At long last, there's been a major development in the creation of Showtime's upcoming TV adaptation of the Halo video game franchise. We still don't know when it will premiere, but we are finally ready to meet Master Chief.
The mysterious masked figure, who is at the center of the video game franchise, has been cast by the network. According to Entertainment Weekly, Orange is the New Black and American Gods alum Pablo Schreiber will fill the role. A character description reads, "Earth's most advanced warrior in the 26th century and the only hope of salvation for a civilization pushed to the brink of destruction by the Covenant, an unstoppable alliance of alien worlds committed to the destruction of humanity."
What remains to be seen is whether fans will ever actually see Schreiber's face. In the games, Chief's identity remains a mystery. While you might assume that would change for the series, Showtime president of programming Gary Levine previously said whether Chief would unmask "is a key question and an important part of our series."
Schreiber isn't the only new cast, though. EW reports newcomer Yerin Ha had also been added to the show as Quan Ah, "a shrewd, audacious 16-year-old from the Outer Colonies who meets Master Chief at a fateful time for them both."
Halo is expected to begin production this fall in Budapest, with Kyle Killen and Steven Kane serving as co-showrunners. Black Mirror alum Otto Bathurst has signed on to direct and produce the series. Showtime describes its take on Halo as "weaving deeply drawn personal stories with action, adventure and a richly imagined vision of the future."
Pokemon Go's April Community Day may have only recently ended, but Niantic is already looking ahead to next month's event. The developer has now shared the first details for May's Community Day, which is scheduled to take place around the globe on Sunday, May 19.
As usual, next month's Community Day will run for three hours, from 3-6 PM local time. During that window, players will be able to earn triple the usual amount of Stardust for every Pokemon they catch, and any Lure Modules that are used will remain active for three hours.
The featured Pokemon this time around will be another Gen 3 starter: Torchic. Throughout the Community Day, the Fire-type Pokemon will spawn in the wild more frequently than it normally does, making it much easier to add some to your collection. Going by previous Community Days, you'll likely also have your first chance to capture a Shiny Torchic.
Finally, if you manage to fully evolve a Torchic into Blaziken up to an hour after the Community Day ends, it'll learn a special, as-yet-unannounced event-exclusive move. Niantic typically reveals what the special move is the week of the event. You can find more details about next month's Community Day on the official Pokemon website.
In the meantime, there are a few other big events going on now in Pokemon Go. First, the Legendary Eon Pokemon Latios returned for a special week-long Raid that's scheduled to end on April 22. Niantic is also holding the annual Eggstravaganza event until April 23, which gives you more chances to hatch baby Pokemon and even capture a Shiny Buneary.
The puzzle gem BoxBoy is coming to Nintendo Switch next week, with a newly cooperative adventure called BoxBoy + BoxGirl. If you're new or just want to brush up on your boxing skills before the release, you can now try a demo for the game.
The demo includes both single- and multiplayer modes, showing you the ropes of the game mechanics and a handful of early puzzles. The "Tale for Two" multiplayer mode is recommended for two players, but you can take on the challenges solo if you wish by swapping back and forth between Qbby and Qucy.
BoxBoy + BoxGirl also introduces another new playable character, Qudy. The rectangular hero creates boxes that are extra-long or tall, which adds a new layer of complexity to the challenges. As usual, efficient puzzle solving will earn you medals you can use to unlock outfits, items, and accessories. The game also introduces a new timed balloon challenge mode.
BoxBoy was first introduced in 2015 by HAL Laboratories on the Nintendo 3DS. It was designed to look simple and monochromatic, similar to a Game Boy game. This is the series' first entry on the Nintendo Switch, and the first time the cast of characters has come into their own as playable. It will be available on April 26 for $10.
With just over a week to go until the release of Avengers: Endgame, the promotional videos are hitting hard and fast. We've already had two new TV spots this week, and a now a third has been released.
This one might be short but it actually features quite a bit of new footage. There's Rocket coming through a doorway, Hawkeye (aka Ronin) getting into a fight on a street, and a great exchange between War Machine and Ant-Man. Check it out below.
To get ready for Endgame, you might also want to check out our guide to the best order to rewatch the MCU movies. But be warned--it also looks like the ending to the movie has leaked online, so be careful while searching for Endgame information.
Avengers: Endgame releases on April 26, 2019. It stars Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Brie Larson, Sebastian Stan, Scarlett Johansson, Don Cheadle, Jeremy Renner, Danai Gurira, Paul Rudd, and Josh Brolin. So far ticket presales have far exceeded those for Captain Marvel, Infinity War, Aquaman, and Star Wars: The Last Jedi combined.
The world watched in horror as fire engulfed Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris Monday evening, spreading through the top floor of its attic and eventually collapsing the church's iconic spire. Across the globe, people have expressed their support for the French people, and already millions of dollars have been donated to the cathedral's restoration efforts. Ubisoft is the latest company to pledge its support; the French video game company announced today it will donate €500,000 (about $565,000) to aid the restoration and reconstruction efforts for Notre Dame.
In addition, Ubisoft is giving away Assassin's Creed Unity for free--you can download it for PC (Uplay) at no cost now through April 25 at 3 AM (your local time). Once you download the game, it'll be yours to keep forever in your Uplay games library.
Ubisoft has a special connection to Notre Dame and the city of Paris--the setting was virtually recreated to a precise level of detail in Assassin's Creed Unity. In fact, the virtual rendition of Notre Dame is so accurate that it may serve as an important piece of historical media. Assassin's Creed Unity level artist Caroline Miousse told The Verge in a 2014 interview that she spent two years recreating the cathedral from the inside out. "I made some other stuff in the game, but 80 percent of my time was spent on the Notre Dame," she said.
Assassin's Creed Unity provides a unique opportunity, especially for those who have never been to Paris, to experience Notre Dame first-hand in its original glory, so be sure to pick up the game while it's free for the next week.
"Video games can enable us to explore places in ways we never could have otherwise imagined," Ubisoft wrote in its blog post. "We hope, with this small gesture, we can provide everyone an opportunity to appreciate our virtual homage to this monumental piece of architecture."
WWE's Superstar Shakeup has ended. Over the course of two days, both Raw and Smackdown programming switched things up by trading superstars between the two shows--and snagging some wrestlers from NXT. On Monday, Raw received plenty of new stars, strengthened their tag division, and gave War Raiders a cringe-worthy twist.
The chaos continued on Tuesday night with Smackdown, as the blue brand saw 12 superstars head to the show, with the biggest names being Roman Reigns, Finn Balor, and NXT callup Kairi Sane. While the night was all about creating a "shakeup" for the roster, there were some entertaining moments throughout the evening. Here's everything you need to know about what happened on Smackdown.
Finn Balor
The first person to head over to the blue brand is none other than Finn Balor, a man lost in the shuffle on Raw. Is there a rule that Balor and AJ Styles can't be on the same brand at the same time? Are we not allowed to see Bullet Club leaders in a rivalry? Regardless, with Balor comes the Intercontinental Championship. So, Smackdown will have both the United States and Intercontinental Championships, which is a bit weird. Maybe we'll at least get a Balor Club reunions with the Good Brothers, though.
Kevin Owens + New Day = The Best
The New Day is in the spot they should be on Smackdown: the main event. They open the show, they bounce around during the middle, and they close things out. Yes, that's a lot of screen time, but it's no different than any other WWE champion. Adding Kevin Owens to the mix this week was a lot of fun. Nothing huge came out of this, but it was a delight.
Where's Tyler Breeze?
This is more of a complaint from my end, but what's going on with Tyler Breeze? I really thought he'd come over to Smackdown, especially after Xavier Woods said on live TV, "If I don't see Tyler Breeze on Smackdown by the end of this show, I'm going to lose my mind." Woods has made mention of this on Twitter a few times too. If you watch Up Up Down Down, then you know the two are friends, and if you have watched WWE programming, then you know Breeze is exceptionally talented in the ring and on the mic. What's going on?
Lars Sullivan?
Wait.... I thought he was on Raw. What is going on? Later on in the program, it was announced Sullivan was now on Smackdown. Wasn't he just announced as a member of Raw yesterday? Is WWE already retconning something for 24 hours ago? This makes utterly no sense.
The Overly-Layered Women's Segment
During a Becky Lynch promo, Ember Moon and Bayley interrupted and announced they had moved to the blue brand. Moon is a fantastic addition to the roster and will bring a lot to the women's roster there. The Iiconics interrupted and talked about their championship titles. Then, continuing with the giant shakeup, Paige interrupted the interruption to introduce the challengers for the women's tag team championships--which was also interrupted by Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville. Anyway, the new tag team on the block is Asuka and the pirate princess Kairi Sane. Smackdown's women's division is looking stacked. I cannot wait to see Sane drop that elbow on everyone.
The Continued Destruction Of 205 Live
It's no secret the ranks of 205 Live are thinning, after [Mustafa] Ali joined Smackdown a few months back and Cedric Alexander moved to Raw on Monday. Now, Buddy Murphy is headed to Smackdown. You're probably more than familiar with the former Cruiserweight Champion, as he was consistently putting on a clinic on PPV Kickoff shows, defending his title. He is a more than welcome addition to Smackdown, even if WWE's main rosters are over-stuffed.
Vince's Big Announcement
Vince McMahon came out to announce his big acquisition, and it's Elias. However, that wasn't all. Roman Reigns came out, beat up Elias and McMahon and announced he's part of Smackdown. With the Tuesday night show eventually moving to Fox, this is a great get for the weekly series, and they'll need a big name to draw in viewers.
PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds has received a new PC patch on its test server, and it adds a feature that will be familiar to anyone who's played Rainbow Six Siege. Update 28, as developer PUBG Corp. calls it, introduces weapon charms as part of a wider weapon progression system that will be making its way to live servers "very soon."
The progression system, which is called Weapon Mastery, allows players to level up weapons by doing well with each gun. You can level up each weapon individually to a maximum rank of 100. Weapon XP is awarded for dealing damage, getting headshots, and, of course, killing opponents. Extra XP will be gained if your kill counts as a Defeat, a new term PUBG Corp. says includes "knockdowns, killing the last member of a team, and killing solo players." The amount of XP awarded will also scale depending on how late in a match you performed the action.
Leveling up a weapon can grant you three reward types that cannot be obtained through any other avenue. The first is the aforementioned charms, which appear to work in a very similar way to Rainbow Six Siege's equivalents. "Charms are keychain-like trinkets that attach to the left side on the barrel of each weapon," PUBG Corp. says. "You can equip and see which charms you have unlocked from inside the Mastery tab. We're launching with 20 unique charms that must be earned on a per weapon basis and it's a safe bet that there are more on the way."
The second type of reward is emblems, which you'll gain when you rank a gun up to level 10, 20, 30, and so on up to 100. While these don't appear to do much at present, PUBG Corp. says it "will be exploring ways for you to show off your emblems to other players" over the next few months.
Weapon Mastery's final reward type is medals, a "way of highlighting the awesome accomplishments you perform." Examples include one called Double, which is awarded when you kill two enemies in quick succession, and another named Frenzy that you'll get when you get five kills with the same weapon in a single match.
You can read more about Weapon Mastery, which is separate to the battle pass system, on PUBG Corp.'s blog. Alternatively, check out the full list of patch notes for update 28 below, via PUBG Corp.
Weapon Mastery has been added, a new feature that allows players to check their gun stats and earn rewards based on their skills!
New Progression System
Weapon Mastery is a new progression system where players can increase levels by gaining weapon XP based on players' weapon use.
It operates all the time without being affected by seasons.
Weapon Mastery offers 100 levels for players to achieve per weapon.
In the lobby, players can check their weapon use information, last match results, and the rewards they acquired thus far through the newly created Mastery tab.
Weapon Mastery Rewards
There are three types of Weapon Mastery rewards. These rewards can only be acquired through Mastery achievement.
Charms
Charms are accessories that can be equipped to weapons.
New charm can achieved at every five levels of progression per weapon.
Charms can be used with any weapon skins.
Acquired charms can be equipped/unlocked in the rewards page. Equipped charms can be seen in-game.
Charms cannot be traded, sold, or exchanged for BP.
Medals
Medals highlight awesome accomplishments players perform with their weapons.
Each medal can be earned multiple times. There is even a counter that tracks how many medals have been achieved.
Tier Emblems
Players can earn emblems equivalent to their level brackets achieved per each weapon.
Up to 10 tiers can be achieved.
How to earn Weapon XP
Weapon XP for is earned when one or more of the following elements is satisfied during a match.
Damage
Headshots
Defeats
Defeats is a new term used for tracking actions that includes knockdowns, killing the last member of a team and killing solo players.
You can acquire extra weapon XP based on distance of defeats.
When earning Weapon XP, the amount received will increase based on how long you survived.
Defeats follow the existing judgment rules for DBNO/Kills currently used in the game.
Additional information:
Weapon Mastery does not count friendly fire/team damage.
Weapon Mastery does not count downs caused by road kills or environmental factors (blue zone, red zone, fall damage, or drowning).
Weapon Mastery does not count throwables or melee damage.
There is a maximum limit on each weapon that can be getting weapon XP.
Gameplay
A second round of Erangel loot rebalances has been made, as well as improvements to some sounds and effects related to gameplay.
Erangel 2nd Loot Rebalance
As we have spoken previously in our Dev Letter: Erangel Loot Rebalance, we are constantly analyzing player feedback, play patterns and other data. With this update, we're implementing a second round of changes to improve the player looting experience on Erangel.
The total amount of items spawned in Erangel has been increased by approximately 28%.
Increased the overall amount of items spawned, especially the spawn rates of those higher priority items.
Spawn rate of AR has been increased by approx 64%.
Spawn rate of DMR has been increased by approx 114%.
Spawn rate of SR has been increased by approx 177%.
Spawn rates of equipment and armor have been slightly increased, especially level 2.
Spawn rates of healing items have been slightly increased.
Erangel Blue Zone Rebalance Test (Test Server Only)
During this test server phase, we'll be testing some changes to the blue zone on Erangel. At this stage, these changes are purely experimental and we're looking for feedback to understand how players feel about the direction of the changes.
There is no expected date or certainty that these changes will come to live servers, but we greatly appreciate and are looking forward to your feedback as we experiment with the blue zone changes specifically on the test server this week.
SR Damage Multiplier Changes
Decreased the damage modifier of SR shots to the torso from 150% to 130%.
Decreased the base damage of the AWM from 120 to 105.
The AWM will no-longer kill full health players wearing a level 2 vest in one shot with these changes.
Sound Improvements
We've now added more sounds for item interactions.
Previously items were looted, dropped, equipped and unequipped, some items had the same sound effects regardless of the characteristics of each item. Sounds will now vary more between items.
Added vehicle suspension sounds.
Sounds of moving vehicles' suspension working can now be heard.
Different sounds will be played in different situations. Vehicles moving on rough terrain or when landing from a jump will make unique sounds.
Suspension sound volume is different between TPP and FPP.
Smoke Grenade Improvement
Smoke grenades are now more accurately synchronized across all players and observers.
Previously, smoke grenade duration for the viewer would start when coming into viewable range (1 km) of the smoke grenade. Smoke grenade plumes will now end at the same time for all players/observers.
Vehicles Effects Improvement
Added vehicle lighting effects.
Vehicle headlights, tail lights and dashboard are turned on when the vehicle's engine starts.
The lights are only local visual effects and will not illuminate the surrounding areas.
Open/Close Doors Animation Improvement
Improved the algorithm to determine when vehicles are blocking doors, preventing them from opening or closing.
Survivor Pass 3: Wild Card
After the launch of the Survivor Pass 3: Wild Card, we've been continuously collecting and analyzing mission result data. Additionally, we've been actively reviewing players feedback regarding specific mission difficulty. We have chosen to adjust and remove some missions which players found too difficult to complete.
Daily Missions: Decreased the difficulty of 16 missions and deleted 4 missions which were too difficult.
Weekly Missions: Decreased the difficulty of 16 missions and deleted 6 missions which were too difficult.
Challenge Missions: Decreased the difficulty of 5 missions.
UI/UX
Store UI Overhaul
Added Zoom in/out feature to item previews.
Use mouse scroll to zoom in/out of the part where the mouse cursor is pointing.
When zooming on the character, character UI is shown on the bottom right.
You can zoom in to 4 different parts (Head, Torso, Lower body, Feet).
Zoomed in parts are highlighted in the character UI.
Click on different parts of the character model to select a view of that part (Head, Torso, Lower body, Feet).
Horizontal rotations are now enabled in weapon and equipment previews.
Release the mouse button during weapon or equipment preview to reset the camera view.
Team UI Overhaul
Teammates boost gauges are now in the team UI visible while playing to enhance team play.
Changes in Display Mode Settings
When using full screen mode, the window mode will be changed to full screen (windowed) while in the lobby to prevent specific crashing caused by typing. In-game will remain full screen.
Full screen: In-game: Full screen / Lobby: Full screen(windowed).
Full screen (Windowed): In-game: full screen (windowed) / Lobby: Full screen (windowed).
Windowed: In-game: Windowed / Lobby: Windowed.
Survivor Title Season 3 Overview UI Improvements
Season reward chart now shows 4 stages of rewards instead of 3.
Additional UI has been added which shows points required for the next title.
Performance
Optimized performance to decrease the time it takes to load into matches.
Custom match
Observer Feature Improvements
Kill message improvements
To prevent confusion and distinguish individual messages from team messages, the existing individual multi-kill messages (RAMPAGE / EXECUTIONER / MASTERFUL / CONQUERING) have been removed to focus on the number of kills.
Team Multi-kill messages will remain the same.
The images for team multi-kill messages are now each shown with a separate image.
Added timer UI for Smoke Grenades
To show the remaining time for the smoke grenades, each smoke will now have a timer UI showing the remaining smoke plume duration.
The smoke timer lasts for about 40 seconds starting from the moment the smoke grenade plumes.
When the timer hits approx. 20% remaining, the UI turns red and the icon shakes.
When the timer hits 10% remaining, the icon shakes x2 as hard.
The timer UI disappears when the spectator is farther than 100 m.
The transparency of the UI changes depending on the distance.
Restored Kick Player Function
Observers can find the KICK button by right-clicking a player's name on the player list. Click the left mouse on kick button to remove the player from the game.
Players can be kicked in the middle of a game.
Replay System
In the replay feature, click right mouse button to toggle the REPORT button. Click the left mouse button again to report a player.
The replay feature version has been updated. Existing replays recorded prior to this update are no longer playable.
Skins & Items
The PUBG 2nd Anniversary Cap will no longer be available after April 24th (KST) / April 23th(PDT).
This is a free 2nd anniversary item, so don't forget to redeem it within the availability period!
Item sales for FACEIT Global Summit Hoodies and Mask will end on April 24th( KST) / April 23th (PDT).
25% of the item's revenue goes to the teams participating in FACEIT Global Summit, support the teams by purchasing these items!
Bug Fixes
World
Fixed an issue with some barbed wire fences blocking bullets.
Fixed an issue where players are unable to pick up items that are placed under broken barbed wire fences.
General
Fixed the issue with center screen DBNO and kill messages being delayed.
Fixed the issue with interaction UI remaining in spectator screen when is killed during interaction UI activated.
Fixed the issue with certain maneuver could prevent motorcycles from flipping.
Fixed the issue which a vehicle could constantly move when system menu was opened.
Fixed an issue with different UAZ model variants having different maximum speeds.
Fixed the awkward character movement when using an emote and rotating the mouse in FPP view.
Fixed the issue with a frag grenade ground burn mark textures overlapping the player character's model
Fixed an issue where only one side of footsteps is output in certain situations.
Fixed an issue which would remove player's hair completely when equipping caps.
Fixed a visual issue when punk knuckle gloves were equipped.
Fixed a visual issue preventing belts from being visible when wearing a fur coat.
Fixed an issue where character's hair and face overlap when a female character equips specific hair styles and caps.
Fixed a visual issue with shadows displaying incorrectly when swimming in FPP.
Fixed a replay issue causing explosion effects to continue when moving through the timeline.
Fixed an issue where players are unable to revive their teammates if casting UI freezes at 0 while reviving.
Fixed an issue when using a scope and the character moves backward, the scope shakes.
Fixed certain limb animations not playing while vaulting.
Fixed an issue preventing the correct crosshair from being displayed after holstering a sidearm.
Fixed an issue with Shirt (Plaid) icon not matching the in-game asset.
Fixed a bug which prevented footsteps from being heard while walking over mud or water while wearing Harley Quinn Daddy's Lil' Monster Outfit
Rocket League has issued a patch removing loot boxes in two countries, in order to abide by local laws forbidding the practice. With the 1.61 patch, players in both Belgium and the Netherlands are no longer able to open crates with earned keys "due to government regulations."
Last year in response to concerns raised by games like Star Wars Battlefront 2, both countries declared that loot boxes constitute gambling and are therefore illegal. The governments of the countries determined that the practice could entice minors to gamble. In January, EA removed FIFA Points in Belgium for the same reason.
Some countries have outlawed the practice, but it's far from settled across the board. New Zealand and France have both determined that loot boxes are not gambling, and investigations are still ongoing in the United States and Australia. That has left the practice inconsistent, as in the case of Rocket League and FIFA, where developers allow the microtransactions in some countries but not others.
Last year, the ESRB responded to the growing concerns by announcing new labeling tools to more clearly identify games with loot boxes and similar microtransaction schemes.
News of an all-digital Xbox One S leaked earlier this month, and Microsoft officially unveiled the new console Tuesday during an Inside Xbox stream. The Xbox One S All-Digital Edition, which has no disc drive, will release on May 7, and you'll be able to pick it up for $250 (£200) --about $50 cheaper than the standard Xbox One S at full price.
The digital Xbox One S comes pre-installed with three games developed by Microsoft--Minecraft, Forza Horizon 3, and Sea of Thieves. The new console is identical in functionality to the regular Xbox One S--the only difference is the lack of a disc drive, so there's no ability to play game discs, DVDs, and other disc-based media. The digital Xbox One S will still be able to play 4K content from Netflix, Amazon, and other streaming sites.
If you're excited to pick it up on Day 1, save yourself some time and pre-order the new console today. The following retailers have opened pre-orders for the new Xbox One S:
The Xbox One S All-Digital Edition has been a long time coming; Microsoft has reportedly wanted to launch an all-digital console since 2013. Some gamers still prefer to own a physical disc--and the other Xbox One consoles still exist to serve this audience--but this new console is aimed at those who are ready to go completely digital and want a (slightly) cheaper option. "The Xbox One S All-Digital Edition was created for those who prefer to find and play their games digitally and are looking for the most affordable way to play Xbox games," said Xbox executive Jeff Gattis.
Timed perfectly with the release of the digital Xbox One S is a promotion for Xbox Game Pass, the subscription service that grants unlimited access to more than 100 Xbox One and Xbox 360 digital games. Microsoft is currently offering three months of Xbox Game Pass for just $1, and that deal will be available until May 13 at 12 AM PT / 3 AM ET / 7 AM GMT / 5 PM AET.
Following Disney's recent purchase of Fox's entertainment assets, the future of the X-Men on the big screen remains unclear. But the current version of the mutant superhero team will get at least one more cinematic outing, with Dark Phoenix releasing in June. The final trailer has now been released.
The latest trailer lays out the story of the new movie. On a mission to rescue a stranded space shuttle, Jean Grey (Sophie Turner) is hit by some weird space matter, transforming her into a powerful villain that her former X-friends must stop. Check it out above.
Dark Phoenix sees the return of all the main characters from the past few X-Men movies, including Michael Fassbender, James McAvoy, Jennifer Lawrence, Tye Sheridan, Olivia Munn, Alexandra Shipp, and Kodi Smit-Mcphee. It also features Jessica Chastain in a villainous role and is directed by Simon Kinberg, who will make his directing debut after years as a writer and producer on X-Men movies. It releases on June 7.
There is technically another X-Men movie to come, but it's unknown when we might see it. New Mutants was shot back in early 2017, but has been delayed numerous times since. It's currently scheduled for an August release, but last month star Maisie Williams revealed that planned reshoots were yet to take place and that she had no idea when the film was coming out. According to The Hollywood Reporter, The New Mutants could be released straight to the upcoming streaming service Disney+, but the studio has not commented on this.
The X-Men are now under the Disney banner, as are the Fantastic Four. Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige is now in control of these properties and it is thought that they will eventually be brought into the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Netflix's The Witcher series has been slated for 2019, but now the company has considerably narrowed its release window down to a few months. The company announced in a letter to investors that the show will premiere in the last three months of the year.
The show, adapted from the popular novels turned video game series, stars Henry Cavill as Geralt of Rivia. It's currently in production in Hungary. The setting lends itself to snowy landscapes, even to the point that Cavill had to trek through some powder to hit the gym while preparing for the role. The most recent game in the series, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt was often marketed with a distinctly snowy look as well, and so the now apparent winter launch for the series makes sense.
The show is also set to star Freya Allan (Into the Badlands) as Ciri and Anya Chalotra (Wanderlust) as Yennifer, two notable names from the series. The showrunner is Lauren S. Hissrich, known from the Netflix series Daredevil and the recently released Umbrella Academy.
Cavill's first screen test footage showed him donning Geralt's iconic silver mane. Hissrich has said the actor most known for his role as Superman in recent DC universe films was perfect for the role, because he understands Geralt on a deep level. He had spoken openly about his desire to play Geralt, apparently based on his love for The Witcher 3.
Assassin's Creed Odyssey already borrowed some mythical beasts and other iconography for the main campaign, but it's preparing to double down with much more with the release of its second major story expansion. The Fate of Atlantis DLC will come in three parts, and the first one is set to drop on April 23. The second and third episodes, called Torment of Hades and Judgement of Atlantis respectively, are both due in mid-2019.
This first episode is titled Fields of Elysium, and will take place in the Greek afterlife. You'll journey to Elysium itself, interact with Greek gods, and battle mythical beasts. The trailer even shows a glimpse of Cerberus. Notably, the advanced beings who have been steering major events in the Assassin's Creed series have shared names with the Greek gods, so this could shed more light on the larger story running throughout the series. Plus, of course, you can get new pieces of legendary loot.
The Fate of Atlantis will also introduce new Ability enhancements, letting you modify your existing abilities for a more customized playstyle. This first episode will start with Ares Bull Charge, Might of Artemis, Kronos Time Warp, and Ares Madness--all abilities named after the pantheon of gods.
If you've already played the main game, you'll need to have completed the Between New Worlds and the Heir of Memories quest lines, with a character at level 28 or above, to access the DLC. If you'd rather just skip straight to the new story, you can use a shortcut to Fate of Atlantis and start at level 52 with preset Abilities. But if you use that option, you won't be able to carry your progress to the main game or obtain achievements.
This trilogy of episodes is the second large-scale expansion for Assassin's Creed Odyssey. The first one, Legacy of the First Blade, caused some controversy, prompting an apology and some changes from Ubisoft. Alongside Assassin's Creed 3 Remastered and Liberation Remastered, these two episodes compose the full season pass, which is available for $40. The Fate of Atlantis story arc by itself can be purchased for $25.
The expansive post-launch support for Odyssey is part of Ubisoft's plan to make the series act more like its live games, with long tails and regularly updated events. That means no new Assassin's Creed is planned for 2019, but the next game reportedly set during the Viking Age is likely aiming for 2020. That one is said to be code-named Assassin's Creed Kingdom, which may not be the final title.
Overwatch is currently free-to-play to celebrate the start of its latest limited-time Archives event, Storm Rising. If you don't already own the shooter, you can try it for free on PC, PS4, or Xbox One from now through April 23.
The free trial includes every hero, including the new medic character Baptiste, along with all 27 maps. Blizzard says you'll be able to "level up, earn Loot Boxes, unlock a variety of different customization options for their heroes, and keep any progress made during the trial when they then purchase the game on the same Blizzard or console account."
Conveniently, the full version is on sale until April 29. From the Blizzard Shop you can grab Overwatch's standard PC edition for 24% off or the legendary PC edition for 51% off. Alternatively you can upgrade your standard edition to a legendary edition, which includes some bonus skins, for 78% off the usual price. For console players, the Xbox and PlayStation Stores are discounting the legendary edition to around $20 / £17 / AU $33, while participating retailers have also cut the price of Overwatch's game of the year edition.
This is all to tie in with Storm Rising, Overwatch's latest PvE event. Blizzard's description of the mode states: "The clock is ticking as Tracer, Genji, Winston, and Mercy travel to Cuba to head off a stormfront and chase down the Omnic Talon boss Maximilien in the all-new Overwatch Archives replayable mission, Storm Rising."
In addition, the Archives event's previous modes, Uprising and Retribution, are back for a limited time, while more than 160 new cosmetics are available in total. The pair of modes, along with Storm Rising, are available until May 6.
Overwatch's Archives event has returned with a new mode named Storm Rising. The PvE mode sees Tracer, Genji, Winston, and Mercy travel to Cuba, and it's live now on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
Blizzard's description of the mode states: "The clock is ticking as Tracer, Genji, Winston, and Mercy travel to Cuba to head off a stormfront and chase down the Omnic Talon boss Maximilien in the all-new Overwatch Archives replayable mission, Storm Rising."
In addition, the Archives event's previous modes, Uprising and Retribution, are back for a limited time, while more than 160 new cosmetics are available in total. The pair of modes, along with Storm Rising, are available until May 6.
Separate to the limited-time event, Overwatch is currently free-to-play through April 23. The game's "full roster of 30 heroes is playable," Blizzard states, and that includes the latest character, Baptiste. You'll keep your progress if you then decide to purchase the full game, which is on sale for up to 51% off until Monday, April 29.
Fortnite updates continue to arrive, and the latest one, v8.40, adds a new dogfighting Battle Royale mode named Air Royale. You can read more about the new LTM in the patch notes below.
Developer Epic's tease for the mode states: "Pilot the X-4 Stormwing in this Limited-Time Mode as you fight to become the last plane flying! Complete free Challenges to unlock brand new Wraps as you rule the skies." It's a Duos-only mode in which each plane starts with three lives. Touching the ground will take one life from you, but you can gain more by hijacking other players' jets. In an interesting twist, the storm slowly closes in from above, meaning you'll need to keep an eye on your altitude as battles progress.
A second LTM is also introduced in this update. It's a variant of an old mode, Food Fight, this time dubbed Deep Fried, which features higher restaurant bases, meaning teams must build up to them to protect their mascots.
Elsewhere in the 8.40 update, the infantry rifle has gained new Epic and Legendary rarities, which each deal 42/44 damage and can be found in floor loot, chests, supply drops, and vending machines. Finally, in the update's most important change, you can now pet the dog. Good boy.
Epic Games continues to expand its battle royale phenomenon, with another big update coming just last week. That 8.30 patch brought Apex Legends-style Reboot Vans and nerfed The Baller, much to every hamster's dismay. You can read the full list of battle royale patch notes for version 8.40 below, via Epic Games, or read the changes for the Save the World and Creative modes on the developer's website.
Climb aboard a plane and take to the skies in this fast-paced mode where players fight to be the last one flying!
Mode Details
Air Royale is lifting off as a Duos-only mode.
Each plane has 3 lives, players will respawn until they lose their plane's last life.
Touching the ground will instantly eliminate players.
Parking a plane on the ground for more than a few seconds will cause it to explode - stay airborne!
Hijacking another team's plane will add that plane to your existing number of plane lives (and cost the team who lost the plane a life).
The storm has a ceiling that gradually lowers during the match. Be careful not to fly too high late in the match!
Loot chests of five different rarities will fall from the sky, allowing players to upgrade the guns they are carrying as well as boosting their plane's weapons for a short time.
To receive the contents of a Chest, simply fly through it.
If players receive loot from a Chest containing a weapon they already have that's of the same or worse quality, they'll receive additional ammo.
Chests with higher quality guns will automatically replace the lower quality weapon that's being carried.
Floating repair kits can also be found, these heal damaged planes and grant health & shields to players.
LTM: Food Fight--Deep Fried
Summary
Two teams on either side of the map. A huge barrier down the middle. Lava steadily rising up from below. Build a fort to protect your restaurant mascot. When the Barrier lowers, destroy the enemy's mascot and then eliminate the remaining enemies to win the match!
Mode Details
An impassable barrier will be spawned along the center of the map for the first several minutes. Lava starts rising from beneath the map a few minutes into the match.
Each team will have an under-construction restaurant near the center of the map. Inside is a giant mascot head representing that team.
If the mascot head is destroyed, that team loses the ability to respawn when eliminated.
Players should use the time that the barrier is up to construct a defensive fortress around their restaurant.
As soon as the barrier lowers, fight to take out their mascot before they destroy yours!
Special red supply drops spawn at match start. These hold a handful of weapons, ammo, consumables, traps and a few hundred metal building materials.
Players will respawn when eliminated, keeping their inventory & dropping some ammo and resources.
100 percent extra resources are gained from farming.
Building resources found on the ground increased from 30 to 50 per instance.
No explosive weapons or items are in this mode.
A small amount of free building materials are granted to each player every second.
The restaurants are now much higher, requiring players to build up to them.
May the best food win!
Weapons And Items
Egg Launcher
Everyone's favorite egg-themed Grenade Launcher skin is back!
This is a visual only change for the Grenade Launcher.
Infantry Rifle
Added Epic and Legendary Infantry Rifle variants.
Deals 42/44 damage.
Can be found from Floor Loot, Chests, Supply Drops and Vending Machines.
Uses Medium Ammo.
Gameplay
You can now pet the dog... and other Pets!
The Battle Pass Friend XP Bonus has been upgraded!
Instead of giving a small XP boost to each friend in your party, you now get a larger XP boost for partying with one or more friends.
The overall total XP Bonus remains the same (120%) and will now be much easier to keep active
In short, play any match with any number of friends and you'll be getting the same amount of XP as someone who's been playing with a full squad of Battle-Pass-owning friends.
Bug Fixes
Fixed an issue where the Season 8 trailer wouldn't play in some cases.
Fixed an issue where the embers from environmental Campfires would linger if the floor they were attached to was destroyed.
Fixed issue where Coconuts could not be pinged.
Fixed an issue where turbo building could stop if you ran out of the current type of material you were using.
Fixed an issue with Traps being be placed inside walls, making them difficult to see.
Fixed an issue with Traps being placed inconsistently when auto-placed.
Fixed 'Emotes' not playing when bound to specific keys.
Fixed an issue when using 'Replay Last Emote' before using any other emote, so it now plays the emote in the default slot.
Competitive
New Tournament - April 20 & 21: Fortnite World Cup Online Open Week 2 ($1,000,000 total prize pool!)
Participation in this event requires both players to have reached Champion League in Arena.
Region Lock is in effect - players may only participate in the qualifier for a single server region each week of the Online Opens. The server region of the first match entered for that weekend's tournament will be the one the player will be locked into for that entire weekend.
Format:
April 20 - Round One: All Eligible Players.
April 21 - Round Two: Top 1500 Teams from Round One.
Added Fortnite World Cup Qualifier slots onto the prize breakout for Online Open tournaments.
Visual improvements for Lobby panel during Online Open tournaments.
Updated how Anonymous Mode works in tournaments to provide an improved experience for stream viewers while still protecting streamers.
When a player is eliminated, their name will be shown in the elimination feed.
When a player eliminates an opponent, their name will be shown to the eliminated player only.
Maximum Screen Aspect Ratio can no longer be greater than 16:9.
Performance
Resolved a performance regression occurring on PCs with less than quad-core CPUs.
If you're still experiencing performance issues on PC, try manually adding the "NoRHIThread" to the Epic Games Launcher settings for Fortnite.
Art And Animation
Increased the size and intensity of the Boom Bow explosion effects to better represent the damage radius.
Audio
Adjusted the attenuation of the Reboot Van cooldown and Reboot Chip ambient looping audio, so that it's not as loud.
Bug Fixes
Fixed an issue that would cause the Shotgun equip sounds to occasionally not play.
UI
Mimic! When bringing up your emote wheel there's now an option that appears if you're looking at another player doing an emote you own, to allow you to play the same emote.
When hiding HUD elements in the options, some of them now collapse to free up the space they were taking up - the minimap for example.
There's now a HUD UI option to hide the vehicle control hints.
Bug Fixes
The Limited Time Mode Victory screen is no longer pushed out of place on mobile/Switch.
Replay
Bug Fixes
Fixed an issue where drone speed was not saved when scrubbing
Fixed an issue where scrubbing a replay while in Drone Attach mode would result in the camera being left behind.
Mobile
Updated the Baller controls on default and custom HUDs.
Baller controls are available to be adjusted in the HUD Layout Tool for custom HUD players.
Audiovisual shot indicators will no longer display for players in the same vehicle.
Bug Fixes
Fixed an issue with the Android app icon being incorrectly displayed.
Fixed an issue with Voice Chat while spectating
Push-To-Talk button is also no longer hidden while spectating
Fixed an issue where Auto-run would not activate in vehicles.
Fixed an issue where the Reboot Card description was missing.
Fixed an issue where the Arena overview panel was not displaying.
Fixed an issue with the FPS counter being shown twice.
Fixed an issue where the weapon icon would not display in inventory hot bar sometimes.
Fixed an issue where textures would appear stretched when on a Creative Island.
Fixed an issue that displayed a checkmark icon on certain commands of vehicles.
Fixed an issue where a second storm wall would appear in the desert biome during the first closing period.
Fixed an issue where some chests could not be opened.
Fixed issues where weak wifi halted gameplay and could cause some disconnects.
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live in a house with the team members of Dallas Fuel and Jack Box? Well, here's your chance! We're giving away the opportunity for YOU to be a guest character on the new 6-part series, "Fuel House!" Entering our Giveaway is easy—just comment below and tell us which superpower (ANY superpower) you would choose and why.
If you have trouble viewing the form please click here.
More details have emerged about the canceled Aliens RPG that was in development at Fallout: New Vegas studio Obsidian Entertainment. Writer Chris Avellone, who worked on the game, told VG247 that the game, Aliens: Crucible, was aiming to be "basically Mass Effect but more terrifying."
It didn't work out, in part due to various issues, Avellone said. "It would be like--this is going to be really rough comparison--basically Mass Effect but more terrifying. We wanted to make it. But by that point Sega, I think, was… the publisher/management relations had gotten to a point where they were just tired of dealing with [Obsidian].
"Everyone working on Aliens: Crucible was really excited about it. It was shaping up to be a really cool game. The prototype was really cool. But then Sega's like, "Nope!'"
Avellone shared that one of the difficulties with Aliens: Crucible was to retain the element of fear in the midst of a conversation. "You can make conversations stressful and frightening. How do you do it so that an alien could be attacking you at any moment?" he said. "You can't take shelter in a conversation with two talking heads while you try to figure out what to do."
As for Obsidian, the studio was acquired by Microsoft at the end of 2018. The studio is currently working on a sci-fi RPG called The Outer Worlds that will be published by Grand Theft Auto and Red Dead parent company Take-Two Interactive's new indie label.
One of the biggest questions about Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is if the sci-fi film will address Rey's parentage. We still don't know, but now director JJ Abrams has teased that there is "more to the story" than what we've seen so far as it related to who Rey's parents are.
Abrams was asked directly by ABC News, "Are we going to find out who Rey's parents are?" Abrams responded by saying he intends to have The Rise of Skywalker end in a satisfying manner, and that's important given the film is the end of not only the new trilogy that began with 2015's The Force Awakens, but also what's known as the Skywalker Saga that began in 1977. He went on to say that The Rise of Skywalker will "honor" The Last Jedi, but it remains to be seen if viewers will find out who Rey's parents actually are.
"I will say that we knew going into this, that this movie, it had to be a satisfying conclusion. And we were well aware that [the discussion surrounding Rey's parents is] one of the things that's been out there. I don't want to say that what happens in Episode 8 [didn't happen]," Abrams said (via IGN). "We have honored that. But I will say that there's more to the story than you've seen."
In The Last Jedi, Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) told Rey (Daisy Ridley) that her parents were no one of significance; they were only "filthy junk traders," according to Kylo Ren. Because it was Kylo Ren who told Rey this in the midst of an tense, emotional scene where he was trying to manipulate her, many have wondered and theorised that Kylo Ren might have been lying or obscuring the real truth about her parents.
The Rise of Skywalker comes to theatres in December, so we'll find out soon enough. The movie is said to be the last one for some time, as Lucasfilm is putting the series on "hiatus." You can check out the first teaser trailer for The Rise of Skywalker in the embed above.
Pokemon Go developer Niantic's next big game, Harry Potter Wizards Unite, is beginning its global rollout with a soft-launch today in New Zealand. A beta for the game is now available in the country for iOS and Android, Niantic has announced. The purpose of the beta is to provide feedback that Niantic says will ultimately help the final release when it's ready.
Those in New Zealand eager to play Wizards Unite should be aware that, because it's only a beta, a number of features, design, supported languages, and the "overall appearance" are all subject to change. "The product might be buggy and unstable at times. We're looking forward to your feedback so that we can improve the game experience," Niantic said.
In Wizards Unite, you play as a member of Statute of Secrecy Task Force, and you are challenged with exploring the real world, locating Foundables (important people and items in the wizarding world), and dispelling the Confoundable magic that's trapping them. While the basic premise of the game is similar to Pokemon Go, it also bears many similarities to a traditional RPG, with a stronger emphasis on story and RPG elements like skill trees and potion brewing.
Harry Potter: Wizards Unite was originally scheduled to launch in 2018 before being delayed into this year. You can read more about the title in our hands-on impressions, and Android users can pre-register for it on Google Play. There is no word as of yet regarding when the final game will be available around the world.
While you may have to wait a while longer to play Wizards Unite, the other new Harry Potter mobile game, Hogwarts Mystery, is available around the world right now.
The cheeky new advertisement for the Xbox One S All-Digital Edition showed a group of people playing Halo 5: Guardians multiplayer with split-screen. Some took this as a playful tease that the game might, finally, get updated to support split-screen--a feature the game controversially left out.
Unfortunately, it was merely an editing issue. Halo community director Brian Jarrard confirmed on Twitter that the depiction of split-screen for Halo 5 in the trailer was only "a little bit of good old fashioned creative liberty in the editing bay."
Sorry to disappoint but no, splitscreen isn't being added to Halo 5. The footage in question looks to be a little bit of good old fashioned creative liberty in the editing bay.
The Xbox One S All-Digital Edition launches on May 7 for $250 USD. For lots more on the pros and cons of the digital-only system, check out the video embedded above.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is getting a big update on April 17 (April 18 in Europe). In addition to launching a new paid DLC character, Joker, the update adds a stage-builder and video editor. That's not all. The update also makes changes to the Smash World hub on the Nintendo Switch Online mobile app.
With the new update, players will be able to take a look at new user-made videos and custom stages that the community creates using the video editor and stage builder. Perhaps the best thing about the update is that you'll be able to view community-created stages and then click a button to queue them up to download on your home console. What's more, stages can be rated, so theoretically the best ones should surface to the top.
The Nintendo Switch Online app, which requires a paid subscription, also allows players to use voice chat. You can check out the new features in the video above; skip to 13:46 to see what's new for the Smash World hub on the app.
Nintendo just dropped a 15-minute video detailing everything Persona-related that's coming to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, and there is a lot to unpack. The video outlined exactly how Persona 5's Joker works as a fighter and other content in the version 3.0 spring update, but that's not all. It also revealed the Mementos-themed stage with a few twists that'll warm the hearts of long-time Persona fans.
The new content includes homages to Persona 3 and Persona 4 with the battle theme songs "Mass Destruction," "Reach Out To The Truth," and "Time To Make History." A new arrangement for the Persona 4 boss battle theme "I'll Face Myself" and Persona 3's final fight song "Battle Hymn Of The Soul" will be on the tracklist. To top it all off, the stage changes color to match each games color scheme. You can check it out below.
Persona 3-themed Mementos stage.Persona 4-themed Mementos stage.The normal Persona 5-themed Mementos stage.The songs featured in Smash Ultimate from Persona 3 and Persona 4.
Even oddly accurate Mii renditions of the protagonists from Persona 3 and 4 are featured in the Mii Fighters costume pack. A brand new remix of the song "Beneath The Mask" (which you can hear playing in the reveal trailer) along with plenty of other familiar tunes from Persona 5's incredible soundtrack will also be included in Smash Ultimate. In the video you can see the rest of the Phantom Thieves in the game, Joker's stylish victory screen, and how the all-out attack is incorporated. All the content in the update drops Wednesday, April 17.
The big Version 3.0 update for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate will add a number of new Mii Fighter costumes that are surprisingly cheap.
There are six new costumes coming, including those based on Tails and Knuckles from the Sonic the Hedgehog series, as well as the Morgana Hat from Persona 5 and costumes based on the protagonist of Persona 4 and Persona 3, among other items. Each costume costs 75 cents each in the US, and they go on sale April 17 (April 18 in Europe) with the Ver. 3.0 update.
Smash Bros. Ultimate's Version 3.0 update launches on April 17 (April 18 in Europe), and it also adds Joker from Persona 5 and a new Mementos stage as paid DLC. In terms of free content, the update introduces a new Stage builder and video editor, while there are updates to the Smash World portion of the Nintendo Switch Online app as well.
Out of nowhere, Nintendo announced all the key details for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate's big Version 3.0 update today. In terms of new features, Ultimate is adding free stage- and video-editing tools for everyone to use.
A video from Nintendo showcases how each of these features will work. Building off the Stage builder from Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Super Smash Bros. Wii U, the new version features tools that players can use to create basically whatever they want. In handheld mode, players can use the touch screen to draw to make their creations. Some of the things you can do include create moving platforms and spinning traps, or anything else you can think up and design.
The Stage builder also features front and back layers for a further level of depth. The custom stages will live in a new Custom tab of the Stage Select screen. Players can also share them with the community. People are able to rate creations, so in theory the best ones should surface. The stages can also be viewed using the Nintendo Switch Online app, and players can even queue up a new stage download so when they get home it should start downloading.
As for the video editor, it does what you would expect. You can combine your saved video clips and adds subtitles and sound effects. As you'd expect, you can then share your creations in the Smash World page in the Nintendo Switch Online app.
Skip to around 11 minutes in the video above to check out the stage builder and video editor.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is getting a lot of new content with the 3.0 update, including a stage-builder and video editor, along with a brand-new DLC character: Joker from Persona 5.
Version 3.0 launches on April 17 (April 18 in Europe), and the new stage-builder and video editor are free, while Joker is a paid character costing $6 / £4.49. Joker also comes with a new Mementos stage, which features music from the Persona series. Check it out in the video embedded below.
The stage-builder, which was rumoured, lets you create custom stages. In handheld mode, you can draw on the tablet screen using your finger to create new stages. The tools are robust enough to make all kinds of things, it looks like, and the tools support multiple layers to edit your stages in an even deeper way. Created stages are stored in a new "Custom" tab on the Stage Select screen. You can also view and download other people's creations, though you'll need Nintendo Switch Online to do that. The video below shows how it all works.
Additionally, the video shows off how the new video-editing tools work, while it also reveals you'll be able to queue up stage downloads from the Smash World part of the Nintendo Switch Online app. You can also view recommended Stages and watch videos from Smash World.
Version 3.0 also adds new Mii Fighter Costumes to buy, including the Morgana Hat from Persona 5, the main protagonist costume and the Teddie Hat from Persona 4, and another protagonist outfit from Persona 3. You can also buy Tails and Knuckles outfits from Sonic the Hedgehog. The costumes cost 75 cents each in the US.
Here is a video showcasing the new Mii Fighter Costumes:
Update: Nintendo just published the official 15-minute video showcasing everything that's in the spring 2019 update for Smash Ultimate, including all the Persona-related content coming to the game. The update launches April 17 as $6 DLC.
The main character from the wonderfully great RPG Persona 5, codenamed Joker, should be coming to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate any day now. It's been said that he'll be joining the battle as the 70th character on the roster sometime this month, but to hold you off until then, you can check out his official character render for the game below.
It's the same character model that was first leaked by Best Buy, but it can now be dug up on Nintendo of Europe's official page for Smash Bros. Ultimate. This came to our attention via a tweet from users @PushDustIn and @Digita1Lucas. You can see him out in all his glory, sporting his Phantom Thieves get-up when he enters the Metaverse.
Sourced from Twitter user @Skyplayer37
I confirmed this myself by digging through the page's source code which was also shown by Twitter user @RealHeroOfWinds.
It's legit.
Joker's arrival in Smash Ultimate will coincide with the game's version 3.0 spring 2019 update. This isn't the only Persona 5-related news that you should be hyped up for. During a two-day special live concert, called Persona Super Live: P-Sound Street 2019 in Japan, details on a new version of the RPG titled Persona 5: The Royal will be revealed on day one, April 24. On the second day, April 25, the show will reveal the true form of the mysterious game Persona 5 S.
In a big change for E3, Sony has backed out of the show this year. Microsoft and Nintendo are still attending as representatives of "The Big Three," but Microsoft's broadcast is the only live show of the bunch. Nintendo's is a pre-recorded Nintendo Direct. Xbox executive Phil Spencer talked about this unique setup today on the latest episode of Inside Xbox.
He said he and his team understand the "responsibility" of being the only one of The Big Three to have a live stage show presence as it relates to representing the gaming industry at a time when all eyes on the gaming business.
"This is going to be an interesting one," he said. "We are the [only] platform-holder that has a live stage show. It's kind of just us this year. I feel the responsibility of that. I want to represent gaming. I think it's an important time where the larger community--news [organisations] and other things--are looking at the gaming industry at E3.
"I think it's a time where we kind of pop above a lot of the noise that's out there. The whole team, we're taking the responsibility of being out there representing gaming and wanting to do a good job of that."
While Sony won't be at E3 2019, that doesn't mean the company has no announcements to make. Just this week, executive Mark Cerny shared the first details about the PlayStation 5, and you can bet the company will talk more about the console at some point in the future.
As with many of the Inside Xbox livestreams, the latest one had plenty of news and announcements that paint a clearer picture of Xbox's future. You may have heard about Sony revealing details on the next PlayStation console, but Microsoft has a new console of its own coming soon--an Xbox One S without a disc drive. The all-you-can-eat game downloading service Game Pass will get a new tier option that packs in Xbox Live Gold, and Gears 5 multiplayer will be shown very soon. What's probably the most exciting thing is head of Xbox Phil Spencer stating that Microsoft's E3 2019 presentation will feature "things nobody has seen before" from the company's new game studios.
If you want to watch the stream yourself, check it out here. Otherwise, read through all the good stuff we plucked out from Inside Xbox.
Xbox One S All-Digital Edition Confirmed
Rumors and leaks preceded this reveal, so it wasn't much of a surprise when Microsoft made the official announcement for its disc-less Xbox One S. The new version of the console will launch on May 7 for $250 USD and come bundled with Sea of Thieves, Minecraft, and Forza Horizon 3. It's built with the same exact specs as the Xbox One S, sans the disc drive of course.
Combining Xbox Game Pass and Xbox Live Gold into one subscription option has also been rumored for a while. Microsoft confirmed that it's bundling the two services and calling it Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, which sensibly coincides with the all-digital Xbox One S announcement. While it's available for a few select users, it'll launch in full later this year for $15 a month.
Phil Spencer Says Big Things From New Studios Coming For E3 2019
Inside Xbox concluded with a few words from head of Xbox Phil Spencer. He affirmed Xbox's presence at E3 by saying, "We are the platform holder that has a live stage show...We're taking the responsibility of being out there representing gaming." He continued to say that some of Microsoft's newly acquired studios will have things to show that nobody has seen before.
Spencer Also Says He's Been Grinding In Destiny 2 Using Project xCloud
While Microsoft's cloud-based game streaming service Project xCloud is still in development, Spencer stated that he's been using a sort of alpha build himself. He said he's still trying to grind out light level 700 in Destiny 2 and has been doing strikes on his phone using an Xbox controller.
Gears 5 Multiplayer Reveal Coming Soon
The focus of the Gears 5 content during the Inside Xbox stream was esports. The Coalition's studio head Rod Fergusson stated that TBS's show ELeague will be doing a six-part series on the professional competitive scene for Gears of War in June, which will include a Gears 5 multiplayer reveal. A Gears 5 invitational competition will also take place in July, ahead of the game's release later this year.
The 2008 stylish character-action game Ninja Gaiden 2 is now backward compatible on Xbox One along with a suite of visual enhancements for Xbox One X. Like any of the backward compatible games, you can either use an existing physical copy of the game or download it digitally.
Splinter Cell And Fable Games Get Xbox One X Enhancements
While we may not have a new game in the storied stealth-action franchise from the Tom Clancy extended universe, three last-gen Splinter Cell games just got Xbox One X Enhancements. Splinter Cell: Double Agent (Xbox 360 version), Splinter Cell: Conviction, and Splinter Cell: Blacklist now include enhanced visuals and resolution. The same treatment was extended to the RPGs Fable 2 and Fable 3.
Game Bar For PC Gets A Major Upgrade
PC gamers got a little bit out of the Inside Xbox stream as well; Windows 10 users are getting a significant update to Game Bar. It'll now be widget-based with modules that you can pop in and out to customize the things you want. For example, you can have chat volume mix, Spotify, and streaming accessible while staying in-game using the new Game Bar overlay.
Rage 2 Gameplay Walkthrough
Tim Willits, director at developer Avalanche Studios, walked us through a brief Rage 2 gameplay segment. Rage 2 is confirmed to feature the coveted, overpowered gun of Doom fame, the BFG 9000. There will also be Arcs, which are sci-fi-styled underground tombs with weapons and abilities to earn.
Xbox Fan Fest At E3 2019
Xbox Fan Fest will be expanding this year by offering 700 tickets. This grants you access to Microsoft's E3 stage presentation, hands-on with upcoming games, some swag, and much more. Tickets are acquired via random drawing and those 18 years old and up can enter starting April 19 at 9am PT--winners will be announced on April 25.
The Minecraft movie, which has been in the works for years now and has gone through multiple directors, has found a new release date. The film is scheduled to hit theatres on March 4, 2022, developer Mojang announced on its website. The movie, which is live-action, was at one point scheduled to come to cinemas in 2018, so it's taken quite a while to get to this point.
Mojang also shared new plot details for the Minecraft movie. It'll focus on a teenage girl and her "unlikely group of adventurers." They must defeat the evil Ender Dragon and save Overworld.
Peter Sollett (Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist) is directing the Minecraft movie, which is coming from Harry Potter film studio Warner Bros. Before Sollett, Warner Bros. had hired Stranger Things director Shawn Levy to direct, and while It's Always Sunny star Rob McElhenney was also attached to direct, but both of those men dropped out for various reasons.
"We want to make the movie--just as we make the game--for you," Mojang said. "We're inspired by countless things, but none as much as the incredible stuff our community creates in Minecraft every day."
Another classic Xbox 360 game has joined Xbox One's growing backwards compatible library. During Tuesday's Inside Xbox livestream, Microsoft announced the brutal action game Ninja Gaiden II is now playable on the company's current-gen console, and it--along with a handful of other existing BC games--has been enhanced for Xbox One X.
Ninja Gaiden II originally released for Xbox 360 in 2008. The game featured numerous improvements over its predecessor, including an enhanced combat system that allowed players to dismember enemies. We awarded it an 8/10 in our original Ninja Gaiden II review, writing, "It's flashier and it's bloodier, and when those enhancements are in full force, the game offers the best action available on the platform."
If you still own a physical copy of Ninja Gaiden II, you can now pop the disc into your Xbox One and begin playing. As previously mentioned, the game is also enhanced on Xbox One X. Microsoft says the game runs at a higher resolution and features nine times the pixel count when played on the more powerful console.
Microsoft made a number of other big announcements during Tuesday's Inside Xbox broadcast. The company confirmed that it is bundling Xbox Live Gold and Xbox Game Pass together into one cheaper subscription called Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. It also unveiled the long-rumored disc-less Xbox One S console.
Recent Articles:
You are receiving this email because you opted in at our website.
No comments:
Post a Comment