you will, of these characters," From Software marketing and communications manager Yasuhiro Kitao said to Game Informer in an interview. Sekiro follows the changing relationship between Young Lord and his guardian The Wolf, the latter of which you play as. In the beginning of the game's story, the two are attacked and Young Lord is kidnapped while The Wolf is left defeated with his arm cut off. Upon awakening, The Wolf receives his prosthetic arm and then sets out on a quest to find Young Lord and defeat those responsible for the assault.
On his journey, The Wolf will meet other characters, but unlike previous From Software games where the protagonist wordlessly responds to others, The Wolf will actually speak to people. He is his own person, with his own thoughts, feelings, and sense of morality. In turn, having a character with an established backstory has allowed From Software to implement storytelling techniques that are absent from past Soulsborne titles, such as flashback sequences.
All that said, From Software doesn't want to take away from players who love theorizing about the lore of Soulsborne games. Even though The Wolf has an established past, the history of the world he lives in--as well as the enemies, bosses, and some of the characters he meets--are fragmented. It'll be up to you to piece together exactly what happened prior to the game's events.
In Sekiro, From Software is breaking plenty of other conventions it's established with its past Soulsborne games. One of the most notable changes is in how boss battles play out, as Sekiro's expanded traversal mechanics--such as stealth, parkour, and a grappling hook--allow for more unique encounters. Sekiro also won't have an online multiplayer, so From Software has designed the game to allow players to actually pause the action wherever they are. Unlike Dark Souls III and Bloodborne, Sekiro will have a hub area that's connected to its world, allowing for more opportunities to freely explore.
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice releases for Xbox One, PS4, and PC on March 22.
Disney is pushing ahead with yet another live-action version of one of its classic films. The movie giant's latest live-action remake will be for The Hunchback of Notre Dame.
The movie is said to be based on the 1831 Victor Hugo book and Disney's 1996 animated film, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The new movie is being written by playwright David Henry Hwang, while the music is coming from Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz. They picked up Oscar nominations for the music they wrote for the 1996 film.
Actor Josh Gad is producing the new Hunchback movie. According to THR, the Hunchback film is "not currently a priority" for Disney, but it's unclear why that is. It might be that Disney's live-action slate is already quite stuffed. In 2019, Disney will release live-action versions of Aladdin, The Lion King, and Dumbo. After that, the company will put out live-action takes on Mulan and Lady and the Tramp.
In other Disney live-action movie news, the Pinocchio movie recently suffered a setback with director Paul King dropping out.
The developers of the PlayStation 4 exclusive God of War originally had many more boss fights planned. Game director Cory Barlog told Noclip that "a lot" of boss fights ended up on the cutting room floor, in part because it was too much work.
"We cut a lot of bosses. A lot. We had so many more," he said. "It was a much more ambitious, crazier game. And as you go through development, you start realising, 'No, it's too big, we can't do this.'"
Barlog said a single boss battle took 18 months of work from a team of 30 developers, so as such, the number of boss fights had to be scaled back to make sure the game actually came out this decade. "One boss takes like 30 developers a year and a half. It's an absolutely massive scale when you really consider it, and you measure it against other games in which we finished the game in a year and a half," he said.
The developer also pointed out that the "boss team" had other tasks as well, which took up even more of their time. At the end of the day, Barlog said, "It became a reality that some of these things will have to be cut."
Also in the interview, Barlog talked about how the troll fights were never intended to be boss battles. He shares many more interesting anecdotes from his time working on one of 2018's most celebrated games; check out the full video below.
THIS POST CONTAINS SPOILERS ABOUT ASSASSIN'S CREED ODYSSEY DLC
Ubisoft recently generated controversy when it was revealed that the newest Assassin's Creed: Odyssey expansion, Shadow Heritage, would force players into a straight relationship for a period of time. Now, creative director Jonathan Dumont has apologised, and he also explained why it happened.
At the end of the content, Kassandra or Alexios, depending on who you're playing as, has a child in a heterosexual relationship. Dumont said in a forum post that it was important for the game to establish how "your character's bloodline has a lasting impact on the Assassins." However, Dumont acknowledged that Ubisoft "missed the mark."
"We want to extend an apology to players disappointed by a relationship your character partakes in," he explained. "Alexios/Kassandra realizing their own mortality and the sacrifice Leonidas and Myrrine made before them to keep their legacy alive, felt the desire and duty to preserve their important lineage. Our goal was to let players choose between a utilitarian view of ensuring your bloodline lived on or forming a romantic relationship. We attempted to distinguish between the two but could have done this more carefully as we were walking a narrow line between role-play choices and story, and the clarity and motivation for this decision was poorly executed."
Players do not to need to continue this relationship in the next chapter of the DLC, Dumont added. He also said that this has been "a learning experience" for Ubisoft; he promised that Ubisoft will "do better" to make sure that player choice--which Ubisoft had hyped as one of the core tenets of the game--stays intact going forward.
The move to force players into a heterosexual relationship was especially grating for some because, as mentioned, it ran counter to what Ubisoft had promised up until this point: that you could make your own choices in regards to romantic partners.
At E3 2018, Odyssey's narrative director Melissa McCoubrey stressed how the game would allow players to choose their romantic partners. "If you want to be a woman and romance a woman, you can do that. If you want to be a man and romance a woman, you can do that. If you want to be a man and romance a man and a woman, you can do that," she told Stevivor at the time.
The title of the achievement/trophy for Shadow Heritage that unlocks after the childbirth is "Growing Up," and that name is stirring controversy as well. [Update: the name of the achievement will be changed in a forthcoming patch, according to Kotaku]
Shadow Heritage is part of the Legacy of the First Blade paid DLC for Odyssey. In addition to new story content, it added a new Hunter ability, Rapid Fire, which allows players to fire arrows rapidly without reloading. You can watch the opening minutes of Shadow Heritage in the video embedded above.
From Software has revealed that boss battles will play out slightly differently in Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice in comparison to both the Dark Souls series and Bloodborne. Although Sekiro will contain encounters just as challenging as its Soulsborne predecessors, its new mechanics offer different ways for From Software to create unique fights.
In an interview with Game Informer, From Software director Hidetaka Miyazaki said that the new traversal mechanics--with the exception of swimming--have been used to create boss battles that have never been seen in a Soulsborne game before. "The traversal options allow much more dynamic movement within the boss arena, both for yourself and the boss character themselves," Miyazaki said. "Previously, you would have just had to run around a huge boss' feet and hack away at his ankles, but now you have all these movement options; you can both fully use the extent of that arena."
Not every traversal mechanic will be available to you during bosses though. Some bosses will be huge, hulking monsters that are reminiscent of what's seen in Dark Souls and Bloodborne, and you'll defeat them similarly to how you would in From Software's older games. There are also bosses who simply won't give you the room to zip about the arena with your grappling hook, allow you to stealth behind them for an instant kill, or rely on any of Sekiro's other traversal mechanics. But each boss does have a weakness you can exploit to make the fight easier.
You won't be alone when it comes to figuring out how to defeat a boss. In place of messages from other players, you can find clues in the world that hint at certain bosses' weaknesses. Whether you search out these hints is entirely up to you, but Miyazaki said that they do help, especially for enemy bosses that "use really dirty tricks" and "underhanded techniques."
New types of boss battles aren't the only change From Software is putting into Sekiro. The game won't have multiplayer of any kind, and as a result, you'll be able to actually pause whenever you want. Unlike Dark Souls III and Bloodborne, Sekiro will also have an interconnected world that directly links back to its hub area.
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice launches on March 22 for Xbox One, PS4, and PC. The standard version of the game releases alongside a Collector's Edition, both of which are available for pre-order.
The WestWorld mobile game that Bethesda claimed was a "blatant ripoff" of Fallout Shelter is shutting down following the lawsuit that Bethesda brought against its developer. A statement posted on the game's Twitter page confirms the game has been removed from App Store and Google Play, with a final closure taking place on April 16, 2019. Additionally, all in-app purchases have been switched off, and you're recommended to spend any remaining currency before the final shutdown.
It's not immediately clear if refunds will be available, but it doesn't sound like it. "We are sorry to see the Westworld mobile game go, and had an incredible time creating new content and events for players to enjoy. We deeply appreciate our community's enthusiasm and participation in the game," developer Behaviour Interactive said.
Nowhere in the statement is the lawsuit from Bethesda mentioned. Bethesda reached what was described by the company as an amicable settlement with Behaviour and Westworld studio Warner Bros. earlier this month. Terms of the settlement deal between Bethesda and Behaviour were never made public, so it's impossible to know if shutting down the Westworld game was part of the deal, but that could be the case.
Behaviour worked on Fallout Shelter, and Bethesda alleged that Behaviour "illegally" used the same copyrighted source code from Fallout Shelter to developer the Westworld game. Not only that, but Bethesda claimed Behaviour "copied Fallout Shelter's game design, art, animations, gameplay features, and other elements.
Bethesda was suing Behaviour and Warner Bros. for "copyright infringement, breach of contract, and misappropriation of [Bethesda's] intellectual property."
As in previous months, Nintendo has also added special save states of a couple of previously available NES games, namely the notoriously difficult Ninja Gaiden and Ghosts 'n Goblins. The former starts you off in stage 6-4, while the latter drops you in stage 6 with the dagger equipped.
Nintendo Switch Online's NES library launched alongside the service this past September and initially featured 20 games, with additional ones arriving each month. The most recent batch included the aforementioned Ninja Gaiden as well as Wario's Woods and Adventures of Lolo. More NES games are planned to be released in 2019, although Nintendo hasn't announced what those will be yet.
Nintendo Switch Online subscriptions run for US $4 / £3.49 / AU $6 for one month, US $8 / £7 / AU $12 for three months, and US $20 / £18 / AU $30 for one year. In addition to gaining access to the NES library, subscribers are able to play Switch games online with others as well as back up their save data to the cloud.
Nintendo also has a couple of special offers for Nintendo Switch Online subscribers. The most notable of these is a set of NES controllers for Switch, which are only available for purchase if you have a subscription. The controllers come in sets of two and cost $60.
A remake of Blaster Master, dubbed Blaster Master Zero, launched for Switch in 2017. It was developed by Inti Creates, the studio behind the retro-style Bloodstained spin-off, Curse of the Moon, and features the same basic story and gameplay as the original but with redone visuals and other improvements.
Athlete and actress Ronda Rousey has teased something related to Mortal Kombat 11, and we might not have to wait long to find out what it is. Posting on Instagram, Rousey shared a picture of herself with an invitation to the Mortal Kombat 11 reveal event this week. She captioned the image, "The invitation I've been waiting to accept my whole life. Don't worry, Earthrealm is safe with me ;). Can't wait for Thursday!"
Rousey's post fuels the ongoing rumours that she will voice the character Sonya in the fighting game. As of now, this is all speculation, but we should know more very soon.
The Mortal Kombat 11 reveal event is slated to begin at 11 AM PT / 2 PM ET on Thursday, January 17, and you'll be able to watch it here on GameSpot. In addition to premiering the first gameplay from Mortal Kombat 11, a description of the reveal event promises "exclusive reveals." It'll also contain details on the game's story and characters, as well as some of its "new features."
Mortal Kombat 11 launches on April 23 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, and Nintendo Switch, and those who pre-order a copy will receive Shao Kahn as a playable character.
Pre-orders on PS4 and Xbox One also come with access to the fighting game's pre-launch beta. The test will be held for those two platforms sometime in March, although further details have yet to be announced. In other news, Mortal Kombat 11's cover art has been revealed--check it out here.
In other news, Rousey has a match set for the upcoming Royal Rumble event. You can learn more in GameSpot's Royal Rumble coverage.
The latest story trailer for Ubisoft's The Division 2 has arrived, and it provides one of the best looks so far at the narrative for the upcoming open-world shooter and its setting in Washington D.C. It also provides a first look a post-apocalyptic frog with unique hopping properties.
You play as an agent of The Division, and after surviving the events of the first game in New York, you're headed to the nation's capital to do it all again, it seems. The nation is divided, with the narrator saying America is "slipping into civil war." The country is on the verge of "total collapse," and you're tasked with taking down various enemy groups to restore democracy to the country.
In addition to providing a better look at The Division 2's story and setting, the video also shows some of the new weapons and gear such as drones and the crossbow. Also, at around 47 seconds, you can see a frog whose jump appears to have no effect on the water below. This frog also does not appear to move very smoothly. Must be the virus.
Given the current political tensions happening in real-world America today, it will be interesting to see how The Division 2's story unfolds and how close to home it might strike.
The Division 2 launches on March 15 for PS4, Xbox One, and PC. The PC edition will launch through Fortnite developer Epic's new store and Ubisoft's own store, but not Steam. A "private beta" for people who pre-order begins on February 7.
A new Spirit Board event is set to begin soon in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. This week, Nintendo is holding the second part of the Fire Emblem Fest, which will feature a variety of Spirits taken from the long-running strategy RPG series.
The event kicks off at 10 PM PT on January 17 (1 AM ET / 6 AM GMT on January 18) and runs through the weekend, ending at the same time on January 20-21. During the Fire Emblem Fest, Fire Emblem characters will appear much more frequently on the Spirit Board. You'll also take home extra Gold for defeating them.
The first part of the Fire Emblem Fest occurred back in December and featured the Legend-class Spirits Caeda and Azura, as well Eliwood, Eirika, and others. Both Azura and Caeda will return for Part 2, but this time they'll be joined by a number of characters who didn't appear the first time around, such as the Ace-class Spirits Leo and Takumi.
Nintendo is holding a different Spirit Board event each week in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. While most are themed around certain types of characters, last week's event rewarded players with twice the normal amount of Spirit experience and Spirit Points. The Mario Time event from December also introduced a handful of exclusive Spirits.
The next game in the Fire Emblem series, Fire Emblem: Three Houses, is slated to launch for Switch this year. Nintendo hasn't revealed many details about the game yet, but we got our first look at it during the company's E3 2018 presentation. Nintendo has a number of other titles lined up for this year; be sure to check them out in our gallery of Nintendo-exclusive games coming in 2019.
Rare has announce a new update for Sea of Thieves, which is designed to both reduce the overall install size of the game and make it easier for the developer to implement further patches in the future. However, to download the update, you'll have to reinstall the entire game.
The new install sizes for each version of the game has been outlined in a blog post on Sea of Thieves' main website. The PC version of the game will shrink from 47 GB to 27 GB. For Xbox One, the version on the original console will go from 35 GB to 10, and the One X install size will shrink from 47 GB to 25.
As a result of this update, Rare executive producer Joe Neate writes that future patch sizes might "increase slightly in the future." However, the overall install size will no longer grow significantly--like it has in the past--so it should be faster to reinstall the game going forward. The update goes live on February 6.
In our Sea of Thieves review, Peter Brown gave the game 6/10, writing, "For now, [Sea of Thieves is] a somewhat hollow game that can be fun for a handful of hours when played with friends, and something worth trying out if you happen to be an Xbox Game Pass subscriber. Even though it's hard to wholeheartedly recommend, I like enough of what I see to hold out hope that things will eventually improve as the game continues to be patched and updated with new content."
The only cookbook that should matter to wrestling fans is hitting stores this March. Insight Editions is publishing The Official WWE Cookbook featuring recipes inspired by WWE Superstars. Finally, The Rock's Jabroni Macaroni Salad has come back to your dinner table.
Available on March 19 and priced at $30, the cookbook will contain more than 75 recipes, including appetizers, main courses, deserts, and drinks, all modeled after a WWE Superstar, and yes, Jabroni Macaroni is in there.
Finally, you can have your friends over for Wrestlemania and serve them up a very hot plate of Nacho Man Randy Savage, or maybe some D-Generation Eggs--which contains chicken livers. Some of the other Big Boss Ham Steak Doughnuts and Big Show's World's Largest Pancake. You can preorder The Official WWE Cookbook for yourself before it releases this March.
The items in the cookbook were put together by Allison Robicelli, a James Beard-nominated best-selling author, and she's appeared on the Food Network, Cooking Channel, and VH1. If this book doesn't fix your appetite for more wrestling-related madness, check out the match card for Royal Rumble, every confirmed wrestler in AEW, and wrestlers AEW should sign.
A new sale is going on now at GameStop. The video game retailer has unveiled its latest weekly ad, which features deals on a handful of 2018's biggest releases, including a particularly good one on the latest installment in the Assassin's Creed series, Assassin's Creed Odyssey.
If you've yet to pick up Ubisoft's newest stealth-action game, the title is on sale on both PS4 and Xbox One for $25. Its various special editions are likewise discounted this week; the Deluxe edition is available for $45, while the Steelbook Gold edition is down to $75.
On top of those deals, GameStop is running a promotion that offers $20 off of any new game or pre-order when you trade in select titles. You can see the full list of eligible games here. Additionally, you can grab any two pre-owned games regularly valued at $15 or under for $20.
This week's sale is scheduled to end on January 22, so you have until then to take advantage of the discounts. We've rounded up some of the most noteworthy game deals below; you can find all of this week's offers in GameStop's full weekly ad.
Microsoft has announced more games coming to Xbox Games Pass in January. One of which, Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, is already available on the subscription service.
Two more games, We Happy Few and The Lego Movie Videogame, go live on Xbox Game Pass on January 17. We Happy Few is a first-person action game where you play as three different people trying to survive in a police-state society that forces everyone to remain happy all the time by taking a mandatory drug called Joy. The Lego Movie Videogame is based on the characters and storylines of the titular movie.
On January 24, two more titles, Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor and Saints Row: The Third, join Xbox Game Pass. The former acts as a loose prequel to the events told in The Lord of the Rings, and delivers a memorable action-packed gaming experience with a system that causes enemy orcs to evolve based on their combat encounters with protagonist Talion. The latter marks the moment in the Saints Row franchise where the games veered off from being a GTA-look-alike and, for the better, transformed into something ridiculously wacky.
Game Pass has proven popular with players, with Xbox boss Phil Spencer claiming that "millions of subscribers" are using the service. The service offers dozens of games to subscribers for $10 USD a month, which is a pretty good deal when compared against the combined library's full retail price. Microsoft took great strides to improve the appeal of Game Pass in 2018, such as an announcement that all first-party titles would launch on the service the day they released. This includes games like Crackdown 3, Gears 5, and Halo Infinite.
In 2018, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella teased that Game Pass will launch on PC in the future, but there hasn't been an official announcement as to when. For now, the service is exclusive to Microsoft's family of Xbox One consoles.
Following a report that Electronic Arts had canceled the open-world Star Wars game in development at EA Vancouver, the publisher has finally responded with a statement. Unfortunately, it doesn't offer any real insight, though tellingly it does nothing to dispel what Kotaku's story laid out earlier this week.
"There's been speculation overnight about one of our Star Wars projects. As a natural part of the creative process, the great work by our team in Vancouver continues and will evolve into future Star Wars content and games," the company said in a statement shared with GameSpot. "We're fully committed to making more Star Wars games, we're very excited about Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order from Respawn, and we'll share more about our new projects when the time is right."
That is far from a denial that it's canceled the project, which was said to be an open-world game "reboot" of what had previously been in development at the now-defunct Visceral Games. When the former Dead Space developer was shuttered, Vancouver assumed control of the project, which morphed into something quite different but would use assets from Visceral. Kotaku's report states Vancouver is now at work on a smaller-scale Star Wars game that can be released sooner than would have been possible with the open-world game.
It's been rough going for Star Wars games at EA, both in terms of this specific project and more broadly. Battlefront II had an extremely rough launch after players objected to the use of what was perceived as pay-to-win mechanics, which were ultimately pulled at the 11th hour, just before release.
As noted in EA's statement, the company does have Jedi Fallen Order in development at Respawn, the studio known for the Titanfall series. Little is known about the game, which stars a young Jedi Padawan after Order 66 is carried out in Revenge of the Sith. Respawn has multiple games set for release before the end of 2019, which could include both Jedi Fallen Order and Titanfall 3. It's also working on an unannounced VR game.
What the future holds for EA's Star Wars games is unclear, but the company does have a licensing agreement that gives it the exclusive rights to make Star Wars games on consoles. That deal runs until 2023.
Steve Carell is returning to TV for his first starring role since leaving The Office in 2011. What's more, he's doing it through a new collaboration with The Office executive producer Greg Daniels. The two have created a new Netflix series called Space Force, which Carell will star in. The idea of a space force was first proposed by President Trump in 2018.
Details on the new series are scarce, but a teaser released by the streaming service hints at this definitely being a comedy. "On June 18, 2018 the federal government announced the creation of a 6th major division of the United States armed forces," the video proclaims. "The goal of the new branch is 'to defend satellites from attack' and 'perform other space-related tasks' or something."
The series will follow the men and women tasked with creating the space force and figuring out what exactly it does. Outside of Carell, no other casting has been announced. It will be interesting to see if any of his former The Office comrades appear alongside him in the series.
At this point, there is no official release date for the project. However, chances are it'll debut on Netflix long before the actual real-life space force is established, which is expected to be sometime in 2020. Meanwhile, there's still no new word on whether or not that potential revival of The Office is going to happen.
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