Good news, Guardians: Destiny 2 now allows you to chase the Whisper of the Worm Exotic sniper rifle at any time. Gone are the days of waiting until the weekend rolled around to complete the steps necessary to access the hidden special mission, or to unlock one of the best guns in the game.
Bungie made the announcement on Twitter, revealing that The Whisper mission is now available on the moon Io any day of the week. The change is part of Update 2.1.4, which rebalances a ton of Supers and weapons throughout the game. The update also adds in The Draw, another Exotic weapon quest.
The Whisper quest only appeared in the game last summer, and it took the Destiny 2 community a while to discover what it was all about and how it worked. Used to be, from Friday to Sunday on any given week, you could access the quest by waiting for a particular public event to occur in the Lost Oasis area of Io. When the right event popped up, a special enemy would also appear, and killing it would open up a portal to the special mission.
From there, you had to complete a long, elaborate platforming puzzle, before engaging in some extremely tough battles with hordes of Taken enemies--all within a 20-minute time limit. The mission was difficult enough that most people required a team to complete it, but The Whisper was so super-secret that it didn't include matchmaking. Finishing the mission, though, granted you Whisper of the Worm, a powerful Exotic sniper rifle similar to Destiny 1's Black Spindle. The weapon has become a mainstay for players taking on big boss fights like the ones found in Destiny 2's raids.
With Bungie's latest change, The Whisper is available all week in Lost Oasis, and it can be activated from any public event in the region, which should drastically reduce wait times. The mission itself is still pretty tough, but removing the weekend requirement should make it a whole lot easier for Guardians to band together and finally unlock Whisper of the Worm if they've been waiting.
Fortnite's latest update adds the extra gear and bug fixes we've come to expect from Epic's regular updates, but one surprising addition comes after a long wait. The 7.30 update, which released just today across all platforms, finally adds bluetooth controller support on mobile devices.
Upon downloading the update, Android players will be able to use most Bluetooth gamepads and adapters including Steelseries Stratus XL, Gamevice, and Moto Gamepad. Players on iOS can use the MFi controllers like the Steelseries Nimbus and Gamevice. It also adds 60 Hz gameplay on some Android models, for those who want performance out of their mobile play.
Other additions in v7.30 include the chiller grenade and the return of the Solid Gold limited-time mode. The chiller grenade has a knock-back effect that makes enemies slide along the ground with icy shoes but be careful because it also affects your own teammates. The Solid Gold LTM makes every weapon drop Legendary quality, letting you more easily try out some new ones, and also provides more crafting materials.
Meanwhile, Epic also announced that it will be bringing back the NFL outfits just in time for Super Bowl weekend. In addition to the regular spate of outfits, two new variants are available to celebrate the competing teams, the New England Patriots and Los Angeles Rams. It's also adding a free Pigskin Toy to the shop, and an NFL Rumble limited-time mode.
Mobile v7.30
Mobile Controller support
Android: most of Bluetooth controller adapters, such as Steelseries Stratus XL, Gamevice, XBox1, Razer Raiju, and Moto Gamepad.
iOS: MFi controllers, such as Steelseries Nimbus and Gamevice.
Disabled phone vibration if a gamepad attached.
60Hz on select Android models
We are rolling out 60Hz support (to be enabled in settings) on select Android devices. We have been working with our partners on optimizations and are rolling this out initially on the following specific models.
Samsung Galaxy Note 9 (USA variant)
Huawei Honor View 20
Huawei Mate 20 X
Added audio visualization icons for vehicles and Balloons
Bug Fixes
Fixed an issue causes players to be unable to build multiple structure types while simultaneously holding down the build button and changing build types.
Fixed Harvesting Tool button no longer swaps back to the previously selected weapon
Fixed Multiple simultaneous button presses on mobile can disable the fire button
Fixed No padlock icon appears on the directional pad when locking with auto-run on mobile.
Fixed Several UI buttons having lower resolution than the other buttons.
Microsoft has kicked off a new sale on Xbox Live. This week, players will find discounts on nearly every installment in the Assassin's Creed series across Xbox One and Xbox 360, along with a selection of deals reserved exclusively for Xbox Live Gold subscribers.
On Xbox 360, both the original Assassin's Creed and Assassin's Creed Liberation HD--a home console port of the series' previously Vita-exclusive spin-off--are down to $8 each, while Assassin's Creed III is $10. Thanks to backwards compatibility, all three of these games are also playable on Xbox One.
In addition to the Assassin's Creed sale, Xbox Live Gold members can grab Destiny 2's well-received expansion, Forsaken, this week for $30. If you're more interested in sports games, FIFA 19 is on sale for $24, while NBA Live 19 is $10. The Madden NFL 19: Ultimate Super Bowl Edition is also discounted ahead of Super Bowl LIII; you can pick it up for $26.40.
We've rounded up a few other notable deals for Xbox One and Xbox 360 below; you can see the full list on Major Nelson's blog. All of these prices will be available until 3 AM PT / 6 AM ET on February 5. Xbox Live Gold members also have a little more time to grab this month's free titles, as the next bath of Games with Gold is set to arrive on February 1.
Along with Destiny 2's new Exotic weapon quest, The Draw, comes a big new update to the game that is likely to have some pretty sweeping changes for the Crucible, Destiny's competitive mode. The update rebalances basically all of the ultra-powerful Super abilities players use in the game, making some a little stronger and a few much less powerful.
Chief among the nerfs in Update 2.1.4 is the one to Nova Warp, one of the Supers added to the Warlock class with Destiny 2's big Forsaken expansion. The extremely powerful attack allowed players to fire off an explosion all around their bodies that vaporized anyone unlucky enough to get close. It was a Super that was tough to deal with when you were facing it down in the Crucible, seemingly lasting forever and absolutely destroying players at great distances.
Bungie has reeled in Nova Warp quite a bit, slowing down your movement speed while you're charging the explosion and increasing the energy cost of each charge, resulting in fewer explosions. Bungie also decreased the damage the attack can do to other players by 27% and dropped its duration by almost seven seconds.
Another big change is that to Blade Barrage, a Hunter Super that was also added with Forsaken. Blade Barrage does massive damage to both bosses and other players, sending out a blast of exploding knives in one direction that's difficult to avoid. After Update 2.1.4, damage from the initial impact of those knives has been greatly reduced, from 150 to 35--but the damage from the resulting explosion has been increased from 150 to 250. Meanwhile, the handy Exotic armor Shards of Galanor, which gives you Super energy based on how much damage you do with Blade Barrage, has been nerfed a bit so that you can only retrieve 75% of total Super energy at a time. That's down from the previous 90%.
There are a few changes to Supers that drastically increase their effectiveness, though. Hunter Golden Gun Supers are a lot more powerful and should be more useful both against boss enemies and in the Crucible. The Titan Super Burning Maul is also a lot stronger, dealing more damage and covering a wider radius.
The update also sees a bunch of changes to weapons, notably with scout rifles and sniper rifles getting damage increases that should help get them in players' rotations a bit more. There are a lot of other quality-of-life changes mixed into the update as well: read the full patch notes below.
Destiny 2 Update 2.1.4 Patch Notes
Super Tuning
Hunter: Gunslinger
Golden Gun Super
Increased damage to bosses by 40%
Includes Six-Shooter and Celestial Nighthawk
Golden Gun Six-Shooter
Base damage increased from 275 to 300 per shot
Kills now return a bullet to the Golden Gun's magazine
"Line 'Em Up" Perk
Doubled precision damage bonus per stack of the buff
"Practice Makes Perfect" Perk
Stack limit increased from 3 to 5
Super regen modifier increased by 20%
Blade Barrage Super
Impact damage decreased from 150 to 35
Explosion damage increased from 150 to 250
Now deals self-damage
Our goal for AoE supers of this type is that they incur self-damage when activated too close to a target. We consider Blade Barrage not causing self-damage a bug, which we are now addressing.
In other words, Hunters will know how Warlocks feel when they throw a Nova Bomb into a wall.
Fixed an issue in which Blade Barrage projectiles could track allies
Hunter: Nightstalker
Moebius Quiver
Tethered targets now have the full damage increase, rather than needing to be tethered by multiple Shadowshots
Additionally, the Shadowshot damage bonus to tethered targets was increased
Increased Moebius Quiver tether radius by 20%
Increased Moebius Quiver tether lifetime
Made it easier to fire successive Shadowshots
Developer Commentary: This is step one for Shadowshot, and we intend to keep improving the way it works. For this pass, we focused on Moebius Quiver quality of life. We plan to continue to make it more effective and globally relevant in the future.
Spectral Blades Super
Bonus damage resistance while in stealth decreased from 15% to 5%
While in Spectral Blades AND in stealth total damage resistance is 62%
Total Super duration while invisible decreased by 3.67 sec
Hunter: Arcstrider
Arc Staff Super
Heavy ranged and slam attack damage increased from 220 to 300
Heavy palm blast attack damage increased from 400 to 700
"Lethal Current" Perk
Bonus hit damage has been increased from 100 to 130
Raiden Flux (Exotic Armor)
Damage bonus decreased from 20% to 13.5%
This change keeps the bonus damage granted by this Exotic about the same. Because this is calculated on a scaler instead of a flat number, any big changes in base damage have a large effect on the Exotic.
Titan: Sunbreaker
Sunspots
Damage increased from 25 to 50 per tick
"Sun Warrior" Perk
Buff now increases ALL damage output from the Sunbreaker by 20% in PvP; 25% in PvE
Buff duration has been increased from 3 to 5 seconds
Burning Maul Super
Spin melee attack damage increased from 65 to 80 per hit
Slam detonation radius increased from 5 to 6 meters
Improved Slam attack projectile tracking
Titan: Sentinel
Sentinel Shield Super
Final melee combo hit damage increased from 300 to 390
Damage to PvE combatants increased by 17%
Titan: Striker
Fist of Havoc Super
Heavy slam attack (R2/RT) base damage decreased from 325 to 275
Damage to base, elite, and miniboss combatants increased by 7%
Damage to bosses increased by 23%
Damage to vehicles increased by 60%
"Terminal Velocity" Perk
Changed the way that bonus damage from this perk is granted
Added a third threshold tier based on how long you are in the air before impact
Arc damage hits per tier increased from 3 to 4
Tier 1 = 4 hits
Tier 2 = 8 hits
Tier 3 = 12 hits
Increased damage per Arc hit from 100 to 112
Code of the Juggernaut
Fist of Havoc shoulder charge energy cost reduced by 83%
"Trample" Perk
Can now trigger the energy return every 0.5 sec, up from 1 sec
Warlock: Voidwalker
Cataclysm Nova Bomb
Initial detonation damage increased from 900 to 1500
Detonation radius increased from 8 to 10 meters
Seeker projectile detonation damage increased from 205 to 300
Improved seeker projectile turning radius and homing to make it more consistent to use against bosses/single targets
Fixed an issue where seeker projectiles could be prematurely detonated
Vortex Nova Bomb
Initial detonation damage increased from 900 to 1200
Linger volume damage increased from 10 to 23 per tick
Nova Warp Super
Slightly slowed movement while charging
Charging costs more energy
Initial charge cost (each time you trigger your super) increased by 60%
Sustained drain cost (holding) increased by 60%
Duration decreased by 6.8 seconds
Decreased Super damage resistance from 56% to 54%
Damage against Guardians decreased by 27%
Warlock: Dawnblade
Daybreak Super
Increased damage against minor, major, and miniboss combatants by 43%
Increased duration by 3 seconds
Warlock: Stormcaller
Stormtrance Super
Increased chain lightning maximum target count by 1
Weapons Tuning
Auto Rifles
Increased base damage on rapid fire by 9%
Increased base damage on high-impact Auto Rifles by 5%
Increased base damage on adaptive Auto Rifles by 6%
Scout Rifles
Increased base damage on lightweight Scout Rifles by 5%
Increased base damage on rapid-fire Scout Rifles by 6%
Increased all Scout Rifle PvE damage by 10%
Sniper Rifles
Increased base damage of rapid-fire Sniper Rifles by 8%
You can two-shot to the body to defeat other Guardians in PvP
Grenade Launchers
Tweaked Grenade Launcher projectiles to feel more consistent on direct hits
Proximity Grenades can no longer impact directly (prevents Special ammo Grenade Launchers from one-shotting with the perk active)
Increased ammo reserve size of Special ammo Grenade Launchers
Increased initial spawn ammo in PvE for Special ammo Grenade Launchers
Bows
Made the effect of draw time from bow string perks more noticeable (High Tension String, Flexible String, Elastic String, and Polymer String)
The accuracy stat from High Tension String was increased from 10 to 15 to better compensate for the slower draw time
KNOWN ISSUE: The tooltip for High Tension String was not updated to show the larger accuracy increase; this will be addressed in a future update
Legend of Acrius
Range increased by 0.5 m
PvE damage increased by 50%
Telesto
Reduced base damage of each bolt from by 19%
Increased optics stat from 15 to 20 to be comparable with other Fusion Rifles with scope perks
PvE damage increased by 30%
Trace Rifles
Trace Rifles now gain additional ammo when picking up Special ammo
Reduced damage output of Wavesplitter against Guardians
Reduced by 19% on medium-damage mode
Reduced by 27% on high-damage mode
Adjustments were made to keep the damage output the same in PvE activities
Exotic Armor
Tuned energy values on Shards of Galanor to accompany changes to the Blade Barrage Super
Reduced maximum energy return from 90% to 75% of the total Super
Now only returns energy on the knife impacts
Reduced energy return on Gwisin Vest from 10% to 7% of the total Super
Miscellaneous
Abilities
Fixed an issue where players could retain Super energy for Chaos Reach even when being suppressed mid-Super
Fixed an issue where players could equip Celestial Nighthawk mid-Super to partially benefit from "Hawkeye Hack" perk when using the Six-Shooter subclass
Weapons
Fixed an issue where the arrows the Spiteful Fang left lodged in targets did not match the arrows it fired
Fixed an issue where Anarchy's trap detonation was not dealing damage if the owner had died
Fixed an issue where the Auto-Loading Holster perk was not reloading the magazine in some circumstances
Fixed an issue where the muzzle blast and spent shell effects had become misaligned on the Suros Regime and its ornaments
Fixed an issue where the No Feelings Scout Rifle had incorrect stats when Masterworked
Fixed an issue where the Tempered Dynamo Fusion Rifle wasn't playing all of its charge-up audio on consoles
Crucible
Breakthrough
Fixed an issue where deploying the Breaker or hacking the Vault exactly as time expired could end the round in an incorrect state
Heavy Ammo Tuning
Competitive
Control
Initial timers stay the same
Increased respawn timer for Heavy ammo (was 45 seconds, now 120 seconds)
Clash
Initial timers stay the same
Increased respawn timer for Heavy ammo (was 45 seconds, now 120 seconds)
Survival
Initial timers stay the same
Increased respawn timer for Heavy ammo (was 45 seconds, now 60 seconds)
Rotators:
Showdown
Initial timers stay the same
Increased respawn timer for Heavy ammo (was 30 seconds, now 60 seconds)
Rumble:
Initial timers stay the same
Increased respawn timer for Heavy ammo (was 60 seconds, now 120 seconds)
Ammo Counts (All Modes)
Reduce Heavy crate ammo for Machine Guns
Redrix's Broadsword Quest:
Valor Rank Resets:
The Valor rank resets step will now look at previous seasons accomplishments as well.
Five Valor resets are still required during a single season, but this is no longer restricted to the current season. Ex: If a player had five Valor resets in Season 4, this will now grant progress towards the quest.
Completion Inconsistencies
Fixed various issues where the quest was not progressing to the pickup step until a player re-entered orbit.
Crucible Ranks
Enhancement Cores
Fixed an issue that prevented Enhancement Cores from being awarded when reaching Legend in Valor and Glory ranks
Activities
Raids
Scourge of the Past
Fixed an issue where players could initiate damage phases for the boss encounter too early
Fixed an issue where the "Like a Diamond" Flawless Triumph was not being rewarded properly
Black Armory and Forges
Fixed an issue where players were not being properly credited when consuming keys for the Mysterious Box quest.
Players already affected by this issue will be awarded credit for the keys they've used the next time they log in.
It is still possible, on rare occasions, for players to use a key and not complete the objective. When this happens, returning to orbit should resolve this issue.
Forge emblems are now awarded from forge completions, rather than forge-specific bounty completions
Modulus Reports and Ballistics Logs will now go to the postmaster if lost; cap on Modulus Reports remains at 15 per account
When hunting for high-value targets on Nessus for the "Siviks's Delivery Note" quest step, all players who damage the enemy will be given credit toward the kill
Players can no longer purchase weapon frames if the Pursuits bucket is full
Black Armory lore drops have been increased to 20% (up from 10%), and successful forge completions are now required to earn the reward
Weapon Frame Updates:
Ballistics Logs no longer removed at reset
Ballistics Logs increased cap to five per character
Ritual Frame quests carried across reset now "refund" into purchased currency
"Gold" frames refunded into one Ballistics Log
"Silver" frames refunded into three Modulus Reports
Any instance of a "Radiant Matrix" removed on weekly reset
Players should stop experiencing frames "missing" from Ada's inventory on a week-to-week basis
Players may still only purchase up to two "Gold" frames per week
All Nessus Fallen Captain high-value targets around the Exodus Black will now spawn correctly
Public Events
Whispers on Io now occur more frequently
General
Fixed an issue where the Fastidious Miser Triumph was not properly unlocking for players
Fixed an issue there the Veterans of the Hunt emblem was using the wrong art
Fixed an issue where the Knife Flip emote did not properly loop
Eververse
Fixed an issue where the Summer's Altar and Jupiter Midnight Sparrows shared the same appearance
Fixed an issue where the "Visions of Iron Bundle" and the "Form Given Function Bundle" did not show the correct message if players did not own proper DLC entitlements for purchase
Satou and Rassmussen Ghost Projections now have the correct imagery
Each week brings a shuffling of content to Destiny 2, and this week that includes the new Exotic weapon quest to reclaim the Destiny 1 hand cannon, The Last Word. The Ascendant Challenge, on the other hand, is not actually new--we're actually back to the fourth week of the cycle of challenges. But whether you've done it before or not, there's good reason to give it a shot, as Powerful gear awaits you as a reward. Here's where to go and what to do to complete the current Ascendant Challenge.
Before you try to tackle the Ascendant Challenge, the same requirements as always hold true; most notably, you need a Tincture of Queensfoil. This is a consumable item that you'll happen upon while playing in the Dreaming City, although you can also buy them. Using a Tincture gives you the Ascendance buff, which allows you to see a Taken portal. It's this portal you must go through to complete the Ascendant Challenge. Along with a Tincture, you have to grab the Ascendant Challenge bounty from Petra in the Dreaming City; it's through this that you actually get your Powerful gear.
For the current challenge, the portal is located in Rheasilvia. In the northeast corner, head inside a building and go straight as far as you can. Turn right, and then go left in the next area to reach Harbinger's Seclude. Go up a set of stairs and out the doorway on the right. Head straight through this area, through another doorway, and continue straight in the next zone. At the end of a bridge you'll see a statue covered in Taken Blight balls; platform your way up the objects around it and you'll be able to go through the portal on top of its head. Check out the video above for a walkthrough. If you struggle to get up, take out your ghost and you'll see some invisible platforms just off the slide of the area that can help you get up.
Going through the portal transports you to the Keep of Honed Edges in the Ascendant Plane. Platform your way across a series of rocks and you'll find an area with three knights who are immune to damage. Kill all of the other enemies and the barrier protecting a sword will go away, allowing you to pick up the relic.
At this point, more enemies spawn in and one knight will begin attacking you. Kill the knight, and the other two will join the fray along with additional enemies. Take them all out, and you'll again have to platform across a series of rocks, now with enemies to make things more challenging. There is debris moving through the area, and at least certain things you step on will disappear after a short period of time, so make sure not to linger. Make your way toward a platform with a large blue object on it to complete the challenge.
As in previous weeks, the chest you receive at the end of the Ascendant Challenge isn't anything special. But the bounty you get from Petra offers Powerful gear for completing it; this can help to boost your Power level, so ensuring you have the bounty is essential.
Meanwhile, The Draw quest for The Last Word should keep players busy for a bit. It also represents a step forward in one of the biggest, most interesting running stories in all of Destiny lore--check out our lore catch-up guide for everything you need to know about the famous gun, its famous wielder, and what's going on with the Drifter in Destiny's next season.
DC's streaming service DC Universe launched back in September, offering fans a mix of movies, TV shows, and comic books. It has now been announced that the service will be expanding its curated comic collection, more than doubling the number of titles on there over the next few months.
DC has confirmed that the current selection will be joined by thousands of titles, including some classic adventures from Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman. Among the latest additions are much-loved collections such as Batman: Hush, Batman: Year One, Gotham Central, Flashpoint, Infinite Crisis, Static Shock, and Superman: For All Season. There will also thousands of single issues representing the vast scope of DC's comic output, from classic adventures from the '80s to more recent New 52 and DC Rebirth stories.
In a statement, Sam Ades, senior vice president and general manager of DC Digital Services, said: "When launching DC Universe, we knew the comic reader was an area that we wanted to expand and provide more choice. Fans want a place to discover new titles and the opportunity to enjoy full arcs of iconic and notable storylines from start to finish. We are listening to fans and responding with an expanded comic book offering that improves the overall DC Universe experience."
The first batch of titles has been released today, January 29. It includes Batman Incorporated, Justice League: Darkseid War, The Omega Men, Superman: For All Seasons, Wonder Woman, and Alan Moore's classic run of Swamp Thing. They will be joined over the coming weeks by titles such as Forever Evil, Superman: Secret Origin, Midnighter & Apollo, Hawkworld, Batman: Year One, and Grant Morrison's Animal Man arc. DC Universe costs $7.99 per month or $74.99 annually.
In related news, the live-action Doom Patrol show is set to hit DC Universe on February 15. Check out the latest trailer.
Unless you're comfortable with people discreetly listening in on your most private conversations (it's okay, I talk about the movie Face Off with my cat, too), you should disable FaceTime right now on any supported devices. A newly discovered bug impacting iOS devices, including iPhones, allows someone to call another user through FaceTime and force it to begin transmitting the call receiver's audio--all without them potentially even being aware.
As originally reported by 9to5Mac, the process involves you initiating a FaceTime call and then adding yourself to the call again. Due to the bug, this causes the other person's device to effectively answer the call so that you can hear audio from their end. This has been confirmed by numerous other sources, and it's reportedly possible that--if the call receiver presses the Power button--video is transmitted, too.
Apple has acknowledged the bug and says a fix is coming later this week. In the meantime, it's disabled Group FaceTime functionality, which is seemingly to blame for the issues, although 9to5Mac says it's still possible to take advantage of the exploit.
Disabling FaceTime is relatively easy, as you simply need to go into your device's FaceTime settings and turn it off. If you do need step-by-step instructions, CNET has put together a guide on how to turn off FaceTime on both iOS and Mac devices.
In case you missed the NFL Outfits in Fortnite the last time around, Epic is bringing them back in celebration of the Super Bowl, along with a few new football-themed goodies. The special skins were only available for a limited time before, and that will likely be the case again, so grab them while you can.
According to the announcement, the sportswear will be available in the store starting on Friday, February 1 at 4 PM PT / 7 PM ET. It also says you can find two more outfit styles, with special white uniforms for the Patriots and Rams. Plus, starting on Saturday, February 2 at 4 PM PT / 7 PM ET, you can visit the store to get a free Pigskin Toy.
Also to mark the occasion, you can take part in a new NFL Rumble limited-time mode. This puts you on a team of 20 in Patriots or Rams outfits, battling for the win and a trophy. Or Epic says you can just head over to Pleasant Park for a game of catch.
The last time NFL outfits were available was in November for four days. That was a short window, but this one may be even shorter. The jerseys cost 1,500 V-Bucks ($15) the last time around, and let you customize with your own number and variants like Strong Guard, End Zone, Gridiron, and Spike.
Of course, the fan base found creative and clever ways to poke fun at the NFL through the outfits, with players sporting jerseys to lambaste controversial athletes like Michael Vick and Aaron Hernandez.
This announcement comes alongside a new Fortnite patch just released today that adds a chiller grenade, a new 'Solid Gold' limited-time mode, and mobile controller support.
We may be headed into the shortest month of the year, but that doesn't mean that February will be short on offerings from Amazon Prime Video. Starting February 1, Amazon is unloading plenty of movies and television series for you to check out, and some of these movies date all the way back to the 1920s.
As far as familiar fare goes, all three Matrix movies will release on February 1, along with both Wayne's World movies. So you can take the red pill and watch Keanu Reeves beat people up and enter "bullet time" or take the blue pill and watch Wayne Campbell go see the band Crucial Taunt play. The choice is yours.
On the TV side of things, the third season of the Syfy series The Expanse comes to the service on February 8. It is one of the best new series to come to the network in years, so we highly recommend catching up on that.
Finally, later in the month, you can watch the remake of Death Wish starring Bruce Willis. It is a pretty bad movie, but a fun watch regardless. Below, you'll find the full list of what's coming to Amazon Prime Video for the month of February. Also, check out what's coming to Netflix and Hulu next month as well.
Coming To Amazon Prime Video In February
February 1
TV
*Agatha Christie Presents: ABC Murders (Prime Original series), Season 1
It's a bit later in the month than we're accustomed to learning about Games With Gold, but Microsoft has finally shared the list of games that Xbox Live Gold members can expect to receive for free in February 2019. As always, there are a total of four games split evenly across Xbox One and Xbox 360.
On Xbox One, the month starts out with Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon, a classic Castlevania-style action game released just last year; it serves as a spin-off from the upcoming Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night. It's available for the entire month of February. From February 16 to March 15, you'll also be able to grab 2017's Super Bomberman R, an action game where you try to corner opponents with bombs in a maze. It's best played with friends.
Xbox 360's first title of the month is Assassin's Creed Rogue, an oft-overlooked entry in the series that was originally only released on last-gen platforms just as Assassin's Creed Unity arrived for current-gen systems. It'll be replaced on February 16 by Star Wars Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy, a well-received action game for the original Xbox, rather than Xbox 360. It's available until the end of the month.
Both Rogue and Jedi Academy are playable on Xbox One through backwards compatibility, giving that system a total of four freebies in February. If you haven't already grabbed January's Games With Gold, you can still claim some of them before the month ends; one of them, WRC 6 FIA World Rally Championship, will be available until mid-February. The full February schedule follows below.
February 2019 Games With Gold
Xbox One
Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon (Feb. 1-28)
Super Bomberman R (Feb. 1-Mar. 15)
WRC 6 FIA World Rally Championship (Jan. 16-Feb. 15)
Pokemon Go's big Hoenn celebration event is coming to an end, and a new Legendary Pokemon is set to debut soon afterward. Niantic has announced that Palkia, the cover monster from Pokemon Pearl, will begin appearing in Raid Battles today, January 29, at 1 PM PT / 4 PM ET.
As usual, in order to catch Palkia, you'll first need to team up with other players in-person, then visit a Gym that's hosting a Palkia Raid and battle it. If your party manages to defeat the Legendary Pokemon, you'll be rewarded with a handful of Premiere Balls and an opportunity to capture it.
Although it may not look it, Palkia is a dual Water- and Dragon-type, which means it only takes neutral damage from Ice attacks, one of a Dragon Pokemon's biggest weaknesses. Your best bet is to battle it using other Dragon-types, such as Dragonite and Rayquaza--although The Pokemon Company warns that Palkia will always know a Dragon-type Fast Attack of its own. You can read more details on the official Pokemon website.
Palkia will appear as a Raid Boss until February 28, giving you about a month to capture it. It is also the fourth Gen 4 Legendary Pokemon to appear in Pokemon Go thus far, following Giratina, Cresselia, and Heatran.
Niantic hasn't announced when other Gen 4 Legendaries will debut in Pokemon Go, but the developer had previously teased the Lake trio--Azelf, Uxie, and Mesprit--in a promotional image for the game's recent winter event, suggesting they may also be on the way soon.
In addition to Palkia's arrival, Pokemon Go players have the game's next Community Day to look forward to soon. The event takes place on Saturday, February 16, and will feature another Gen 2 Pokemon: the Ice/Ground-type Swinub.
Metacritic has released its 2019 Game Publisher Rankings, providing a look at the best the industry had to offer last year from a different angle than individual games. Capcom took the top prize, with an average Metascore of 79.3 across all of its games released last year.
The publisher rankings are actually divided into two categories. The first consists of big publishers that released 12 or more distinct titles throughout the year. The second group, labeled "mid-size" publishers, released between 5-11 games. Publishers who released four or fewer weren't listed at all. The formula takes into account average Metascore, the percent of scored products with "good" (75 and above) and "bad" (49 and below) reviews, and the number of games with "great" (90 and above) reviews, with point values attached to each.
After crunching the numbers, Capcom came out on top. It had 83% good games and only 17% so-so ones, and no bad ones. Its best-scoring game was Monster Hunter World at an average metascore of 90, which helped boost it from the fifth place last year. Its worst-reviewed game was Mega Man X Legacy Collection 2, which we noted in our own review was the weaker half of the full package.
Sega came in second place with an average score of 78.5 led by Sonic Mania Plus, followed by EA at 77.5 led by FIFA 19. Those were both improvements over last year, when Sega came in third place and EA didn't make the list at all. Nintendo wasn't so lucky, though, falling from second place in 2017 to fourth. Ubisoft rose from sixth place to fifth.
Due to its number of releases, gaming giant Activision Blizzard falls in the mid-size publisher of these rankings, where it came in the first. It was followed by Paradox Interactive and 505 Games. In a surprising twist, the publisher behind the best-reviewed game of the year, Red Dead Redemption 2, came all the way in fourth place for the mid-tier. Its points were weighed down somewhat by some so-so releases along with Carnival Games for Switch, which reviewed poorly.
You can read below for the top ten listings in both categories, and hop over to GameSpot's sister site Metacritic for all the detailed data.
Nintendo Switch's new system software update, version 7.0.0, is out now. However, the patch changes surprisingly little, despite the important-sounding version number.
The update adds Chinese and Korean language support to the home screen and introduces new user icons themed around New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe. Aside from these features, version 7.0.0 merely includes "general system stability improvements to enhance the user's experience."
New Super Mario Bros. U is the most recent big exclusive to launch for the Switch, so perhaps it's unsurprising for Nintendo to include content around that game in its system updates. We awarded the platformer a 7/10 in our New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe review.
"Despite its aging formula, New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe is still a great entry in the series, with its typically tight platforming and both accessibility and depth to spare," we said. "While it can feel a bit stale for those who have been round the Mushroom Kingdom one too many times before, Deluxe is well worth playing, especially if you didn't get a chance to play NSMBU on Wii U."
It's almost February, and that means there are a whole bunch of new movies and television series coming to Hulu. Finally, you and your significant other can snuggle up on the couch together and enjoy some new programming on this upcoming Valentine's Day.
But what romantic movies are available to set the mood? Well, you could start the evening off yelling "Get over here," as you cuddle up to the sweet sounds of martial arts warfare with 1995's Mortal Kombat. And if that's not enough, you can always witness the premature death of Johnny Cage in 1997's Mortal Kombat Annihilation. Either way, you and your significant other will greatly enjoy these movies.
February actually has plenty of fantastic new movies coming to Hulu. Get your White Russian fix with the cult classic The Big Lebowski from 1998 or watch a young Ben Affleck try to paddle people's butts in 1993's Dazed and Confused. Also, both Wayne's World movies are coming to Hulu as well, but I will warn you: the Aurora, Illinois the film takes place in is nothing like the real Aurora, IL.
Sadly, there are plenty of movies leaving the service as well, so this will be your last chance to check these films out: Apollo 13, Beetlejuice, and all the Lethal Weapon movies. I implore you to watch all the saxophone-loaded Lethal Weapon movies before they leave Hulu. They are wonderful.
Below, you'll find the full list of everything coming to Hulu and leaving for the month of February. And again, please watch the Lethal Weapon movies before they leave. For more on streaming services, check out everything new to Netflix in February.
What is coming to Hulu in February:
Available February 1
Into The Dark: Down: Episode 5 Premiere (Hulu Original)
Record of Grancrest War: Complete Season 1 (Aniplex)
Production continues on The Mandalorian, the upcoming live-action Star Wars TV show, and another image has been released from the set. Like previous behind-the-scenes pictures, it comes via showrunner Jon Favreau, and reveals a character that will be familiar to fans of the franchise.
The image was posted by Favreau on Instagram and shows R5-D4, the astromech that Luke Skywalker and his uncle Owen initially buy from the Jawas in the original 1977 movie. As fans will recall, the R5 suffered a malfunction, so Owen took R2-D2 instead. Check it out below.
This image follows one that Favreau posted last month of another famous Star Wars droid--The Empire Strikes Back's iconic bounty hunter IG-88. The Mandalorian is set between the events of Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens, and it has been rumored that it might also feature fellow bounty hunter Bossk.
The full cast for the show was announced in December. The lead role will be played by Pedro Pascal (Narcos), and there are also roles for Gina Carano (Deadpool), Giancarlo Esposito (Breaking Bad), Emily Swallow (Supernatural), Carl Weathers (Predator), Omid Abtahi (American Gods), Werner Herzog (Grizzly Man), and Nick Nolte (Affliction). The series follows Pascal's character, a lone gunfighter on the run from the law of the New Republic.
The show will launch on Disney+, the studio's upcoming subscription-based streaming service. Another season of the animated The Clone Wars is also scheduled to come to the service, and there is another live-action Star Wars show, this time focusing on the Rogue One character Cassian Andor, in development.
Toy Story 4 is due this summer, and so far all we've seen of the new film are short teaser-trailers. The first one featured a new character named Forky, and the latest reveals the return of Bo Peep, Woody's love interest who was missing-in-action in the last film.
The teaser shows Bo popping through a background followed by the declaration "Bo's Back!" It doesn't shed much light on what she's been up to, but she has a totally different look, having lost the frilly dress and now clad in a jumpsuit.
"Bo's taken control of her own destiny," director Josh Cooley said in the announcement. "While Woody was watching Andy grow up, Bo gathered dust until she took it upon herself to head out into the world. And when Woody shows up, they can't believe that they've found each other again."
The character was only briefly touched on in Toy Story 3, when Woody mentioned her absence as one of the signs of changing times as the gang has watched Andy grow up. That movie showed the Toy Story gang seeing Andy off to college, and being passed on to a new child named Bonnie. Her playtime with Woody, Buzz, Jessie, and the rest has been the focal point in subsequent shorts.
We've known Bo would be appearing again in some capacity thanks to cast listings, but this is our first look at the character since Toy Story 2. Toy Story 4 is coming on June 21, 2019. Check out everything we know for more details.
The release of the star-studded, big budget remake of The Mummy in 2017 was supposed to kickstart an entire interconnected monster movie universe. But the movie was a critical and commercial failure, and the so-called Dark Universe was quickly abandoned by Universal. However, it has now been reported that The Invisible Man, one of the properties that was previously in development, has been resurrected by the studio.
According to Variety, the Invisible Man man reboot will be directed and written by Leigh Whannell, who most recently directed the sci-fi action movie Upgrade, as well as co-creating the Saw franchise. The movie is set to be produced Jason Blum, whose Blumhouse Films also produced Upgrade, plus horror hits such as The Purge, Get Out, and Insidious.
The site states that the film is part of a "fresh strategy" for Universal's classic monster properties, utilising fresh, distinctive creative teams for the individual titles. Blumhouse is known for its modest budgets, so it is highly unlikely that The Invisible Man will cost anywhere near as much as The Mummy. There is currently no release date set for the movie. Johnny Depp, who was initially attached to star in the Dark Universe film of The Invisible Man, is reportedly no longer connected to the new version.
Dark Universe was launched in May 2017, but by November that year it was reported that the entire thing was dead. The second movie in the series was set to be The Bride of Frankenstein, but that was indefinitely delayed, and soon after franchise producers Alex Kurtzman and Chris Morgan quit.
In a statement at the time, Universal president of production Peter Cramer said, "We've learned many lessons throughout the creative process on Dark Universe so far, and we are viewing these titles as filmmaker-driven vehicles, each with their own distinct vision. We are not rushing to meet a release date and will move forward with these films when we feel they are the best versions of themselves."
Epic Games continues to iterate on its hit battle royale game Fortnite, and today is no different with the release of update 7.30 for PS4, Xbox One, PC, Switch, iOS, and Android. The patch adds a new item named the chiller grenade, a new 'Solid Gold' limited-time mode, and controller support for mobile players; read on for the full patch notes.
The chiller grenade knocks enemies back, causing them to slide along the ground. Be warned, though: it also affects teammates and vehicles, and will cause them to slip around with icy feet or wheels for seven seconds. Chiller grenades can be found in common rarities only inside vending machines and as floor loot; they drop in stacks of three with a max stack size of six. Fortnite's latest LTM, meanwhile, is Solid Gold, a game mode where all weapon spawns are legendary, with increased material gathering.
Update 7.30's final big feature is the much-anticipated addition of controller support for mobile players, as well as the introduction of 60 Hz gameplay on select Android models. Most Bluetooth gamepads can be used with Android phones, while iOS players can use MFi controller brands such as Gamevice and Steelseries.
The Solid Gold LTM works as it has in the past, ensuring every weapon drop is of Legendary quality--a good opportunity to get your hands on those high-end items and try them out. You'll also receive extra materials when gathering, also making it easier to build.
Take a look at the full patch notes below, via Epic Games. Separate from this, Epic has confirmed the return of Fortnite's NFL skins, just in time for the Super Bowl.
Fortnite Update 7.30 Patch Notes
Battle Royale
LTM: Solid Gold
Summary
All things that glitter are gold in this Limited Time Mode! All weapon spawns are Legendary with increased material gathering. Drop in now and earn that Victory Royale.
Mode Details
All weapon drops are Legendary.
Increased amount of materials received from gathering.
Weapons And Items
Chiller Grenade
The Chiller Grenade will knock players back, causing them to slide along the ground.
Allies, enemies, and vehicles hit with the Chiller Grenade will slip around with icy feet/wheels for a duration of 7 seconds.
Drops in stacks of 3.
Max stack size of 6.
Common rarity.
Can be found from Floor Loot and Vending Machines.
Cozy Campfire - Updated Visuals
We've updated the visual effects of Cozy Campfires to more clearly indicate when a campfire is in use or burnt out.
Vaulted
Bolt-action Sniper Rifle
Burst Rifle
Heavy Shotgun
SMG
Common, Uncommon, and Rare
Unvaulted
Suppressed SMG
Common, Uncommon, and Rare
Reduced the drop chance of Dual Pistol from floor loot from 2.24% to 1.38%.
Bug Fixes
Balloons no longer collide with vehicles.
This resolves an issue where vehicles could be damaged when using Balloons while on a vehicle.
Gameplay
Memory and networking optimization for Apples and Mushrooms.
Added unique vehicle specific messages in the feed when players are eliminated or downed.
Edit Delay
Re-enabled client-side editing improvements.
These were turned off in 7.20 due to an input bug they were causing.
Fixed Boogie Bombs not affecting players that are wearing the Sneaky Snowman when struck on exposed legs/feet.
Fixed Sneaky Snowman's last charge breaking away right after applying if another Sneaky Snowman is present in a different inventory slot.
Fixed an issue where the glider would auto-deploy closer to the ground than expected when holding glider redeploy from the bus.
Fixed the X-4 Stormwing's health bar occasionally not displaying.
Fixed an issue where players could get stuck in a Sneaky Snowman if it landed next to them.
Increased the amount of materials gained from looting Chests and Floor Loot from 20 to 30.
Increased the number of materials received from Supply Drops from 40 to 60.
Bug Fixes
Aim assist now targets enemies on vehicles rather than the base of the vehicles they're occupying.
Quickly switching to Traps then weapons on gamepads no longer causes players to shoot or swing pickaxes.
Supply Drop balloons now take environmental damage, including damage from explosives or biplanes gun.
Fixed instances of a free wall piece showing as placeable but not building.
Fixed player cameras from becoming distorted when another player enters a Zipline.
Fixed an issue where the magnet on the Zipline could be invisible on use.
Fixed an issue where boost visual effects could appear while operating a vehicle near a Zipline.
Players can now properly progress through and complete the Week 4 "Use an X-4 Stormwing plane in different matches" Challenge.
Screens no longer shake uncontrollably after after walking on icy surfaces.
Players will no longer lose the ability to turn the X-4 Stormwing after hitting terrain/structures.
Playground
The Guided Missile has been removed from Playgrounds.
Removed the Spiky Stadium Supply Drop.
This will remove the ability to loot the Spiky Stadium as well as Impulse Grenades.
This was done due to an issue that was sending players back to the Lobby.
Events
New Tournament Added: Architect Pop-Up Cup (Solo, Duo, and Squads)
Settings from previous Pop-Up Cup tournaments still apply to this tournament.
Within this mode, player built structures can now be edited by any player, regardless of team status.
This is an experiment that we'd like to try out in this testing environment, but aren't quite sure of the full impact. We'd love to hear feedback from your experiences playing with this change.
Tournaments may now feature leaderboards for each event session, highlighting top performers.
Participating in tournaments now requires a minimum account level of 10.
Performance
Bug Fixes
Smoothed out drops in framerate that could happen with large changes in view direction and rendered character counts.
Audio
Added a fuse sound to the Grenade.
Bug Fixes
Fixed emote music overlapping with lobby music depending on the way volume sliders were configured.
UI
Show total party eliminations on the HUD if your team wins.
Added additional models to the "Cycle Models" list when viewing Wraps in the Battle Pass or Item Shop.
The party colors have been restored to Blue, Red, Purple, and Yellow. To distinguish players in LTMs like Food Fight.
There are new icons for non-squad teammates and the opponent icons on the minimap.
Rotating the camera on the Battle Bus no longer has an oscillating/swimming effect on the minimap.
Fixed an issue in the Net Debug UI that would cause it to show a ping value that was too high.
Bug Fixes
Fixed issue where weapons were not equipping when double-clicking in the inventory after swapping their quickbar slots.
Fix an issue where teammates scores would not be displayed.
Fixed incorrect elimination count information occurring in large team modes.
Fixed player sorting order in the player reporting UI.
Fixed an issue where some of the leaderboard UI could sometimes blink repeatedly.
Fixed an issue where the 'Spectator' button in the Player Reporting menu would only select the first player you spectated.
Fixed an issue where the playlist selection screen could sometimes show an incorrect selection after leaving a party.
Fixed a display issue with the item pick-up prompt that would sometimes occur after opening an ammo box.
Fix lobby preview lengths of Pumpernickel, Running Man, Dance Therapy, and Hot Marat emotes.
Art And Animation
Celebrate Super Bowl LIII with new Los Angeles Rams and New England Patriots uniforms added to the Fourth Down Outfit set. Drop in and represent your favorite team!
All players who previously purchased the Fourth Down set will be granted these variants.
Replay
Bug Fixes
Fixed weapon animations playing twice for each shot fired in replays.
Fixed an issue where camera/lens settings could display incorrect initial values.
Fixed an issue where attempting to play an out of date replay selects another replay.
Fixed players appearing jittery while using Ziplines in replays.
Fixed Boombox music not playing when watching replays.
Social
The Streamer Mode setting has been replaced with two separate settings:
Anonymous Mode
This will display your name as "Anonymous" to all players that are not in your squad.
Your account info will still be attached to reports submitted by other players using the Player Reporting feature.
Hide Other Player Names
This will display all other player names as "Player" unless they are in your squad.
Neither of these settings will be functional when playing in a Tournament match.
Bug Fixes
Party Invite Notifications will now appear when in the Game Mode select screen. Accepting the invite from the notification will take you to the proper game mode and join the party.
Fixed an issue that could cause some party members to fail to matchmake with a "Version Mismatch" error if a party member joined, readied up, and matchmaking was started in rapid succession.
Mobile
Mobile Controller support
Android: most of Bluetooth controller adapters, such as Steelseries Stratus XL, Gamevice, XBox1, Razer Raiju, and Moto Gamepad.
iOS: MFi controllers, such as Steelseries Nimbus and Gamevice.
Disabled phone vibration if a gamepad attached.
60Hz on select Android models
We are rolling out 60Hz support (to be enabled in settings) on select Android devices. We have been working with our partners on optimizations and are rolling this out initially on the following specific models.
Samsung Galaxy Note 9 (USA variant)
Huawei Honor View 20
Huawei Mate 20 X
Added audio visualization icons for vehicles and Balloons
Bug Fixes
Fixed an issue causes players to be unable to build multiple structure types while simultaneously holding down the build button and changing build types.
Fixed Harvesting Tool button no longer swaps back to the previously selected weapon
Fixed Multiple simultaneous button presses on mobile can disable the fire button
Fixed No padlock icon appears on the directional pad when locking with auto-run on mobile.
Fixed Several UI buttons having lower resolution than the other buttons.
Creative
Piano Keys + Music Blocks
Jam out in Creative! Become a musician with these two new additions and imagine your very own original tracks.
Arctic Base Prefabs
Imagine and create your own frozen wonderland with the newest Prefabs available in Creative mode.
Islands
Added an option to set edit permission per player on your Island.
Gameplay
New option to control respawn times.
Range 1 - 30 seconds.
New option added to end games.
The first team to reach a set number of eliminations wins.
Range 1 - 10 or Off.
New option added: "After Last Spawn Go To Team"
After running out of spawns in a game, you can now either become a spectator or be switched to a different team depending on the game's settings.
Range includes "Spectator" and "Team 1 - 16".
The Game Stats screen displayed after Creative games conclude now contains buttons for immediately restarting the game and restoring the Island.
Increased the speed that Islands load after a game.
Renamed "Game Modes" to "Score Preset" to better clarify what that option does.
When joining a game in progress, players are now put in spectator mode until the game ends.
Bug Fixes
Fixed a server crash that could occur when a prefab was despawned.
Fixed an out of memory server crash.
Fixed Storm damage not applying if the health mutator was set to invincible.
Creative mode games now properly set player orientation as well as location.
Fixed spawn direction to always face the same direction when spawning.
Fixed the Victory Royale animation when using Last Standing option.
Fixed the Victory Royale animation when using Last Standing option.
Fixed an issue where games would not end if a player was spectating.
Fixed an issue where joining players would occasionally be able to play a Creative game despite having exceeded respawn limits.
Fixed an issue where players would occasionally return to the Creative Hub in Spectate Mode.
Fixed an issue where players could go outside of the playspace of the Creative Hub.
Weapons + Items
Chiller Grenade added to Creative alongside its release to Battle Royale.
Removed Guided Missile.
Fixed the Wood Resource quantity to be consistent with the other material resources in the Creative Consumables screen.
Fixed an issue where the Six Shooter displayed incorrect rarity color in the Creative Weapons menu and game.
Fixed an issue where some Balloons would remain stuck in the air after being equipped.
Creative Tools And Phone
Added a drop indicator when holding copied prefab assets or props in the sky, to better predict drop placement.
Bug Fixes
Fixed cases where players had Creative permissions on Islands they did not own or have rights to.
Fixed an issue where sections of a prefab would disappear and reappear when copying with the Phone tool.
Fixed an issue where the Phone tool would occasionally disappear upon ending a game on a Creative island.
Prefabs
Added 6 Arctic Base Prefabs.
Added Arctic Base Galleries
Added a new Piano Key Gallery.
Added a Music Blocks Gallery.
Added an Ambient Gallery, which offers 8 color variance of Torches, Glow Sticks and Spotlights
Added a Challenge Gallery, which are new elements that disappear when ran through by the player. More functionality coming in future updates.
Added Random Chest and Ammo Box Gallery.
Spawn rates use the latest Battle Royale loot rates.
Added Windmill to the Farmstead Gallery.
Added additional Winter Village Building Color Gallery.
Added a Challenge Gallery, which are new props that disappear when ran through by the player. More functionality coming in future updates.
Torches now cast light with shadow casting disabled.
Devices
New Starting Inventory Device added,
Allows you to choose what players start within their inventory during games. Works just like the Item
Spawner except items are not spawned but added to the player's inventory at the start of games.
Assign a team to the device to give items to a specific team only.
New Barrier Zone added.
This is a zone you can place that creates collision barriers that prevent players from moving past them.
New Movement Modulator added.
Allows you to change the speed of a player or vehicle
Speed options are Super Slow, Very Slow, Slow, Normal, Fast, Very Fast, Super Fast
You can set a duration in seconds 3, 5, 10, 20, 30, 60, 120.
When an Item Spawner has finished spawning all of its items during a game, its visual effects turn off to indicate it's dormant.
Bug Fixes
Fixed an issue causing Item Spawners to stop spawning new items if the item it spawned was combined with a nearby pickup of the same type.
Removed extraneous stats from vehicle spawner devices.
Sentries will no longer reload infinitely when running out of their range.
Duplicate Sentry has been removed from Traps.
Fixed the Christmas Tree that was appearing in prefabs that would shrink when grabbed by the Phone.
Fixed an issue with the Ice Cliffs were they would lose collision when grabbed by the Phone.
Fixed an issue with the Elimination Zone where the visual effects would not rotate with the trap.
Fixed an issue where the Elimination Zone displayed an incorrect mesh upon placement.
Fixed an issue where the Elimination Zone visual effects were not displayed correctly when the boundary limit was changed.
Fixed an issue with the Elimination Zone where the boundary settings would occasionally return to default.
Fixed an issue where players could not attach the Elimination Zone to walls.
Fixed an issue where players with invincibility settings were not affected by the Elimination Zone.
Fixed an issue where players who were down-but-not-out were unaffected by the Elimination Zone.
Fixed an issue where traps were not destroyed after harvesting the floor underneath them.
Fixed an issue where the effects from the Ice Block trap would trigger before players stepped onto the tile.
Fixed an issue where adjacent Sentries were destroyed when damaging one with a Sniper Rifle in a Creative game.
Fixed an issue where the lantern from the Lucky Landing Gallery would fall through the map when attempting to paste it in a Creative island.
Fixed an issue where the vines from the Nature Snow Gallery and the Nature Shrub Gallery would fall out of the map when attempting to paste them in a Creative island.
UI
Bug Fixes
Fixed an issue where elimination counts would not be correct for other teammates when playing in large team modes, Playgrounds, and Creative mode.
Fixed a crash related to Player Suggestions.
Fixed an additional potential input loss that could result from receiving a gift while viewing the Add Friends screen.
Fixed an issue where "Victory Royale" would occasionally fail to display at the end of a Creative game.
Fixed an issue where "Victory Royale" would occasionally be presented to the wrong player after a Creative game ends.
Fixed an issue where vehicles were displaying the damage stats of traps in the UI.
Fixed overlapping Seat Switch and Rotate buttons on the mobile platform.
Fixed an issue with a settings tooltip getting cut off screen.
Fixed an issue where mobile players did not have a dedicated button to fly downward, in Create mode.
Fixed an issue where players were prompted to 'edit' player built structures even though the setting to Block Building in Game was turned on.
Fixed an issue where players were shown build previews on player built structures though the Block Building in Game was turned on.
Performance
Optimized performance when using the Phone.
Fixed an issue where players would run into low frame rate and instability when placing a lot of torches, from the Castle prefab, in a small area.
Save The World
X-Ray Llamas
Quiet Please! I am seeing! Take a peek inside the new X-Ray Llamas.
Spectral Blade
Cleave through enemies...with a ghostly slash! Earn the Spectral Blade by completing this week's Frostnite Challenge.
Missions And Systems
Weekly Frostnite Challenge 5: Uncharted Territory
No maps or mini-maps.
Survive for 30 minutes three times to collect the Week 5 Challenge Banner.
Survive for 30 minutes to earn the Spectral Blade.
Available on January 30 at 7 PM Eastern Time.
Caches have been removed from Chests in Frostnite.
Bug Fixes
Increased the drop rate of quest items in the Canny Valley quest "Ray on a Rooftop".
"Liner Notes" and "Encore" quest items now also spawn in higher-difficulty theaters.
UI
X-Ray llamas have arrived!
Llamas in the X-Ray tab of the Item Shop will show all of their contents and upgrades without requiring a purchase.
X-Ray Llamas must be purchased one at a time.
X-Ray Llama contents will reset when the daily store refreshes.
Note: Choice packs will not appear in X-Ray Llamas.
New ammo icons in the inventory screen.
Updated the onboarding announcement popup to show a message informing players to bind any missing keybinds.
Updated the Repair the Shelter mission to only show the current health bar that is taking damage in the world instead of showing both the Shield and Shelter at the same time.
Shelters health bars are now visible from across the map.
Players can now craft certain items in bulk.
Bug Fixes
Fixed cases where players could get stuck at the end game screen when leaving a SSD mission in the middle of a game.
Fixed Ceiling Gas Trap damage numbers all appearing as critical hits after the first critical hit.
Fixed a layout issue on the "Add To Collection" confirmation dialog if there are a large number of recycled items being returned to the player.
Fixed a bug where players who were far away from the End of Match screen when the match ended would not see the screen correctly.
Fixed an issue where the Frostnite Exploration quest would not display a notification when the player completed the quest.
Fixed an issue where the Storm visual effects would not stop, even if the Storm Mission ended.
Allow Crafting Options dialog to craft Deliver The Bomb Tracks.
Fixed an issue that prevented Auto Slotting when leveling Survivors from the Survivor Inspect Screen.
Fixed the HUD vote timer not disappearing correctly in some situations.
Fixed an issue with scroll focus being lost when leveling an item in the collection book.
Fixed the details panel on the Llama reward summary to show the acquired amount of stackable rewards rather than the player's total amount.
Selecting a message on the Team Chat radial no longer opens the Menu when switching to the Team chat channel.
Fixed an issue allowing players to build through the Deliver the Bomb launcher.
Fixed an issue in the Deliver the Bomb mission which allowed enemies to walk through the Depot and Launcher.
Fixed an initial selection problem when entering the Perk Recombobulator using keyboard and mouse.
Performance
Bug Fixes
Fixed a hitch when navigating between Mission map nodes on the Mission Select map.
Heroes
Several Heroes from past events have been added to the Collection Book.
This update includes Heroes who were previously only available in the Event Store and some quest Heroes.
Heroes from the Event store and Quests can be slotted, but cannot be recycled. These Heroes will not consume inventory space on your account.
Bug Fixes
When taking damage from the Wild Rift, the character should now play the correct flinch animations.
Fixed an issue that caused the Ice King to have an incorrect pose in the lobby.
Fixed an incorrect tooltip with Lynx Kassandra
She is now properly classified as the Fleetfoot subclass with updated descriptions.
Fixed a bug where Lynx Kassandra was playing the wrong idle animation in the main menu.
Fixed an issue that granted players 30% building reduction instead of 20% with the perks Preplanning and Creative engineering.
Weapons And Items
Added Bulk Crafting.
Now multiple traps, ammo, and ingredients (Blast Powder and Duct Tape) can be crafted at the same time by selecting a quantity in the crafting interface.
These are crafted all at once, taking a single craft time to produce.
Players can also bulk craft Downtiered items
Added Grenade and Rocket launchers to the list of possible results for the Ranged Weapon Transform Key and the Weapon Transform Key.
This includes the Hydraulic and Scavenger Launchers).
The Jabberwocky Launcher has been added to the Weekly Store
Fires cannonballs that explode and break into three more explosive mini-cannonballs.
Available on January 30 at 7 PM Eastern Time until February 6 at 7 PM Eastern Time.
The Spectral Blade Sword will be available as a Frostnite Weekly Challenge reward.
Deals high sustained damage, with moderate impact.
Spectral Slash - Warp to the targeted enemy performing a spectral cleave, dealing heavy area damage which may stagger smaller enemies.
Leap Attack can now be used in the air and correctly interrupts basic attacks when used.
Bug Fixes
Fixed not being able to drop Remote Explosives that are out of ammo.
Items removed from the Collection Book will now grant PERK-UP & RE-PERK when recycled or reset.
Recycling or resetting Common/Uncommon/Rare schematics will only grant PERK-UP & RE-PERK from the perks that are actually available/visible on the item.
Hit Markers should no longer show up when shooting anything that cannot be damaged.
The Cozy Campfire Trap will now heal multiple players simultaneously.
The Tier 1 Dragon's Might Shotgun now shoots the correct projectiles.
Gameplay
All Players now receive a message when a Storm Chest has been discovered.
Storm lightning strikes will now damage objects they hit, instead of destroying them.
Patrol Wards now protect against Storm lightning strikes.
Bug Fixes
The Storm Shield now has the same transparency between all Save The World game modes.
Traps placed in the Storm Shield will now correctly store their durability when exiting and re-entering the Storm.
Prevented the camera from going below the water surface when looking downward.
When fighting the Storm King with a controller, the aim-assist will lean towards any weak spots, if able.
Art And Animation
The Tail of the Dragon Perk visuals has been updated for the trail of energy AOE that persist in the world.
Bug Fixes
Fixed Canny Valley undeployed telescopes changing to deployed visuals after being hit.
Fixed an issue with certain Rocket Launchers not showing explosions whenever hitting the ground in Frostnite.
Corrected an issue where some elemental Rocket Launchers were losing their muzzle flashes.
Social
Bug Fixes
Fixed an issue that caused players in other game modes to not be able to properly join a party through an invite.
Audio
Updated the Frontend Map sound
Storm and lightning now have sound.
Added more ambient sound for the Command, Heroes, and Armory tabs.
Bug Fixes
Music no longer restarts when switching tabs in the Item Shop.
Fixed an issue with the audio effects for the transformation of Lars' van playing twice.
Fixed audio temporarily cutting out after skipping intro cinematics.
General
Added notification sounds for matchmaking that can play even when the game is inactive or minimized. This can be configured under "Allow Background Audio" in the settings menu.
Bug Fixes
Adjusted the timing code for automatic weapons to reduce the effect that frame rates have on fire rates.
Fixed an issue where some car destruction visual effects were not rotated properly, causing the car's position to visibly jump once the car was destroyed.
Fixed an issue preventing building repair animations from fully playing in some cases when being damaged and repaired simultaneously.
The "leafy" particle effects no longer permanently remain on players after moving through corn fields.
Fixed an issue where some audio sources would be audible over shorter distances than other platforms.
Performance
Switch Optimization (Battle Royale + Creative)
Moved to a more efficient memory allocator on Switch; significantly reducing crashes due to out of memory.
Reduced hitches on Switch caused by garbage collection.
Improved level streaming performance on Switch, speeding up building load times.
Increased texture pool size on Switch by 100MB to reduce issues with blurry textures.
GPU performance improvements for Switch - improved screen resolution.
Doubled the limit for the number of cosmetics that can be displayed on the screen as we now have more free memory.
Mobile Optimizations (Battle Royale + Creative)
Enabled 60 FPS mode:
Samsung Galaxy Note 9 (USA variant)
Huawei Honor View 20
Huawei Mate 20 X
Enabled client-side prediction for high-end mobile devices in order to reduce networking/movement correction hitches.
The new Resident Evil 2 Remake for PS4, Xbox One, and PC is a huge hit. Capcom has announced that the game hit 3 million copies shipped worldwide in its first week.
Capcom also announced that the entire Resident Evil franchise has now pushed 88 million units shipped since the series debuted back in 1996. It also updated the sales performance for Resident Evil 7, confirming that it has reached 6 million copies shipped. Unsurprisingly, Resident Evil is Capcom's biggest franchise based on total units shipped.
For comparison, the 1998 original Resident Evil 2 reached 4.96 million in sales during its lifetime, so the new edition is already well on its way to hitting that mark. A big launch week for the remake was no surprise, as the game's unique "1-Shot Demo" picked up 4.7 million downloads.
Capcom has faith that the Resident Evil 2 remake will continue to sell well. The company said it believes that the remake can enjoy the kind of "long-term sales" that Resident Evil 7 did.
Looking ahead, Resident Evil 2's new Ghost Survivors DLC, which is free, launches on February 15. GameSpot's Resident Evil 2 review called it "a terrifying experience like no other."
"Resident Evil 2 is not only a stellar remake of the original, but it's also simply a strong horror game that delivers anxiety-inducing and grotesque situations, topping some of the series' finest entries," wrote critic Alessandro Fillari. "But above all, the remake is an impressive game for the fact that it goes all-in on the pure survival horror experience, confidently embracing its horrifying tone and rarely letting up until the story's conclusion."
A fictional beer from the Breaking Bad universe might be tapped for a real-life promotion.
Sony Pictures Television, the production company behind Vince Gilligan's celebrated crime drama, has filed a handful of trademark applications that suggest some kind of real version of the character Hank Schrader's in-universe home-made beer, Schraderbrau, may be produced in real life.
Put together, it would appear that Sony is trying to continue to make money off the popularity of Breaking Bad by bringing its fictional beer--and related merchandise--to the real world in some capacity. The wacky and wonderful Schraderbrau logo can be seen in Breaking Bad S2 Episode 5, and we sure do hope this makes it into whatever real beer Sony may be creating.
In another Breaking Bad episode, Hank says Schraderbrau is "home-brewed to silky perfection," but that's as close as we ever got to finding out what kind of beer it is. Its light colour suggests it may be a pilsner, but this is only a guess. At another point we see Hank bottling his brew in his garage, and some bottles explode because they became over-carbonated.
Breaking Bad premiered in January 2008, so last year marked its 10th anniversary. The show earned numerous awards, and it ended in 2013 after five seasons. A Breaking Bad movie is currently in development, and Aaron Paul might be coming back to play Jesse Pinkman again.
Would you be interested in sipping some Schraderbrau? Let us know in the comments below!
It looks like Star Wars: Episode XI is coming along. Actor Anthony Daniels, who plays C-3PO, tweeted that Monday, January 28, was his final day on set for the big-budget sci-fi film.
"I'll miss everyone, but I'm glad to know that we've been making something exceptional together, to share with the waiting world," Daniels wrote, giving nothing away about the story. It's not immediately clear if other actors have finished filming their scenes as well.
As Entertainment Weekly reminds us, Daniels has appeared in every live-action Star Wars movie to date, including the spin-off Solo: A Star Wars Story, in which he played a different character.
Today was 3PO's last on Episode IX. He's sad - so am I. But we're so proud to have worked with such a lovely, talented cast & crew lead by J.J. & Kathy. I'll miss everyone but I'm glad to know that we've been making something exceptional together, to share with the waiting world.
Episode IX, which doesn't have a title or a trailer yet, 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, while some of the other newcomers include Keri Russell and Richard E. Grant, among others. It is purely speculation, but the Super Bowl often hosts big movie trailers, so fans might have something to look forward to on February 3 during the big game.
Update: Monday's problems were resolved before the end of the day, but following the release of Fortnite's new patch today, players are again encountering issues when trying to get online. Specifically, many are receiving an error informing them they don't have permission to play Fortnite. In a tweet, Epic states, "We're investigating issues that players are experiencing when attempting to use Epic Games services. We're working on a fix and will keep you updated." The Fortnite server status page is slightly more specific, mentioning "an issue with logins" that may keep some people from being able to play. We'll report back with any further updates the company shares. The original story follows.
Online services issues are afflicting Fortnite players, apparently making it impossible to login to the game. As many took to Twitter to voice their frustrations, developer Epic Games acknowledged the problem and said it was working on a solution.
Many players seem to be dealing with an error message when trying to enter Fortnite, but judging from the ongoing discussion on social media, many who were already logged into the game already are continuing to play. But those trying to sign on are encountering trouble at the title screen, which claims some users don't have permission to play the game. The trouble seems to be affecting all versions of the game.
According to Epic Games' online services status page, game services, logins, and the Epic Games Store website are all suffering a "major outage" as of this writing. "We have identified an issue with logins and some players may have trouble connecting to Epic Games services," Epic wrote on the page. "We will keep you updated as we work towards a resolution."
We're aware that players are experiencing issues when attempting to use Epic Games services. We're currently working on a resolution and will keep you updated.
Other portions of the online service, like forums, friend lists, and in-game matchmaking, are still operational, the page reports.
The outage is particularly frustrating for anybody working to complete Ice Storm challenges during the timed Fortnite event. Ice Storm was officially scheduled to end overnight at 1 a.m. PT / 4 a.m. ET / 9 a.m. GMT on January 29, when scheduled maintenance would add update 7.30 to the game. Epic hadn't said how long it intended the update to last, but it looks like it will add the Chiller Grenade to the game once it's complete.
Ubisoft has announced the full patch notes for the upcoming February update for Rainbow Six: Siege. The Y3S4.2 Patch will launch first for PC on February 5, before also coming to consoles on February 6.
This new update is primarily geared at rebalancing Operators based on how often they're picked and their win rate. Each Operator's performance after the last update is outline in a blog post on Siege's main website. Currently, Caveira has too high a win rate, and Ubisoft said it's getting reports of people referring to her as "frustrating to play against." She's receiving fairly large changes as a result, with a decrease to her damage output and an increase to the amount of recoil she has to deal with.
Clash is also getting some rather drastic changes. Ubisoft is "not satisfied" with the Operator, as the adjustments made to her in the last update did little to improve her underperformance. Thus, Clash is being further buffed, with the fire rate of her signature weapon increasing to full auto. This, along with a few other changes, should make Clash a more viable option for players, as they are designed to make her strong enough to hold out on her own until her teammates arrive to assist.
Kaid, Rook, Nomad, and Doc are all also being rebalanced as well, but their changes aren't quite as severe as Caveira and Clash. The patch also implements a long slew of bug fixes across several Operators, two multiplayer modes, general gameplay, and the user experience. These changes are outlined below.
Rainbow Six Siege Y3S4.2 Patch Notes
Balancing
Caveira
Luison
Damage decreased to 65 (from 99).
Adjustments to damage falloff to align with other pistols for consistency.
Reduced magazine size to 12 (from 15).
Increased recoil to make chaining shots at long-range more challenging.
Increased hipfire spread to reduce the viability of spamming non-ADS shots.
Clash
SPSMG9
Upgrade to full-automatic fire mode from 2-round burst fire mode.
Updated recoil to align with other full-auto weapons.
Increase total ammunition at 161 (from 121)
Increased damage to 33 (from 30).
Kaid
AUG A3
Increase ADS speed by 33% to align with other SMGs.
Doc And Rook
MP5
Decrease max damage to 27 (from 30).
Nomad
Yellow light on Nomad's Airjab will now blink during activation delay.
Bug Fixes
Gameplay
FIXED - Visual graphics glitch that impairs player sight. (Also known as the "Bird Box" glitch)
FIXED – The shield collision box is not synced properly when the player looks up and down.
FIXED – On Bomb, counter defuser will instantly appear in operators' hands instead of playing counter defuser animation
FIXED – Missing frames on crouch replays on end of round replay and death cam replay.
FIXED – Defusing at the last moment will not stop the round timer and prevents the round from ending.
FIXED – The holographic sight reticle thickness.
FIXED – Players can become immune to Stun/Flashbang effects after being stunned multiple times in Hunt.
FIXED – Recruit operator has Fuze's default green ballistic shield skin instead of a black shield skin.
Game Mode
Terrorist Hunt
FIXED - Users in a PVE squad session can be stuck in an infinite loading screen after voting to retry.
Custom
FIXED – In Pick and Ban, if player votes 'No ban' for the first ban, the 'No ban' option is automatically selected in the second ban-round.
FIXED – In Custom matches, the Operator art remains grayed out when 'Change Operator' button is pressed during 6th pick.
FIXED – In Custom matches, players cannot re-pick their previous Operator selection during 6th pick.
FIXED – In Custom matches, when the Attacker's Unique Spawn option is set to off, the Attacker's tactical map may have missing or displaced icons.
FIXED – In Custom matches, when a player leaves after spawn location vote, their vote count text remains.
FIXED – Players who are Clearance Level 5+ can't create a Custom Online game when in a squad with users who have a CL less than 5.
Operators
Nomad
FIXED – Drone collision issues with Nomad's Airjab when deployed on any surface.
FIXED - Fire damage from any environmental map sources will not destroy Nomad's Airjab.
FIXED – Nomad's Airjab does not deploy on some types of debris.
FIXED – Certain gadgets are not destroyed even when Nomad's Airjab pushes an Operator through them.
FIXED – Mute's jammer can cause incorrect Airjab detonation behavior.
FIXED – One of Nomad's VO lines does not play properly during Airjab detonation.
FIXED – When Nomad deploys an Airjab inside a smoke grenade, she can sometimes gain vision inside the smoke grenade's area of effect.
FIXED – Nomad's Airjabs can sometimes be activated and destroyed at the same time.
FIXED – The yellow laser on Nomad's Airjab will shift left when the unequip animation is interrupted.
Alibi
FIXED – Alibi's Prisma will not activate when dropped by Alibi after being pushed-back by Nomad's Airjab
Kaid
FIXED - Addressed recoil differences of Kaid's TCSG12 with mouse vs controller input.
FIXED - A round remains in the chamber while performing a full reload of Kaid's TCSG12.
FIXED – Lesion's Gu Mine will deploy in electrical barbed wire if deployed before or at the same time Electroclaw activates.
FIXED - The Electroclaw visual zone effect disappears after being deployed when switching operators in Support mode.
FIXED – Gadgets will still remain electrified by Kaid's Electroclaw even after destroying the barbed wire on which the gadget was originally deployed.
FIXED – Some parts of Kaid's uniform clips with the player's camera when prone against a wall.
FIXED – The AOE effect indicator for Kaid's Electroclaw is missing or is smaller while the gadget redeploys itself after falling off from a deployable shield.
Level Design
FIXED – Some walls do not respond properly to destruction after being hit in the same spot repeatedly.
Fortress
FIXED – Sound propagation issues in Kitchen / Central Stairs on Fortress.
FIXED – Operators bodies clip through the wall of 1F Kitchen on Fortress.
FIXED – Operator bodies can clip through a box on 1F Hammam.
FIXED – Floating debris when destroying ceiling surfaces in 2F Bathroom.
FIXED – Players sometimes pass through the indestructible separator walls of 1F Courtyard on Fortress when activating Nomad's Airjab from a certain angle
Coastline
FIXED – Players can vault through the floor to 2F Bathroom on Coastline.
Chalet
FIXED – When placing Fuze's Cluster charges on the floor above certain metal beams, the pellets will detonate but will not deal damage to the environment or the players.
FIXED – Certain ceilings on Chalet don't destruct properly due to horizontal pillars blocking explosions.
Kanal
FIXED – Players sometimes clip through wooden walls of Kanal.
User Experience
FIXED – Ranked match summary displays the individual MMR earned from the match, and not the Player's current total MMR.
FIXED – Players sometimes receive a [2-0x00009008] Game Full error in Casual matchmaking.
FIXED – Voice chat audio continues to transmit even when alt-tabbed out of the client.
FIXED – Erroneous menu UI visual effects when using a controller.
FIXED – Menu UI tabs sometimes overlap when using two different inputs.
FIXED - Two observation tool key binding popups still erroneously popup on first boot for new players.
FIXED - Scrollbar overlaps the end of the details list for seasonal weapons.
FIXED - Incorrect compass location is displayed when drones are close to the ceiling.
FIXED – Players can duplicate weapon skins between two weapons.
FIXED – 2D visual corruption when vaulting over any thin objects.
FIXED – VFX issue with Reflex sigh on Spetsnaz attachments.
FIXED – FNP9 Pistol Iron sight not centered properly.
FIXED – Killcam replay moves sporadically when an operator dies from a thrown C4.
FIXED – Kaid and Nomad's default headgear is misnamed.
FIXED – The "Canadian Trenches" Uniform for Frost has a clipping issue around the chest area.
FIXED – Glaz's Elite Uniforms & Headgears have missing titles on the Operator screen.
FIXED – Headgears are not arranged by order in player's inventory.
FIXED – Sorting charms by price leads to an alphabetical sort in the shop.
FIXED – The Vigil Chibi Charm visual effects missing around the sides of his mask
NetEase Games, the gaming division of Chinese internet giant NetEase, has made another investment in a prominent game developer. After pouring $100 million into Bungie to make non-Destiny games, the company has now acquired a minority stake in David Cage's Quantic Dream. The value of the investment was not disclosed in dollar or percentage terms.
In a statement, NetEase said Quantic Dream--the French developer behind games like Heavy Rain, Beyond: Two Souls, and Detroit: Become Human--will continue to operate independently. Cage, along with Quantic Dream's other boss, Guillaume de Foundaumiere, will remain in control of the studio. The money will go to "further the development and distribution of global online games."
"This strategic investment aims to support the studio's vision of becoming a global, multi-franchise entertainment company, and to develop advanced technologies and games for the future," NetEase said.
"The landscape of the gaming industry will go through major evolutions in the coming years, with new hardware to come, new business models to explore and new ways of playing to invent," Cage said in a statement. "We want Quantic Dream to take a key role in this exciting future and having NetEase by our side as a strategic partner will allow us to expand our creative vision and develop the company to its fullest potential. NetEase understands what Quantic is about as they share our passion for high quality games and our ambitions for the studio."
NetEase is also one of Blizzard's most notable partners. Blizzard works with NetEase on localised versions of World of Warcraft, Overwatch, and Diablo III for China. In July, NetEase invested $50 million into Improbable, and one part of the deal was that NetEase would develop games using Improbable's SpatialOS tech.
Quantic Dream's most recent game, Detroit: Become Human, was released in May 2018. The PlayStation 4-exclusive title was generally well-received and it set sales records.
While Quantic Dream, which is privately owned, has worked exclusively with Sony for its past three games, it remains to be see if that will be true going forward.
The studio found itself at the center of controversy in 2018 when multiple French media outlets worked together to bring forward claims that Quantic Dream was a toxic place to work. Quantic Dream denied all of the allegations, which also included harassment.
As we steadily approach February, there's no shortage of entertainment to consume in the month of Black History. In an effort to support black entertainment, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures has announced that Ryan Coogler's Black Panther will return to the big screen for one week.
The news comes via Twitter, where the official Walt Disney Company Twitter account confirmed that the Academy Award-nominated and Screen Actors Guild Awards (SAG) winner will begin playing in theatres starting February 1. Tickets will be free and two showtimes will be available each day at 250 participating AMC theatres.
In addition to supporting Black History Month, the Walt Disney Company has announced that it'll donate a $1.5 million grant to the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) to help minority students access and move through college. According to the press release, UNCF is the nation's largest and most effective minority education organization who, for 75 years, has helped support "students' education and development through scholarships and other programs, strengthens its 37 member colleges and universities, and advocates for the importance of minority education and college readiness."
Black Panther stars Chadwick Boseman (Get On Up, Gods of Egypt) in the titular role of T'Challa/Black Panther, who becomes the king of the African nation of Wakanda after his father T'Chaka (played by John Kani) is killed in the Russo brothers' Captain America: Civil War. As T'Challa rises to the throne, N'Jadaka/Erik "Killmonger" Stevens (played by Michael B. Jordan) takes this as an opportunity to compete for control of the nation. What follows is a rivalry over who's more deserving of the title of king.
In our Black Panther review, we called the film "a top tier Marvel movie with all the humor, style, action, passion, and fun that the MCU has come to embody," calling it "a cultural event that's going to be hard for Marvel to top, no matter how many worlds Thanos conquers later this year in Infinity War."
You can view where Black Panther will be playing here.
Halo Infinite developer 343 Industries has made a new hire, and it's for what sounds like a completely new role. Justin Robey, a 17-year Microsoft veteran who worked as a Software Test Engineer and then a Senior Producer for nearly two decades is now the "Director of Player Voice" at 343. In his new role, Robey will communicate and work with members of the Halo community so that their "voice" is heard by developers throughout the production process.
"This new role is about working with you, the player, to have an active voice throughout the development, launch, and lifetime of Halo Infinite. Let's rock this together," he said in a tweet.
Not that it's much of a surprise, but the hiring of Robey in the new Director of Player Voice role seemingly confirms that Halo Infinite will use the games-as-a-service model similar to previous Halo games and titles from the wider industry in general.
It surely sounds like good news that Microsoft believes in engaging with the community so much that it created a new position dedicated to it. Halo boss Bonnie Ross recently admitted that 343 had made "mistakes" after taking over for Bungie on Halo's ongoing development. One of those was surely elements of Halo: The Master Chief Collection, which had a rocky launch, but has since not only stabilised, but improved in a serious, significant, and highly enjoyable way.
Halo's overall community director, Brian Jarrard, also congratulated Robey on joining the 343 team for Halo Infinite. He added, "When the voice of the players is heard and acted on, we all win!" Halo franchise manager Frank O'Connor commented on Robey's hiring as well, saying--in his own way--that just because Microsoft wants to hear your voice doesn't mean the company will deliver on every request that comes in.
I am excited to announce that I have joined the 343 team as their new Director of Player Voice. This new role is about working with you, the player, to have an active voice throughout the development, launch, and lifetime of @Halo Infinite. Let's rock this journey together! pic.twitter.com/f3DTD2BJ3C
Welcome aboard! We're excited to partner w/ Robey to connect the community directly into the development team. When the voice of the players is heard and acted on, we all win! https://t.co/mjWLeZiK2t
ProTip: You'll be heard loud and clear as long as you're polite and descriptive. Doesn't mean you'll definitely get a pony for Christmas, and remember that not everyone wants a pony, despite how many pony posts are in the thread and that the definition of a pony is contextual. https://t.co/ZO9HtGNx0n
Of all the major PC games coming out in February, three will not be sold on Steam. Instead, they're launching on other PC game stores.
These aren't small titles either. 4A Games' Metro Exodus, BioWare's Anthem, and Sumo Digital's Crackdown 3 all won't be available on Steam. For PC, Metro is releasing on the Epic Games Store, while Anthem is launching on EA's Origin, and Crackdown 3 is releasing on Microsoft's Windows Store. It's a trend that will continue throughout 2019. Although February's Far Cry New Dawn is releasing on Steam, another big Ubisoft game--March's The Division 2--left Valve's store and is now scheduled to launch on Epic.
Steam hasn't been totally left out in February. The store is still getting the aforementioned Far Cry New Dawn, as well as Jump Force, but it's clear the overall landscape of PC gaming is changing. Steam has held a fairly large monopoly on the PC gaming market for the past decade, but developers' decision to create their own stores has created unprecedented competition.
Although alternate PC game stores have existed for a while, it really wasn't until late 2018, and the announcement of the Epic Store, that Steam found itself losing high-profile launches. Epic offers developers a more lucrative split of the profits they might make off of their games--especially if the title is made with Unreal Engine. Other than Metro Exodus and The Division 2, Epic also has the exclusive rights to the PC versions of Journey, Ashen, Hades, the final two episodes of The Walking Dead: The Final Season, and several other games as well. Epic has also changed its refund policy to match Steam's.
As you might assume, Valve isn't happy to see plenty of high profile games leave its store. The company described the decision for 4A Games to take Metro Exodus off of Steam and put it onto Epic as "unfair" for Steam's customers, and one made by the game's publisher without Valve's knowledge beforehand.
Anyone who's previously pre-ordered Metro Exodus on Steam will still be able to play on the platform, but future orders must be done through Epic. That said, the PC version of Metro Exodus is only $50 USD on Epic, as opposed to the previous $60 on Steam.
Maybe you recognize him from the Nintendo Nindies Showcases. Maybe you could've sworn you saw his face at E3 one year. Maybe you saw him on that one episode of the Kinda Funny Gamescast. Either way, Nintendo's senior manager of publisher and developer relations, Damon Baker, has announced he's jumping ship. Moving from Nintendo to Microsoft, Baker announced via Twitter that he's "pursuing a new opportunity."
According to a later Twitter post, Baker confirmed he's now the Head of Portfolio for Xbox. As stated by Gamasutra, Baker's new role at Xbox is similar to the one he held at Nintendo, which will now see him "working to further Xbox's efforts with external developers."
Before taking the new role over at Xbox, Baker, a self-described indie advocate, spent the last 12-plus years supporting "the 3rd party business as an advocate for their amazing work," he wrote in a statement. "Your support for great content has helped define this generation of platforms and realize the dreams of many."
Baker played a pivotal role at Nintendo through his tenure, most notably as one of the many curators for the indie push during the Nintendo Switch's 2017 launch. Since then, he's gone on to host a number of Nindies Showcases.
Becoming Xbox's head of portfolio means Baker will play a bigger role in evaluating all second- and third-party content on the platform with the help of ID@Xbox director Chris Charla, Xbox Games Marketing general manager Aaron Greenberg, and Xbox head Phil Spencer. "I am both humbled and proud to be in proximity of that magic," Baker wrote in his farewell statement. "...Thanks again for your support of awesome games and the people who make them!"
There are a bunch of items and resources in Resident Evil 2 that are completely optional, such as hip pouches that expand your inventory space or ammo for some of your most powerful guns. These are typically hidden inside safes or lockers with letter dial locks. You can find the combinations for these either in memos or even scribbled somewhere on a wall.
Whether you're playing as Leon or Claire, the solutions remain the same and can be accessed without grabbing the memo that hints at their solution. The only exception to this are the items you grab by developing film rolls--though, there is a minor exception even to that. Regardless, below you can find details on all the optional items locked behind safes, lockers, or hidden in the environment.
There are two safes in the RPD--one in the West Office and the other in the Waiting Room. Both yield valuable resources well worth grabbing. We won't spoil what's inside each here (spoiler: they're all useful items), but we will reveal how to open them. The safe solutions are found in memos scattered around the building, which we've detailed the locations of for all of you completionists out there.
West Office (RPD 1F)
The West Office safe's combination is as follows: 9 Left, 15 Right, 7 Left. If you're curious where to find the memo containing this solution, you can find it in Captain Wesker's office in the S.T.A.R.S. Office on the second floor.
Waiting Room (RPD 2F)
The Waiting Room safe's combination is as follows: 6 Left, 2 Right, 11 Left. If you're inclined to grab the memo associated with this safe, you can find it in the Observation Room on the first floor.
Dial Locks
There are three lockers in the game that are sealed by letter dial locks. Each hold valuable ammunition for your more powerful guns that you don't wanna miss.
Shower Room (RPD 2F)
The Shower Room's dial lock combination is CAP. Interestingly enough, you can find this solution written on a whiteboard in the connecting room between the Operations Room and the Records Room on the first floor.
West Hallway (RPD 3F)
This locker is located in a hallway you can reach by getting to the third floor from the western side. It's right beside the broken wall and the mannequin shadow. The dial lock combination is DCM. This is the only film roll item that doesn't require you to first develop the film to get (more on this later).
Control Room (Upper Sewers)
The Control Room locker is located in the Upper Sewers by a desk. The dial lock combination is SZF. If you're curious where this solution was found, it was on a Jazz festival flyer found in the Workers' Break Room.
Film Roll Items
Other optional items don't show up until you've developed a film roll with photographs that point you to their locations. Whenever you find a roll, develop it in the Dark Room on the western side of the police station. The resources you gain by completing these are typically more lucrative, so try to set aside time to complete these item hunts.
Commemorative Photo
This film roll is interesting in that it doesn't point you to the location of resources; rather, it points you to an item you can use to gain some valuable stuff. Located in the Safety Deposit Room, grab the film roll by keying in the proper code to unlock the locker its sealed in. Though, you're by no means required to develop the film roll to get the items its photograph hints towards, but it does help direct you towards what you need to do
When you develop the film roll in the Dark Room, it reveals a photo of a statue found in the Art Room. Before you go there, you'll need to grab the Red Book in the Library by the door with the Spade insignia on the second floor. Once you've got this, head back to the Art Room, grab the stone arm beside the statue and combine it with the Red Book. Then take the arm and insert it back into the statue to unlock the scepter from its right hand.
Examine the scepter to obtain the Red Jewel. This goes into the Bejeweled Box, which you can get in the Interrogation Room. Accessing this area requires the Club Key, so if you don't have that yet, keep progressing the story until you get it. Once you've got the Bejeweled Box, combine it with the Red Jewel to get the S.T.A.R.S. badge. You can use this item in two locations: the Underground Stairs in the Middle section of the Underground Facility, and the S.T.A.R.S. Office.
The badge serves as a key to unlock the white holding case holding the gun parts for either Leon's Magnum or Claire's Sub-machine Gun in the Underground Stairs. These are good to grab, as you'll be following up to use the badge in the S.T.A.R.S. Office to get the weapons themselves. But before you combine the badge with the computer tower, examine the badge's backing to reveal a hidden USB. This can then be used to open the armory.
Hiding Place Photo
This film roll is found in the Work Room in the Upper section of the Sewers; you'll see it in-between a cardboard box and tool kit on a small table. Develop the roll in the Dark Room back at the RPD to reveal a photograph showing you two locations--that you might recognize if you've got a keen eye.
The first photograph points to Captain Wesker's desk in the S.T.A.R.S. Office on the second floor. Open the drawer to get a wooden box containing a gun part.
The second photograph points to a boombox found in the Press Room on the RPD's first floor. Open the drawer to nab the treasure.
Pocket Safes
The RPD's Safety Deposit Room is packed with useful resources, but not all of them are accessible at first. To get everything in those pesky electronically sealed lockers, you'll need to get two replacement keypad keys. These can be found inside Pocket Safes scattered throughout the police station. To open a Pocket Safe, simply examine it and then input the correct button pattern. This require a little bit of trial and error to find out, but keep at it and you'll unlock it in no time. Below you can find details on where each Pocket Safe is located.
Shower Room
You're likely to find this Pocket Safe first. It's located in the Shower Room on the second floor of the RPD. When you enter the room, turn right and you'll see it on top of a shelf beside some lockers.
Linen Room
The second Pocket Safe is found in the Linen Room on the second floor. You won't be able to open this room without the Diamond Key, so if you don't have the means to access it, simply progress the story until you do.
The Super Bowl is as much an event because of the ads as the game, since so many companies go over the top with the commercials airing during the year's most coveted TV time. But just because someone spends a lot of money to make an ad doesn't mean it's going to be very good. Case in point: The Stella Artois ad teased last week that sees Jeff Bridges reprise his role as The Dude from The Big Lebowski.
The Stella ad, which is now up on YouTube ahead of Sunday's game, hinges on the idea of The Dude changing up his usual drink order. Throughout the Coen Brothers' 1998 movie, the stoner detective drinks White Russians--but in the Stella ad, he changes his order and goes for the Belgian pilsner.
He's not the only one. The Dude is joined by Carrie Bradshaw, Sarah Jessica Parker's iconic character from Sex and the City, who is known for drinking Cosmopolitans but switches things up in the ad. The change for the two characters shocks surrounding waitstaff so much, they drop several people's dinners onto the ground. It's not an especially good ad, seeing as neither Parker nor Bridges have good lines despite the fact both characters were birthed by comedies.
At least the ad is pushing a good cause as well as beer, though. The final moments of the commercial makes a very brief reference to a larger campaign Stella Artois is running, #PourItForward, which is defined by the idea of making social change as well as changes to drink orders. "Watch what happens when Carrie Bradshaw and The Dude change up the usual," the YouTube description of the ad reads. "If every pour of Stella Artois can help provide access to clean water for someone in need, why choose anything else? Join Carrie and The Dude as they choose to change up the usual and do good." As our sister site CNET notes, the #PourItForward campaign is a partnership with Water.org; for every Stella Artois purchased between now and March 31, Stella is donating a month of clean water access to someone who doesn't have it.
But somewhat disappointingly, that the tease for the ad Bridges tweeted is not some indication of more substantive content featuring The Dude coming down the pipe. There may yet be a little more of The Big Lebowski, though. John Turturro, who played bowling sex offender Jesus Quintana in the movie, apparently wrote and directed a spin-off film about the character called Going Places a few years ago--so while it doesn't seem there's more of The Dude on the horizon, there may yet still be something related to The Big Lebowski waiting in the future.
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