Joker Leads The Oscars 2020 Pack Alongside Korean Parasites, Divorce Movie, & Nazis

It’s the start of a new year, which means the Oscars 2020 is a-go soon; this 9th February PST to be exact. And we have quite an eclectic list of films in the main category.
Comic book movie Joker has scored 11 Oscar nominations, including best picture, best director (Todd Phillips of Hangover fame), and best actor (Joaquin Phoenix). The Irishman, Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, and 1917 each have 10 Oscar nods apiece. Alongside these films in the best picture award are Ford v Ferrari, Jojo Rabbit, Little Women, Marriage Story, and Parasite.
So far, there aren’t any female directors in the best director category; just thought we should point that out for our more progressive readers. Anyway, here’s the full list and categories:
Best Picture

Ford v Ferrari
The Irishman
Jojo Rabbit
Joker
Little Women
Marriage Story
1917
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Parasite

Lead Actor

Antonio Banderas – Pain and Glory
Leonardo DiCaprio – Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Adam Driver – Marriage Story
Joaquin Phoenix – Joker
Jonathan Pryce – The Two Popes

Lead Actress

Cynthia Erivo for Harriet
Scarlett Johansson for Marriage Story
Saoirse Ronan forÂ  Little Women
Charlize Theron for Bombshell
Renee Zellweger for Judy

Supporting Actor

Tom Hanks for A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood
Anthony Hopkins for The Two Popes
Al Pacino for The Irishman
Joe Pesci for The Irishman
Brad Pitt for Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Supporting Actress

Kathy Bates, for Richard Jewell
Laura Dern for Marriage Story
Scarlett Johansson for Jojo Rabbit
Florence Pugh for Little Women
Margot Robbie for Bombshell

Director

Martin Scorsese for The Irishman
Todd Phillips for Joker
Sam Mendes for 1917
Quentin Tarantino for Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
Bong Joon Ho for Parasite

Animated Feature

How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World
I Lost My Body
Klaus
Missing Link
Toy Story 4

Animated Short

Dcera
Hair LoveÂ
Kitbull
Memorable
Sister

Adapted Screenplay

The Irishman – Steven Zaillian
Jojo Rabbit – Taika Waititi
Joker -Todd Phillips, Scott Silver
Little Women – Greta Gerwig
The Two Popes – Anthony McCarten

Original Screenplay

Knives Out – Rian Johnson
Marriage Story – Noah Baumbach
1917 – Sam Mendes and Krysty Wilson-Cairns
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood – Quentin Tarantino
Parasite – Bong Joon-ho, Jin Won Han

Cinematography

The Irishman -Rodrigo Prieto
Joker -Lawrence Sher
The Lighthouse – Jarin Blaschke
1917 -Roger Deakins
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood – Robert Richardson

Best Documentary Feature

American Factory by Julia Rieichert, Steven Bognar
The Cave by Feras Fayyad
The Edge of Democracy by Petra osta
For Sama by Waad Al-Kateab, Edward Watts
Honeyland by Tamara Kotevska, Ljubo Stefanov

Best Documentary Short Subject

In the Absence by Yi Seung-Jun and Gary Byung-Seok Kam
Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone -Â  Carol Dysinger
Life Overtakes Me-Â  Kristine Samuelson and John Haptas
St. Louis Superman – Smriti Mundhra and Sami Khan
Walk Run Cha-Cha – Laura Nix

Best Live Action Short Film

Brotherhood by Meryam Joobeur
Nefta Football Club by Yves Piat
The Neighborsâ€™ Window by Marshall Curry
Saria by Bryan Buckley
A Sister by Delphine Girard

Best International Feature Film

Corpus Christi – Jan Komasa
Honeyland -Tamara Kotevska, Ljubo Stefanov
Les Miserables – Ladj Ly
Pain and Glory – Pedro Almodovar
Parasite – Bong Joon Ho

Film Editing

Ford v Ferrari- Michael McCusker, Andrew Buckland
The Irishman -Â  Thelma Schoonmaker
Jojo Rabbit-Â  Tom Eagles
Joker – Jeff Groth
Parasite – Jinmo Yang

Sound Editing

Ford v Ferrari – Don Sylvester
Joker – Alan Robert Murray
1917 – Oliver Tarney, Rachel Tate
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood – Wylie Stateman
Star Wars: The Rise of SkyWalker – Matthew Wood, David Acord

Sound Mixing

Ad Astra
Ford v Ferrari
Joker
1917
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Production Design

The Irishman – Bob Shaw and Regina Graves
Jojo Rabbit – Ra Vincent and Nora Sopkova
1917 – Dennis Gassner and Lee Sandales
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood -Barbara Ling and Nancy Haigh
Parasite – Lee Ha-Jun and Cho Won Woo, Han Ga Ram, and Cho Hee

Original Score

Hildur GuÃ°nadÃ³ttir for Joker
Alexandre Desplat for Little Women
Randy Newman for Marriage Story
â€œ1917,â€ Thomas Newman for 1917
John Williams for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
Nicholas Britell for The King

Original Song

“I Canâ€™t Let You Throw Yourself Away” – Toy Story 4
“Iâ€™m Gonna Love Me Again”- Rocketman
“Iâ€™m Standing With You” -Breakthrough
“Into the Unknown”- Frozen 2
“Stand Up”- Harriet

Makeup and Hair

Bombshell
Joker
Judy
Maleficent: Mistress of Evil
1917

Costume Design

The Irishman – Sandy Powell, Christopher Peterson
Jojo Rabbit – Mayes C. Rubeo
Joker -Mark Bridges
Little Women – Jacqueline Durran
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood – Arianne Phillips

Visual Effects

Avengers Endgame
The Irishman
1917
The Lion King
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker


No Straight Roads Music Director Has Words About Hi-Fi Rush; Points Out Easter Egg [Update]

Bethesda and Tango Gameworks’ new action game Hi-Fi Rush is a lovely blend of 3D action ala Devil May Cry, cel-shaded presentation like Viewtiful Joe, and music rhythm mechanics from Rhythm Heaven. In fact, the action-music-rhythm game hybrid is clearly inspired by 2020’s Malaysian-made title No Straight Roads, and inevitable comparisons will be made between the two.
No Straight Roads’ music director Falk Au Yeong recently made a YouTube stream on Hi-Fi Rush in 2-parts. The second part is noteworthy because he talks about the inevitable comparisons and states that it’s a huge honour for Tango Gameworks for being inspired by No Straight Roads’ concept and “throwing 10 times the budget at their own take of it”. He also stressed that there is no animosity, bitterness, and jealousy regarding Hi-Fi Rush’s overwhelmingly positive response; it’s the complete opposite.
His final thoughts are at 4:59:50 in the video below. Spoiler warning since he talks about the whole game from start to finish.

In addition, he pointed out an obvious No Straight Roads homage which appears in Mimosa’s stage in Track 8. At the start of the chapter, you’ll be at this spot overlooking the festival.

The centrepiece above is clearly meant to mimic the centre square statue of Vinyl City from No Straight Roads. He did point out a couple more in the video above, but long story short, Falk is pretty humbled by having a small game like NSR be recognized by Bethesda and Shinji Mikami’s studio.

[Update 1/2/2023]: Turns out that Tango Gameworks based the garden’s globe on the Universal Studios sign, and not the No Straight Roads Vinyl City globe, according to a Kakuchopurei interview featuring the game’s director John Johanas.

For more on Hi-Fi Rush, check out our glowing review of the game. Also, you can check out No Straight Roads director Wan Hazmer’s thoughts on the title.


PlayStation Pulse 3D Wireless Headset Midnight Black Launches In Malaysia Next Month

Building upon the new galaxy-themed colours we introduced for DualSense wireless controllers in June, I am pleased to share that the Pulse 3D headset is also getting a new colour â€“ Midnight Black. (SGD149 / RM469 / IDR1,699,000 / THB3,490 / PHP5,590 / VND2,699,000)
This new look for the Pulse 3D headset will match the same colour scheme as the DualSense Midnight Black wireless controller â€“ with two subtly different shades of black. The Pulse 3D headset in Midnight Black will begin rolling out globally at participating retailers next month, for Asia, the release date will be Oct 29. Click hereÂ for the details.

While all PS5-compatible headsets can be used to experience 3D Audio with PS5 games, the Pulse 3D headset is specifically designed to take full advantage of the consoleâ€™s Tempest 3D AudioTech, with a fine-tuned frequency response to help players more precisely place sounds in exact locations to match on-screen gameplay.
In our second major system update for PS5, weâ€™re introducing a new equalizer control feature for Pulse 3D headset within PS5â€™s sound settings as part of our continued efforts to enhance the audio gaming experience.

Pulse 3D headset users can select from three presets â€” Standard, Bass Boost, or Shooter which is designed to place extra emphasis on the sounds of footsteps and fired shots. These three presets were popular among players who used the PS4 headset companion app and have now been optimized to complement PS5 Tempest 3D AudioTech. Users can also create their own presets and save up to three settings to have more quick-access options. Additionally, players can adjust these equalizer settings during gameplay through Control Center, without needing to exit the game.
We hope you enjoy this new equalizer control feature for Pulse 3D headsets, along with the new look in Midnight Black when it launches on 29 October 2021.


Xbox Games Showcase To Unveil First Look At Halo Infinite Campaign

343 Industries has announced that they will be unveiling the first official look at the singleplayer story campaign from the highly-anticipated Halo Infinite during the upcoming Xbox Games Showcase at 12am GMT+8 on 24 July 2020.
In aÂ blog post, the developer confirmed the news:

“We’re excited to share what the teamâ€™s been working on, the first look at Halo Infinite‘s campaign is coming on July 23!”

The last update we received about Halo Infinite was the cinematic trailer during E3 2019 about a year ago, which revealed the return of Master Chief as the main protagonist. Not much else has been revealed about the game so far, but we’ll probably learn more during the Xbox Games Showcase in two weeks.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogGAbjpgDYY&w=560&h=315]
Halo Infinite is slated to release for the Xbox Series X, Xbox One, and PC sometime in Holiday 2020.


Former Sonic The Hedgehog Lead Yuji Naka Is Officially Sentenced To Prison

Sonic programmer and Balan Wonderworld creator Yuji Naka is in deep, with his final prison judgment being decided today.
Following his past stint with insider trading within Square Enix a few years back, a verdict has been made in Japan courts today. Yuji Naka has been given a prison sentence of two years and six months. He will be seeing four years of probation and given fines of 2 million and 170 million yen.

Yuji Naka has been sentenced to 2 years, 6 months prison, suspended for 4 years, with two fines of ~¥2M & ~¥170M?? https://t.co/Q12fLtiYN1
— GSK | https://cohost.org/gosokkyu (@gosokkyu) July 7, 2023

To recap, last year he was discovered to have been involved with insider trading and was arrested by the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office. Yuji Naka has advanced knowledge about Square Enix mobile game Dragon Quest Tact and purchased 10,000 or so shares of stock from Square Enix. He also had insider trading knowledge of another Square Enix-made game, Final Fantasy VII: The First Soldier.
Yuji Naka originally worked at Sega for many years and helped created Sonic The Hedgehog games.


Xbox Is Adding New Quick Resume Features In Latest Update

The Xbox Insider Program is a way for Microsoft to collect feedback on upcoming features and updates before releasing them to the public. The latest update for the Xbox Insider Alpha Skip-Ahead features a handful of new features, including audio passthrough and improvements to the Quick Resume feature.
Audio

Users will now have a new option to enable audio passthrough with your favourite media apps by going to Settings>Audio>Advanced>Allow Passthrough on the console.

Quick Resume

A much-requested user feature is being included in todayâ€™s update! Users will now have access to a new group that will show all current Quick Resume save states. Additionally, the Guide will now indicate if your actively running game supports Quick Resume.

For more details, head on over to the official website here.


Zombie Soup Is A Top-Down Shooter From Malaysia-Based Aeonsparx Interactive

Aeonsparx Interactive is an indie game developer based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. During a press conference for Level Up KL 2020 earlier today, company founder Kong Foong Ching revealed one of their upcoming games; Zombie Soup.
Zombie Soup is an action-packed hack-n-slash shooting adventure game with unique RPG elements, or essentially, a top-down isometric bullet hell shooter.
The game follows the adventures of Ricky, a young college freshman on a backpacking trip seeking to explore the world during the summer break. He inadvertently finds himself in a small town that is celebrating an annual festivity after waking up from a long train journey and soon discovers that most of the townspeople have been turned into zombies and monsters.

In Zombie Soup, players can expect retro 80s vibes and even interactive dialogue that can result in different story outcomes. There will also be over 50 different weapons from trusty shotguns to outrageous weapons with effects that dish out insane damage.
Zombie Soup is slated to release for the PC via Steam sometime in 2021, but Aeonsparx Interactive is also planning to release the game on other platforms like the PS4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch, if possible, in the future.
In the meantime, check out the trailer:


Netflix’s Extraction 2 Trailer Sees Chris Hemsworth Returning To Kick Butt

Chris Hemsworth returns as Tyler Rake in Extraction 2, the sequel to Netflix’s action film Extraction. After barely surviving the events of the first movie, Rake is back as the Australian black ops mercenary, tasked with another deadly mission: rescuing the battered family of a ruthless Georgian gangster from the prison where they are being held.
Hemsworth reunites with director Sam Hargrave, with Joe and Anthony Russo’s AGBO producing and Joe Russo writing. Golshifteh Farahani reprises her role from the first film, with Adam Bessa, Olga Kurylenko, Daniel Bernhardt and Tinatin Dalakishvili also co-starring.
This is a sequel to the first film that was based on the graphic novel ‘Ciudad’ by Ande Parks, from a story by Ande Parks, Joe Russo & Anthony Russo, with illustrations by Fernando León González.
Extraction 2 is produced by Anthony Russo, Joe Russo, Mike Larocca, Angela Russo-Otstot, Chris Hemsworth, Patrick Newall and Sam Hargrave, with Jake Aust, Benjamin Grayson, Steven Scavelli, Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely as executive producers.
Extraction 2 premieres on Netflix on 16 June 2023.
Check out the trailer below:


We Talk To Mobile Legends’ Current MVP EVOS Pokemon About MOBAs & Pro Play

Ng Jun Hong certainly did not regret his choice to go full-time in Mobile Legends competitive play. It paid off big: his team EVOS SG won the recent Mobile Legends Singapore tournament 3-0 against Resurgence SG. On top of that, he snagged the coveted MVP award for helping his teammates while also pulling off fantastic kills and plays.
The fact that Ng, also known as EVOS Pokemon, is also working full-time as a financial advisor makes it all the more impressive that he manages to find time to go pro.Â Kakuchopurei asked one of the world’s champion team’s MVP about how he got to this point in his esports career.

Tell us more about yourself and how you got interested in high-level MLBB.
When I was 20, I was in National Service (Singapore army) and my appointment was as a BMTC instructor, I always had pockets of admin time and therefore I started playing Mobile Legends.
As I continued to climb the ranks, the games were getting harder and harder, and my win rate kept dropping lower and lower. Knowing that there was always a higher level to reach excited me and kept me hooked on like adrenaline, if during the day I won a high-level game, I would feel very satisfied and proud of myself. I carried on like this until I reached global leaderboards, I was in the top 100 rank list.
It was then when I found out from a friend that Singaporeâ€™s top Mobile Legends squad EVOS was recruiting because the previous players were going to retire. I tried my luck and applied. 2 months later, to my amazement, Matthew (our manager) reached out to me and told me they wanted me to participate in their trials. After that everything was history
Whatâ€™s the one word you would use to describe EVOS SG?
“Family”.
There is no better word to explain it, in EVOS SG, my teammates are like my brothers, close friends that I would hang out in and out of the game. I know that they have my back and I have theirs.

Whatâ€™s the toughest part about training in MLBB while in EVOS SG?
The toughest part for me would be time management. Balancing between a full-time job and training commitment is extra tough.
On one end, I have to ensure that I do good work for clients. On the other end, I have to ensure every minute of training is productive, so as not to waste my teammatesâ€™ time or become a burden to them.
Among the teams in MPL Singapore first season which happened this month, who was the toughest to fight against?
Our toughest competitor would have to be Resurgence (RSG). A team that has always rivalled us since the start of MPL, their roster is filled with veterans who have similar or even more tournament experience than us.
In tournaments like these, execution eats strategy for breakfast.
Having a more detailed or better strategy won’t win games. Having more experience would mean better execution, and that is what win games.
What is the current MLBB meta right now? Who are the best heroes & team compositions in MLBB this year?
In my opinion, the current meta is skewed towards supports and marksman compositions. This includes fighters that have high mobility like Benedetta, Uranus, and Chou.
However, the meta always changes with patches, what works well in the previous patches won’t mean it will continue to work in future patches.Â

What are the top three pieces of advice you would give to someone who wish to improve in high-level MLBB?

Hard work beats talent. It might sound cliche, but the number of hours you put into grinding and improving will show in your performance.
Itâ€™s important to see from other pro playersâ€™ point of view & perspective. Youâ€™ll definitely pick up and learn things you didnâ€™t know just by watching livestreams of other pro players.
Never be satisfied with where you are. There will always be a higher mountain to climb, so go into every game with the intention to become better than you were yesterday.


Check Out The Incredibly Ballin’ Neo The World Ends With You Opening

It’s clear as day that Square Enix really loved the 2D-slash-3D hybrid style it has with its The World Ends With You anime adaptation, opening and all. Why? Because they’re using the same graphics tech for the game’s sequel.
At least for the opening movie: Square Enix just published the opening and two Japanese commercials for NEO: The World Ends With You. It’s as flashy and stylish as you would expect from a game featuring a Tokyo setting, Tetsuya Nomura characters, and a ton of graffiti and Japan street/fashion culture. Also, dig the slight BGM transition to the TWEWY classic “Twister” at the 1:02 mark.

To recap, NEO: The World Ends With You stars Rindo, the leader of the Wicked Twisters, whose aim is to survive and win the Reaper’s Game.Â NEO: The World Ends With You will be out for PS4 and Nintendo Switch this 27th July.


Dota Underlords Will Be Getting New Alliances & Heroes Soon

If you’re still hankering for more Dota Underlords, wait no further. Valve will be releasing new content for its turn-based “auto chess” title, and it’s a big one.
The update will be introducing brand new heroes and alliances, and will also be the eventual end of the game’s beta phase. Here’s what they have in store:

A new “Healer” alliance which includes Enchantress, Warlock, Omniknight, Necrophos, and newcomer Dazzle. When gathered, they heal teammates but harm enemies; if the alliance bonus is active, all friendly healing is amplified.

A new Insect alliance. These include Sand King, Nyx Assassin, Broodmother, and new hero Weaver.

Those are the standout changes; Valve will be sharing more tomorrow PST time. As for the actual release date of the update, your guess is as good as ours. In the meantime, do check out our guide for the game.


Here Are All The Minecraft Updates From MINECON Live 2019

The annual MINECON Live 2019 event took place on Sunday, 29 September 2019, and brought with it many exciting announcements for the game franchise. In August 2019 alone, more than a whopping 112 million people played Minecraft worldwide. Here are all the updates from MINECON Live 2019:
Minecraft Earth
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzCBCoC2bjs&w=560&h=315]
Minecraft Earth is an upcoming free-to-play mobile game featuring the new Bedrock engine and AR technology a la Pokemon Go. During MINECON Live 2019, it was announced that Minecraft Earth will be launching in Early Access in October 2019, with more countries to be added weekly until the end of the year.
Pre-registration for the Early Access version ofÂ Minecraft EarthÂ is live for Android users around the world, you can sign up rightÂ here. The Early Access version of the game will include new features such as new mob variants, crafting and smelting, and new social multiplayer experiences called Adventures, which are small slices of Minecraft worlds that you play in augmented reality in life-size.
For example, your sidewalk becomes a mine and there could be diamonds under your feet, or your local park may have Minecraft trees where skeletons lurk and you can fight them, dig down into the ground and discover an abandoned mine with treasures.
Minecraft Nether Update And More
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ReJ5e28QSCo&w=560&h=315]
The next major game update for Minecraft is the Nether Update, which will add new biomes, mobs, structures, blocks and visual effects to the Nether to enhance its unique and scary atmosphere.
The new update will also add the Target block (which will act as a projectile hit-detector), two new biomes (the Soulsand Valley and Netherwart Forest), as well as the all-new Piglin Beasts and Piglin mobs. The Piglins will be introducing a new civilization to the Minecraft universe.
Bees and Beehives will also be added to the game, where they will help pollinate crops and flowers, as well as the Honey Block that has many fun new mechanics like slowing down movement with its sticky texture. The bees will arrive to both Bedrock and Java before the holidays.
Besides that, the Character Creator is a new, easy-to-use system to help players make a custom character in Minecraft, with more than 100 features, including all hair, eyes, mouths, skin textures, facial hair, and body sizes available for free, as well as a range of custom accessories available for purchase. Capes will also be coming to Bedrock for the first time, with a free Founderâ€™s Cape available when Character Creator launches later this year. The Character Creator will be available in the main game as well as Minecraft Earth and characters can sync between both games.
Minecraft Dungeons
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJczpIdONjs&w=560&h=315]
Minecraft Dungeons is an upcoming action RPG game slated for release on the PC, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch sometime in June 2020. It abandons the crafting and farming of the original Minecraft game and focuses on being a dungeon crawler game, where the player explores randomly-generated dungeons filled with randomly-generated monsters, deals with traps and puzzles, and finds treasures.
Minecraft: Builders & Biomes
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EvYqC_1wqgs&w=560&h=315]
Developed in collaboration with Mojang, Minecraft: Builders & Biomes is the first Minecraft strategy board game ever created. It recreates the digital game in a shared, in-person experience complete with mobs to fight and a real block of resource cubes to mine. The game will be available in Europe starting in October and in the United States starting in November.
Minecraft Festival

It’s a three-day celebration that will feature interactive exhibits, inclusive gameplay, tournaments, exclusive merchandise and meet-and-greets with creators and Mojang developers, alongside our digital global broadcast. You can sign up for more information atÂ minecraftfestival.com.


Ex-Overwatch League MVP Sinatraa Suspended From Valorant Due To Sexual Assault Allegations

This story is still in development…
Update [12th March @10AM]
In Valorant news, Tenz will replace Sinatraa on Sentinels for the upcoming VCT Masters tournament.

Official: Tenz will replace Sinatraa on Sentinels for #VCT Masters.
Tenz will no longer represent Cloud9. pic.twitter.com/CbH2yeKW0W
— ValorIntel (@ValorINTEL) March 11, 2021

Update [11th March 2021 @ 1:40PM]
Sinatraa has responded to the allegations with a short post via Tweetlonger. Nothing much was said apart from him alluding that him and his ex, Cleo saw the relationship ‘differently’. Denying of having assaulted her, he also added that he is giving his full cooperation to the investigation of the said matter.

Update [11th March 2021 @ 10AM]
In light of the accusations directed at their former MVP, the league where Sinatraa first made his name, the Overwatch League have released the following statement via their Twitter account:

pic.twitter.com/AhWuJvHFAu
— Overwatch League (@overwatchleague) March 11, 2021

Safe to say, the OWL are not only distancing themselves from the former face of the league, they are also removing any traces of him from the game.
Original story:
The latest in esports drama, at least in the personal lives of pro players, just reared its ugly head.
Overwatch League MVP Jay “Sinatraa” Won -Mr 150k in most circles- has allegedly sexually assaulted his then-girlfriend Cleo Hernandez who goes by the Twitter handle cleooo. In the public Google Docs, she stated that Sinatraa has been manipulative, has forced himself onto her multiple times, has gaslit her, and has used his status to undermine her. Basically an abusive relationship.
“I have avoided talking about any aspect of me and Jay’s relationship for over a year. I never spoke about it mostly because this is horrifying and also because I’ve seen the way women in our community are treated when they try to talk about being hurt by prominent figures.”
“Sometimes he’d pretend to be OK with my excuses but then he’d ask just for me to kiss him and I’d say okay and then he just did more and more until we had sex anyways. I’d try and say no again and he’d just push himself on me anyways.
Eventually, I would rather just say yes and lay there until he was done than fight him on the no. [On one occasion] he wanted to have sex, I didn’t have an excuse for why I didn’t want to at the time, so I just let it happen and laid there and stared at the ceiling with him on top of me, his weight crushing my chest. I think about staring up at that ceiling everyday.”
https://twitter.com/cIe0h/status/1369497186740928512?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1369497186740928512%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=
However, we have yet to hear from Sinatraa’s side of things. Ex-Overwatch League player Dafran has highlighted that this may be an alleged ploy to “cancel” a high-profile player like Sinatraa.

We have to wait for Sinatraa's side of the story. E-girls can be fucking scary as a twitch streamer. They will try to jebait or photoshop evidence and then fuck you. Im not saying she is one, but she could be. People have been waiting for something to cancel Sinatraa over https://t.co/golWvkVG1z
— Farmer Dafran (@dafran) March 10, 2021

But Wait, There’s More…
For those who don’t know, Sinatraa is now playing Valorant competitively. So when news of this accusation hit the internet, Riot Games’ global head of competitive operations Alex Francois said that Sinatraa will be suspended from competing in Valorant this weekend.
“We are aware of the current situation regarding Jay Won (Sinatraa) and have launched an investigation. Per our existing competitive rules and investigative process, a decision has been made to suspend Won throughout the investigation and therefore he will not be able to compete this weekend.”
Sinatraa’s current team, the Los Angeles Sentinels, has also released a statement and are investigating these claims.

We are aware of the current situation regarding Jay “Sinatraa” Won and have launched an investigation internally. While the investigation is pending, he is suspended from the team.
We will provide a further update once the investigation has concluded.
— Sentinels (@Sentinels) March 10, 2021


CD Projekt Red Might Get Sued By Investors Over Cyberpunk 2077

The list of problems isn’t over yet for CD Projekt Red, as it looks like they could even get sued by their own investors over misleading them over Cyberpunk 2077.
As reported by theÂ New York Times,Â a Warsaw-based law firmÂ and CD Projekt investor have announced that they’re currently investigating the matter at hand for legal action on the basis of “misrepresentation in order to obtain financial benefits.”
According to aÂ briefingÂ prepared by the lawyer from the firm, they are inviting others who have also been affected by the “suspension of the sale of the Cyberpunk 2077 product.”
Another law firm has also announced a legal investigation as well.
New York-based Wolf Haldenstein Adler Freeman & Herz LLPÂ saidÂ that they were looking into taking legal action on behalf of the CD Projekt Red shareholders and investors.
This is “resulting from allegations that CD Projekt may have issued materially misleading information to their shareholders and investing public.”
According toÂ Hoeg Law (a law firm specialising in video games), CD Projekt might also be accused of “manipulative and deceptive practices.”

Fraud on the market could be in play depending on the facts of the matter (and international jurisdictions, etc.)SEC Rule 10b-5 pic.twitter.com/0kYrfpkCW7— Richard Hoeg (@HoegLaw) December 20, 2020

You can check out a handy recap of all the problems plaguing Cyberpunk 2077 since launch by heading over here. Despite all those problems, the game still managed to stay on top of the Steam charts this week.


Dying Light 2 New Game Plus Update Is Now Live

Update 1.3.0 is here and that means the Dying Light 2 update is now live, addressing myriad co-op issues and delivering completely new endgame content eagerly awaited by the community. Dying Light 2 New Game Plus will be available to every player that has finished the base game and allows survivors to revisit The City, relive the story, and make different narrative decisions, with new scaling, higher difficulty, and great bonuses.
In Dying Light 2 New Game Plus, players will keep the character progression of their initial adventure, but there will be new content like 30 new Inhibitors. Enemies will scale to Aiden’s level, but for those seeking more a challenging skirmish, Techland has prepared encounters with golden marks. There will also be new quests, like the “Something Big Has Been Here” quest.
Many of these new encounters will reward players with greater “Legendary” weapon rarity and valuable items. But for those who prefer to collect titles over the prizes, Techland added a new platinum medal for parkour challenges, with goal times based on the community’s best results.
The patch also contains a bunch of other tweaks, including the fix to a bug that could block a player’s singleplayer progression after a co-op session. However, players will have to collect the nightrunner tools all over again by replaying through the story, such as Aiden’s binoculars, paraglider, and UV flashlight. For more on Dying Light 2, check out our review and video walkthroughs.


Kakuchopurei’s Best Of 2019: Luigi’s Mansion 3

Luigi has always played second fiddle to his more heroic and popular brother, Mario. However, this year he received his own game starring role in a game again, after more than half a decade since 2013’s Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon.
Luigi’s Mansion 3 came out on Halloween day, and it’s basically a Ghostbusters game with the quirks and charm of the Nintendo’s Mario franchise slapped on it. Armed with the Poltergust proton pack-like weapon, plunger and other tools, Luigi is here to prove to everyone that he ain’t afraid of no ghosts.

The best addition to Luigi’s Mansion 3 is the ability to summon Gooigi, a jelly version of Luigi who comes with his own set of unique skills. He helps not in combat, but also to solve puzzles, expanding the gameplay mechanics of the game.
In short, he’s the best buddy anyone can hope for in the game’s spooktacular hotel.

A game doesn’t have to feature complicated gameplay mechanics or epic open-world adventures to be great, and Luigi’s Mansion 3 is a testament to that. Moving from level to level in the haunted hotel comes with its own feeling of fun, from the movie set featuring “ghost Godzilla” playsets to the medieval, pirate, and desert pyramid tomb-themed hotel floors.

That’s not even mentioning the new Scarescraper multiplayer mode in the game, bashing and capturing ghosts with your friends. Just like the best ghost stories, you can even split up amongst yourselves into separate rooms, before ultimately banding up again to avoid being overwhelmed by the ghoulies and creepy crawlies.

If you are looking for the best Ghostbusters experience in video games right now, Luigi’s Mansion 3 is probably the game for you. That is, until next year’s new Ghostbusters: Afterlife movie inevitably comes with its own video game tie-in (which would likely turn out to be a bad cash-in).
But let’s not sour the moment: bustin’ here makes you feel good.


E3 2019: Gears 5 Out This September; Features Escape Mode & Terminators

Xbox developer The Coalition will be releasing the latest Gears of War game, Gears 5, on 10th September. Granted, it’s a few days away before Borderlands 3, but whatever.
Apart from continuing the saga where Kait finds out her Locust and family heritage in the cold icy parts of Sera, the game will introduce a new online co-op game mode called Escape. Here, you and two other pals escape from mazes called Hives which features a ton of Locusts, robots, and all sorts of baddies as you stay alive.
Check out the trailer below, featuring the voice of Telltale’s The Walking Dead‘s Lee Everett.

Also, if you pre-order the game early, you’ll get a free Terminator Dark Fate skin where you play a T-800 wielding a Lancer. Sweet!


Horizon Forbidden West Machines Boss Fight Guide: How To Beat Them All

Horizon Forbidden West’s selling point is not just its lush and beautifully Decima Engine-rendered open world, but also its fascinating yet deadly Machines.
The sequel’s Machines are the robot animals-slash-dinosaurs-slash-monstrosities you see in Aloy’s journey to the West. Whether they’re big or really big, they are dangerous and need to be put down either stealthily or bows-and-arrows-ablazing if they start setting their sights on Aloy’s orange hair and fleshy construct.
Here’s a quick video guide on how to deal with each Machine in their respective boss fight rounds. Note that some of these boss fights are crucial to the main story, so watch out for spoilers.
For a great Horizon Forbidden West skill guide, head here. For more on how to find those Cauldrons and Tallnecks, head here.

Shellsnapper

Tremortusk

Vezreh

Rockbreaker

Specter

Tideripper

Dreadwing

Slitherfang (1:58:33)

The Enduring (non-Machine)

Stormbird

Thunderjaw

Slaughterspine (25:18)

Final Boss (40:45)


Atlus Might Reveal Persona 5 Royal Western Release Date Next Month

Atlus is teasing that they will be making a major announcement about Persona 5 Royal for Western (or international) players next month.
While the developer/publisher didn’t specify what exactly the announcement will be, it’s safe to assume that it will likely be the highly-anticipated release date to the game, which already launched in Japan last month on 31 October 2019.
According to the tweet on the official Atlus Twitter account, there are 12 days left to the Persona 5 Royal announcement, which is slated to arrive at 9am PT on 3 December 2019, or 1am GMT+8 on 4 December 2019 for those living in Southeast Asia (Malaysia, Singapore, etc).

Days until #P5R Announcement: 12https://t.co/PIifoSigg1 pic.twitter.com/cFaDSpzGMs
â€” Atlus U.S.A., Inc. (@AtlusUSA) November 21, 2019
The tease for the announcement is a calling card from the Phantom Thieves, which states:

To all Phantom Thieves in the making in the west:
You have 12 days until we expose the truth of Persona 5 Royal once and for all.

We already know that Persona 5 Royal is set to release internationally sometime in Spring 2020, but this announcement will probably reveal a more definitive release date. Stay tuned on Kakuchopurei until then.
In the meantime, check out this new Persona 5 Royal opening.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XdyH3qHq1eA&w=560&h=315]


Get Ready To Cut Blades Of Grass With Lawn Mowing Simulator Next Month

Are you ready for the most exciting and adrenaline-pumping game of 2021? To blaze your way through blades of… grass?
Yes, there’s going to be a game that simulates the best chore of all; mowing the lawn. Of course, who doesn’t like mowing their lawn?

Curve Digital and Skyhook Games have announced Lawn Mowing Simulator, a stunning mowing simulator and detailed business management game set in the British countryside.
Experience the beauty and detail of mowing the Great British countryside in Lawn Mowing Simulator, the only simulator that allows you to ride a genuine and expansive roster of real-world licensed lawnmowers from prestigious manufacturers; Toro, SCAG and STIGA as you manage your mowing business.
Lawn Mowing SimulatorÂ will feature:

PHYSICALLY AUTHENTIC LAWN MOWING EXPERIENCEÂ – Execute ground checks, set your blade height, and measure your engine load as you complete a variety of contracts across Career Mode, Free Mode or Challenge Mode. Take your mowing to further heights with several attachments from stripe rollers, mulching kits, grass collectors, recyclers, flail decks and more.
BEAUTIFUL RURAL BRITISH COUNTRYSIDEÂ – Lawn Mowing Simulator is set in a beautiful British countryside town. Busy residential streets, vast castle grounds, quaint cottage greens, and large equestrian fields are just some of the locations that await your mowing blades.
REAL-WORLD LICENSED MOWER MANUFACTURERSâ€¯- Toro, SCAG and STIGA front line Lawn Mowing Simulator with their real-world machines painstakingly recreated visually and physically. 12 Mowers are available in the base game, each with its own challenges, attachments and upgrades to pursue.
ACCURATE AND ATTENTIVE BUSINESS MANAGEMENTâ€¯– Build your own lawn care business from the ground up. Purchase and upgrade your headquarters, hire employees, purchase advertising and balance the books as you grow and expand your business.

David Harper, Co-founder of Skyhook Games said:
â€œWe canâ€™t wait for players to get down to mowing this August.
After a very successful game demo in June which had over 250,000 downloads, weâ€™re really excited for players to experience Lawn Mowing Simulator in all its glory, creating their very own virtual lawn care business, manicuring lawns to perfection and just enjoying the general satisfaction of the lawn mowing experience.â€
Michael Fisher, Product Manager at Curve Digital added:
â€œSkyhook Games have done such a brilliant job creating a beautiful and realistic lawn mowing experience, and we canâ€™t wait for players to jump in and experience it for themselves.â€
Lawn Mowing Simulator is slated to release for PC and Xbox Series X/S on 10 August 2021 and will be available for US$29.99.
To be kept up to date with any news, followÂ Lawn Mowing SimulatorÂ onÂ Steam.
In the meantime, check out my trailer below:


Borderlands 3 Arms Race Is So Much Better With Friends

Want to bring back the feeling of being level 1 but keeping your progress and your level 65 character? Then Borderlands 3’s Designer’s Cut’s Arms Race mode is for you. However, this is assuming you already have friends playing Borderlands 3 with you since September 2019. Or earlier this year if you jumped on the Steam version.
A Battle Of Royale Proportions?
Just a quick breakdown of Arms Race: you and three others are dropped on a Dahl military base, empty-handed. Your goal? To get weapons and loot you can extract, as well as survive and kill the level’s boss, Heavyweight Harker. Since you’re unarmed, you have to find the nearest chest to get whatever weapons you can to survive. You’ll find special loot boxes that will give you either blue or purple loot to survive, or legendary loot that you can extract out of the field via special extraction stations. You can’t use these special legendaries that’s exclusive to this mode though, but there are some existing legendaries you can use during Arms Race.
You also can’t stay on the map for too long because there’s a Murdercane (murder + hurricane) that will damage anything outside of the designated safe zone. The Murdercane also moves and stops at will, which means you can either run back to safe zones if you missed them, or head out to previously-unsafe loot box zones to possibly score more legendaries.Â Throw in commentary from Borderlands 2’s Axton and Salvador and you have a rip-roaring time that will test your skills and endurance.

In short, it’s a battle royale-style shooter but it’s PvE, not PvP. It’s your group against the multiple enemies ranging from Maliwan troops to COV Psychos, with the occasional skag and spider-ant thrown in for good measure.
Honestly, I do like having a roguelike start-from-the-bottom nature of this game mode. It makes me prioritize certain blues and purples, heck even greens, depending on my playstyle and what kind of firearms I get. I cannot stress enough that you need friends to play through this mode and get the most out of it. Having someone watching your back and helping you out is better than soloing this. Plus, the increased loot drop rate with more people on-board helps.
Purple People Eaters
Of course, the big reason to get the DLC is for the new skill trees for each Vault Hunter. Moze summons an Iron Cub and gets more Incendiary bonuses & status chance buffs. Zane has a MNTS shoulder cannon, gets critical boosts & penetration bonuses, and can now utilize Action Skill End buffs.
Fl4k has a gravity trap that launches & stuns enemies, as well as some much-needed survivability options and defenses. Amara summons a Phaseflare which is a volleyball that damages anything near it, as well as gets stronger the more you melee it. She also gains access to Cryo as an additional element and gets melee bonuses and even the ability to ignore enemy elemental defenses for a few seconds when attacking.
Truth be told, paying US$15 for a new mode and new skill trees might not seem like much to new players, but it’s a boon and a great way to expand a Borderlands 3 player’s repertoire further. Newbies should focus more on Season 1’s content before making the jump to Season 2 for now; it’s not exactly cheap at this point in time.
But for existing players looking to branch out and test their mettle while appreciating greens, blues, and purples again? Get your sprinting shoes on for this Arms Race. Just make sure you’re not alone in this one.


Cult Of The Lamb Gets Blood Moon Festival Starting Now Until 10th November

Hit indie game Cult of the Lamb is getting a limited-time event; hope you like harvesting pumpkins!
The Blood Moon Festival limited time in-game event runs from 24 October to 10 November. For this amount of time, players will gain access to a new Blood Moon Ritual which “illuminates the dead”, three new Follower Forms to unlock, four Base Decorations to unlock, and a new music track. That’s a pretty good amount of free content if you jump on-board right now!

Cult of The Lamb is available right now for PC, Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo platforms & consoles. We wholeheartedly recommend it as it’s part roguelite, part Animal Crossing management sim, and part joke about the absurdity of cults and sects; all fun!


Gotham Knights Announced For 2021; Lets You Play Vigilantes vs Court of Owls

During today’s DC Fandome Hall of Heroes event, WB Montreal announces its worst-kept secret Gotham Knights, the new Batman action-adventure game.
The upcoming 2021 title will let you play as Batman’s proteges and sidekicks as they take up the Gotham Knights mantle. You get to control Batgirl, Nightwing, Robin (Damian Wayne version), and Red Hood. After all, the trailer flat-out tells you that Batman/Bruce Wayne is dead and his pals need to step in to clean up Gotham City.
Your main villains? The Court of Owls, as well as some of Batman’s rogues like Mr. Freeze. Gameplay-wise, Gotham Knights retain its action-adventure roots from the Arkham series and some bits from the studio’s past game Shadows of War with the enemy levels. Oh, and it’ll be both a single-player game or an optional 2-player co-op experience.

The team revealed that the game’s mystery story will revolve beyond The Court of Owls storyline. The game will be out for PC, PS5, Xbox Series X, PS4, and Xbox One. Let’s hope that the game isn’t ruined by microtransactions and live service nonsense.


Here’s What You’ll Need To Run God Of War On PC

Santa Monica and PlayStation have announced that God Of War (2018) will be coming to PC on 14 January 2022 via Steam. As of August 2021, 19.5 million copies of God Of War on PS4 have been sold.
Youâ€™ll be able to enjoy the game as it follows Kratos and Atreus across the realms with the option of true 4k resolution, on supported devices, and unlocked framerates.

The God Of War PC version includes a wide range of graphical presets and options so you can fine-tune your visual experience based on your setup. From higher resolution shadows and improved screen space reflections to enhancements to the ambient occlusion pipeline with GTAO and SSDO â€“ God Of War on the PC can create striking visual quality unique to the platform.

The game will also have full integration with NVIDIA Deep Learning Super Sampling (DLSS) available on RTX. You wonâ€™t have to sacrifice high graphical settings and output resolutions for high performance in God Of War.
In addition to DLSS, the game will also have NVIDIA Reflex low latency technology available. Reflex delivers a more responsive experience allowing you to react quicker and hit harder combos.

Alongside the graphic and performance improvements, the game will offer 21:9 ultra-widescreen support.

God Of War on PC includes robust controller support and keyboard mapping customization. as well as support for DualShock 4 and DualSense wireless controllers in addition to a wide range of other gamepads.
For keyboard and mouse players, you will be able to fully customize the bindings to create a control setup that works best for you.
Finally, the purchase of God Of War on PC will also contain the following digital content:

Deathâ€™s Vow Armor Sets for Kratos and Atreus
Exileâ€™s Guardian Shield Skin
Buckler of the Forge Shield Skin
Shining Elven Soul Shield Skin
DÃ¶kkenshieldr Shield Skin

Check out the God Of War PC spec requirements below:
Minimum

OS: Windows 10 64-bit
Processor: TBD
Memory: TBD
Graphics: TBD
DirectX: Version 11
Storage: 80GB available space

Recommended

OS: Windows 10 64-bit
Processor: TBD
Memory: TBD
Graphics: TBD
DirectX: Version 11
Storage: 80GB available space

In comparison, this is Horizon Zero Dawn‘s specs on PC:
Minimum

OS: Windows 10 64-bit
Processor: Intel Core i5-2500K@3.3GHz or AMD FX 6300@3.5GHz
Memory: 8GB RAM
Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 780 (3 GB) or AMD Radeon R9 290 (4GB)
DirectX: Version 12
Storage: 100 GB available space

Recommended

OS: Windows 10 64-bit
Processor: Intel Core i7-4770K@3.5GHz or Ryzen 5 1500X@3.5GHz
Memory: 16GB RAM
Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 (6 GB) or AMD Radeon RX 580 (8GB)
DirectX: Version 12
Storage: 100 GB available space

God Of War was released for the PS4 in 2018. It was one of the few games on Kakuchopurei to receive a 100/100.


Unreleased Samsung Girl For Bixby Takes World By Storm

If there’s one constant in the world, it’s the fact that people will go head over heels over a pretty face, even if it’s virtual. The Hololive and VTuber phenomenon is proof of that. Also, if you have ideas of giving your hardware and phone voice assistant a bit of T&A, odds are you’ll create a few cults of worship for said avatar.
Samsung tasked a company to create a waifu avatar for its Bixby voice assistant. The result is Sam:

Who did Samsung hire to create this avatar? A visual production firm called Lightfarm. Thanks to a partnership with Cheil Agency (a marketing arm under Samsung), they were commissioned to craft this “Samsung Virtual Assistant” who looks like a female NPC straight out of a Korean modern-day mobile RPG. Or a China 3D animated feature trying to mimic Pixar. The page is now deleted.
The kicker? She’s been around on Lightfarm’s website until the art was deleted recently. So far she hasn’t been used for any of Samsung’s marketing campaigns. Check out the rest of the photos below:

Despite her generic look, the internet has taken a liking to her, from TikTok stuff to NSFW pieces. Looks like she may be the next “it girl” ala Lady Dimitrescu.

The new girl working at Samsung is actually Alita. Specialists were able to track back her identity to Mars. pic.twitter.com/pKDodbsziW
— Foxfire ?? (@Foxfire_1st) May 31, 2021

The new Samsung girl looks like a mix of Ochako and Nobara to me pic.twitter.com/74IbFxDuPb
— Yasser Montasser (@YasserMontasse4) May 31, 2021

 @yakutsk.14rus
??????? ? ??????? #samsung #virtualassistent #waifu #hot #samanthasamsung #samantha #sam #samsungchick #fyp #tbhitadori
 ? ???????????? ???? – ?????? ?????????????

samsung girl ur hand in marriage pic.twitter.com/3AmixQ3ahR
— Jazzy ? (@jazlyn_jin) June 1, 2021

 Don’t know if this has been posted yet but fuck it. Source: TheFarElo from      SamsungGirlr34

Lady Dimitrescu looking at the people starting to thirst for the new Samsung assistant girl: pic.twitter.com/OLkz6owvpx
— Wasting_Night (@Wasting_Night) May 31, 2021

Too bad she isn’t official, since Sam is unused art assets that haven’t seen the light of day. Still, with enough fanfare, Samsung might want to reconsider free publicity from thirsty people, right?


Tekken 7 Adds Final Fantasy XV’s Noctis to Its Roster

Seems like crossovers is the in-thing for fighting games nowadays. Fresh from the reveal that The Ninja Turtles are set to appear in Injustice 2 yesterday, Tekken 7 is getting a crossover with one of the biggest games of 2016 – Final Fantasy XV. In a surprising twist, Bandai Namco today unveiled an unprecedented DLC addition to the Tekken 7 roster – Noctis Lucis Caelum of Final Fantasy XV.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LmWbiMwxmOU&w=560&h=315]
Set to join the roster ‘Spring 2018’, check out the reveal video above which sees Noctis shows off his moveset, taking on the likes ofÂ Yoshimitsu, Devil Jin, Jack 7…. and Kuma.

First release on arcades in 2015, Tekken 7 is now available on the PS4, Xbox One and PC.


The Mandalorian Season 3 Episode 2 Breakdown & Easter Eggs

The second episode of The Mandalorian Season 3 is now streaming on Disney+ Hotstar Malaysia. I’ll be discussing heavy spoilers so if you haven’t seen it or want to avoid spoilers, now’s your chance to stop reading.
Meanwhile, check out my breakdown of The Mandalorian Season 3 Episode 1 here.
The journeys of the Mandalorian through the Star Wars galaxy continue. Once a lone bounty hunter, Din Djarin has reunited with Grogu. Meanwhile, the New Republic struggles to lead the galaxy away from its dark history. The Mandalorian will cross paths with old allies and make new enemies as he and Grogu continue their journey together.
The series stars Pedro Pascal, Katee Sackhoff, Carl Weathers, Amy Sedaris, Emily Swallow and Giancarlo Esposito. The directors of the eight-episode Season 3 include Rick Famuyiwa, Rachel Morrison, Lee Isaac Chung, Carl Weathers, Peter Ramsey and Bryce Dallas Howard.
Check out my breakdown of the first three episodes of Andor, Episode 4, Episode 5, Episode 6, Episode 7, Episode 8, Episode 9, Episode 10, Episode 11 and Episode 12 here.
Check out my breakdown of Obi-Wan Kenobi Episode 1 and 2, Episode 3, Episode 4, Episode 5 and Episode 6 here.
You can check out my previous breakdowns of The Book Of Boba Fett Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 3, Episode 4, Episode 5, Episode 6 and Episode 7 here.
Last year, we were given the opportunity to interview none other than the former Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker and current Dark Lord Of The Sith Darth Vader; Hayden Christensen himself.

Din Djarin Grew Up On A Moon Named Concordia

Din Djarin reveals the place where he was raised, a moon in the Mandalore system named Concordia.
Bo-Katan Mentions That She Knew A Few Jedi

She mentions that she knew a few Jedi. This happened in the Star Wars The Clone Wars animated series, where she fought alongside Obi-Wan Kenobi and Ahsoka Tano to defeat Darth Maul and the Death Watch’s control of Mandalore.

Mandalore The Great

Bo-Katan mentions Mandalore The Great and tells Din Djarin about his mythical story. Not much is known about him in canon, but in the now non-canon Star Wars Knights Of The Old Republic or Star Wars Legends continuity, he led the Mandalorians against the Jedi in the Mandalorian War.
A Possible Mythosaur?

Just after Bo-Katan recounted the story of how the Mines Of Mandalore was once a Mythosaur lair, she encounters a possible Mythosaur while saving Din Djarin from the depths of the Living Waters.
The Mandalorian signet or symbol is based on the skull of the Mythosaur.
Could it be that Mythosaurs still exist? Does this mean Mandalorians will rise again? Perhaps. We’ve never seen an actual living Mythosaur in animated or live-action canon before.
Until the next episode, excelsior!


Diablo 2: Resurrected Is Implementing Online Player Queues To Handle Server Issues

We reported a few days ago about Diablo 2: Resurrected ever-recurring online server outages. Turns out Blizzard has a temporary solution for it: player queues.
That’s right: due to the game’s legacy code conflicting with modern-day network adjustments, Blizzard’s developers will be implementing player queues in a remaster of a 2000-era game to solve its modern-day server woes. The company will also be using methods like rate limiting and “breaking out the game’s critical pieces of functionality into smaller services” to make sure online play is stable for all. This also helps the developer tackle the overall online server downtime issues in a manageable method.
Diablo community manager Adam Fletcher dished out the solutions in great detail below:
Rate limiting:Â We are limiting the number of operations to the database around creating and joining games, and we know this is being felt by a lot of you. For example, for those of you doing Pindleskin runs, youâ€™ll be in and out of a game and creating a new one within 20 seconds.
In this case, you will be rate limited at a point. When this occurs, the error message will say there is an issue communicating with game servers: this is not an indicator that game servers are down in this particular instance, it just means you have been rate limited to reduce load temporarily on the database, in the interest of keeping the game running. We can assure you this is just mitigation for nowâ€“we do not see this as a long-term fix.
Login Queue Creation: This past weekend was a series of problems, not the same problem over and over again. Due to a revitalized player base, the addition of multiple platforms, and other problems associated with scaling, we may continue to run into small problems. To diagnose and address them swiftly, we need to make sure the â€œherdingâ€â€“large numbers of players logging in simultaneouslyâ€“stops. To address this, we have people working on a login queue, much like you may have experienced in World of Warcraft.
This will keep the population at the safe level we have at the time, so we can monitor where the system is straining and address it before it brings the game down completely. Each time we fix a strain, weâ€™ll be able to increase the population caps. This login queue has already been partially implemented on the backend (right now, it looks like a failed authentication in the client) and should be fully deployed in the coming days on PC, with console to follow after.
Breaking out critical pieces of functionality into smaller services:Â This work is both partially in progress for things we can tackle in less than a day (some have been completed already this week) and also planned for larger projects, like new microservices (for example, a GameList service that is only responsible for providing the game list to players).
Once critical functionality has been broken down, we can look into scaling up our game management services, which will reduce the amount of load.
This is a bummer for those playing online, but at the very least you can still play Diablo 2: Resurrected offline.


The Top 10 Star Wars Characters Of All Time

Star Wars celebrates its 43rd anniversary in 2020. The franchise is still very much a pop-culture juggernaut in this day and age, as evident by the one-billion-dollar box office return of the disappointing Star Wars The Rise Of Skywalker and the viral popularity of Baby Yoda from The Mandalorian.
To celebrate the ending of the Skywalker Saga and the beginning of a more hopeful future for the franchise post-The Rise Of Skywalker, I’m listing down my personal picks for the top ten Star Wars characters of all time.
First, I’d like to clarify that these are my own choices as a lifelong Star Wars fan who have watched every movie and animated series in the franchise (including some of the comics and books as well for good measure).
I have taken the liberty of only including canon characters, and for the sake of diversity, I won’t just be choosing the most popular or iconic characters (not every list needs Han Solo). That’d make for a boring and predictable list, and Star Wars should be anything but.
10. Leia Organa/Skywalker

“Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi. Youâ€™re my only hope”. That line will forever remain iconic. Ever since she appeared in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, Princess Leia Organa (none of that General stuff, she’ll always be royalty to me) is one of the most legendary female characters in pop culture.

Instead of being just another helpless woman or damsel in distress as was often the case in the pulp and science fiction that inspired George Lucas while making Star Wars, Leia is a strong and independent woman, who is more than capable of taking care of herself and protecting others around her.

Despite losing her home planet Alderaan, she still had the will to inspire and lead the Rebellion. When she was enslaved in Star Wars Episode VI Return Of The Jedi by Jabba The Hutt, she swiftly retaliated and killed him using nothing but the chains that bound her.
Leia will always be remembered as a princess, politician, general, fighter, rebel, and more. Rest in peace, Carrie Fisher, may the Force be with you, always.
9. Grand Admiral Thrawn

Out of all the antagonists in the now-defunct Star Wars Expanded Universe, Grand Admiral Thrawn is probably the most popular and iconic of them all, having debuted in 1991’s Heir To The Empire. So much so that Disney allowed Dave Filoni to re-insert him into franchise canon via Star Wars: Rebels animated series.

Grand Admiral Thrawn is beloved by fans for being one of the most dangerous and cunning villains in Star Wars history. He isn’t even a Sith or someone who is capable of using the Force, but his brilliant and strategic prowess makes him a worthy adversary to the Rebels.

In the new canon, Thrawn is an exiled Chiss warrior who is rescued by the Empire, who later rises through the Imperial ranks so quickly that it attracts the attention of Emperor Palpatine himself. With his sheer military tactics, he is able to thwart the Rebels time and time again.
8. Darth Maul

Darth Maul originally appeared in just one movie (Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace), but his legacy grew that he later survived his apparent ‘death’ and was revived in the Star Wars: The Clone Wars animated series. He then even appeared in Solo: A Star Wars Story before finally dying at the hands of Obi-Wan Kenobi on Tatooine in Star Wars: Rebels.

With his glaring yellow eyes, blood-red skin, horns, and face tattoos, Darth Maul definitely looks the part of being a Sith Lord. If his face didn’t inspire fear, the moment he whips out his double-bladed lightsaber certainly will, which was brought to life by actor Ray Park’s phenomenal acrobatic skills.

He will soon appear again in the seventh and final season of Star Wars The Clone Wars, which will once again see him as the primary antagonist. He will play a major part in the Siege Of Mandalore conflict, as Ahsoka Tano, Anakin Skywalker and the Republic attempt to liberate the Mandalorian home planet from his control.
7. Emperor Palpatine

He is the biggest bad of the Skywalker Saga and the one with the iconic gravelly voice. Not only is he one of the most powerful Sith Lord to have ever lived, but he also manipulated the Galactic Republic Senate in decades of political manoeuvering to turn himself into the despotic tyrant of a Galactic Empire.

“The dark side of the Force is a pathway to many abilities some consider to be unnatural.”

When Palpatine told Anakin the story of Plagueis The Wise, fans have always suspected that the then-Chancellor was responsible for originally manipulating the Midi-Chlorians to create Anakin. While that may never be confirmed to be true, it is part of the myth that is Darth Sidious.
If the fact that he defeated Yoda in Star Wars Episode III Revenge Of The Sith and his other feats throughout the movies weren’t enough to convince you of how powerful he is, witness his incredible lightsaber skills and prowess in the scene below, from when he went up against both Darth Maul and his brother Savage Opress in Star Wars The Clone Wars.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QaVYu0LPsSU&w=560&h=315]
6. Din Djarin/The Mandalorian

I had to include at least one Mandalorian in this list, and it wasn’t going to be either Boba or Jango Fett. According to canon, they weren’t even real Mandalorians anyway. Din Djarin is the star of the first-ever live-action Star Wars series, and a worthy one at that, portrayed by actor Pedro Pascal.
Strong and stoic, Din Djarin abides by the tenets of the Mandalorian Way, despite not being a Mandalorian by birth. A Foundling, he nonetheless earned his place as a Mandalorian warrior after a traumatic childhood during the Clone Wars.

His relationship and interactions with Baby Yoda is the highlight of the entire series so far.

Despite being the most recent newcomer on this list, he has more than proved himself as iconic as anyone on this list. Din Djarin has shown us what he’s capable of, which is more than I can say about both Boba and Jango Fett (who, like Captain Phasma, were only there to look cool and sell toys).
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This Marvel’s Spider-Man Miles Morales Hot Toy Comes With His Own Spider-Cat

Just in time for the launch of Marvel’s Spider-Man Miles Morales, Hot Toys has announced Marvel’s Spider-Man Miles Morales 1/6th Scale Collectible Figure.
What’s most interesting about this Hot Toys figure is that it comes with several Venom Blast accessories and even a Spider-Cat that’s attached to an opened backpack cover.
In the meantime, head on over here for our review of Marvel’s Spider-Man Miles Morales.
Check him out in all his glory below:


Get Ready For ServerDNA IV; One Of Malaysia Biggest Gamer Gathering

In Malaysia, there’s a list of annual nerd and otaku events like Animangaki, Comic Fiesta, and many others. If we’re talking about ones focusing mainly on video games and gamers, serverDNA is one of the most important events for a Malaysian gamer.
The fourth serverDNA gathering will be happening on 28 & 29 September 2019 at Le Meridien Putrajaya. There will be events and activities centered around cosplay, custom PC showcase, lucky draws, giveaways, and of course, video games.

On the gaming side of things, attendees will be able to play games on PC, consoles, mobiles, VR sets, and even racing cockpits. There will be competitions for CS:GO, FIFA 20, and more. If you’ve got a gaming-capable laptop, you’re encouraged to bring it along as there will also be a Notebook Gaming Challenge.
With partners like Intel, Seagate, Asus, and many others, expect to see a lot of booths showcasing some of the best components, accessories, and peripherals from top companies around the world. Local companies like Racun Tech and Illegear will be there too.
Even if you’re not interested in playing games at the gathering, you will surely want to stand a chance at winning some great prizes from the lucky draw. From USB pendrives to full HD monitors, there’s going to be a lot of cool stuff to win.

If you’re into cosplay, then know that the World Cosplay Summit Malaysia 2020 launch will be held at serverDNA IV. You’ll get to see Malaysian cosplayers who have represented the country for the World Cosplay Summit in Japan.
For more information and to get your tickets for the event, just pay a visit to their official website here.


Black-And-White Shooter Kingdom Of The Dead Will Be Out Next January

Indie developer DIRIGO Games and publisher HOOK will be releasing its upcoming stylized first-person shooter Kingdom Of The Dead in a few months.
Kingdom Of The Dead, which blends old school FPS action with a unique black-and-white pen-and-ink aesthetic, will be out for PC on 26th January 2022 (via Steam). It’s looking rather spiffy if you’re into the recent retro shooter entries like Ion Storm, Ultrakill (which we currently dig), and Graven.
There’s a demo out, though it’s for Alienware Arena users (via a closed beta key giveaway). If you haven’t registered to be an Arena player, now’s your chance to do so here.
Check out the game in action below.


Company Of Heroes 3 Borrows From Total War In A Great Exchange

Courtesy of Sega and Relic Entertainment, we were given the opportunity to play a final preview of Company Of Heroes 3, an isometric real-time strategy title with a massive theatre of war set in the Mediterranean.
I managed to experience a few hours of the new Italian Dynamic Campaign, an expansive single-player experience featuring a brand new mechanic called the Dynamic Campaign Map. The Dynamic Campaign Map allows the player to command the entire war effort in Italy by managing a variety of ground, sea, and air forces with turn-based gameplay on a big map. It plays a lot like the Total War franchise’s grand campaign by Creative Assembly (which is also published by Sega). Maintaining supply lines, manoeuvring your forces, upgrading your army, and establishing intelligence networks are some of the strategic choices players must take. It feels a lot like a simpler and more streamlined or stripped version of the Total War grand campaign maps.

The narrative in the Italian Campaign’s Dynamic Campaign Map is delivered through dilemma-like interactions with three key sub-commanders. Buckram, Norton and Valenti. Ultimately the same major missions will be available to the player, but the story you craft will differ based on the decisions you make by choosing whose advice to take. This ensures that the story campaign feels less linear and more dynamic, hence the name of the new mode.

Of course, the franchise’s classic RTS gameplay is still a key part of the experience. From the Campaign Map, the player can engage in a bunch of RTS missions, from major set-piece battles to dynamically triggered pop-up missions, defend missions, and skirmishes. You will control both the American and British armies, but you will also so be able to use a range of international allies through Campaign Companies, such as the ferocious Gurkhas, or SSF commandos.

If you want a more linear and focused classic Company Of Heroes campaign, there’s the North African Operation, in which players will command the infamous Deutsches Afrikakorps, and receive instruction from the Desert Fox, Feldmarschall Erwin Rommel in the RTS missions themselves, as the DAK makes its push across North Africa in 1942. We played part of this in the previous preview.
One of the best new mechanics in Company Of Heroes 3 is the Full Tactical Pause, which allows players to pause and stop the action simply by pressing the spacebar, as well as issue multiple orders simultaneously and queue them. This new mechanic is a welcome addition and it’s a big help for newcomers like myself to get used to the fast-paced RTS gameplay in Company Of Heroes 3. Positioning of attacks is also important (a common theme in RTS games), where attacking tanks or vehicles at the rear or sides will result in increased penetration and damage.

I did face a few issues, including several crashes while on the Dynamic Campaign Map. I really hope the launch build of the game will be more stable in this regard, as it’s a huge part of the gameplay. With all the new features and improvements, Company Of Heroes 3 looks like it’ll be a great jumping point for beginners and also an amazing title for veterans of the franchise to sink their teeth into.
Company Of Heroes 3 is slated to release for PC on 23 February 2023.


Get Good in Esports and Streaming With These Workshops in Singapore

Always wanted to delve into esports and/or video game streaming? If you’re in (or live near) Singapore, this is the best time to start! There’s a bunch of classes to help you get one step closer to realizing your dreams of becoming a pro esports player or full-time streamer.

First up is an esports Academy Dota 2 workshop, where attendees will have the privilege of learning from veteran esports coach Ruth Lim. She previously coached team TenTwenty all the way to representing Singapore in Jakarta, and she is currently coaching team Tr33nity.
The Dota 2 workshop covers everything from the basics to understanding team role, and even more complex stuff like the MMR bracket and how to truly master the heroes in the game. Unfortunately, the only workshop left is the one focusing on hero mastery, which will take place next month.

There will also be a 2-day PUBG workshop happening soon. Players can learn important aspects of the battle royale game such as strategies, loot management, team communication, and more from veteran semi-professional gamer Donald Yeo.
Not only will you gain valuable PUBG skills, but attendees who complete both days of the PUBG workshop will also automatically gain access to an academy PUBG tournament taking place in early 2019.

Besides that, aspiring streamers can look forward to jumpstarting their career by attending the live-streaming master class workshop by Twitch partner Andrew ‘Sombrero’ Philippou. Spots are limited to only 15 selected participants, so grab this opportunity to learn more about how to become a professional streamer.
All of these workshops are held at the National Library Building in Singapore, and the ones I’ve mentioned are only several of the esports-related classes available there. It’s great to see that there are folks making an effort to develop esports and gaming-related professionals in the local scene.
Here’s hoping to more of these being offered in the rest of Southeast Asia too. Stay tuned to Kakuchopurei for more news.


[Report] Check Out How The PS5 Looks Like

We’re still at least a year away from getting the next generation of game consoles but there’s already been a lot of information revealed about them, specifically the next PlayStation.

You might have already seen the above picture of the detailed rendering of the possible PlayStation 5 and I don’t blame you for being extremely skeptical. It’s confirmed that the initial patent image that the rendering is based on is definitely from Sony but there’s no mention of what the device actually is.
Recently, the folks at LetsGoDigital have found more patent images of the unknown device and have created more renderings to illustrate what it might look like in real life. Check them out:

It’s speculated that even if this isn’t the final design of the PS5, it could the Development Kit. LetsGoDigital reported that not long after their first article concerning the device was published, Codemasters senior artist Matthew Stott tweeted out that the device is indeed the PS5 Dev Kit and his office already had a few of them.

Within a few hours, the tweet was deleted along with his entire Twitter account. I don’t know about you but that just screams damage control.

Console development kits usually don’t resemble their consumer versions as developers and creators only care about their functionality and use rather than aesthetics and ergonomics.
The PS4 Pro Dev Kit. Put it side by side with your PS4 Pro and I’m sure you won’t be able to tell the difference.
When compared to past console dev kits, it’s hard to see how this unknown device could even be the PS5 Dev Kit, let alone the actual PS5. Personally, I think the design looks like one of the fake renderings people make to get attention on social media. It’s far too… aesthetic.
I mean just look at the PS3 Dev Kit:
PS3 Dev Kit.
For now, there’s still no official statements from Sony regarding this device; the PS5 doesn’t even have a release or announcement date yet. Sony has already indicated that their next console won’t be out in the first half of 2020, so it’s still a long way to go.


Final Fantasy VII Remake Orchestra World Tour Scheduled For Singapore & Thailand

Square Enix just announced its Final Fantasy VII Remake Orchestra World Tour, presented by AWR Music Productions. And the tour will make stops in Southeast Asia, so hooray, you JRPG fans you.
The conducting and directing will be done by Distant Worlds’ very own Arnie Roth, and will also include the game’s new theme song “Hollow” alongside other classic FFVII arrangements.
Here are the tour dates and locations for the Southeast Asian arm.
Singapore

4th July, The Start Theatre.
Tickets on sale 20th April, 10am.

Bangkok, Thailand

7th and 8th November, Prince Mahidol Hall.
Tickets on sale TBA.

If you live elsewhere, you can check out the tour stops on the official page. On a related note, the latest trailer for Final Fantasy VII Remake features Red XIII and Cloud in his alternate undercover getup.Â


Call Of Duty Warzone Original Verdansk Map Will Never Return

The previous modern version of Call Of Duty Warzone‘s Verdansk map will never come back again, according to developer Raven Software. This comes after Call Of Duty Warzone Season 3 launched and nuked the old map, replacing it with a 1984 version.
In a press briefing (via PC Gamer), Raven associate creative director Amos Hodge said:
“Players will never again visit current-day Verdansk.
This is a good chance for us to go in there and update all the glitch locations as well as make quality of life improvements.”
Verdansk 84 is here to stay. What do you think, Call Of Duty Warzone players?
You can check out the map in action in the trailer below:


Warframe Dev Announces New Fantasy MMO Soulframe

During TennoCon 2022, Warframe developer Digital Extremes has announced Soulframe, a new free-to-play action MMO. However, it is currently in early development.
In a statement via The Washington Post, Soulframe lead developer Steve Sinclair said:
“With Soulframe‘s worldbuilding and thematic elements, we are really looking to go back to our childhood favorites and pull inspiration from the elaborate fantasy worlds that we fell in love with growing up,.
Our team is really interested in this idea of nature and humanity colliding and we’ll be exploring a lot of those themes through our own lens while playing with ideas of restoration and exploration.
Where ‘Warframe’ is focused on shooting, this one’s focused on melee. Where ‘Warframe’ is super fast and crazy high-speed, this one’s going to be a lot more slow and heavy. But it still has a lot of similarities to the genre that we have experience in.”
There aren’t much details or information yet about the game, but if you go to the official Soulframe website, you can solve an interactive puzzle and register your email for updates and to reserve your in-game name.
Here’s the answer to the puzzle:

After completing the puzzle, you can sign up with you email and reserve your in-game name:

In the meantime, check out the Soulframe cinematic announcement trailer below:


MPL Malaysia Season 9 Ban MIKEY & HomeBois Players For Collusion

It’s a sad day to find out that teams have been cheating in a major esports tournament in Malaysia. The MPL Malaysia League has received complaints regarding unfair play during the MPL MY Season 9 qualifiers involving two teams: MIKEY and HomeBois.
During the match involving the two teams, the two of them colluded via signalling one another and providing coaching during the game, thus giving the advantage to MIKEY. The following will be punished for their misconduct:
Team MIKEY

Muhammad “Squpoz” Zafri – Banned from participating in MPL MY for one season (S9)
Muhammad “Flint” Azim – Banned from participating in MPL MY for one season (S9)
Sufyan “Pyan” Nurhidayat – Banned from participating in MPL MY for one season (S9)
Boy “Ombong” Salica – Banned from participating in MPL MY for one season (S9)
Tuan Azrin “Avaaa” Izzudin – Banned from participating in the MLBB ecosystem for two years.
MIKEY team – MIKEY as an organisation will be permanently banned from the MLBB ecosystem.

HomeBois

Muhammad “Ijat” Aizat – Banned for two seasons (MPL MY S9 and MPL MY S10).
HomeBois team – Deduction of 2 weeks RS match points loss (4 matches * 2 points = -8)
2 weeks stipend will be forfeited.

Long story short, MIKEY will not be competing in Mobile Legends for a very long time, while Homebois get the lesser sentence, with Ijat solely getting banned for two seasons for the collusion effort. Because of this, the Axis Esports spot for Season 9 will be forfeited; MIKEY has given up their slot for Axis Esports.
MPL Malaysia will re-run the qualifiers between Team Lemah and MAB Esports on 13 February, 2pm.
MIKEY image credit: Mygameon.my


X-Men 97 Gets First Look, Premieres In Fall 2023


Mario Kart Tour Launches On Mobile Next Month

Nintendo has announced that Mario Kart Tour is slated to release for Android and iOS devices next month on 25 September 2019. OfficialÂ EnglishÂ andÂ JapaneseÂ Twitter accounts for the game have also been launched ahead of its release.
Gamers can now pre-register on theÂ App StoreÂ andÂ Google Play. According to the game’s official description, they can look forward to raceÂ around courses inspired by real-world cities in addition to classic Mario Kart courses, which will rotate every two weeks.
Favourite Mario characters will also receive variations that incorporate the local flavour of cities featured in the game. There will also be a new Frenzy Mode, which gives an unlimited supply of a certain item and makes players temporarily invincible.

Buckle up, because #MarioKartTour will be available on 9/25. Follow @mariokarttourEN for more information heading into the game’s release. pic.twitter.com/1V0njTVWRx
â€” Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) August 27, 2019
Although Mario Kart Tour will be free-to-play, there will be in-app purchases. However, players can still earn the in-game currency call Grand Stars by racingÂ or fire off the featured pipe to receive more drivers, karts, and gliders.
In the meantime, check out the official gameplay trailer below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87lnoRaoP6I&w=560&h=315]


Here’s What To Expect From The Square Enix Avengers Game

It still disappoints many Marvel fans around the world to know that Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order remains a Nintendo Switch exclusive. The game wasn’t too bad but it wasn’t exactly great either. All eyes are now set on Crystal Dynamic’s upcoming Marvel’s Avengers. Will it be the superhero ensemble game we’ve all been waiting for?
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=leeNBWSm0AQ&w=560&h=315]
Scheduled to launch on 15 May 2020 on PS4, Xbox One, PC, and Google Stadia, Marvel’s Avengers is being jointly developed by Crystal Dynamics and Eidos MontrÃ©al, both owned by the game’s publisher Square Enix. It will be the first non-Tomb Raider game that Crystal Dynamics is working on since 2005.
I think it’s safe to say that most people still don’t really know what kind of game Marvel’s Avengers is. Fortunately for us, a new game overview trailer has just dropped and it finally gives us a clear picture of what to expect from the game. It’s also really helpful that Noah Hughes, the studio creative director at Crystal Dynamics has spoken to PlayStation and revealed more details.
Focused On Seamless Asymmetrical Co-op

Unlike games in the Marvel Ultimate Alliance series, the main campaign of Marvel’s Avengers will be single-player only. Named Hero Missions, Hughes describes them as “specific canvases to showcase each hero” as you reassemble the Avengers, which is basically the game’s plot.
Warzone Missions are where you will be able to team up with other players. They can still be played solo but if you do go for the multiplayer route, you can team up with up to three other players. The missions will be scaled based on team size and composition. In terms of plot significance, Warzone Missions add depth to the main storyline without affecting progress.
You can jump straight into playing the co-op Warzone Missions after beating the introductory “A-Day” battle but there’s a risk of being exposed to spoilers.
Role-playing Superheroes

It seems that Crystal Dynamics is aiming to flesh out the character progress systems we usually see in other superhero games by introducing deep gear and skills systems that will allow players to customise each superhero’s playstyle. Gear will be unique to each superhero and will have rarity levels. Skill trees will be categorised according to different build types.

“When we say ‘play your way’, we mean it. Players can dive deep into min-maxing their hero build through Skills and Gear. Players can switch out Gear and choose which pieces suit individual playstyles as new, better Gear is discovered or earned, allowing them to further tune their playstyle.”
– Noah Hughes, Studio Creative Director at Crystal Dynamics.

A superhero game wouldn’t be complete without the feature of changing outfits and Crystal Dynamics knows this. There will be tons of unlockable and purchasable outfits in the game, some of them are new designs completely original to the game and some taken from Marvel’s 80+ years of history.
Hughes reaffirms that there will be no loot boxes and pay-to-win mechanics so it’s safe to say that you won’t need to pay real money for the outfits.
Avengers, Reassemble!
Inside the abandoned helicarrier which will act as the new Avengers HQ.
Although the main storyline is something we’ve never seen in the ridiculously popular Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) movies, it’s still a familiar tale to comic book fans.
As revealed in the Kamala Khan Embiggen trailer, the plot will mostly focus on reassembling the Avengers following the aftermath of an incident that makes everyone think of the Avengers as villains instead of heroes.

Long story short, a new generator powered by Terrigen crystals poweringÂ  goes boom and Terrigen Mist spreads throughout San Fransisco. It’s lethal to some people and mutates some people into Inhumans, one of them being Kamala Khan.

The big bad this time is Advanced Idea Mechanics or AIM, an evil organisation that uses advanced technological weaponry and tools to eliminate superheroes and take over the world. They’ve already made several video game appearances such as in the first Marvel Ultimate Alliance and Lego Marvel Superheroes.

There’s also other cool features like using an abandoned S.H.I.E.L.D. helicarrier as your HQ which you can apparently you can walk around in and interact with members of the Avengers that you’ve managed to find and recruit.
That’s all we know for now. Still, I believe it’s enough info to get a lot more people interested in the game. For more news and updates on Marvel’s Avengers, stay tuned on Kakuchopurei.


New LEGO DREAMZzz Animated Series Is Now Available To Watch For Free

The first episode of LEGO DREAMZzz is now available to watch for free on YouTube, as of 15 May 2023.
The LEGO Group revealed LEGO DREAMZzz earlier this month, an all-new theme that brings to life the creativity of children’s dreams through an epic new content series and product range. This is the first theme to be truly inspired by the way children dream after global research finds two in three children globally say dreaming helps them be more creative.
The passion for creativity has been brought to life in LEGO DREAMZzz, with The LEGO Group road-testing the content and toys with thousands of children from across the globe ahead of the new TV show. The launch will be followed by an accompanying product range in August, creating an incredible entertainment and play experience that puts children in the imagination-powered driving seat.
The theme’s launch will also see The LEGO Group announce a world-first opportunity to appoint a group of children as its first-ever Chief Dream Creators, who will use the creativity and imagination of their dreams to inspire the company. The LEGO DREAMZzz series follows the adventures of school friends, Mateo, Izzie, Cooper, Logan and Zoey, as they join a secret agency and learn to use the power of imagination to journey into the Dream World – and learn to defeat the tyrannical Nightmare King.

Cerim Manovi, Creative Director for LEGO DREAMZzz, said:
“LEGO DREAMZzz is our very first concept that celebrates the wondrous world of dreaming and explores what happens when dreams become real, ordinary kids become extraordinary and creativity is a superpower! We want children to feel empowered to bring their wildest dreams to life and revel in the true force of their creative imaginations while dreaming – and this is just the beginning!”
LEGO DREAMZzz will launch with 10 episodes on 15 May and be accompanied by a brand-new product range and further episodes from August 2023. LEGO DREAMZzz was developed by The LEGO Group alongside in-depth global research of children aged 6-12 years old from 29 different countries. The survey looked at children’s imaginations, the psychology of dreams and their importance in processing emotions, problem-solving and the importance of play for creative experimentation.
The global research of over 23,000 children has found almost seven in ten (69%) are experiencing complex emotions, such as stress or loneliness, in their day-to-day lives, with one in four (24%) citing events in the world or on social media as causes. However, psychologist and behavioural sleep expert Dr Shelby Harris who is working with The LEGO Group on the research shared that dreams can play a key role in helping children process complex emotions and engage their imaginations. Children surveyed agree, with two-thirds reporting that dreams are important and help them be more creative during the day (68%).
Dr Shelby Harris said;
“Kids are natural dreamers and experimenters but as they get older, societal pressures begin to confine them and limit their imaginations. Dreaming is a universal phenomenon generally welcomed by children across the globe. With more stress and demands in their daily lives, encouraging free play and creativity is important in today’s world.
The research has clearly shown that kids that have access to free play time increases their frequency of dreams and as a result makes them feel happier and more imaginative. It’s great to see content like LEGO DREAMZzz, which shows kids how the stuff of our dreams can be used in the real world to help them reach their full creative potential.”
Specifically in Malaysia and out of 1,000 children surveyed, the research also revealed that three in five (58%) children believe dreaming is important. In addition, three in four (73%) say dreaming helps them explore their creative imagination, and the same proportion say when they have happy dreams it helps them to be more creative (74%), and 66% say it gives them ideas for things in their life whilst awake. Two-thirds (68%) believe it helps them think differently.
To celebrate the launch of LEGO DREAMZzz, The LEGO Group will launch a world-first opportunity for children to become Chief Dream Creators. The chosen participants will be flown to Denmark, home of The LEGO Group, to take part in several LEGO DREAMZzz workshops that have been created to champion the creativity of dreams and inspire the company.
As a Chief Dream Creator, the children’s role will be to champion the creativity of dreams within the company and spread the positive creative aspects dreaming can have for young people around the world. Children aged between 6-12 years old will be encouraged to submit their own dream creation – a picture of either a LEGO build they’ve made themselves or a drawing – showing a creature or vehicle they have dreamt of that incorporates a brick building. Their dream creation should be accompanied by a short description relaying what their creation is called, what it can do, and why it excited them in their dream.
Entry officially opens on 20 May to 20 June, and more information can be found at the official website here. The LEGO Group will be celebrating the launch of LEGO DREAMZzz with a range of activities designed to champion the creativity of dreaming. LEGOLAND Parks and LEGOLAND Discovery Centers invite guests to enter the world of their wildest dreams with the launch of their new and exclusive LEGO DREAMZzz 4D movie and events.
On 15 May 2023, they will also launch six new LEGO DREAMZzz Non-Player Characters (NPCs) in the LEGO Life app. The NPCs will share activities that upskill and challenge children. Plus, with the support of our Community Engagement teams, the NPCs will also post comments to hundreds of children’s uploads every day to inspire them whilst exploring the new LEGO DREAMZzz world.
Check out the first episode of LEGO DREAMZzz below:


Acquire Announces Twin-Stick Shooter Xaladia: Rise of the Space Pirates X2

This weekend marks the launch of Japan’s indie gaming gathering BitSummit Let’s Go!!, which takes place at the Miyako Messe Exhibition in Kyoto, Japan from 14 to 16 July. As such, we’ll be hearing more indie game announcements.
Here’s one to keep an eye out for: a new twin-stick shooter from Acquire. The game is called Xaladia: Rise of the Space Pirates X2 and features 2D shooter action featuring barrages of lasers and missiles, some turret base-building, and a lot of space pirate-massacre-ing (via Famitsu). It’s looking like a massive tribute to Space Invaders, but with that indie game flair you see in your XBLA entries back in the day.

Xaladia will be out in Fall 2023 for PC, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch.
Check out the whole of BitSummit’s Day One exhibition here:


Open-World Survival Mobile Game Fading City Closed Beta Is Now Live

If a devastating disaster struck a modern city, how would mankind manage to survive? ACE Studio, a new studio focusing on shooting games of global games developer and operator NetEase Games, released an open-world survival mobile game with Unreal Engine 4 (UE4) and the theme of wasteland city – Fading City, along with its live demo.
At the same time, the game also started the closed beta test today. Players are welcome to try it out by searching Fading City from Google Play or getting the Test Flight link from official SNS platforms.
An unknown blue fog descended on Weidu City. The collection of all modern civilizations is the prove of mankindâ€™s past glories as well as their fragility. The invasion of zombies demolished the city. Mankind gathered under the threat of them, ready to battle.
Zombies invasion, GatherÂ to fight together

In the harsh environment of doomsday, players need to carefully plan how to consume/use their materials and energy. Your team will face dozens of zombies at the same time or fight against a high-risk zombie that is nearly the same size as a building.

Free battle experience, Various battle styles

In Fading City, you need to use skills and strategies. Players can customize guns and other weapons to achieve different combat effects. In addition to the exciting shooting, players can also try a variety of methods, such as stealth assassination, making traps, and partnering to fight zombies.
Explore the ruins and rebuild your home

The game supports 2 to 4 multiplayer. Players can build up their own team and explore in the ruins of the vast city of one million square meters, with the puzzles hidden and unknown treasures scattered in every corner of the city, you can work together with your teammates and search for more resources, weapons, and equipment to build a safer shelter.
For more details, you can visit the official websiteÂ and followÂ the official TwitterÂ andÂ official Facebook.


Surviving the Aftermath Now Out On Steam Early Access

Story originally published on Frags of War.
Since it was announced back in October 2019, Surviving the Aftermath has been available in early access on Epic Game Store and Xbox Game
Preview. This changes today as it finally comes to Steam Early Access leaving the PC exclusivity with Epic Game Store.
A follow-up to the excellent Surviving Mars, Surviving the Aftermath has some of the same elements such as a colony building, a strategic
world map, and random events.
More on Frags of War.


Mobile Suit Gundam Battle Operation 2 Network Test Begins Next Week

Bandai Namco Entertainment Asia has announced that the network test date for the Steam version of Mobile Suit Gundam Battle Operation 2 will take place from 4 April 2023 at 1 pm GMT+8 until 6 April 2023 at 4 pm GMT+8.
The developer will also be conducting the network test of the Mobile Suit Gundam Battle Operation 2 Steam version to further confirm the game’s operation and server load before the launch. Based on the feedback, they will continue to improve the quality of the game in preparation for the launch of the service.
Application data for the network test will be available for download from 1 pm GMT+8 on 31 March 2023. Meanwhile, service maintenance will be performed from 1 pm to 4 pm GMT+8 on 6 April 2023.
Everyone can participate by downloading the game from the Steam Store during the above period. However, the save date will not carry over into the full game.


These Blizzard Games Will Not Be Playable In China After January 2023

Oh dear, it looks like China will be left without a bunch of Blizzard games early next year.
Activision Blizzard will suspend World of WarCraft, Overwatch 2, Diablo 3, StarCraft 2, Hearthstone, Heroes of the Storm, and WarCraft III: Reforged in China after 23 January 2023. According to an official statement, Activision Blizzard will suspend the sales of the games and offer guidance to Chinese players in the coming days. No specific timeline has been set.
Why is this so? This is because the company cannot reach an agreement with its licensing and publishing partner NetEase. The issues weren’t just the deal’s financial terms but also the dispute concerning player data and who owned the intellectual property. The revenue from the games was “low single digits as a percentage” of NetEase’s total revenue.
Here’s an official statement from Blizzard president Mike Ybarra.
“We’re immensely grateful for the passion our Chinese community has shown throughout the nearly 20 years we’ve been bringing our games to China. We are looking for alternatives to bring our games back to players in the future.”
We do wonder how the future of gold-farming will pan out, given that one of the reasons WoW is being played a lot in China is due to the gold-farming economy.