Ubisoft has announced the latest update for Assassin's Creed Odyssey, Patch 1.2.0, will go live on Xbox One, PS4, and PC tomorrow, April 4. The update is 4.1 GB on Xbox One, 4.4 GB on PS4, and 3.9 GB on PC.
Patch 1.2.0 implements in-game support for several upcoming content drops in Odyssey. The largest of those content drops--the first episode of Odyssey's Fate of Atlantis DLC, titled Fields of Elysium--releases April 23. Patch 1.2.0 adds in-game support for upcoming Lost Tales of Greece side missions as well. Like the Fate of Atlantis DLC, you can expect these Lost Tales of Greece missions to launch at a later date.
The update adds new features to Odyssey too. Patch 1.2.0 implements custom gear loadouts, allowing you to quickly switch between your favorite combinations of armor and weapons for different combat encounters. Lost Tales of Greece missions will also be highlighted in the Quest log, making it easier to keep track of how many you have left and which tasks you still need to do to complete each one.
The rest of Patch 1.2.0 outlines fixes for some of Odyssey's balancing issues and bugs. The full notes are outlined below. Be warned, the patch notes for this update do contain spoilers for certain mid- to late-game storylines.
In our Assassin's Creed Odyssey review, Alessandro Fillari gave the game an 8/10, writing, "...Assassin's Creed Odyssey's ambition is admirable, which is reflected in its rich attention to detail for the era and its approach to handling the multi-faceted narrative with strong protagonists at the lead. While its large-scale campaign--clocking in at over 50 hours--can occasionally be tiresome, and some features don't quite make the impact they should, Odyssey makes great strides in its massive and dynamic world, and it's a joy to venture out and leave your mark on its ever-changing setting."
Assassin's Creed Odyssey Update 1.2.0 Patch Notes
Balancing
The Legendary sword, Prometheus' Sika, now has a warrior engraving as intended.
Addressed an issue that prevented Primary attributes from upgrading.
Players will now take damage when the oxygen bar is depleted.
Miscellaneous
Players can now change the resolution modifier by increments of 10%.
The newly added Viewpoints with TU1.1.4 will now be automatically completed when the region was discovered already.
[PC] Added support for MSI Mystic Light.
Bug Fixes
Legacy of the First Blade
Addressed a visual issue with the reward for looting the three letters in The Last Magi.
Addressed an issue in Smoke and Fury where a Persian NPC wouldn't participate in combat.
Lost Tales of Greece
Addressed an issue in Daughters of Lalaia where Thyia could sometimes be MIA in the cinematic when interacting with the Magistrate in Phokis.
Untracked Lost Tales of Greece quests will now appear blue instead of white.
New Game Plus
Addressed an issue in New Game+ where players sometimes could become stuck in the Forge.
Uncollected Orichalcum nodes are now present in the world in New Game+.
Addressed an issue where players could lose their items in New Game+ upon looting the same item with a higher level.
Legendary Upgrade in New Game+ will no longer make the item higher level than the player.
Addressed an issue where A Friend Worth Dying For couldn't be started in New Game+.
Main Game
Quest
Addressed an issue that prevented Myrrine from reaching her destination.
Addressed various quest progression issues upon killing and confirming the kill of various NPCs.
Addressed an issue where snakes wouldn't be inside the bathhouse in Enough Is Enough. Enough Hiss Enough.
Addressed an issue in Moving On where the quest would be completed when the requirements weren't met.
Addressed an issue where players couldn't upgrade their spear at the forge.
Addressed an issue in Paint It Red where the quest markers would sometimes disappear before reaching the destination.
Addressed an issue where The City That Cried Wolf couldn't be completed as the wolves wouldn't spawn.
Addressed an issue in Bare It All where players couldn't loot the Amulet.
Addressed an issue where players were missing the sub-quest Speak No Evil.
Addressed an issue in The Doctor Will See You Now where players couldn't process with the quest after getting the forceps.
Addressed an issue where Nikolaos will have a different hairstyle after the conquest battle in The Last Fight of Aristaeus.
Addressed an issue where players were missing all main story quests after a loaded game save.
Addressed an issue in Throw the Dice where the quest items could sometimes be missing at the intended locations.
Addressed an issue where players couldn't interact with the Sphinx or complete the quest Lore of the Sphinx.
Addressed several issues where NPCs could sometimes die after a cut scene.
Addressed an issue where the Eagle Bearer in Would the Real Eagle Bearer Please Stand Up can be killed by the player before speaking with him.
Addressed an issue in Ashes to Ashes that prevented players from completing the quest.
Herodotos will no longer slide right after the dialogue is finished in Regrets.
Character and AI
Addressed several behavior issues with Lieutenants once they have been assigned to the Adrestia.
Adrestia and Naval
Addressed an issue where enemy ships could exceed Level 99.
Addressed an issue that caused Athena/Octopus' bows to be missing.
Graphics, Animations, and Audio
Addressed some graphical issues that occurred in various regions.
Addressed various lighting issues.
Addressed various gear texture issues.
Improved an animation when activating Rapid Fire while crouched.
Addressed an animation issue with the Fury of the Bloodline ability when attacked by another NPC.
[PC] Addressed an issue where the game looked washed out with FreeSync 2 enabled on HDR monitors.
Abilities, Perks, and Engravings
Increased the invulnerability window at the end of Fury of the Bloodline.
Addressed an issue where players couldn't use combat and melee special abilities under certain circumstances.
Elemental resistance now works as intended and provides bonuses to the player based on the total value.
Hephaistos' Workshop Tier S2 20% discount is now applied properly.
Addressed an issue that caused the Crit Chance at full health perk to not work as intended with overpower attacks.
User Interface, Menu, and Subtitles
Addressed various localization issues.
Addressed various UI/HUD display issues.
Addressed various lip sync issues.
Addressed an issue with the Transmog System where the hidden item slot wasn't working as intended under certain circumstances.
Addressed an issue with the Sceptre of Samothrace where its visual wouldn't be available as a Transmog option.
Addressed an issue where Aya's lieutenant would be missing a legendary perk after Title Update 1.1.4.
Addressed an issue that could cause a double fade when accessing the Engraving section of a blacksmith.
Addressed an issue where fast travel was grayed out.
Addressed an issue that caused the Level 99 pop-up to display a wrong message.
Addressed an issue where the Olouros Fortress location is not marked as completed.
Addressed an issue where Tomb locations wouldn't be marked as completed upon activating the Stele.
The Pond of Tainaros is now marked as a Historical Point of Interest.
Addressed an issue where unused ability points could be missing after Title Update 1.1.4.
Addressed an issue that could occur when scrolling rapidly between Mercenary tiers.
[PS4] Addressed an issue where PlayStation®Vita system controls overlap with the ability menu.
[PC] Addressed an issue where the Skip button during cut scenes has Controller feedback while using M&K.
[PC] Addressed an issue with the Benchmark tool where the Adaptive Quality option didn't function.
[PC] Addressed an issue with the HDR option that would be displayed as off while activating after changing graphics settings.
Respawn has put out a warning that there's a pretty serious bug in Apex Legends right now. It's tied to the battle royale title's latest update--which is live now--and it deletes your in-game progress.
To stave off the bug, Respawn wrote a quick post on Reddit advising all players to "not buy or craft anything" until the issue is resolved. The post did not list any specific platform, so it's implied the bug is affecting all versions of Apex Legends on Xbox One, PS4, and PC.
It also seems like players can no longer log in to Apex Legends' servers either, regardless of platform. Most likely the servers have been shut down in order to stop players from logging in and losing their progress. However, Respawn has not issued an official statement in regards to the server shutdown.
We'll continue to update this story as it develops.
The update in question, Patch 1.1, is (ironically enough) a quality-of-life patch for Apex Legends. Patch 1.1 adds a feature that allows you to invite the squadmates you just played with to join you in a party. So if there's ever a random teammate you meet online that you want to play with again, you can easily find them. The update also implements a mute button on Apex Legends' intro and character select screens, and creates an option to report players for cheating or "Other." Octane's jump pads no longer affect Wraith while she's using her Into the Void ability as well.
Patch 1.1 implements a few bug fixes too. The three of them are outlined below. If you're curious, Respawn has posted the full patch notes for Apex Legends' latest update on Reddit.
Apex Legends Patch 1.1 Bug Fixes
Fixed issue where the Battle Pass rewards page would not have a default item selected, resulting in a mostly blank page.
Fixed bug for PS4 and Xbox One where sometimes attempting to use a keyboard to chat could cause a fatal script error.
Fixed bug with Banner Cards not showing up during and at the end of a match.
It's been about 25 years since Goichi "Suda51" Suda had a hand in a Fire Pro Wrestling game, but he's coming back to lend his storytelling chops to the retro-style wrestling series--it's where he got his start, after all.
Suda's made a name for himself and the team at Grasshopper Manufacture with bizarre concepts for unconventional narratives that have turned into cult hits, such as Killer7, Shadows Of The Damned, and the No More Heroes franchise. If you've been paying attention to games he's worked on, you've seen the love of professional wrestling throughout his body of work; Travis Touchdown suplexes enemies to finish them off and Mask de Smith's whole persona was based on a luchador-masked wrestler with the proper moveset to fit. All that can be traced back to Fire Pro Wrestling.
Back in 1994, Super Fire Pro Wrestling Special hit the Super Famicom in Japan, and in addition to its intricate gameplay, it had a surprisingly involved and twisted narrative called Champion Road. As director and writer, Suda hit us with an unexpectedly dark scenario that involved a series of devastating character deaths blending into the story's wrestling events (it also featured a Ric Flair stand-in named "Dick Slender"). It concluded with the main character eventually becoming champion. However, the final scene cut to a frame of his house and an audible gunshot, implying that he had committed suicide. It's a grim premise to begin with and a difficult one to build from, but that's what Suda is doing. And this time around, it seems to be more hopeful than what he wrote over two decades ago.
This new scenario--that's coming as DLC for last year's Fire Pro Wrestling World--was born out of the idea: what if the main character from the original story had a kid? It's sort of a sequel, essentially Champion Road 2 in spirit, starring the son who is now 24 years old and in a tag-team called The Vanishing. When I had a chance to talk with Suda briefly about it, he said, "I'd been kind of mulling it over for a while and it's been 25 years since the last scenario, and now it's kind of the right time. I decided, okay, I'm going through with it. That's how this character came about."
The teaser image for the Fire Pro Wrestling World DLC, a story scenario starring the tag-team The Vanishing.
A lot has changed in the years since. With the original story being brutally dark and utterly ridiculous, and Suda's body of work built from unconventional, experimental types of games, there are so many directions this could go. What kind of tone should we expect from a new Fire Pro story? How does Suda feel about the original story; did it go too far, or did he wish he'd done it differently, in retrospect?
"The original scenario was pretty traumatic: the main character rises up to the top and then ends up dying, you know?" Suda said. "When thinking about what to do with this one, I do have a general idea of where to go and what to do with it. But put simply, it's sort of a story of his growth and development. As I started writing it, the character started coming to life on his own. And to be honest, at this point, I'm not sure where this character is going to go. I don't know how it's going to end until I actually finish it!
What I want to portray is sort of the inner-mind of a pro wrestler. When he's fighting, what is he feeling? What is he thinking? What kind of stuff is he struggling with? It will be a bit more serious and a lot more introspective. - Suda51
"I hit the original Champion Road with my unbridled passion for the sport and the result was intense and over-the-top in a way only pro wrestling can be. Reading it now, the prose is pretty rough, so I'd like to rewrite it given the chance."
Suda's latest game, Travis Strikes Again, channeled a lot of what made No More Heroes stand out with fourth-wall breaking and self-references, some very on-the-nose, but thematically fitting. They almost gave a sense that he was trying to talk the player through the game. But it seems that the new Fire Pro scenario is aiming to be a bit more measured for now.
"With [No More Heroes'] Travis, he's always kind of been like that," Suda said. "He's got a really deep connection with video games, so I felt that he was that sort of character that would talk directly to the players. For this game [Fire Pro], I mean obviously it's a pro wrestling game, and thematically it is a bit different. And rather than have, for example, the wrestlers speak directly to the player or laying out the central themes, what I want to portray is sort of the inner-mind of a pro wrestler. When he's fighting, what is he feeling? What is he thinking? What kind of stuff is he struggling with? It will be a bit more serious and a lot more introspective."
With Suda in full control over the scenario writing, it'll be nice to see him have a hand in gameplay elements for The Vanishing tag-team, especially having directed Fire Pro in the past. But that aspect may have to be left to Spike Chunsoft's development team.
"Since I haven't finished writing the first scenario yet, I'm not sure if stuff like that might pop up, but basically I'm thinking of just leaving the gameplay stuff all up to the studio," Suda explained. "There are a few things, these wrestlers are going to have their own unique special moves and stuff. For things like that I'm going to put in requests like, 'okay I want them to have these moves that work this way.' But apart from that, I'm planning on pretty much just leaving it up to the studio."
Suda helped promote Fire Pro Wrestling World before it launched in 2017, but now he's actively developing the DLC.
For those not familiar with Fire Pro Wrestling, its had a storied history that began in 1989 as a PC Engine game by a now-defunct studio called Human Entertainment. Former members of Human eventually formed Grasshopper Manufacture which Suda heads up as CEO. As for Fire Pro Wrestling, Spike Chunsoft picked up the reins in 2000, and in total there have been more than 20 releases within the franchise--most of which are only available in Japan, where pro wrestling had breakout success, coinciding with the popularity of the games.
"Human had actually been putting out the game since before I joined the company, but originally it started out as a straight up wrestling simulator," Suda said. "And so I decided that, kind of like the scenario I wrote for [Super Fire Pro Wrestling Special (1994)], I wanted to do something similar where it wasn't just a simulator but really giving it proper themes and giving it a sense of story. The originals came out, and they were the sort of games where you don't really have to be into pro wrestling to get into it. There were a lot of gamers that didn't know anything about it who tried the game and were like, 'oh, this is actually pretty cool, I kind of like pro wrestling now,' and that was a pretty big thing in Japan at the time.
"With this latest one, I feel like it's the same type of game, where you don't need to know anything about pro wrestling, you don't have to really be into it; just try playing it as a game. People who just chekc it out just as a game will hopefully get into pro wrestling through this! The scenario that I'm writing up again is a proper story, so it's not just about men as wrestlers. It's got this realness as well, and I'm hoping it will help people get more into the game and then, by extension, pro wrestling."
If you dig the games that Suda and company have made over the years, you may owe it to New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW), but he called back to how he used to despise the sport. It wasn't until the break out of a particular persona in the NJPW scene--who's based on an old Shonen Jump manga series--sparked something in Suda and sort of set things in motion.
"I actually used to hate pro wrestling," Suda admitted. "I thought it was really gritty, people always bleeding all over the place and stuff. But the moment I saw Tiger Mask debut on NJPW, I was like 'wow, this is something different.' It was pretty much that moment I got really into it, just from seeing that guy. If Tiger Mask hadn't made his debut, I probably wouldn't even be into pro wrestling."
And if it wasn't for the break out of Tiger Mask, he probably wouldn't have worked on Fire Pro all those years ago.
Editor's Note: Translation for the interview with Goichi Suda was done by Spike Chunsoft.
Fans of the Borderlands series can rest easy, as developer Gearbox announced Borderlands 3 during its PAX East panel last week. Also during the panel, Gearbox confirmed the remaster of Borderlands: Game of the Year Edition. The release date for the remastered Borderlands: GotY is nearly here--here's exactly when it unlocks and how to get it for free on PC.
[Update: Borderlands: Game of the Year Edition is out now on PS4 and Xbox One. You can pick it up from the PS4 and Xbox One digital stores right now; if you're waiting for the PC version (free upgrade or otherwise), it'll be live later this afternoon, as noted below. Additionally, Gearbox has shared a bunch of new information about Borderlands 3, including confirmation of its release date: September 13. We also got the first details on its playable characters.]
The official Twitter account confirmed that Borderlands: GotY drops tomorrow, April 3. It'll be available for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One at 7 AM PT / 10 AM ET. Steam customers who own the existing Game of the Year Edition can download an update for free at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET. It's possible to obtain physical copies of the game on consoles, but they're limited to US and Canada stores only.
Borderlands: Game of the Year Edition drops TOMORROW with new weapons, visual upgrades, character heads, gold chests and keys, all 4 add-on packs, and more! ➜ https://t.co/ud6BPxbt1upic.twitter.com/QnuNPlb2Zq
When the Borderlands: GotY launched in October 2010, it gathered the original Borderlands with all four of its DLC packs--The Zombie Island of Dr. Ned, Mad Moxxi's Underdome Riot, The Secret Armory of General Knoxx, and Claptrap's New Robot Revolution--into one package. This remastered version will do the exact same, but will also bring about some new additions like gameplay tweaks (such as a new minimap, for example), a series of new guns, new character customization options, and more. Gearbox is also altering the campaign's final boss, making it "more engaging, challenging, and rewarding."
Further, an Ultra HD texture pack for Borderlands: The Handsome Collection will be available the same day as the Borderlands: GotY drops. According to the official Borderlands website, the UHD texture pack will affect "characters, vehicles, weapons and environments." Gearbox didn't specify how the UHD texture pack will affect the game, so it's unclear if it's receiving more frames per second, higher graphical fidelity, or both.
Borderlands: GotY is currently not live on neither the PlayStation 4 nor Xbox Store. However, it's currently available for pre-order through GameStop for $30 on both platforms.
Major issues with the update aside, Update 1.1 includes some interesting quality-of-life changes for Apex Legends that should make it even easier to create better, longer-lasting squads of the players you meet when firing up the game. Apex now includes an option that lets players invite the members of their last squad back into their party--perfect for those times when your team of randos from matchmaking actually turn out to be pretty good.
The option for squad invites is now on the Friends menu, which means you can opt out if you don't want any matchmade players trying to follow you back to your squad. The patch also has a few other changes worked in, including access to a Mute button on the Legend select screen, and more options on PC for reporting players for cheating or other issues. PC players will also get more information if the game crashes to help them deal with the trouble.
You can read the full patch notes below. It'll give you something to do, since Apex Legends is currently down while Respawn deals with the progression bug.
Update 1.1 Patch Notes:
Quality Of Life
Added the ability to party up with the last squad you played with. After the match you will see buttons in the lobby that display the last two people you played with and can invite them to your squad.
Additional behind-the-scenes improvements for squashing cheaters.
Added Mute button during the intro and Legend selection.
When using the Report Player button for PC, you now have the option of selecting Cheat or Other.
Added informative messages that appear on PC for crashes due to:
Running out of memory.
CPU errors best explained by overclocking/overheating.
Added better collision to the turrets on Supply Ships.
Stability fixes to all platforms.
Bug Fixes
Fixed issue where the Battle Pass rewards page would not have a default item selected, resulting in a mostly blank page.
Fixed bug for PS4 and X1 where sometimes attempting to use a keyboard to chat could cause a fatal script error.
Fixed bug with Banner Cards not showing up during and at the end of a match.
Jump Pad Phase Walk Interactions
Octane's Jump Pad no longer affects players when using Into the Void ability.
Another major name has joined All Elite Wrestling. The promotion announced that Jim Ross, the former WWE agent best known for his commentary work during the company's Attitude Era, has signed a three-year contract that AEW describes as "the most lucrative deal in pro wrestling commentary history."
AEW says Ross will take on the role of Senior Advisor "effectively immediately." His first in-ring appearance for the promotion will be at its first major event, Double or Nothing, which is scheduled to take place on May 25 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The company says Ross will also "work closely with the senior leaders at AEW on their roadmap to shift and reinvent the wrestling landscape."
"I'm moving on in a very positive way to this timely opportunity to be on the ground floor of one of the most exciting moments in the history of pro wrestling," Ross said in a press release. "I've known Tony [Khan, president of AEW], Cody [Rhodes], The Young Bucks, and Kenny [Omega] for a long time, and I know they're going to change the world of pro wrestling."
AEW is the brainchild of Rhodes and The Young Bucks. The promotion was officially announced back in January and has already attracted a number of major names in the world of wrestling, including former WWE champion Chris Jericho, former WWE cruiserweight champion Pac (née Neville), and many others. You can check out the full AEW roster to see all of the wrestlers signed to the promotion thus far.
The Division 2 will add its first big late-game world event this week, with the Tidal Basin update. The new area will open on April 5 as a free update to all players, but it's not for rookie agents. You'll need a high-level character to take on the new challenges.
If you have a Tier 4 agent with at least 450 gear score, you'll unlock a new set of challenges in Tidal Basin. It will also open up the ability to reach Tier 5, and you'll be able to take down a new Black Tusk stronghold.
This is the first big update for Ubisoft's open-world shooter. Other plans include Operation Dark Hours, the first eight-person raid, and a story episode called D.C. Outskirts: Expeditions slated for the summer. Similar story episodes are planned for fall and winter.
Each of these additions are free for all players, so if you own the game you're already in. Ubisoft is also selling a Year One Pass for the game, which gives you seven-day early access to all of the episodes, along with instant access to any new specializations. Plus, pass holders get eight Classified Assignments and some exclusive cosmetic items. You can purchase that for $40. A separate in-game apparel store sells individual cosmetics as well.
"The range of enemy types continues to keep combat encounters challenging, the equipment I earn and pick up continues to feel different, valuable, and asks me to consider new ways of play," Edmond Tran wrote in GameSpot's review. "The ravaged environments continue to intrigue, and sometimes they're so stunning I find myself needing to take screenshots before I move on. It might not have much to say, but The Division 2 is a perpetual cycle of tension, relief, and reward that's difficult to stay away from."
A third-party controller for the Nintendo Switch promises to bring one of the most requested features to the platform: easy in-game voice chat. PDP's Faceoff Deluxe+ wired controller is slated for launch this summer, and it boasts the first controller to use a separate chat functionality.
The Faceoff Deluxe+ uses the audio SDK developed by Vivox, the studio behind Fortnite's in-game chat. It offers a 3.5mm audio jack and built-in audio controls, which will let you plug in a standard headset and chat normally, without going through Nintendo's awkward mobile chat app.
The controller also features interchangeable face plates and two programmable buttons, like the previous Faceoff Deluxe controllers. Pre-orders will begin in May. According to the company blog, it will cost $25 and come in Red Camo and Purple Camo at launch.
Last year, outgoing Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime defended the company's decision to tie its voice chat to mobile devices, claiming it's easier for consumers because your phone is "always with you." He also pointed out that Nintendo tends to make unconventional choices for features like online play.
Nintendo Switch Online is another component of its current online offerings, which enables online multiplayer for select games and includes a selection of free NES titles every month, sometimes with special save states. The April offerings include Punch-Out!!, Super Mario Bros. The Lost Levels, and Star Soldier. If you're not a member, you can get it included with a Twitch Prime subscription.
Superhero movies obviously existed prior to the 21st century, but it was the likes of the first X-Men and Sam Raimi's Spider-Man at the start of the 2000s that helped make the genre the box office monster it is today. The current stars of the Marvel Cinematic Universe are some of the best known actors in the world, and it's hard to think of other performers in those roles.
But what if the superhero movie craze had happened a decade earlier? With the exception of three Batman movies and smaller films such as Blade, the 1990s were largely free of big screen superheroes, despite the number of hugely iconic actors associated with that decade. Luckily, thanks to YouTube fan-edit channel What's The Mashup, we now have an idea of what a '90s Avengers movie might have looked like.
The WTM team presents a trailer for the The Avengers in '90s style, complete with a dated VFX and a distinctive VHS look. Best of all, they have inserted some of the biggest stars of the time, using footage from other movies, and cast them as the Earth's Mightiest Heroes. So if you ever wanted to see Tom Cruise as Iron Man, Brad Pitt as Thor, or Sarah Michelle Gellar as Captain Marvel, here's your chance. There's more in there too--but we won't spoil the surprise of who has been cast as Captain America. Check it out below:
As for the real Avengers, the much-anticipated Avengers: Endgame hits theaters on April 26. The latest promo video revealed loads of new footage--check out GameSpot's breakdown of this new video. In addition, tickets for Endgame are now available. The pre-sale has broken records and caused several ticketing sites--including Fandango and AMC--to crash.
A new in-game event is now underway in Pokemon Go. Coinciding with the debut of Giratina Origin Forme, Niantic has kicked off the game's first Bug Out, a week-long event featuring increased Bug Pokemon spawns and other bonuses--including a new Shiny Pokemon.
From now until April 9, Bug-types such as Scyther, Paras, Wurmple, and Yanma will appear in the wild more frequently than normal. Not only that, but players will have their first chance to encounter a Shiny Scyther during the event, and Bug Pokemon like Shuckle and Ninjask will appear as Raid bosses.
In addition to increased Bug Pokemon spawns, Incenses will last twice as long as they normally do during the Bug Out event, and they'll attract more Pokemon than usual. Players will also be able to obtain special Field Research tasks focusing on Bug Pokemon from Poke Stops. You can read more details about the event on the Pokemon Go website.
Beyond the Bug Out event, Pokemon Go players now have their first chance to capture Giratina in its Origin Forme, the serpentine appearance it takes in Pokemon Platinum. This variant of the Legendary Pokemon will appear in Raid Battles until April 29 and has more offensive stats than its Altered Forme. You can find tips on how to catch Giratina here.
Shortly after the Bug Out event end, Niantic will host Pokemon Go's next Community Day. This month's event is scheduled to take place from 3-6 PM local time on Saturday, April 13. During those hours, players will have an easier time finding the rare Dragon Pokemon Bagon. Also happening this month is Niantic's second annual Earth Day campaign. If enough players participate in their local cleanup events, the developer will add Shiny Diglett to Pokemon Go as a reward.
Following an April Fools Day release date leak, Gearbox Software confirmed today that Borderlands 3 will release September 13. The studio also dropped a new trailer that showcased new gameplay and confirmed that Borderlands 3 will initially be distributed through the Epic Games Store on PC. The game will eventually be available on other digital storefronts, but this won't be until April 2020.
The latest trailer, which you can watch below, introduces a host of new characters, including four new Vault Hunters: Moze the Gunner, Amara the Siren, FL4K the Beastmaster, and Zane the Operative. We also got a look at the villainous Calypso Twins. Check out our feature detailing everything we know about the four playable characters and their abilities, which will be updated as more information is revealed. Plus, get caught up on all the latest news about the game.
When Borderlands 3 launches, there will be multiple versions of the game available to purchase on PS4, Xbox One, and PC. In total, there will be four editions of Borderlands 3: Standard, Deluxe, Super Deluxe, and Diamond Loot Chest Collector's Edition. Each one has unique bonuses and extras available for those that are willing to drop the extra cash on them. Whether you're a Borderlands veteran or thinking about checking the series out for the first time, here's what you need to know about each version of Borderlands 3 so you can make an informed purchase.
Borderlands 3 pre-order bonuses
If you pre-order Borderlands 3, you'll be given a weapon trinket and gold weapon skins for all guns in the game. The PlayStation Store is also giving away a free Borderlands 3 PS4 theme if you pre-order the game there. UK players also have access to another perk: if you pre-order at Game, you'll also receive a free Psycho Mask (which is a physical item), while supplies last.
Borderlands 3 standard edition
The standard version is, as the name implies, just a vanilla version of the game (plus any pre-order bonuses) and costs $60 / £55.
The Super Deluxe Edition includes everything that's part of the Deluxe Edition, plus the Borderlands 3 season pass. It will be available initially for $100, but the price will increase to $120 from September 17. In the UK, the Super Deluxe Edition will be exclusive to Game, and the price will remain £90.
What's included:
Deluxe edition of the game + any pre-order bonuses
Borderlands 3 season pass:
Four campaign DLC packs featuring new stories, missions and challenges
Butt Stallion weapon skin, weapon trinket, and grenade mod
Finally, the Diamond Loot Chest Collector's Edition will be available at GameStop for $250 / £250. It has everything in the Super Deluxe Edition, plus a plethora of collectibles, including a replica of the Diamond Loot Chest, 10 character figurines, a Sanctuary 3 snap model, and more. The Diamond Loot Chest Collector's Edition is also exclusive to Game for anyone who lives in the UK.
What's included:
Super Deluxe Edition of the game (including season pass) + any pre-order bonuses
Diamond Loot Chest Replica -- features a functional retractable lid so you can store your real-world loot
Ten Borderlands 3 three-inch character figurines -- the whole crew is here, including the four new Vault Hunters, the Calypso Twins, and more of your favorite characters from the Borderlands universe
Sanctuary 3 snap model with stand included
Four Vault Key keychains
Cloth galaxy map of the Borderlands
Five character art lithographs -- character prints starring the new Vault Hunters and fanatical Calypso Twins
Gearbox Software has announced that Borderlands 3 will be available from September 13 and the PC version will be distributed through the Epic Games Store at launch. The game will be available on additional storefronts in April 2020.
Borderlands 3 is the latest in a growing number of games that are shifting their focus from Valve's Steam platform to Epic's nascent digital delivery service. In a statement, publisher 2K said this decision was in line with the company's efforts to embrace new delivery platforms.
"The PC gaming community has been an important part of the success of the Borderlands series, and we are excited to be partnering with Epic, who recognize its worldwide popularity and share in our commitment to bring Borderlands 3 to this rapidly expanding audience," said 2K president David Ismailer.
"Our mission, in addition to delivering the most engaging and captivating entertainment experiences, is to embrace new distribution platforms that will contribute to our effort to grow the audience for Borderlands 3," he added.
Gearbox also said that the PC version has been developed with hardware manufacturer AMD. As a result, it has been optimized for AMD Radeon graphics cards and also and Ryzen CPUs.
Borderlands 3 will also be available on PS4 and Xbox One from September 13. Gearbox has released a new trailer for the game, showing off some of its explosive gameplay and also providing us with a closer look at the four new Vault Hunters that players will take on their adventures. Gearbox certainly seems to be being more ambitious for its third entry in the series, and you can read about some of the new features coming to Borderlands 3 here.
Gearbox Software has confirmed that Borderlands 3 will launch on September 13, 2019, as indicated by a leak earlier this week. The game will be available for PS4, Xbox One, and PC. Alongside the release date, Gearbox has also released a new trailer, which confirms that, at launch, the game will be distributed through the Epic Games Store on PC. Borderlands 3 will then come to additional PC digital storefronts in April 2020.
The trailer is a showcase of Borderland 3's gameplay and also introduces the Vault Hunters players will take control of as they hunt for loot, the legendary Vaults, and take on the fanatical Calypso Twins. Among them is Moze the Gunner, Amara the Siren, FL4K the Beastmaster, and Zane the Operative.
Moze is able to summon a mech which other players can mount, Amara can summon ethereal arms to brawl using, FL4K controls beasts--as his class name implies--and Zane is very handy for distracting enemies, slipping into combat, doing damage, and escaping. For more on the characters, check out our Borderlands 3 Vault Hunter breakdown.
The antagonistic Calypso Twins, meanwhile, are attempting to unite the various bandit clans with the goal of taking ownership of the galaxy's ultimate power.
Whereas previous games were mainly focused on single, sprawling locations on Pandora, Borderlands 3 will give players the opportunity to travel to new worlds beyond it. Gearbox is promising that each one will feature unique environments and enemies.
Another new feature introduced for the game is level sync, which makes co-op play a little more friendly by scaling the experience for each player, regardless if they are playing together online or locally in split-screen, or their level and mission progress. The tentpole feature for Borderlands 3 is vehicular combat, which is sure to inspire Mad Max-esque feelings in players, as they tear across savage lands engaging in combat with enemies.
Watch the trailer above to see it all come together in gameplay footage. The trailer also invites players to pre-order the game for access to golden weapons. For more on the game, head over to our Borderlands 3 round-up, which brings together everything we know about the game so far.
Borderlands 3 is packed with several returning characters from all across the series. However, there are plenty of new faces too. After all, the series has made a tradition of offering new characters to play in each subsequent entry. The latest game's new troop of Vault Hunters is no exception, and each is armed with their own unique abilities, skill trees, and personalization options.
Below we detail everything we know about Borderlands 3's four playable characters. Be sure to check back often as we update this feature with more information as it gets announced. Though, if you'd like a breakdown of everything we know about Borderlands 3 in general, then read our in-depth roundup feature.
Moze the Gunner's main ability comes from her mech, Iron Bear, which instantly constructs around her when summoned. She's far more mobile than previous gunner-type classes, who often had to cater their strategies around stationary turrets. Another interesting feature of Moze's Iron Bear is that other teammates can hop onto it and use the turret mounted at its head. This adds what looks to be an emphasis on cooperation to Moze's playstyle. Although she seems well capable of defending herself, it seems she's much more dangerous and effective when a friend tags alongside her.
Amara the Siren
It wouldn't be a new Borderlands game without the presence of the Sirens, a group of mysterious women with incredible powers who are distinguishable by the tattoos that adorn half their bodies. Amara is the newest Siren to be introduced to the series; though, it's unclear how long she has existed in the Borderlands universe or where she comes from. Unlike Lillith and Maya, Amara is more melee-focused, which is made apparent by her ability to summon multiple ethereal arms to punch baddies with. Her muscular physique and destructive offensive power make her a solid fit as the brawler of the group.
FL4K the Beastmaster
FL4K is essentially the hunter class of Borderlands 3, but their most intriguing skill is the ability to command pet beasts. From early trailers, it seems FL4K is able to choose between a few different pets that each have their own unique abilities. Based on the screenshot above, FL4K is able to command either a Skag, a Spiderant, and another creature brandishing a gun. Currently, it's unclear how many creatures FL4K can have alongside them at a time or how they'll be controlled. If FL4K's appearance is a basis in which to discern the weapons they're most effective at using, then it looks like they're proficient at using close-to-mid range weaponry and grenades.
Zane the Operative
If you're a fan of Borderlands 2's Zero, then Zane is likely the Vault Hunter you'll want to choose in Borderlands 3. We're not just saying that because of both their names start with a "Z," but because of his decoy device, which draws aggro from enemies. All this isn't to say that Zane doesn't have his own unique abilities; he comes equipped with several gadgets, such as an attack drone that supports him in battle.
The first trailer for Joker is here. The upcoming DC universe film is the much-anticipated origin story movie about the Clown Prince of Crime and stars Joaquin Phoenix in the lead role. It will hit theaters on October 3.
As has been previously hinted, the trailer suggests that Joker is going to be quite unlike anything else the DC universe has released so far. It focuses on Phoenix's lonely, unstable Arthur, a stand-up comedian who clearly has trouble fitting into society. We see Phoenix being attacked on the street, visiting Arkham Hospital, and dressing up as a clown, while his voiceover hints at the dark criminal turn his life will soon take. Check it out above.
Joker is directed by Todd Phillips, who previously helmed the Hangover movies. This origin movie of Arkham Asylum's most famous resident also stars Robert De Niro, Zazie Beetz, Bill Camp, Shea Whigham, and Marc Maron.
Joker is one several movies on the way over the next couple of years from the storied comic book company of DC . It will be followed by Birds of Prey in February 2020, which sees Margot Robbie reprise her Suicide Squad role as Harley Quinn. An early teaser was released in January, and more details about the film emerged at the recent CinemaCon in Las Vegas.
As its title suggests, CinemaCon is the annual convention for the National Association of Theatre Owners, and in recent years has become a vital part of early movie publicity. Unlike San Diego Comic-Con, it isn't a public event, but studios clearly realise that screening early footage for the industry and media can be a major help in building buzz for new films.
Warner had a major presence at this year's CinemaCon, which is currently underway in Las Vegas. The studio previewed three of its highly anticipated upcoming DC movies, namely Joker, Birds of Prey, and Wonder Woman 1984.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the first Joker trailer was introduced by director Todd Phillips, who explained that rumors about the film's tone and plot "[haven't] been accurate." Phillips then described the movie as a "tragedy." As for the trailer, THR states that it includes footage of Joaquin Phoenix's lead character being attacked before trying on various costumes to find his iconic Joker look. [UPDATE: the Joker trailer is now online.]
Unlike Joker, early footage of Birds of Prey was officially released in January, but CinemaCon attendees got see more of the movie, which arrives in February 2020 and sees Margot Robbie reprise her Suicide Squad role as Harley Quinn. Slashfilm described the new footage as "bright, bold, and bursting with neon colors," and it included a shot of Harley Quinn roller skating behind a moving vehicle. In addition, the Birds of Prey presentation revealed that Harley isn't actually a full-time member of the titular female superhero team.
As for Wonder Woman 1984, although the movie isn't due for release until July 2020, it was shot before both Joker and Birds of Prey. According to Variety, there were several scenes shown, including footage of Diana (Gal Gadot) and Steve Trevor (Chris Pine) walking through Washington DC, Diana getting involved in some action in an '80s shopping mall, and Kristen Wiig's villainous Cheetah.
Netflix has released a new trailer for the Ted Bundy movie Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile, and it provides the best look yet at Zac Efron as the notorious serial killer.
The movie follows the crimes of Bundy but told from the vantage point of his longtime girlfriend Elizabeth Kloepfer, who is played by Lily Collins (Tolkien, To the Bone).
The film also stars Kaya Scoderlario, Jim Parsons, John Malkovich, and Haley Joel Osment. Metallica singer and guitarist James Hetfield also has a role; you can see him at 0:47.
Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile is directed by Joe Berlinger. He was nominated for an Oscar for the documentary Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory.
Netflix paid a reported $9 million to acquire the film, which debuted at the Sundance Film Festival back in January. Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Vile and Evil also expected to have a limited theatrical run.
This is the second very high-profile Ted Bundy programming on Netflix, as the streamer already has Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes, which itself was created by Berlinger.
Late last month, it emerged that Sony would no longer offer PS4 game codes at retailers like GameStop and others beginning April 1. The thinking followed that GameStop and other affected brick-and-mortar stores would take a hit as a result. While it's too early to say for sure, GameStop believes the move by Sony won't have much of a negative impact.
Speaking on an earnings call today, GameStop CFO Rob Lloyd, who was involved in discussions with Sony about the change, said the majority of digital games bought at GameStop in fact come from point cards, not full-game download codes.
"Most of the sales of full-game downloads ... at retail come in the form of currency," he said. "So the move by Sony to go back to the currency model, we don't expect it to have a material impact on our results because we'll continue to sell that currency."
GameStop is uniquely positioned to sell virtual currency thanks to its buy-sell-trade model, Lloyd said. He also said buying virtual currency at a physical retailer is also attractive for people who want to use cash, or those who are are unwilling or unable to use a credit card on the internet to buy directly from Sony or theoretically other digital stores.
Sony only stopped supplying full-game codes to GameStop and other retailers on April 1, so it's certainly too early to say if the change will indeed have any material impact on the bottom lines of affected retailers.
You pretty much can't trust anyone or anything on April Fool's Day, and that was the case when Maisie Williams appeared on Jimmy Fallon's late night show this week to discuss the final season of Game of Thrones. In a staged sequence, Fallon asks Williams, who plays Arya Stark on the hit HBO show, to give just a crumble of information about the final season.
Williams begins with the prepared answer you'd expect; emotional final days on set, sad to say goodbye to the cast, etc. But then she spills the beans, revealing that her character, Arya Stark, dies in the second episode. She looks genuinely shocked and dismayed about letting that slip. She tries to go on with the interview, but her grief is too great and she walks off stage. Fallon, too, does a bit of acting and appears dismayed and goes off to find Williams.
Then they both appear from behind the curtain and shout, "April Fools!" with big grins on their faces. We should have always seen this coming; it was April Fool's Day.
It's a fun sequence to watch play out, though, and Williams is a true acting talent with the way she sold her grief and dismay over revealing the Game of Thrones "spoiler." In the end, we all got trolled, and--for better or worse--that's what April Fool's Day is all about.
The eighth and final season of Game of Thrones premieres April 14 on HBO, so there isn't much more time to wait until we all find out who lives and dies, and how the story wraps up.
It's a new month, and that means subscribers to Nintendo Switch Online are getting more free NES titles. This month's lineup includes the classic boxing game Punch-Out!!, as well as Super Mario Bros. The Lost Levels, which is known for its very difficult levels. The third game is the shoot-em-up Star Soldier.
These three games will become available to download starting on April 10. In the past, Japan has received different titles, but they seem to be the same this month. Here's a trailer:
— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) April 3, 2019
Free NES games is one the perks of signing up to Nintendo Switch Online. The catalog already includes iconic games like Donkey Kong, The Legend of Zelda, Metroid, and Yoshi. New titles are added on a monthly basis, so the offering pretty much keeps getting better and better.
Other benefits of Nintendo Switch Online is access to cloud saves (for some games) and of course the ability to play titles online to begin with.
A subscription to Nintendo Switch Online costs $4 USD/month or $8 USD for three months. A 12-month membership is available for $20 USD, while a Family Membership for up to eight Nintendo Account members costs $35 USD for a year. New subscribers can sign up with a seven-day free trial.
The annual fighting game tournament extravaganza known as the Evo Championship Series, a staple of the fighting game community (FGC), has unveiled how this year's roster of games is performing based on current registration numbers. Evo president Joey Cuellar tweeted the rankings for the nine games featured on the main stage this year, and it comes with a few surprises (see below).
Perhaps the biggest surprise is the fact that Under Night In-Birth: Exe Late[st] stands tall with the fifth-highest registration. Although the core game of Under Night has been in arcades since 2012 and consoles since 2015, this year is its debut at the Evo main stage. This is in part thanks to Exe: Late[st] being the definitive version of the game which hit the PC, PS4, and PS Vita in 2018 for North America. The smooth, stylish 2D anime fighter comes from the relatively small developer French Bread (makers of the cult-classic Melty Blood series) who worked with Arc System Works for a few aspects of the game. As of now, Under Night even tops ArcSys' Dragon Ball FighterZ, which had the highest registration at Evo 2018.
BlazBlue Cross Tag Battle has been sitting at 9th, but the crossover fighter has a large update for spring this year. We got our hands-on four of the new characters on the way, which you can see in the video above. The game unites the casts of BlazBlue, Persona 4, Under Night, and the animation series RWBY in a 2D tag-team fighter, and we awarded it a 9/10 in our review commending its exciting and deep, yet accessible mechanics.
Registration for each game will remain open until July 14; Evo 2019 will take place in Las Vegas, NV at the Mandalay Bay between August 2 and 4.
In a round of unexpected and excellent news, Firaxis Games announced today that Civilization VI now supports cross-platform saves for PC (via Steam) and Nintendo Switch. The functionality arrived in the game with the newest update.
To make it work, you need to link your 2K Account and select the "multi-platform cloud save" box in the options menu. You can sign up for a 2K Account here on 2K's website. For now, cross-platform saves only work across PC and Nintendo Switch, and there is no word on if it'll ever be supported with Civ 6's iOS edition.
Here's a handy video that to help you understand what cross-platform saves are and how to enable them in Civ 6:
— Civilization VI: Gathering Storm (@CivGame) April 2, 2019
Civ 6 launched in October 2016 for PC before coming to iOS about a year later. The . Nintendo Switch version launched in November 2018.
Civ 6's latest expansion, Gathering Storm, launched in February. We scored the expansion a 9/10, and you can read our full Gathering Storm review here.
CD Projekt Red has announced that it is opening a merchandise store in the coming weeks. However, CD Projekt Red has not yet revealed the exact details about what the store will sell, only promising the information is "coming soon."
We've been waiting for #AprilFools to be over to share this good news with you — we're opening CD PROJEKT RED Store in the following weeks! Keep your eyes open for updates!
Not many details about Cyberpunk 2077 have been revealed, but CD Projekt Red did release a 48-minute gameplay trailer for the game that teases out many of the mechanics and the features that players can expect to see. The full video can be watched above. In it, you see a healthy dose of both exploration and combat--the latter of which is partially inspired by The Witcher 3. Near the end of the trailer, Cyberpunk 2077's more intensive combat was shown, as well as several high-level abilities and a boss fight.
Avengers: Endgame tickets are finally on sale, and as you might have guessed, they're selling very well. Ticket-seller Fandango announced today Endgame needed just six hours to surpass the previous single-day pre-sale ticket sales record on Fandango, which was held by Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
Tickets for Endgame went on sale at 5 AM PT / 8 AM ET today, April 2, and "within minutes, Fandango saw historic numbers of fans reserving their seats," the company announced. The company didn't share specific ticket sales numbers, but they were strong enough to reach No. 1 after just six hours, beating out the likes of The Force Awakens, The Last Jedi, Rogue One, and Avengers: Infinity War, which make up the Top 5 all-time fastest-selling tickets on Fandango.
Fandango Top Five First-Day Ticket First 24 Hour Sales
Avengers: Endgame (2019)
Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015)
Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017)
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)
Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
Fandango managing editor Erik Davis said Endgame ticket sales have "exceeded all expectations" on the site. "We've never seen anything like this--it's truly a groundbreaking accomplishment--as fans simply cannot wait to see how this epic saga comes to a close," Davis said.
Fandango also shared some of the results from an Avengers-themed survey. 98 percent of respondents said the cliffhanger from Infinity War was a "main factor" in buying a ticket for Endgame, while 86 percent said they are eager to find out how Captain Marvel features in Endgame.
In other news, new footage from Endgame was released today; check it out in the embed above. Endgame hits theatres on April 26.
New consoles from Microsoft and Sony might be coming soon. Retailer GameStop today said on an earnings call that it expects new hardware sales to slow down in 2019 on account of people hearing about new consoles and waiting for them to arrive.
"With respect to new hardware, as we get closer to the end of the current console cycle for Xbox and PlayStation, we expect demand to decline as some customers choose to wait on the sidelines in anticipation of acquiring the next generation of innovative consoles," CFO Rob Lloyd said.
Lloyd was specifically talking about business elements that GameStop shared with analysts to "help provide context" for 2019. This suggests that new consoles from Microsoft and Sony may be announced and/or released this year.
Video game retailer GameStop today reported earnings for its fiscal fourth quarter and fiscal full year, and the results were not all that rosy. Before getting into the numbers, it's important to note that GameStop's fiscal Q4 and fiscal full year were one week shorter (13 weeks in the quarter compared to 14 and 52 weeks in the year compared to 53) than the previous year due to the way in which GameStop collected its numbers and data last year. As a result, GameStop's sales numbers were likely to take at least a small hit in part to having one fewer week of sales.
With that out of the way, GameStop announced fourth quarter sales of $3.1 billion, which is a decrease of 7.6 percent. The key contributors to the downturn in sales were a tough comparison to an extra week last year and the timing of the launch of Call of Duty: Black Ops 4. While there was an overall decrease in sales for the quarter, US store sales rose 3.4 percent while international stores saw revenue decrease by 2.9 percent.
New hardware sales dropped 9.8 percent in the quarter. The Nintendo Switch was a bright spot, helping offset the decline in Xbox One X sales. That was always going to be a tough comparison for Xbox One X given it launched during the previous fiscal year, and consoles typically have huge opening numbers and then taper off. New software sales for GameStop in the quarter dropped by 7.8 percent, while pre-owned sales fell further, by 21.3 percent. In terms of growing businesses, GameStop's accessories sales rose 18.8 percent (thanks to controllers and headsets), digital sales rose 4.7 percent (thanks to digital currency), and collectibles sales jumped 3.1 percent.
Overall, GameStop posted a loss of $187.7 million for the quarter, which is worse than the $105.9 million loss that GameStop recorded during the same quarter a year earlier.
Moving to the full year, GameStop's total global sales reached $8.3 billion, which is a decrease of 3.1 percent. US store sales increased 1.8 percent while international sales dropped 4.8 percent.
Looking at GameStop's various business units, it was a mixed bag for the full year. New hardware sales fell 1.3 percent, while new software sales dropped 5.1 percent. Pre-owned sales fell 13.2 percent. On the better side, accessories sales jumped 22 percent, collectibles sales rose 11.2 percent, and digital sales increased 16.5 percent.
GameStop overall posted a net loss of $673 million for the full year.
Despite the difficult fourth quarter and full fiscal year, GameStop executive chairman Dan DeMatteo said in a statement that the company expects to grow in the future under the leadership of its new CEO, George Sherman.
"We are excited to move forward under George's leadership as we refine our strategic direction and implement several initiatives under development to strengthen the company for the future and drive sustainable growth and profitability," DeMatteo said.
GameStop CFO Rob Lloyd said in his own statement that the company recognises "the challenges facing our pre-owned video game business."
GameStop says it will address these issues in several ways as part of its overall ambition to save costs and improve profit. Some of the ways GameStop plans to save money in the new fiscal year is to focus on "supply chain efficiencies, operational improvements, expense savings, and pricing and promotion optimization."
"GameStop is a leader in the video game industry, and we remain committed to capitalizing on our leadership position to discover new and unique ways to meet our loyal customers' entertainment needs and attract new customers," he said.
Another week means a brand new batch of Xbox One game deals, and this week's Xbox Live discounts definitely don't disappoint.
We may be seven months away from October, but things are already getting spooky with the Indie Horror Games Sale, which has markdowns up to 80% on some of the best horror games out there. The Amnesia collection is just $18 (40% off) and comes with the classic title, The Dark Descent, its expansion, Justine, and the sequel, A Machine For Pigs. Another excellent game from the creators of Amnesia is on sale: Soma, a sci-fi horror game set deep in the Atlantic Ocean. It's selling for $12 (60% off) this week. Outlast, a survival horror classic set in a psychiatric hospital, is marked down to $4 (80% off); you can also get it as a bundle with the Whistleblower DLC for only $6.24. The supernatural mystery Oxenfree is also on sale for just $5 (75% off).
While the Elder Scrolls 25th Anniversary Sale has largely come to an end, The Elder Scrolls Online is still selling for $10 (50% off) for the next week, so you have a little more time to take advantage of that discount. Other notable Xbox One deals this week include Flipping Death, a puzzle-platformer where you play as Death himself, which is on sale for $8 (60% off); and Jotun: Valhalla Edition, a hand-drawn exploration game inspired by Norse mythology, which is discounted at $8 (60% off).
Ninja Theory has announced that the Switch port of Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice is releasing next week, on April 11. The game is already available on PS4, Xbox One, and PC.
Hellblade's Switch port was first teased during Nintendo's February 2019 Direct. The acclaimed action game explores mental illness through the lens of Norse mythology. Hellblade first released in 2017 as a PS4 console exclusive, before getting an Xbox One port in 2018. We love Hellblade, calling it one of GameSpot's top 10 games of 2017.
On Xbox One, Hellblade is a part of Game Pass, so you can download the title if you're subscribed to the subscription service. Game Pass costs $10 USD a month, allowing you to download games from a vast library of titles for a fraction of their total retail price. Hellblade is an Xbox One X enhanced title as well. On a One X console, Hellblade plays at 4K HDR with 60fps, and there's additional fog, foliage density, and shadow quality.
In our Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice review, Alessandro Fillari gave the game an 8/10, writing, "Hellblade's most notable achievement is the handling of an incredibly sensitive subject matter within an engaging and well-crafted action/adventure game. At its heart, the story is about Senua's struggle to come to terms with her illness. In the process, she learns to find the strength within herself to endure, and to make peace with her past. And in a profound and physical way, we go through those same struggles with her, and come away with a better understanding of a piece of something that many people in the world struggle with."
Several other Switch ports were announced during that February 2019 Direct. Deltarune, Toby Fox's follow-up to Undertale, released on Switch on February 28. A Switch port for Final Fantasy VII followed on March 26. Assassin's Creed III: Remastered for Switch is scheduled for release later this year on May 21.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 4's new Blackout Alcatraz map has launched on PS4. Alcatraz is expected to release on Xbox One and PC at a later date this month. For the entire month of April, you can play on either of Blackout's multiplayer maps for free. Alcatraz is only live on PS4 right now, though. However free access to Blackout is live on Xbox One, PC, and PS4.
Although Blackout--the name of Blackout's original map--is a more traditional battle royale, Alcatraz makes slight changes to the formula. Instead of deploying from a drop ship that travels in a straight line at the start of a match, in Alcatraz, your team deploys from portals that appear at random points above the island. There's no collapsing zone wall either, and zombies seem to be more plentiful as well.
Like Apex Legends, Alcatraz also features respawns. After falling in battle, you're allowed to redeploy after 30 seconds have passed. You can respawn up to five times. Also like Respawn's battle royale, Alcatraz supports a smaller collection of players, all of whom are grouped into teams. All in all, there are 40 players on the map, each in a four-person squad for a total of 10 teams.
Alcatraz also features predetermined locations where you can buy firearms to use. New weapons are made available at these locations every 30 seconds, making them ideal for setting up ambushes. Alcatraz is also more vertical-focused in comparison to Blackout. The entire island is basically one large hill, with the Cell Block landmark dominating the topmost point. Numerous paths are available for teams to reach different elevations, ranging from climbable cliffs to a slow-moving tram.
"Alcatraz is a small island, and that means super fast-paced, frenetically fun fighting," Treyarch studio design director David Vonderhaar said in a video describing the new map. Treyarch producer Miles Leslie added, "And our Zombies players might recognize this, but we've handcrafted Alcatraz for the Blackout experience."
This year marks the 25th anniversary of the original Doom, as well as the impending release of Doom Eternal. To mark the occasion, Bethesda has announced that the theme of this year's QuakeCon will be the "Year of Doom."
The company wasn't specific regarding what the festivities would include, other than to say the event will feature "hellish activities and events that look back at a quarter century of demon-stomping and a look forward at what's to come." Naturally the event will include the usual slate of panels, hands-on demos, and Bring-Your-Own-Computer (BYOC) tournaments.
Registration for QuakeCon will open on April 11 at 10 AM PT, through the official site. The event will take place July 25-28 in Grapevine, TX. General admission is free, while a BYOC entry will be $75 and admission to all the panels and events will cost $125. You can also have a combo ticket for $200, or VIP entry for $400. BYOC purchasers should be advised that this year you won't be selecting a seat as soon as you register, as seat selection will take place separately at a later date.
Last year's QuakeCon brought news about Fallout 76, Doom Eternal, and Quake Champions. This year Doom is taking center stage, though it isn't clear if the company will keep that the singular focus or if it will venture into the wider network of Bethesda franchises. Most recently, Doom Eternal was one of a handful of playable demos available at Google's Stadia unveiling. We know already that Elder Scrolls 6 and Starfieldwon't be at E3 this year.
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