It's almost June, and that means a wave of new content is coming to Netflix in the upcoming month. From movies that hit theaters earlier in the year to brand-new Netflix originals, there is plenty of content coming to the service next month.
The final season of any Netflix/Marvel joint venture hits the streaming service in the upcoming month. Season 3 of Jessica Jones is set to debut on Netflix sometime in June. However, no specific release date has been announced. There will be no more Marvel TV series on Netflix, as Marvel is moving its properties to the new streaming service, Disney+ later this year.
The most-anticipated release this month is Season 5 of Black Mirror on June 5. The last release of the series, a choose your own adventure-style episode called Bandersnatch, actually delayed Season 5 of the hit show. This season will only contain three episodes,--Striking Vipers, Smithereens, and Rachel, Jack And Ashley, Too--but it's looking like it will be an exciting one--also, super-depressing.
As usual, there are plenty of movies coming to the service in June, including Christopher Nolan's Batman Begins and The Dark Knight, which arrive on June 1. And while Disney is pulling its content this fall, there are still a few things coming, like on June 15 when Ralph Breaks the Internet arrives.
But Netflix is also giving content the boot in June, so you have a limited amount of time to watch some movies. On June 1, Stargate, Doom, and the Kill Bill movies exit Netflix, so watch them before they leave. On June 5, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 leaves, so it'll be your last chance to check that one out as well.
Below, you'll find the full list of everything coming and going from Netflix in June. For more on streaming services, check out the June releases list for Hulu and Amazon Prime Video.
Coming To Netflix In June
No Date
Marvel's Jessica Jones: Season 3 -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Trinkets -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Avail. 6/1/19
Arthdal Chronicles -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Oh, Ramona! -- NETFLIX FILM
50/50
A.I. Artificial Intelligence
Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day
Batman Begins
Cabaret
Carrie
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
Dynasty: Season 2
Good Night, and Good Luck
Gran Torino
Life in the Doghouse
Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa
Magic Mike
Network
Platoon
Prosecuting Evil: The Extraordinary World Of Ben Ferencz
Satan & Adam
Small Soldiers
The Dark Knight
The Phantom of the Opera
The Space Between Us
What a Girl Wants
Avail. 6/3/19
Documentary Now!: Season 3
Malibu Rescue: The Series -- NETFLIX FAMILY
Avail. 6/4/19
Miranda Sings Live…Your Welcome -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Avail. 6/5/19
A Silent Voice
Black Mirror: Season 5 -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Dr. Seuss' The Grinch
Avail. 6/6/19
Alles ist gut -- NETFLIX FILM
Todos lo saben
Avail. 6/7/19
3%: Season 3 -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Belmonte
The Black Godfather -- NETFLIX FILM
The Chef Show -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Designated Survivor: Season 3 -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Elisa & Marcela -- NETFLIX FILM
I Am Mother -- NETFLIX FILM
Pachamama -- NETFLIX FAMILY
Rock My Heart -- NETFLIX FILM
Super Monsters Monster Pets -- NETFLIX FAMILY
Tales of the City -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Avail. 6/8/19
Berlin, I Love You
Avail. 6/11/19
Disney's Ralph Breaks the Internet
Avail. 6/12/19
Jo Koy: Comin' In Hot -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story by Martin Scorsese -- NETFLIX FILM
Avail. 6/13/19
The 3rd Eye 2 -- NETFLIX FILM
Jinn -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Kakegurui xx -- NETFLIX ANIME
Avail. 6/14/19
Aggretsuko: Season 2 -- NETFLIX ANIME
The Alcàsser Murders -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Awake: The Million Dollar Game -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Charité at War -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Cinderella Pop -- NETFLIX FILM
Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce: Season 5
Leila -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Life Overtakes Me -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Marlon: Season 2
Murder Mystery -- NETFLIX FILM
Unité 42 -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Avail. 6/15/19
Grey's Anatomy: Season 15
Avail. 6/16/19
Cop Car
Avail. 6/17/19
The Missing: Season 3 -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Avail. 6/18/19
Adam Devine: Best Time of Our Lives -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Big Kill
Avail. 6/19/19
Beats -- NETFLIX FILM
The Edge of Democracy -- NETFLIX FILM
Avail. 6/20/19
Le Chant du Loup -- NETFLIX FILM
Avail. 6/21/19
Ad Vitam -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Bolívar -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
The Casketeers: Season 2 -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
The Confession Tapes: Season 2 -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Dark: Season 2 -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
The End of Evangelion
EVANGELION: DEATH (TRUE)²
Girls Incarcerated: Season 2 -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
GO! Live Your Way: Season 2 -- NETFLIX FAMILY
Jaoon Kahan Bata Ae Dil -- NETFLIX FILM
La misma sangre -- NETFLIX FILM
Mr. Iglesias -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Neon Genesis Evangelion
Shooter: Season 3
Avail. 6/24/19
Forest of Piano: Season 2 -- NETFLIX ANIME
Avail. 6/25/19
Mike Epps: Only One Mike -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Avail. 6/26/19
The Golem
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
The Zookeeper
Avail. 6/27/19
Answer for Heaven -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Avail. 6/28/19
20th Century Women
7SEEDS -- NETFLIX ANIME
Dope: Season 3 -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Exhibit A -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Instant Hotel: Season 2 -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Motown Magic: Season 2 -- NETFLIX FAMILY
Paquita Salas: Season 3 -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
The Chosen One -- NETFLIX ORIGINAL
Avail. 6/29/19
Scare Tactics: Seasons 4 & 5
Avail. 6/30/19
Madam Secretary: Season 5
Leaving Netflix In June
Leaving 6/1/19
An Extremely Goofy Movie
Apollo 13
Cold in July
Disney's 101 Dalmatians
Disney's The Fox and the Hound 2
Disney's The Jungle Book: Mowgli's Story
Doom
Freddy vs. Jason
Friday the 13th
Honey, We Shrunk Ourselves
I Am Legend
In the Army Now
Inspector Gadget 2
Jason X
Kill Bill: Vol. 1
Kill Bill: Vol. 2
Legally Blonde
Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde
My Bloody Valentine
Playing It Cool
Pretty in Pink
Reindeer Games
Stargate
Terminator Salvation
The Bone Collector
The Constant Gardener
Leaving 6/4/19
District 9
Leaving 6/5/19
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
Leaving 6/6/19
The Soloist
Leaving 6/14/19
Grand Designs: Australia: Season 4
I Own Australia's Best Home: Season 1
I Own Britain's Best Home: Season 1
Mother
Leaving 6/15/19
Apocalypse Now
Minimalism: A Documentary About the Important Things
The PlayStation Store's Totally Digital Sale continues this week with markdowns on PS4 games like Dead Cells, Dragon Ball FighterZ, and Superhot VR. Plus, more game deals have been added, including a batch of over 200 titles that PS Plus members can get twice the discount on. There's also a new Warner Bros. sale with markdowns across franchises like Batman: Arkham, Lego, Hitman, and Mortal Kombat.
The Warner Bros. sale is also worth checking out for its deals on Batman: Arkham games and Lego titles. You can get the entire Batman: Arkham collection for $30, which includes the definitive versions of all three games, plus all DLC. Injustice 2's Legendary Edition is marked down to $24 from $60, and Mad Max is only $7. Meanwhile, the Lego games are all available for $8, except for Lego: Marvel Super Heroes 2's Deluxe Edition, which is $14. These deals end May 28 at 8 AM PT / 11 AM ET.
See some of the best game deals below, and browse the full offering of deals at the PlayStation Store. Plus, don't forget to check out the deals posted last week as part of the Totally Digital Sale--those discounts will also expire May 28.
With the approach of E3 2019, the rumor mill is abuzz with the possible announcements, trailers, and reveals that will come out of the show. Quite a few aren't very likely--they're more pipe dreams than anything really. However, some of the rumors carry some weight to them. Of everything rumored to come out of E3 2019, the reveals listed below are (in our opinion) the most likely to carry some semblance of truth.
Remember, nothing detailed in this article has been confirmed (yet). It's a collection of speculations based off of small tidbits of information, leaked details, and investigative reports. That said, if our collection of E3 2018 rumors is any indication, some speculations can turn out to be fact. Last year, rumors that E3 2018 would see the announcement of Hitman 2 and Assassin's Creed Odyssey ultimately turned out to be true. Prior to E3, there was also speculation that CD Projekt Red would show off Cyberpunk 2077 (and boy did they) and that Bethesda would announce something Fallout related (and we got Fallout 76).
More leaks and rumors are bound to pop up the closer we get to E3 2019, so continue to check back on this article as we get closer to June. We'll continue to update the following list of rumors as they come up (provided there's weight behind them).
Infinity Ward's Call Of Duty 2019 Is Revealed To Be Modern Warfare 4
Traditionally, Activision reveals the name of its new Call of Duty games in May, but the month is already almost over and there's no planned announcement in sight. That hasn't stopped fan speculation though, and rumors are pointing to the new Call of Duty game being Modern Warfare 4. Whatever the game is, it's been confirmed to appear at E3 2019, and it's already playable.
Following the established rotation, Infinity Ward has been confirmed as the developer for Call of Duty 2019. Other than revealing Call of Duty will include a traditional single-player campaign and co-op gameplay in a "huge expansive multiplayer world," Infinity Ward hasn't announced any concrete details about the game. However, several teases and tweets from the developer's staff have hinted towards Infinity Ward working on a game related to its popular Modern Warfare series.
Microsoft Unveils At Least One Of Its Next-Gen Xbox Consoles
Microsoft is rumored to be working on two next-gen Xbox consoles, and it's possible at least one is being announced at E3 this year. The first, codenamed Lockhart, is supposedly the budget-oriented, standard edition of the console. Meanwhile, the second, codenamed Anaconda, is the high-powered version--equivalent to Xbox One's more powerful One S and One X variations.
Microsoft is already expected to discuss its plans for next-gen at E3 2019, but it's unclear if the company is planning something as big as a full reveal (complete with price points, launch titles, and features) or smaller teases of what's to come. There's been speculation that the next-gen Xbox consoles will be geared towards wider audiences with a lower price of entry, and include new technology in line with Microsoft's focus on selling games as opposed to hardware. This would fall in line with what Phil Spencer told GeekWire in regards to consoles.
"That is not where you make money," Spencer said. "The business inside of games is really selling games, and selling access to games and content in means like that is the fundamental business. So if you open it up, the more often people can play, the more they're enjoying the art form. It increases the size of the business."
Though it's still speculation, Microsoft's next-gen Xbox consoles are expected to release no earlier than Fall 2020.
From Software Teases The First Of Its Two Upcoming Games
This theory largely rides on whether A Song of Ice and Fire author George R.R. Martin is actually working with From Software. The novelist has already confirmed he's been consulted on some game that's being made by a Japanese developer but hasn't revealed which one. Rumors popped up in March that the developer in question is Dark Souls, Bloodborne, and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice creator From Software. Gematsu has since reported that someone "familiar with ongoings at From Software" has confirmed the rumors to be true, but neither Martin nor From Software have made an official statement.
Regardless, the rumors go on to say that, whatever the game is, it will feature various kingdoms to explore and that killing the rulers of each kingdom will allow you to unlock powerful abilities. Gematsu's source (which the outlet has stated they have not been able to verify) has added that the game is internally known at From Software as "GR," has been in development for three years, and contains a world and story that's a collaborative effort between Martin and Dark Souls III and Bloodborne director Hidetaka Miyazaki. The game is also supposedly scheduled to be revealed at E3 2019 during Microsoft's press conference.
Even if the source hasn't been verified, it all sounds fairly plausible. Especially since, back in January 2019, Miyazaki announced From Software was already working on two games, both of which would come out after Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice and be similar in scope and tone to From Software's Soulsborne titles. Both Miyazaki and Martin are known for their intricate dark fantasies, so a partnership between the two is very believable. With Sekiro only a few months old, though, it doesn't seem likely From Software would announce another new game for 2019 (even if it has been in development for three years). Seeing a trailer at E3 teasing a TBA 2020-2021 release seems a bit more plausible. We'd happily love to be wrong though.
Microsoft Brings Back The Fable Series With A Brand-New Game
Speculations about a fourth Fable game have been circulating the internet for years, but a new rumor published by an alleged industry insider has revealed Microsoft is finally set to tease a new title for the series during the company's E3 press conference. Between the rumors that Microsoft is revealing a new console, a new From Software game, and now a new Fable, it certainly seems like Xbox boss Phil Spencer is keeping his promise the company would "go big" at E3 this year.
The industry insider, whose whole report can be read on NeoGAF, writes, "Some speculate it's actually Fable IV, but the reality is that it's a new beginning for the Fable franchise. This game started development in late 2017 and has been in development now for little over two years now. It is a next-gen game only and you will most likely not see it until 2021 at retail at the earliest. You will see a glimpse of a small teaser trailer most likely at this year's E3 and in 2020 you will see much more of the game."
Petri executive editor Brad Sams, who's well-known for his track record in reliably breaking Microsoft news, has confirmed on Twitter that he's heard a new Fable game is in the works. He doesn't know if Microsoft plans on revealing the game during E3 2019, but thinks it's "highly plausible."
If the full NeoGAF report is to be believed, we'll see quite a few other Xbox console exclusives at E3 2019, including previously announced Gears 5 and Ori and the Will of the Wisps. Perhaps more importantly, the report suggests Microsoft is ready to start revealing the games being made by all the studios it acquired in 2018--starting with Ninja Theory, which is supposedly going to announce a sci-fi game scheduled for 2020 called Bleeding Edge.
Nintendo Announces A New Switch Prior To Or Just After The Show
Nintendo has already confirmed it won't be announcing a new Switch iteration during E3, but that doesn't mean the company won't reveal its existence in the weeks prior to the show or immediately after. Sure it's no longer an E3 announcement at that point, but we're including it in this list anyway since we imagine the reveal is happening close to the dates of the show.
Unlike Sony's PS4 and Microsoft's Xbox One, the Nintendo Switch is still relatively young and nowhere near the end of its lifecycle. That hasn't quelled the rumors of new iterations of the Switch, consoles that would be similar to the PS4 Pro and Xbox One X. Nintendo has a long history of making multiple versions of its hardware. That history is mostly handhelds, like the DS and 3DS, but Nintendo has made multiple iterations of its consoles too.
Seeing as it's been two years since the Switch's release, it stands to reason that Nintendo has a new iteration (or two) of its latest console in the works. This past March, The Wall Street Journal reported two new Switch models would release by the end of 2019. The first would be a cheaper, pared-down version while the second would be an enhanced variation aimed at more "avid" players.
Nintendo has neither confirmed nor denied the rumors. But there's enough there to believe the pared-down Switch is coming this year, and empty spaces surrounding E3 present the perfect opportunity for an announcement--especially if the console does release in June. Nintendo has already confirmed it's holding its annual E3 Direct this year. The video presentation will feature quite a few games, but will most likely focus on Pokemon Sword / Shield and Animal Crossing, both scheduled for Switch releases in 2019.
Pokemon Go's May Community Day may have just ended, but Niantic has already announced the first details for next month's event. June's Community Day is scheduled to take place on Saturday, June 8, and this time, the featured Pokemon will be another fan-favorite from Ruby and Sapphire: Slakoth.
Throughout the event, the adorable sloth Pokemon will appear in the wild more frequently than it normally does, giving you plenty of opportunities to catch it and stock up on Slakoth candy. On top of that, you'll have your first chance to encounter a Shiny Slakoth, and any Slaking that you evolve up to an hour after the Community Day ends will learn an event-exclusive move, although Niantic hasn't revealed what that will be just yet.
In addition to increased Slakoth spawns, you'll be able to take advantage of a few other bonuses during June's Community Day. As usual, any Lure module you use will remain active for three hours rather than their usual 30 minutes. On top of that, Eggs will hatch at a quarter of the distance they typically require, which will come in handy if you're trying to hatch some of the new Gen 4 Pokemon that were recently added to the game.
Continuing the trend of the past few Community Days, June's event will run from 3-6 PM local time. Previously, Niantic would hold Community Days during specific windows of time for each region, but this makes it much easier to remember when the event is happening in your area. You can read more details about June's Community Day on the official Pokemon website.
In the meantime, Pokemon Go is in the midst of an Extraordinary Raid Week event. From now until May 28, new Pokemon, such as Bronzor and Clamperl, will appear as Raid bosses. You'll also have a chance to encounter Shiny versions of Bronzor and Lapras, and you'll earn twice the usual amount of Stardust and XP for participating in Raids. In addition to the event, Niantic recently introduced new items that let you evolve Eevee into Glaceon and Leafeon.
GOG is the PC game platform you might know and love for its anti-DRM stance. It's a consumer-friendly policy that's the exception to the rule, and while it may also eat into GOG's marketability as a distribution platform in the eyes of AAA publishers, it sends a clear and positive message to consumers.
GOG's goodwill towards its customers got its foot in the door, but the pressures of competition from the likes of the Epic Store and Steam are no doubt hurdles to overcome. The trick to getting over these obstacles and ensuring growth for GOG may lie in the upcoming launch of GOG Galaxy 2.0, which doesn't merely overhaul the look of the platform's desktop client but expands its functionality in a bid to offer even more services and conveniences to users.
In a recent meeting with GOG's managing director Piotr Karwowski, and SVP of business development Oleg Klapovskiy, I got the first taste of their vision for GOG Galaxy 2.0: "All your friends and games in one place." What this means is a few things, including collating all of your digital PC games, across all platforms and services, and making them easy to launch and install directly from Galaxy.
Though you obviously can't launch PS4 or Xbox One games from the app, you can add your PS4 and Xbox One games to your index to use Galaxy as a general purpose library management tool--which includes the auto-population of cover art and basic meta info for each game you add.
These are handy additions with arguably modest benefits that have been offered by other apps in the past, but what really makes the pitch for GOG Galaxy 2.0 attractive is that it aims to connect you and all of your friends, across all consoles and PC platforms, to create an all-encompassing gaming portal. Their ambitious approach goes beyond collections, accounting for gameplay data, achievements, and direct messaging. GOG Galaxy 2.0 can even find friends on one service, and if they are also a Galaxy user, help you connect on services where the friendship hasn't yet been established.
Throughout my demo, GOG Galaxy 2.0 looked both orderly and attractive. The inviting user interface made looking at arrays of data and comparison points a relatively painless process, and it was surprising how many useful modules could fit on a single screen. Users will also be able to get into the weeds and alter the look and feel of their interface by configuring existing pages and menus, as well as create new menus with custom logic and layouts to suit their organizational and analytic needs.
Piotr and Oleg aren't shying away from the challenges in front of them. It's one thing to create an elaborate tool for PC games, and it's an entirely different beast to bring the traditional walled gardens of consoles into the mix. GOG has access to Microsoft's API already and is aiming to support all platforms including PlayStation 4 and Switch. That being said, part of my live demo included a look at Piotr's entry for the PS4 exclusive God of War. This included a detailed record of trophies, both locked and unlocked, and their logos and descriptions. These unofficial integrations and plugins are possible due to Galaxy 2.0's open-ended nature, which allows for user-made extensions.
All of the data that goes into your GOG Galaxy 2.0 library and profile will live on GOG's servers, which means that you get the convenience of portability, but also that GOG will potentially know a lot about you and your gaming habits. Piotr was very adamant that GOG is not in the business of selling data. He also stressed that users can both deactivate their profiles and strip their info from servers whenever they so choose. Where there would normally be ground for heavy skepticism against other companies, GOG's promise feels genuine in light of its consumer-friendly reputation.
When asked to explain how GOG Galaxy 2.0 makes business sense for GOG, Oleg and Piotr simply stated that their hope is that users who use the app will also take advantage of the built-in store. Though I'm sure there's more thought put into the design and integration of features in order to drive sales of games on GOG, you can't argue with the fact that much of what GOG Galaxy 2.0 offers to consumers bears no connection to sales nor advertising. It's not a work of charity, to be certain, but as GOG has proven in the past, showing customers that your platform is built to make their hobby a markedly better experience can be reason enough for loyalty to set in, and sales to follow.
GOG's promises seem to come from the right place, and more importantly, most of them are proven to be achievable today. Anyone who wants to give the GOG Galaxy 2.0 a shot can volunteer for the upcoming closed beta launching soon, over at http://www.gogalaxy.com/.
The hugely anticipated Star Wars: Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker is set to feature a variety of new characters alongside the series' regular cast. One villainous group that has been teased since 2015's The Force Awakens is the Knights of Ren. It has now been confirmed that they will appear in The Rise of Skywalker, which is directed by JJ Abrams.
The news comes via an article published by Vanity Fair about the making of the new Star Wars movie. In one of the various behind-the-scenes images we see a group of masked characters standing in the desert with stunt coordinator Eunice Huthart. The caption reads: "J.J. Abrams, alongside Stunt Coordinator Eunice Huthart, directs the Knights of Ren; elite fearsome enforcers of Kylo Ren's dark will." Check the image out below:
The Knight of Ren did feature in The Force Awakens, during one of Rey's visions on the planet Takodana. But that scene was short, dark, and set in the pouring rain--this new image gives us a much better idea of what to expect. According to Lucasfilm's creative art manager Phil Szostak, the look of the Knights in The Force Awakens was based on rejected designs for Kylo Ren, and you can certainly see how their appearance influenced Kylo's.
While the Vanity Fair article doesn't provide any further details about how the Knights of Ren will feature in The Rise of Skywalker, we do know more about some of the other new characters. Keri Russell will play a masked villain named Zorri Bliss, Richard E. Grant is First Order leader Allegiant General Pryde, and Naomi Ackie plays Jannah, who is pictured riding a creature called an Orbak.
Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker hits theaters on December 19. It stars Daisy Ridley as Rey, Adam Driver as Kylo Ren, John Boyega as Finn, Oscar Isaac as Poe Dameron, Kelly Marie Tran as Rose Tico, Lupita Nyong'o as Maz Kanata, Domhnall Gleeson as General Hux, Mark Hamill as Luke, and Billy Dee Williams as Lando. For more, check out the movie's first trailer and everything we know about Star Wars Episode IX.
Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker isn't the only new Star Wars release that fans have to look forward to this year. It has also been confirmed that the live-action TV show The Mandalorian will be available on the streaming service Disney+ when it launches on November 12.
Stephen King's classic horror novel, Pet Sematary, had another big-screen adaptation earlier this year, and in June, it will be available to own. Details for the home release were recently revealed, and there are a few special features on both the digital and physical copies of the movie.
On June 25, Pet Sematary will get a digital release on storefronts like iTunes, Google Play, Vudu, and more. The film will see its 4K, Blu-ray, and DVD release a couple weeks later on July 9. The home releases will contain over 90 minutes of special features.
There are deleted and extended scenes as well as an alternate ending to the film. The home release also contains numerous featurettes about putting the film together and talking about the themes of Pet Sematary and bringing the novel back to the big screen. There are also three videos with the "Night Terrors" label, but there are no indicators as to what those special features are about.
If you're looking to pre-order the movie, digitally or physically, here are some places to pick it up.
Below, you'll find all the special features solicited for the upcoming June and July home release for Pet Sematary. All these special features are available in all formats for the movie: Digital, 4K, Blu-ray, and DVD.
Pet Sematary Special Features
Alternate Ending
Deleted and Extended Scenes
Night Terrors: Family Haunting Visions (Louis, Rachel, and Ellie)
The Tale of Timmy Baterman
Beyond the Deadfall
Chapter One: Resurrection – Directors, screenwriters and cast discuss bringing this classic back to life
Chapter Two: The Final Resting Place—A deeper look into finding the right location for the terror to unfold
Chapter Three: The Road to Sorrow— Inside the film's tragic themes and creating the iconic cat "Church"
Chapter Four: Death Comes home—Unearth the creepy elements behind the climax and final scenes of the film
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It's been four long years since Square Enix announced it was going to remake Final Fantasy 7. Since that E3 2015 reveal, we've only been privy to brief glimpses of gameplay, the most substantial of which is the recent trailer (seen above) revealed during Sony's May 9 State of Play stream. At the end of that trailer, the words "more to come in June" appeared onscreen. Is Final Fantasy 7 confirmed to be at E3? Not yet, but the insinuation that it will make an appearance during Square Enix's E3 broadcast is hard to ignore.
Assuming that Final Fantasy 7 will be featured during that livestream and that it might also be on the show floor, we've put our heads together and come up with a list of topics and details we hope to learn more about. But before diving into that, let's revisit what we already know about the highly anticipated remake.
What We Know So Far
Broadly speaking, we know that the remake will be a complete overhaul of the 1997 game. It's being recreated from the ground up to tell roughly the same story, featuring the same locations and characters, but it will be presented in a modern fashion, as a third-person game with a free roaming camera and real-time combat, similar to Final Fantasy 15.
The trailers released thus far primarily focused on Midgar, the city run by the nefarious power company, Shinra Corporation. With the recent trailer taken into account, we've now seen familiar sights like the slums, the subway system, and the inside of the reactors that line the edge of the city.
Needless to say, the modern look of the Final Fantasy 7 remake looks a lot different than the 1997 original. Every environment and character has been recreated to modern standards, which in the years prior to the remake's announcement was cited by developers as a task too hard to accomplish given the scale of the game. This is likely the reason why the remake in progress will come in multiple episodes--the number of which is still a closely guarded secret--rather than as one big release.
Lastly, we know many of the lead creatives behind the remake, and their names will look familiar to fans of the original, and Final Fantasy at large. Yoshinori Kitase, the director and co-writer of the original Final Fantasy 7, will sit in the producer's chair this time around, leaving the directorial duties split between series veterans Naoki Hamaguchi and Tetsuya Nomura. Nomura will also lead the art and design teams. Kitase's former writing partner Kazushige Nojima is back to pen the story once more, and last but not least, Final Fantasy's legendary maestro Nobuo Uematsu is reprising his role as the composer for the remake's new soundtrack.
What's Confirmed For E3?
Nothing! All we can say for certain is that Final Fantasy 7 fans can try to attend a concert before the convention in LA on Sunday, June 9. We also know that something will be said during the month of June and that Square Enix will have a broadcast filled with announcements during the show, but there's been no confirmation that the June tease and the E3 presentation are connected. If they aren't, we'll be as shocked as you.
What We Hope To See At E3
Given that Midgar has been the focal point of every trailer shown so far, it would be great to see a bit more of the world beyond the city. Final Fantasy 7's massive world map is (or at least was) home to a wide variety of natural environments and locales like towns and villages, all of which were important pieces of the overall experience and identity of the world, and which yet remain a mystery so far as the remake is concerned.
There are also numerous characters that have yet to make an appearance, so fingers crossed that we get to see the likes of Cait Sith and Vincent, and maybe even the ghastly remains of Jenova. More than just see what they look like, it would also be nice to get a sense of what they will sound like, especially given the divided opinions on Barrett's voice after the most recent trailer.
Square Enix would also do well to dive into combat a bit more, to explain how the skill-giving Materia will work and how their behaviors may have changed following the shift from turn-based to real-time combat. You also can't talk about Final Fantasy 7's combat without mentioning summons, the show-stopping and combat-halting spells that call forth punishing mythical beasts and spirits to pummel your enemies. Perhaps we can look to Final Fantasy 15 to imagine how these might work, but it would be better if Square Enix could just show us during E3 to dispel rumors and speculation altogether.
While there are a ton of questions to be answered when it comes to gameplay and the translation of old mechanics into modern systems, most people just want to know one thing: when will Final Fantasy 7 Remake be released? Second to that: how many episodes are Square Enix planning to make?
Truth be told, if all we got was a release date, I feel like most people would be satisfied. After all, Final Fantasy 7 may be the most requested video game remake of all time, and to reveal too many of its distinguishing features could ruin some of the surprises that await fans returning to the game more than 20 years after its release.
Join GameSpot as we celebrate gaming history and give recognition to the most influential games of the 21st century. These aren't the best games, and they aren't necessarily games that you need to rush out and play today, but there's no question that they left an indelible impact on game developers, players, and in some cases, society at large.
League of Legends exploded onto the scene in 2009 as the start-up brainchild of Marc Merrill and Brandon Beck, poised to disrupt an esports market that would end up being helmed by two heavyweights--Dota 2 and StarCraft. The idea that a bunch of enthusiastic DOTA fans were responsible for what is now the game's biggest competition may come as a surprise to the uninitiated, but the humble beginnings of League of Legends can be traced all the way through to two college roommates essentially wanting to turn a Warcraft III mod into a standalone title.
Now, League of Legends is synonymous with esports and the MOBA genre. While companies like Valve and Blizzard were forces to be reckoned with in the pre-2010 era, there's now no question that Riot Games and its lone video game are essentially household names. Whether it's a new champion, a new in-game event, or Mid-Season Invitational which drew 19.8 million concurrent viewers last year, everyone who has even a passing interest in the game stops and stares.
The 2019 Mid-Season Invitational
Starcraft is often credited with the birth of esports but Riot Games were instrumental in ensuring that there was an appeal to translate to a mainstream audience. We're talking merchandising, booking out stadium shows, international gauntlets and tournaments pitting fan-favorite players against each other. We're talking sponsorships outside of the tech sphere, ranging from underwear to energy drinks. By drawing on the cult of personality that the League of Legends esports scene has built around some of its top players, Riot Games and the teams fielding these players have brought a whole new audience to the MOBA genre that other competitors have been unable to capitalize on.
Riot Games stepped onto the competitive esports scene around the time that Starcraft II was gaining momentum. However, where Starcraft II had to deal with a tiered release date in terms of the content like its various campaigns and the gradual integration of multiplayer accessibility, League of Legends exited a relatively short beta period with all guns blazing. And, unlike the model that was being relied on by Valve and Blizzard at the time, where second-party tournaments were the name of the game, League of Legends had its competitive esports nature in-built when it came to everything from matchmaking to the evolving meta that was governing the title.
League of Legends had its competitive esports nature in-built when it came to everything from matchmaking to the evolving meta that was governing the title.
Upon release, the title was praised by critics for its game design ethos and characters, which are now features of League that have taken on a life of their own in the form of ore codexes of a density that rivals established MMOs, cosmetic lines with accompanying music videos and original songs, and engaging in-game events created both for home enjoyment and for the spectator stage.
Outside of gaming, the fact that a MOBA has garnered Emmy nominations is impressive in itself. League of Legends has been nominated for mainstream accolades not necessarily for triumphs of design that are part of the gameplay mechanics, but for the wealth of creative material built by Riot Games around its existing product. From anime-inspired trailers to K-pop crossovers, League of Legends has consistently had its finger on the pulse of what's hot (and selling like hotcakes), and it's managed to execute on concepts like through said Emmy-nominated multimedia projects which have served to expand the title's reach beyond the gaming sphere.
The League of Legends K-pop group, K/DA
In general, League of Legends has spawned a wave of competitors since it cemented itself on the MOBA scene. Arena of Valor is one such title that comes to mind, which ironically was fronted at the time by Tencent, who is now the majority shareholder in Riot Games. Mobile MOBAs featuring bad rip-offs of League characters were a dime a dozen on any online store, some more shameless than others. However, all these imitations really served to do was cement League's status as the superior product. There was absolutely no way for these other titles to execute on player-centric initiatives the way that Riot's product had: technical limitations aside, League of Legends was already more than just a video game at that point. It was an entire brand, from international tournaments to in-jokes to larger-than-life media personalities whose own identities were intrinsically associated with the game as a product.
Arguably, a lot of League of Legends' success came from them having the distance to observe their competitors before essentially pivoting away from what they were doing. Riot Games' original ethos with its title, which has persevered to this day, is a focus on player and community feedback. League was both competitive and casual play rolled into one, with Riot heading up every aspect of the commercial and competitive sides of the game as a unified product. Instead of waiting weeks for a patch in Dota 2 or Starcraft at the time, League players could expect patches as soon as the community saw a problem. The game quickly evolved and iterated, and even though it's gone through some huge design changes since release, these have always been done in consultation with the community, with the team at Riot happy to roll back anything that might not be working.
This rapport with the community would serve Riot Games well over the years to come, and the community itself would reap those rewards; many community initiatives born from the passion of fans turned into features that Riot would then implement into the League of Legends product. Things like detailed match statistics were first provided by OP.GG, which has now become LCS Stats. The original League of Legends wikia provided the framework by which Riot now deals with its interlocking lore and displays it. The League community was, and still is, full of people who managed and ran third-party infrastructure that eventually became critical to the influence of the game. The title inspired fans to not only consume it but also to contribute to it, including the now-famous example of Chinese region superfans doing their own illegal broadcasts before Riot officially taking them on board.
That being said, while Riot Games has grown in profile alongside its sizeable community, the company itself has also grown in notoriety. Current and ex-Rioters have spoken out against the company's toxic corporate culture in the past year or so, which has led to victims coming forward about sexism, harassment, and toxic workplace attitudes. While the company has tried to make strides towards addressing concerns after immense public pressure. It's not as simple as wanting to implement a diversity initiative at the company; just a few weeks after employees filed lawsuits stating that Riot is in violation of the California Equal Pay Act, there has now also been walkout in protest of the forced arbitration clauses in Riot employment agreements. Riot's internal issues have started to bleed over into a lot of how League of Legends is covered in mainstream media and how it's talked about, and this has definitely affected the perception of the esport in a way that it's still currently recovering from.
While it's near impossible to set aside the recent reports when discussing Riot, League of Legends' legacy is a different story. It's obvious that the game helped put esports on the map for a lot of mainstream audiences before the explosion of titles like Fortnite and PUBG. From record viewership numbers on Twitch to hosting one of the biggest esports events ever at Madison Square Garden in 2016, Riot Games' prodigal son has gone from strength to strength since its launch in 2009. In doing so, it's changed the way that people experience and access esports, taking fans from the days of bootleg broadcasts of regional streams to an international gauntlet of iconic stadiums at every year's World Championships. Blizzard and Valve, the top dogs when Riot Games entered the scene, are now playing catch-up to the well-oiled Ferrari that is the League of Legends production model, and it shows.
Valve has released a new mobile Steam Chat app, letting you keep in touch with your friends and game invites without the desktop client. The free app is now available on the App Store and Google Play.
The announcement boasts that the mobile app lets you use several of the desktop client features, including a fully featured friends list, and rich chat with videos, tweets, GIFs, and emoticons. You can also manage your list with invite links, get notifications and game invites, and manage your group chats.
Valve invited feedback but says it's already working on updates and new features for the app, including voice chat. The company also notes that since Steam Chat is moving to its own dedicated app, the overall Steam Mobile app will focus its next updates on account security with more options for Steam Guard.
Recently Steam has had its PC storefront dominance challenged by the emergence of the Epic Games Store, which has been securing exclusivity periods for some high-profile PC game launches like Ghost Recon Breakpoint. Meanwhile, Valve is preparing to launch its annual Steam Summer Sale.
After the commercial disappointment of 2015's Terminator Genisys, there was some suggestion that it might be a long time before we saw another movie in the long-running sci-fi franchise. But that's not to be the case, and the sixth film in the series, Terminator: Dark Fate, arrives in November. The movie's trailer will be revealed tomorrow, May 23, but ahead of that we have the first poster.
The poster is a striking and simple one. It shows Linda Hamilton as Sarah Connor, the iconic main character of the first two Terminator movies, walking down a desert road carrying a gun with a blazing sun behind her. Dark Fate will be a direct sequel to 1991's Terminator 2: Judgment Day, ignoring the three movies in-between, and the poster's somewhat awkward tagline hammers this home: "Welcome to the day after Judgment Day." Check it out below:
Hamilton isn't the only original cast member set to feature in Dark Fate-- Arnold Schwarzenegger is back as the T-800. The new stars includes Mackenzie Davis (Blade Runner 2049), Gabriel Luna (Agents of SHIELD), Diego Boneta (Pretty Little Liars), and Colombian star Natalia Reyes in her first Hollywood movie. The movie is directed by Deadpool's Tim Miller and produced by James Cameron, who created the franchise and helmed the first two movies. It releases on November 1. For more, check out this recent batch of images from the film.
In a recent interview with Yahoo Movies, Cameron spoke about working alongside Miller and what fans could expect from this latest Terminator movie. "Tim's a very willful and opinionated director, and he's got his own ideas for the film," he said. "I'm kind of like the Pips--he's Gladys. I said, 'I can't be involved in this film at all if Arnold [Schwarzenegger] is not in it.' Fans are going to want to see [Linda Hamilton] again, and they're going to want to see the real Sarah Connor and what time and dealing with these tragic futures has done to her."
"It's hardened her even more, but in a way that made her much stronger," Cameron explained. "Maybe less likable, but stronger. And ultimately, she becomes a really important character in passing the baton to the new characters that come in. It's a very female-centric film, which I'm glad Tim embraced those themes."
Following up on its previous May offerings, Microsoft has announced another set of eight games coming to Xbox Game Pass subscription service throughout the rest of the month and early June. The games coming to Xbox One over the next few weeks include some indie classics, big franchises, and even a couple of day-one launches.
First on May 23, the service will add Metal Gear Survive and The Banner Saga. The first is an alternate take on the Metal Gear universe with light horror elements, while the latter is a strategy game set against a backdrop of viking legend.
Then on May 29, the shooter Void Bastards will launch and become immediately available on Game Pass same-day. May 30 will bring another launch day game, the exploration game Outer Wilds. That day will also add the multiplayer horror game Dead by Daylight.
Those all join other recent May offerings that include Wolfenstein 2, Wargroove, Tacoma, and more. Microsoft tends to announce Game Pass offerings about three weeks at a time, so we're likely to see the rest of the June lineup later. That could mean reveals to come at Microsoft's E3 press conference.
Game Pass offers an all-you-can-eat subscription to a library of more than 100 games for $10 per month. All first-party Xbox One games, like Sea of Thieves and Forza Horizon 4, are included on launch day. If you'd like to give the service a try, you can sample the first month for just one buck. There's still a little more time to get the extended offer, which includes three months for $1.
Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker is the final part in the trilogy that kicked off with 2015's The Force Awakens, and it releases in December. The first trailer arrived in April and gave fans a taste of what to expect from the movie, which is directed by JJ Abrams. Now a new batch of images has been released.
The images come via Vanity Fair, which has published an extensive feature about The Rise of Skywalker. They reveal some of the movie's new characters, alongside familiar faces. In terms of new villains, there's the amazing-looking "masked scoundrel" Zorri Bliss (Keri Russell) on the planet Kijimi, and First Order leader Allegiant General Pryde (Richard E. Grant) pictured alongside General Hux.
The good guys are represented by Jannah (Naomi Ackie), seen riding a creature called an Orbak alongside Finn, plus a group of Aki-Aki, who are natives of the planet Pasaana. Over at Vanity Fair's site you can also see new pictures of Rey, Kylo, Lando, Chewie, R2-D2, and Luke.
Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker hits theaters on December 19. Abrams returned to direct after helming 2015's The Force Awakens, although he wasn't the first choice of director. Jurassic World's Colin Trevorrow was initially hired, but he left the movie in September 2017.
The film stars Daisy Ridley as Rey, Adam Driver as Kylo Ren, John Boyega as Finn, Oscar Isaac as Poe Dameron, Kelly Marie Tran as Rose Tico, Lupita Nyong'o as Maz Kanata, Domhnall Gleeson as General Hux, Mark Hamill as Luke, and Billy Dee Williams as Lando. It will also include an appearance from Carrie Fisher. Although Fisher died before production began, she will appear in footage originally shot for 2017's The Last Jedi. For more, check out everything we know about Star Wars Episode IX.
Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker isn't the only new Star Wars release that fans have to look forward to this year. It has also been confirmed that the live-action TV show The Mandalorian will be available on the streaming service Disney+ when it launches on November 12.
It's more than two years since Netflix first announced development of a new show based on the classic '80s fantasy movie The Dark Crystal, and we finally know when it will be with us. The streaming giant has confirmed that Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance will hit the service on August 30, and a new batch of images has been released.
The images will be instantly recognisable to anyone who has seen the 1982 film, which was written and co-directed by Muppets creator Jim Henson. Director Louis Leterrier told Entertainment Weekly that he was determined to use puppetry to create and animate the characters, rather than the CG you might expect in 2019. The results look very impressive--check them out below.
Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance will run for 10 episodes. It has a hugely impressive voicecast, which includes Taron Egerton, Anya Taylor-Jo, Nathalie Emmanuel, Mark Hamill, Jason Isaacs, Keegan-Michael Key, Simon Pegg, Andy Samberg, Helena Bonham Carter, Natalie Dormer, Eddie Izzard, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Mark Strong, and Alicia Vikander.
The official synopsis for the show reads: "The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance returns to the world of Thra with an all new adventure: When three Gelfling discover the secret behind the Skeksis' power, they embark on a journey to ignite the fires of rebellion and save the entire world."
The original movie was released in December 1982. It was only moderately successful at the time, but was praised by critics and has gone on to gain a cult following. For more on 2019's big upcoming TV shows, check out GameSpot's guide to the biggest TV shows to watch in 2019.
Death metal anime Aggretsuko has had a full year to rest its vocal cords and seems to be ready to make a return. According to Netflix, the series' second season launches on the streaming platform on June 14, which is the day after E3 2019--the perfect way to unwind from all the excitement of the show.
The news comes via a Twitter exchange between Japanese design company Sanrio (most known for Hello Kitty) and Aggretsuko. The back-and-forth banter concludes with Netflix's NX Twitter account providing the release date announcement and a couple of screens from the new season.
Wait, I think I got it… I'LL CHANNEL MY RAGE WITH THIS FIRST LOOK AT AGGRETSUKO SEASON 2, COMING JUNE 14! 🤘🤘🤘 pic.twitter.com/xayg3CNhBD
You can check out a teaser, which was released in June 2018, below.
Aggretsuko follows Retsuko, a 25-year-old anthropomorphic red panda who's stuck working at an accounting firm. The company is her dream, but the work and coworkers are her nightmares. In order to maintain some semblance of sanity, Retsuko goes to a karaoke bar in which all she sings--ahem, screams--is death metal.
In a feature article, our reviews editor Kallie Plagge called Aggretsuko one of the best anime's of last year, saying, "It offers lessons in coping for when you feel powerless against everything wrong in your life."
Fallout 76's latest patch, Wild Appalachia, is finally out for PC, PS4, and Xbox One. The patch, approximately 5.5GB on console and a little under 9GB on PC, adds a new Project Paradise event, addresses various bugs regarding C.A.M.P. and challenges, and improves game performance.
The headlining feature of the patch is the introduction of the Project Paradise event. Players will team up with Arktos Pharma to explore labs underneath the building. Traveling to the labs and participating in experiments will result in new loot and experience. But be warned: enemies encountered will be level 50+, so players are encouraged to explore above ground before going below.
Elsewhere, the Wild Appalachia patch addresses a number of bug fixes and performance issues with regards to C.A.M.P., challenges, items, and quests. Two big fixes center around infinite loading after accessing Player Vending Machines and frequent PC crashes. This patch should eliminate both occurrences, effectively stabilizing gameplay.
Fallout 76's last patch, Ever Upwards, landed earlier this month. The patch let players carry more out into the world with the introduction of backpacks and allowed those brave enough to join the Pioneer Scouts. You can check out the full patch notes for Wild Appalachia below.
Wild Appalachia
Project Paradise Event
Sink your teeth into some experimental testing by joining the Project Paradise event, which takes place in cavernous Biome Labs that are now available for exploration beneath Arktos Pharma
To start Project Paradise, head to the Arktos Pharma building in the Forest region of Appalachia. Enter the building's lobby, and then use the elevator to descend into the labs.
Product research has never been so wild! Aid Arktos Pharma with their experiments on the Appalachian creatures that inhabit the labs and you'll be rewarded with new loot and XP.
All three Biome Labs will require your attention if you'd like to claim the best rewards, so most adventurers will find it beneficial to form a group.
Note: This event will be daunting for Dwellers who are fresh from the Vault, as you will encounter enemies who are level 50+.
Player Vending Machines
The "Inspect" option can now be used to view additional details about items in other players' Vending Machines, making it easier to find that perfect Legendary for your collection.
Bug Fixes
C.A.M.P., Crafting, and Workshops
Scrapping: Fixed an issue that could cause an unintended item to be scrapped when rapidly scrapping items.
Vending: Fixed a rare issue that could prevent a player from purchasing items from another player's Vending Machine under specific circumstances.
Vending: Reaching the maximum C.A.M.P. budget no longer prevents the player from assigning items to their Vending Machines.
Challenges
Weekly: Fixed an issue in which Survival Mode Weekly Challenges could be completed in Adventure Mode.
World: Taking a picture of a frog with the ProSnap Deluxe now correctly counts toward Herpetologist World Challenge progress.
World: Building a frog habitat now correctly counts toward Herpetologist World Challenge progress.
World: Updated the wording on several Tadpole Badge World Challenges to help clarify the objective.
Items
Apparel: Fixed an issue in which some Apparel items were incorrectly providing +1 Damage Resistance when equipped.
Floor Décor: Cat and Deathclaw Topiaries can no longer be built if they have not yet been unlocked in the Atomic Shop.
Exploit: Addressed an exploit that could cause the High Capacity Backpack mod to become duplicated.
Performance and Stability
Loading: Addressed a rare issue that could prevent players from loading into a world after using Player Vending Machines.
Stability: Fixed an issue that could cause the PC game client to crash.
Quests and Events
Exploit: Addressed an exploit that could allow players to earn the rewards from the Athletics and Swimming Tests multiple times.
Miscellaneous: The objective to "Investigate Seismic Activity," obtained from the Personal Terminal, now correctly completes upon reaching the Purveyor's shop.
Miscellaneous: Fixed an issue that could cause an error message to appear after selecting Biv's entry in the Personal Terminal's Daily Planner.
Pioneer Scouts: Completing Stings and Things, Operation Tidy, and Campfire Tales will no longer award Possum Badges to players who have not yet been promoted to the Possum rank.
We aren't getting another Until Dawn, but developer Supermassive Games' next horror title, The Dark Pictures - Man of Medan, has received an official release date. The supernatural horror story will land on August 30 for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
The Dark Pictures is an anthology series first unveiled at Gamescom 2018. Man of Medan stands as the anthology's first entry. Pre-orders are now available and doing so secures the Curator's Cut, which opens up new options including alternative paths, a new perspective from unlocked characters, new choices within each scene, and new scenes and secrets. Accessing the additional content requires a full, completed playthrough.
Those who would rather wait won't miss out on the content featured in the Curator's Cut, as publisher Bandai Namco has confirmed that it will all be made available to everyone who owns the game at a later, unspecified date. Check out 10 minutes of gameplay below.
Though Until Dawn was well-received by critics, the Supermassive decided to forgo a sequel to pursue new stories. According to Supermassive CEO and executive producer Pete Samuels, "A lot of [creating the anthology] is about our desire to serve that [Until Dawn] fanbase from our perspective and to serve us ourselves in what we love to do, which is do more stories and characters, and do it more frequently than one or two every few years."
Game director Tom Heaton echoed the sentiment, saying that creating a sequel puts too many restrictions on storytelling and character interactions. "You're not tied to historical characters that you have to use," Heaton said. Producer Dan McDonald followed Heaton's words, saying, "If we were making sequels, we don't know who survived. I mean we could probably work it out from your game save, but we don't want to make a sequel to that. We want to make a different story with different people."
Critically-acclaimed indie platformer, Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons, is making its way to the Nintendo Switch--and it's coming a lot sooner than you would think. Publisher 505 Games, in partnership with independent production hub Turn Me Up Games, announced that the game will be available on Nintendo's platform from May 28.
It wouldn't be a Switch release without some exclusive features, and in bringing the game to Nintendo's console-handheld hybrid, Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons will include local co-op, a first for the game. Additionally, the Switch version will ship with bonus content including commentary by director Josef Fares and a gallery of concept art. The game will cost $14.99 / £9.99 / €11.38.
During 2014's British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Games Awards show, Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons took home the Best Game Innovation Award trophy.
In our Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons review, we said that while the game's length left a lot to be desired, "It's not enough to detract from what is a great achievement: an ambitious, emotionally affecting adventure that's short, but oh so sweet."
Epic Games has detailed update 9.10 for Fortnite, which is available now for PS4, Xbox One, PC, Switch, and mobile. The official patch notes confirm that, among the new additions are Hot Spots, which are areas on the map that will see increased loot, as well as a new limited-time mode that ties in with the Michael Jordan brand. That's accompanied by Jordan-inspired skins and challenges tied of them.
The new LTM is called Downtown Drop LTM by Jordan, and it features the work of Fortnite Creative users NotNellaf and Tollmolia. Epic teases, "Launch off massive jumps, grind down city streets, and collect coins to win!" A special set of challenges have been introduced alongside the mode, letting you earn a handful of cosmetics. Only the first few of these challenges are now available, with more to be introduced through next week.
Alongside this is the Jordan tie-in that was teased recently: the Hang Time bundle. This consists of two skins/outfits: Grind and Clutch. These can only be purchased together for 1,800 V-Bucks and each features its own challenges that unlock additional styles for the respective skin. You can see what these look like below.
As for the other big addition, Hot Spots see named areas randomly chosen at the start of a match. These will be designated by gold text on the map, and there will always be at least one per match, with a chance for two (25%) or three (5%). Heading there will allow you to see drones flying around, which are called Loot Carriers. You can shoot these down for a weapon of Rare quality or better, along with two stacks of ammo for it. Epic says the number of Loot Carriers per Hot Spot depends on the location's size, but that it'll be between 12 and 16 of them.
Other changes in this patch include reducing how often you'll find Shadow Bombs (and the number you receive when you do find them), and the semi-auto sniper rifle has been unvaulted. Meanwhile, the combat shotgun will now drop less often.
You can see the full list tweaks, changes, and new additions in the full patch notes below.
Fortnite Update 9.10 Patch Notes
Weapons + Items
Shadow Bombs
Reduced availability from floor loot from .835% to .677%
Reduced availability from chests from 4.65% to 3.98%
Reduced drop count from 3 to 2.
Shadow Bombs have seen a lot of late-game use, and we wanted to encourage risk vs. reward when picking the item up. By leaving maximum stack size the same & reducing availability, the item's potential remains the same but swapping a spot for it early on is riskier.
Unvaulted Semi-Auto Sniper Rifle
Available in Vending Machines, Chests, and Floor Loot
Available in Uncommon and Rare variants
Since the Thermal Rifle and Scoped Revolver have both recently been vaulted, this week we wanted to bring back an oldie but goodie to round out the medium/long-range item line-up.
Combat Shotgun
Reduced the availability from floor loot from 2.015% to 1.409%
Reduced the availability from chest loot from 2.183% to 1.846%
When compared to other items of similar rarity, the Combat Shotgun was dropping a bit too frequently. This change will put it closer in line with other items.
Bug Fixes
Dropping part of a consumable item stack no longer interrupts using the consumable.
Shadow Bombs correctly leave the players inventory when no charges are left.
Shadow Bombs are consumed properly when quickly picking up a replacement item during activation.
Combat Shotgun now applies appropriate environmental damage falloff.
Ability to move is no longer lost if Rift-to-go was used with Balloons.
The Bush now correctly attaches to players in specific animations, such as skydiving.
Resolved inconsistent behavior while using Flint-Knock pistol during crouch.
Air vent audio is now correctly removed upon on destruction.
Boogie Bombs now properly prevent affected players from skydiving.
Camera issues when exiting a Mounted Turret have been resolved.
Remote Explosives will now open and close with doors they are stuck to.
Gameplay
Introducing Hot Spots!
Every match, select named locations will be marked in gold text on the map.
These Hot Spots represent the presence of Loot Carriers. Shoot down the carriers for additional high-quality weapons.
Minimum of one Hot Spot
25% chance for 2 Hot Spots
5% chance for 3 Hot Spots
Loot Carriers
Loot Carriers drop a weapon of Rare or higher quality along with two stacks of ammo.
Hot Spots will have between 12 and 16 Loot Carriers depending on the size of the location.
Equipping the blueprint to start building has improved in high latency situations.
Added crosshair dot while skydiving to allow for more precise map marking.
Bug Fixes
Fixed an issue with auto material swap canceling turbo build if the client can't predict the material amount quick enough.
Updated Environmental and Cozy Campfire Trap collision to better allow players to walk over campfires.
Players can no longer fire/reload weapons while reviving a DBNO teammate.
Contrails are no longer stuck on the player if they dropped from the bus directly into a Slipstream.
Performance
Bug Fixes
Fixed a regression in level streaming performance introduced in v9.0. This should significantly improve loading times for buildings, and reduce instances of players landing on low-LOD meshes.
Reduced hitches shortly after landing, especially on lower-end hardware (e.g Switch)
Audio
Improved enemy jump sounds.
Reduced the time that it takes the enemy in-air audio loop to kick on, for better awareness of an enemy dropping in on you from above.
Boosted the volume of nearby footsteps and landing sounds of enemies not in line of sight.
Tighter spatialization of close-range pickaxe sounds from other players.
Added clearer sound when an enemy confirms an edit on a building piece within ~2 tiles of your position.
Removed glider audio tell for players traveling through a Slipstream.
Your emote music is now prioritized over other players emotes in the front-end.
Emote music is now full stereo when in the front-end.
Added a new Headshot + Shield Break sound, for when the two events occur at the same time.
Lowered the minimum velocity required to trigger a landing sound
Bug Fixes
Walking up on the edge of a building piece plays correct material specific footstep audio.
Enemy pickaxe sound now plays correctly from impact point and not from player using the pickaxe.
The Boom Bow's fire sound has been fixed to not cut off when switching weapons immediately after shooting.
Firing weapons no longer lowers building sounds.
UI
Changed "Return To Lobby" to "Leave Match".
Adjusted the "damage" color when taking shield damage back to an increased-contrast version of the original.
The intent is increased readability of current shield value immediately after taking damage, but red was causing players to believe they were taking more damage than they were.
Bug Fixes
Party Leaders who left their party's current match could start a new match and take the entire party with them.
Spectating
Bug Fixes
Focus no longer changes when watching a server replay during the bus phase.
Watching live games will no longer change players when joining the Battle Bus.
Mobile
We've noticed iOS patches have experienced delays appearing in the App Store recently. Apple has stated that any application can take up to 24 hours to appear in the App Store. If no update is available, be sure to check our social channels for more info.
Removed the HUD when respawning.
We've made improvements to the UI by adding an exit button to the following:
Squad Formation in the lobby
Playground Match Options
Events screen
Removed vibration toggle settings for devices that do not support vibration.
Bug Fixes
Players ammo count now correctly displays in all languages.
The Mini Map has been adjusted to fit correctly in large team LTM's.
Bluetooth headset sound quality has been improved.
The interaction loading bar no longer progresses counter-clockwise.
Start Game widget in Creative no longer overlaps with the inventory hot bar.
Phase Mode Button now correctly displays in Creative.
FPS counter not being fully displayed on curved screens.
Emote audio now plays for the full duration on the Nintendo Switch.
Scoped weapon fixes:
ADS perspective could remain on-screen when switching weapons.
Player's view could be inverted when aiming.
Fortnite's weekly challenges will roll over into Week 3 on May 23. To help you complete them and stay up to date, we've put together a comprehensive Fortnite Season 9 challenge guide. Each week we update it with details on the latest challenges and include any guides you'll need to complete the more difficult challenges. Take a look.
The Just Cause movie has been in the works for nearly a decade, and now it's crossed another significant milestone. It's been confirmed that John Wick creator and writer of the film series, Derek Kolstad, has joined the movie as its screenwriter.
According to Deadline, which first reported the news, the Just Cause movie will basically follow the foundation of the Square Enix action game series. "Rico Rodriguez is on a race-against-time mission to stop The Black Hand, a lethal mercenary group," the site reported.
The producers are looking to secure a director and lead actor soon, with filming expected to begin in 2020.
It was previously announced that Game of Thrones and Aquaman star Jason Momoa would play Rico Rodriguez, with Rampage director Brad Peyton set to direct. However, with Constantin now developing the film, it appears a new star and director and being sought. Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World writer John Collee was attached to write, but he appears to have been replaced by Kolstad.
2018's Just Cause 4 is the latest instalment in the video game series that began in 2006.
Game of Thrones showrunners D.B. Weiss and David Benioff's controversial HBO TV show, Confederate, is no longer a priority for the network, it seems. Programming boss Casey Bloys told Deadline the show is "not on the front burner" right now for HBO. That's all Bloys had to say on the subject.
Confederate was announced in 2017. The show takes place in an alternate version of the United States where the Confederates won the American Civil War, thereby allowing slavery to continue. Benioff and Weiss were announced as the program's showrunners, which is the same role they had for Game of Thrones.
The show's announcement was met with swift criticism over its subject matter. HBO stood behind the show, saying it had faith in its creators to "approach the subject with care and sensitivity." Benioff, meanwhile, said the outrage was "a little premature" because the show was so early in production.
"We haven't written any scripts yet," he said. "We don't have an outline yet. We don't even have character names," he said. "So everything is brand new and nothing's been written. I guess that's what was a little bit surprising about some of the outrage. It's just a little premature. You know, we might f**k it up. But we haven't yet."
Production was scheduled to begin after Game of Thrones ended, which it now has, but the program was delayed after Weiss and Benioff took jobs with Disney to work on a new trilogy of Star Wars films.
In February this year, Bloys told TV Line that the delay of Confederate comes down to Weiss and Benioff taking the Star Wars job, not because of the controversy.
"Dan and David are finishing up the final season [of Game of Thrones] and then they are going to go into the Star Wars universe," Bloys said. "When they come out of that, I assume they will come back to us."
The first of the new Star Wars films from Weiss and Benioff is scheduled to hit theatres in 2022, so it could be a very long time before Confederate is released.
Weiss and Benioff are now visiting studios in an attempt to secure a new "overall" deal. WarnerMedia, which owns HBO, is among those speaking with the pair about a new deal, though it remains to be seen which company Weiss and Benioff may sign with.
For more on Game of Thrones, you can check out GameSpot's recap of the series finale, "The Iron Throne," in the video embed above.
New Coke, the controversial flavor of Coca Cola released in 1985 and removed from sale quickly, is coming back this year for a promotional release tied to the upcoming season of Stranger Things.
Stranger Things Season 3 is set in 1985, the same year New Coke was released. New Coke will be featured in "several" episodes during Season 3, and it's not being added for the sake of making an extra buck. "It was one of the first ideas in our Season 3 brainstorm. It was the summer of '85, and when you talk about pop culture moments, New Coke was a really big deal," creators Matt and Ross Duffer told The New York Times. "It would have been more bizarre to not include it."
New Coke was introduced in April 1985, and it was removed from sale after just 79 days in the wake of a community outcry over the flavor, eventually replaced by what would be called Coca-Cola Classic. That same controversial flavor, New Coke, is now returning with the same exact recipe.
Additionally, the Duffer Brothers worked with Coca-Cola on a new advertisement that they directed, It showcases familiar Stranger Things characters drinking New Coke in a movie theatre. You can see the ad in the video embed above.
"One thing that makes Stranger Things so special is its commitment to authentically portraying the decade in which the show takes place," Coca-Cola North America boss Stuart Kronauge said. "When we heard that Season 3 would be set in the summer of 1985 and they wanted to integrate New Coke, we knew we had an opportunity to revisit that time period in a fun and unexpected way that would also allow us to be part of one of this year's most anticipated pop culture moments."
All the main cast of Stranger Things return for Season 3, along with Princess Bride star Cary Elwes who plays the sleazy politician Mayor Kline. There's also the offspring of some '80s stars; Jake Busey, son of Point Break star Gary Busey, will play a journalist named Bruce, while Maya Thurman-Hawke (daughter of Uma and Ethan) is set to play a character named Robin.
Game of Thrones is over. The final episode of the final season aired Sunday night with "The Iron Throne." And it was controversial. People created a petition asking for a remake with new writers. Now, HBO's top programming boss, Casey Bloys, has responded to the feedback from the series finale.
He told Deadline that he was not surprised by the reaction. He said there was no way for creators D.B. Weiss and David Benioff to craft an ending that everyone enjoyed, given how passionate the show's fanbase is. "I think based on online reaction, which you do have to take with a grain of salt, it does seem split and I think that's about right--some people are going to love it, some people are going to hate it. But the point is, everybody is feeling really passionate about it," he said.
Bloys said Game of Thrones fans had their own hopes and wishes for how each character's story would wrap up. However, Weiss and Benioff had a plan for a long time, and "they did it the way they thought fit as creators," Bloys said, adding that he thought the pair did a "spectacular job."
"They landed a big plane, which was not easy. You are never going to keep everybody happy, but I don't think that's what they were trying to do," he said.
In a separate interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Bloys said Benioff and Weiss never intended to try to make everyone happy with their Game of Thrones ending.
"You just have to accept that not everybody is going to agree with the choices," he said. "For a show this big and this epic and this sprawling, [Benioff and Weiss] have to make choices. What's great about the show is it made people feel a lot of things--positive and negative. A lot of people had invested in characters and hoped for certain things and wanted to see certain twists. There's probably a little bit of mourning going on that the show is over. I get it, I understand it: It's a big show and people really invested a lot in it--and that says a lot about what the show did. People really cared about it."
Fans and critics have commented that the final season (or two) sped along too quickly, and in turn, some of the key moments lacked weight or significance. Bloys said Weiss and Benioff had a plan for how they wanted to end the story "for a long, long time." Bloys admitted that he would have liked Weiss and Benioff to make five more seasons, but Weiss and Benioff had a different vision.
"They've had a plan that they wanted to do and this made sense to them," he said. "They made this decision a long time ago and they're doing it exactly how they planned to do it. They made that decision a long time ago. But no, I'm not aware of any conversations that anybody thought it was crammed or anything like that."
While not everyone might have loved the Game of Thrones finale, it was a ratings juggernaut. More than 19 million people tuned in, which set new records for the series and HBO overall. For more on the episode, check out GameSpot's video recap in the embed above.
The airline company Air New Zealand has offered George R.R. Martin a free trip to New Zealand so he can finish The Winds of Winter, the next book in his "A Song of Ice and Fire" upon which Game of Thrones is based. As part of his response to the offer, Martin suggested he should be done writing The Winds of Winter by the middle of next year.
In a cheeky video, the airline talked about how the country only has six people per square mile and fantastic views to get inspired by. Martin responded to the video on his blog. He says he was "tempted" by the offer, and added that he's been to New Zealand before and has enjoyed its beautiful scenery. "I love New Zealand. You don't need to convince me," he said to the airline.
Martin will be back in New Zealand in 2020 for the World Science Fiction Convention in Wellington, at which he will serve as Toastmaster for the Hugo Awards. Intriguingly, Martin said he expects to have finished The Winds of Winter by the time the Convention is held in July 2020.
"If I don't have The Winds of Winter in hand when I arrive in New Zealand for worldcon, you have here my formal written permission to imprison me in a small cabin on White Island, overlooking that lake of sulfuric acid, until I'm done," Martin said. "Just so long as the acrid fumes do not screw up my old DOS word processor, I'll be fine."
New Zealand is so beautiful that it might actually distract Martin from finishing his book, he said. "I fear that New Zealand would distract me entirely too much. Best leave me here in Westeros for the nonce," he wrote.
Regarding the offer of a free flight, Martin said he appreciated the generous offer, but acknowledged, "I do have enough money to make it to New Zealand on my own."
Instead, Martin said Air New Zealand should offer to fly other writers to New Zealand to help fuel their own creativity and to fall in love with New Zealand as he has. "And you have such big plans, I'm sure you could squeeze them in," he said.
The Winds of Winter is the latest chapter in Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series, upon which HBO's Game of Thrones is based. The final book, A Dream of Spring, will follow. According to Martin, the ending to his book series might be different from the HBO show. Or not.
The entirety of Game of Thrones Season 8 was controversial, and specifically the finale. Fans created an online petition asking for a remake, and Sansa actress Sophie Turner slammed it as "disrespectful."
Amazon has made a huge hire for its upcoming Lord of the Rings TV show. Bryan Cogman, who worked on HBO's Game of Thrones since the beginning and wrote 11 episodes of the fantasy drama, is joining Amazon to contribute to its ambitious Lord of the Rings TV series.
George R.R. Martin confirmed this on his blog, writing that Cogman will contribute to the Lord of the Rings show at Amazon in addition to developing his own series. Variety reports that Cogman will do some consulting work for the Lord of the Rings show, though his exact title is unclear.
Game of Thrones showrunners D.B. Weiss and David Benioff hired Cogman as their assistant at the start of the show's production a decade ago. Weiss and Benioff had no experience writing for TV before Game of Thrones, so they turned to Cogman. Benioff knew him as his nanny's husband.
Cogman eventually became the co-executive producer for the entire Game of Thrones series. The 11 episodes he wrote for Game of Thrones is only eclipsed by Weiss and Benioff. He was instrumental to Game of Thrones, according to cast members and Martin himself.
Sophie Turner, who played Sansa Stark, told Vanity Fair that Cogman was the backbone of Game of Thrones, while Jaime Lannister actor Nikolaj Coster-Waldau said Cogman is a "walking encyclopedia" of knowledge about Game of Thrones. Martin himself said Cogman was "the third head of the dragon" as it relates to his relationship with Weiss and Benioff.
At Amazon, Cogman will work alongside the Lord of the Rings TV show's creators, JD Payne and Patrick McKay, who--like Weiss and Benioff before them--have no experience writing a TV show.
The Lord of the Rings show doesn't currently have a title or release date, and no casting has been announced as yet. We do know that it's set in the Second Age, long before the events of The Lord of the Rings.
The NPD has released its report for April 2019, revealing the best-selling consoles and games of the month in the US , and providing an overall snapshot of the industry's health during the month.
Starting with game sales, Mortal Kombat 11 was April's best-selling game of the month, and immediately became the No. 2 best-selling game of 2019 so far, only behind Kingdom Hearts III. Also of note is that Mortal Kombat 11 is the first time a third-party game was the Switch's top-seller for a month since Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle was No. 1 back in September 2017.
Days Gone was No. 2 in April, and it achieved sales that amounted to the seventh biggest ever for a Sony-published game during its launch month. It is also developer Sony Bend Studio's best-selling game ever after just one month on sale in the US. MLB The Show 19 finished No. 3 in April, and it continues to be the best-selling sports game of 2019 so far (a lot of the big ones are still to come such as FIFA 20, Madden 20, NBA 2K20, and more).
Overall, video game sales across console, PC, and portable reached $427 million in April 2019, which is up 15 percent year-over-year. On a year-to-date basis, game sales have now reached $1.9 billion, which is up 4 percent.
Moving to hardware, the Nintendo Switch was April 2019's best-selling console in terms of units sold and dollars driven, outperforming the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. The 32GB neon red/blue system is 2019's best-selling individual piece of hardware.
The strong performance of the Nintendo Switch was not matched by all platforms, as total hardware spending dropped 29 percent to $160 million in April 2019. All other platforms posted declines during the month. For 2019 year-to-date, hardware spending is down 16 percent to $918 million.
The Accessories category, which includes game cards, jumped 5 percent to $256 million. The Amiibo Super Smash Bros Series 1 packs sold the best in April, while the black DualShock 4 controller is 2019's best-selling accessory so far. Game card and controller spending led the way. Year-to-date, Accessories spending is up 3 percent to $1.2 billion.
With hardware, software, and accessories combined, total video game spending in the US in April reached $842 million, which is up 1 percent. For 2019 so far, total spending dropped 2 percent to $4 billion.
April 2019 Best-Selling Games In The US All Platforms
Mortal Kombat 11
Days Gone
MLB 19 The Show
The Division 2^
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate*
Grand Theft Auto V
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice^
Call of Duty: Black Ops 4^
NBA 2K19
Yoshi's Crafted World*
Red Dead Redemption II
Mario Kart 8*
Assassin's Creed Odyssey
Minecraft#
New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe*
Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild*
Jump Force
Battlefield V*
Borderlands
* Digital sales not included
^ PC digital sales not included
# Minecraft digital sales on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One included
Somehow, Memorial Day (May 27) is nearly here, marking a day of remembrance for those who died serving in the US military, as well as the unofficial beginning of summer. Hopefully, you have a three-day weekend ahead of you and some extra time to relax, but even if this weekend is the same as any other, you can still get in on all the Memorial Day deals retailers are offering this week. We're rounding up the best Memorial Day gaming deals, including PS4, Switch, and Xbox One games, so you can save yourself some cash and secure some great games for your collection this holiday weekend.
We'll continue to update this story as we find more notable deals, but you can check out the best games, consoles, and accessories currently on sale below.
Nier: Automata - Game of the Yorha Edition - available for $28
Amazon
While Amazon hasn't posted a Memorial Day-specific sale, the digital store is currently offering some of the best game discounts available online. You'll be able to find many recent titles, first-party Nintendo games, and more marked down right now. Both Pokemon: Let's Go games are discounted at $45; Monster Hunter World is only $18; Devil May Cry 5 is selling for $40; and Kingdom Hearts 3 is on sale for $30, to name just a few available deals.
Google Express is a delivery service from Google that lets you order from a variety of online stores--no premium membership required. All you have to do is add items to your Google Express cart and choose your delivery day. Your order will arrive within a few days, and shipping is free if you hit the purchase minimum (usually between $25 and $35).
One of the best deals is the Nintendo Switch, which you can get on sale for just $243.95. The console rarely strays from its $300 price point, but it's already discounted to $287, and by using promo code MEMORIAL15, you'll drop the price by an additional 15%, a full $55 savings. All you have to do is add it to your cart and enter the code during checkout to see the full discount.
Another can't-miss deal is this Xbox One S bundle with Minecraft (plus the Starter and Creator packs and 1,000 Minecoins) for only $180. Add it to your cart and choose the Memorial Day promo code; you'll see $120 slashed off the price. And if you're into drones (or have always wanted to try one out), we have to point out this pocket-sized rechargeable drone, which normally sells for $150 but is on sale for $99 with the same Memorial Day promo code applied at checkout. Please note estimated taxes based on your location may affect the total price.
There are plenty of other non-gaming-related Memorial Day deals--you can check them out at Google Express. The below three deals expire Sunday, May 23, but we wouldn't advise waiting, as some offers are already beginning to sell out.
Ebay is going hard for Memorial Day this year, with discounts across not only gaming but smart home devices, outdoor essentials, kitchen accessories, and more. There are some great game and console deals here, and everything we've linked below is brand new--or in the case of the New Nintendo 2DS XL, refurbished by Nintendo. Plus, check out the full offering of gaming deals at Ebay.
comes with silver GameCube console, two controllers, and Super Smash Bros. Melee
Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 - available for $25 (Walmart exclusive: includes 2 hours of 2XP)
Walmart
As part of Walmart's Memorial Day sale, the store is offering Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 at one of the lowest prices we've seen it: $25. That includes a Walmart-exclusive offer of two hours of double XP gameplay. The standard edition for Rage 2, which just released May 14, is selling for $10 off on PS4, Xbox One, and PC. And if there's any random gaming accessory you've been needing, Walmart's a good place to look, as the store has an assortment of useful accessories, like this portable charger for the Nintendo Switch (on sale for $25).
Sony has provided a new sales update for God of War PS4--and it's huge. The title has now sold more than 10 million copies, according to a slide from Sony's recent investor day briefing.
The 10 million sales was shown to demonstrate the strength of Sony's owned franchises across platforms. As you can see, God of War franchise sales have grown across their entries on PS2, PS3, and PS4. The same is true for the Uncharted and Last of Us franchises.
It's not clear if the God of War (or other games mentioned in the graphic) count copies sold in console bundles, but that seems likely. God of War launched in April 2018 and became the PS4's fastest-selling exclusive game ever.
For more on God of War, you can check out the GameSpot Audio Logs episode where game director Cory Barlog breaks down one of the most impactful scenes that almost didn't happen. Check it out in the video embed above.
HBO's Game of Thrones recently ended its eighth and final season. We know who lived and died. We know who won The Iron Throne. The ending was divisive. It tied up loose ends but also posed more questions about the future of Westeros. Could any of that be explored in a Game of Thrones sequel show? No. There will be no sequels, HBO programming boss Casey Bloys says.
HBO is working on multiple prequel TV series with new characters and actors in a story set in a different time period. Bloys says there won't be sequels, however, because he wants the Game of Thrones created by D.B. Weiss and David Benioff to stand on its own.
"Part of it is, I do want this show--this Game of Thrones, Dan and David's show--to be its own thing. I don't want to take characters from this world that they did beautifully and put them off into another world with someone else creating it," he said. "I want to let it be the artistic piece they've got. That's one of reasons why I'm not trying to do the same show over."
The world that George R.R. Martin created is "massive," Bloys said, so HBO wants to keep trying new things instead of bringing back familiar characters and settings.
"We're trying to do things that feel distinct--and to not try and re-do the same show," he said. "That's probably one of the reasons why, right now, a sequel or picking up any of the other characters doesn't make sense for us."
The entirety of Season 8 was controversial, and specifically the finale. Fans created an online petition asking for a remake, and Sansa actress Sophie Turner slammed it as "disrespectful."
Some people on the internet are not happy about the final season of Game of Thrones. They created a petition asking for a remake of Season 8 with new writers. Of course that will never happen. But almost 1.5 million signed the petition, which means it's getting attention.
Sophie Turner, who plays Sansa Stark on the award-winning HBO show, told The New York Times that the petition is "disrespectful" to everyone who worked so hard for so long to make Game of Thrones over the past decade.
"All of these petitions and things like that--I think it's disrespectful to the crew, and the writers, and the filmmakers who have worked tirelessly over 10 years, and for 11 months shooting the last season," she said. "Like 50-something night shoots. So many people worked so, so hard on it, and for people to just rubbish it because it's not what they want to see is just disrespectful."
Turner said she's not surprised that people got angry on the internet about Game of Thrones.
"People always have an idea in their heads of how they want a show to finish, and so when it doesn't go to their liking, they start to speak up about it and rebel," she said.
The actress added that Game of Thrones has always been a show with "crazy twists and turns," starting with Season 1, so she doesn't understand why people got so upset with how the story went in Season 8. "It shouldn't be such a negative thing for fans. It's a shock for sure, but I think it's just because it hasn't gone their way," she said.
For more on Episode 6, check out the show's latest coffee cup-style gaffe (this time featuring a pair of water bottles) and a reminder of who was at the council meeting (there were some faces present who we hadn't seen in years). For our thoughts on the final episode, check out our "The Iron Throne" review.
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