Borderlands 3’s Latest Hotfix Adds In New Legendary Weapon; Director’s Cut Delayed To 8th April

We’ve got a two-fer from Gearbox.
First, the bad: Borderlands 3’s Director’s Cut DLC will be delayed to 8th April due to severe weather that affected Gearbox’s Texas office. You can blame Mother Nature for that one.
Due to challenges arising from the severe weatherÂ that impactedÂ Texas last month, the Directorâ€™s Cut add-on will now launch onÂ April 8. Thankfully,Â all of our team membersÂ and their families are safe and healthy,Â but our work on Directorâ€™s Cut was unavoidably disruptedÂ andÂ weâ€™ve ultimately decided to shift the release dateÂ to ensure we deliverÂ the best possible experience.Â We appreciate your understanding, and weâ€™re excited for you to play Directorâ€™s Cut when it releases next month.
Still, there’s some good news to be found, specifically the addition of a new weapon in the loot pile. The folks at Gearbox sure love their PlayStation Lombax-themed games, as their latest hotfix for 11th March (12th March 3am GMT+8) is adding a legendary weapon called R.Y.N.A.H. That is clearly a tribute to the Ratchet & Clank series as the series has an ultimate death-dealer weapon called the R.Y.N.O.
Borderlands 3’s latest hotfix for 11th March will also be fixing a Siren melee exploit, as the Remnant skill (in the blue tree) was doing more damage than intended thanks to the Game Breaker Amara build. The changes include:

Removed unlisted melee, slide, and slam damage from the Sirenâ€™s Remnant skill.
Adjusted the melee damage done by the Fish Slap grenade mod.
Lowered the sticky grenade bonus damage for the White Elephant artifact.

The following guns will have their damage buffed too.

Webslinger
Devoted
Roisenâ€™s Thorns
Magnificent
Mother Too
Smart Gun XXL
Ten Gallon

This hotfix will require us to update our current Borderlands 3 best class builds of 2021 and best weapons of 2021 guides. Do check them out!


[Rumour] Live-Action Mega Man Movie Is Coming To Netflix

It looks like Capcom’s Blue Bomber will be heading into live-action territory with his own movie on Netflix. According to a report by Rockman Corner, the Mega Man movie is indeed in active development right now.
A statement from the production company behind the Mega Man movie, SupermarchÃ©, reads:
“Henry, Rel, and their in-house producer Orlee-Rose Strauss maintain an active development slate. Features in the works include: an adaptation of Capcom’s MEGA MAN for Chernin Entertainment and Netflix, which they wrote and are directing; NEMESIS, based on the Mark Millar comic, produced by Jules Daly and Sue Kroll for Warner Bros.; an adaptation of Edward Abbey’s novel THE MONKEY WRENCH GANG, produced by Ed Pressman, which they wrote and are directing; and RUNAWAY, a family adventure comedy based on a true story, screenplay adapted by Brendan O’Brien and produced by Matt Kaplan.”
According to the same source, the Mega Man movie will be directed by director-writer duo Henry Joost and Ariel “Rel” Schulman. Besides that, Mattson Tomlin (The Batman, etc.) is writing the script and Masi Oka, best known for starring in the superhero TV series Heroes, is attached as lead producer of the project.
Capcom previously announced a Mega Man movie back in 2018, but Netflix has yet to announce anything about being attached to the project. As a result, we should take all this with a grain of salt for now. At least, until we hear anything more about the Mega Man movie.


Assassin’s Creed: Origins Is A Bold New RPG Direction For Ubisoft’s Cash Cow

Assassin’s Creed: Origins sees Ubisoft’s return to the Assassinâ€™s Creed franchise after two years break. The game is the 10th main entry of the franchise which revolves around the never-ending conflict between the faction of Assassins and Templars throughout a variety of historical eras, from the days of the Crusades depicted in 2007â€™s Assassinâ€™s Creed to the Victorian era in 2015â€™s Assassinâ€™s Creed Syndicate.Â
The latest instalment to the series, Assassinâ€™s Creed Origins takes place in Ancient Egypt near the end of the Ptolemaic period around 49 BC. This era was notable because it was Hellenistic, which means that essentially the Greeks ruled over the Egyptians, which is similar to the Yuan Dynasty in China when the Mongols ruled over the Chinese or any other situations where the non-natives governed the natives. Players are thrust into the role of Bayek, one of the last Medjay, part of an elite force and sworn protectors of the Pharaoh and people of Egypt, on a journey of vengeance against those who caused the tragic death of a loved one in the past. Along the way, Bayek learns of the conspiracy surrounding the secret organization Order of the Ancients, controlling Egypt under its puppet Pharaoh Ptolemy XIII. With the help of his wife Aya and the exiled Cleopatra, they seek to free Egypt.

Its historical depiction of Ptolemaic Ancient Egypt is impeccable and might possibly be the most fully-realized and realistic version ever seen in any media form. Ubisoft has stunningly recreated almost the entirety of Egypt including major cities like Alexandria, Memphis and even smaller villages like Siwa and the Nile Delta. History buffs would appreciate the historical authenticity. For example, one of the themes explored in Assassinâ€™s Creed Origins is the depiction of Greek citizens of Egypt and native Egyptians. The Greeks are usually in positions of power and wealth while the native Egyptians are poor and living in poor conditions, leading to the dissatisfaction of the major populace (native Egyptians) over their mistreatment and exploitation by the ruling Greeks.
The visuals are the best theyâ€™ve ever been in the franchise. When I climbed atop the Pyramid of Giza for the first time, the incredible draw distance and sunset brewing in the horizon made me stop and admire the view. There are many more moments like these as you explore everything from the edges of the Nile Delta filled with lush vegetation and teeming with wildlife to tombs and temple interiors with the most intricate Egyptian art and hieroglyphs.

How is Assassinâ€™s Creed Origins different from past entries? (Full disclosure: Iâ€™ve never really played any of the previous Assassinâ€™s Creeds so Iâ€™m going into this on a newcomerâ€™s perspective) Ubisoft has revamped the gameplay mechanics and incorporated RPG elements into the core gameplay. What this means is that there is now a levelling system where the player gains EXP through completing various actions such as completing quests, killing enemies, and discovering new locations. As the playerâ€™s level rise, they receive ability points to spend on the massive skill tree with three main branches; Master Warrior (focusing on melee combat), Master Hunter (focusing on ranged combat and stealth), and Master Seer (focusing on tools and manipulation).
I allocated most of my points on the Master Warrior tree to gain abilities like having my adrenaline meter at full whenever I encountered enemies as I liked to battle them head-on whenever possible. Itâ€™s great that players have the choice to cater to their gameplay styles whether to be badass warrior ripping their enemies to shreds, a Legolas/Hawkeye type with multiple bow and arrow perks or even a ninja with a Batman-worthy utility belt arsenal at their fingertips.
[wpvideo 2RnVDkjW]
The combat itself it similar to Dark Souls and other action RPGs with weapon choices ranging from regular and sickle swords to spears and maces with rare and legendary variants offering buffs and attributes like adding poison or increased critical hits. Players can guard with their shields or dodge out of the way to avoid enemiesâ€™ attacks. The enemies are also varied, with sword-wielding and bow-and-arrow types being the easiest to beat to larger shield and heavy weapon-wielding types which require heavy attacks as well as swift assassin types who dodge the playerâ€™s attacks. Animals like crocodiles, lions and hippos will also attack the players as well as other animals and human enemies. All of this brings extra layers of strategy and coordination, making the combat more dynamic and exciting.
Several gameplay elements revamped from past entries include the addition of Bayekâ€™s pet eagle, Senu, which acts as Assassinâ€™s Creed Originsâ€™ version of the â€˜Eagle Visionâ€™, allowing players to scout for enemies and treasure as well as pinpointing the location of a quest item or person of interest. Instead of vantage points and towers being used to unlock parts of the map, it is now used to improve Senuâ€™s effectiveness in that map region and also acts as a fast travel point.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGq7ZCth7QY&w=560&h=315]
Thereâ€™s also a crafting system in place where you gather loot or hunt animals for materials to improve your hidden blade, arrow capacity, etc. Another unique gameplay feature that I appreciated included the option to track a quest or location and letting your mount of choice ride you automatically to the destination through the roads while players relax and simply soak in their surroundings.
Some open-world games have repetitive side quests which are often just a way to earn currency, loot or gain EXP. However, Iâ€™m glad that Ubisoft has shown effort in making the side quests in Assassinâ€™s Creed Origins more meaningful and worthwhile. Throughout the game, Iâ€™ve investigated Wadjet (snake god) cultists with a phylakitai (police officer), stopped a grieving widow from committing suicide and protecting her from wild leopards as well as participating in intense chariot races and gladiatorial battles. The amount of variety helps make the game more memorable and keeps the game from becoming stale.

I should point out that this is not a game where players can simply power through the main quests and complete the game in less than 10 hours. Why? Due to the RPG elements at play, the quests come with suggested levels and players will often be under-levelled if they donâ€™t take the time to gain EXP and complete side quests. Even at normal difficulty, attempting a quest while being a few levels short of the suggested levels will be one quick ticket to the Duâ€™at (afterlife). Being under-levelled is no joke in Assassinâ€™s Creed Origins and you will be spending your time grinding and accumulating those EXP to ensure your level is adequate.
Unfortunately, I did encounter a few glitches and bugs but they werenâ€™t prevalent enough to frustrate me or stop me from playing. Although there werenâ€™t any game-breaking bugs, the game did crash on me a few times. I also had framerate problems while playing on my PS4 Pro but the day one patch managed to fix it.
TL; DR
Pros:
– Historical authenticity and fully-realized Ancient Egypt
– Revamped combat and gameplay mechanics
– Meaningful and memorable side quests
Cons:
– Grind fest (Punishes under-levelled players)-
– Glitches and bugs (Game crashes and framerate problems)
That 2-year break has certainly done wonders as Ubisoft has given us a revamped Assassinâ€™s Creed, learning from stellar games like Dark Souls and The Witcher 3 and coming out better that we initially thought. Newcomers and veterans alike will find something to like in the myriad and expansive experience offered by Assassinâ€™s Creed Origins.
SCOREÂ :Â 85Â /100
Released recently in late October, Assassinâ€™s Creed Origins is now available on Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. Reviewed on the PlayStation 4 Pro.

Assassin’s Creed: Origins was reviewed on the PlayStation 4 Pro, via review copy courtesy of Ubisoft Singapore.


Court Orders Quantic Dream To Pay Ex-Employee For Failing ‘Security Obligation’

After almost decades of making games that feel like interactive movies, Quantic Dream finally found success in the release of Detroit: Become Human last year. The studio has resurfaced in the news but not exactly for the right reasons.

A recent tweet from the official Quantic Dream Twitter page reveals that the company has been ordered by the Labor Court of Paris to give monetary compensation to a former employee in respect of a “security obligation”. It all started when a fellow Quantic Dream colleague created an image of the ex-employee and caricatured him as “Super Nanny”.
The funny thing about this story is that the ex-employee initially sued the studio because he classified the offensive image being shared throughout the studio as a catalyst in his resignation which he intended to claim as unfair dismissal. He sought for â‚¬114,000 in compensation and damages.

However, the judge rejected all of the ex-employee’s principal requests, deeming that the image didn’t justify their claim. Quantic Dream was ordered to pay a compensation of â‚¬5,000 plus â‚¬2,000 in legal costs because they failed to prevent the image from being released into the public which is the aforemention ‘security obligation’.
Quantic Dream is still facing another legal battle. In early 2018, French outlets Le Mode, Mediapart, and Canard PC filed a report detailing allegations of widespread sexism, homophobia, and other inappropriate behavior at Quantic Dream.
The hearing in Quantic Dream’s lawsuit against Mediapart and Le Monde is scheduled to happen on 5-6 December 2019.
Thanks, PC Gamer.


Immortals Fenyx Rising Will Get DLC Expansions, Include Chinese Mythology

Ubisoft has announced the Immortals Fenyx RisingÂ post-launch plan, which includes free in-game events,Â weekly dungeon challenges, daily quests, and a season pass. Owners of the season pass will also receive a bonus quest; When the Roads Get Rocky, at launch.

The Immortals Fenyx Rising Season Pass includes three narrative-based DLCs:
A New God â€“Â Fenyx will embark on a new adventure set in Olympos Palace, home of the gods. This journey will require Fenyx to overcome the Trial of the Olympians, immersing players in beautifully crafted and challenging vaults built by the gods, in order to join the Inner Circle of the Pantheon.

Myths of the Eastern Realm â€“Â Set in Chinese Mythology, the gameâ€™s second episode will introduce a new hero, Ku, who sets out on a journey to save mortals in a new mystical land at the frontier of the Sky and Earth. Players will need to master Kuâ€™s unique fighting style and abilities, inspired by Chinese martial arts, to defeat new enemies and monsters from Chinese mythology.

The Lost GodsÂ â€“Â The third and final episode will feature top-down gameplay, all-new brawler combat and a new hero, Ash, chosen by Fenyx to bring back the lost gods. The episode will take place on a new mysterious island where players will explore regions inspired by these lost gods, to restore balance on Earth.

The season pass is included in the Immortals Fenyx Rising Gold Edition and is also available for purchase separately for US$39.99.

Developed by Assassin’s Creed Odyssey studio Ubisoft Quebec, Immortals Fenyx Rising is a new open-world action-adventure game where players will assume the role of winged demigod Fenyx on a quest to save the Greek gods and their home from a dark curse.

Only by mastering the legendary powers of the gods, overcoming heroic trials and confronting powerful mythological beasts, will Fenyx be able to take on Typhon, the deadliest Titan in Greek mythology.

Immortals Fenyx Rising is slated to release on 3 December 2020 for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Amazon Luna and Nintendo Switch.
In the meantime, check out the trailer below:


Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla Creative Director Steps Down From Project

Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla’s creative director Ashraf Ismail is stepping down from his beloved project to deal with personal issues.
https://www.twitter.com/AshrafAIsmail/status/1275839403211010048
https://www.twitter.com/AshrafAIsmail/status/1275839405144657920
Recently, Ismail was accused of cheating on his wife on Twitter and lying about his marital status.

This person is married. When he starts a relationship with you, know he's married. This is why he doesn't want to talk on the phone or facetime or have things sent to his home. His marriage has been confirmed by 3 people. I was with him for a year on and off before finding out. pic.twitter.com/eomqLCXZTu
— dani (@matronedea) June 21, 2020

At this point in time, Ubisoft hasn’t announced the game’s new creative director.
It seems like the games industry is going into a #MeToo movement, outing not only folks who cheat on their wives, but also sexual predators like acclaimed writer Chris Avellone. We won’t be seeing his writings and narratives on Dying Light 2, Waylanders, and Vampire The Masquerade 2. Even Twitch posted on Twitter where they’re commending the bravery of sexually-harassed victims.

pic.twitter.com/zy09bmsB49
— Twitch (@Twitch) June 22, 2020


Blizzard Lost Almost A Third Of Its Player Base In Three Years

In its latest investor report for Q1 2021, Activision Blizzard has announced that the games that made the most money were Call Of Duty, World Of Warcraft, and Candy Crush.Â Overall, the company reported total revenue of US$2.28B, which is a significant increase compared to the same quarter from last year.
According to Massively Overpowered, the company is actually losing monthly active users, including over 11 million players in the last three years alone. One of the reasons why this is happening is probably due to the lack of new games or meaningful updates. Plus, they’re busy working on Overwatch 2 and Diablo 4, both of which won’t even be coming out in 2021.


Kakuchopurei Best 30 Games Of 2022: #3

For the rest of the list, head here. For #4, head here.
#3: Tunic (Xbox Series, Xbox One, PC, PS5, PS4, Nintendo Switch)

Why wonder if Nintendo will ever make a new 2D Legend of Zelda game when they can just jump on board Finji and TUNIC Team’s amazing “lofi” aesthetic efforts?
Tunic’s chirpy aesthetics and entrancing music hide a deviously challenging and tough action-adventure game. In fact, it echoes a bit of Dark Souls when it comes to the sparse-but-maddeningly tough boss fights.
Tunic also boasts a lush and mysterious world for your main protag fox fellow to explore and sort puzzles out in. You uncover its dark layers as you traverse from bright forests to scary underground hellholes, and you’ll love every magical and wonderful moment that entails.
For a first-time effort from the developer, the team sure knocked it out of the ballpark in making a better 2D Zelda clone. Imitation is really the sincerest form of flattery; Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka should feel proud of Tunic’s existence and love letter-in-video-game-form.


We’re Getting A Power Rangers Fighting Game

Power Rangers: Into The Ranger-Verse? After what seems to be many years, we’re finally getting a major Power Rangers game on current-gen consoles and PC. Developed by nWay, Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid is a fighting game which will pit classic and modern iterations of the Power Rangers along with their iconic monsters and foes.
According to the game’s description, it will feature online battles and a streamlined combat system that supposedly “welcomes newcomers with simplified controls while maintaining depth for the most dedicated competitor to learn and master.”
Developer nWay is also responsible for making the mobile game Power Rangers Legacy Wars. If anything, Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid looks like an upscaled version of that mobile game.
According to IGN, the standard digital version of the game will be priced at USD $20. Meanwhile, the digital collector’s edition will be priced at USD $40, containing the full game and a Season One Pass (three new characters, their respective ‘Arcade Stories’ and a new warrior skin), as well as exclusive Lord Drakkon Evo II and Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Pink Ranger character skins.
Pre-orders for all editions of the game will also receive an exclusive Green Ranger V2 character skin and digital art book.
In the announcement trailer, we can see Mighty Morphin Red Ranger Jason Lee Scott, Mighty Morphin Green Ranger Tommy Oliver, and Megaforce Yellow Ranger Gia Moran. The trailer then ends with a cameo by the most legendary Power Rangers actor of all, Jason David Frank.

â€œPower Rangers fans have been asking for a high fidelity fighting game on console and PC that match up iconic Rangers and villains across the expansive Power Rangers multiverse for quite some time now,â€ said nWay CEO Taehoon Kim. â€œWe wanted to deliver this to the fans and make sure it has cross-play and cross-progression capabilities as we believe playing with friends across multiple platforms at the same time is where the future of gaming is headed.â€
Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid is slated to release for the PS4, Xbox One, and the Nintendo Switch sometime in April 2019, with a later to-be-confirmed date for the PC. In the meantime, check out the upcoming game’s announcement teaser below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIG6dnEcn44&w=560&h=315]


In 2021, Keanu Reeves Will Go Against Keanu Reeves For The Top Box Office Spot

As we approach the end of 2019, a lot of folks have begun discussing their choice for Person of the Year. For a lot of people who watch movies and play video games, that person is Keanu Reeeves. What’s amazing is that 2021 could also be Keanu’s year yet again.

Warner. Bros. has announced the release date of The Matrix 4 along with several other movies. What’s amazing here is that Keanu’s return to the Matrix universe is set to release on the same day as John Wick 4. That’s right, both Matrix 4 and John Wick 4 are coming out on 21 May 2021.
It seems that Matrix 4 is taking over the slot that was previously occupied by the live-action Akira adaption. Unfortunately, the iconic anime movie’s real life counterpart was put on hold indefinitely back in July. This was due to the production period clashing with the filming of Thor: Love and Thunder.
Alongside Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss is also coming back to play her iconic role of Trinity. Only Lana Wachowski is reprising her role as director and co-writer of the movie as the other half of the Wachowskis, Lily, is busy working on her Showtime TV series Work in Progress.
With two great movies featuring Keanu Reeves coming out at the same time, there’s no doubt a lot of us will be doing that thing where we exit one cinema hall and proceed to another to continue our day of celebrating the wonderful man. 21 May should really be declared a public holiday after 2021.
Thanks, Variety.


Oscar Isaac Is Solid Snake In The Metal Gear Solid Movie

Jordan Vogt-Roberts’ Metal Gear Solid movie adaptation has been gestating for several years now, but we finally have the actor who will bring the iconic Solid Snake to life and it’s none other than Oscar Isaac.
Isaac is best known for playing ace pilot Poe Dameron in the Star Wars Sequel Trilogy movies and other films like 2015’s Ex Machina. However, according to Deadline, it’s unclear when the Metal Gear Solid movie will begin production, considering Isaac’s busy schedule.
Jordan Vogt-Roberts is attached to direct the Metal Gear Solid under Sony Pictures, with Derek Connolly writing the script and Avi Arad producing. Meanwhile, Isaac will next be seen in Warner Bros’ Dune, which has been delayed to 2021.

"I'm throwing my hat in for that one." – Oscar Isaac on #MetalGearMovie pic.twitter.com/PYtKeDzvVk— BossLogic (@Bosslogic) March 4, 2019


Gotham Knights Is Assembling This October

Warner Bros. Games Montreal has announced that Gotham Knights will be released for the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC on 25 October 2022.

Gotham will always need its heroes. Suit up for an all-new adventure on 10.25.22. #GothamKnights pic.twitter.com/d7oV2LbcT8
— Gotham Knights (@GothamKnights) March 9, 2022

Gotham Knights is a brand-new open-world, third-person action RPG featuring the Batman Family as players step into the roles of Batgirl, Nightwing, Red Hood and Robin, a new guard of trained DC Super Heroes who must rise up as the protectors of Gotham City in the wake of Batmanâ€™s death. An expansive, criminal underworld has swept through the streets of Gotham, and it is now up to these new heroes to protect the city, bring hope to its citizens, discipline to its cops and fear to its criminals. Players must save Gotham from descent into chaos and reinvent themselves into their own version of the Dark Knight.

Play as a New Guard of DC Super Heroes â€“ Step into the roles of Batgirl, Nightwing, Red Hood and Robin and shape Gothamâ€™s newest protector to create your own version of the Dark Knight.
Action-Packed, Original Story Set in DCâ€™s Batman Universe â€“ With the Belfry as their base of operations, this new era of heroes will solve mysteries that connect the darkest chapters in Gothamâ€™s historyâ€”from its soaring towers to its underground criminal network. Embark on rich storylines, including face-offs against some of the most infamous DC Super-Villains, such as Mr. Freeze, who is set on engulfing Gotham City in ice.
Explore and Fight Crime in an Open-World Gotham City â€“ Patrol the dark streets of five distinct boroughs in a dynamic, interactive Gotham using a variety of traversal abilities and heroic combat moves, as well as the iconic Batcycle. From street-level crimefighting to face-offs with iconic DC Super Villains, save the city from descent into chaos.
Unique Character Abilities and Customization â€“ Each hero has unique abilities, gear, weapons and a customizable suit. Batgirl wields her melee tonfa; Nightwing uses his signature dual Escrima Sticks; Red Hood has trained to reach peak human strength; and Robin is expertly skilled with his collapsible quarter staff.
Team Up in Two-Player, Online Co-Op â€“ Play Gotham Knights solo or team up with a friend and combine strengths to protect Gotham City in two-player, online co-op.

In the meantime, check out the DC FanDome 2021 trailer below:


The Nanman Tribes Arrive In New Total War Three Kingdoms’ DLC Next Month

Creative Assembly has revealed the details for the upcoming new DLC The Furious Wild expansion for Total War Three Kingdoms, which is set to launch on 3 September 2020.
With the introduction of The Furious Wild expansion pack comes the first-ever extension of the Total War Three Kingdoms map and its already rich cast of characters. Players can soon visit the jungles around Southern China and with it, the fearsome tribes of the Nanman.
Besides expanding the map, The Furious Wild includes:
Four new playable factions, each with their own unique mechanics, and 19 new factions overall populating southern China.Over 25 new units including exciting and formidable animal units.Ferocious new character artwork.A new Nanman-specific tech tree with keystone technologies that require missions to be completed.A completely new character progression style that uses feats to unlock traits.Unique missions and narrative events designed specifically for the Nanman cultureOne goal: to unite the tribes â€“ but how will you achieve it? Through diplomacy or conquest?Playable in both 190 CE and 194 CE start dates.
There are four new playable warlords from the Nanman culture:
Meng HuoLady ZhurongKing MuluKing Shamoke
There will also be a free content update for all owners of the game, who will receive a new faction called Shi Xie, an influential member of the imperial government, will be playable in both the 190 CE and 194 CE start dates.
Players can pre-purchase The Furious Wild Expansion Pack to get a 10 percent discount off the DLCâ€™s normal price on Steam. In the meantime, check out the trailer below:


Top Gun Maverick DLC Flies Into Ace Combat 7 Skies Unknown

At long last, the collaboration generations of Ace Combat fans have been waiting for is finally ready for deployment. Bandai Namco Entertainment Asia is excited to announce that Ace Combat 7 Skies Unknown will deliver Top Gun themed aircraft, emblems, and the “Top Gun Anthem”, “Danger Zone”, in multiplayer mode as part of its Top Gun Maverick Aircraft Set available today.
The Top Gun Maverick Aircraft Set paid DLC package will feature new playable aircraft, including the F/A-18E Super Hornet | Top Gun: Maverick (The Boeing Company) and the F-14A Tomcat | Top Gun: Maverick (Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation), from the movie. Additionally, there will be a special Top Gun: Maverick collaboration emblem, and to top things off, the forementioned “Danger Zone” (arranged by Keiki Kobayashi) will be available as background music in multiplayer mode.

The Top Gun Maverick Aircraft Set DLC includes:
New playable aircraft· F/A-18E Super Hornet | Top Gun: Maverick (The Boeing Company)

· F-14A Tomcat | Top Gun: Maverick (Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation)

· 5th Gen Fighter | Top Gun: Maverick

· Dark Star

· F-14A Tomcat· F/A-18E Super Hornet
Emblems and Callsigns from the film· Total of 10 Emblems including Maverick, Hangman, Payback, Rooster, and Bob, along with two logos from the film.· Total of 12 Callsigns including Goose, Cougar, and more!
Music based on classic tracks for play in multiplayer mode· “Top Gun Anthem” (arranged by Keiki Kobayashi)· “Danger Zone” (arranged by Keiki Kobayashi)
ACE COMBAT 7 SKIES UNKNOWN – TOP GUN Maverick Edition (RM299)

· ACE COMBAT 7 SKIES UNKNOWN game· Playable Aircraft F-104C: Avril· TOP GUN Maverick Aircraft Set
ACE COMBAT 7 SKIES UNKNOWN – TOP GUN Maverick Ultimate Edition (RM359)

· ACE COMBAT 7 SKIES UNKNOWN game· Playable Aircraft F-104C: Avril· Additional content included in Season pass· Top Gun Maverick Aircraft Set· 8 popular emblems of the series
In the meantime, you can check out my full review of Ace Combat 7 Skies Unknown here.


Kakuchopurei’s Best Of 2018 Awards: Day Four

Greetings again; you’re now reading the fourth part of our awesome Best of 2018 awards.
ICYMI, we’ve added Days One to Three below:
Day One
Day Two
Day Three
This time, we’ll be touching upon the best lookers, best sounders, and everything else in-between before the GOTY stuff. In other words, let’s focus on STYLLLEEEEEEE….and perhaps a disappointment or two.
What would 2018 be without dashed hopes and broken dreams? This is the games industry after all.
Check out the winners after these stills of the Malaysian kung-fu romp Petaling Street Warriors.

Best Strategy Game
Into The Breach

If a good strategy game design boils down to providing a series of interesting decisions, then what comes next should be a series of interesting consequences. With Into The Breach, you’re presented with a series of crazy obstacles and interesting choices to make with just one overarching goal in mind: protect the city.
You’re not going to overpower the enemies here since they come in droves and can overwhelm you; rather, you have to be dominant in the positions you take and even sacrifice your own guys for the greater goal.
This is a much more dense game that we felt we could get by for hours on end. The best part? You can pick up the game’s controls and mechanics easily and on the fly; you just have to worry about what strategy you must employ to stave off the bugs. It ain’t a looker by any stretch of the imagination, but it’s a brainteaser of epic proportion.
Runner-Up: Into The Breach, Mutant Year Zero: Road To Eden
Best Art Style
Red Dead Redemption 2

After much debating and abuse of democracy, we’ll have to give this award to Red Dead Redemption 2. Everything from the gameâ€™s menu to the in-game objects like shop catalogues and authentic weapons screams of the Wild West.
The folks at Rockstar Games have lovingly crafted the most realistic depiction of Americaâ€™s most romanticized age in a video game. You ain’t seen Red Dead 2 unless you’ve explored every nook and cranny on the game’s map, riding along onto your trusty steed as the sun sets onto the horizons of the plains where the buffalos roam.
 It is currently the quintessential cowboy game with the definitive Sergio Leone look tailor-made for this generation. There are none like it save for the first Red Dead Redemption, and that’s 8 years ago, compadre.Â
Runners-Up: Return of the Obra Dinn, Dragon Ball FighterZ, Octopath Traveler, God of War, Dead Cells, Gris.
Best Soundtrack (That Isn’t From Octopath Traveler)
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A word on the category: Octopath Traveler gets this award hands-down, no contest. You have to be tone deaf, or just plain deaf, not to agree to this logical conclusion.
Which is why Octopath Traveler’s OST is getting its own category below. We’ve decided to give the other gaming OSTs a fighting chance. And truth be told, we have a great second-tier selection of tunes. But the clear runner-up is the orchestra stylings of God of War.
Bear McCreary has done a lot of TV show OSTs, so it’s awesome to see him bring that level of intensity and drama to the father-son tale of Kratos and Atreus, set in Norse mythology. The themes of knowledge, power, masculinity, and fatherhood resonate within the simple-yet-effective melodies and keys used in this game’s score. Standout tracks include “Deliverance” and “Memories of Mother”.
Runners-Up: Wandersong, Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Torna ~ The Golden Age, Celeste, Tetris Effect.Â
Best Octopath Traveler Track
“Battle II”
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Why “Battle II”? The violins; Jesus Christ it’s the violins. They make our chosen track more than a standard battle theme and signals the halfway point of each of the Octopath Traveler cast’s arduous journey.
This track gets you amped. It gets you geared up for the trials ahead. And most importantly, it cements Yasunori Nishiki’s relevance in the game music industry circle alongside luminaries like Jeremy Soule, Nobuo Uematsu, and Yasunori Mitsuda. Okay, that’s hyperbole, but Nishiki-san’s at least a step below the greats.
Runners-Up: Decisive Battle 2, Main Theme, Cyrus’ Theme, Tressa’s Theme, Victor’s Hollow, A Settlement In The Red Bluffs.
Best Action-Adventure Game
God of War

Sony and Santa Monica Studios did a damn good job at turning the God of War games on its head. Instead of going back to the previous designs of the four mothership God of War titles -which honestly has run its course- the devs decide to just make a more intimate style of combat that just feels different and works really well in the third-person degree.
Of course, the game will kick your ass if you just rush headlong into things so you’ll need to be patient and methodical with the parrying and the axe-chucking and the Atreus orders-barking. Coupled with good puzzles and level design, as well as an epic narrative filled with rewarding side quests, and you have the whole package that is a well-made action adventure title for the year.
Runners-Up: Marvel’s Spider-Man, Monster Hunter: World, Assassin’s Creed Odyssey
Best Gaming Moment
The Things Under Your House In God of War
Â

No spoilers here; don’t worry. We’ll just put the link here and put a video of it on top. Again, don’t click on them if you haven’t finished God of War yet.
In fact, these moments are so good, we’re going to link to each of them. Most of them are spoiler-riffic, so click with care.
Runners-Up:Â A Way Out’s reveal, the last climb in Celeste,Â Dragon Quest XI’s “Return of the King”-esque sendoff, Tetris Effect’s desert bit,Â Marvel’s Spider-Man’s ending, the pub scene with Lenny in Red Dead Redemption 2, Yamcha’s Dramatic Finish in Dragon Ball FighterZ.
Biggest Disappointment
PlayStation Classic

Disappointments don’t necessarily mean terrible products or events. Most of the time, it can be a long-awaited thing that ends up becoming way less than a sum of its parts. Heck, it can even be something that was once good and trend-setting which for some unknown reason, turned lacklustre during this particular year.
Unfortunately, we’re going to give this award to PlayStation’s not-so-hot take on the retro gaming box. It’s amazing that a first-party company can cock up a surefire thing: follow what Nintendo did with its NES and SNES Mini, put in the games people want, and then make sure it runs like a beast.
PlayStation did the first step right, kinda muddled up the second, and then s*** the bed with the last. The games on the PlayStation Classic are middling at best; we made a list of games that were missing, remember? And the games we got? Jesus, some of them don’t even run in their native framerates. Even the emulation is spotty at best. Shouldn’t it be better than third-party emulations out there?
This may be a good Christmas present for some, but this method has the potential to taint and damage people’s perception of how PlayStation 1 gaming was like. At the very least, the plastic case it comes with looks spiffy and you can put in your own games if you know your hacking and coding.
Runners-Up: GameStart 2018, Metal Gear Survive, Fallout 76.
Stay tuned for the fifth day of the awards this Monday, 31st January 4pm GMT+8. We have our Best & Worst game picks of 2018; you don’t want to miss this.


Mulan Gets Down To Business In First Live-Action Trailer

Walt Disney Studios have released the first trailer for its upcoming live-action Mulan movie, and it’s definitely different, to say the least. Most of the House of Mouse’s other live-action adaptations of classic animated movies have always been mostly faithful part-for-part remakes.
However, Mulan looks like it’ll be doing its own thing.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01ON04GCwKs&w=560&h=315]
From the looks of this trailer, the rumours that Mushu the Dragon and iconic songs from the original animated movie will be absent from the live-action adaptation may turn out to be true. Neither are featured in the trailer, as the Mulan movie looks more like a serious sweeping war epic instead of a fun musical romp.
The reason for that could be because of the fact that the live-action Mulan movie screenplay is based on the narrative poem â€œThe Ballad of Mulan”, which could be why it seems less ‘Disney-like’ than usual.
However, I seem to be hearing subtle notes of the song Reflection from the original animated movie playing in the background of the trailer.

Directed by Niki Caro, Disney’s Mulan will star:

Yifei Liu as Mulan
Donnie Yen as Commander Tung
Jason Scott Lee as BÃ¶ri Khan
Yoson An as Cheng Honghui
Gong Li as Xianniang
Jet Li as the Emperor

Disney’s Mulan is slated to premiere on 27 March 2020.


Alan Wake Remastered Full System Requirements For PC Supports DLSS

Remedy just revealed the PC specifications and requirements for its upcoming 4K overhaul of its survival horror action game Alan Wake. Here they are:
Minimum

CPU: Intel i5-3340 or AMD Ryzen 3 1200
GPU: Nvidia GeForce GTX 960 or AMD RX470, 4GB VRAM
RAM: 8GB or higher
OS: Win 10 64-bit

Recommended

CPU: Inte i7-3770 or AMD Ryzen 5 1400
GPU: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 or AMD 5600XT, 6GB VRAM
RAM: 16GB
OS: Win 10 64-bit

The PC remaster of Alan Wake will support Nvidia DLSS, but not ray tracing or HDR. The game will also support ultra-wide displays and unlocked framerates. The game’s graphical settings options are below:
Basic

Ambient occlusion â€“ Yes â€“ (HBAO+ Nvidia Ambient occlusion tech)
Resolution â€“ Enumerated resolutions
V-Sync â€“ On/Off
Console v-sync set to on and with no option to turn off
HUD â€“ Enabled/Disabled
Brightness
Motion Blur â€“ Enabled/Disabled
Film Grain â€“ Enabled/Disabled
FOV â€“ Slider

Advanced

Graphics Quality â€“ Low/Medium/High/Custom
Render Scale â€“ Slider â€“ default to 100%
Anisotropic Filtering â€“ Off, 2x, 4x, 8x, 16x
Shadow Quality â€“ Low, Medium, High
Volumetric Light Quality â€“ Low, Medium, High
Terrain Quality â€“ Low, High
Draw Distance â€“ Slider

Generally, if you want the best 4K visuals for Alan Wake, you’ll need an Nvidia RTX GPU, and those do not come cheap.


Noob Saibot & Shang Tsung Are Returning In Mortal Kombat 11

For Mortal Kombat fans who missed Sub-Zero’s evil brother and his hot zoning shadow playing style, rejoice! He’s back. Oh, and Shang Tsung too apparently, if you’re into shape-shifting fireball-spamming wizards.
Check out the Noob Saibot trailer below, featuring his MK9 moveset along with some new tricks up his black-clad sleeves.

The MK sorcerer supreme will be the first DLC character for MK11. If you order the premium edition, you’ll get him (and the 5 other kombatants) for free.

Your soul is mine! The Master Sorcerer, Shang Tsung, returns to #MK11 as the first DLC character. Pre-order the Premium Edition today: https://t.co/cf3EngbLmz pic.twitter.com/eTEe1SDOhO
— Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate (@MortalKombat) March 22, 2019

The best part? He’ll be voiced byÂ  Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, the movie Shang Tsung. Here’s a reminder of his acting prowess in that campy 90s adaptation.

If you want to get your hands on the MK11 closed beta, you may want to check out our Facebook page. We’re giving away codes; head there now if you want one!
https://www.facebook.com/kakuchopurei/photos/a.1222916664479413/1815193465251727/?type=3&__xts__%5B0%5D=68.ARD0IoJAOwbCCxqOsEkqkidBw_vLgldSOStNXytpOfq-_kGuiL54HaQe7U4w9_9wq_s2LxV0Nh_xS1igZjK3Ijs4SNJopYTwEQGh0tSs04f3fatc2_0MNMMacqo30etL02LBpYRU8LN4X5QOgR6MllpjKq8lGL9NTOudlu1yeW2-Vpykfp5E9O78F1NyHDuZL_2T4SmDq9AKaC7lbth6XmcOYdZGIvLtetfJ_aWfIq6sUqayURORf-1p4ED2MCz-0FZ_gS0pi146KAo2NrLc3zNGeIcrTGuRN9j-RKZ7b02Ziy7ljW-5Stu-t8Pw3eLKFhj2sRUPVeSgP0LU8MOkzPWLcRzu&__tn__=-R


Hot Wheels Unleashes New Remote-Controlled Cybertruck

Mattel Creation and Hot Wheels have announced a new remote-controlled 1/10 Cybertruck. It’s more than just another R/C car though, as it features rims, tire treads, working lights and a custom-designed remote. Most interesting of all, it comes with a â€œfirst-of-its-kindâ€ free-rolling Cyberquad based on Teslaâ€™s ATV.
The 1/10 Hot Wheels R/C Cybertruck is slated to go on sale at Mattel Creations starting from 11pm GMT+ on 21 May 2021. The entire set will be priced at US$100 and it will ship starting from 15 September 2021.
In the meantime, check out the promotional images below, courtesy of Nerdist:


Call Of Duty Modern Warfare 2 Logo Unveiled By Infinity Ward

The Call Of Duty franchise is still an annual one, and the next title is Call Of Duty Modern Warfare 2, which will be helmed by Infinity Ward. It’s probably a sequel to 2019’s Call Of Duty Modern Warfare. Activision Blizzard rotates between three developers for each Call Of Duty game, which includes Treyarch and Sledgehammer Games as well.
Check out the official logo below (via Twitter):

#ModernWarfare2 pic.twitter.com/5wgtkph59W
— Infinity Ward (@InfinityWard) April 28, 2022

However, no other details or information have been revealed. Call Of Duty Modern Warfare 2 will be the first in the franchise to be released after Microsoft announced that they have acquired Activision Blizzard just last month. This new title will likely still be multiplatform since they remain contractually obligated to do so by PlayStation for at least the next three games.


Overwatch’s Multiplayer Gets Priority Pass System

On a special Overwatch developer update, game director Jeff Kaplan announces a new addition to the game’s matchmaking experience: the priority pass.
This is a way for the game to assemble balanced teams quicker than usual, as well as reward those willing to play less popular roles via giving them tickets for queue-jumping. Since people love being damage dealers and DPS in an Overwatch match, this will impact that particular group more. This change will hopefully make them diversify their roles a tad instead of sticking to a Reaper or Sombra 100% of the time.
To quote the man:
“Priority passes are earned by entering a flex queue. You are in essence queuing for every role available â€” tank, support, damage â€” and the game will put you in the role most needed to speed up queue times for everyone. If you win you’re gonna earn a lot [of passes], you can bank up to 40, this is a number we might change, we might tune this differently, but win or lose you’ll gain some passes.”

These passes can be handy if you want to enter a faster queue for a common role like DPS. The goal of the system is to speed up queue times for everyone as well as encourage the behaviour of people switching up roles every playthrough.
“When you’re using a priority pass it does not guarantee you get matched instantly, it’s impossible for the math to work out that way, but what we’re gonna do is our best to match you in a faster queue time, and we’re gonna show you what the estimated queue time would be if you’re queuing normally versus with the priority pass, and those estimates are our best guess, we do a lot of math, we do a lot of statistics behind those estimates, but they’re not perfectly accurate so we’re gonna do our best. We think this system will make queuing for everyone better, we think it’ll be very rewarding for flex players, you’ll be rewarded for your very generous behaviour which we very much appreciate.”
Other noteworthy changes from the update include tweaks to the replay viewer, like giving more control over the camera and different UI options. Oh and there’s a new short story on Overwatch’s Symmetra which you can read here.
The priority pass system will appear on PTR first because it still needs to be tested for bugs and whatnot. Just like most Blizzard games and updates, it’ll be ready when it’s ready.


Baldur’s Gate 3 Early Access Guide: All The Playable Races So Far

Disclaimer: this Early Access guide will be updated with more information as we discover more about the game.
Baldur’s Gate 3 is now out in Early Access form. It’s pretty buggy as of now, but it’s got a ton of potential, so if you don’t mind paying US$59.99 being a test subject to Larian Studio’s grand D&D experiment, go nuts.
When you start a CRPG like this, you’ll have to decide what race you’ll be, and that might take a while. So while you’re installing the game (it’s about 80GB or more), here’s a quick guide to the races you’ll get to play as in this still-being-built CRPG.
Drow

Black elves. Usually perceived as evil and shady, and usually justified because they’re a cruel and persecuting race. Made famous thanks to hero Drizzt in those Forgotten Realms books.
Subraces:Â Seldarine drow, Lolth-Sworn drow

Charisma +1
CantripsÂ â€“Â Unconfirmed, but could be Dancing Lights
DarkvisionÂ â€“Â You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You canâ€™t discern colour in darkness, only shades of grey.
Drow Weapon TrainingÂ â€“Â You have proficiency with rapiers, shortswords, and hand crossbows.

Human
Not special beings, but not entirely helpless either.

Strength +1
Dexterity +1
Constitution +1
Intelligence +1
Wisdom +1
Charisma +1

Githyanki
Astral Plane-dweller who rebel against their Mind Flayer overlords. Basically aliens in a fantasy world.

Intelligence +1
Strength + 2
Decadent MasteryÂ â€“Â You learn one language of your choice, and you are proficient with one skill or tool of your choice. In the timeless city of Tuâ€™narath, githyanki have bountiful time to master odd bits of knowledge.
Martial ProdigyÂ â€“Â You are proficient with light and medium armour and with shortswords, longswords, and greatswords.

Dwarf

Tough and hardy diminutive folks. But don’t say the latter adjective to their faces; they’ll cave it in.
Subraces:Â Gold dwarf, shield dwarf

Wisdom +1
Dwarven Weapon TrainingÂ â€“Â You have proficiency with the battleaxe, handaxe, light hammer, and warhammer.
Dwarven ResilienceÂ â€“ You have advantage on saving throws against poison, and you have resistance against poison damage.
Dwarven ToughnessÂ â€“ Your hit point maximum increases by 1, and it increases by 1 every time you gain a level.

Elf
Not your Keebler or Santa’s helper variety. Usually magically-attuned or handy with ranged classes.
Subraces:Â High elf, wood elf

CantripÂ â€“Â [to be chosen]
Dexterity +2
Intelligence +1
Keen SensesÂ â€“ You have proficiency in the Perception skill.
Fey AncestryÂ â€“ You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic canâ€™t put you to sleep.
Elven Weapon TrainingÂ â€“ You have proficiency with the longsword, shortsword, shortbow, and longbow.
DarkvisionÂ â€“Â Accustomed to twilit forests and the night sky, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You canâ€™t discern colour in darkness, only shades of grey.

Half-Elf
Half human, half elf. All sorts of awesome usually.
Subraces:Â High half-elf, wood half-elf, drow half-elf

Charisma +2
Ability Improvements (0/2)Â â€“ [choose where to put your 2 extra points]
Fey AncestryÂ â€“ You have an advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic canâ€™t put you to sleep.
DarkvisionÂ â€“Â Thanks to your elven heritage, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You canâ€™t discern colour in darkness, only shades of grey.

Halfling
D&D’s version of the hobbits, but slightly taller and smarter.
Subraces:Â Lightfoot halfling, strongheart halfling

Charisma +1
LuckyÂ â€“ When you roll a 1 on the d20 for an attack roll, ability check, or saving throw, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll.
BraveÂ â€“ The world can be intimidating, but you stand strong. You have advantage on saving throws against being frightened.
Mercurial StepÂ â€“ Your base walking speed is 25 feet.
Naturally StealthyÂ â€“ Your nimble nature makes you skilled at concealment. You have proficiency in stealth checks.

Tiefling

Human-based planetouched native outsiders infused with the touch of the fiendish planes populated by devils and demons. Basically D&D’s way of creating a race of Satan’s kids without saying the word “Satan” back in the day.
Subraces:Â Asmodeus tiefling, Mephistopheles tiefling, Zariel tiefling

Intelligence +1
Charisma + 2
Hellish ResistanceÂ â€“ You have resistance to fire damage.


Check Out Square Enix’s Tokyo Game Show 2019 Lineup And Stage Schedule

Square Enix has published their full lineup of games and stage activities that will be happening at Tokyo Game Show 2019.
Check it out:
Main Lineup

Dragon Quest X: Ibara no Miko to Horobi no Kami Online (PS4, Switch, Wii U, 3DS, PC) â€“ Mega Theater, Stage
Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age â€“ Definitive Edition (Switch) â€“ Playable, Mega Theater, Stage
Final Fantasy VII Remake (PS4) â€“ Playable, Mega Theater
Final Fantasy XIV Online (PS4, PC, Mac) â€“ Playable, Mega Theater, Stage
Final Fantasy: Brave Exvius (iOS, Android, PC) â€“ Studio
Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles Remastered Edition (PS4, Switch, iOS, Android) â€“ Playable, Mega Theater, Stage
Imperial SaGa: Eclipse (PC Browser, Smartphone Browser) â€“ Mega Theater, Stage
Marvelâ€™s Avengers (PS4, Xbox One, PC, Stadia) â€“ Mega Theater, Stage
Octopath Traveler: Champions of the Continent (iOS, Android) â€“ Mega Theater
Romancing SaGa 3 (PS4, Xbox One, Switch, PS Vita, PC, iOS, Android) â€“ Mega Theater, Stage
Romancing SaGa Re: Universe (iOS, Android) â€“ Stage
Star Ocean: First Departure R (PS4, Switch) â€“ Mega Theater, Stage
Trials of Mana (PS4, Switch, PC) â€“ Mega Theater, Stage
Tropico 6 (PS4) â€“ Mega Theater, Studio
War of the Visions: Final Fatnasy Brave Exvius (iOS, Android) â€“ Mega Theater

Family Game Park

Dragon Quest Builders 2 (PS4, Switch)

Esports X Stage

Dragon Quest Rivals (Switch, PC, iOS, Android)

Miscellaneous

Final Fantasy Trading Card Game – Studio
Square Enix Goods Shop
Square Enix Music & Publishing
Square Enix Partners

As for their stage and studio presentations:
September 14
Stage (YouTube)

11:00 to 12:30 â€“ Super Dragon Quest X TV at TGS 2019 Special â€“ The monthly Niconico broadcast â€œSuper Dragon Quest X TVâ€ goes to Tokyo Game Show 2019 as a special stage at the Square Enix booth. The latest information on the October 24-due expansion Dragon Quest X: Ibara no Miko to Horobi no Kami Online a plenty with special guests. Plus, all sorts of other content including a battle challenge corner where we take on the â€œ2nd Dol Board Race.â€ Featuring Yuji Horii (game designer), Kouji Aoyama (producer), Takashi Anzai (director), Kento Itou (voice actor), Akeno Watanabe (voice actor), Ami Niimaruichi (3rd Novice Ambassador), Umino Kawamura (6th Novice Ambassador), MC Ayana Tsubaki (talent), and MC Motohiro Takewaka (Buffalo Gorou).

13:00 to 13:50 â€“ Pre-Launch! Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age â€“ Definitive Edition Special Stage â€“ A special stage for the September 27-due Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age â€“ Definitive Edition for Switch at Tokyo Game Show 2019. Look forward to all sorts of details together with some special guests. Featuring Yuji Horii (game designer and scenario), Hokuto Okamoto (producer), Takeshi Uchikawa (director), Masato Yagi (development director), and MC Joy (talent).

14:20 to 15:10 â€“ Trials of Mana TGS 2019 Special Stage â€“ In early 2020, we will release the action RPG Trials of Mana for PlayStation 4, Switch, and PC. This is a detailed overview of the key features of this title, which has been vividly reborn 25 years after the release of the original Trials of Mana (Seiken Densetsu 3), including live gameplay. Featuring Masaru Oyamada (Mana series producer), Shinichi Tatsuke (Trials of Mana producer), and MC Susumu Imadachi (Eleki Comic).

15:40 to 16:45 â€“ Final Fantasy XIV: Yoshi-P Goes for a Walk in Makuhari â€“ Final Fantasy XIV Online producer and director Naoki Yoshida plays the game together with other players. There may even be a high-difficulty challengeâ€¦!? Featuring Naoki Yoshida (producer and director) and Toshio Murouchi (global community producer).

Studio (YouTube)

Time Being Adjusted â€“ Opening â€“ Featuring MC Susumu Imadachi (Eleki Comic).

11:00 to 11:30 â€“ Final Fantasy Trading Card Game Official Broadcast: Plus a Board Game â€“ The latest information on Final Fantasy Trading Card Game, the competitive card game with Final Fantasy series characters. Plus an introduction to a board game planned for release by Square Enix. Featuring Tarou Kageyama (Hobby Japan producer) and Mariko (Square Enix).

12:00 to 12:50 â€“ Pre-Launch! Tropico 6 TGS Broadcast â€“ An introduction to the September 27-due PlayStation 4 simulation game Tropico 6 at Tokyo Game Show 2019. Featuring Alun Lower (public relations manager), Daisuke Yamamoto (localization producer), Shouhei Takaya (localization producer), and MC Susumu Imadachi (Eleki Comic).

13:20 to 14:30 â€“ Final Fantasy: Brave Exvius Official Broadcast TGS 2019 Version â€“ The latest information on Final Fantasy: Brave Exvius at Tokyo Game Show 2019. Plus updated information on the four-year anniversary event. Featuring Kei Hirono (producer), MC Chuunii (Final Fantasy: Brave Exvius official YouTube channel), and Misoshiru (Final Fantasy: Brave Exvius official YouTube channel).

September 15
Stage (YouTube)

Time Being Adjusted â€“ SaGa Series TGS 2019 Special Stage â€“ The latest information on the SaGa series. Featuring Akitoshi Kawazu (SaGa series general director), Masanori Ichikawa (SaGa series producer), Kazuma Oushuu (Imperial SaGa: Eclipse producer), Kenji Ito (composer), Yusuke Naora (illustrator), Benny Matsuyama (game writer, novelist), Seizan Shimazaki (Akatsuki creative producer and engineer), MC Nobuo of Penguins (comedian), and assistant MC Yui (actress and talent).

Time Being Adjusted â€“ Marvelâ€™s Avengers TGS 2019 Special Stage â€“ An introduction to the world of Marvelâ€™s Avengers with the developers. Featuring Casey Lynch (Crystal Dynamics editorial director), Daisuke Yamamoto (localization producer), Shouhei Takaya (localization producer), and MC Susumu Imadachi (Eleki Comic).

Time Being Adjusted â€“ Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles Remastered Edition Special Live Stage â€“ It has been 16 years since the release of the original Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles. During this Tokyo Game Show 2019 special stage, get a first look at live gameplay of online multiplayer, plus all sorts of new elements debuting here. Plus, original theme song artist Fujimoto Yae will sing â€œKaze no Ne.â€ Featuring Ryouma Araki (producer), Toshiyuki Itahana (character designer), Kumi Tanioka (composer), Fujimoto Yae (singer), Lynn (voice actor), and MC Susumu Imadachi (Eleki Comic).

Time Being Adjusted â€“ Star Ocean Program R TGS 2019 Special Stage â€“ A unison stage for Star Ocean 1 high-definition remaster Star Ocean: First Departure R and Star Ocean: Anamnesis. In addition to the latest information, there will also be special segments, so please check it out. Featuring Takaaki Kai (management producer), Evelysse (Yuno Mizusawa and gravure idol), Koro? (Ban Ban Ban Yamamoto and actor), and other special guests.

Since there will be YouTube streams of the stage and studio shows, you don’t have to feel too bummed out for not being able to make it to Tokyo Game Show 2019.
TGS 2019 will be happening from 12 September to 15 September 2019 at the Makuhari Messe in Chiba, Japan.


A Streets Of Rage Movie Is In The Works By John Wick Writer

A live-action Streets Of Rage movie adaptation is in the works from John Wick franchise creator Derek Kolstad. According to a report from Deadline, Kolstad is writing the script for the movie, with Sonic The Hedgehog movie producer dj2 Entertainment and Escape Artists (best known for the Equalizer franchise) producing the movie.
Sega’s Streets Of Rage first began in 1991 on the Sega Genesis console, kickstarting an iconic side-scrolling beat-em-up franchise. The latest game in the series was 2020’s Streets Of Rage 4 for current platforms (you can check out our review of that game here). dj2 Entertainment is also currently working on adaptations of other video games, such as Disco Elysium, Life Is Strange, and It Takes Two.
If it turns out to be anything like the quality of the Sonic The Hedgehog movies, we’re in for a fun ride, at least. No one’s looking for the next Citizen Kane in a Streets Of Rage movie of all things.


Ant-Man And The Wasp Quantumania Breakdown & Post-Credits Explained

Ant-Man And The Wasp Quantumania is now showing in Malaysian cinemas and it’s a great start to Phase Five of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). The movie is extremely important for the MCU moving forward, as it introduces new big bad, Kang The Conqueror (Jonathan Majors).
I’ll be discussing major spoilers from the movie (including the movie’s two post-credits scenes), so here are some spoiler warnings:

Ant-Man And The Wasp Quantumania Breakdown

Before we explore what happened in the movie’s two post-credits scenes, let’s briefly discuss what happens in the movie. Basically, in Ant-Man And The Wasp Quantumania, we learn that when Janet Van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer) was originally stranded in the Quantum Realm over 30 years ago, she was not alone. Around the same time, Kang (Jonathan Majors) also crash-landed in his time chair/ship. Without knowing who Kang really was, Janet helped him repair his time chair/ship but while installing the Multiversal Engine (the power source of the time chair/ship), Janet gets a vision of who Kang really was, a dictator who conquers and destroys worlds and entire timelines. She then sabotages the Multiversal Engine, causing both Kang and herself to be stuck in the Quantum Realm all these years.
In the movie, we also learn that after all that happened, Janet became the leader of a rebellion against Kang before she eventually left the Quantum Realm after being saved in 2018’s Ant-Man And The Wasp.

The big thing driving the plot in Ant-Man And The Wasp Quantumania is that Kang wants Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) to retrieve the Multiversal Ship for him to fix his time chair/ship and escape the Quantum Realm. The reason why he needs Scott’s help is that the only way to recover the Multiversal Engine is to use Pym Particles to reduce its size back to normal because what Janet did to sabotage it was using Pym Particles to make it extremely big and unstable.
That’s basically the big backdrop that kickstarts the events of the movie, but to make things easier to explain, I’ll answer the questions below:
Who Is Kang In Ant-Man And The Wasp Quantumania?

I’ve already written a whole article about the origins of Kang The Conqueror in the comics, but after watching Ant-Man And The Wasp Quantumania, here’s what we know about the version of Kang The Conqueror who appears specifically in this movie.
Firstly, if you haven’t watched Loki Season 1 on Disney+ Hotstar, let me explain what variants are. In the MCU, variants are alternate versions of an individual from other universes and timelines in the multiverse.
The Kang who appears in Ant-Man And The Wasp Quantumania is a variant who was exiled outside space and time to the Quantum Realm by the Council Of Kangs, which is why he was stuck there like Janet. Why was he exiled? This was never explained in Ant-Man And The Wasp Quantumania, but it will probably be covered in a future MCU movie or TV series.
This Kang The Conqueror variant eventually winds up ‘dead’ at the end of Ant-Man And The Wasp Quantumania. However, we never saw a body, since we only see him getting sucked into the Multiversal Engine. As such, it’s possible he could return in the future.
Wait, Who Is The Council Of Kangs? They Appear In The First Ant-Man And The Wasp Quantumania Post-Credits

To put it simply, in the comics, the Council Of Kangs was a group of different versions of Kangs formed by the Kang-Prime with the purpose of eliminating problematic versions of Kangs. Their main enemies were not only the heroes like the Avengers, but also Immortus, the future version of Kang (Old Man Kang, basically). Later in the comics, the twist is that Immortus himself was responsible for the formation of the Council Of Kangs, in order to make sure that all Kangs would eventually become Immortus in the future.
However, the MCU version might be completely different. Why?
The first post-credits scene in Ant-Man And The Wasp Quantumania features the debut of the Council Of Kangs in the MCU, but what’s important is that it highlights three Kang variants or figures who are likely the most important.
These three Kang variants who appear in the first Ant-Man And The Wasp Quantumania post-credits scene are:
Immortus

I don’t have a screenshot from the post-credits scene because it literally just came out in cinemas, but the Kang variant in the middle of the three individuals is most likely Immortus. He’s wearing the same tall headpiece/hat and has the same facial hair, as well as wearing a similar kind of robe as his comics counterpart.
Immortus was not part of the Council Of Kangs in the comics, because even though he is a future version of Kang, Immortus is almost like a different individual. Immortus is Kang who has stopped conquering and instead focuses on protecting the timelines for the Time-Keepers. However, the MCU version of Immortus is likely different because we already had He Who Remains in Loki Season 1, who was based on the comics template of Immortus.

It’s bizarre that the MCU version of Immortus looks like he’s the leader of the Council Of Kangs. In the post-credits scene, he mentions the Avengers being a problem because they are now aware of the multiverse or something like that. Perhaps he will make the Avengers of the MCU his enemies because he sees them as a threat to the timeline, which is what also happened in the comics anyways.
It’s confusing, I know, but all you need to know about Immortus for now is that he’s an older version of Kang from the future and arguably even more dangerous than Kang himself due to his mastery of time.
Rama-Tut

In the comics, this Kang variant is actually one of the earlier versions of Kang. Before he became Kang The Conqueror, he went to ancient Egypt where he became the pharaoh Rama-Tut. However, he was eventually defeated by the Fantastic Four, a young Apocalypse (who replaced him as Pharaoh), the moon god Khonshu (yes, the one who gave Moon Knight his powers), Doctor Strange and the Avengers.
That’s basically it. Rama-Tut is just proto-Kang. We know the one of the three Kang variants in the post-credits scene is Rama-Tut because he’s obviously wearing Egyptian garb.
Iron Lad

Speaking of proto-Kang, Iron Lad (in the comics) is the youngest variant of Kang who went back to the past and joined the Young Avengers to prevent himself from becoming Kang. He doesn’t want to become Kang, so he goes by his original name, Nathaniel “Nate” Richards. In the comics, he also formed a romantic relationship with Cassie Lang (Scott Lang’s daughter), so yeah, that might still happen in the MCU.
What’s weird is that we see one of the three Kang variants wearing an Iron Man-looking armour and I assume he is Iron Lad. However, Iron Lad was never part of the Council Of Kangs in the comics. There’s no reason for him to be because he’s always tried to be a hero and avoid becoming Kang. Maybe this Kang variant is just inspired by the comic book Iron Lad and they’re not actually the same.
Avengers Forever?

I have a theory after watching Ant-Man And The Wasp Quantumania.
Maybe the MCU version of The Kang Dynasty will actually adapt Avengers Forever instead, where Kang recruits Avengers from different timelines to help him fight Immortus?
Anything is possible, since Ant-Man And The Wasp Quantumania already established its Kang The Conqueror was exiled by this Immortus and his Council Of Kangs, which means that there’s already an existing conflict between Kang and Immortus.

Maybe the reason why Immortus exiled Kang is because this Kang variant tried to change his future to avoid turning into Immortus.
The premise of time-displaced Avengers in Avengers Forever would also give Marvel Studios a good reason to bring back Robert Downey Jr. or Chris Evans again…
The Second Ant-Man And The Wasp Quantumania Post-Credits: Who Is Victor Timely & Teasing Loki Season 2

In the second post-credits, we meet another Kang variant named Victor Timely in an old-timey setting. In the audience, Mobius (Owen Wilson) questions why Loki (Tom Hiddleston) is so afraid of this person. This is probably a tease for Loki Season 2, which is slated to premiere on Disney+ Hotstar sometime this year (2023).
In the comics, Victor Timely was actually just Kang himself and not a variant. The brilliant inventor and industrialist Victor Timely was a convenient identity that Kang Prime used in 1901 to plot his conquest of earth from the town of Timely, Wisconsin in the USA. While there, he built a technology manufacturing business that spanned generations. Kang achieved this by posing as future generations of Victor Timely’s descendants as well, similar to how Kingo (Kumail Nanjiani) did the same in 2021’s Eternals.
Victor Timely AKA Kang was notable in the comics for two things. Firstly, his company, Timely Industries, was responsible for creating the first Human Torch android. Secondly, his company’s influence in robotics means that during the Kang Dynasty event in the comics, he could take control of the world’s whole supply of Sentinels robots, which is what helped him conquer the world.
In the MCU, I’m guessing the same thing applies. Kang is trying to establish his future plans by forming Timely Industries and having a foothold in the robotics industry, thereby taking control of future technology like sentinels to help his plans in forming the Kang Dynasty on earth.
I do have a theory. Like I previously mentioned above, what if Kang didn’t actually die when he got sucked into the Multiversal Engine at the end of Ant-Man And The Wasp Quantumania? What if he survived and decided to hide in the timeline by going to 1901 and becoming Victor Timely, hence leading to 2025’s Avengers The Kang Dynasty? It’s possible.
Other Miscellaneous Questions: What Is Cassie Lang’s Superhero Name?

In Ant-Man And The Wasp Quantumania, Cassie Lang (Kathryn Newton) suited up and helped her family fight Kang. However, she never mentioned any specific superhero names in the movie, nor was she referred to as anything else than just Cassie.
In the comics, Cassie Lang has gone by two superhero names; Stature and later Stinger. She was part of the Young Avengers and actually died by sacrificing herself to defeat Doctor Doom in Avengers The Children’s Crusade. During this same event, Cassie was in love with Iron Lad (a younger version of Kang The Conqueror who is also part of the Young Avengers) and Cassie’s death is one of the events that lead to Iron Lad turning into Kang. Cassie Lang would later come back to life after Doctor Doom resurrects her during the AXIS storyline.

Stature.

However, it’s likely that the MCU version of Cassie will be very different from the comics. In the trailers and promotional, she has a suit similar to Ant-Man and the Wasp, which might indicate that she’ll skip the Stature name and use Stinger instead (which is her current superhero name in the comics). It’s only as Stinger in the comics that she has a more Ant-Man/Wasp-like costume that makes her more like the Wasp with the ability to fly and fire energy blasts. Her MCU costume definitely looks more like Stinger than Stature.
See?


A Month After Street Fighter 6’s Release, We Have A Tier List From A Pro

Street Fighter 6 has been out for a month, so it’s unlikely that we’ll be getting a concrete tier list on who the best and worst characters are in the game. Leave it to high-level tournament player Haitani to get busy with his findings.
The pro player has mastered all 18 characters, playing them all online and getting them to Master Rank in the game’s battle hub. Without further ado, here they are:
S Tier – Cammy, Ken, Dee Jay

It’s like as if Cammy from Street Fighter 5 never left. In all seriousness, Cammy and Ken’s rushdown game and toolset are just better than everyone else’s in the game. Drive Rush combos just makes them more dangerous.
Dee Jay’s mixups and tricks aren’t just gimmicks; they can help make you deal more damage moreso than his previous counterparts in past SF titles. He’s not a joke character anymore; he’s the real deal who comes with a darn good forward jumping knee attack, a slide with low profile and crazy hitbox, an anti-air that doubles as a crossup tool, and super-fast and long-reaching Drive Rush attacks and Drive Impacts.

A Tier – Luke, Juri, JP, Manon, Chun-Li

The poster child for SF6 -Luke- is the best “traditional” shoto in the game coupled with great conversions and footsies. Juri has great pokes, good damage especially with her fast overhead Drive Rush staple, and is pretty fast on her feet.
JP’s zoning game is currently the best in the business, while Manon’s momentum grappler mechanic complements her range of footsies and reach. She may not have plus frame moves (unless you use Drive Rush), but she’s still dangerous especially if you get carelessly grappled and contribute to her Medal levels.

B Tier – Guile, Blanka, Jamie, E.Honda, Kimberly, Marisa

These characters are still solid picks and have their own tricks of the trade to get ahead, like Blanka’s rolling attack and command grab. But once players know the matchup and what unsafe moves they have, they can counterattack everything with ease. The exception is Guile; it’s hard to poke holes at his defensive game.

C Tier – Dhalsim, Ryu, Zangief, Lily

These characters are lacking tools that get them the edge over their B-Tier and A-Tier counterparts. You need to make good reads and work a little harder than usual to get ahead with the likes of Ryu and Lily here. After all, why play Ryu when Ken and Luke are superior choices?

?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? pic.twitter.com/xas7shtrRH
— RC ????(Haitani) (@hai090) July 1, 2023

Street Fighter 6 is out right now for PC, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series, and Xbox One.


Esports Kuala Lumpur Association President Lashes Out At Youth Minister

Following the recent controversies surrounding the meeting between Youth and Sports Minister Syed Saddiq and a group of people that included Cleo International representative Cleopatra (real name apparently unknown to even the minister himself), Esports Kuala Lumpur Association (ESKL) president Hisham Darus has posted a Facebook post grilling Saddiq.
Image from Cleopatra’s Instagram.
It was recently clarified by Esports Business Network (EBN) and Orange Esports that the meeting was held to discuss a youth initiative programme that would contain esports as one of its pillars. Cleo International will be leading the programme and EBN was contacted to act as the service provider for the esports aspect of the programme.
In his Facebook post, Hisham implied that the minister has been neglecting local esports associations such as ESKL and Electronic Sports Malaysia (ESM). In an effort to get Saddiq to defend himself, Hisham posed two questions which he wrote in ALL CAPS but I’ll make him sound more diplomatic here:

“How many times were similar meetings held between the Youth and Sports Minister and state esports association as well as the national esports association?
“What about the allocation of funds from the Youth and Sports Ministry to state esports association in organising esports programmes and activities as per the esports funding that was recently announced at the tabling of Budget 2020?”

Further down the post, Hisham questions if Saddiq’s Open Door Policy which would be in effect every Thursday was mere rhetoric. He claims that several state esports association presidents including himself have been prevented from meeting Saddiq by members of Saddiq’s esports blueprint Task Force. Earlier on, he said that the Saddiq has not responded to a single one of ESKL’s requests ever since the restructuring of ESM.
In the second last paragraph, a very heavy criticism is given as Hisham says that the local esports industry would do better without the Youth and Sports Minister whom he implies to be sidelining local esports associations in order to make way for companies with vested interests.
You can read the ESKL president’s full post here or you can take a look at these screenshots:


Looks Like A New Bleach Anime Has Been Confirmed [Update: It’s Real]

Update: Anime adaptations of Bleach‘s Thousand-Year Blood War arc and the Burn The Witch one-shot have been confirmed. The promotional video is below. Details are still scarce, but you can hear the voice of Thousand-Year Blood War antagonist Yhwach.

Original story
Eight years after the Bleach anime ended, it seems that there will be new anime projects to mark the 20th anniversary of Tite Kubo’s manga, which concluded in 2016.
Twitter account @AIR_News01 shared screenshots of several Weekly Shonen Jump pages, which revealed that the new series will adapt the manga’s Thousand-Year Blood War arc. The arc sees Ichigo and Soul Society battling against a powerful Quincy empire called the Wandenreich, while also seeing their own Quincy pal Ishida questioning his allegiance.
(Also, some Soul Reaper captains show off their new bankais, become zombies, and somehow becomes an exercise for author Tite Kubo to tie all of this to Ichigo’s past. Retcon much? – Ed.)
The Witchiest…
There will also be an adaptation of one-shot manga Burn The Witch, which centers on two witches working in the Western branch of Soul Society.

The "Bleach" Thousand-Year Blood War arc anime adaptation has also been confirmed. pic.twitter.com/njNP5mYPKM
— A.I.R (Anime Intelligence (and) Research) (@AIR_News01) March 18, 2020

Burn The Witch will be produced by Studio Colorido, who produced the movie Penguin Highway and have a new movie called Nakitai Watashi wa Neko o Kaburu (no official English title yet) coming in June. Meanwhile, the production studio for the new Bleach anime doesn’t seem to have been revealed yet. The original series was produced by Studio Pierrot.
I never read the Bleach manga, but I did spend a chunk of time reading about the Thousand-Year Blood War arc and ending via the Bleach wiki. Though I remember seeing a lot of comments that expressed disappointment about the ending, I’m kind of looking forward to seeing the Wandenreich and the arc’s battles animated. I guess I’ll only know how bad things were when I watch it in motion.

There will also be an official stream (see above) about the 20th anniversary project and Kubo’s new project on March 21 at 8.45am. I’d wait for that, or an official post by Weekly Shonen Jump on Twitter, before treating this as confirmed news, but it sure does look like Ichigo is back.


Should You Boycott Activision Blizzard Games? Well, It’s Complicated

With all the news of Activision Blizzard being sued by the State of California for its hostile working environment, sexual harassment, and discrimination, alongside other pieces of news, fans are reconsidering their role in supporting the company and its games. These include the long-running MMORPG World of Warcraft, action RPG Diablo, and co-op multiplayer shooter Overwatch series.
Yep, it’s the “b” word surfacing again: “boycott”. Truth be told, it’s not as black-and-white a situation. There really is no simple fix-all solution. Here’s why:
No Profit Sharing Among Hard-Working Developers & Game Makers
A Blizzard senior producer shared on Twitter (via Axios) said that women are still fighting and working daily at Blizzard. A boycott on Blizzard games may not be ideal: when people aren’t buying Blizzard titles, this will affect profit sharing and potential bonuses for people who really deserve it -the developers, coders, marketeers/PR, and producers who make it all possible.
“The impact of this lawsuit might mean that in March, when my newborn goes to FT childcare and my maternity leave ends â€” I might not get the bonus I need to pay for that childcare.”

On one hand, I completely understand why people would want to spend their money elsewhere rather than support a company that doesn't align with their morals.
On the other hand, it's a really bad feeling for those of us women who still work and fight daily at said company.
— ? tami lam ? (all bangers all the time) (@cuppy) July 26, 2021

Boycotts do more harm than good; while a company losing money will catch the attention of executives and shareholders who allowed this to happen from the top, it doesn’t work that way. Another Blizzard employee said to Axios that any major boycott would be harmful to the people who work there and poured their blood and sweat to make the game they want and to make studios better places than before.
“We can’t fix these problems if we’re unemployed and we can’t elevate women if we’re boycotting all of the work they’ve done and are doing.”
No One Gives A S***
Boycotts aren’t effective because not many people care enough to get involved than dedicated fans think they will be. Said one Blizzard employee:
“Even if a critical mass were reached, it’s more likely to result in layoffs on the dev teams than any change in opinion or composition at the top.”
Is There Even A Solution?
This is not to say that boycotts and protests aren’t effective. Pokemon Go did go through a boycott; Niantic responded and reacted positively. But to stop buying a company’s games in the long run means a lot of talented people in these companies getting laid off.
The sad truth is unethical labour practices are built into many aspects of the games industry be it Rockstar (Red Dead Redemption 2) or Naughty Dog (The Last of Us Part 2). These two games won a ton of awards during their release year, meaning higher-ups can use the sad excuse of justifying crunch and said practices as a means for critical acclaim.
There is no clear solution to this. As of now, players who want to support developers and better working conditions in the games industry should help out developer initiatives like an Activision Blizzard walkout, or a form of protest that sends a message to a lot of people online and offline. And I should add, the extreme case would be to fire the top brass who were systemic in this version of Activision Blizzard; a wholly necessary tactic if we wish to see actual true change and not the PR fluff kind on Twitter.


These Upcoming Ryzen 3000XT Processors Feature Faster Speeds For The Same Price

It looks like AMD’s latest processors are made official: the Ryzen 3000XT series will be available later this 7th June.
These latest processors come in three types: the AMD Ryzen 9 3900XT, Ryzen 7 3800XT, and Ryzen 5 3600XT. They come with faster clock speeds than their existing counterparts for the same price.
These new processors are AMD’s attempt to strengthen its current lineup to bump up clock speeds. Comparisons and US$ price tags are below, in case you’re interested in getting these to build your new gaming rig.
AMD Ryzen 9 3900XT

Core/Threads: 12/24
Boost & Base frequency: 4.7/3.8GHz (0.1 difference from 3900X model)
Total Cache: 70MB
TDP: 105 Watts
Platform: AM4
Price: US$499

AMD Ryzen 7 3800XT

Core/Threads: 8/16
Boost & Base Frequency: 4.7/3.9GHz (0.2 difference from 3800X model)
Total Cache: 36MB
TDP: 105 Watts
Platform: AM4
Price: US$399

AMD Ryzen 5 3600XT

Core/Threads: 6/12
Boost & Base Frequency: 4.5/3.8GHz (0.1 difference from 3600X model)
Total Cache: 35MB
TDP: 95 Watts
Platform: AM4
Price: US$249


Here’s Your First Look At The Pixel-Savvy River City Girls Beat-Em-Up

A while ago, we reported that WayForward and Arc System Works will be making the next game in the River City/Kunio-Kun beat-em-up/dodgeball franchise. Here’s a first look at the game, dubbed River City Girls, and it’s on-par with the developer’s past works and titillating style.

The game flips the script: instead of the girls needing rescuing, it’s now the boyfriends of protagonist Kyoko and Misako who need help. Said dudes happen to be series mainstay Kunio and Riki. Just like its predecessors, you have to 2D sidescroll your way through oodles of bad guys, beating them up with your fists and weapons. You can even recruit defeated foes to join your party.

So far, it’s capturing the spirit of the past games even if no one’s head is in SD format. It’s a gorgeous work of pixel art; let’s hope it plays just as good when it’s out 5th September for PC, PS4, Xbox One, and Switch. After all, WayForward did a damn good job with a Double Dragon game; I’m sure they can pull this off with flying colours.


Hawkeye: Kevin Feige Calls Hailee Steinfeld The “Dream Version” Of Kate Bishop

Courtesy of Disney+ Hotstar Malaysia, we were recently lucky enough to attend an online press conference for the upcoming Hawkeye series. It featured Jeremy Renner, Hailee Steinfeld, Kevin Feige, Vera Farmiga, Tony Dalton, and director/executive producer Rhys Thomas.
When asked about what Hailee Steinfeld’s first audition was like and whether they knew she was the right actress for the role of Kate Bishop, Kevin Feige surprisingly revealed that she didn’t even audition for the role in the first place.
He said:
“She did not audition.
We were very, very lucky that Hailee was open to this because we very much believe that she was sort of the prototype for the character, and it occasionally happens that the dream version of the character agrees to do it.
I think there were early meetings and discussions, but we were very thankful that she wanted to jump into this role because we had a feeling that she would be great.
And she is.”
There you go, folks. The casting process for any character isn’t easy but it looks like Kevin Feige and those at Marvel Studios definitely had faith in Hailee Steinfeld as Kate Bishop from the very beginning. That’s good news for fans of the character, as it seems like she’s in good hands.
HawkeyeÂ will premiere its first two episodes onÂ 24 November 2021 on Disney+ Hotstar.
The synopsis reads:
HawkeyeÂ is an original new series set in post-blip New York City where former Avenger Clint Barton aka Hawkeye has a seemingly simple mission: get back to his family for Christmas. But when a threat from his past shows up, Hawkeye reluctantly teams up with Kate Bishop, a 22-year-old skilled archer, and his biggest fan, to unravel a criminal conspiracy.
Stay tuned for our review of Hawkeye soon. In the meantime, check out the trailer below:


All Warner Bros. Movies In 2021 Will Also Release On HBO Max

In a shocking and unprecedented move, Warner Bros. has announced that all its movies slated to premiere in 2021 will also be releasing on the HBO Max streaming service.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, these movies will be available on HBO Max for 31 days from the same day they hit cinemas.
These include The Suicide Squad, The Matrix 4,  Dune, Godzilla vs. Kong and Space Jam: A New Legacy. Other films include Little Things, Judas and the Black Messiah, Tom & Jerry, Mortal Kombat, Those Who Wish Me Dead, The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It, In The Heights, Reminiscence, Malignant, The Many Saints of Newark, King Richard and Cry Macho.
WarnerMedia Studios and Networks Group Chair and CEO Ann Sarnoff said:
â€œWeâ€™re living in unprecedented times which call for creative solutions, including this new initiative for the Warner Bros. Pictures Group.No one wants films back on the big screen more than we do. We know new content is the lifeblood of theatrical exhibition, but we have to balance this with the reality that most theatres in the U.S. will likely operate at reduced capacity throughout 2021. With this unique one-year plan, we can support our partners in exhibition with a steady pipeline of world-class films, while also giving moviegoers who may not have access to theaters or arenâ€™t quite ready to go back to the movies the chance to see our amazing 2021 films. We see it as a win-win for film lovers and exhibitors, and weâ€™re extremely grateful to our filmmaking partners for working with us on this innovative response to these circumstances.
HBO Max is currently only available in the United States, and all those aforementioned movies will still roll out internationally in theatres as planned.
Wonder Woman 1984 will be the first to follow this new format, as it debuts on 17 December 2020 in Malaysia and 25 December in the US/HBO Max.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=bGy16GQHz-g


Esports Scene Mourns The Loss Of A StarCraft 2 Legend

Earlier today, a tweet was sent through Geoff “iNcontroL” Robinson‘s personal Twitter account announcing that the popular and beloved strategy games commentator has passed away due to sudden illness. He was 33 years old.

With immense grief, we announce Geoffâ€™s unexpected passing due to sudden illness Saturday. We ask privacy as his family works to understand what happened and make arrangements. To honor Geoff or offer comfort to his family, we suggest donations to @SoCalBulldog, which he loved.
â€” Geoff Robinson (@iNcontroLTV) July 22, 2019
Geoff was a former captain and one of the founders of the Evil Geniuses StarCraft esports team. He was also a popular commentator for strategy games tournaments especially StarCraft and StarCraft II. He was one of the few people invited to play StarCraft II while it was in beta. In early 2018, he started a weekly podcast dedicated to talking about strategy games called The Pylon Show which was streamed on Twitch.
Image from Geoff’s Instagram.
The esports community will sorely miss Geoff’s presence as he was one of the pioneers of the StarCraft esports scene and also esports as a whole. As mentioned in the tweet above, those of you who wish to honor Geoff are welcomed to donate to the Southern California Bulldog Rescue organisation.
May he rest in peace.


Former Blizzard Hearthstone Developers Working On New Marvel Game

Five game developers, who previously worked on Hearthstone at Blizzard and recently formed a new studio called Second Dinner, have announced that they’re currently working on a new Marvel game.
In a video posted on YouTube, Ben Brode and Hamilton Chu revealed that their new studio has raised $30 million investment funds from NetEase, which allows them to expand beyond just their initial five-member team and open an office in Irvine, California.
In the same video, they also surprisingly announced their partnership with Marvel Games, though no additional details or information were given. According to IGN, Marvel Games’ Jay Ong said: â€œThe team theyâ€™ve assembled at Second Dinner have made some of the greatest games in history. And now, working with the Marvel Games team and playing in the Marvel Universeâ€¦ Itâ€™s going to be Amazing! Or maybe Spectacular! Or Incredible! Or Mighty! Or quite possibly all of the above!â€
Marvel fans would know that those colorful adjectives refer to the Amazing (or Spectacular) Spider-Man, Incredible Hulk, and Mighty Thor, respectively. This could mean that the game will probably feature many Marvel characters, instead of just focusing on one specific hero.
It’s not hard to predict that Second Dinner’s Marvel game will likely be a card game, due to their experience in the same genre (from working on Blizzard’s Hearthstone). Furthermore, most of NetEase’s library of games include online games with free-to-play (F2P) models, which means it’s also likely that Second Dinner’s Marvel game will adopt a similar model.
Second Dinner is currently looking to hire, with two job positions for Client Engineer and Technical Artist open on their website. These job postings reveal that their upcoming Marvel game will be running on the Unity engine just like other games such as mobile gameÂ Marvel Future Fight and Hearthstone.
In the meantime, check out the Second Dinner announcement video below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=te7QFZCBudY&w=560&h=315]


Hyper Light Breaker Gets Delayed To Late 2023

Gearbox Publishing and developer Heart Machine will be pushing back its upcoming roguelite action game Hyper Light Breaker, a spin-off of the latter company’s Hyper Light Drifter action-adventure title.
The upcoming game will be out in Fall 2023 instead of Spring 2023. The Early Access version of the title will be released for PC via Steam. Here’s a gameplay trailer to tide the disappointment of indie gaming fans everywhere (via IGN). It features exploration, surfing (from Solar Ash), fighting, bullet hell, big bosses, guns, and “unlimited deaths”. It IS a roguelite, after all.

Game features are listed below:

A Brand-New 3D World to Explore

A world in disarray, with mysteries to solve, vicious enemies to fight, and fully 3D environments to explore.
A vast, ever-changing world awaits with massive, open biomes and deep labyrinths.
Use your wall-dashing, hoverboard, glider and more for incredible freedom across landscapes.

Lead the Breakers

Play single player or lead your team of Breakers through the Overgrowth in online cooperative play.
Face hordes of enemies and gigantic bosses in frenetic third-person combat.

Explore, Collect, and Destroy

Discover and unlock a wide arsenal of weapons and items to create the perfect build for every run.
Learn more about the Overgrowth and the deep storylines hidden within with each death and subsequent attempt.

Help the Settlement

Help a settlement flourish, bringing with it colorful characters and permanent upgrades.
Visit the settlers between each run and discover their stories.


Alienware Announces First New AMD-Based Gaming Laptop In Over A Decade

Alienware has announced several new gaming-focused products, most notably the first Alienware gaming laptop with an AMD processor since 2007 (which was around 14 years ago).
Halo 3. The Orange Box. World Of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade. And Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare. What do all these things have in common besides being epic timepieces? These gaming relics all made their red-carpet debut in 2007, like Alienware’s last AMD-based laptop, the Aurora mALX.
Fast forward 14 years to the present day and game experiences have evolved quite a bit. Powering todayâ€™s blockbuster games requires serious performance and very few know what that requires better than our friends at AMD and NVIDIA.Â
Today, Dell and Alienware are starting a new chapter with AMD announcing not one but two new gaming laptops – the redesigned Alienware m15 Ryzen Edition R5 and Dell G15 Ryzen Edition, both outfitted with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 30 Series Laptop GPUs. And to complement, Dell is also unveiling a new suite of gaming monitors to complete your battle stations.
Alienware m15 Ryzen Edition R5

Unrivalled visuals, high performance, and sleek design: the Alienware m15 Ryzen Edition R5 represents the triumvirate of mobile PC gaming.Â
The new m15 combines cutting-edge technologies and new design features to deliver an uncompromised visual experience. Offering Alienwareâ€™s fastest displays on a 15-inch notebook ever, gamers can select up to QHD 240Hz or FHD 360Hz panels to deliver smooth gameplay. And as the first Legend 2.0-based Alienware notebook, gamers will be drawn closer into the gameplay thanks to a new design feature called Dark Core, which darkens the interior shade of the laptop to minimise distractions and keep your head in the game. All this visual goodness is powered by high-performance technologies, including:

Up to AMD Ryzen 5000 H-Series Mobile Processors and NVIDIAÂ® GeForce RTXâ„¢ 30 Series Laptop GPUsÂ
User-upgradeable 3200Mhz DDR4 memory for the first time on an Alienware 15-inch notebookÂ
First Alienware notebook finished with the new Silky-Smooth High-Endurance paint formula engineered for increased stain-resistance and premium surface feel

Finally, we canâ€™t leave out the â€œcherryâ€ on top â€“ an optional ultra-low-profile mechanical keyboard co-developed with Cherry MX that creates a distinctive typing experience and supports per-key RGB lighting.
[videopress wJDMr568]
Dell G15 Ryzen Edition

Dell is helping to bring AAA gameplay to the masses with the new 15-inch Dell G15 Ryzen Edition.Â
On the outside, it boasts a new look in a sleek form factor that sports a two-sided, narrow-bezel screen, and uses low VOC waterborne paint. On the inside, the new G15 is outfitted with an Alienware-inspired thermal design to maximise airflow for optimal cooling and heat dissipation. The complete makeover is fully furnished with game-ready features, including:

Up to AMD Ryzen 5000 series processors, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 30 Series Laptop GPUs and user-upgradeable 3200Mhz DDR4 memory
â€œGame Shift,â€ a functional key unique to G Series which instantly cranks up cooling performance for intense gaming sessions
120Hz or 165Hz panels, with a 360Hz display coming later this spring; all featuring low-blue-light display hardware

[videopress lJw7BefI]
Dell Gaming Monitors
Dell 25 Gaming Monitor.
Dell is also introducing four new Dell Gaming displays with options suited for framerate-demanding multiplayer combat to expansive open-world RPGs and high-octane racing games.

The Dell 25 Gaming Monitor (S2522HG) with a blazing 240Hz refresh rate and 1ms response time, makes it ideal for aspiring competitive gamers where every frame counts. And with Fast IPS technology, this monitor provides consistency and clarity at all angles. The Dell 25 Gaming Monitor features both NVIDIAÂ® G-SYNCÂ® Compatible certification and AMD FreeSyncâ„¢ Premium technology for smooth, stutter-free visuals.

Dell 27 Curved Gaming Monitor.
For a truly immersive gaming experience, choose between the 3 new curved VA gaming monitors, available in 27-inch, 32-inch and 34-inch, all supporting AMD FreeSyncâ„¢ Premium or Premium Pro technology to ensure tear-free gameplay.Â

The Dell 27 and 32 Curved Gaming Monitors (S2722DGM and S3222DGM) draw you into your game with QHD resolution, while the 165Hz refresh rate and 2ms response time ensure that you see the action clearly and react quickly.
The Dell 34 Curved Gaming Monitor (S3422DWG) shows life-like visuals on its expansive curved WQHD 34-inch display. Get immersed in rich, vibrant colours with support for VESA DisplayHDR 400 and 90% DCI-P3 colour coverage. Paired with a 144Hz refresh rate to help deliver smooth, lag-free gaming.

Dell 32 Curved Gaming Monitor.
All four new displays support Variable Refresh Rate (VRR) output for gaming consoles, making them ideal for console gaming as well. And as standard, all Dell Gaming monitors come with three years of Premium Panel & Advance Exchange, meaning that customer service will send out a replacement panel within one working day even with only one bright pixel found.
Dell 34 Curved Gaming Monitor.
Pricing And Availability
All prices are to be announced.

Products
Available specs
Availability in Malaysia

Alienware m15 Ryzen Edition R5
AMD R7 16GB 512GB RTX3060, 15.6â€ FHD
Early May 2021

Dell G15 Ryzen Edition
AMD R5 8GB 512GB RTX3050 15.6â€ FHD

Dell 25 Gaming Monitor (S2522HG)
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End June 2021

Dell 27 Curved Gaming Monitor (S2722DGM)
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Dell 32 Curved Gaming Monitor (S3222DGM)
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Dell 34 Curved Gaming Monitor (S3422DWG)
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