A Game Of Thrones Star Is Our New Batman In DC’s Titans

We’ve technically already seen the Titans‘ version of Batman in the final episode of its first version, but that was actually stunt doubles Alain Moussi and Maxim Savaria. In the upcoming season 2 of Titans, we’ll finally be meeting the real Bruce Wayne, portrayed by none other than Game of ThronesÂ star Iain Glen.
Game of Thrones fans will know Glen as the faithful and loyal Ser Jorah Mormont in the TV series, but he has also starred in movies like Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, Kick-Ass 2, and the Resident Evil franchise.
According to the producers of Titans, Glen’s Bruce Wayne/Batman will be an older version of the character, similar to Ben Affleck’s take but probably closer to the one in theÂ The Dark Knight Returns comics. Here’s the official description (via Deadline):

 â€œAfter decades of fighting crime as Batman, billionaire Bruce Wayne is just as driven to protect Gotham from evil as he was in his prime.
Needing to reconcile his relationship with Dick Grayson, the duo hope to forge a new dynamic as Bruce tries to help his former sidekick and the Titans achieve success.â€

Titans follows the popular young group of superheroes comprising of Robin/Dick Grayson (Brenton Thwaites), Starfire (Anna Diop), Raven (Teagan Croft), and Beast Boy (Ryan Potter). The first season also featured the live-action debuts of second Robin, Jason Todd (Curran Walters) and Donna Troy (Conor Leslie).
Besides Iain Glen as Bruce Wayne/Batman, the second season of Titans will also introduce Esai Morales in the role of villain Slade Wilson/Deathstroke, Joshua Orpin as Connor Kent/Superboy, as well as Deathstroke’s son and daughter, Joseph Wilson and Rose Wilson played by Chella Man and Chelsea Zhang, respectively.
The entire first season of Titans is currently available to watch on Netflix. Earlier this year, I discussed the many reasons why more people should definitely watch DC’s Titans in my article, which you can check out here.
Meanwhile, Iain Glen is set to reprise his role as Ser Jorah Mormont in the final season of Game of Thrones next week. Head on over to this link to check out what he has to say about his character’s state of mind going into Season 8 and more incredible insights by the man who has been there from the beginning of the show.


Dungeons & Dragons Honor Among Thieves Gets Epic First Trailer

During San Diego Comic-Con 2022, Paramount Pictures unveiled the first official trailer for Dungeons & Dragons Honor Among Thieves.
The movie is based on the popular tabletop role-playing game that allows players to create their own wizards, fighters, monks and other heroes on an adventure. it stars Chris Pine, Regé Jean-Page, Hugh Grant, Michelle Rodriguez and Sophia Lillis.
Chris Pine plays a bard, Regé Jean-Page plays a paladin, Michelle Rodriguez plays a barbarian, Sophia Lillis plays a Tefling Druid and Hugh Grant plays a rogue.
The show is directed by Jonathan Goldstein & John Francis Daley, while the screenplay is by Jonathan Goldstein & John Francis Daley and Michael Gilio. Clearly you can tell that the people writing the show know their tabletop gaming and dungeon-mastering.
The synopsis reads:
A charming thief and a band of unlikely adventurers undertake an epic heist to retrieve a lost relic, but things go dangerously awry when they run afoul of the wrong people. Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves brings the rich world and playful spirit of the legendary roleplaying game to the big screen in a hilarious and action-packed adventure.
Dungeons & Dragons Honor Among Thieves is slated to premiere in March 2023. In the meantime, check out the trailer below:


Cancer Patient Lives Long Enough To Play Final Version Of Borderlands 3

The world is full of pain and suffering but sometimes, there’s something good that happens.
Back in June, we covered a story about a Borderlands fan named Trevor Eastman who shared on Reddit the heartbreaking news of being diagnosed with Stage 4 esophageal, stomach, and liver cancer in June 2018. According to the doctors, he only had one year to live.
In that Reddit post, he voiced out his wish of wanting to play Borderlands 3 early. Not only did he get to play a preview build of the game, Gearbox also dedicated a gun entirely to him, naming it the Abundant Dangerous Trevonator. It’s a legendary Maliwan shotgun that can switch between Corrosive and Cryo damage.

The gun was formerly named the Compressing Trevonator in the game’s preview build. It still maintains its special description of the “Trev is gunna get you!” quote. The final version also gets a new skin as you can see above.

In his latest Reddit post, Trevor has updated that he received a digital code for the final version of Borderlands 3 from his contact at Gearbox. Despite all the issues surrounding Borderlands 3‘s reviews, it’s still very heartwarming to know that the game will be appreciated by its fans, especially Trevor.
Concerning his illness, it’s sad to hear that things are not getting any better for Trevor. He states that he can no longer “really eat anything” without throwing up. Protein shakes are all he can consume now. Wanting to enjoy his final days, he chose to get hospice care within the comfort of his own home. Currently, he is currently put on constant morphine drip to help him handle the unbearable pain of cancer.
At Kakuchopurei, we are both heartbroken and inspired by what Trevor is going through. It touches our heart to see Gearbox and the Borderlands community show so much love and support to Trevor and we hope that he will be able to spend the rest of his days enjoying Borderlands 3 as much as possible.


Cheaters Are Driving Players Away From Crossplay Call of Duty

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and Warzone are really fun multiplayer shooters if it weren’t for the surge of PC cheaters playing online. It’s gotten to a point where console players are turning off crossplay altogether.
While keyboard and mouse offers a good advantage over controller users in shooters, these following clips expose cheaters pulling off perfect headshot kills without aiming via killcams.
 How do people get enjoyment out of this? 150+ kill aimbot and can’t report because crossplay from      modernwarfare

 Another Day, Another Game with Cheaters. IW, You NEED to disable cross-play with PC until you fix this. from      CODWarzone

 Sad that crossplay has come to this… from      modernwarfare

 Every Ground War map right now has at least one of them. In most games there’s one on both sides. (Ignore the background I was watching a video) from      modernwarfare

 Sad that crossplay has come to this… from      modernwarfare

This isn’t to say Infinity Ward aren’t doing anything about it. The developer recently issued over 70,000 bands worldwide to protect Warzone from cheaters.

We've now issued over 70,000 bans worldwide to protect #Warzone from cheaters. We're continuing to deploy dedicated security updates and work continues on improving in-game reporting. We'll share more details soon. We are watching. We have zero tolerance for cheaters.
— Infinity Ward (@InfinityWard) April 13, 2020

The sad part is that Warzone cheaters who are banned can simply play the free-to-play battle royale on a new account easily. Perhaps Infinity Ward and Activision can temporarily disable PC-console crossplay but enable PS4-Xbox One crossplay. Or maybe have PC players link their account to a phone number ala CS:GO.
Bottom line: it’s rather frustrating to have a bad egg ruining the fun for everyone who wants a good clean PC-slash-console match.


We Talk To Hayden Christensen About Star Wars, Sequels, & Prequels

Obi-Wan Kenobi is slated to premiere with its first two episodes on Disney+ Hotstar Malaysia starting from 27 May 2022.
The limited six-episode series follows the titular Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi in exile, set 10 years after the events of Star Wars Episode III Revenge Of The Sith. It is executive-produced by Kathleen Kennedy, Michelle Rejwan, Deborah Chow, McGregor and series writer Joby Harold. Deborah Chow is the showrunner and she directed all six episodes.
Courtesy of Disney+ Hotstar Malaysia, we were given the opportunity to interview none other than the former Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker and current Dark Lord Of The Sith Darth Vader; Hayden Christensen himself. The interview below has been edited for clarity. In the meantime, you can also check out what Ewan McGregor had to say in our coverage of the recent Obi-Wan Kenobi press conference.

From your other interviews, I know you’ve watched the Star Wars animated shows, and also had to some training. What else did you do to prepare for returning to the role?
Hayden Christensen: I did as much as I could. I just wanted to educate myself as much as possible and of course, the Star Wars storytelling has continued to grow so much so there was a lot for me to catch up on. I really enjoyed it, as a fan myself, the animated work that Dave Filoni did to these other new Star Wars films and TV shows. Love The Mandalorian. I just wanted to re-familiarize myself in preparation for this.
What do you think of the Sequel Trilogy and how do you think the Sequels have affected the legacy of Darth Vader?
Hayden Christensen: I really enjoyed the Sequel Trilogy. I think it was great the way that they honoured this character. I really enjoyed sort of everything they’ve been up to with and it was fun for me to just go back to being a fan, and watch these stories like everybody else.

What were the biggest differences between your experience of filming the Prequel films and filming the Obi-Wan Kenobi series?
Hayden Christensen: It was a completely different experience this time around. You know, in terms of the technology to filming with the stagecraft and being able to work with these volumes to obviously our storyteller. I thought Deborah Chow was an incredible director and I really enjoyed getting to work with her. So, it was a much different experience this time around.
Beside Ewan McGregor, who else from the Prequels would you want to work with again, and why?
Hayden Christensen: You know, I would love to work with all of them again. I got to work with Sam Jackson (Samuel L. Jackson) on a couple of occasions, and that was great fun. We did a movie called Jumper together.
I’d love to work with Ian McDiarmid again. He’s an actor that I have a lot of respect for. I’d also love to work with Natalie (Portman) again.


[Report] Entry-level Nintendo Switch Might Make An Appearance This Fall

We’ve recently heard about the 3DS inspired Switch, as well as the powerful version of the Switch. Recent developments show that we might be having the new budget, lower-priced version of the Nintendo Switch as soon as this year’s fall.
According to a report by Nikkei, the new, budget Switch will arrive later this fall.

This new Switch focuses on portability as the main selling point. With that pointed out, the device can still be connected to a TV to switch it into a home console. Nintendo is also reportedly reshuffling the company’s strategy they’ve used to sell two types of hardware with portable and home consoles for the past 3 decades, and theyâ€™re currently weighing in to combine their software development branch as well.
As our previous report, there will also be a more powerful version of the handheld console with â€œenhanced features targeted at avid video gamersâ€, although it won’t be as strong as the PS4 Pro according to parts suppliers and software developers with access to the device prototype.
Nikkei also reported that the powerful Switch will undergo development after the budget Switch model meaning we might be hearing news on the powerful Switch close to the end of this year. Nintendo is currently working on different things, including improvement on controls, image rendering, changing the operating system for basic software, and more.


Ace Combat 7 Sales In Asia Have Gone Gold

Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown is the first mainline title in the long-running franchise in over 12 years, which means that fans have been waiting a long time for their sortie fix. It seems that the franchise will be flying high for the foreseeable future, as developer Bandai Namco confirms that the game has officially gone gold.
In a tweet posted earlier today, Bandai Namco Southeast Asia announced that Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown has sold 500,000 units in Asia alone within just one month since its release on 18 January 2019 for the PS4 and Xbox One, and 1 February 2019 for the PC. That’s certainly impressive for is essentially a niche game franchise.

Ace Combat 7 has sold 500,000 units within release month in Asia! We salute all the amazing pilots that have joined us on ACE COMBAT 7: SKIES UNKNOWN!
Here’s to more exciting dogfights in the skies! pic.twitter.com/hl8eTwl4b9
â€” BANDAI NAMCO S.E.A. (@BandaiNamcoSEA) February 25, 2019
However, the great sales will more or less ensure that the arcade flight sim genre stays alive in gaming. In this day and age, it’s reassuring to know that gamers can still appreciate a game like this amidst a sea of battle royale and shooters.
In other related news, Bandai Namco unveiled our first look at the Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown season pass content earlier this month with a short trailer, which seems to be teasing the return of a fan-favorite jet. In the meantime, check out my review of the game here.


Fortnite Leak Reveals Birds Of Prey & Harley Quinn Skins

Dataminers have discovered via the v11.50 update that a Birds Of Prey (And The Fantabulous Emancipation Of One Harley Quinn) event will be happening in Fortnite soon, with Harley Quinn-themed skins and cosmetics galore.
Check out the Harley Quinn Fortnite skin below:

The skin above also has an alternate style that can be unlocked upon completing the challenges that come with it. There will be a total of five different challenges, which were also leaked:

Place top 30 in Solos, Duos, or Squads
Place top 20 in Solos, Duos, or Squads
Place top 10 in Solos, Duos, or Squads
Hit weak points
Deal damage with Pickaxes to opponents

Players who complete any three of the challenges above can unlock the alternate Harley Quinn Fortnite skin. According to another dataminer, there will be two different pickaxes as part of the Birds Of Prey set as well, which is said to be released on 7 February 2020.

A source that has provided me with correct information about Fortnite in the past has told me information about the upcoming Harley Quinn outfit:
– Release: February 6 at 7pm ET
– There will be Challenges that unlock another style
– Two Pickaxes will be sold in the Item Shop
â€” ShiinaBR – Fortnite Leaks (@ShiinaBR) February 4, 2020
All of these are merely leaked information, so take it all with a grain of salt for now. Offical information and details regarding the Fortnite X Birds of Prey on 6 February 2020.


Report: Wonder Woman 3 Cancelled

DC Studios is currently under new management via James Gunn and Peter Safran, with one of their recent decisions being to stop the previous regime of the Wonder Woman series of films.
According to a Hollywood Reporter newspiece, Gunn and Safran have worked on a DC film blueprint and plan that’s ready to show to Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav for approval. Wonder Woman 3 is not on that plan. Insiders have stated that the third Wonder Woman movie from Patty Jenkins and starring Gal Gadot is “dead in its current incarnation”. The movie does not fit with the new DC Studios plan.
Patty Jenkins has directed the previous two Wonder Woman films: one origin story in 2017 and one….whatever the hell that was in 2020. In related news, DC’s new plan may shut down the Synderverse and Man of Steel 2, as well as end Aquaman movies starring Jason Momoa. These are insider reports and not officially confirmed, so take it all with a grain of salt.


Turns Out, You CAN Pre-Load Borderlands 3 For The PC

A few weeks ago, we reported that Borderlands 3 couldn’t be pre-loaded ahead of its 13th September release date. Turns out, you can.
2K Games just announced that anyone who pre-ordered Borderlands 3 on PC, PS4, and Xbox One can pre-load the game 48 hours before it launches.
Here’s when it’ll be ready to play on PS4 and Xbox One: 13th September at 0:00am GMT+8.

Here’s when it’ll be ready to play on PC: 13th September at 7am GMT+8.

That means console players will be playing it 7 hours earlier than the PC-gaming crowd. Also, Tim Sweeney found a solution to the pre-loading problem Epic Games faced. Huzzah!
While you wait, check out our awesome Borderlands 3 coverage.


Overwatch League Away Jerseys Now On Sale

The start of Stage 2 of the Ovewatch League comes with a slew of brand new team merchandise, most notably the ‘away’ jerseys which can now be bought via the Blizzard store as well as the third-party company who also prints these shirts, Intotheam. Just like the starter ‘home’ shirts, you will also be able to purchase the ‘away’ shirts that are customised with your favorite player’s name printed on it.Â

The ones without a player’s name printed on cost $60 and you can get them directly via Blizzard’s Online Store.
We also reviewed the Overwatch League jersey here in case you’re still unsure on whether to get one for yourself.


Close To The Sun & Sherlock Holmes Game Are Free On Epic Game Store Right Now

Another week (at home), another bunch of free games on the Epic Games Store. This time, it’s got a horror game and a mystery game up for grabs.

The games are Close To The Sun and Sherlock Holmes: Crimes and Punishments. The first puts you in the role of a journalist searching for her sister, and is set on a scientific research ship where things have gone wrong and the entrance has the word “quarantine” painted on it. The second has you playing as, well, Sherlock Holmes, and gives you six cases to solve.

Both are free to grab until 16 April at 11pm. If this week’s offerings sound lacking in shooting and explosions to you, Just Cause 4 is going free next time.


Overwatch League – Dynasty Climbs to 4-0 as Mayhem Chalks First Win.

Day three, Week 2 of the inaugural Overwatch League season ends with teams playing to the script as Seoul Dynasty registers another 4-0 win to send them to the top of the league, London Spitfire adding more misery to Dallas Fuel’s already misearble, controversy-laden week while Mayhem finally broke their losing streak by defeating another team in trouble, Shanghai Dynasty.
Uprising Denied By Dynasty
There were no two ways about it – Dynasty were way too strong for the boys from Boston who despite having given a spirited fight, found themselves lacking in every department. Backed by the solid Lunatic-Hai quartet of Zunba, Tobi, Miro and Ryujehong mostly throught the series, the DPS trio of Fleta, Bunny and Weeked were free to pop-off heads, harass backlines and rain grenades throughout. Boston will have the opportunity to get back on winning ways as they take on San Francisco Shock on Sunday.

There’s a way around every shield. @ow_fleta #OWL2018 #TheDynastyBeginshttps://t.co/U6dIipgQGs pic.twitter.com/0vQFHE2UNN
â€” Overwatch League (@overwatchleague) January 20, 2018

“Flow like water.” #OWL2018 @Wekeed99 #TheDynastyBeginshttps://t.co/U6dIipgQGs pic.twitter.com/LuKQQo7v9k
â€” Overwatch League (@overwatchleague) January 20, 2018

Mayhem Chalks First Ever Win Over Much Improved Dragons
In a battle of two 0-3 teams, Florida Mayhem came out tops as they confidently overcome Shanghai Dragons 4-0 to lock in their first win of the season. Could it be due to their improved teamwork or perhaps it’s the Korean-infused intro that led to the win? The boys of Florida Mayhem don’t care as their Gangnam Style walk-in proved to be a lucky charm as they brushed aside the much improved Shanghai Dragons.

#SquadGoals #BringtheMayhem pic.twitter.com/WGMGfsjilc
â€” Overwatch League (@overwatchleague) January 20, 2018

“1v1 me. Rooftops. Dorado.” – @MisfitsTviQuE probably. #OWL2018 #BringtheMayhemhttps://t.co/U6dIipgQGs pic.twitter.com/lSt1R6kkyg
â€” Overwatch League (@overwatchleague) January 20, 2018
The Dragons showed more life in the series against Mayhem but were still a way off from claiming their first win in the OWL. Their team coach, Van yesterday released an official statement addressing the current form of the team and promised for improvement in the near future. They will have a week to regroup before facing league leaders, Seoul Dynasty next week so we don’t think this losing streak is about to end anytime soon.

A letter from our team manager Van pic.twitter.com/kdX887TWmW
â€” Shanghai Dragons (@ShanghaiDragons) January 19, 2018

Spitfire Torches FuelÂ
Despite starting with a ‘Classic EnVyUs’ lineup, the win was again elusive for the struggling Dallas Fuel as red hot London Spitfire showed the huge gulf between the top-tier teams from the also-rans to win the series 3-1. With xQc out of the picture due to his suspension, Fuel opted to stick to their core and only subbed-in Seagull for the third map, Oasis, which they won. The highly anticipated Birdring v Seagull showdown on Oasis was the highlight of the series as Fuel clawed one back but Spitfire’s overall team quality proved to be the difference on the fourth map, Numbani. Another memorable play on Oasis was Profit’s triple eliminations using Junkrat’s Rip Tyre.
The loss sends Dallas Fuel to the bottom of the standings, spared off the foot of the table due to better points difference compared to Shanghai Dragons. Spitfire face LA Valiant in a mouth watering clash early on Sunday while Fuel get to regroup ahead of two very winnable matches against San Francisco Shock and Boston Uprising next week.

The @DallasFuel turn things around and catch fire to get the win on Oasis! #OWL2018 #BurnBluehttps://t.co/U6dIipgQGs pic.twitter.com/CkogbYJrrw
â€” Overwatch League (@overwatchleague) January 20, 2018

Looks like @PROFIT_OWL prefers to take the high road! #OWL2018 #AcesHighhttps://t.co/U6dIipgQGs pic.twitter.com/9W4WzAoiok
â€” Overwatch League (@overwatchleague) January 20, 2018

Here are tomorrow’s matches:

Our power rankings comes not long after, as we rank the teams based on their form, current abilities and potential. Stay tuned!


Blockchain Card Game Midgard Saga Out Now

The new mobile idle card game Midgard Saga is available now in in Southeast Asia, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
Developed by Yeeha Games, the game is a strategy-focused RPG that transports players to the lands of Midgard. Players will follow the arduous journey of Prince Forseti after the mysterious death of his father, King Crowe. With the world of Midgard falling into chaos after the King’s demise, will the unfortunate prince be able to reclaim his kingdom, restore order to the lands, and avenge his fallen father?
The game also states on their Twitter that it utilises blockchain technology.
With its idle game mechanics, Midgard Saga is easy to pick up, but its strategic design leaves the game very hard to master. Follow Prince Forseti and his adventure with a roster of:

50+ available Heroes each with their own unique characteristics and abilities.
20+ maps.
100+ enemies to battle.

You can download Midgard Saga now on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.


We’re Getting A Resident Evil TV Show On Netflix

If you’re looking for a Resident Evil fix outside of video games, well, there’s always the Alice movie series which are a league of its own (and we don’t mean the good kind). If you need more, then Netflix may have got you sorted.
Turns out the streaming service may play host to a new Resident Evil TV show; the company posted a description of it and then removed it. Here’s what we saw on the archives:Â

“The town of Clearfield, MD has long stood in the shadow of three seemingly unrelated behemoths â€“ the Umbrella Corporation, the decommissioned Greenwood Asylum, and Washington, D.C. Today, twenty-six years after the discovery of the T-Virus, secrets held by the three will start to be revealed at the first signs of outbreak.”

Sounds like a gaiden-type scenario, involving a new town and the same old Umbrella Corporation messing up a peaceful town with its bioweapons and tyrants. We do hope this show plays it a little more straight and tense as opposed to the ridiculous antics of the Paul W.S. Anderson-directed films.


Go Retro With Streets of Rage 4’s Bonus Unlockable Characters & Music

Hell yeah, THIS is what I’m talking about.
Dotemu just announced that in the upcoming fourth game, you can unlock and play as characters in past Streets of Rage games in their 16-bit pixelated glory. These include SOR1’s Axel, Blaze, and Adam, SOR2’s Axel, Blaze, Skate, and Max, and SOR 3’s Dr. Zan, Skate, Axel, and Blaze. Yes, it’s going to look like a mess alongside the new art style, but it’ll probably be fun to play especially since the game offers local 4-player mode.
And if you’re somehow not a fan of the music in the upcoming game, you can opt to play old tracks from Streets of Rage 1 and 2 while you’re beating up fools, courtesy of Yuzo Koshiro and Motohiro Kawashima.
Check out the retro announcement below:

If you’re hyped for Streets of Rage 4, may we also suggest you check out our SoundScape video featuring part 4’s sample music?


Disney+ Obi-Wan Kenobi Behind The Scenes Video Teases Darth Vader Duel

During Disney+ Day, a special behind the scenes video was unveiled for the upcoming Obi-Wan Kenobi live-action series. While the preview did not include any footage from the series, it did reveal some interesting concept art.
As of now, you can only watch the video on Disney+ or Disney+ Hotstar itself by heading to this link.
Check out what the concept art could mean below:
Inquisitors

This concept art shows an Inquisitor escorted by two Stormtroopers getting off an Imperial transport.
What’s interesting here is that she looks a lot like the Second Sister from Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order.

Back To Coruscant

This looks like Coruscant, the capital of the Empire (formerly the Republic). Will Obi-Wan Kenobi be returning here?
Darth Vaderâ€™s Castle AKA Fortress Vader

Yes, Darth Vader has a castle or fortress on the planet Mustafar, where he was originally burnt in Star Wars Episode III Revenge Of The Sith. This location was also seen in Rogue One A Star Wars Story and Star Wars Episode IX The Rise Of Skywalker, as well as various comics.
Obi-Wan Vs Vader

The most exciting reveal is this, which teases another epic lightsaber duel between Obi-Wan Kenobi and Darth Vader.
Obi-Wan KenobiÂ will be set 10 years after the events ofÂ Star Wars Episode III Revenge Of The SithÂ and presumably before the events ofÂ Star Wars Episode IV A New Hope.
It is executive-produced by Kathleen Kennedy, Michelle Rejwan, Deborah Chow, McGregor and series writer Joby Harold. Deborah Chow will direct Obi-Wan Kenobi after having helmed two episodes ofÂ The Mandalorian.
Obi-Wan KenobiÂ is only one of severalÂ Star WarsÂ live-action series currently in the works Disney Plus, includingÂ The MandalorianÂ Season 3,Â The Book Of Boba Fett,Â Ahsoka Tano, and many more.
Other cast members include:

Moses Ingram.
Joel Edgerton.
Bonnie Piesse.
Kumail Nanjiani.
Indira Varma.
Rupert Friend.
Oâ€™Shea Jackson Jr.
Sung Kang.
Simone Kessell.
Benny Safdie.

Obi-Wan Kenobi is slated to premiere sometime in 2022 on Disney+ Hotstar.


[Report] Twitch Source Code & User Payouts Leaked

An anonymous hacker claims to have leaked the entirety of Twitch.tv, perhaps the largest video game livestream company around that’s owned by Amazon.
When the hacker means “entirety”, it means the app’s entire source code and user payout information (via videogameschronicle.com). The user allegedly posted a 125GB torrent link to 4chan recently. It contains the following:

The entirety of Twitchâ€™s source code with comment history â€œgoing back to its early beginningsâ€
Creator payout reports from 2019
Mobile, desktop and console Twitch clients
Proprietary SDKs and internal AWS services used by Twitch
â€œEvery other property that Twitch ownsâ€ including IGDB and CurseForge
An unreleased Steam competitor, codenamed Vapor, from Amazon Game Studios
Twitch internal â€˜red teamingâ€™ tools (designed to improve security by having staff pretend to be hackers)

The whole reason for the leak was to “foster more disruption and competition in the online video streaming space” because Twitch’s “community is a disgusting toxic cesspool”.
Various sources have verified that the files on 4chan are publicly available to download, with the leaked data being legitimate. Twitch is aware of the breach; the data itself was obtained earlier this week on a Monday. In fact, the leaked documents has shown that streamers like Shroud, Nickmercs, and RLupo have earned millions working on Twitch.tv.

Here's a more comprehensive list of leaked Twitch payouts (I will keep updating this thread as more things come out). pic.twitter.com/15JItvp6l4
— KnowSomething (@KnowS0mething) October 6, 2021

This would be a good time as any for Twitch.tv streamers to start changing your passwords and using two-factor authentication.


Quirky Singapore Investor Trains Like One-Punch Man; Here Are The Results

In the manga/anime One-Punch Man series, main hero Saitama became his OP self by doing 100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups, 100 squats, and a 10k-run every single day. Guess who ended up taking this off-kilter challenge?
Why it’s quirky Singapore investor Sean Seah. And the results are pretty awesome!
https://www.facebook.com/seanseahsg/videos/1135433423284133/
https://www.facebook.com/seanseahsg/videos/325148731519594/
According to his latest video about the anime workout, the additional things you need to complement the aforementioned workout is:

to have 3 meals a day. Cut down on carbs, sugar, and fried food.
to perk out with black coffee. Pure coffee; no sugar, no milk, zilch.
to drink water. No soda, no bubble tea, zilch.
to snack on fruits, if you have to. A single banana can keep you full.

Let it be said that animes can be a source of inspiration and lifestyle/lifehack changes for the better. If you want to get pumped and hyped, you can join the One-Punch Man Workout group on Facebook which Sean Seah started. You won’t be one-hitting super-powerful alien invaders anytime soon, but you will be buff; that’s more than enough.


Ex-IGN Writers Speak Out About Company’s Exploitative Environment

Who likes some spilt tea? The internet sure does, especially when it comes to big companies like IGN.
A couple of ex-IGN writers have come out to talk on Twitter about many of the workplace injustices they’ve experienced while at the publication. First up is Mitch Dyer, a former writer at IGN from 2012 to 2016. He was pressured into writing gossip stories (when there aren’t any to back it up) by ex-editors Steve Butts and Tal Blevin, with the biggest target being Naughty Dog during the time when Amy Henig was let go from the company and Neil Druckmann was launching an alleged “hostile takeover”.
The duo also greenlit a false story stating The Last Guardian is cancelled without consulting IGN’s news team which Mitch was a part of.
Read the whole thread below.

Solidarity with my IGN coworkers who endured emotional terror from Tal Blevins and Steve Butts. In my time from 2012 to 2016, I felt taken advantage of, exploited and manipulated, and afraid for my job at nearly every turn. And I was one of the "lucky" ones working for them.
— Mitch Dyer (@MitchyD) June 23, 2020

Next up is Kallie Plagge, current GameSpot writer, who endured through abuse while in IGN. She suffered under the rule of Tal Blevin and Steve Butts. Lowlights include getting yelled at for not being available for work when she’s at lunch by the former and gets yelled at and verbally abused by the latter.

I wasn't going to say anything because I'm afraid but fuck it. It took me years to recover from the abuse I endured at IGN. I've posted about just one incident but working under Steve Butts and Tal Blevins was an unparalleled experience in being bullied and belittled.
— Kallie Plagge (@inkydojikko) June 23, 2020

Keep in mind that this story is still developing. No official word(s) have been mentioned from ex-leads Steve Butts and Tal Blevins as of yet. I’ll say this though: game industry politics and behind-the-scenes stuff like this is unfortunately too common. While it’s good that the two writers have come out with these, they’d better get some legal help. There’s a good chance Steve and Tal may fire back, especially since the duo’s consultancy firm is on the line here.
Still, at least a few other game journalists are expressing their surprise and reactions towards these new updates.

Holy fucking shit: https://t.co/F0Krb0e586
— Jason Schreier (@jasonschreier) June 23, 2020

The stories coming out of IGN really are something else. https://t.co/zUo3cBkSYO
— Patrick Klepek (@patrickklepek) June 23, 2020


[Report] THQ Nordic To Announce New Darksiders & Destroy All Humans Game

In more alleged E3 2019 pre-leak news, we may be getting a fresh new iteration of Destroy All Humans and also a new Darksiders game from THQ Nordic. Because the last one was quite an experience, right?
According to a Eurogamer report, Twitter user @Afro_Gear posted a screengrab of a post that lists games such as “Destroy All Humans” and “Darksiders: Genesis” as E3 announcement plans for THQ Nordic.
This sounds good, considering Destroy All Humans was a cult favourite during its prime back in the 2000s era of gaming. Imagine if Tim Burton’s Mars Attack! was playable and was good.

As for a Darksiders sequel/prequel, we’ll be fine if it can focus more on the final horseman Strife. Last we checked, he did make an appearance in the third Darksiders game.


The Lord Of The Rings The Rings Of Power Gets First Full Trailer & It’s Epic

Amazon Prime Video has unveiled the first full trailer for The Lord Of The Rings The Rings Of Power.
The Lord Of The Rings The Rings Of Power brings to screens for the very first time the heroic legends of the fabled Second Age of Middle-earth’s history. This epic drama is set thousands of years before the events of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, and will take viewers back to an era in which great powers were forged, kingdoms rose to glory and fell to ruin, unlikely heroes were tested, hope hung by the finest of threads, and the greatest villain that ever flowed from Tolkien’s pen threatened to cover all the world in darkness.
Beginning in a time of relative peace, the series follows an ensemble cast of characters, both familiar and new, as they confront the long-feared re-emergence of evil to Middle-earth. From the darkest depths of the Misty Mountains, to the majestic forests of the elf-capital of Lindon, to the breathtaking island kingdom of Númenor, to the furthest reaches of the map, these kingdoms and characters will carve out legacies that live on long after they are gone.
The Lord Of The Rings The Rings Of Power is set to premiere on Amazon Prime Video on 2 September 2022. The firs season will consist of eight episodes. Again, as a reminder to all Tolkien fans, this series will take thousands of years before the events depicted in the iconic fim trilogy directed by Peter Jackson.


Star Wars Tales Of The Jedi Season 2 Confirmed By Dave Filoni

During Star Wars Celebration 2023, Dave Filoni himself announced that Star Wars Tales Of The Jedi Season 2 is in the works.
Filoni said:
“Tales of the Jedi was so fun the first time, I decided to do some more.”
No other details (such as a release date or a release window) were revealed, but the animated anthology series will probably focus on a few select characters from the franchise. The first season focused on expanding Star Wars lore and the story of Ahsoka Tano and a younger Count Dooku, filling in gaps in their stories.
In the meantime, check out my review of Star Wars Tales Of The Jedi Season 1 or head on over here for my breakdown of that first season. Season 1 is now streaming on Disney+ Hotstar.


Netflix Bone Animated Series Cancelled As Animation Division Falls Apart

It was originally announced back in 2019 that Netflix was working on an animated adaptation of Jeff Smith’s popular and critically-acclaimed Bone comics. However, all of that is no longer happening, as Yahoo!’s The Wrap has reported that the Netflix animation division has crumbled.
According to the report, the streaming giant fired Netflix’s Director of Creative Leadership and Development for Original Animation Phil Rynda, as well as several of his staff. This has resulted in several projects being cancelled, including the Bone animated series, an adaptation of Roald Dahl’s The Twits that was meant to be part of several Dahl-based projects and Lauren Faust’s Toil And Trouble.
The Bone comics follow the Bone cousins, including Fone Bone, Phoney Bone, and Smiley Bone, on their adventures through a vast, uncharted desert that gives way to a mysterious valley filled with wonderful and terrifying creatures. Published over 13 years (1991-2004) and accumulating 55 issues in all, Bone not only won a total of 10 Eisner Awards and 11 Harvey Awards but was also listed on Time Magazine’s 10 best graphic novels of all-time. Besides Bone, Smith’s most notable works include 2007’s Shazam! The Monster Society of Evil and sci-fi noir comic RASL.
Moving forward, Netflix is apparently looking to make more content similar to the Boss Baby. This is a huge blow to fans of family-friendly animated fare.


Silicon Valley’s Theranos Scandal Is Being Adapted Into A Miniseries

Theranos and its founder Elizabeth Holmes shook the world on its foundations when it was revealed that they engaged in an elaborate fraud going back years by convincing everyone (including their own investors) that they had the technology to conduct blood tests from mere drops.
It turned out they the product never actually worked and that the company had been falsifying blood test results since it was founded in 2003. The notorious Silicon Valley scandal has since been covered in various documentaries and podcasts.
According to Deadline, Hulu has ordered a miniseries based on ABC News’ famous podcast detailing the story of Theranos’ rise and fall. The miniseries, The Dropout, will star Kate McKinnon (of the 2016 Ghostbusters reboot and Saturday Night Live fame) in the role of Theranos founder and CEO Elizabeth Holmes.
The Dropout is expected to be at least 6 to 10 episodes and will be the first series to be produced by Fox Searchlight TV. More details and information will likely be revealed in the future, as the miniseries was just recently ordered.
In the meantime, check out The Dropout documentary (on which the upcoming Hulu miniseries will be adapted from) below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kG_F118ruOM&w=560&h=315]


Ragnarok X Next Generation Guild Wars Kicks Off Tomorrow

Nuverse has announced that Ragnarok X Next Generation will launch its hotly-anticipated GvG Update in the coming weekend. Player-created guilds will be able to test their mettle and unity against each other in epic, large-scale PvP battles.
Guild Wars will take place every Saturday from 9pm to 9.45pm local time (GMT+8), in all servers with a World Level higher than 55, and will be open to all players with a Base Level over 35 who belong to a guild. There are altogether 5 bases for guilds to conquer and then defend, located in Geffen, Alberta, Morroc, Izlude Island, and Payon.
A Legacy Of Glory: Introducing The New GvG System

As any long-time fan of the classic Ragnarok Online MMORPG can testify, the hallowed fields of the Guild Wars serve as the ultimate test of power for all of the adventurers in Midgard. In Ragnarok X Next Generation, the GvG System functions very similarly to the original, with multiple guilds fighting to occupy bases from the various major cities of Midgard by destroying the Emperium crystal kept inside them. The guild that manages to do this first then becomes the defender of that base and must fend off any other guilds looking to claim the base as their own.
The event will be divided into 3 main phases: first the Siege War phase, where players must fight through monsters to gain control of neutral bases. Once a base is claimed, the game moves to the Clash of Champions phase, where the defenders must defend it from other guilds for 15 minutes to become the base’s defenders in the Defensive War mode during the following weeks. Successfully defend the base for 45 minutes in this mode, and your guild gains occupancy over the city, with plenty of exclusive rewards waiting for the 5 guilds that claim each major city in Midgard.

In terms of rewards, simply participating in the guilds wars gives you a chance to earn GvG Participation Chests based on actions such as defeating enemy guild members, or reviving fallen guildmates on the battlefield. The winning guilds get exclusive City Owner Chests that contain Guild Contribution and Shadow Equipment Materials.Â
Besides the City Owner Chests, winning guilds will also have access to the Abyssal Arcade, a special PvP battleground where all five winning guilds must defeat special MVP bosses that drop some of the game’s most rare and powerful equipment, as well as gathering spots that reward high-level Shadow Equipment materials.

Roughly one month since its launch in SEA, Ragnarok X Next Generation has received over five million downloads, with nearly one million players taking to the fields of Midgard with their friends every day.

You can download Ragnarok X Next Generation on iOS (Link) or Android (Link).


Music Adventure Game We Are OFK Gets August Release Date

Want a 4-week adventure playing as band members getting their groove on? Then this upcoming title might sate that boomer thirst.
We Are OFK, developed by Team OFK, will be out for PS5, PS4, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam on 18th August. You can buy the game digitally on that date. However, if you want a fancy physical edition with a sweet vinyl soundtrack to go with it, you can get the We Are OFK physical edition and vinyl OST from iam8bit.
That version is going for US$29.99 (Switch and PS5 version) and the 2xLP vinyl is going for US$41.99. The site is taking preorders now.

Check out the release date trailer below.


E3 2018: Nintendo Assumes The Whole World Loves Smash Bros.

We’re at the last presentation of the week, but E3 2018 isn’t over yet since the show floors open in the LA Convention Centre right now as we’re typing this. So what’s up, Nintendo?
Getting Smashed
True story: we were contemplating on doing a video on the new Nintendo Direct video just like with PlayStation and Bethesda, but almost all of us aren’t familiar with Super Smash Bros. And this special E3 video was dominated by a lot of Smash Bros. talk.

That’s fine if you loved the Wii U Super Smash Bros. game and the GameCube Melee entry. You should be happy that the Nintendo Switch version of Super Smash Bros. has ALL the characters, has a lot of new stages, and even introduce a new character or two – Splatoon’s Inkling and Metroid’s Ridley, each with their own special quirks and moves. In fact, fans of Metal Gear’s Solid Snake should be filled with joy since he’s returning and is voiced by David Hayter.

Ok…
Yes, it’s me. #SuperSmashBros https://t.co/m7l9ANmPDc
— David Hayter (@DavidBHayter) June 12, 2018

You should be elated that the game will be available this year on 7 December. In fact, all the characters here have gone through some unique changes to make this version of Smash a slightly different game.
Unfortunately, Super Smash Bros. isn’t as big in Southeast Asia as it is in the US and Europe. So a huge number of us are going “yeah that’s cool…” instead of frothing in the mouth like some fanboy or fangirl who triggers when they keep referring to the elf pretty boy as Zelda.
But Wait!
All is not lost as the first half of the presentation was chock full of new titles and expansions for this year. At least the stuff we partially care about.

Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Torna ~ The Golden Country is an expansion that takes place before the events of the game. You control some of the referenced heroes and villains when the country of Torna was still around. Yep, that means you get to use Jin and his previous owner Lora as regular party members, and also see Mithra use that giant ass mech in the sky manually. Scheduled for 14 Sept for US$29.99.

Daemon X Machina is from the same producer who did the Armored Core series. Which means this game has mecha-piloting action featuring explosions, Gundam nods, and a really vivid art style. Out 2019.

We’re getting a new Super Mario Party, which seems to highlight the best parts of using a Switch as a party game. In one instance, you can combine two Switch consoles to form an interconnecting stage for one tank-busting minigame. Out October 5.
We’re also getting a new Fire Emblem game next year. That’s always good: it’s now called Fire Emblem: Three Houses and features the same turn-based combat goodness you’ve expected.

Nintendo Indies
There will be two titles making their Switch debuts: Overcooked 2 and Killer Queen Black. If you liked the first Overcooked, this one features the ability to throw ingredients and kitchens that change mid-stage. It’ll be out 7 August.
Killer Queen Black is the home version of an arcade favourite. You fight for your hive in a 5v5 slew of matches involving flying, stinging, and honey-catching. It’s slated for an early 2019 release.

All In All…
Your opinion on this Nintendo Direct is dependant on whether you really love Super Smash Bros. or not. If you do, full marks here. If you’re like us however and wanted to see more goodies like the new Bayonetta or the new Metroid Prime, well, we’ll have to wait for the next Nintendo Direct later in the year then.
The stuff they’ve shown here wasn’t half-bad, but the other half was way too specific for its more Smash-centric audience.
Score: 5/10. On the fence.


Jessica Jones Season 3 Release Date Announced

Netflix has finally announced the official release date for Jessica Jones Season 3, which will also be the series’ final season and the last of the Marvel Netflix franchise. The premiere date was unveiled with the release of a brief new trailer for the upcoming season.
In the Jessica Jones Season 3 trailer, we can hear a creepy voice stalking our titular hero from the shadows, but we still have no idea who it might be. The official description for the new season sheds more light on what viewers can look forward to:

â€œWhen Jessica (Krysten Ritter) crosses paths with a highly intelligent psychopath, she and Trish (Rachael Taylor) must repair their fractured relationship and team up to take him down.
But a devastating loss reveals their conflicting ideas of heroism and sets them on a collision course that will forever change them both.â€

At the end of Season 2, Jessica wasn’t friends with Trish anymore, which is understandable, considering how the latter killed Jessica’s mom. It looks like this new villain, whoever it is, will be powerful enough to require them to work together again despite their ‘differences’.
Jessica Jones Season 3 will also star returning cast members Carrie-Anne Moss (The Matrix) as Jeri Hogarth, Eka Darvill (Empire) as Malcolm Ducasse, and Rebecca DeMornay (The Hand that Rocks the Cradle) as Dorothy Walker, Trishâ€™s mom. The season will also feature the acting talents of Benjamin Walker (Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter), Jeremy Bobb (Russian Doll), Sarita Choudhury (Homeland), Tiffany Mack (Hap and Leonard), Jessica Frances Dukes (The Good Wife), and Aneesh Sheth (New Amsterdam) in unknown roles.

With Jessica Jones turning out to be the last of the Marvel Netflix franchise, let’s hope it goes out with a bang, acting as a swansong for a universe that began with such potential but ultimately broke down due to the weaker links in the chain and admittedly foolish writing (looking at you, Iron Fist).
13 new episodes of Jessica Jones Season 3 will premiere on 14 June 2019. In the meantime, check out the trailer below or head on over here to find out more about why I think the death of the Marvel Netflix franchise is a good thing.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFGm_E9UeBE&w=560&h=315]


despelote Is A First-Person Football Adventure From The Untitled Goose Game Publishers

Panic, a game publishing group responsible for Untitled Goose Game and Nour: Play With Your Food, has announced a first-person adventure game involving everybody’s favourite sport: football.
The publisher has announced despelote, a first-person football game about people and the rural life in an Ecuadorian town, made by developers Julian Cordero and Sebastian Valbuena.
“We’ve been pretty quiet since launching Untitled Goose Game and announcing Nour: Play With Your Food, but we’ve been actively taking pitches these past few years. We were really taken with despelote when it came our way—a deeply transportive love letter to a particular time and place, told in such a wry, charming way that it manages to feel universal at the same time. We’re so proud to be able to help bring it to the world. (And we have a bunch more game announcements coming later this year—this is just the start!)”
It’s rather refreshing to have a football game that isn’t (a) a football sim and (b) a football management sim. And from the look of the trailer below, it’s going to be a bigger narrative ride than anything. despelote will be out in 2024 for PC, Xbox, and PlayStation.
“despelote is a soccer game about people. Get immersed in the streets and parks of Quito through the eyes and ears of eight year old Julián. Dribble, pass and shoot your soccer ball around town, and see what happens when you kick it someone’s way. Feel the city change as Ecuador comes closer than ever to qualifying for the World Cup.”


Final Fantasy XIV Just Beat Its Own Concurrent Player Record On Steam; Here’s Why

Final Fantasy XIV, the hit MMORPG that’s been around for eight years and is beating Blizzard at its own online game, has reached a new concurrent player record.
According to SteamDB, FFXIV has hit a concurrent player count of 47,542 in the last 24 hours. And its upcoming expansion Endwalker isn’t coming out until November, so what caused these jumps in numbers?
They’re all from former World of Warcraft players who follow popular WoW streamers like Asmongold. See, Asmongold streamed FFXIV to his 2 million followers, coincidentally with popular streamer CohhCarnage who picked up the game as well. Coupled with the extra-long wait for the WoW Chains of Domination update, and you can see why players are jumping on-board the Square Enix MMO train.
Unless Blizzard gets its act together, people will eventually be flocking over to the critically acclaimed MMORPG Final Fantasy XIV that has a free trial up to level 60 including the Heavensward expansion.


[Report] Super Nintendo World Theme Park To Open In Japan Next Year

Mama mia, Japan may be getting a Nintendo theme park next year.
According to mock-up images and construction pictures tweeted by Twitter user and Japanese Nintendo news person Brian Cooper, the Super Nintendo World theme park will be built in Universal Studios Japan in Osaka and should be finished in time for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
The mockups so far seem to feature Bowser’s Castle, a Super Mario 3D World stage layout for kids and adults to climb on and play in, a Mario Kart go-kart track, and an entire landscape that mimics the Mushroom Kingdom, pipes and all. It’s hard to say if this is legit or not (hence the [report] title), but it looks feasible to build and construct for a year or two. Check out the pictures for yourselves.


Need A Good Retro 3D Platformer Fix For 2022? Frogun Is Not It

Platform(s): PC, Xbox One, PS4, Nintendo Switch
Genre: 3D platformer with a grapple hook in the form of a frog’s head on a gun
The wave of 3D platformers for this generation with 90s aesthetics continues, with some of them featuring some semblance of quality behind its aesthetics. OUr next entry? The endearing-looking Frogun, which may seem typical, but hides a sadistic streak amidst the toothy grin of its kid protagonist.
Jump & Snag
As you can tell from the title, Frogun is about a little girl named Renata who has to rescue her archaeologist parents from the depths of the ruins using a frog-gun hybrid as her sole weapon. The “hook” here is that your Frogun shoots its tongue out to either grab enemies, pull objects, or pull yourself onto walls to cross over pits. Anything is fair game to grab and latch onto, meaning you can get creative in crossing from point A to B in the fastest and most efficient way possible.
While that makes the majority of Frogun a breeze to complete since there’s no lives system -you just restart from your last checkpoint if you fail- the challenge actually comes from getting special Fly medals. You get these post-stage rewards for finding all the coins in a level, completing the level without dying, finishing the stage faster than the intended time, and collecting hard-to-reach green emeralds and purple demon stones. If you’re a one-and-done kind of player, you may find some fun in Frogun for the first 4 hours or so, but completionists and achievement hunters will find lots to love in replaying Frogun’s levels in a challenging new light.

It helps that Frogun has a quaint simple 3D aesthetic. It’s a pity about the controls, especially the titular Frogun. While jumping and shooting your Frogun while aiming at certain grappable spots can be tricky if you’re in a hurry, I had no issues just pacing myself, aiming properly, and just shooting my tongue away. At least for the earlier levels. As long as you’re grappling and colliding, you can proceed to fire your gun again while airborne. If you miss while in the air, however, you can’t shoot it again.
Mechanics like these make a supposedly friendly game unnecessarily frustrating. You’ll need to be precise with your shots especially in later levels that feature a ton of moving parts and a plethora of pitfalls. And there’s a lot in the last half that will make you break your controllers due to the no-miss nature of the levels.
Frogun is cute, charming, and offers quite a challenge for anyone who wants a brand-new 3D platformer with some quaint level design and a nifty grapple hook mechanic. Perhaps it’s a little too challenging for many who just want another mascot platformer that’s a bit fair and breezy. Frogun’s aesthetics belies an annoying kind of 3D platformer that demands precision. For that, I’m not sure if I should recommend the game to everyone but the most hardcore of platformer enthusiasts.
Final Score: 50/100


Tails Of Iron Trailer Highlights Brutal Souls-Like Combat

Upcoming RPG Adventure Tails Of Iron just dropped an epic new gameplay trailer, finally revealing the brutal, souls-like combat that awaits potential saviours of the realm. The latest preview showcases the range of deadly skills on offer, including dodge rolls, parry bashes, ruthless ranged attacks, and highly graphic and immensely satisfying executions.
Players will soon be able to partake in the savage conflict between rat and frog when Tails Of Iron arrives on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC on 17 September 2021.
Created by the indie development team, Odd Bug Studio, and published by United Label, Tails Of IronÂ takes players on a perilous quest across a deceptively charming, immersive, hand-drawn world. When the deadly Frog Clan invades, Redgi, heir to the Rat Throne, must assemble a band of fearless comrades and fight back to save his crumbling kingdom. This compelling conflict is narrated throughout by the iconic vocals of the legendary Doug Cockle (Geralt of Rivia fromÂ The WitcherÂ game series).
The trailer also unveils the savage boss fights that lie in store, as players attempt to take on the Frog clanâ€™s oversized generals that patrol the land. From the lance-touting Lans Alot, to the rat-flesh-feasting Bloki Magu, these cold-blooded amphibians each present their own unique combat challenge. Players will need to observe their individual move-sets and react accordingly in order to come out triumphant.
Features:

Brutal combat, inspired by the souls-like genre, featuring dodge-rolls, parry bashes and fatal executions.
A vast and treacherous Kingdom comprised of six distinct biomes, each with its own hidden paths and secrets.
A compelling story narrated by the deep, raspy vocals of the legendary Doug Cockle.
Customisable attack styles with a vast array of distinct weapons and armour.
A range of side quests offering players additional gold on the side.
Hidden blueprints to forge new and powerful weapons.
Savage boss fights against the Frog Clanâ€™s deadly, oversized generals.
A gorgeous and lovingly crafted 2D hand-drawn art style.

Physical copies ofÂ Tails of IronÂ can be pre-ordered now at select stores, and include the Crimson Knight DLC pack, containing:

Three Armour Skins.
Three Helmet Skins.
Three Weapon Skins.
Three Shield Skins.

Tails Of Iron can be wish-listed/pre-ordered on Steam or here: https://www.unitedlabelgames.com/tails-of-iron/
Check out the trailer below:


Guardians Of The Galaxy’s PC Requirements Include 150GB Of Disk Space

Square Enix and Eidos Montreal’s upcoming action-adventure title Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy will be out later this month, with its PC specs available right now via its Steam page.
Long story short, the game needs a lot of disk space for installation. About 150GB’s worth; we’re not sure how long the game will be but we’re pretty sure it won’t clock past the 20-hour mark. Granted, this install size is just behind the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and Warzone combo that’s sitting at 231GB total, but that series is constantly being updated and patched with new stuff.
Anyway, here are the minimum and recommended PC specs for Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy:
Guardians of the Galaxy minimum system requirements

Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
OS: WindowsÂ® 10 64 bit Build 1803
Processor: AMD Ryzenâ„¢ 5 1400 / IntelÂ® Coreâ„¢ i5-4460
Memory: 8 GB RAM
Graphics: NVIDIAÂ® GeForceÂ® GTX 1060 / AMD Radeonâ„¢ RX 570
DirectX: Version 12
Storage: 150 GB available space

Guardians of the Galaxy recommended system requirements

Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
OS: WindowsÂ® 10 64 bit Build 1803
Processor: AMD Ryzenâ„¢ 5 1600 / IntelÂ® Coreâ„¢ i7-4790
Memory: 16 GB RAM
Graphics: NVIDIAÂ® GeForceÂ® GTX 1660 Super / AMD Radeonâ„¢ RX 590
DirectX: Version 12
Storage: 150 GB available space

The game will be out for PC (and major consoles) on 26th October.


Blizzard Reveals Overwatch 2 Ping System Changes Coming During The Mid-Season

If you spend an unhealthy amount of time, losing your mind in Overwatch 2—like myself—then you’ll be happy to know that the developers are making some changes to the game’s Ping system. This system was a popular addition to the game, as it allows players to communicate with each other more effectively without having to use a mic.
While the Ping system has been helpful, there have been some issues with how information is shared. For example, the “Group Up” ping sometimes says “I’m with you” instead, which can be confusing. Luckily, a Systems Designer named Gavin Winter has confirmed that updates are on the way later in Season 4.
 Comment by      u/blizz_winter from discussion      I’m tired of looking at the ground to say "Group Up". I don’t want to say "I’m with you". in      Overwatch

Winter explained that a mid-season patch is coming, which will include a new setting for “contextual pings.” This means that when aiming at an allied hero, players will have the option to control whether contextual pings for Group Up and Need Healing are used. The default setting will be “Off.”

Winter admitted that there were some mistakes made with communication wheel adjustments going from the original Overwatch to OW2, but these have been fixed. However, he did point out that although some players have complained about the Ping system, the number of players who want this change is “likely much smaller than the number of players that do not want this feature.” That’s why it’s taken some time to be implemented.
Winter also recommended that players change their default Ping Wheel options from the .18 second default to a number like 3 to avoid placing the wrong pings in the world. He said that the team is working on other solutions to the Ping system, but for now, players can expect some much-needed new options once the mid-season patch arrives.


This New Zowie Gaming Monitor Can Improve Your Aiming; Here’s How

BenQ’s Zowie has launched their latest ZOWIE XL-K generation gaming monitor with the new XL2746K with specs that are said to improve your aim.
The question of whether your gaming rig is a factor in your skills has always been a debate between gamers, but Zowieâ€™s latest gaming monitor aims to give a final answer. Enter the new XL2746K monitor, equipped with the latest customisable features that are present in the XL-K series of monitors, the new 27-inch 240Hz display provides a wider range of options to suit their gaming preferences.

The monitor comes with a smaller base, allowing for more room for users to fill out their gaming tables or for those who prefer more space for flicks and large mouse movements. The base has a flexible and fluid height with title adjustment, and users will be able to download custom setting presets from other people for a quicker configuration thanks to the brandâ€™s own XL Setting to Share feature. The added feature will also allow users to save clips and share them conveniently through a simple user interface.
Armed with ZOWIEâ€™s proprietary DyAc+ technology, a dynamic accuracy function that reduces motion blur seen on LCD panels, the tech will theoretically improve oneâ€™s aim through the reduction of vigorous in-game screen shaking and motion blur. Essentially, the monitor will have a staggeringly high refresh rate to remove any motion blur and allow for near pixel-perfect clarity. The XL2746K also comes with the new OSD menu, which provides quick access to a playerâ€™s desired settings.

In conjunction with the launch of their new product, the brand has also partnered with Kingsmen and Paper Rex, two of Singapore’s professional Valorant esports teams, to provide them with equipment.
The starting price of the XL2746K will be RM2688. Those looking for a different option can rest easy as the XL-K series also includes the XL2411K priced RM1,199, which comes as a 24 inch 144Hz monitor, and the XL2546K, a 24.5-inch 240Hz monitor priced at RM2,279.


Valorant Champions Tour 2021 Stage 3 Masters Berlin: The Full Schedule

The Valorant Champions Tour Stage 3 Masters tournament will take place from 9 September to 19 September 2021, and will include 16 of the best teams from around the world.
It will also be the final event of 2021, which makes this the final chance for pro teams to earn VCT qualification points for the upcoming Valorant Champions 2021, which will take place from 29 November to 12 December 2021.
It is held at the Verti Music Hall in Berlin, Germany.
The winner will be awarded an automatic qualification for Valorant Champions 2021, while the rest will go home with the following Circuit points:

1st: Automatic place at Valorant Champions 2021 and US$225,000.
2nd: 375 Circuit points and US$125,000.
3rd – 4th: 325 Circuit points and US$85,000.
5th – 8th: 275 Circuit points and US$25,000.
9th – 12th: 225 Circuit points and US$10,000.
13th – 16th: 175 Circuit points and US$10,000.

Valorant Champions Tour 2021 Stage 3 Masters Teams Format
Group Stage:

4 groups of four teams in a double-elimination format.
The top 2 teams advance to the Playoffs.
All matches are Best-Of-3.

Playoffs:

8 teams in a single-elimination bracket
All matches are Best-Of-3.
Grand Finals is Best-Of-5.

Valorant Champions Tour 2021 Stage 3 Masters Teams
Group A

Vision Strikers (Korea)
Paper Rex (SEA)
Supermassive Blaze (EMEA)
Acend (EMEA)

Group B

Vivo Keyd (Brazil)
Team Envy (North America)
KRÃœ Esports (LATAM)
Zeta Division (Japan)

Group C

Gambit Esports (EMEA)
Crazy Raccoon (Japan)
100 Thieves (North America)
Havan Liberty (Brazil)

Group D

Sentinels (North America)
G2 Esports (EMEA)
Bren Esports (SEA)
F4Q (Korea)

Valorant Champions Tour 2021 Stage 3 Masters Schedule
Friday, 10 September 2021: 9pm (GMT+8) – Group Play
Match A2: SuperMassive Blaze vs Acend
Match D1: G2 Esports vs F4Q
Match C2: 100 Thieves vs Havan Liberty
Saturday, 11 September 2021: 9pm (GMT+8)
Match A1: Vision Strikers vs Paper Rex
Match C1: Gambit Esports vs Crazzy Raccon
Match B1: Keyd Stars vs Team Envy
Sunday, 12 September 2021: 9pm (GMT+8)
Match B2: KRÃœ Esports vs ZETA DIVISION
Match D2 – Sentinels vs G2 Esports
Match C3 – Winners of C1 vs C2
Monday, 13 September 2021: 9pm (GMT+8)
Match B3: Winners of B1 vs B2
Match A3: Winners of A1 vs A2
Match D3: F4Q vs Sentinels
Tuesday, 14 September 2021: 9pm (GMT+8)
Match D4: F4Q vs G2 Esports
Match B4: Losers of B1 vs B2
Match C4: Losers of C1 vs C2
Wednesday, 15 September 2021: 9pm (GMT+8)
Match A4: Losers of A1 vs A2
Match D5: G2 Esports vs Sentinels
Match B5: Loser of B3 vs Winner of B4
Thursday, 16 September 2021: 9pm (GMT+8)
Match A5: Loser of A3 vs Winner A4
Match C5 – Loser of C3 vs Winner of C4
Match D6 – Sentinels vs F4Q
Friday, 17 September 2021: 9pm (GMT+8) â€“ Quarterfinals
Saturday, 18 September 2021: 11pm (GMT+8) â€“ Semifinals
Sunday, 19 September 2021: 11pm (GMT+8) â€“ Finals
Where To Watch Valorant Champions Tour 2021 Stage 3 Masters
You can tune in through the official Valorant TwitchÂ andÂ YouTube channels to catch the action live.


SDCC 2019: The Expanse Season 4 Trailer Confirms Release Date

Fans of sci-fi heaved a great sigh of relief when Amazon revived The Expanse after its cancellation. However, since then, nary a peep has been heard, until now, that is. At San Diego Comic-Con 2019, Amazon Prime Video released the first trailer for the upcoming Season 4 of The Expanse.
The brief one-minute long The Expanse Season 4 trailer doesn’t reveal much, but another longer clip does show the crew of the Rocinante landing on a brand new planet named Ilus.

James Holden (Steven Strait), Alex Kamal (Cas Anvar), Naomi Nagata (Dominique Tipper), Amos Burton (Wes Chatham) and more will be returning in Season 4. The official synopsis reads:

“With the Ring Gates now open to thousands of new planets, a blood-soaked gold rush begins, igniting new conflicts between Earth, Mars, and the Belt.
Meanwhile, on one unexplored planet, the Rocinante crew gets caught in a violent clash between an Earth mining corporation and desperate Belter settlers as deadly new threats from the protomolecule emerge.”

The Expanse Season 4 is slated to premiere on 13 December 2019. In the meantime, check out both trailers below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNIim3xqsEU&w=560&h=315]
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9LrZiNOvp_c&w=560&h=315]


Borderlands 3 Will Feature Cross-Platform Multiplayer One Day, But Not Anytime Soon [Update]

A few hours ago, the official Borderlands 3 Twitter feed stated that it will be celebrating “togetherness” later today, 10pm GMT+8.Â Many fans speculated that it involves cross-platform multiplayer, but alas that is not the case.

We hope to see you there. ? #Borderlands3 pic.twitter.com/JxDfmkSwcM
— Borderlands (@Borderlands) July 12, 2019

Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford said in a tweet that the upcoming announcement is not about cross-play. However, the company is committed to supporting cross-play for Borderlands 3 with its respective platform partners as soon as practicable after launch.

Some folks may be speculating that this thing tomorrow may be about cross play. Tomorrow’s thing is awesome, but *not* about cross-play. But, Good News: We are committed to supporting cross-play for Borderlands 3 with our partners as soon as practicable after launch. #talklater https://t.co/XtUzrBpySP
— Randy Pitchford (@DuvalMagic) July 15, 2019

Also, the Twitter account announced a VIP Season 2 pass including a new Zane skin and head, the Mural of Mayhem wallpaper, and other sweet loot. Head here if you need a refresher on how the VIP system works.
https://twitter.com/Borderlands/status/1150842599147626496
Personally, a cross-play Borderlands 3 experience would be really, really awesome and will unite players together regardless of consoles and platforms. The game is slated for a 13 September release for PC, PS4, Xbox One.
Update: And if you’re wondering what that “Celebration of Togetherness” is about, it’s a new promo video for the game playing to the tune of The Turtles’ “Happy Together”. It’s cute AND trippy, though I personally wish this was saved for an end-of-August/September pre-launch promo instead.


Dota 2’s Alliance Is Back And Teams Up With Razer Once More

Game peripheral company Razer has net itself a juggernaut of a team under its wing: Dota 2’s Alliance.
The former long-running team is back again for this season of MOBA action. The two of them will have a 2-year partnership and will be using the latest Razer products when competing.
The roster consists of the following players:

qojqva
Boxi
iNSaNiA
Taiga
miCke
Madara (sub)
Loda (Coach)

Here’s a quote from CEO Min-Liang Tan about these turn of events:

“Razer helped create Alliance in 2013 because we saw an esports team that shared many of our core values. Since then, Alliance has continued to build their organization and community with a spirit of teamwork, fairness and dedication that has seen them achieve great success.
Iâ€™m proud to once again partner with Alliance and, with the backing of Team Razer, Alliance are going to build a formidable line-up this year to make a huge impact within the esports arena.”

Previously, the team was founded in conjunction with Razer back in April 2013 as an effort to promote European esports. Highlights of this esports brand include producing top Dota 2 streamer AdmiralBulldog and top Smash Bros player Armada. Oh, and also having its Dota 2 team led by Loda win The International 2013.
Right now, we’re not sure which tournaments they’ll be participating in, but we can guess that they’ll be involved with major ones like MDL Disneyland Paris Major and upcoming ESL tourneys within Europe.


Tekken’s Kazuya Will Be In Super Smash Bros Ultimate Tomorrow

Nintendo just published a new Nintendo Direct focused on the latest addition to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate: Tekken’s Kazuya Mishima. Most importantly, he’ll be available sooner than you think.
Game director Masahiro Sakurai talks about the philosophies in bringing a 3D fighter like Kazuya into the 2D SSBU mix. He picked Kazuya not because of his main character status, but for his Devil Gene powers. See, he uses his Devil Powers as his specials, while his normal moves are based on his signature attacks like EWGF and his 10-hit combo. Also, his EWGF and other high-level moves require players to pull off crouch dash (forward, down, down forward) and the attack button.
He is a comeback fighter who comes with some weight with his moves and fighting style. He even has some level of armour in his moves. However, his range is pretty bad.
When Kazuya’s life reaches 100%, he enters Rage state. Just like in Tekken 7, he deals a bit more damage and knocks enemies out frequently. If he pulls off a Rage Drive, he exits Rage state immediately. All in all, he’s a fighter with loads of moves and counters, but requires some finesse to pull off as he’s considered slower than the rest of the SSBU cast.

His colour choices in SSBU range from throwbacks to even donning the colours of his son Jin.

When Kirby copies him, Kirby can pull off the Devil Blaster.

Kazuya will be available for purchase in the Challenger Pack 10 of SSBU on 29th June PST for US$5.99. The pack contains Kazuya and the Mishima Dojo stage.
As a bonus, Mii Fighter versions of Shantae from Shantae: Half-Genie Hero, Dante of Devil May Cry, the Dovahkiin from Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, and Lloyd from Tales of Symphonia will be available for $0.75 on the same day Kazuya is available.


Gamescom 2019: Ghost Recon-  Breakpoint May Reinvigorate The Multiplayer Shooter Scene With Its PvP Take

When you hear “shrinking ring” and “random gear and loot on map in buildings”, you think PUBG or any other battle royale game in the market. And that’s what Ubisoft is doing with the multiplayer mode for Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Breakpoint, titled Ghost War.
Yet somehow a few playthroughs of the game’s new PvP mode prove that it’s a possible cut above from the rest. You see, the maps here are smaller, there are no new guns in sight -you have to rely on your loadout- , and the aforementioned shrinking ring only activates at the last few minutes of the round.
And to cap off how unique it is, the mode is 4v4 deathmatch. Yes, it sounds like Ghost Recon: Wildlands, but the Ubisoft team have made a ton of changes to make it less “tacked on” and more of its own beast that complements the already-idealistic single-player mode.
The Hunt Is On

Picture it this way; all four of your teammates have to stick together, but not too close lest you alert the other team. You have to hide out a lot since your enemies may have a sharpshooter in their team. You have to monitor your surroundings, unleash your gadgets to get a leg up while also be wary of enemy drones. Sure, you can shoot one down, but that’s going to alert enemies to your last-known location. Imagine a bloodletting game of hide-and-seek but with a shrinking ring that limits your spots for camping.
Much like EA’s Apex Legends, Ghost Recon: Breakpoint‘s new 4v4 mode is part arena shooter, part battle royale, but with a flavour of its own. Matches do not last longer than 15 minutes, and teamwork is a tad more important here. The maps aren’t too big, but not too claustrophobic either. \
There are ample spots to hide in, but enough room to evade and slip away to back exits of snowbound military bases and dockyards when needed. And of course, a lot of spots to get to higher ground and overwhelm an enemy team in one last push. This Ghost Recon’s multiplayer maps are built for PvP, as stated by Ubisoft.
Smooth Operators

To add further icing to the multiplayer cake, the Ghost War mode will be seamlessly integrated with the rest of Ghost Recon: Breakpoint. You can have just one character for both PvE and PvP mode, loadouts, loot, and all. Even if you’re just playing by yourself in PvE mode, you can still gain XP and not miss out on PvP mode and its plethora of unlocks. Of course, veterans who grind will not gain a significant advantage in PvP than with a newbie, as the game is “balanced for fairness”.
If you’re interested in how distinct and unique this team-based shooter is shaping up to be, the closed beta starts 5th September. Ghost Recon: Breakpoint will be out 4th October. It comes with guns, recon, open-world single-player goodness, and Jon Bernthal’s likeness.


Diablo 4: Twisted Blade Poison Rogue Build Guide

Diablo 4 will be out for PC and consoles starting 2nd June, and with all top-tier RPGs, there’s always a new build being made for any of the game’s five classes.
This guide will teach you how to Rogue using close-ranged skills and Poison imbuement to kill off foes and enemies fast from Tier 2 all the way to Tier 4. But hey, if you want to use this build from the get-go, by all means…

Overview

This Rogue build mixes cutthroat skills, marksman skills, and poison-laced attacks for effective damage-over-time (DOT). Use maxed-out Twisted Blade with specific Aspects to make the returning blades spin around and deal massive damage to anyone or anything around you.
Use Poison Imbuement to deal great DOTs; the Bursting Venom Aspect will have you create pools of poison that resets your Poison Imbuement cooldown and deal massive damage. Poison-laced Dashes also inflicts more enemies with Poison, meaning complementary skills like Alchemical Advantage makes you deal faster damage-per-second with your weapons moreso than usual.
Use your early skill points to get Puncture and its Enhanced/Fundamental unlocks, then unlock Twisting Blades and its subsequent Enhanced/Advanced buffs.

Rogue Poison + Twisting Blades Build

Skills & Specialization
Skills: Puncture, Twisting Blades, Dash, Dark Shroud, Poison Imbuement, Shadow Clone
Specialization: Preparation (unlocked after Level 30)

Skill Tree
Basic Skill (Tier 1): Puncture (1), Enhanced Puncture, Fundamental Puncture
Core Skill (Tier 2): Twisting Blades (5), Enhanced Twisting, Advanced Twisting
Core Skill Passive: Sturdy (3), Siphoning Strikes (3)
Agile Skill (Tier 3): Dash (3), Enhanced Dash (1), Disciplined Dash (1)
Defensive Skill (Tier 4): Dark Shroud (1), Enhanced , Countering Dark Shroud
Defensive Skill (Tier 4) Passives: Exploit (3), Malice (3)
Imbue Skill (Tier 5): Poison Imbuement (5), Enhanced, Blended
Imbue Skill Passives: Deadly Venom (3), Debilitating Toxins (2), Alchemical Advantage (2), Precision Imbuement (3)
Ultimate Skill (Tier 6): Shadow Clone (1), Prime (1), Supreme Shadow Clone (1)
Ultimate Passive: Adrenaline Rush (1), Haste (1), Aftermath (2)
Core Passive (Tier 7): Close Combat Mastery (1)
Gear & Skill (Aspects)
Helm: Aspect of Might (Dry Steppes)
Chest Armor: Aspect of Disobedience (Kejhistan)
Gloves: Aspect of the Expectant (Scosglen)
Pants: Aspect of the Protector (Fractured Peaks)
Boots: Wind Striker Aspect (Kehjistan)
Dual-Wield Weapon 1: –
Dual-Wield Weapon 2: –
Ranged Weapon: Bladedancer’s Aspect* (Scosglen)
Amulet: Edgemaster’s Aspect (Scosglen)
Ring 1: Aspect of the Umbral (Dry Steppes)
Ring 2: Aspect of Bursting Venoms*
Gems
Weapon: Emerald
Armor: Ruby
Jewelry: Skull

Paragon Board
To be updated…


Spider-Man Far From Home Director Wants This Iconic Villain In Next Movie

It’s only been a week since Spider-Man Far From Home was released worldwide and everyone’s already wondering what’s next for our friendly neighbourhood wall-crawler. The movie already introduced Mysterio’s debut on live-action, but director Jon Watts wants another iconic Spidey villain for a possible sequel.
In an interview with Uproxx, when asked about where the story should go next, Watts said:

“I mean, it opens up so many possibilities.”

During the interview, Watts wasn’t interested when villains like Norman Osborn were mentioned since we’ve already seen them in previous movies. However, he had a specific answer on who his choice of future villain would be, and it’s an exciting one.

â€œI mean, yeah, I always just try to start with what havenâ€™t we seen before?
And thereâ€™s so many Spider-Man villains.
I mean, the fact that I got to, in a way, bring Hydro-Man and Molten Man to a movie, really, I get a kick out of that, even if they are fake.
But, no, I donâ€™t know whoâ€™s next. I always like to think about it in terms of whatâ€™s going to be the most difficult thing for Peter.
So thatâ€™s going to be the next trick.
Oh, I would love Kraven. Itâ€™s just the trick of how do you do Kraven in a movie?”

Who Is Kraven The Hunter?

Kraven the Hunter is one of the Spider-Man most iconic and deadly villains, despite not being as popular as other members of his rogues’ gallery like Venom, Green Goblin, or Doctor Octopus.
However, in the 1987 comic book arc ‘Kraven’s Last Arc’, Kraven actually managed to ‘kill’ Spider-Man and replaced him as the costumed hero throughout that duration of time. In actuality, Peter was put into a coma for two weeks and buried in a grave.
It is widely considered to be one of the best Spider-Man comics, as it was one of the very rare occasions when Spider-Man actually lost to his enemies.

Since Peter Parker AKA Spider-Man was seen galivanting throughout Europe and is now a global fugitive thanks to his identity being revealed to the world (as seen in Spider-Man Far From Home and its post-credits scene), that’s how Kraven could potentially enter the MCU.
Kraven the Hunter could have seen the breaking news footage and regard Spider-Man as worthy prey. Nothing would stop him from travelling to America and hunting down Spidey. It would certainly make for a darker and more visceral Spider-Man movie than the previous two.
In the meantime, check outÂ my review ofÂ Spider-Man Far From HomeÂ here, orÂ head on over hereÂ if youâ€™re interested in learning more aboutÂ Quentin Beck AKA MysterioÂ after watching the movie.


1 Year Later, Riot Games Wins US$2.9M Lawsuit Against Mobile Legends Developer

It seems that Moonton is now US$2.9 million dollars poorer thanks to Riot Games and Tencent Holdings’ tenacity and persistence. The charges? Copyright infringement from Moonton’s part since their game Mobile Legends Bang Bang is essentially a League of Legends rip-off from aesthetics to gameplay.
If you’re lost, don’t worry: here’s a recap.

Riot Games sued the company Moonton initially last year.Â Riot said that it believes Moonton had earned hundreds of thousandsâ€”and possibly millionsâ€”of dollars by copying their game League of Legends.
However, the case was dismissed on grounds of forum non conviens. This means that the dismissal was due to another jurisdiction or court must hear the case more conveniently.
This is where the court of Shanghai comes into play, since Moonton is situated there.
Do remember that Riot Games is under Tencent Holdings. Which means that Tencent, a giant-ass Chinese conglomerate, can instead sue Moonton on their behalf. The new lawsuit from Tencent is a non-disclosure and non-compete lawsuit.

Okay, now that we’re done with the recap, let’s proceed with the story. According to Dot Esports, Moonton was supposed to pay just US$388,000 according to the official court document from Shanghai No. 1 Intermediate People’s Court. However, the court ruled that the original settlement was incorrect.
Moonton used a valuation of the settlement based on how tax authorities calculate value instead of basing it on book values. Because of this, the figure jumped up to US$2.9 million.
To add more fuel to the fire, Tencent’s other MOBA King of Glory is joining forces with Riot to sue Moonton for additional copyright infringement cases. With Mobile Legends and League of Legends being super-popular here in Malaysia and Singapore, you don’t need us to tell you that the games are eerily similar to one another.


Sandbox Games Are Thriving Over Battle Royale Shooters On Mobile

Mobile games have been growing and growing, but the industry is a fickle one. New genres and games can live or die in an instant, with some fading into obscurity and some booming into popularity. According to statistics provided by analytics company data.ai, the mobile games landscape has changed over the past year.
Creative sandbox games such as Roblox and Minecraft dominate growth in many markets. Globally, time spent grew 25 percent from 2021 to 2022. In South Korea, usage in creative sandbox games grew by over 45 percent year-over-year. Conversely, battle royale shooter games were among the biggest ‘losers’ of 2022, with time spent declining by around 20 percent globally.
However, battle royale shooters are still relatively popular in certain markets, including China and Saudi Arabia.
Here are the top ten games according to number of hours spent by gamers worldwide:

ROBLOX
Fate/Grand Order
Lords Mobile
8 Ball Pool
MobilityWare Solitaire
Pokémon GO
JJ Doudizhu
Ludo King
Honor of Kings
Free Fire

That’s right, ROBLOX is getting more and more popular, especially amongst the younger gamers. In addition, the statistics also show that well-known IP games such as Diablo Immortal and Apex Legends Mobile saw success in adoption and consumer spending, while Genshin Impact continues to break records, crossing its US$3 Billion in spending in Q2 2022.
The mobile games industry will only continue to grow, especially as console and PC games get more and more expensive.


Abrams Sheds Light On How Critical A Plan Is When Looking Back At Star Wars

J.J. Abrams directed 2015’s Star Wars Episode VII The Force Awakens and 2019’s Star Wars Episode IX The Rise Of Skywalker. However, the latter was chastised badly by both fans and critics alike. As a self-proclaimed fan of the franchise, I reviewed the movie and found it to be one of the worst in the entire history of Star Wars.
It’s clear now (and even back then) that Disney and Lucasfilm didn’t have a solid plan or framework to base an entire trilogy on. They could have used the rough draft already written by George Lucas himself, but they ultimately didn’t and we all know how that turned out.
Speaking with Collider, J.J. Abrams looks back on Star Wars and admits that one of the lessons he’s learnt is that having a plan is critical.
He said:
â€œIâ€™ve been involved in a number of projects that have been â€“ in most cases, series â€“ that have ideas that begin the thing where you feel like you know where itâ€™s gonna go, and sometimes itâ€™s an actor who comes in, other times itâ€™s a relationship that as-written doesnâ€™t quite work, and things that you think are gonna just be so well-received just crash and burn and other things that you think like, â€˜Oh thatâ€™s a small momentâ€™ or â€˜Thatâ€™s a one-episode characterâ€™ suddenly become a hugely important part of the story.
I feel like what Iâ€™ve learned as a lesson a few times now, and itâ€™s something that especially in this pandemic year working with writers [has become clear], the lesson is that you have to plan things as best you can, and you always need to be able to respond to the unexpected.
And the unexpected can come in all sorts of forms, and I do think that thereâ€™s nothing more important than knowing where youâ€™re going.
â€œYou just never really know, but having a plan I have learned â€“ in some cases the hard way â€“ is the most critical thing, because otherwise you donâ€™t know what youâ€™re setting up. You donâ€™t know what to emphasize. Because if you donâ€™t know the inevitable of the story, youâ€™re just as good as your last sequence or effect or joke or whatever, but you want to be leading to something inevitable.â€
In the meantime, check outÂ my top tenÂ Star WarsÂ characters of all time, orÂ head on over here for when our very own Mr. Toffee reflected back on whether the much-maligned Star Wars Sequel trilogy deserved all the hate.


Doctor Strange Will Be Peter’s Mentor In Spider-Man 3

Just a week after news that Jamie Fox will be joining the sequel to 2019’s Spider-Man Far From Home as Electro, it’s reported that Benedict Cumberbatch will be appearing as Doctor Strange in the upcoming untitled Spider-Man 3 movie.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Benedict Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strange will be a father figure and mentor to Tom Holland’s Peter Parker AKA Spider-Man, just like Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man and Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury before him.
Perhaps we’ll see a bit of what to expect from Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness, which is Cumberbatch’s next outing as Doctor Strange. It might even be possible that Doctor Strange will somehow be involved in the arrival of beings from other universe, like Jamie Foxx’s Electro.
In the meantime, you can check outÂ our review ofÂ Spider-Man Far From Home, which remains the last MCU movie to have been released to date. The next MCU movie weâ€™ll be catching is Black Widow, andÂ thatâ€™s going to be in 2021.


The King Of Fighters XV Adds Shadow Fighter Najd Into Its Roster This Summer

Remember Nadj from The King of Fighters XIV? Me neither, but SNK does. Which is why she’s being added in the most recent 2D fighting game entry.
Nadj is a female warrior of justice who uses the power of shadows and “black energy” to defeat her foes. She has dive kicks, horizontal moves, and reversals aplenty! She will be available on the game’s roster this Summer.
If you happen to be at this year’s EVO fighting game tournament in the USA, she will be playable at SNK’s booth from 5th to 7th August GMT+8.

KOF XV is available right now for PC, Xbox Series, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, and PlayStation 4.


Netflix’s Over The Moon Will Feature Full Voice & Music Malay Dubs

One of the biggest animated movies of the year is set to be Netflix’s Over The Moon, which is directed by legendary animatorÂ Glen KeaneÂ (best known for some of the best Disney classics, likeÂ The Little Mermaid,Â Aladdin,Â Pocahontas,Â Tarzan,Â Beauty And The Beast, andÂ Tangled) and produced by Chinaâ€™sÂ Pearl Studios.
In the third episode of Netflix Malaysia’s BahasaSini web series released earlier tonight, the streaming giant revealed that Over The Moon will feature a full Malay dub. Not only does it boast a star-studded local voice cast, but there will even be full Malay versions of the songs in the movie.

? Over The Moon dalam Bahasa Melayu? ON THE WAY! ?EP3 of #NetflixBahasasini sees Fariz and his A-Team of Malaysian talents take on our new animated film, Over The Moon. Starring Dato’ @mnasirmohdnasir, @Sherry_Alhadad, @kiddsanthe, AND the actual Malaysian voice actors ? pic.twitter.com/0u0zg4neP2— Netflix Malaysia (@NetflixMY) October 19, 2020

The voice cast includes:
Dato’ M. NasirAzeera NazirAaron TeohFatin SyazannaKidd SantheSherry Alhadad
The synopsis reads:
Fueled with determination and a passion for science, a bright young girl builds a rocket ship to the moon to prove the existence of a legendary Moon Goddess.There she ends up on an unexpected quest and discovers a whimsical land of fantastical creatures.Directed by animation legend Glen Keane, and produced by Gennie Rim and Peilin Chou,Â Over The MoonÂ is an exhilarating musical adventure about moving forward, embracing the unexpected, and the power of imagination.The film stars Cathy Ang (Fei Fei), Phillipa Soo (Changâ€™e), Robert G. Chiu (Chin), Ken Jeong (Gobi), John Cho (Dad), Ruthie Ann Miles (Mom), Margaret Cho (Auntie Ling), Kimiko Glenn (Auntie Mei), Artt Butler (Uncle), and Sandra Oh (Mrs. Zhong).
In the meantime, check out the final trailer below.


Eternals Somehow Manages To Make Space Gods Boring & Bland

I remember writingÂ over two years agoÂ about whyÂ Marvelâ€™s Eternals is the studioâ€™s biggest risk yet. Fast-forward two years later to the current day, and it looks like most of my fears have come true. After almost 30 movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (Eternals is the 26th), there’s bound to be a bad apple in the bunch.
While there have certainly been mediocre films in the past (looking at you, Captain Marvel and Thor The Dark World), Eternals is officially the first dud.
This Should Have Been Marvel’s Space Odyssey

Eternals follows brand new characters who have never been featured in the MCU. These are the Eternals named Sersi (Gemma Chan), Ikaris (Richard Madden), Kingo (Kumail Nanjiani), Sprite (Lia McHugh), Phastos (Brian Tyree Henry), Makkari (Lauren Ridloff), Druig (Barry Keoghan), Thena (Angelina Jolie), Gilgamesh (Ma Dong-seok) and Ajak (Salma Hayek). Not only is the movie burdened with introducing those characters (who are the titular Eternals), the movie also has to introduce new human characters like Dane Whitman (Kit Harrington). Well, one human character, but that’s still a whopping eleven characters, at least.
One could argue that 2014’s Guardians Of The Galaxy also had to introduce brand new characters that had little connection to the main Earth characters, but thanks to James Gunn’s direction among other things, that movie managed to pull it off. Eternals does not.
Eternals is pretty much a standalone show, with no distracting cameos from other previously-established MCU characters. However, even with the movie’s runtime of two and a half hours, the movie crumbles under its own weight and ambition. The jokes don’t always land either.
Imagine watching 2012’s The Avengers without having any of the previous movies that set up the characters in that movie. That’s what watching Eternals feels like. The plot in Eternals is too ambitious but ultimately results in a messy and convoluted plot.
The movie moves between past and present between different eras because the Eternals are immortals who have lived thousands of years, but it makes for pacing that’s really disjointed and confusing. It also makes the movie feel draggy and yawn-inducing to actually sit through, which is a departure from most other MCU films.
Most of the movie’s screentime is dedicated to Gemma Chan’s Sersi and Richard Madden’s Ikaris. If you’re hoping to see more of the others, then be prepared to be disappointed. There are too many characters to develop and focus on, so it’s no surprise that several of them get the short end of the stick. I would say that one of the highlights is definitely Kumail Najiani’s Kingo, who livens up the movie with his comedic chops and jokes. The others are sometimes just there; present but not actively contributing much. It’s basically Sersi and Ikaris the Movie, so prepare to be disappointed if you’ve been looking forward to seeing any of the other characters receive the same attention.

I understand that the main characters are space gods who are thousands of years old, but there’s no reason why they have to be so dry at times. Eternals fails to make viewers care about the characters or to connect with them emotionally. The story also breaks apart halfway through, as the movie tries to make the big cosmic story work in tandem with developing each and every one of the characters. It’s weird that a movie can be so long but so unsatisfying at the same time.
Part of the reason why the movie’s pacing feels so draggy is the random exposition dumps, before proceeding to head into the typical action spectacle of an MCU movie in the third act. Sure, the movie has quite a lot of action scenes, but that doesn’t make up for the messy story and plodding pace. By the time the third act drops, I practically didn’t care for anything that’s happening anymore.
That’s not even mentioning the antagonists in this movie, which is the worst yet in an MCU movie. Yes, even worse than Christopher Eccleston’s Malekith The Accursed in that second Marvel’s Thor movie. As a comic book fan, I’m a bit livid as well. The Deviants are generic CGI monsters who look like rejected enemies from some JRPG while the big bad Kro is so forgettable and bland that you probably won’t even remember his name after the movie ends.
Of course, Eternals isn’t all bad. Director Chloe Zhao has managed to make the movie look visually epic and grandiose in a way that befits the space gods it features. The Celestials are imposing when they appear on-screen, and the flashback scenes to past eras can look ethereal. Visually, there’s no denying that this movie looks good, but unfortunately, that’s all there is to it. Oh, and there are also unexpected twists and turns you might love or hate, depending on your preference.
Not Even The Watcher Would Watch This

Eternals is a movie that even comic book and MCU fans would find hard to love, let alone casual viewers who are looking for a good cinematic experience. Eternals is certainly different from other MCU movies but in a bad way. At the very least, Marvel fans can look forward to the TWO exciting post-credits at the end of this movie, which opens up more of the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the future.
This might be the very first MCU movie that has truly brought me disappointment. I guess there’s a first time for everything.
Final Score: 50/100
We attended a press screener of Marvel’s Eternals courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Malaysia. Marvel’s Eternals is slated to premiere on 3 November 2021 in Malaysian cinemas.


SoundScape: Yoko Shimomura’s Greatest Hits

With Kingdom Hearts 3 out in a few days (or right now if you’re from Japan), it’s time to look back and remember what made the series so great in the first place. No, it’s not just the gameplay and the whole Disney/Square Enix collaboration. It’s also about the music.
Composed by Yoko Shimomura, Kingdom Hearts emanates a ton of her trademark piano compositions and opera-savvy style of music-making. But she didn’t get her start from the series, oh no. Throughout her time in Capcom up until that point, she’s been developing her craft with what limited technology she had to work with at the time.
So here’s a big-ass SoundScape mixtape video tour to showcase that, as well as her works post-Kingdom Hearts 1.


How P.T.’s Horror Star Gave The Best Scares

This week is the fifth anniversary of P.T., the playable teaser for the cancelled Silent Hills back in 2014. Both streamers and data-miners were obsessed with the demo despite the fact that it’s not available on PS4 (thanks Konami). Probably because people still up to this day analyze it and even attempt to recreate it for the PC.
And wouldn’t you know it? Someone online, an indie developer named Lance McDonald, found a new tidbit in P.T.: turns out that the horror figure of the game, Lisa, is behind the player’s camera the whole time. All through the magic of a camera hack.
To recap, P.T. puts your player in an endless looping hallway where random horrors and scares happen, usually from a ghost named Lisa. In the technical aspects of the demo, Lisa is the one that’s been making the spooky noises and shadows from behind the player at certain parts of the game.

She actually attaches to the player's back as soon as you get the flashlight, here, I demonstrate how you can see some strange shadows. I then lock the camera in place and walk forward, showing how she's always there… following you… pic.twitter.com/zarhwjNmZz
— Lance McDonald (@manfightdragon) September 9, 2019

Kinda reminds you of that Thai movie Shutter, eh? Just the way her head is twitching when following you is unsettling enough as it is…


New Borderlands 3 Vault Card Welcomes You To Pandora

Gearbox just released the new Vault Card for Borderlands 3, which means you have new loot to farm for.
Vault Cards are in-game reward programs where your Vault Hunter do daily and weekly quests to fill up a specific card’s XP, which leads to you winning loot exclusive from that program. These include new skins and new guns.
The latest Vault Card is called “Welcome To Pandora”, which features costumes and skins based on characters from Tales from the Borderlands and from the planet itself like Marcus and Dr. Zed. Yes, even the robot Gortys gets a mention on this Vault Card.
Here’s what you can unlock from Vault Card 2:

4 pieces of new Legendary gear (2 SMGs, Grenade Mod, Artifact)
4 Vault Hunter Heads
4 shared Vault Hunter Skins
5 ECHO Device skins
1 Weapon skin
6 Weapon Trinkets
2 Emotes
2 Room Decorations

You can only earn these rewards and complete these Vault Cards if you have the Director’s Cut DLC. It’s out right now, so get farmin’ if you already have it!
Vault Card 2 Legendary Gear List

Shlooter – Legendary Artifact. Legendary drop chance on kills are +100000% for 12s. On kill, dramatically increase your legendary drop chance for a short time. Non-dedicated loot drops only. A godsend if you want to farm for non-dedicated loot drops.
Pyroburst – Legendary Grenade Mod. This grenade explodes when impacting an enemy; comes with big splash and fireworks.
Troubleshooter – Legendary Hyperion SMG. Good damage and big magazine. Identifies the weaknesses of each target and modifies the elemental type accordingly. Weapon Shield Capacity: 111610.
Gold Rush – Legendary Hyperion SMG. Enemies drop extra cash when killed. On picking up cash, gain 10% fire rate and mag size for 20 seconds. 200% damage buff on any weapon you switch back to. Weapon Shield Capacity: 111610.