DC Announces Suicide Squad Isekai Anime Series By WIT Studio

At Anime Expo 2023, WIT Studio (the studio behind Vinland Saga Season 2, Ranking Of Kings, Spy X Family and more) and Warner Bros. Japan officially announced a Suicide Squad Isekai anime series.
The anime project will be directed by Eri Osada, with screenplays from Tappei Nagatsuki (Re: ZERO – Starting Life in Another World) and Eiji Umehara (Vivy – Fluorite Eye’s Song).
Staff for the Suicide Squad ISEKAI project also includes Akira Amano, who illustrated the visual and is working on draft character designs, Naoto Hosoda on main character designs, and Kenichiro Suehiro on music composition.
The only confirmed DC Comics characters confirmed as seen in the teaser so far are Harley Quinn, the Joker and Amanda Waller, as well as a green giant that might be Killer Croc.
The synopsis reads:
DC’s Harley Quinn, the Joker, and The Suicide Squad rampage onto the stage of ISEKAI* in the new original anime series from Warner Bros. Japan and Wit Studio, Suicide Squad ISEKAI. The most maddening worlds collide in an epic and violent fantasy with the strongest line-up of anime creators!
*ISEKAI means “another world”, which is now one of the most popular genres for Japanese anime.
Check out the teaser below:


Epic New The Witcher Season 3 Trailer Unveiled At Summer Game Fest

During Summer Game Fest 2023, Netflix unveiled a new trailer for The Witcher Season 3.
The first five episodes will premiere on 29 June 2023 and the remaining three episodes will drop on 27 July 2023.
The synopsis reads:
“Destiny brought them together. Dangerous forces are trying to tear them apart. Geralt and Yennefer fight to keep Ciri safe as war brews on the Continent.”
In the meantime, check out my review of Season 2 here. The Witcher Season 2 premiered back in December 2021.
Check it out below:


Dying Light 2 Is Still Coming Out In 2021, But…

Despite delays and having one of its main writers kicked out of the project due to controversy, the zombie-killing parkour action-adventure game Dying Light 2 is still scheduled for 2021. No, it’s not in development hell, but the Techland-developed game isn’t saying much aside from what’s stated on the update video below.

Apart from the developers saying “we’re still working on it”, the end of the trailer showcased some snippets of new gameplay. And the aforementioned 2021 release year. Anything’s possible, including last-minute delays, but Techland is taking the release of Dying Light 2 very seriously. After all, they admit that the game’s 2018 announcement was too early.
Expect more news on the upcoming Techland title “very, very soon”.


Genshin Impact Wins 3 Major Google Play Awards

Anime action RPG wunderkind Genshin Impact, renowned for making gacha games cool, mainstream, and possibly annoying for everyone who plays an iota of games, is getting some prestige from Google Play.
The recent Google Play Awards have bestowed the game and its creators Mihoyo the following Google Play awards:

Best Game of 2020
User’s Choice
Best Innovative Games

Travelers,
We are happy to announce that Genshin Impact has won 3 prestigious Google Play Awards: "Best Game of 2020", "Users' Choice" and "Best Innovative Games" in many countries!!
Paimon would like to thank all the Travelers who have given us their support! #GenshinImpact
— Genshin Impact (@GenshinImpact) December 1, 2020

We’re not sure about the latter award since it’s just an amalgamation of every single RPG, mobile game, and action-adventure trope with a huge marketing budget. Still, credit where it’s due: it took ideas from Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and arguably made it better and free for all. Look forward to Mihoyo celebrating by giving its player base free Primogems.
For more Genshin Impact features, check out our guides and videos.


Kakuchopurei’s Most Anticipated Games Of 2023

It’s the dawn of the new year, and with it comes a bunch of new games and titles for 2023.
After seeing a ton of video game announcements for 2023, players are spoilt for choice. Truthfully, so are we; we have action RPGs, sandbox titles, Soulslike clones, and indies galore to chose from. It’s hard to narrow it down, but we’ll do our best.
Here are our personal top picks for 2023; each of us will talk about 5 of our most-anticipated games of 2023.

Alleef “Comicslord” Ashaari
Star Wars Jedi Survivor (17 March – PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC)

2019’s Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order captured the spirit of Star Wars in a way that not many games before it has, and it was the best Star Wars game in years (and still is up to 2022). It reignited the last flicker of hope for a good Star Wars game, and Respawn delivered that with a loving product that will stay relevant in the canon for many years to come. Now, just three years later, we’re already getting a sequel and I can’t wait to see what improvements Respawn will bring.
In the only trailer released so far, I can spot Cal Kestis dual-wielding lightsabers, as well as wielding a unique Kylo Ren-like lightsaber with a cross hilt. Those things alone already make the Star Wars fan in me giddy as heck. It looks like a much darker game as well, and this game might come with surprises of its own, especially when it comes to Star Wars canon.

Hogwarts Legacy (10 February – PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC, Nintendo Switch)

Hogwarts Legacy looks like it will finally fulfil the fantasies of many Harry Potter fans out there, including myself. We’ve never had such an extensive and expansive game set in the Wizarding World, and it will be great to finally experience that in a AAA game. I’m really hoping that the game will offer something new in the genre, instead of the same old action RPG open-world mechanics we’ve seen in countless other games. Also, Ravenclaw for life!

Final Fantasy XVI (22 June – PS5)

This is arguably the most anticipated game of 2023, so I won’t be surprised to see if everyone else in the KKP team and out there includes this in their list. If it turns out as good as the excitement is hyping it out to be, we might have another potential GOTY on our hands with this one. The franchise has a lot to prove, especially after the wasted potential and disappointment that was 2016’s Final Fantasy XV.

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 (Fall 2023 – PS5)

Alongside Final Fantasy XVI, this is potentially the other most highly-anticipated game of 2023, and a potential GOTY candidate as well. The first game in 2018 was perhaps one of the best comic book games ever made, and it made Insomniac Games into the household name it is today (though I’ve been a fan of them since the very first Ratchet And Clank game). The developer has been hitting it out of the park with Marvel’s Spider-Man Miles Morales and Ratchet And Clank Rift Apart, so I’m looking forward to seeing them apply everything they’ve learnt to Marvel’s Spider-Man 2.
As the late Stan Lee would have said, excelsior!

The Wolf Among Us 2 (2023 – PC And Unspecified Consoles)

It’s been four years since The Wolf Among Us 2 was a surprise announcement at The Game Awards 2019, and according to the game’s most recent release window, it will finally arrive sometime this year. The Wolf Among Us 2 will be Telltale Games’ first title since 2018’s The Walking Dead The Final Season and since their infamous closure (and layoffs) in that same year. This will also be their first title since being acquired and revived by LCG Entertainment, so it will be interesting to see if the studio still has that same magic it did all those years ago with the original The Wolf Among Us and The Walking Dead games.
I’m looking forward to delving into the world of Bill Willingham’s Fables again. That reminds me, I really need to finish reading the comics…

Alisha Alix
Dead Island 2 (28 April – PS4, PS5, Xbox One,Xbox Series X/S, PC)

After 12 years, we’re finally getting Dead Island 2! Its latest trailer features a brutal combat display brutal combat system that sees zombie limbs flying everywhere, a wide array of weapons and ways to customize them to a devastating and awesome effect, and a cast of zombies that come in all shapes and sizes. The best part throughout all this is the Alexa integration included in Dead Island 2. Players will be able to perform voice control such as getting a zombie’s attention, retrieving their weapon, and activating zombie powers.
Get ready for Dead Island 2 this April or even better, give it to your partner as a post-Valentine’s gift and enjoy a zombie-killing-spree date night.

Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora (2023 – PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC, Amazon Luna)

A video game adaptation of James Cameron’s blockbuster film will be released by Massive Entertainment and Ubisoft sometime in late 2023. In Frontiers of Pandora, the Na’vi clan will fight humanity’s Resources Development Administration – the villain aka Sky People who love to steal unobtanium and space whale brain juice. We hope to see a variety of clans and Islands to explore in this first-person action-adventure game and most of the characters shown in Avatar: The Way of Water.

Palworld (2023 – PC And Unspecified Consoles)

A new, multiplayer, open-world survival crafting game called Palworld allows players to befriend and collect mysterious creatures called “Pals”. It’s like an adult version of Pokemon but with guns- for players and Pals as well. The magical world of Palworld seems darker not only because Pals fight each other in high-stakes battles, but because they also eat each other, perform factory labour, and undergo medical testing.
We’re definitely stoic to get our hands on this gameplay.

Lewis Larcombe

Jonathan “Mr Toffee” Leo
Street Fighter 6 (2nd June – PC, Xbox Series, Xbox One, PS5, PS4)

It’s only fitting that Kakuchopurei’s big fighting game fan, myself, is looking forward to the next mothership Street Fighter title. After playing both closed betas and trying out the game’s mechanics and Drive systems, it’s safe to say that it’s shaping up to be the best version of the fighting game since Super Street Fighter IV.
Yes, that sounds silly since it’s just one entry away, but you have to understand how Capcom done f***ed up the launch of Street Fighter 5 in 2016, followed up with terrible Season content follow-ups the subsequent year. All that goodwill from SF4? Completely demolished from that launch.

Thankfully after Capcom’s internal housecleaning and taking care of the root of the problem, they’re learning from their big mistake, managed to get back on their feet, and are going to make Street Fighter 6 the best entry yet.
Final Fantasy XVI (26th June – PS5)

An M-rated Final Fantasy entry produced by the franchise’s current saviour Naoki Yoshida? Sign us up, please!
Yoshi-P is clearly a fan of the better Final Fantasy entries like FFVI, Final Fantasy Tactics, and FFXII if the updates and expansions of Final Fantasy XIV are of any indication. So it’s clear as day that the main crux of FFXVI -the political intrigue, the warring nations, and the medieval setting- takes centrestage in the presentation and trailers. As for the Devil May Cry-style action RPG combat? That’s just the evolution of the real-time combat system that was implemented since the Crisis Core PSP days, now realized in current-gen format in titles like FFXV and FFVII Remake.
I will hedge my bets that the game will be delayed for a few months because anything can happen in the games industry & release schedules. But if I’m proven wrong? Well, we’re going to have an earlier Christmas indeed!
Octopath Traveler II (24 February – Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, PC)

2018’s Octopath Traveler featured eight different heroes and storylines, a rich soundtrack, lovely HD-2D graphics and aesthetics, and a fun-if-long-winded battle system. It also didn’t have that great a climax because the devs missed an opportunity to tie everyone’s story together in the main storyline, relegating that huge portion as a sidequest with an optional tough boss fight.
I hope part 2 solves this problem -just do what Live A Live did in 2022 climax and all- because I expect the best from the Acquire and Square Enix internal team working on this JRPG. The eight characters seem interesting enough, and composer Yasunori Nishiki promised twice as many bangers and awesome tunes to cement his position in this year’s upcoming SoundScape award.
Diablo 4 (6 June – PC, Xbox, PlayStation)

I’m very sure this generation of Blizzard will find some way to f*** up this game’s launch and initial 3 months. Having said that, I’m down with going back to Sanctuary and Hell to play a fantasy class, killing things for loot and getting better equipment while levelling up to the high heavens like in Diablo 3.
Plus, the game looks & sounds really, REALLY good with its return to Diablo 2’s gothic, dark, and gory art style, but in current gen. While many argue that Blizzard might just be playing catch-up with Path of Exile, the current de facto dark-themed action RPG, seeing the devs talk about Diablo 4 and how meaty it’ll be in the pre and post-game parts with the world bosses, Paragon levels, and other additions to buff up your character(s) make me hope for the best for this long-time franchise.
Mina The Hollower (December – Nintendo Switch, PC, PS4)

Talk about a heckuva throwback: this upcoming Yacht Club Game title mixes top-down Legend of Zelda action adventure with an 8-bit aesthetic and OST to match; specifically the Game Boy Color era of the early 2000s. Each screenshot on the official website oozes charisma and charm, and screams Castlevania-style vampire-and-undead-killing action if Simon Belmont was replaced with a cute mouse.
Yacht Club Games is one of the few developers who still adhere to old-school pixel-based graphic gameplay (next to Inti Creates and WayForward), so I’m glad that Mina The Hollower’s Kickstarter program is fully funded. I need me some top-down 2D Metroidvania(?) furry action!


[Report] PS5 Controller May Be Ditching A Big Feature

Since the day the PlayStation 5 was officially named, gamers all over the world have been anticipating more news and reveals regarding the upcoming console. Some new patent images may have revealed the Dualshock 5.
Dualshock 5 mock-up by Video Games Chronicle.
The Japanese patent office has just published a new patent filed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. One glance and it’s easy to conclude that this is probably the new PS5 controller AKA the Dualshock 5. It looks very similar to the Dualshock 4 but there are some noteworthy differences including the exclusion of one of the Dualshock 4’s defining features.
Despite only being implemented in the Dualshock 4, it seems that the light bar will no longer be featured on the Dualshock 5. It’s something that helped me determine controller arrangements in multiplayer and it also provided an attractive aesthetic flair.Â  If this is true, I’ll definitely be missing this.

Other noteworthy features include things already mentioned before. We’ll break it down:

Thank the gods for the USB type-C upgrade, which will probably allow for faster charging times.
I’m not too sure about that slightly enlarged touchpad but everything else looks just similar to the Dualshock 4.
In terms of size, it’s quite obvious that the Dualshock 5 is a bit chunkier compared to its predecessor.
The analog sticks appear a bit smaller but the trigger buttons are slightly larger. Perhaps this is for the implementation of the “adaptive triggers” that Sony talked about during the PS5 reveal.

As mentioned before, the controller will be ditching Rumble technology and replace it with haptic feedback. Sony claims that haptic feedback will allow for more accurate sensations in gameplay and even introduce a sense of resistance never before felt in prior controllers.
A Better Change?
As someone who has always found the Dualshock controllers a bit too light compared to the more comfortable Xbox controllers, I am honestly really excited to get a feel of this bulkier Dualshock 5. I am also glad that my ever-shrinking collection of micro-USB cables will no longer be a problem when it comes to charging and connecting the Dualshock controller.

As mentioned earlier, I will be missing that light bar and I am curious to see how the controller will indicate different players using the same console. There’s also that feature of indicating charging status which has been pretty handy when putting the PS4 in rest mode.
For more news and updates on the PlayStation 5, head here.


Here Are Some Emmy-Nominated Shows You Can Watch On Disney+ Hotstar

Disney+ Hotstar takes the spotlight as the 75th Emmy Award (2023) nominations are revealed, featuring an incredible lineup of talent and storytelling.
Among the Emmy-nominated titles featured on the platform includes The Bear garnering 13 nominations, season 2 drops 19 July and Only Murders in the Building with 11 nominations.
Check out the full list of Emmy 2023 nominees by heading over here.

The Bear

13 Emmy Nominations

OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION DESIGN FOR A NARRATIVE PROGRAM (HALF-HOUR)
OUTSTANDING CASTING FOR A COMEDY SERIES
OUTSTANDING DIRECTING FOR A COMEDY SERIES – “Review”
OUTSTANDING PICTURE EDITING FOR A SINGLE-CAMERA COMEDY SERIES,
OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES – Jeremy Allen White,
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A cCOMEDY SERIES – Ebon Moss-Bachrach,
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES – Ayo Edebiri,
OUTSTANDING GUEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES – Jon Bernthal,
OUTSTANDING GUEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES – Oliver Platt,
OUTSTANDING COMEDY SERIES,
OUTSTANDING SOUND EDITING FOR A COMEDY OR DRAMA SERIES (HALF-HOUR) AND ANIMATION,
OUTSTANDING SOUND MIXING FOR A COMEDY OR DRAMA SERIES (HALF-HOUR) AND ANIMATION,
OUTSTANDING WRITING FOR A COMEDY SERIES – “System”

Only Murders in the Building

11 Emmy Nominations

OUTSTANDING COMEDY SERIES
OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES – Martin Short
OUTSTANDING GUEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES – Nathan Lane
OUTSTANDING WRITING FOR A COMEDY SERIES – “I Know Who Did It”
OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION DESIGN FOR A NARRATIVE PROGRAM (HALF-HOUR)
OUTSTANDING CASTING FOR A COMEDY SERIES
OUTSTANDING CINEMATOGRAPHY FOR A SERIES (HALF-HOUR)
OUTSTANDING CONTEMPORARY COSTUMES FOR A SERIES
OUTSTANDING PICTURE EDITING FOR A SINGLE-CAMERA COMEDY SERIES
OUTSTANDING CONTEMPORARY HAIRSTYLING
OUTSTANDING SOUND MIXING FOR A COMEDY OR DRAMA SERIES (HALF-HOUR) AND ANIMATION –

The Mandalorian

9 Emmy Nominations

OUTSTANDING CINEMATOGRAPHY FOR A SERIES (HALF-HOUR)
OUTSTANDING FANTASY/SCI-FI COSTUMES
OUTSTANDING PERIOD AND/OR CHARACTER HAIRSTYLING
OUTSTANDING PERIOD AND/OR CHARACTER MAKEUP (NON-PROSTHETIC)
OUTSTANDING SOUND EDITING FOR A COMEDY OR DRAMA SERIES (HALF-HOUR) AND ANIMATION
OUTSTANDING SOUND MIXING FOR A COMEDY OR DRAMA SERIES (HALF-HOUR) AND ANIMATION
OUTSTANDING SPECIAL VISUAL EFFECTS IN A SEASON OR A MOVIE
OUTSTANDING STUNT COORDINATION FOR A DRAMA SERIES, LIMITED OR ANTHOLOGY SERIES OR MOVIE
OUTSTANDING STUNT PERFORMANCE

Abbott Elementary

8 Emmy Nominations

OUTSTANDING COMEDY SERIES
OUTSTANDING LEAD ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES – Quinta Brunson
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES – Tyler James Williams
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES – Janelle James
OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES – Sheryl Lee Ralph
OUTSTANDING GUEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES – Taraji P. Henson
OUTSTANDING CASTING FOR A COMEDY SERIES
OUTSTANDING CONTEMPORARY HAIRSTYLING

Prey

6 Emmy Nominations

OUTSTANDING TELEVISION MOVIE
OUTSTANDING DIRECTING FOR A LIMITED OR ANTHOLOGY SERIES OR MOVIE
OUTSTANDING PICTURE EDITING FOR A LIMITED OR ANTHOLOGY SERIES OR MOVIE
OUTSTANDING MUSIC COMPOSITION FOR A LIMITED OR ANTHOLOGY SERIES, MOVIE OR SPECIAL (ORIGINAL DRAMATIC SCORE)
OUTSTANDING SOUND EDITING FOR A LIMITED OR ANTHOLOGY SERIES, MOVIE OR SPECIAL
OUTSTANDING WRITING FOR A LIMITED OR ANTHOLOGY SERIES OR MOVIE

Check out my review of Prey by heading over here.
Courtesy of Disney+ Hotstar, we were given the opportunity to interview Prey actor Dakota Beavers, who plays the role of Taabe in the movie. Prey will be Dakota Beavers’ feature film debut and the Native American actor is also a musician in real life.

Courtesy of Disney+ Hotstar, we were given the opportunity to interview director Dan Trachtenberg and producer Jhane Myers. Dan Trachtenberg is best known for directing 2016’s 10 Cloverfield Lane.


Ghibli’s Earwig And The Witch Is Coming To US Cinemas & HBO Max

Directed byÂ Goro MiyazakiÂ (the son of the legendary Hayao Miyazaki himself),Â Earwig And The WitchÂ is based on a novel by Diana Wynne Jones and was first announced last year.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Earwig And The Witch will open in select theatres in the United States on 3 February 2021 in both subtitled and English-dubbed versions.
It will then premiere on the HBO Max streaming service on 5 February 2021.
The recently announced English-language voice cast includes Richard E. Grant, Kacey Musgraves and Dan Stevens, amongst others.
It will be Studio Ghibliâ€™s first-ever CGI movie, which is a departure from the fluid and detailed 2D animation that the company is usually known for.
Earwig And The WitchÂ follows a 10-year-old girl growing up in England in the 1990s, unaware that sheâ€™s actually the daughter of a witch. When sheâ€™s adopted by a strange couple, she begins to discover her magical powers.
Currently, Studio Ghibli is also working on another film,Â How Do You Live?, for which Hayao Miyzakai came out of retirement to direct it himself.
There’s no word yet on whether Earwig And The Witch will premiere in cinemas in Malaysia or the rest of Southeast Asia.
In the meantime, check out the trailer below:


Resident Evil Re:Verse Open Beta Test Takes Place Next Month

Capcom has announced that they will host an open beta test for the multiplayer title Resident Evil Re:Verse from 2pm GMT+8 on 8 April 2021 to 2pm GMT+8 on 11 April 2021. It will run across PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and PC via Steam.
The download for the Resident Evil Re:Verse open beta test will be available starting from 8am GMT+8 on 6 April 2021.
In order to participate, players must have a Capcom ID linked to their hardware or platform of choice before playing the Resident Evil Re:Verse open beta test. Capcom did not reveal any other further details.
Resident Evil Re:Verse is slated to release for the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and PC on 7 May 2021 alongside every purchase of Resident Evil Village.
In the meantime, you can check out my review of last year’s Resident Evil Resistance, the multiplayer component for the Resident Evil 3 Remake.


Doctor Strange Director To Helm Sequel To Puppet Musical Labyrinth

Those who grew up in the 80s and/or are fans of the late legend David Bowie will remember Jim Henson’s musical fantasy puppet movie, Labyrinth. Almost three decades later, Sony’s TriStar Pictures is working on a sequel and has hired Scott Derrickson to direct (via Deadline).
Best known for his horror movies and Marvel Studios’ Doctor Strange, Derrickson is no stranger to the weird and bizarre, which is what Labyrinth essentially was (and still is). Lisa Henson of The Jim Henson Company is the producer, with Brian Henson acting as executive producer. Maggie Levin, who wrote and directed Hulu’s Into the Dark: My Valentine, will pen the script for the sequel.
The original 1986 movie starred David Bowie and Jennifer Connelly. It has maintained a cult following over the years, ranging from tie-in novels, comic books, and video games to screenings and even an annual fan masquerade ball.
No other details have been revealed about the Labyrinth sequel yet, so it must be in early development. At this point, we’re not sure who will be able to replace the late David Bowie and portray the same levels of eccentricity. Jennifer Connelly is still alive and well, so she could potentially reprise her role as Sarah Williams.
If you’re not familiar with the movie, check out the classic trailer below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2yd4em1I6M&w=560&h=315]


World Of Warcraft Burning Crusade Classic Pre-Expansion Patch Is Now Live

Blizzard has announced that the champions of Azeroth can begin preparing for their adventure to Outland with new features and content in the World Of Warcraft Burning Crusade Classic pre-expansion patch, which is now live.
The pre-expansion patch introducesÂ Burning Crusade Classicâ€™s core systems, including the ability to create Blood Elf and Draenei characters, ahead of the gameâ€™s global launch onÂ 2 June 2021. For a limited time, players can also take part in the pre-launch event, Battle for the Dark Portal, which unleashes Highlord Kruul and a host of demonic invaders upon Azeroth.
WoW Classic players can:

Choose Your Era: Players will make a choice for each of their characters, to progress into Burning Crusade Classic or continue their adventures in the Classic Era.
New Playable Races: The Blood Elves of Silvermoon and the Draenei of the Exodar are now playable from level 1 in their respective all-new starting areas.
New Profession: Jewelcrafting is now learnable and can be levelled up to 300.
New Talent Systems: Players can explore the changes made to their charactersâ€™ talent trees and try out new builds and abilities.
Digital Bundles and Optional Services: These optional services and extras are now available in the shop to help players kick off their adventures in Outland in style and get them caught up and ready to enter the Dark Portal when it opens on 2 June 2021.

These include:

Dark Portal Pass: Players can use this to boost a character of their choice to level 58 (limited to one per account; new races excluded; Burning Crusade Classic realms only), where they will be equipped with gear, a mount, consumables, and some goldâ€”everything they need to be able to jump through the Dark Portal at launch
Deluxe Edition:Â This includes the Dark Portal Pass, 30 days of game time, a Reawakened Phase-Hunter mount forÂ Burning Crusade Classic and a higher-fidelity Viridian Phase-Hunter for modernÂ WoW players, a Dark Portal Hearthstone, and Path of Illidan toy.
Character Clone:Â This optional service lets people play a copy of an existing WoW Classic character on both aÂ Burning Crusade ClassicÂ server and a Classic Era server

In the meantime, check out the trailer below:


Far Cry 6 Gets New Lost Between Worlds DLC This December

The Ubisoft open-world shooting spree continues: Far Cry 6 is getting more DLC.
After the first three roguelike DLCs featuring past Far Cry villains as main characters, the next DLC Lost Between Worlds will focus back on main hero Dani Rojas. Lost Between Worlds is a rich, action-packed gauntlet with deadly crystal enemies, multiple player paths, all-new lore, and a wide variety of unique gameplay challenges. Long story short: Dani Rojas fights aliens with alien weapons and messed-up worlds using Far Cry 6 assets.
Plus, Far Cry 6 will get a New Game+ mode where you can carry all past progress from an old save to a brand new playthrough. Check out the trailer below:

Far Cry 6: Lost Between Worlds will be out on 6th December and will be sold for US$19.99 across PC, Xbox, and PlayStation platforms.


Razer Unleashes New Gaming Tech At CES 2020

Razer attended CES 2020 last weekend, and they announced a bunch of new gaming tech for the new year. This includes the new Razer Kishi universal mobile gaming controllers, the Razer Sila 5G Home Router, the Razer Tomahawk Gaming Desktop, and a new Razer Eracing Simulator concept created in collaboration with several game publishers and technology vendors.
Razer Kishi universal mobile gaming controllers

This new universal cloud-gaming compatible controller for iOS and Android phones not only support low latency gameplay but also provide clickable analogue controls and thumbsticks on both sides of the phone with a universal fit.
It achieves this via a hidden USB-C or Apple Lightning connection, as pass-through charging ports on the Kishi allow for device charging even during gameplay. It is slated to be available for purchase sometime in early 2020.
Razer Sila 5G Home Router

This high-speed networking router is tailored for gamers to offer ultra-low latency during both stationary and mobile gameplay, featuring Razerâ€™s proprietary FasTrack engine. A built-in rechargeable battery also adds capability as a mobile 5G hotspot for impromptu, latency-free tournaments wherever you go.
In addition, it allows users prioritize between client hardware, such as Xbox or desktop PC, and is designed to optimize cloud gaming services.
Razer Tomahawk Gaming Desktop

This is the first truly modular desktop system utilizing the new ultra-compact Razer Tomahawk N1 chassis.
The Razer Tomahawk N1â€™s all-aluminium body is flanked by tempered glass on both sides, with an open vent design at the top to maintain cooling performance. The rear features a lock-and-slide sled mechanism that opens with minimal effort, allowing for quick access to internal components without the need for tools.
It features up to an Intel Core-i9 processor, 64GB of DDR4 RAM, and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080. Both the RAM and SSD modules on the NUC card are upgradeable as well as the fans, GPU and NUC itself.
The Razer Tomahawk Gaming Desktop will be available in the first half of 2020, alongside the next generation of Razer Blade gaming laptops later this year. These will feature the latest 10th Gen Intel Core H-Series Processors, 300Hz refresh rate panels, powerful graphics processors, and optimized designs.
Razer Eracing Simulator concept

Running Project CARS Pro, the concept model features technology from Vesaro, Simpit, Fanatec and Synthesis VR, resulting in a thrilling and immersive eracing setup with a 202-degree projection system, a hydraulic racing platform, full manual controls, and a steering wheel with paddle shift.
Real surround visuals provided by Simpit come from two Full-HD projectors beaming onto a 128-inch custom black projection surface with 202-degree field-of-view with vibrant colours and deep blacks.
Driver controls from Fanatec feature an anodized aluminium and carbon fibre steering wheel sheathed in smooth leather, magnetic paddles and adjustable buttons for gear shifting and precise driver aide, paired to a three-pedal system below.
The racing harness simulates the effects of G-forces by applying pressure, allowing the body to feel the fast acceleration speeds and tightest corners.


SDCC 2019: New Watchmen Trailer Teases Doctor Manhattan’s Return & Release Date

During San Diego Comic-Con 2019, HBO released a new trailer for its upcoming Watchmen series. We get to see more of this world, set ten years after the events in Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’ original Watchmen graphic novel, which is now populated by brand new vigilantes and overzealous cops.
A conversation between an FBI agent named Laurie Blake (Jean Smart) and new vigilante/hero Angela Abraham (Regina King) in the trailer sums up the new status quo of the Watchmen world:

“Laurie Blake: You know how you can tell the difference between a masked cop and a vigilante?
Angela Abraham: No.
Laurie Blake: Me neither.”

The new HBO Watchmen trailer reveals that Doctor Manhattan is now on Mars, following the events of the original graphic novel, where he assisted Adrian Veidt AKA Ozymandias (Jeremy Irons) with his alien squid plan and retired elsewhere to create life.
The end of the trailer shows Doctor Manhattan seemingly back on Earth, as he picks up a mask (which looks inspired by his own blue face) presumably worn by one of the many new vigilantes. Is the situation so dire on Earth that he finds the need to return to his home planet?
The upcoming series is also set to star Don Johnson, Jean Smart, Louis Gossett Jr., Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Hong Chau, Andrew Howard, Tom Mison, Frances Fisher, Jacob Ming-Trent, Sara Vickers, Dylan Schombing, and James Wolk.
HBO’s Watchmen will premiere sometime in October 2019. In the meantime, check out the epic new trailer below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1yKq1PRvPJQ&w=560&h=315]


Adorable Pikachu Army Invades Yokohama, Japan

Every year since 2014, a sea of cute yellow Pikachus invade the city of Yokohama, Japan in a bid to establish a new independent Pikachu nation. In spite of that, people still enjoy the presence of these adorable overgrown rodents as the sixth annual Pikachu Outbreak event arrives this week.
Over 2000 dancing Pikachus is participating in this year’s occasion, along with fans who adorn themselves with Pikachu gear and memorabilia.Â  What’s fascinating about the event is that it is entirely free, as it takes place across the city.
According to Kotaku, the PokÃ©mon Company doesn’t really care about how many people attend the event or how much money it makes for them. With the upcoming PokÃ©mon Sword and Shield slated for release in about three months (on 15 November 2019), they need all the positive franchise publicity they can get.
Pikachu Outbreak Festival 2019 is taking place from now until 12 August 2019 in Yokohama, Japan. There are three main venues where three different performances occur: The Streets, The Seas, and The Forest, as well as parades and even a PokÃ©mon Sword and PokÃ©mon Shield Digital Stamp Rally. Head on over to the official website here for the full schedule and itinerary.
Check out pics from the event, courtesy of Kotaku’s Amanda Silberling:


Jiren, Videl, Gogeta Blue, & Canon Broly Will Be In Dragon Ball FighterZ Season 2

Just like we mentioned a few weeks back, Jiren will be in DBFZ Season 2. What’s even more surprising? The announcements that followed.
Joining the bald alien from Universe 11 will be Videl (Gohan’s wife), Gogeta Blue, and canon Broly who is powered up with Oozaru juice. I’m not sure who the other two characters are though; we’ll have to wait later this year.

Here’s a breakdown:

Jiren fights with a unique command grab that lets you do close mixups, as well as negate energy blasts with his arm. If this happens, he’ll teleport in front of his opponent and blasts his opponent in the solar plexus. He may be the defensive counter-attacking character we’ve wanted in a highly-aggressive 3v3 game.

Videl fights like Android 18; she has Gohan in his Great Saiyaman outfit to do energy blast attacks for her. One of her Supers can (allegedly) be pulled off if she’s knocked down. Gohan jumps in and blows up his opponent with a Kamehameha.

With the addition of Videl, I hope that the roster can go beyond Saiyans and aliens. How about Chi Chi in Dragon Ball? Or Master Roshi/Jackie Chun? Maybe even Janemba, or Zarbon, or Dabura. Or Mercenary Tao if Bandai Namco wishes to pay their respects to the series that started the Z story. C’mon!


F1 2021 Digital Deluxe Edition Features Seven Legendary Drivers

Codemasters has revealed that seven iconic Formula 1 drivers included in F1 2021‘s My Team mode as part of the Deluxe Edition, along with the three cover stars of the new game.
Deluxe Edition players can select an icon from the start of the driver manager My Team game mode, which will feature some of the greatest drivers from Formula 1 history.
These include:

Michael Schumacher
Ayrton Senna
Alain Prost
Jenson Button
Nico Rosberg
David Coulthard
Felipe Massa

These carefully chosen Icons have been added to the driver market. If you can meet their expectations and salary requirements, they are available to join your team, allowing you to level up and create the greatest â€˜My Teamâ€™ lineup ever.
My Team is a new driver-manager feature that allows players to create a new Formula 1 team and take their place on the grid alongside the established 2021 driver line-up.
Codemasters has also announced that the cover art for the game will feature present-day drivers Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc as the global cover stars for the new game.

F1 2021 for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, Xbox One, and PC (Steam) will launch on 16 July 2021.
In the meantime, check out the trailer below:


B.I.O.T.A. Is A Cute 2D Action Game Tribute That Is Unnecessarily Hard

Platform: PC (version played)
Genre: Indie 2D shooter with monochrome palette
The latest addition to the indie retro game made new genre is B.I.O.T.A, a seemingly-fun 2D shooter with some flawed controls and some unnecessary difficulty.
Your retro experience starts out innocently enough: you control one of the few soldiers who has to explore and wipe out alien lifeform in a space facility. Your controls are easy enough: you can shoot, jump, wall climb, and unleash your special weapon. There are collectibles you can buy in the game’s black market that can help you progress and also bolster your life. There are airtight artifacts that increase the amount of resources you collect to make black market purchases. And the stages you’re exploring and uncovering feature a ton of deathtraps and assortment of aliens to gun down, with a boss or two that require some ingenuity to defeat.
Well, at least the first boss. The rest of them just require some shooting and evading to get through, with patterns for you to memorize. The rest of the game has some devious platforming with the most egregious retro game quirk: one-hit kill traps. The game’s electric traps and slime pits can kill you straight, though you can quick save in the previous room provided you kill all the bad guys inside. The fact that wallclimbing only works when the game feels like it means that you have to be precise with the d-pad. I have died countless times at a section where I slipped to a pit because I didn’t commit to my controls precise enough. Conversely, I latched myself to the wall by accident and ended up eating projectiles in one boss fight. And these projectiles hit unnecessarily hard.
Tough Enough

And then there are some bulls**** moments like the last half of the game. There’s a late-game section in B.I.O.T.A that reminds players of the second stage of the original NES Battletoads where you go down a chasm on a rope. B.I.O.T.A’s version has you careening non-stop and has one-hit kill traps that make it impossible to bypass. This level came out of nowhere with no foreshadowing whatsoever. Worst, you cannot teleport out to your base or to the previous room like in past attempts; you are stuck at this point in the game unless you can somehow go through the electric barriers via pixel perfect dodging.
That’s the bit that broke me. I’m so close to finishing this insanely difficult 2D shooter with some gimped-up controls, and the developers thought it was a good idea to add in this one “eff you” moment that probably isn’t playtested properly. Still, for a cheap price, you could do worse than to torture yourself with this throwback game of sorts featuring a plethora of colour palettes that range from 90s green Game Boy to stark CGA eye-candy. A shame too, as the game does throw in some fun variety with an underwater submarine segment and a top down 2D shooter bit that exhilarates. And at the very least, respawning from your countless deaths is instantenous so you can try and try again until you eventually succeed (via luck mostly).
Final Score: 60/100


Ghostrunner: Project Hel Is More Of The Same, And That’s Fine

Platform(s): PC (version reviewed), PS4, PS5, Xbox Series, Xbox One
Genre: First-person cyber ninja parkour
Ever wanted to be a super-fast cyberninja parkouring through the mean sci-fi streets and killing bad guys with your sword? 2020’s Ghostrunner lets you do just that in style.
The new DLC Ghostrunner: Project Hel adds a few more levels and a new playstyle: what happens if you have a super-high jump, two hit points instead of one, and a Rage mode that lets you fire awesome red horizontal blade projectiles? That’s what Project Hel offers: you play Ghostrunner boss Hel who is on a mission to head to Dharma Tower and kill everyone in her wake.
Soulless

Part of the DLC’s charm is how inhuman Hel is. Her many conversations with her handler Mara is so devoid of morals; Hel is built as a mission-driven killing machine so her responses are apt and darkly humourous.
The main issue many will find is that Project Hel is reusing and reworking a lot of Ghostrunner’s content. That’s fine as long as it feels fresh, and it does feel like that for the most parts. The new challenges that test Hel’s new “hyper jump”, leap, and Rage abilities do add more replayability and changes up your playstyle a tad. Fans will find a lot to love here as well as find out more about Hel’s background and drive.
Neon Dynasty

For the price of US$14.99, Ghostrunner’s new DLC offers a good amount of high-octane stages and challenges, not to mention a new character playstyle that’s not too different but still fun. If you crave more Ghostrunner parkour and slice-and-dicing, you’ll want to jump into this neon-lit thrill ride.
Final Score: 80/100


Moon Knight Cinematographer Talks About The Show’s Natural Lighting & Horror Influences (EXCLUSIVE)

Moon Knight is the latest Marvel Studios TV series to stream on Disney+ Hotstar Malaysia.
It follows Steven Grant, a mild-mannered gift-shop employee, who becomes plagued with blackouts and memories of another life. Steven discovers he has dissociative identity disorder and shares a body with mercenary Marc Spector. As Steven/Marc’s enemies converge upon them, they must navigate their complex identities while thrust into a deadly mystery among the powerful gods of Egypt.
Courtesy of Disney+ Hotstar Malaysia, we were recently lucky enough to interview Moon Knight cinematographer Andrew Droz Palermo (who worked on Episodes Two and Four) and Moon Knight Production Designer Stefania Cella.
You can also check out my other interview with Moon Knight directors Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead by heading over here. Check out my breakdown of Moon Knight Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 3 and Episode 4 here. This interview has been edited for clarity.
What went into making the lighting in the show look more natural without the usual yellow filter, especially when filming in Cairo and areas in Egypt?
Andrew Droz Palermo: I think we built off of wanting Cairo to feel natural. It should feel like the Cairo that Mohamed Diab knows; one of our directors. A lot of the work in Cairo was done by Gregory Middleton and it’s so beautiful.
You’re right; it’s very natural feeling, the light feels clear and clean. It’s not a tobacco filter or whatever filter they do to go down to Central America when you’re shooting something. I found it very refreshing as well.
I noticed the horror vibes and tones in Moon Knight Episode Four. How did working on The Green Knight, V/H/S and other movies prepare you for Moon Knight?
Andrew Droz Palermo: Yeah, I fell in with a director named Adam Wingard (who directed 2011’s You’re Next, 2016’s Blair Witch and 2021’s Godzilla Vs Kong) pretty early. He’s such a great horror fan and he really introduced me to a lot of films that I wouldn’t have seen on my own. It’s not a genre that I was initially very excited about but now I love them, and every October, I watch as many horror movies as I can as Halloween approaches.
Justin (Benson) and Aaron (Moorhead), my directors on Moon Knight, also loved horror movies, so we were excited to pepper in as much of that as we could and push the show into that world. Like, how comfortable are we with horror, how violent can we get, how scary can we get.
We ended up shooting more than we needed, knowing that we’d kind of peel back on what was allowed on a TV show.
The Heka Priest in Marvel Studios’ MOON KNIGHT, exclusively on Disney+. Photo by Gabor Kotschy. ©Marvel Studios 2022. All Rights Reserved.
What were your inspirations and influences while Working On Moon Knight? Maybe The Comics?
Andrew Droz Palermo: You know, the comic books were a huge thing for me, and certain runs in particular. Moon Knight was a new character to me, so I started with an Omnibus that has some of the older ones. I started there and there was a couple of other runs that we really looked at.
I really loved seeing the different ways he’s changed over the years, Moon Knight has. The imagery can be very psychedelic and it can be very mind-bending and that kind of gave me the ability to just say; well, anything goes for us as long as it makes sense for the scripts. We can go crazy and we’re not beholden to a, quote, “real world” always. That was very exciting for me as a cinematographer.
What were your favourite scenes to work on?
Andrew Droz Palermo: I really liked the scene between Marc and Harrow in the office (at the end of Episode Four). When he first makes it into the mental hospital, it was just so fun to feel a shift in energy between those two, watching Ethan Hawke kind of change his character into this doctor was really fun.
Oscar is always incredible. He came on set one morning and you knew he was playing this kind of, the character that we hadn’t seen yet in Marc Spector where he was very confused and scared. He was just incredible that day and that was really fun for me to shoot.
What was the biggest challenge you faced during filming?
Andrew Droz Palermo: Well, there are a number of scenes that take place at night over many city blocks. In Episode Two, there was a big fight where Moon Knight is fighting a jackal that you can’t see, which then eventually moves on to the rooftops of London. The scale of that scene was just incredible.
You know, we were lighting up multiple city blocks and it was shot over many, many nights, including other units; the Second Unit led by another cinematographer Darren, collaborating with Darren and the stunt team. Making sure that it all felt cohesive was really hard and I’m really happy with how that sequence turned out. I love the stuff with Moon Knight running on the roof with the jackal chasing him.
Oscar Isaac as Steven Grant/Marc Spector in Marvel Studios’ MOON KNIGHT. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. ©Marvel Studios 2022. All Rights Reserved.


Here’s When The Overwatch 2 Beta Will Drop In Asia & How To Get In

Blizzard has announced the Overwatch 2 beta release times, which you can still sign up for right now on this link.
If you’re located in Southeast Asia, the Overwatch 2 beta will launch on 27 April 2am GMT+8 in Malaysia, Singapore, and The Philippines(17 hours from now). However, once launch hits, invites for the game will roll out, with more emails being sent out throughout the day. If you did not receive your invite on the day itself, Blizzard may send out further invites later during the test, which will last until 17 May (PST time).
However, if you need a guaranteed chance to get in, you can instead watch four hours of participating Twitch channels trying out the Overwatch 2 beta and get a beta key via the Overwatch 2 PvP Beta Twitch Drops campaign.
The Twitch streamings start at 27 April 1am GMT+8 to 9am GMT+8. Here’s the full list of streamers, including notable Overwatch players Geguri and Kephri.

6tan

A_Seagull
AAlBaqoni
AceofSpades
Ade
adepththebest
AlexiaRay
Alpha
Anaee
angelxoxo
Angrodtralari
AnneMunition
Aomdi
Arcang3lon
Arrge
Aryll
Asmongold
Aspen
August
Avast
AVRL
Bazzagazza
BeaPlays
Beaver
Beyaca

Bighead

Blizzholics
Blue
Briggsycakes
BroYouWack
Bruninho S07
Bus
CDNThe3rd
Ch1ckenkun
ChangSik
Cheomyeom
chipsa
ChristalRaine
Crayator
crendor
Crescent
cuppcaake
Custa
Daniel Fenner
Datto
Dexbonus
dianamonsters
Dohyeon
DominoJack
Deku

Dragoneddy

Dullachann
Dyrus
eajpark
echoflex
EeveeA
Electra
Ellohime
Emiliath
Emongg
Enyung
Eskay
Eviltoaster
Fareeha
FDGod_OW
Fefe
Fextralife
FindingKyKy
Fitzyhere
Flats
FroggerOW
Fuki
Gale Adelade
Gavi
Geguri

GetQuakedOn

Guru
Hal
Halo
Hammerkick
HighscoreHeroes
hoshimi
Hoshizora
iddqd
imaqtpie
itmeJP
Ivajpro
Izeef
Izgerte
Jake
Jaws
Jay3
JesseSMFI
Jinsei
Jotum
Joystick
kabaji
KarQ
KATIE
Kephrii

Kimjaewon

Kimtongsoo
Kragiee
KristenRae
Kruzadar
Kssarplayz
Lassiz
Last Chance
Leetaejun
LEGDAY
Leia
LemonKiwi
leveluplifting
Lice
linkzr
Lirik
LuLuLuvely
macro
manda_amsbt
Mangojai
Mars
mendo
Merciful
Metro
Mirage
MisSkywalker

ml7

Mr Yee
Namunlbo
Narullsbackyard
Neves
Niandra
nielnieh
Nitrao_
Noserino
Oasis
One_shot_gurl
Oputo
Overpowered
ovileemay
OWGrandma
Pandaren
Phyerx
PlayOverwatch
Pokelawls
Pokimane
Potxeca
Punkdll
QueenE
Restya
Rrmy
RubenSargasm

Runner

Ryujehong
Saebyeolbe
SaltyPhish
Samito
Sesuko
Shiphtur
Siomer
Sisime
Skiesti
Sleepy
Solmyr
Somjuu
Somnus
Sooshi
Star System
Strippin
Stylosa
Summerpie
Sunshinebread
supertf
surefour
SVB
SypherPK
ta1yo
TallNQuirky

Tekkudesu

Teko
Tex
TheDarkness
Themarinekr
thexboxlucio
Toniki
TQQ
Tyr0din
Vale
Violet
W_NTED
Warn
Woogying
Xargon
Xenofly
XQC
XQQ
YBT
Yeatle
YourOverwatch
Yuuie
Yznsa
Zardoide
ZRush

Keep in mind that you need to link your Battle.net account to your Twitch account to earn a beta drop. To redeem an Overwatch 2 PvP Beta drop, you must have an Overwatch license associated with your account.
Overwatch 2 PvP Beta System Requirements

Minimum (targeting 30fps):

Operating system: Windows® 7 / Windows® 8 / Windows® 10 64-bit (latest Service Pack)
Processor: Intel® Core™ i3 or AMD Phenom™ X3 8650
Video: NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 600 series, AMD Radeon™ HD 7000 series
Memory: 6 GB RAM
Storage: 50 GB available hard drive space

Recommended (targeting 60fps on medium settings):

Operating system: Windows® 10 64-bit (latest Service Pack)
Processor: Intel® Core™ i7 or AMD Ryzen™ 5
Video: NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 1060 or AMD R9 380
Memory: 8 GB RAM
Storage: 50 GB available hard drive space

For the best performance, please be sure to update to the latest drivers available for your graphics card. Due to potential changes, the system requirements for this game may change over time.


Overwatch League: Stage 1 Week 5 Preview

As we head into the final stretch of Stage 1 of the inaugural season of the Overwatch League,Â  we look back at the teams’ performances and what remain of their schedule in Stage 1. We are also going to analyze the relative difficulty of their remaining ties and how it affects their potential finish in the league along with each team’s chances of heading into Stage 1 Title Matches as well. Difficulty rating will be based on assumed strength of opponents + form. Each rating will be between 1 (easy) to 5 (hardest)
London Spitfire

vs Outlaws (Feb 9, 10am)
vs NYXL (Feb 11, 3am)

Difficulty Rating:Â  4/5
Projected Stage 1 Finish: 1st
Spitfire’s dismantling of Seoul Dynasty in Week 4 opened the road which sent them to the top of the league by win difference. They have a tough schedule in Week 5 and the match result vs NYXL will be the decider on which team emerge as winners of Stage 1 of the inaugural season of the Overwatch League.

New York Excelsior

vs Mayhem (Feb 9, 8am)
vs Spitfire (Feb 11, 3am)

Barring that shock result against Fusion in Week 3, we don’t see NYXL dropping the ball during the final stretch of Stage 1. With at least second place pretty much secured, the match against Mayhem is a perfect warm-up before they meet Spitfire in what will be the Stage 1 decider.
Difficulty Rating:Â  3/5
Projected Stage 1 Finish: 2nd

Seoul DynastyÂ

vs Valiant (Feb 8, 12pm)
vs Shock (Feb 10, 10am)

Their late season ‘collapse’ in the hands of NYXL and Spitfire may have sent some alarm bells ringing but these boys know how to bounce back from a bad patch. Expect them to bounce back and resume normal programming when they face Valiant and Shock.
Difficulty Rating:Â 2/5
Projected Stage 1 Finish: 3rd

Houston Outlaws

vs Spitfire (Feb 9, 10am)
vs Uprising (Feb 11, 5am)

A team on a hot streak, the Outlaws has risen to the heights expected of them during the pre-season following a rough start. Their match against Spitfire may be their toughest yet and following their loss to Dynasty last week, 3rd is pretty much out of the question. Plus, Uprising may pull a surprise considering their current form but regardless of the result, Outlaws will still finish Stage 1 as the best Western team in the tournament.
Difficulty Rating: 4/5
Projected Stage 1 Finish: 4th

Boston Uprising

vs FusionÂ (Feb 9, 6am)
vs OutlawsÂ (Feb 11, 5am)

Who would have thought that this rag tag team of relatively unknowns to turn out to be the surprise package of the season. They impressed everyone week-in, week-out and were impressive even in defeat. As mentioned by Dreamkazper during an interview with Soe, their element of surprise and the fact that other teams underestimating them may have played a part in their string of positive results but don’t let his humility overshadow the fact that these kids are pretty good. They have a very interesting week up ahead as they face two other teams also vying for that ‘Best of the West’ title, which is currently held by Houston Outlaws.
Difficulty Rating: 4/5
Projected Stage 1 Finish: 5th

LA Valiant

vs DynastyÂ (Feb 8, 12pm)
vs Dragons (Feb 10, 12pm)

The better of the Los Angeles-based teams, the Valiant are perfect examples of a team that although they have not done anything bad or performed poorly, haven’t achieved anything noteworthy as well. They won in matches they were expected to win, and toeing the script, lose when they are expected to. Their loss to Boston was indeed a surprising one albeit not totally unexpected. Uninspiring in their recent wins, we foresee the Valiant occupying the middle of the pack come end of Stage 2 and possibly even lose out on a playoff spot come end of the season.
Difficulty Rating: 3/5
Projected Stage 1 Finish: 6th

Philadelphia Fusion

vs Uprising (Feb 9, 6am)
vs Mayhem (Feb 11, 7am)

The Fusion’s biggest enemy is their inconsistencies throughout. They managed huge wins against the likes of Outlaws and NYXL but struggle when playing against weaker teams such the Dragons, and even lose in five sets against the Gladiators. Their inability to take their chances against weaker teams will consign them to mediocrity for the rest of the season, regardless of the sporadic big wins over top-tier ones.
Difficulty Rating: 3/5
Projected Stage 1 Finish: 7th

San Francisco Shock

vs Gladiators (Feb 8, 10am)
vs Dynasty (Feb 10, 10am)

The Shock have a favorable start to Week 5 as they face the Gladiators which *should* guarantee a win and secure them 8th place in the league. They then face Dynasty who are definitely on the path to recovery following their losses to NYXL and Spitfire. A team in desperate need of a beef up in the personnel department.
Difficulty Rating: 4/5
Projected Stage 1 Finish: 8th

Dallas FuelÂ

vs Dragons (Feb 8, 8am)
vs Gladiators (Feb 10, 8am)

The Stage 1 schedule hasn’t been kind to the Dallas Fuel but hopefully it will change, starting with this week’s two totally winnable matches. The Dragons are currently the weakest team in the league and the Gladiators are definitely beatable considering their current form. Two wins will propel them off the foot of the table and should send them to as high as 9th in the standings. A small consolation following a disastrous Stage 1.
Difficulty Rating: 2/5
Projected Stage 1 Finish: 9th

Los Angeles GladiatorsÂ

vs Shock (Feb 8, 10am)
vs Fuel (Feb 10, 8am)

The big match this week is surely against the Shock, as it will determine which team finishes 8th at the close of Stage 1. After a strong start to the season, the Gladiators, expectedly dropped out of the Top-6 and now occupy the lower third of the league standings. Their over-reliance on Surefour is starting to bite them back as once he’s contained, the team appears to be powerless to avoid defeat. A potential loss to the Fuel may send them to 10th as well. Additions to the DPS department would definitely help in adding variety to their tactics and we expect some movement during the break.
Difficulty Rating: 4/5
Projected Stage 1 Finish: 10th

Florida Mayhem

vs NYXL (Feb 9, 8am)
vs Fusion (Feb 11, 7am)

We don’t see Florida Mayhem leaving the 11th spot come end of the week, and we definitely do not see them winning any of their matches either. Another team that’s been figured out by the rest of the league and unless they do anything to address this issue during the break, will find themselves contesting for the 12th spot with Shanghai Dragons who are rapidly improving by the week.
Difficulty Rating: 5/5
Projected Stage 1 Finish: 11th

Shanghai DragonsÂ

vs Fuel (Feb 8, 8am)
vs Valiant (Feb 10, 12pm)

No other team in the league is happier to see the end of Stage 1 than the Shanghai Dragons. Aiming to put the disastrous Stage 1 campaign behind them as soon as possible, the Dragons would be wise to treat their final two matches as avenues to experiment their approaches and strats rather than using their tried, tested and proven to fail approaches.
Difficulty Rating: 5/5
Projected Stage 1 Finish: 12th

So here’s a quick recap of Week 5 matches. Time listed are according to local, Malaysia/ Singapore/ Hong Kong times.

Stage 2 of the Overwatch League Inaugural Season resume February 22nd.


Humankind Together We Rule Adds More Meat To The Base Game

Platforms: PC via Steam and Epic Games Store
Genre: Strategy, 4X, Historical
Humankind Together We Rule is the first major expansion for Amplitude Studios’ 4X historical strategy game since the base game was originally launched back in 2020. The main objective of this new expansion is to give players more options regarding diplomacy and espionage. Does it do a good job in bringing more meaningful additions to the table?
Building An Empire

The first new mechanic is the Congress Of Humankind, which allows players to vote and decide on global doctrines and arbitrate international conflicts together. How much influence you have depends on how many of the new Leverage points you have. The new Diplomatic Affinity mechanic allows cultures to have a more active role in the world’s diplomacy. Their Active Ability allows them to demilitarize a territory for 10 turns, while their Passive Ability allows all their units, beyond just agents, to collect Leverage. This Affinity also introduces a new way to gain Fame, Diplomatic Stars, earned by collecting Leverage points during each era.
In addition, there is a new Embassy Quarter, which can be used to deepen ties and sign agreements. It can also grant the ability to use Leverage points to force an empire to take specific actions to your benefit. These include a new set of potential agreements, such as signing an arms deal to get access to your partner’s units; contributing to building another faction’s wonders in return for leverage, influence, or money, and more.

Another new system is the introduction of new Agent units, which allows you to infiltrate, sabotage and disinform other empires. There are three units in the Agent family, including the Envoy who can move freely on the map without diplomatic restrictions, as well as collect Leverage and influence Independent People. Meanwhile, the Spy focuses on infiltration and the Spymaster has access to two additional sabotage actions. The Humankind Together We Rule expansion also adds other new content, such as new Wonders, new Independent Peoples, new Narrative Events and even new in-game music tracks by composer Arnaud Ray.
As someone who’s not really familiar with the 4X genre (I play mostly real-time strategy titles like Total War or tactical ones like XCOM), Humankind was easy enough to jump into in the beginning. That’s because the game offers an option for those new to the genre. I chose that option and the game basically gave me tips and advice as I played the game, which is a relief since I didn’t have to waste time on boring tutorials. Players can just learn as they’re playing the game.
As a history buff, it was fun to experiment with adding elements of various real historical cultures and civilizations like the Egyptians with the Sumerians or the Romans and the Vikings, and so forth. I still prefer something more fixed to specific eras like Age Of Empires and Total War, but Humankind does offer a more sandbox experience that can be enjoyable for fans of history.
Age Of Humanity

Just like the Sid Meier’s Civilization games, there are a lot of layers to Humankind. With the Together We Rule expansion, you could potentially spend hundreds of hours in this game, which is the hallmark of a good strategy game.
FINAL SCORE: 70/100
Humankind Together We Rule was reviewed on a PC based on a review copy provided by Sega. It is now available on Steam and the Epic Games Store.


A Hatsune Miku Game Just Surprise-Launched Onto The PC

Sega has released a PC port of Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA Mega Mix+ on Steam, available for purchase right now. Yes, the same rhythm game featuring vocaloid Hatsune Miku and the old “press buttons and flying inputs in accordance to the beat” mechanic you know and love.
The PC version costs US$39.99/RM149 and has over 170 songs with two visual modes. If you want the VIP bundle, you have to pay a total of US$59.99 which features additional songs and cosmetics.
The game first launched on Switch on 13 February 2020. Key features include:

Over 170 Songs – Project DIVA debuts on PC with over 170 songs and music videos. Get into classics like “Melt” and “Cendrillon” plus new favorites like “Catch The Wave”!
Endless Customization – Dress Miku and friends from head to toe in over 500 dazzling hairstyles, costumes and accessories.
Two Visual Style Options – Freely switch between two visual graphic styles for different experiences. Enjoy the pop of the “Mega Mix” style or the gloss of the high-fidelity “Future Tone” style.
Multitude of Modes – Explore additional modes! Curate a playlist to perfection with the Custom Playlist feature, hone your technique in Practice Mode, or design a totally custom top for Miku in the T-Shirt Editor.
Play Your Way – Configure button inputs to harmonize with your playstyle and accessibility preferences as supported by Steam-compatible controllers.


Apex Legends Celebrates Two-Year Anniversary With Mozambique-Focused LTM

Apex Legends is officially two years old this month after launching in February 2019. From 9 February to 23 February 2021, Respawn Entertainment is celebrating the anniversary with a special Anniversary Collection Event.
Players can jump in for free rewards, a special Collection Event featuring the return of fan-favourite looks, and the return of Locked and Loaded as a playlist Takeover.
Anniversary Rewards

As part of the Anniversary Collection Event, Apex Legends is loading up the Reward Track with 22 earnable items, including two Event Packs and ten Apex Packs.
Players will also receive five awards (three matching stat trackers for Bangalore, an Apex Pack, and an event badge) just for logging in for the first time.
Locked And Loaded Takeover
Another Takeover is hitting the normal Play Apex playlist. In â€œLocked and Loadedâ€, hit the ground with a full loadout of level 1 gear. Youâ€™ll have a Mozambique, White Shotgun Bolt, HCOG Classic Scope, White Evo Shield, White Helmet, White Backpack, White Knockdown Shield, two Syringes, two Shield Cells, and one stack of shotgun ammo.
All Common/White level attachments and equipment will also be removed from the loot pool (outside of Common scopes) during the takeover.
Seasonal Challenges
Players can also look forward to earning new badges.

Get the â€œDaily Discoveryâ€ Nessie Badge by completing 75 Daily Challenges.
â€œRespect your eldersâ€ and earn the Mozambique Badge by dealing 102,816 Damage.
Earn â€œTime to Win and Stay Aliveâ€ with 8 different Legends to get the Smolfinder Badge.

Also, players can snag the â€œMozambique Hereâ€ Weapon Charm by dealing 3,333 Damage with everyoneâ€™s favourite weapon to ping, Mozambique. The Locked and Loaded takeover may help with this one.
Anniversary Collection Event
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Apex Legends is bringing back 24 fan-favourite items and giving them a fresh look with crimson red and gold touches. Unlocking all items in the Collection Event will earn you 150 heirloom shards, so you can unlock any heirloom you want. And to make it a little bit easier to get there, for this one time only, the crafting cost for all items in the Collection Event has been reduced by 50 percent.
Check out the Anniversary event bundles featuring the new content:

If players earn Event Packs from the Reward Track after theyâ€™ve already unlocked everything in the Collection Event, those packs are still good. Theyâ€™ll simply grant 700 Apex Coins instead (their purchase cost).


[Report] NeXt Xbox Console To Come In Two Flavours

Previously during the week of E3 2018, Microsoft and Xbox have mentioned that they are hard at work building the next Xbox consoles. Turns out the plural aspects are on the mark, according to insider Brad Sams.
Here’s what we know; take it all with a grain of salt while you’re at it:

Microsoft is building a traditional console together with another console that is “lower-powered” and is designed for game streaming.
The streaming service that will be the main basis of the second console is called Scarlett Cloud. Microsoft showed off a demo game streaming during one of its all-hands meeting back in 2013.
While the cloud console will have a limited amount of power for controller inputs, image processing, and collision detection, it will cost significantly less than next-gen console prices at launch. We’re looking at US$125 or less, and will come with a hard drive that will deal with the aforementioned latency issues
Microsoft’s main challenge for the latter console is figuring out how to handle the latency sensitive aspects of gaming and streaming.
The consoles will launch at the same time, presumably in 2020.
All next-gen Scarlettgames will run on both consoles, so there’s none of that “first-class citizen” stigma that comes with this sort of tech.

Our Take On This
With Xbox’s Game Pass going on steadily with a bunch of new titles still being added in over time while its Xbox One exclusives are still due for 2019, we think Xbox’s future-proofing plans sound solid and on point with their current gaming service direction. Of course, this could mean that the titles announced last June, at least the ones without a release year, might be exclusively for the Scarlett line. Hope you like waiting, Xbox fans.


Crimson Star Is A New Singaporean Sci-Fi Comic Book On Kickstarter

The Southeast Asian comic book scene is rapidly growing and Crimson Star is just further proof of that. This Kickstarter project is for a 77-page and fully-illustrated comic book/graphic novel with amazing art by Singaporean artist Tasha Leah Santiago.
The story in Crimson Star: Book One is set in the late ’80s and follows Singaporean journalist Fandi in the early years of his budding career in New York, witnessing and reporting a phenomenon still alien to him: the advent of superhero crime fighting! While superheroes have soared across the clouds for a good six decades in this world, Fandi’s homeland of Singapore has had the fortune of being free of super-powered encounters in this period.
You can head on over here to support or back the project.
In the meantime, check out some of the characters and art from the comic below, as well as a special cover variant art by Malaysian artist Zehe:


Go Wild in Wild Rift Patch 4.1: High Five

League of Legends: Wild Rift Patch 4.1: High Five introduces two new champions, changes for tanks, brand new skins (We love new skins!) and of course events!
For Wild Pass Season 9, we’ve got a new hero to save the day… or wreck it. Superhero Vi swoops in at the end of the Wild Pass, complete with flaming gauntlets and a cool secret identity. For an even punchier new look, grab her Ascended skin from the Wild Pass Emporium.
CHAMPIONS

Urgot, the Dreadnought, is a monstrous mix of man and machine, who destroys the weak in the top lane with a mix of busted-up Zaun tech and good old brute force.

Twitch, the Plague Rat, is a marksman whose attacks apply poison with every hit and has the ability to go under camouflage, so get ready to be super-sneaky. With Twitch by your side, you’ll delete your enemies before they can say “Cheese!”

GAMEPLAY (ITEMS)
In the last patch, there were a few item reworks to improve the tank experience. Adding to that, there will be brand new options introduced that will really shake up how players approach the role and the decisions they have to make. Players will also see some changes to existing items as well.

Amaranth Twinguard grants stacks of Endurance while the player is in combat with enemy champions. At maximum stacks, they’ll gain size, tenacity, armour, and magic resistance. These bonuses last until you exit combat. Similar to Rabadon’s deathcap for tanks, Amaranth Twinguard is a late-game finishing touch that grants power.

Mantle of the Twelfth Hour offers a lifeline for when the player is tanking a ton of damage. When the player’s health would be reduced below a certain level, they’ll heal for part of their bonus health, plus gain slow resistance and move speed. This is a great pick for champions that rely on being super hard to kill to protect their team, like Sion or Singed. With this item, they’ll be able to create space for their carries a bit more effectively.

Searing Crown is a new burn damage item where the player’s attacks or abilities will burn their targets for a few seconds, dealing damage based on the enemy’s max health. Searing Crown can stack with Sunfire Cap, allowing for a double up on the flames.

Abyssal Mask is being adjusted to be viable on more than one champion (Amumu currently). Specifically, through changes to its passive. Now, when the player takes magic damage, they’ll store a part of it. The stored-up charge will explode, dealing magic damage in a small area, when the player immobilizes an enemy.
Force of Nature is also getting a new passive. Starting this patch, taking ability damage will grant stacks of Steadfast. At max stacks, the player will gain move speed and reduce all incoming magic damage. Stack duration is refreshed when the player damages champions, allowing them to be able to hold their own in fights for longer.
Finally, Thornmail, Sunfire Cape, and Bramble Vest will get some small stat adjustments. Exact numbers will be made available in the Patch Notes.

QUALITY OF LIFE CHANGES
Patch 4.1 will see a change to how account levelling works. Hitting level 40 is meant to be an important milestone for the player, and it seems like many players have achieved just that over the last year. The patch, Riot intends to provide additional ways for players to feel like their time is worth investing in Wild Rift.
Once a player hits level 40 now, they will unlock a “prestige” level system, in which additional levels will give them “stars” that are showcased in their profile and other visible areas. As a player keeps levelling up, all their stars will show off their growth. Riot is looking for more ways to add rewards to this system later.
RANKED

THE RANKED SEASON HAS ARRIVED! This season, we get to explore the marvellous new seas with Glorious Armada Twisted Fate. With no shortage of warships and wild ideas at his disposal, there’s nothing that can keep this captain from greatness. So anchors aweigh! Set sail into ranked games to collect him from the Season Rewards tab. And fly some new colours with his Weapon Augment Upgrade in the Ranked Store.
There will also be changes for the highest tiers of Ranked. Starting this season, promotion to Grandmaster will require 40 marks. That means the number of marks required to be in that tier will stay the same throughout the season, rather than changing based on the top percent of players in a server. Additionally, promotion to Challenger will need at least 60 marks, up from 40 in previous seasons. To be in this tier, players will have to be one of the top players of their server as usual.
EVENTS
PATCH 4.1 brings in the following events:

Urgot’s Trivia: Complete missions to unlock trivia questions and test your knowledge of Runeterra
Card Trick Chaos: An absolutely wacky event that features Jinx “helping” the player navigate an unusual event filled with difficult missions
Twitch’s Ambush: A satisfying starter pack event for all Twitch players, both new and old

SKINS
Not forgetting some of the many skins coming with this patch.

NOVA Morgana
NOVA Lee Sin
NOVA Lucian
NOVA Nasus
NOVA Riven

High Noon Urgot

Arcade Ezreal

Battle Boss Brand

Birdio Galio

Final Boss Veigar

Cosmic Lux

Dark Cosmic Lux

Omega Squad Twitch

Dawnbringer Karma

Dawnbringer Yone

Nightbringer Lillia


You Can Score Three Free Games On The Epic Games Store This Week

The Epic Games Store has once again refreshed its weekly free games, available from now until 24 September 2020 to redeem and keep forever. This time around theyâ€™re feeling extra generous and offering three new games for free.
The free games for this week include Football Manager 2020, Stick It To The Man and Watch Dogs 2.

? FREE THIS WEEK ?Create the future in Football Manager 2020. Read minds and change the world, one sticker at a time in Stick It To The Man! Two excellent games, free to claim now on the Epic Games Store and yours to keep: https://t.co/mqSSRoz26l pic.twitter.com/U3ToKYcNpQ— Epic Games Store (@EpicGames) September 17, 2020

You can head on over to the Epic Games Store now to claim them.
Football Manager 2020

Developed by Sports Interactive and published by Sega, Football Manager 2020 is a football management sim that initially launched for in November 2019 for the PC (via Steam), Nintendo Switch, Android (Google Play Store), iOS (Apple App Store), and even Google Stadia for the first time ever.
Stick It To The Man!

Originally released in 2013, Stick it to the Man sees “Hard hat tester, Ray, [have] a bizarre accident and wakes up with a giant pink spaghetti arm sticking out of his brain! With his awesome new powers he can read minds and change the world with stickers but heâ€™s on the run for a crime he didnâ€™t commit”.
Watch Dogs 2

With the upcoming Watch Dogs Legion coming out soon, this is a timely offering. Watch Dogs Legion is slated to release for Xbox Series X, Xbox One, PS5, PS4, PC and Stadia on 29 October 2020.
All of this weekâ€™s free games will be available to redeem from now until 8am PT on 24 September 2020 or 11pm GMT+8 on 24 September 2020 for Southeast Asian countries like Malaysia.


Granblue Fantasy: Versus Is Skybound For PC; No Crossplay Included

In probably what could be one of fighting game’s most ninja-like sneak announcement, Arc System Works and Cygames made a small tweet about its current major fighting game coming to PC.

??????PS4®????RPG?GBVS???PC????????????Steam???????????????????2020?3?14?(?)??????????????????? ?  https://t.co/vikTVwL9yy?Steam?????????????????????????PS4®??????????? pic.twitter.com/5QXGDaNwuT
— ???????????? ????? (@gbvs_official) February 27, 2020

Granblue Fantasy: Versus will be out on PC via Steam on 13th March. The game will have all of its features from the PS4 version: the same RPG mode, the current roster, and so forth. Unfortunately, this version won’t feature crossplay with the PS4 version of the game. A shame, really, since this may bridge both players with different platforms like how SF5 did.
On the plus side, here’s a trailer showcasing new character Narmaya. She’ll be out 3rd March, bringing her bag of samurai sword techniques and mixup tricks to the table.


Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Will Bring In Byleth From Fire Emblem: Three Houses

Nintendo reveals its latest Super Smash Bros. Ultimate DLC character: Byleth from the award-winning Fire Emblem: Three Houses. Both the male and female version of the professor, FYI.

So what’s cool about Byleth?

He/she can use either one of the Creator’s relics (ie the superweapons in Fire Emblem: Three Houses): the Sword of the Creator, the Areadbhar spear, the Aymr axe, and the Failnaught bow.
The relics correspond to the directional input that goes with your attack input. Up + attack is the Sword, forward + attack is the Areadbhar, down + attack is the Aymr, and neutral + attack is the bow.
Byleth is a ranged demon when it comes to spacing and zoning, but their throw range and movement speed are below average.
Byleth seems to have a LOT of cooldown for their powerful moves be it the Areadbhar attacks or the Failnaught full charge. So you may want to mix it up when fighting against the counter-savvy Fire Emblem characters.

This new character will be out on 28th January as a US$5.99 Challenger Pack 5 DLC. Check out the full video of the stream right after these screenshots.


ROG Creates Unique Concept Gaming Laptop For Pro Skateboarder Nyjah Huston

ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) has announced a unique concept gaming laptop created exclusively for world champion professional skateboarder Nyjah Huston.
The ROG Strix Nyjah Huston Special Edition concept gaming laptop is based on the acclaimed ROG Strix SCAR series, the leading laptops built for professional esports players. The concept introduces new design explorations at the intersection of the esports and skateboarding cultures.
Developing this concept for Nyjah Huston allowed ROG to explore novel ways to enhance the experience of ROG gaming laptops, paving the way for new design thinking and future innovations.
Nyjah Huston x ROG

Nyjah Huston said:
â€œASUS makes such great laptops, I am hyped to be working with them.
I have a bunch of friends who are into esports and they all told me ASUS is the best, so it was easy decision for me to partner with ROG.â€
Born in California, Nyjah Huston began skateboarding at age five and quickly became a household name in professional skateboarding. He is now the top-ranked athlete in Street League Skateboarding and has earned 19 X Games medals since 2009, including 13 golds.
This year, Huston is in line to represent the United States at the 2021 Olympic Summer Games in Tokyo, Japan. He also has a long history in gaming, having been featured in multiple popular skateboarding games.
Based on the ROG Strix SCAR series
To develop a concept gaming laptop for Huston, ROG started with the ROG Strix SCAR series as a foundation. The Strix SCAR series is engineered from the ground up to give esports players an uncompromising experience in competitive tournaments. The laptops incorporate ultra-high-refresh displays, including the worldâ€™s fastest laptop display on the Strix SCAR 17, which boasts a 360Hz refresh rate and 3ms response time.
Those panels are backed by powerful NVIDIA GeForce RTX 30 Series GPUs and AMD Ryzen 5000-Series Mobile Processors, advanced cooling technology with liquid metal, ultra-responsive optical-mechanical keyboards, and bold designs inspired by athletic gear.
The experience of the ROG Strix Nyjah Huston Special Edition starts with unique, customized packaging. The box doubles as a skate park for fingerboards and two fingerboards are included with the laptop.
â€œThe one-of-a-kind laptop ASUS made for me is so sick and unique, I was hyped when I unboxed it,â€ said Huston. â€œI have never seen another laptop like it. I will use it all the time for skate part edits and running my businesses.â€
The ROG Strix Nyjah Huston Special Edition elevates the athletic Strix SCAR design by introducing elements that celebrate Hustonâ€™s brand and skateboarding culture. As city exploration is an integral part of street skateboarding, ROG also incorporated elements reminiscent of a cityâ€™s concrete structures into the design.
Hustonâ€™s logo is the centrepiece of the display lid. Designed to evoke the look and feel of a skate park, the logo is three-dimensional and has a textured finish. A â€œkatana cutâ€ RGB slash lights up behind it, complementing the illuminated ROG logo, while hidden accents are revealed with the included UV flashlight. A mesh-like, stainless steel version of the Strix SCAR seriesâ€™ modular Armor Cap decorates the rear-left corner of the machine, while a stainless-steel piece replaces one of the rubber anchors on the base, making the system easier to reposition with one hand.
Smoky translucent surfaces define the keyboard deck and the underside of the laptop, providing a glimpse at the hardware inside. These surfaces were inspired by the use of X-rays to check for broken bones after big falls in pro skateboarding. The optical-mechanical keyboard has received a unique treatment, starting with a custom font that also appears in inscriptions across the chassis. Its number keys tally scars from skateboarding practice, with the skull on the 0 key representing rebirth. ROG designers adjusted the level of transparency of the keycaps to allow for a circular backlighting effect on each key. And the numlock button on the touchpad was replaced with Hustonâ€™s logo.
The design was also inspired by Hustonâ€™s motto and attitude. His motto, â€œâ€™Til Death,â€ articulates his desire to brave obstacles and continue skateboarding as long as he can, while his attitude, â€œMind over Matter,â€ allows him to brave and overcome challenges in the pursuit of perfection.
ROG also bundled the laptop with more unique accessories. A custom version of the ROG Strix Impact II mouse features a unique skull pattern printed on the top and carved into the sides, and it comes in a specially designed bag embroidered with a skull pattern and Hustonâ€™s motto. The embroidery is meant to evoke the scars that skateboarders earn like badges of honour. Also included in the packaging are a custom desk mat with an LED light strip that illuminates its edges, and a dual-mode UV flashlight that can be used to find the easter eggs on the laptop.
Availability
The ROG Strix Nyjah Huston Special Edition gaming laptop is a design concept created exclusively for Nyjah Huston and will not be available commercially.
However, ROG has released a custom Nyjah Huston wallpaper and a Nyjah Huston Instagram filter, which are available now from here. ROG fans are also encouraged to share their thoughts on the design concept by reaching out to ROG on social media.
This concept laptop is based on the ROG Strix SCAR series gaming laptops, which are available now.


Here Are Some Interesting Stats Regarding Malaysian Gamers’ Spending Habit Last Year

The latest report from gaming statistician gurus Newzoo have revealed that in 2019, Malaysiaâ€™s 20.1 million gamers spent an impressive $673 million (RM2.7 million). This makes the country – in terms of absolute revenues – one of the most lucrative markets in the SEA region.
The research also revealed that, unsurprisingly, mobile gaming as the most popular platform for gaming with the following breakdown:

75% play games on mobile;
66% play games on PC; and
55% play on console.

However, we believe this data should be taken with a pinch of salt. While it does give a broad impression on the acceptance of video games in Malaysia, we should not take this pure representation of the country’s gaming climate. We will get back to that part later in this piece.

Still, an encouraging takeaway is the relatively high percentage of females who partake in video games, with as high as 70% of its female urban respondents have played video games on mobile. Interesting enough, you are more likely to bump into a female PC gamer than you are to encounter a female console gamer.
These numbers do add up considering that PC seems to be the more popular platform in Malaysia compared to home consoles.

Malaysians also tend to spend on in-game items, with a whopping 87% of the respondents admitting to having spent real money on items, with in-game power-ups being the most frequently purchased item.
The popularity of mobile games such as Candy Crush Saga (played by 50% of respondents) and Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (36%) contributed to this ridiculously high number of mobile game players. The zero-entry fee to access these games makes them attractive to mid to low-income earners as well as young adults.

While the latter group does not possess the spending power for big purchases such as the PS4 or Nintendo Switch, they have no qualms in spending for these relatively cheaper digital items which compound and add up over time.

Lastly, while esports has been the buzzword in the Malaysian gaming scene for a while now, online video content creators and broadcasters would be discouraged to find out that only (61%) of Malaysiaâ€™s urban online population watch gaming video content. To make it even more perplexing, the report stated that “7% watch game content regularly but play games less than once per month”. If you didn’t get that last sentence, neither do we.

Anyways, that’s all we’ve got from NewZoo’s recent summary of the Malaysian gamers’ spending habit in 2019. We’ll share more similar-ish info when we have them.


Ubisoft Will Be Developing Blockchain Games & NFTs

In the latest industry news that may make you go “WTF”, Ubisoft will be planning to make blockchain games and non-fungible tokens (NFTs).
According to an International Business Times article, the company will integrate blockchain technology into its future games, while also employing play-to-earn techniques that allow players to earn “money” from playing Ubisoft titles. Here’s a quote from Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot.
“As you see, this industry is changing regularly with lots of new revolutions happening. We consider blockchain one of those revolutions. It will imply more play-to-earn that will enable more players to actually earn content, own content, and we think itâ€™s going to grow the industry quite a lot. So we have been working with lots of small companies going on the blockchain, and weâ€™re starting to have a good know-how on how we can impact the industry. We want to be one of the key players there.”
Are They Seriously Doing This?
It seems likely, as long as it involves money-making for a company on a possible grand scale. Ubisoft stated that it has been looking into blockchain for years, since 2018 via its Strategic Innovation Lab division.
Google search blockchain/cryptocurrency and NFTs and you’ll see a lot of articles weighing the good and (mostly) bad side of it. To be fair, blockchain tech has been established for quite a long number of years, since 2008. It has made a number of folks in the business rich time and again, though a majority of these groups and companies may seem dubious due to them just jumping on the bandwagon without any clear understanding of the concept.

As for NFTs? That new form of “goods” on a digital ledger can be summed up as “pretty expensive JPEGs that could be of someone else’s original artworks”. NFTs are also partly responsible for ongoing planet damage due to millions of carbon dioxide generated from mining this, as well as for cryptocurrencies.
On a related note, big-time video game publisher and distributor Valve have removed blockchain and NFTs on Steam. However, companies like Epic Games and Gamescom (via Gamescom Asia) are open about the idea, though Epic Games’ CEO said that NFTs is “tangled up with an interactable mix of scams”.

Time will tell how this will go. I’ll say this: Ubisoft basically owns all the artwork and assets of all of its big and small titles, so it has a huge portfolio to make NFTs out of legally, like it or not.


Overwatch League: Team Houston Reveals Official Name, Roster and a Kick-Ass Logo

Step aside Seoul Dynasty. The coolest name and logo combo in the Overwatch League now belongs to the Houston Outlaws. Owned byÂ OpTic Gaming, the official press release read “The team name references this rebellious streak, and the star, longhorn skull, and twin revolvers in the team logo are also emblematic of the Lone Star State.”

It adds “Last but not least, the green in the team’s colors is a signature shade for Outlaws parent organization OpTic Gaming, whose rabid fans are collectively known as “the Green Wall.” Not our favorite colors but we feel this color scheme on McCree could grow on us.
â€œIâ€™m incredibly excited to finally be able to reveal this roster, and I could not be prouder of the final result,â€ said Outlaws General Manager Matt Rodriguez. â€œEvery player has such a distinct personality, and all of them are pumped to be able to call each other teammates. The mindset and the attitude of the team have been inspiring thus far, and we will continue developing and promoting a winning mentality throughout the inaugural season of the Overwatch League and beyond for the city of Houston.â€
Also revealed were the full team roster which include former FaZe Clan flex/ support,ShaneÂ “Rawkus”Â Flaherty; former Luminosity Gaming DPSÂ JakeÂ “JAKE”Â Lyon and former FNRGFE flex player, MattÂ “coolmatt69”Â Iorio – all who will be representing the United States in the upcoming Overwatch World Cup. Another interesting fact is that the team will be coached by 2016 Overwatch World Cup winner, TaiRong.

With player registrations for Overwatch League now closed, expect to see more reveals in the upcoming days. To date, eight teams have confirmed their names, roster list as well as team logo. Check it out:

				Houston Outlaws

				New York Excelsior

				Seoul Dynasty

				Boston Uprising

				Los Angeles Valiant (Immortals)

				San Francisco Shock (NRG)

				Dallas Fuel (EnVyUs)

				Shanghai Dragons

Which team will you be supporting? Tell us in the comments section below!


The Xbox Lead Responsible For Achievements & Game Pass Leaves Microsoft After 20 Years

It’s a sad day for Xbox and Microsoft fans as a renowned lead is leaving the company after nearly 20 years of service.
Microsoft head of Xbox research and design Chris Novak will be leaving the company after serving for nearly 2 decades. For those who don’t know, Chris Novak is responsible for leading the creative division of Xbox and Microsoft, from the Xbox achievements system to the Xbox/PC Game Pass service. Both these landmark creations have influenced video games and culture in a very huge way. Think about it: without Xbox achievements, there wouldn’t be PlayStation trophies, right?
Other achievements from Chris Novak include:

The design architect on Xbox One,
Design director credits from Project Gotham Racing 2 to Quantum Break
Spearheaded the Xbox Cloud Gaming initiative

Here is Chris Novak’s goodbye message on LinkedIn.
“I have loved my time with Xbox. Building end-to-end experiences for gamers is a privilege. There are very few things one gets to work on in life which evoke such passion in people around the world.”


Netflix’s Avatar The Last Airbender Finds Its Azula, Avatar Kyoshi & More

Earlier this year, Netflix announced the main cast of its upcoming live-action Avatar The Last Airbender series. Now, they have revealed more of the cast, especially the female characters.
Elizabeth Yu (All My Love), plays Azula, the daughter of Fire Lord Ozai and sister to Zuko. Sheâ€™s a fire-bending prodigy and relentless perfectionist who will stop at nothing to secure her position as the heir to the throne.

Maria Zhang will play Suki, the leader of an elite female fighting force known as the Kyoshi Warriors.

Yvonne Chapman (Family Law) will play the legendary warrior Avatar Kyoshi, revered for her bravery, fearsome fighting skills and uncompromising dedication to the cause of justice.

Tamlyn Tomita (Cobra Kai) will play Sukiâ€™s mother Yukari, the fiercely protective mayor of Kyoshi Island.

Casey Camp-Horinek (Reservation Dogs) will play Gran Gran, the compassionate matriarch of the Southern Water Tribe and Katara and Sokkaâ€™s grandmother.

They join the previously announced cast members playing Aang (Gordon Cormier), Katara (Kiawentiio), Sokka (Ian Ousley), Zuko (Dallas Liu), Fire Lord Ozai (Daniel Dae Kim), Uncle Iroh (Paul Sun-Hyung Lee), Commander Zhao (Ken Leung) and monk Gyatso (Lim Kay Siu).
The showrunner for Avatar The Last AirbenderÂ isÂ Albert KimÂ (Sleepy Hollow,Â Nikita). The showâ€™s executive producers includeÂ Dan LinÂ (The Lego Movie),Â Lindsey LiberatoreÂ (CWâ€™sÂ Walker), andÂ Michael GoiÂ (Swamp Thing).
Goi,Â Jabbar RaisaniÂ (Lost In Space), andÂ Roseanne LiangÂ (Shadow In The Cloud) will direct the series, with Liang also serving as a co-executive producer. Itâ€™s important to note that the original creators ofÂ Avatar The Last AirbenderÂ animated series, Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, had already left the projectÂ since last year.
There is still no release date or release window for theÂ Avatar The Last Airbender series because it’s still filming in Vancouver, Canada.


These Are The PlayStation 5 Features That We Want To See

Now that we finally know how much time we have to save up for the PlayStation 5, what’s left is to list down the features make it worth our money. Before I start sharing my feature wishlist, let’s take a look at what we already know:
According to Wired, these are the details confirmed by PlayStation themselves:

PS5â€™s GPU hardware includes ray-tracing acceleration.
Physical PS5 games will use 100GB optical disks.
The PS5 will have a 4K Bluray player and SSD.
The PS5 will include the ability to selectively install (or delete) parts of a game, like only the multiplayer or singleplayer portion.
The PS5 will feature a revamped UI.
Information about what missions you could do and what rewards you might receive for completing them in singleplayer, or available set of multiplayer activities you can join in real-time, will be visible in the PS5 UI.
The prototype Dualshock 5 controller looks very similar in design to the Dualshock 4, with the exception of a little hole with an as-of-yet unrevealed function.
The Dualshock 5 uses a USB Type-C connector port for charging (and wired playing).
The Dualshock 5 has a larger battery and is heavier than the Dualshock 4.

If you ask me, the above is already an impressive list but it doesn’t really convince me that it’s a console I want to get on day one. If you’re one of those enthusiasts who want to be the first to own new tech, there are a few good reasons for you to hold back on getting PS5 on day one.
Judging by the hardware its packing under hood, I’m anticipating the PS5 to be launched with a US$499 (~RM2100) price tag. I assume that PS5’s main rival, Project Scarlett, will also be sold at a similar price point. You can’t exactly get a powerful gaming PC with just US$499 but for PC gamers who already have a computer, it’s an amount that could be used for significant upgrades.
So, what would make the PS5 the best choice when compared to Project Scarlett or a PC upgrade? Well, here’s a list of features that I want to see in the upcoming PlayStation console:
1. Backwards Compatibility With Graphical And Performance Boost
Imagine God of War in 4K 60fps. Now that’s a next-gen experience.
Earlier this year, Sony has confirmed that the PS5 will have backwards compatibility. Sweetening the deal further, it will even allow PS4 and PS5 players to play together in multiplayer. This means that players who are stuck with a PS4 can still play with their friends who have transitioned into the next generation.
What about players who don’t really care about multiplayer? If the PS5 doesn’t launch with a strong lineup of games, then we’ll be stuck replaying our favourite PS4 exclusives (thankfully, there’s a lot of em’). The thing is, the PS4 Pro already does this so what can the PS5 do better?

The PS4 Pro’s ability to “improve” games by either increasing the resolution or the framerate isn’t very consistent.

You can usually only toggle either one of those features but never both at the same time. I understand that this isn’t just a matter of hardware but also how developers have programmed their games.
Bearing that in mind, I’m hoping that PlayStation and developers of at least some, if not all, PS4 games can work together to allow PS4 games to be played in 4K 60fps on the PS5. I honestly don’t think I’m asking for too much since the PS5 is being marketed as a 4K-capable console for running its own generation of games.
2. PlayStation Now For Everyone

It was recently announced that the PlayStation Now subscription costs have been reduced to just US$9.99 per month. That’s a big deal because the PlayStation Now library has more than 750 games with at least 300 of them being downloadable for the PS4. Even better, more games are added every month.
Unfortunately, PlayStation Now is only available in select regions which are the United States, Canada, the European Union, the United Kingdom, and Japan. Those of us who are living in Southeast Asia have not been able to get a taste of this cloud gaming service.

I know that the availability of PlayStation Now is more of an issue for PlayStation in general instead of just the PS5 but it’s a good time to bring it up.

Here’s hoping that the release of the PS5 will prompt PlayStation to make PlayStation Now a global thing.
3. Better Integration Of Dualshock Touchpad

One of the biggest changes introduced in the Dualshock 4 was that big touchpad in the middle. In games, it’s mostly pressed to bring a map or some menu. In the console’s menu, it’s often used to touch-type and can also be used for navigation. Ask most people who own a PS4 and I’m confident that they’ll tell you that they don’t really use it much outside of games.

So if the Dualshock 5 is also going to have a touchpad, it better be more useful. Personally, I think the touchpad does what it’s intended to do but I also believe it can do so much more.

Judging by how it’s been used in games, I think even developers don’t really know what to do with it except for using it as a big button.
4. At Least 1TB Of That Sweet SSD Storage Space
As someone who owns a 500GB PS4, Red Read Redemption 2 made me let out a small sigh.
The PS4 and PS4 Slim models launched in versions that had 500GB of hard disk space. As we creep closer towards the next generation, we’re starting to see that 500GB just won’t cut it anymore. Red Dead Redemption 2 required 99GB at launch and the upcoming Modern Warfare will need 175GB on PC which probably means the PS4 version will need at least 100GB.
To be honest, I don’t even think 1TB is enough but bumping it any higher would probably make the PS5 cost much more than the what usual consumers are expecting.

Seeing as how the PS5 will have an SSD instead, PlayStation might still just put 500GB to reduce the final price. Then again, SSDs are getting cheaper by the day.

So far, that’s all I’ve got on my PS5 wishlist. There’s not much because I’m actually pretty happy with the PS4 and all of its consequent variations.Â  If we were talking about the PS3-to-PS4 transition, then that wishlist was longer. Way longer.
So what do you guys want to see in the PS5? Let us know through our Facebook or Twitter pages!