For St. Patrick's Day, we're giving away a free "A Day With Pikachu" Figurine to one (1) lucky winner! (Scroll down to enter below).
This is not an instant win. No purchase necessary. Competition ends at 12:00 PM PT on March 17, 2019, in which 1 winner will be chosen at random. The winner will be mailed the Pikachu figurine (MSRP: $15.00).
NO PURCHASE OR WIRELESS DEVICE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. A PURCHASE WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING. OPEN TO LEGAL RESIDENTS OF THE UNITED STATES, WHO ARE AT LEAST 18 YEARS OLD OR AGE OF MAJORITY, WHICHEVER IS OLDER IN THEIR STATE OF RESIDENCE, AT DATE OF ENTRY INTO SWEEPSTAKES. VOID IN ALL U.S. TERRITORIES AND POSSESSIONS AND WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. IF YOU ARE ACCESSING THIS SWEEPSTAKES VIA YOUR WIRELESS DEVICE, DATA RATES MAY APPLY.
Administrator & Sponsor: GameSpot, a Division of CBS Interactive, Inc. ("CBSI"), 235 Second Street, San Francisco, California 94105.
Prize Provider: TriplePoint, 595 Market Street, STE 1340, San Francisco CA 94105
Sweepstakes Entities: CBSI and TriplePoint.
THIS SWEEPSTAKES IS NOT SPONSORED, ENDORSED OR ADMINISTERED BY INSTAGRAM.
1. Acceptance of Rules. By entering the "A Day With Pikachu" Figurine Giveaway (the "Sweepstakes") operated on the CBSI page on the Instagram social web site accessible at the domain "instagram.com/GameSpot" (the "CBSI Service"), you hereby accept and agree to these official rules (the "Official Rules") of this Sweepstakes and the decisions of the Administrator in connection with this Sweepstakes, whose decisions are final.
No purchase, entry fee or use of wireless device is necessary to enter or win. If you are a wireless service subscriber and have a smartphone, tablet or other wireless device that allows you access to the Internet, you may also enter the Sweepstakes via any of those devices during the Promotion Period (as defined below). If you chose to access this Sweepstakes via any of those wireless devices, you may be charged data rates according to the Terms and Conditions of the Service Agreement with your wireless carrier.
2. Eligibility. This Sweepstakes is offered and open to persons who are: (a) Registered Users (as defined below); (b) legal residents of the United States; and (c) at least 18 years old or age of majority, whichever is older in their state of residence, at the date of entry in this Sweepstakes. For purposes of these Official Rules, "Registered User(s)" means a person who has successfully completed the registration form, obtained a user identification, an associated password on the social website Instagram and follows GameSpot (@gamespot). There is no fee associated with becoming a Registered User. Employees, directors, and the immediate family members of the Sweepstakes Entities and their parents, affiliated and subsidiary companies, advertising and promotion agencies and legal and financial advisors are not eligible to participate in this Sweepstakes. For purpose of the foregoing, "immediate family" means parents, spouses, children, siblings or any members of the same households of such employees and directors. This Sweepstakes is void in all U.S. territories and possessions and where prohibited by law.
3. Entering the Sweepstakes: To enter the Sweepstakes, if not already, become a Registered User (as specified above), and enter, during the Promotion Period, by following the instructions below:
1. Follow the @Pokemon page on the Instagram website; and
2. Like the post related to the Sweepstakes on the CBSI Service.
Participants can gain additional entries by tagging their friends in separate comments (one (1) per unique friend) on the post related to the Sweepstakes on the CBSI Service. Participants may receive a maximum of five (5) additional entries to the Sweepstakes via this action.
Limit of six (6) entries per person during the Promotion Period.
4. Promotion Period. The Sweepstakes begins on March 8, 2019 at 12:00 p.m. Pacific Time ("PT") and ends at 12:00 p.m. PT on March 17, 2019 (the "Promotion Period").
5. Prize. The Sweepstakes will award one (1) prize (the "Prize") that consists of one (1) "A Day with Pikachu" figurine. The Prize has an approximate retail value ("ARV") of Fifteen Dollars (US$15.00).
6. Prize Restrictions. No assignment, transfer, conversion to cash or cash redemption or substitution of the Prize is permitted, except Administrator reserves the right to substitute the Prize with a prize of comparable or greater value, should the Prize or part of the Prize become unavailable. Prize is solely for personal use and may not be used in conjunction with any other promotion. All Prize details are at the sole discretion of the Sweepstakes Entities.
7. Odds/Drawing/Winner Notification. Odds of winning the Prize depends on the number of eligible entries received during the Promotion Period. On or about March 18, 2019, the Prize drawing will be conducted at random by Administrator, whose decisions are final and binding in all respects. The potential Prize winner (the "Winner") will be notified by Administrator, via a message to their Instagram Service account. Potential Winner will be asked to provide their personal information, such as their name, physical address, date of birth and phone number in order to confirm eligibility and compliance with these Official Rules. Administrator will select up to two (2) alternate Winners. If no contact has been made with the alternates after a reasonable effort has been made during three (3) business days from the first notification attempt to the last alternate, the Prize will not be awarded.
8. Prize Taxes. All federal, state, local and other tax liabilities arising from this Sweepstakes, including, without limitation, winning the Prize, will be the sole responsibility of the Winner.
9. Affidavit of Eligibility/Liability Release and Publicity Release. Winner may be required to complete, execute and return an Affidavit of Eligibility/Liability Release, and where lawful, a Publicity Release (collectively, the "Release Forms"), as well as a W-9 tax form within five (5) days of notification of winning. Failure to return Release Forms timely, or if a Prize notification or a Prize is returned as non-deliverable, or if a Winner is found not to be eligible or not in compliance with these Official Rules, may result in disqualification with an alternate Winner selected in accordance with these Official Rules.
10. Publicity Release Terms. Except where prohibited by law, a Winner's acceptance of the Prize constitutes permission for the Sweepstakes Entities to use Winner's name, photograph, likeness, statements, biographical information, voice, and address (city and state) worldwide and in all forms of media, in perpetuity, without further compensation.
11. Improper Conduct. Administrator, in its sole discretion, may disqualify any entrant from participation in or use of any or all portions of this Sweepstakes, and refuse to award the Prize, if the Winner engage(s) in any conduct Administrator deems to be improper, unfair or otherwise adverse to the operation of the Sweepstakes or detrimental to other entrants of the Sweepstakes. Such improper conduct includes, without limitation, falsifying personal information required during entrant registration or Prize claim, violating any term or condition stated herein, accumulating entries through methods such as automated computer scripts or any other programming techniques, allowing others to use entrant's personal information for the purpose of accumulating entries, or intentionally trying to defraud, reverse engineer, disassemble or otherwise tamper with the computer programs in connection with this Sweepstakes. Winner agrees that Administrator may void the Prize or any part of a Prize that a Winner may have won and/or require the return of the Prize or any part of a Prize that the Winner may have won as a result of such improper conduct. Winner further acknowledges that any forfeiture of the Prize and/or return of the Prize shall in no way prevent Administrator from pursuing other avenues of recourse, such as criminal or civil proceedings in connection with such conduct. WARNING: ANY ATTEMPT TO DELIBERATELY DAMAGE OR UNDERMINE THE LEGITIMATE OPERATION OF THIS SWEEPSTAKES MAY BE A VIOLATION OF CRIMINAL AND CIVIL LAWS, AND SHOULD SUCH AN ATTEMPT BE MADE, EACH OF THE SWEEPSTAKES ENTITIES RESERVES THE RIGHT TO SEEK DAMAGES OR OTHER REMEDIES FROM ANY SUCH PERSON(S) RESPONSIBLE FOR SUCH ATTEMPT TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW.
12. Integrity of Sweepstakes. If, for any reason, the Sweepstakes is not capable of running as planned by reason of infection by computer virus, worms, bugs, tampering, unauthorized intervention, fraud, technical failures, or any other causes which Administrator, in its sole opinion believes could corrupt or affect the administration, security, fairness, integrity or proper conduct of this Sweepstakes, Administrator reserves the right at its sole discretion to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend this Sweepstakes and select the Winner from entries received prior to the action taken or in such other manner as Administrator may deem fair and appropriate.
13. Lost or Corrupted Entries. The Sweepstakes Entities and their parents, affiliated and subsidiary companies and advertising and promotion agencies, assume no liability and are not responsible for, and you hereby forever waive any rights to any claim in connection with, lost, late, incomplete, corrupted, stolen, misdirected, illegible or postage-due entries or mail, if applicable; or for any computer, telephone, cable, network, satellite, electronic or Internet hardware or software malfunctions, unauthorized human intervention, or the incorrect or inaccurate capture of entry or other information, or the failure to capture any such information. The Sweepstakes Entities and their parents, affiliated and subsidiary companies and advertising and promotion agencies, are not responsible for any incorrect or inaccurate information, whether caused by registration information submitted by end users or tampering, hacking or by any of the equipment or programming associated with or utilized in this Sweepstakes, and assumes no responsibility for any error, omission, interruption, deletion, defect, delay in operation or transmission, communications line failure, theft or destruction or unauthorized access to the Sweepstakes.
14. Damaged Property. The Sweepstakes Entities and their parents, affiliated and subsidiary companies and advertising and promotion agencies, assume no liability and are not responsible for, and you hereby forever waive any rights to any claim in connection with, injury or damage to any entrants or to any other person's computer or property related to or resulting from participating in this Sweepstakes or downloading materials from this Sweepstakes.
15. Sweepstakes Errors. The Sweepstakes Entities and their parents, affiliated and subsidiary companies and advertising and promotion agencies, assume no liability and are not responsible for, and you hereby forever waive any rights to any claim in connection with errors and/or ambiguity: (a) in the Sweepstakes; (b) in any related advertising or promotions of this Sweepstakes; and/or (c) in these Official Rules. In the event of any ambiguity(s) or error(s) in these Official Rules, Administrator reserves the right to modify these Official Rules for clarification purposes or to correct any such ambiguity(s) or error(s) without materially affecting the terms and conditions of the Sweepstakes.
16. Prize and Winner. The Sweepstakes Entities and their parents, affiliated and subsidiary companies and advertising and promotion agencies, assume no liability and are not responsible for, and you/entrant hereby forever waive any rights to any claim in connection with, the selection and announcement of the Winner, the distribution of the Prize, the acceptance/possession and/or use/misuse of any part of the Prize and/or any injury or damage to any entrant's or third person's property related to or resulting from any part of the Prize or any part of this Sweepstakes.
17. Release and Indemnity. Each entrant in this Sweepstakes, including, without limitation, the Winner, hereby releases and agrees to hold harmless the Sweepstakes Entities and their parents, affiliates, subsidiaries, advertising and promotion agencies and their respective directors, officers, employees, representatives and agents from any and all liability for any injuries, loss or damage of any kind to person, including death, and property, arising in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, from acceptance, possession, use or misuse of a Prize, participation in this Sweepstakes and participation in any activity related to this Sweepstakes.
18. Limitation of Liability. IN NO EVENT WILL THE SWEEPSTAKES ENTITIES, THEIR PARENTS, AFFILIATES, SUBSIDIARIES AND RELATED COMPANIES, THEIR ADVERTISING OR PROMOTION AGENCIES OR THEIR RESPECTIVE OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, REPRESENTATIVES AND AGENTS, BE RESPONSIBLE OR LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES OR LOSSES OF ANY KIND, INCLUDING DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF YOUR ACCESS TO AND USE OF THE SWEEPSTAKES OR THE DOWNLOADING FROM AND/OR PRINTING MATERIAL DOWNLOADED FROM THE SWEEPSTAKES. SOME JURISDICTIONS MAY NOT ALLOW THE LIMITATIONS OR EXCLUSION OF LIABILITY FOR INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OR EXCLUSION OF IMPLIED WARRANTIES, SO SOME OF THE ABOVE LIMITATIONS OR EXCLUSIONS MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU. CHECK YOUR LOCAL LAWS FOR ANY RESTRICTIONS OR LIMITATIONS REGARDING THESE LIMITATIONS OR EXCLUSIONS.
19. Disclaimer of Warranties. THE SWEEPSTAKES AND PRIZE ARE PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR NON-INFRINGEMENT.
20. Identity Disputes. In the event of a dispute as to the identity of the winner based on an email address, the winning entry will be declared made by the Authorized Account Holder of the email address and/or wireless phone number submitted at time of registration into Instagram and/or entry into the Sweepstakes. For purposes of these Official Rules, "Authorized Account Holder" is defined as the natural person who is assigned to an email address by an Internet access provider, online service provider or other organization (e.g., business, educational, institution, etc.) that is responsible for assigning email addresses for the domain associated with the submitted email address.
21. Binding Arbitration. The parties waive all rights to trial in any action or proceeding instituted in connection with these Official Rules and/or this Sweepstakes. Any controversy or claim, arising out of, or relating to, these Official Rules and/or this Sweepstakes shall be settled by binding arbitration in accordance with the commercial arbitration rules of the American Arbitration Association. Any such controversy or claim shall be arbitrated on an individual basis and shall not be consolidated in any arbitration with any claim or controversy of any other party. The arbitration shall be conducted in the State of New York, in the City of New York and judgment on the arbitration award may be entered into any court having jurisdiction thereof.
22. Governing Law and Jurisdiction. This promotion is governed by U.S. law and is subject to all applicable federal, state and local laws and regulations. Void where prohibited by law. All issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation and enforceability of these Official Rules, or the rights and obligations of entrant and Administrator in connection with this Sweepstakes, shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York, U.S.A., without giving effect to the conflict of laws rules thereof, and any matters or proceedings which are not subject to arbitration, as set forth in Section 21 of these Official Rules and/or for entering any judgment on an arbitration award, shall take place in the State of New York, in the City of New York.
23. Winner's List/Official Rules. For the name of the Winner, send a self-addressed stamped envelope for receipt by March 31, 2019 to "Winner List, 'A Day with Pikachu" Figurine' Giveaway" 1401 W. Cypress Creek Road, Suite 200, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33309. For Official Rules, send a self-addressed stamped envelope to the above address marked "Official Rules: 'A Day with Pikachu' Figurine Giveaway" for receipt by March 31, 2019. Residents of VT may omit postage on the self-addressed envelope. The name of the Winner may be posted, and the Official Rules will be posted on GameSpot.com.
It's not every day that AAA games released in the past year are drastically discounted, but when they are, we take notice. For those who can't afford to drop $60 or more on every new game release, it's more of a waiting game for the best sale. If you've been holding out on anything, today might be your day, as Newegg is offering a 20% off promo code on games and game accessories, some of which are already discounted.
Using the promo code EMCTWUY38, you can get games like Anthem, Kingdom Hearts 3, Marvel's Spider-Man, God of War, and Red Dead Redemption 2 for 20% off. Red Dead Redemption 2 is already 25% off, so using the code, you can get it for just $36. Marvel's Spider-Man recently received a permanent price drop to $40, so with the code, you can get it even cheaper for just $32. God of War is 33% off and also selling for $32 if you use the code; however, its initial discount appears to be ending after today, so don't wait if you want that game. Even a few Nintendo Switch Mario games are included in the promotion--a rare chance to snag them for just $48 each.
The promo code expires on 11:59 PM PT on March 17 / 2:59 AM ET on March 18 or while supplies last, so act fast if you've got your eyes on anything. And remember to use promo code EMCTWUY38 to get the below prices.
Devil May Cry 5 is getting the series' staple Bloody Palace mode in a few weeks. Capcom has confirmed it will be adding the mode to its new action game as a free update across PS4, Xbox One, and PC on April 1.
Bloody Palace has appeared in nearly every Devil May Cry game to date. The mode pits players against increasingly challenging waves of enemies and bosses, all while a timer ticks down. In DMC5's iteration, you'll be able to play as one of the game's three protagonists: Dante, Nero, or V. You can take a look at some screenshots of the mode below.
Devil May Cry 5 launched earlier this month and has already proven to be a critical and commercial success for Capcom. The game debuted at No. 1 in the UK and has garnered positive reviews, including from GameSpot. We awarded it a 9/10 and called it "a brilliant iteration of the series' best qualities" in our Devil May Cry 5 review.
"DMC5 thrives on the stylistic and mechanical prowess of its predecessors. It sticks to tradition above all else, pursuing a few ambitious new ideas along the way, but mostly maintaining the series' focus on intricate fighting systems and campy bravado," GameSpot's Matt Espineli said. "DMC5 proves the series can still be brilliant and imaginative without compromising its longest-held traditions."
Valve has announced two more service features for Steam, just ahead of GDC. The new Steam Link Anywhere extends the Steam Link functionality, while a sockets API makes it easier for developers to offer secure connections.
According to the announcement, Steam Link Anywhere is now in early beta and accessible to anyone with beta firmware, or using the Android Steam Link beta app or Raspberry Pi Steam Link app. You'll have to opt into the Steam client beta with the date of March 13 or newer, and then you can connect to any computer by selecting "Other Computer" from the search. This will let you connect and play your games from anywhere without a local network, but it's limited to users with a high PC upload speed and a strong connection to your Steam Link device.
The sockets API is an infrastructure tool for developers to give their players faster and secure connections, using the same tech as Valve did for CS:GO and Dota 2. Both features will be outlined more extensively at Valve's Steam Platform Update talk at GDC, which will take place on Thursday, March 21 at 12:45 PM PT.
While the Steam Link app is still going strong, Valve discontinued the Steam Link hardware as it allowed its existing stock to be depleted. At the time Valve said it intended to continue supporting the hardware, as well as the software versions of Steam Link.
Microsoft has revealed more information about Xbox Live coming to both Android and iOS devices. Xbox Live support on mobile devices will be possible through Xbox Live SDK, a new cross-platform mobile software development kit created by Microsoft.
"We believe so strongly in community, and Xbox Live really being at the heart of our gaming community," Microsoft gaming cloud chief Kareem Choudhry said in a briefing, according to The Verge. "If you watch what we've done, especially with Minecraft, over the past few years we've taken Xbox Live to as many platforms as Minecraft is on as possible. Really uniting all those communities together with a consistent singular experience for those gamers."
Most of the features tied to an Xbox Live account are also added to a game with SDK, such as achievements, Gamerscore, hero stats, friend lists, and clubs. It's worth noting that Xbox Live support does already exist for Android and iOS titles, but it's been limited to Microsoft Studios games. The new SDK makes Xbox Live support available for all.
During the briefing, Choudhry also spoke about bringing Xbox Live support to Nintendo Switch and Sony's PlayStation 4. Choudhry said that Microsoft has an interest in uniting "the two billion gamers of the world" but also clarified that he had no "specific announcements" as of this time to make about Xbox Live appearing on Switch or PS4. "If you've watched us for the past few years, we've taken a very inclusive approach," Choudhry continued. "Phil [Spencer] has been very proactive on issues like cross-play, cross-progression, and uniting gamer networks, and we're willing to partner with the industry as much as we possibly can."
Microsoft has made several strong pushes in support of cloud gaming in the past few years. The company has just launched Game Stack, a platform specifically designed to help developers build and launch cloud-connected games. Game Stack collects all of Microsoft's developer tools, services, and platforms with Azure and PlayFab--a collection which includes DirectX, Mixer, Power BI, Havok, Visual Studio, Windows, Xbox Game Studios, Xbox Live, and Simplygon. For more details, you can read up on Game Stack on Microsoft's website.
The company has also developed a Netflix-like platform for video games with Game Pass, and has expressed an interest in bringing the full service to more than just Xbox One consoles. Project xCloud--which was demonstrated for the first time during March 2019's Inside Xbox livestream--is also in development, and promises to allow players to stream their Xbox games through their PC or mobile devices.
Blizzard has outlined the first expansion for the new season of Hearthstone, set to release next month. The Rise of Shadows expansion brings together several villains from throughout the history of the game in a Sinister Six-style team, along with 135 new cards to collect.
The plot revolves around the Arch-Thief Rafaam organizing his own "League of E.V.I.L." to pull off a heist in Dalaran. They include King Togwaggle, Madam Lazul, Dr. Boom, and Hagatha the Witch. Blizzard previously teased that this year each expansion will be connected in a single ongoing story, so this gives us an idea of the direction for the Year of the Dragon.
As always, the expansion will include some new mechanics and card types to fit the flavor of the expansion. The expansion will bring five new Lackeys, 1/1 minions with specialized Battlecries. New spells called Schemes will get more and more powerful the longer you hold the card in your hand. Some cards are explicit callbacks to older cards. For example, the Priest's new Forbidden Words spell is a twist on the Forbidden Shaping card from Whispers of the Old Gods.
Finally, the new cards will introduce a new keyword called Twinspell. When cast, these cards add a second copy of the spell to your hand. The second copy of the spell lacks the Twinspell benefit. These spells are an apparent favorite of a crime-fighting group called the Defenders of Dalaran, so we're likely to see the clash between heroes and villains develop as the story goes on.
Rise of Shadows will launch on April 9, with its solo adventure following a month later in May. As previously announced, that adventure will begin with a free chapter, and then subsequent chapters can be purchased for 700 gold each--or the full bundle for $20.
Before it all kicks off, though, a pre-release event starting April 5 will grant you a free Legendary card that can be used immediately. Plus once it launches, you'll get a new quest chain to earn free packs. A Shadow Bundle during launch week will offer 9 packs and an Arena ticket for $10. Pre-purchases will come in two tiers: a $50 bundle that includes 50 packs, a card back, and a Legendary card, or an $80 bundle for 80 packs, the card back, a Golden Legendary, and the Madam Lazul Priest Hero.
Check out our full gallery of every card revealed so far, which will be updated as more become available.
The next expansion for Hearthstone, Rise of Shadows, is coming on April 9. It will add 135 new cards to collect and play along with new mechanics and more. This time the Arch-Thief Rafaam has gathered a cabal of villains for a daring heist, in the first entry of a planned ongoing story for the Year of the Dragon.
The villains are bringing their Lackeys, 1/1 minions with specialized Battlecries, and Schemes, spells that grow more powerful the longer you hold them. The crime-fighters the Defenders of Dalaran fight back with Twinspells, a new keyword that gives you back another copy of a spell once you've played it.
On April 5, players can login to receive a free Legendary card from the set that will be playable immediately, before the April 9 launch date. Then roughly a month later, the Rise of Shadows single-player campaign will launch. The first chapter will be free, and subsequent chapters will cost 700 gold apiece. You can buy the full bundle for $20.
You can purchase packs of Rise of Shadows cards in two pre-release bundles. The $50 bundle includes 50 packs, a card back, and a Legendary card, and an $80 bundle for 80 packs, the card back, a Golden Legendary, and the Madam Lazul Priest Hero. The store will also offer a "Shadow Bundle" for the first week of the expansion launch with nine packs and an Arena ticket for $10.
Check out all the new cards we've seen so far below.
It's really satisfying being able to pull off a combo that gets you into the SSS ranking in Devil May Cry 5. Featuring a trio of badass devil hunters--returning favorites Dante and Nero, as well as newcomer V--you'll realize that they each bring a dazzling set of skills that show off a remarkable sense of style and energy in a fight. But there's a lot more to slaying demons than simply firing your gun or swinging your oversized, engine-powered sword. As an action game that possesses the depth of complex fighting games, you'll need to learn and understand the subtle mechanics and nuances of its main cast in order to leave an impression on Devil May Cry 5's enemies.
In this guide, we're giving you the rundown on one of Devil May Cry 5's main protagonists--particularly the brash and hot-headed Nero. Whether it's getting a handle of the timing for his Exceed mechanic, or deciding which Devil Breakers you should use, Nero has plenty of options when it comes to taking down demons. If you're willing to take the time and learn how each character functions, you'll be able to get the elusive SSS ranking in no time.
So with that, here's our breakdown on Nero in DMC5. Be sure to watch the gameplay video above at the 03:30 mark to see what SSS rank combat looks like for Nero. If you want to know more about Dante and newcomer V, head on over to our guides for those characters, as well as our walkthrough on how to find all the Secret Missions. For more info on Devil May Cry 5, read our full review.
Overview
As one of the more accessible characters, the charismatic and scrappy Nero features a move set that carries over a number of returning mechanics from DMC4, which includes his familiar long-range grapple moves. With a skill set that emphasizes timing and charging up attacks, Nero's playstyle is all about creating opportunities and executing primed up attacks with his Red Queen sword, Blue Rose revolver, and Devil Breakers. Devil Breakers are Nero's newest weapon, allowing him to bring in a customizable set of special arms into battle. This new mechanic can alter his normal attacks and introduce some exciting moves that can slow down time or give him additional projectile attacks.
Nero is the most agile and acrobatic character in the game, and he possesses excellent evasive skills and prowess at fighting enemies in the air. With his Table Hopper ability, Nero can execute a series of jukes and careful dodges right when an enemy is about to attack, allowing him to move into their blind spot in incredibly slick fashion. Nero also has several attacks that allow him to stay in the air, including his Roulette and Calibur skills. If there's a good way to describe Nero, he's essentially the brawler of the trio, focusing on fast, heavy hits while being able to slip out with a dodge when he needs to.
The Devil Breakers
The Devil Breakers are truly a game-changer for Nero when paired with his basic move set. These special arms allow you to pull off some very powerful, if a bit bizarre, actions for Nero, greatly expanding his repertoire of skills. For instance, the default breaker is the Overture, a close-range arm that conjures up a massive lighting fist that can also be turned into a remote bomb. Also, Gerbera's aerial burst attack--which doubles as a dodge--can be extremely effective when you want to keep yourself and the enemies in the air. Unfortunately, the breakers are very fragile and getting hit while using them will cause it to shatter. So you'll need to carefully pick which moment is best to use them.
One of the main mechanical restrictions for the Devil Breakers, however, is that you can't freely switch off between the arms in your magazine. In order to shift over to your next arm, you'll have to break it yourself (creating a small explosion in the process) or use up the arm's charged attack. With this in mind, you'll want to customize your loadout to complement your particular playstyle and approach. Though Gerbera and Overture are always reliable to have, other worthwhile breakers to use are the Punch Line and the Tomboy. Punch Line is an extremely fast rocket arm that can target a single enemy and hit them multiple times, while the Tomboy overcharges Nero's sword and gun, greatly altering its attack pattern and strength.
Combat Tips
When playing as Nero, the best way to build up to the SSS ranking is to keep moving, evade enemy attacks, and rush in with fast hits on a constant basis. One of Nero's most technical combat skills to master is his Exceed mechanic. With his engine-powered sword, you'll be able to tap the left trigger to charge up his attacks for extra damage. Though you can hold and tap the trigger multiple times to build up energy, the more efficient way to get a charge is by tapping the Exceed button as you simultaneously swing your sword. If you can nail the timing, you'll be able to amplify its attack strength instantly. Mastering the timing can be extremely useful during a fight, as you can chain together multiple charged attacks together during a single combo. Unlocking the MAX-Act skill will allow you to fully charge the Red Queen to its limit with a well-timed tap of the Exceed button.
Nero is also effective at bunching up enemies with his attacks. The Streak combat skill--a rush attack that drives Nero forward with his sword--is a move to push enemies together, but the Exceed-variant of the move will turn it into multiple hits. With a set of enemies bunched up together, you can use one of his Devil Breakers to damage the stunned group. In this instance, Punch Line's normal attack is a solid move, but the Gerbera's special--either the ground attack or the aerial variant--are great choices to use when the enemies are bunched up or when you're fighting in tight spaces.
Nero is extremely proficient in rush-down tactics, but for some extra finesse, he can also use some of his unique taunts--which just so happen to have some advantages in combat. Taunting is normally a good way to build up style ranking, but some of Nero's taunt actions can even charge energy for his sword and gun. In addition to this, Nero is the only character in the game that has an aerial taunt--which is a surprisingly effective way to dodge attacks and get some extra airtime. By taking advantage of Nero's multi-functional arms, his aerial tactics, and his great speed and rush-down potential, you'll be able to work your way up to SSS rank in no time at all.
We've entered Week 3 of Fortnite Season 8, and a new assortment of challenges are now available to complete on PS4, Xbox One, PC, Nintendo Switch, and mobile. That's not all; following the return of the Getaway limited-time mode earlier this week, Epic has brought back the related High Stakes challenges from Season 5, along with a couple of new rewards to unlock.
The High Stakes challenges all tie in to the aforementioned Getaway LTM, which returned as part of Fortnite's 8.10 patch. Getaway is a heist-themed mode that divides players up into teams of four and tasks them with finding safes scattered around the island, extracting the llama-shaped jewel stored inside, and making it safely to the getaway van.
The challenges are all fairly straightforward, ranging from playing a certain number of Getaway matches to picking up a jewel and using Grapplers. If you missed out on the event back in Season 5, you'll have another chance to unlock all of the previous rewards, as well as new color variations of the Crystal Llama back bling. You can see the full list of High Stakes challenges below.
High Stakes Challenges
Win a match of The Getaway (1)
Win matches of The Getaway (3)
Win matches of The Getaway (5)
Use a Grappler in different matches of The Getaway (5)
Deal damage to Jewel-carrying opponents (200)
Pick up a Jewel in different matches of The Getaway (3)
Complete The Getaway challenges (2)
The High Stakes challenges will only be around until Tuesday, March 19, so you only have a limited time to complete the tasks and unlock their rewards. To go along with the challenges, the Wild Card skin and a new Wild Card wrap bundle are up for purchase in Fortnite's in-game store.
Week 3's challenges, meanwhile, have you following a loading screen treasure map and destroying cacti in the desert, among other things. Like other weekly challenges, you'll have until the end of Season 8 to complete them. If you need some pointers, you can find guides for this season's trickier challenges in our complete Season 8 challenges roundup.
The second trailer for Avengers: Endgame dropped out of nowhere on the morning on March 14, and no one was prepared, just like the Avengers when Thanos collected all of the Infinity Stones in last year's Infinity War. However, the new video from Marvel gave us a few bits of information about the new movie, to let fans know what the heck is going on in the Endgame, aside from the fact everyone has multiple hair styles. Are they all Skrulls or fashion forward? That's the real question.
We also got to see the first appearance of Captain Marvel in this latest Endgame trailer, something we all knew was coming anyway, and it was a pretty fantastic moment as she interacts with Thor. There were also some unique superhero team-ups, new outfits--which some fans speculate are tied to the Quantum Realm--and a heavy reliance on flashback sequences, as we see parts of Iron Man, Thor, and Captain America: Civil War. The new trailer was also accompanied by the release of a new poster.
Below, we're taking a closer look at the latest trailer and breaking down what we think is going to happen in Endgame. Who will live? Who will die? Who will keep their same hair style into Marvel's Phase 4? Bear in mind, there's also the very legitimate question of whether anything in this trailer is meant to mislead audiences. Marvel knows we're going to examine each shot with a fine-toothed comb and could be effectively lying to us to throw us off. We saw just that with Infinity War, which for instance featured a shot of the Hulk running around Wakanda (when in fact Bruce Banner was piloting the Hulkbuster at that point in the movie).
If you're looking for more on Endgame, check out the first trailer for the film, our theories about the story, and new thoughts about Infinity War after a recent rewatch. Avengers: Endgame releases in theaters on April 26.
Where It All Began
The trailer opens up with Tony Stark in the Mach 1 Iron Man suit, from the original 2008 film, which is now 11 years old. Stark can be heard discussing his life as the superhero. Much like other flashback moments, everything is in black and white, with certain things highlighted red.
One Last Message For Pepper
Stark is leaving a message for the love of his life, Pepper Potts, as he's aboard a ship, floating through space. He doesn't think he's going to make it back home, or maybe, he just doesn't think he'll see Pepper again, as she's been dusted. This may be for his own sanity more than anything else, just to get his feelings out into the ether.
Lost In Space
From the previous trailer, we know both Nebula and Tony Stark are trapped on this ship.
"Scrawny" Steve Rogers
There is a scene of Steve Rogers before he became Captain America, when he wanted to join the military for WWII, but was too weak to do so. The red stripes on the American flag are highlighted here.
Clint And His Daughter
Looks like we're finally going to find out what happened to Hawkeye's family during Infinity War. There is a scene with Clint Barton and his daughter--Lila--enjoying the outdoors. Lila is practicing her archery and hits a bullseye. This has to take place early on or in the beginning of the movie. We knew already that Clint was under house arrest after accepting a plea deal related to the Sokovia Accords (note his ankle bracelet in this shot), but we'll finally get to see what happened to him during this time. And we're pretty sure he goes rogue and becomes Ronin because his whole family gets dusted.
Additionally, this may not be a flashback sequence, as everything here is in full color, and the flashbacks (at least in this trailer) have been black, white, and red.
Steve Rogers: Pallbearer
Although you may have forgotten about this, Steve Rogers was a pallbearer at Peggy Carter's funeral--his romantic interest in Captain America: The First Avenger. This scene happened during Captain America: Civil War in 2016.
More Flashbacks
We cut to Asgard--which was destroyed in Thor: Ragnarok--and see Odin (RIP) with his son, Thor, whose cape is red in this flashback.
Scott Lang Is Confused
Ant-Man--in his Scott Lang costume--looks at a post with a bunch of "missing" fliers on it. Because of Scott's bewildered look, we can infer this takes place right after Scott escapes the Quantum Realm. However, here's something to think about: He might have been stuck in the Quantum Realm for quite a while, as the missing signs on the post look pretty beat up, and that doesn't happen overnight.
Black Widow Is There For The Widower
We see Black Widow and Hawkeye hold hands in an earlier shot, but don't think this is Clint cheating on his wife--Natasha is in love with Bruce Banner anyway. She's consoling Clint, like a good friend. She's there for him in his time of need because his family was dusted.
The Team Up You Didn't Know You Needed
Rocket and War Machine? Yes, please. This is such an odd scene because it's not a team up we ever would have expected. There isn't a whole lot to make of this, aside from the fact of this new Avengers team, for Endgame. No clue why War Machine is glowing red here. Could it be a "kill" mode?
Here's A Nice Shot Of Clint's Haircut
When humans go through something traumatic, they tend to do something drastic in order to move on. Whether it's our actions--like turning our pain into addiction or becoming an assassin in Hawkeye's case--or just doing something as simple as changing up our look, little things help put the past behind us. Hopefully, we get to see the scene of Hawkeye cutting his own hair. He totally did it to himself, right?
Stormbreaker Returns
Thor returns, fully powered--like at the end of Infinity War--with his new weapon, Stormbreaker. It's like his old hammer, Mjolnir, but with a sweet axe blade on one side.
Where Is This?
We see Ant-Man in action for a brief moment, and around him is firey carnage, as a shrunken Scott Lang rides a pencil. Could this be when Scott returns to Earth?
New Avengers Part 1
Before we get the title card, there are a few shots of the New Avengers team in brand-new outfits. Why are they in matching outfits like this? Well, that's probably a plot point. In any case, first, we see Steve Rogers.
New Avengers Part 2
Next is Scott Lang, Hawkeye, and Nebula.
New Avengers Part 3
War Machine pops up next.
New Avengers Part 4
Finally, we see Black Widow and Tony Stark.
Captain Marvel Appears
If you've seen Captain Marvel and watched the mid-credit sequence, you know Carol Danvers makes it back to Earth. We see her first meeting with Thor, where the God of Thunder calls his weapon to his hand, and Danvers doesn't flinch.
Black Widow Is A Blonde Again
Thor assesses Captain Marvel, as a blonde Black Widow looks at the two. Why are there so many hair styles here?
It's Not Mjolnir
If you pause the trailer at the exact right moment--which took some time to do--you can clearly see that Thor's weapon here is still Stormbreaker, no Mjolnir. I think it's time for all of us to accept that Thor's original hammer is gone forever. Frankly, we should have accepted it during Ragnarok when Hela blew it up.
Movie Poster Bonus!
Taking a look at the cast list for Endgame, you can see Benedict Wong and Jon Favreau are in the movie. Favreau has played Happy Hogan in the Iron Man movies and popped up in Spider-Man: Homecoming. Wong played, coincidentally, Wong in Doctor Strange and Infinity War. We haven't seen either of them in the Endgame trailers.
The challenges for Fortnite Season 8, Week 3 are now live and, among them, is one that asks you to do some detective work--or perhaps pirate work--before you go off into the island hunting for Battle Stars. The challenge in question asks players to "search where the magnifying glass sits on the Treasure Map loading screen." Here's where to go and what to do.
As Fortnite challenges go, it isn't actually all that difficult, though the wording is slightly confusing. What it's asking you to do is take a look at the loading screen artwork, which is of a treasure map. On the map is a magnifying glass, and the area it's focused on is where you need to head to during a match. Specifically, it's southwest of Polar Peaks and east of Frosty Flights.
Head to the grid reference C8 and go to the left side of that quadrant, and you'll spot the Battle Star there. Grab it and and get to work on the remaining challenges so you can inch ever closer to getting the cosmetic unlock of your dreams.
If you're planning on unlocking everything, or have your heart set on something deep into the Battle Pass, you'll need to spend the time and effort to do challenges each and every week. By doing so, you'll gather Battle Stars and level up the Battle Pass much quicker. To help you along, we'll be creating guides for challenges on a weekly basis. You can stay on top of it all by using our full Season 8 challenges guide.
If you're looking for even more challenges to do, Fortnite's The Getaway Limited Time Mode has returned, along with High Stakes challenges. By completing this extra set of challenges, you can unlock a crowbar Harvesting Tool, Llama back bling, a loading screen, spray, and contrail. Challenges generally involve winning matches in The Getaway LTM, using a specific item, or taking out certain enemies. Those are only available until March 19, so if you're interested in the rewards, you should likely focus on knocking those out before any of the standard Week 3 challenges, which will run until the end of Season 8 (likely sometime in May or June).
We're now in Week 3 of Fortnite: Battle Royale Season 8, which means new challenges are cycling in. As always, you'll need to do these to unlock those oh-so-precious Battle Stars, which will in turn level up your Battle Pass and make new skins and other rewards available so you can customize your character. Challenges are split into two categories, with a free set available to everyone playing and a second set exclusive to those that have spent V-Bucks to purchase a Battle Pass. Here's what to look for from Week 3.
In the free section, players will need to complete two separate multi-stage challenges. The first begins by visiting Fatal Fields and Salty Springs in a single match, while the second starts by destroying 30 cacti in the desert. The third free challenge asks players to place different Trap Slot items in a match, twice--make sure you to place those immediately upon getting them, before anyone can kill you.
In the premium Battle Pass section, the first challenge involves looking at the loading screen and finding where the magnifying glass sits on the treasure map featured in it. Additionally, players will need to search chests at Sunny Steps or Fatal Fields, deal 500 points of headshot damage to enemies, and get an elimination with an SMG, pistol, and sniper rifle (but, luckily, not in the same match).
Fortnite Season 8, Week 3 Challenges
Free
Stage 1 of 3: Visit Fatal Fields and Salty Springs in a single match (2) -- 1 Battle Star
Stage 1 of 3: Destroy Cacti in the Desert (30) -- 1 Battle Stars
Place different Trap Slot items in a single match (2) -- 10 Battle Stars
Premium
Search where the magnifying glass sits on the Treasure Map loading screen (1) -- 5 Battle Stars
Search chests at Sunny Steps or Fatal Fields (7) -- 5 Battle Stars
Deal headshot damage to opponents (500) -- 10 Battle Stars
Get an elimination with an SMG, Pistol, and a Sniper Rifle (3) -- 10 Battle Stars
Developer Epic Games has released Fortnite patch 8.10, which introduces the new Baller vehicle. On top of that, it has given older skins a bit of a makeover. "We've seen you being vocal about wanting to see the face behind the masks of some of our helmeted outfits," it said in a statement, "so we've done a pass on previous outfits."
The skins that have been updated are Scarlet Defender, Elite Agent, Renegade Raider, Waypoint, Overtaker, and Whiteout. Epic has said it will be "working on more outfit styles and other broad stroke improvements" to Fortnite's art in the future.
Throughout Season 8 of Fortnite, we'll be creating guides for challenges on a weekly basis. You can stay on top of it all by using our full Season 8 challenges guide.
With Avengers: Endgame now just over a month away, the Marvel marketing machine is gearing up to hit us with the usual bombardment of promotional material. A thrilling new trailer, which has a lot of new info about the movie, has been released, and it is accompanied by a striking new poster.
While the previous poster was really just a teaser, this new one reveals all the heroes in truly cosmic style. Unsurprisingly it only features those Avengers who survived the shocking end of last year's Infinity War, including Captain America, Thor, Iron man, Black Widow, and Ant-Man. It also includes Captain Marvel, and shows the villainous Thanos in the background. The poster credits also confirm both Benedict Wong and Jon Favreau will appear in the movie, as Wong and Happy Hogan respectively. Check it out below.
Avengers: Endgame releases on April 26, 2019. It's directed once more Joe and Anthony Russo, and the cast includes Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Paul Rudd, Brie Larsson, Danai Gurira, and Jeremy Renner. There have been rumors that some of the MCU's longest-serving stars might be leaving the series after this film (in particular Evans), but nothing has been confirmed to date. We do know Endgame will be followed by Spider-Man: Far From Home in July.
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