The Game Awards 2022 Nominees Revealed, God Of War Ragnarok Is The Most Nominated

The Game Awards 2021 is taking place on 9 December 2022 from 8.00 am GMT+8, but Geoff Keighley has announced the nominated games.
You can vote now on the official website here. You can also head on over here for last year’s winners and announcements.
God Of War Ragnarok received the most nominations with 10, followed by Elden Ring with 7 nominations.
Check out the full The Game Awards 2022 nomination list below:
GAME OF THE YEAR

A Plague Tale: Requiem (Asobo Studio/Focus Entertainment)
Elden Ring (FromSoftware/Bandai Namco)
God of War Ragnarök (Sony Santa Monica/SIE)
Horizon Forbidden West (Guerrilla Games/SIE)
Stray (BlueTwelve Studio/Annapurna)
Xenoblade Chronicles 3 (Monolith Soft/Nintendo)

BEST GAME DIRECTION

Elden Ring (FromSoftware/Bandai Namco)
God of War Ragnarök (Sony Santa Monica/SIE)
Horizon Forbidden West (Guerrilla Games/SIE)
Immortality (Half Mermaid)
Stray (BlueTwelve Studio/Annapurna)

BEST NARRATIVE

A Plague Tale: Requiem (Asobo Studio/Focus Entertainment)
Elden Ring (FromSoftware/Bandai Namco)
God of War Ragnarök (Sony Santa Monica/SIE)
Horizon Forbidden West (Guerrilla Games/SIE)
Immortality (Half Mermaid)

BEST ART DIRECTION

Elden Ring (FromSoftware/Bandai Namco)
God of War Ragnarök (Sony Santa Monica/SIE)
Horizon Forbidden West (Guerrilla Games/SIE)
Scorn (Ebb Software/Kepler Interactive)
Stray (BlueTwelve Studio/Annapurna)

BEST SCORE AND MUSIC

Olivier Deriviere, A Plague Tale: Requiem
Tsukasa Saitoh, Elden Ring
Bear McCreary, God of War Ragnarök
Two Feathers, Metal: Hellsinger
Yasunori Mitsuda, Xenoblade Chronicles 3

BEST AUDIO DESIGN

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II (Infinity Ward/Activision)
Elden Ring (FromSoftware/Bandai Namco)
God of War Ragnarök (Sony Santa Monica/SIE)
Gran Turismo 7 (Polyphony/SIE)
Horizon Forbidden West (Guerrilla Games/SIE)

BEST PERFORMANCE

Ashly Burch, Horizon Forbidden West
Charlotte McBurney, A Plague Tale: Requiem
Christopher Judge, God of War Ragnarök
Manon Gage, Immortality
Sunny Suljic, God of War Ragnarök

GAMES FOR IMPACT

A Memoir Blue (Cloisters Interactive/Annapurna)
As Dusk Falls (Interior Night/Xbox Game Studios)
Citizen Sleeper (Jump Over The Age/Fellow Traveller)
Endling – Extinction is Forever (Herobeat Studios/HandyGames)
Hindsight (Team Hindsight/Annapurna)
I Was a Teenage Exocolonist (Northway Games/Finji)

BEST ONGOING GAME

Apex Legends (Respawn/EA)
Destiny 2 (Bungie)
FINAL FANTASY XIV (Square Enix)
Fortnite (Epic Games)
Genshin Impact (HoYoverse)

BEST INDIE

Cult of the Lamb (Massive Monster / Devolver Digital)
Neon White (Angel Matrix/Annapurna)
Sifu (Sloclap)
Stray (BlueTwelve Studio/Annapurna)
TUNIC (TUNIC Team/Finji)

BEST DEBUT INDIE

Neon White (Angel Matrix/Annapurna Interactive)
NORCO (Geography of Robots/Raw Fury)
Stray (BlueTwelve Studio/Annapurna)
TUNIC (TUNIC Team/Finji)
Vampire Survivors (poncle)

BEST COMMUNITY SUPPORT

Apex Legends (Respawn/EA)
Destiny 2 (Bungie)
FINAL FANTASY XIV (Square Enix)
Fortnite (Epic Games)
No Man’s Sky (Hello Games)

BEST MOBILE

Apex Legends Mobile (Lightspeed & Quantum/Respawn/EA)
Diablo Immortal (Blizzard/NetEase)
Genshin Impact (HoYovese)
MARVEL SNAP (Second Dinner Studios/Nuverse)
Tower of Fantasy (Hotta Studio/Perfect World/Level Infinite)

BEST VR/AR

After the Fall (Vertigo Games)
Among Us VR (Schell Games/InnerSloth)
BONELAB (Stress Level Zero)
Moss: Book II (Polyarc)
Red Matter 2 (Vertical Robot)

BEST ACTION

Bayonetta 3 (Platinum Games/Nintendo)
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II (Infinity Ward/Activision)
Neon White (Angel Matrix/Annapurna)
Sifu (Sloclap)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge (Tribute Games/Dotemu)

BEST ACTION/ADVENTURE

A Plague Tale: Requiem (Asobo Studio/Focus Entertainment)
God of War Ragnarök (Sony Santa Monica/SIE)
Horizon Forbidden West (Guerrilla Games/SIE)
Stray (BlueTwelve Studio/Annapurna)
TUNIC (TUNIC Team/Finji)

BEST ROLE PLAYING

Elden Ring (FromSoftware/Bandai Namco)
Live a Live (Square Enix/Nintendo)
Pokémon Legends: Arceus (Game Freak/Nintendo/TPCI)
Triangle Strategy (Artdink/Square Enix)
Xenoblade Chronicles 3 (Monolith Soft/Nintendo)

BEST FIGHTING

DNF Duel (Arc System Works/EIGHTING/NEOPLE/NEXON)
JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: All Star Battle R (CyberConnect 2 Co. Ltd/Bandai Namco)
The King of Fighters XV (SNK/Plaion)
MultiVersus (Player First Games/WB Games)
Sifu (Sloclap)

BEST FAMILY

Kirby and the Forgotten Land (HAL Laboratory / Nintendo)
LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga (Traveller’s Tales/WB Games)
Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope (Ubisoft Milan/Paris/Ubisoft)
Nintendo Switch Sports (Nintendo EPD/Nintendo)
Splatoon 3 (Nintendo EPD/Nintendo)

BEST SIM/STRATEGY

Dune: Spice Wars (Shiro Games/Funcom)
Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope (Ubisoft Milan/Paris/Ubisoft)
Total War: WARHAMMER III (Creative Assembly/Sega)
Two Point Campus (Two Point Studios/Sega)
Victoria 3 (Paradox Development Studio/Paradox Interactive)

BEST SPORTS/RACING

F1 22 (Codemasters/EA Sports)
FIFA 23 (EA Vancouver/Romania/EA Sports)
NBA 2K23 (Visual Concepts/2K Sports)
Gran Turismo 7 (Polyphony Digital/SIE)
OlliOlli World (Roll 7/Private Division)

BEST MULTIPLAYER

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II (Infinity Ward/Activision)
MultiVersus (Player First Games/WB Games)
Overwatch 2 (Blizzard)
Splatoon 3 (Nintendo EPD/Nintendo)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge (Tribute Games/Dotemu)

MOST ANTICIPATED

FINAL FANTASY XVI (Square Enix)
Hogwarts Legacy (Avalanche Software/WB Games)
Resident Evil 4 (Capcom)
Starfield (Bethesda Game Studios/Bethesda)
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (Nintendo EPD/Nintendo)

CONTENT CREATOR OF THE YEAR

Karl Jacobs
Ludwig
Nibellion
Nobru
QTCinderella

BEST ADAPTATION

Arcane: League of Legends (Fortiche/Riot Games/Netflix)
Cyberpunk: Edgerunners (Studio Trigger/CD Projekt, Netflix)
The Cuphead Show! (Studio MDHR/King Features Syndicate/Netflix)
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (Sega Sammy Group/Paramount Pictures)
Uncharted (PlayStation Productions/Sony Pictures)

INNOVATION IN ACCESSIBILITY

As Dusk Falls (Interior Night/Xbox Game Studios)
God of War Ragnarök (Sony Santa Monica/SIE)
Return to Monkey Island (Terrible Toybox/Devolver Digital)
The Last Of Us Part I (Naughty Dog/SIE)
The Quarry (Supermassive Games/2K)

BEST ESPORTS GAME

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (Valve)
DOTA 2 (Valve)
League of Legends (Riot Games)
Rocket League (Psyonix)
VALORANT (Riot Games)

BEST ESPORTS ATHLETE

Jeong “Chovy” Ji-hoon (Gen.G, LOL)
Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok (T1, LOL)
Finn “karrigan” Andersen ( (FaZe Clan – CS:GO)
Oleksandr “s1mple” Kostyliev (Natus Vincere, CS:GO)
Jacob “Yay” Whiteaker (Cloud9, Valorant)

BEST ESPORTS TEAM

DarkZero Esports (Apex Legends)
FaZe Clan (CS:GO)
Gen.G (League of Legends)
LA Thieves (Call of Duty)
LOUD (Valorant)

BEST ESPORTS COACH

Andrii “B1ad3” Horodenskyi (Natus Vincere, CS:GO)
Matheus “bzkA” Tarasconi (LOUD, VALORANT)
Erik “d00mbr0s” Sandgren (FPX, VALORANT)
Robert “RobbaN” Dahlström (FaZe Clan, CS:GO)
Go “Score” Dong-bin (Gen.G, LOL)

BEST ESPORTS EVENT

EVO 2022
2022 League of Legends World Championship
PGL Major Antwerp 2022
The 2022 Mid-Season Invitational
VALORANT Champions 2022


RIP Richard Donner, The Man Who Made A Legit Superman Movie A Reality

Director Richard Donner has passed away. He was 91 years old according to a Variety report.
Richard Donner’s impact on cinema was legendary, to say the least. Not only did he directed The Goonies and Lethal Weapon, as well as produced the first legit X-Men film, but he was also behind the directing of the 1979 Superman film starring the late Christopher Reeve. He was supposed to return for Superman II, but production disputes took him out of the project despite Donner already finished with a good chunk of the sequel. Thus the legendary Superman II: The Richard Donner cut exists and is a good example of a definitive edition of an existing film made better because of the original director’s vision.
Prior to those milestones, he had a brief stint as an actor on The Twilight Zone, The Man from U.N.C.L.E. and The Fugitive.
No cause of death was revealed at this point in time. He is survived by his wife Lauren Schuler Donner. Rest in peace, dear director, and thank you for making us believe a man can fly and superhero films possible.


Singaporean Dev’s Action Roguelike Cuisineer Comes Out This Summer

XSEED Games and Marvelous Europe have announced that they will co-publish food-focused action roguelike Cuisineer from Singapore-based developer BattleBrew Productions. It is slated to launch for PC via Steam sometime in summer 2023.
Cuisineer is a roguelike dungeon crawler combined with a restaurant simulator. It looks like what if Diner Dash meets a rogue-lite like Hades. While managing their restaurant, players will need to engage in combat by going dungeon crawling as well in order to get the resources for their cooking.
You play the role of reluctant restaurateur Pom, an adventuring hero faced with saving her family’s debt-ridden eatery. Armed with her trusty spatula and a supply of refreshing boba tea, Pom will need to venture through dangerous and diverse dungeons to harvest all the ingredients she’ll need before returning home to cook up tasty dishes.
Last year, they won first place at the Big Indie Pitch competition. You can stay up to date on what BattleBrew Productions is up to on their Twitter account or their official website here.
Check out the trailer below:


Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 Is Getting A Prequel Comic Book

Publisher Sony Interactive Entertainment, developer Insomniac Games and Marvel Comics have announced a Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 comic that will serve as a prequel to the upcoming game.
Insomniac Games narrative director Jon Paquette said:
When we initially sat down with the team at Marvel, we explored a few different ideas about what kinds of stories we could tell in a prequel comic. But we kept coming back to the same core premise—What if Peter, Miles, and MJ had to team up against a new Super Villain whose powers they didn’t understand?
Additionally, we wanted to make sure that we could get a peek into what this heroic trio has been doing since the events of Marvel’s Spider-Man and Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales. What is Pete up to now that there are two Spider-Men in the city? How is Miles doing in school? And how is MJ’s journalism career going?
In this story, their lives collide as Peter, Miles, and MJ attempt to balance their responsibilities to the city, and each other. They keep coming back to one of the main themes of the comic: is magic real? Because in this action-packed issue, a beloved Super Villain makes their first appearance in our universe and appears to have supernatural abilities that defy mere webs and fists: none other than The Hood!

Fans in the US can visit a participating comic book store or download the comic digitally on the Marvel Unlimited app or Marvel.com starting on 6 May 2023. The comic will be available digitally worldwide through the Marvel Unlimited app at a later date.
However, they did not reveal anything about the release date for Marvel’s Spider-Man 2.
Previously, it was only officially confirmed that the game would be launching for the PS5 sometime in fall 2023.


Forget Boba Fett, This Hot Toys Mandalorian Is Where It’s At

The Mandalorian is set to be the first-ever live-action TV series set in the Star Wars franchise. With anticipation and hype riding high, Hot Toys has unveiled a new 1/6th scale The Mandalorian Collectible Figure of the protagonist from the upcoming show.
According to the official description, 1/6th scale The Mandalorian Collectible Figure will feature meticulously crafted helmet and armour pieces, finely tailored outfit, weathering effects, a blaster rifle, a blaster pistol, accessories to set up a diorama base including a battle-damaged Stormtrooper helmet, a flag, spears and desert-themed figure base.
It also seems like his bounty hunter droid friend, IG-11, will also be receiving his own Hot Toys Collectible Figure, the details of which have yet to be revealed.
Pedro Pascal (Netflix’s Narcos) will star as a lone Mandalorian gunfighter in the outer reaches of the galaxy, joined by Gina Carano (Deadpool) as Cara Dune, a former Rebel Shock Trooper who has trouble re-integrating herself into society; and Carl Weathers as Greef, the head of a bounty hunter guild that hires The Mandalorian for a specific job.
Other stars include Giancarlo Esposito (Breaking Bad), Emily Swallow (Supernatural), Omid Abtahi (American Gods), Werner Herzog (Grizzly Man) and Nick Nolte (Affliction). It is slated to premiere exclusively on Disney Plus on 12 November 2019.
Check out pictures of the 1/6th scale The Mandalorian Collectible Figure below, courtesy of the official Facebook page.


SF III Japan God Kuroda Arrested For Alleged Sexual Harrassment

This story is still in development.
Veterans of Street Fighter III: Third Strike should be familiar with a few names: Daigo, Tokido, RX, and Kuroda. The latter is known for using low-tier characters like Q and dominating players around the world just because he can.

It is a sad day for SFIII fans, however. Just today he was arrested by local authorities in Japan (via Yahoo).Â The charges? Alleged sexual harassment. From what we know so far, he was dating a female minor in Japan and was found out. The minor in question was said to have been “groped and molested back in February.”
It’s not clear at this point in time whether the minor consented to this or not. In any case, the minor’s mother called the authorities to deal with the SFIII legend.

?????????????? pic.twitter.com/qqCkRjLmWo
— REKNAR TSAT (@ssorcasibarakv) June 30, 2018

Allegedly, Kuroda himself went “crazy with direct messaging girls to the point of direct messaging any female-looking profile”. He was also suspected for obscene acts such as embracing high school girls nearby the Saitama prefecture. This may have links to the fighting game god’s depression since last year.
Speaking of which, there was an “Operation Saving Kuroda” Reddit thread last yearÂ where the community is trying to help him with his severe depression, with one method involving the community sending postcards of encouragement to the star player.
Stay tuned to Kakuchopurei for more updates.


Frozen 2 Is Now Malaysia’s Highest-Grossing Animated Movie Of All-Time

Disney is asserting their dominance in the 2019 box office, as Frozen 2 becomes their sixth movie to join the one billion dollar club this year alone. At the time of writing, the sequel to 2013’s Frozen has now generated a worldwide total of a whopping US$1.033 billion.
It took Frozen 2 approximately four weeks to reach one billion dollars, compared to its predecessor which took 15 weeks to achieve the same feat. According to Deadline, it is now the highest-grossing animated title of all-time in various countries, including the following:

Malaysia
Korea
Indonesia
The Philippines
Thailand
Bosnia
Romania
Serbia
UAE
Ukraine

For my fellow Malaysians, Frozen 2 has grossed a total of US$7,976,226 to date (or roughly RM33.045 million) in our country (via Box Office Mojo) since it debuted on 21 November 2019.
That’s certainly an impressive amount of money for Malaysians, especially since we’re usually not as big a market compared to even other Southeast Asian countries like Indonesia or the Philippines.
We gave Frozen 2 a pretty high rating in our review, which you can check out here. I personally, felt like although the plot is weak, the songs were much better and more matured this time around.


Microsoft Subpoenaes PlayStation For Defense Against FTC Lawsuit

PlayStation/Sony Interactive Entertainment isn’t a fan of Microsoft buying Activision Blizzard, as they’ve stated time and again over the past few months. The company that made Xbox isn’t taking this lying down and has served Sony Interactive Entertainment a subpoena.
This is to help build its defence against a Federal Trade Commission lawsuit. The subpoena demands Sony to divulge details of PlayStation’s game production pipeline. The information may include confidential details that Sony would be reluctant to share with its rival if possible, though it is relevant to Microsoft’s case. Here are the notes on the recent filing:
“Negotiations between SIE and Microsoft as to the scope of SIE’s production and a discovery schedule are ongoing.”
Sony has until 27 January to move to limit, quash, or respond to the subpoena. Previously, Sony and FTC have expressed worry that the Microsoft and Activision Blizzard deal could reduce PlayStation’s ability to compete. Microsoft and Activision have argued that their merger would be pro-competitive and benefit consumers by making the Call of Duty publisher’s games more broadly available.


Borderlands 3 Maurice Black Market Vending Machine Location: 11th June

This week’s Borderlands 3 dinosaur vending machine is filled with a ton of bountiful content. Here’s how you can find this week’s black market vending machine.
You need to head to The Droughts in Pandora, which is literally the first stage you start off in the game. Head to the Droughts’ Highway fast travel, then make your way to the location where you got the Astro Nav Chip for Ellie in the earlier story mission in Borderlands 3. You’re at the right spot if you come across an entrance guarded by varkids.

Here are the weapons you can get from this vending machine:

Cutsman SMG
King’s Call Pistol
Queen’s Call Pistol
Eruptive and Steady-Handed Madcap (from Arms Race)

These guns and shields can be a bitch to farm, so having them in this week’s vending machine is a godsend. Go buy them now.


LoL Esports Legend Faker Said No To US$10 Million Offer

In the League of Legends esports industry, almost no other name is as prominent Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok. He became the first LoL Champions Korea (LCK) player to reach 1,000 kills and is often considered the best LoL player of all time.

During the off-season, teams from all over the world are always making crazy offers to get Faker to join them. It’s not only because of his insane skills but also thanks to his huge fanbase. The man has more than 2 million followers on Twitch alone.
In a recent interview with Korean talk show Radio Star, he spoke about some of these aforementioned offers. One of them was a US$10 million contract from China. Another offer came from North America and it even allowed him to set whatever amount he wanted to be paid.
Surprisingly, Faker turned down all the offers that came his way. He reportedly stated that his loyalty to his fans is the main reason why he won’t take those offers. To him, it’s thanks to them that he’s gotten so far in his esports career.
Mind you, the contract offered by China alone would amount to about eight times the total prize money he’s earned in his entire career. So far, Faker has earned about US$1.2 million in prize winnings.
This means that Faker will remain a part of T1 Esports, the team he’s been with since the start of his professional esports career. In 2019, the team was the LCK Summer Champion and went on to win third place at the Worlds 2019.
Thanks, Dexerto.


Lionel Messi Steps Into The PUBG MOBILE Global Chicken Cup

PUBG MOBILE has announced a number of upcoming features for the game’s Version 2.3 Update, which will celebrate the season of football with the ‘PUBG MOBILE Global Chicken Cup,’ featuring a multi-map makeover, themed gameplay, in-game activities, cosmetics and more, bringing the beautiful game to players. A number of exciting additions were teased in the PUBG MOBILE Global Chicken Cup preview, including more details on PUBG MOBILE’s upcoming partnership with iconic football player Lionel Messi.
Kicking off these exciting updates, Erangel will see a number of changes as part of the Version 2.3 Update and PUBG MOBILE Global Chicken Cup! Celebrating a season of sport, a new football-themed park with football fields to explore and themed activities to complete will be added to the game. The update will also add a number of new items like themed sneakers for players to enjoy. Players can take part in football-themed social events and earn a bunch of awesome rewards. Players can even descend on these football fields and earn supplies by scoring goals with Portable Footballs.
The event will also expand on one of PUBG MOBILE’s most epic collaborations to date, with the football legend, international superstar and sporting icon Lionel Messi revealed as PUBG MOBILE’s Global Chicken Cup Captain. Celebrating Messi’s career in the sport, there will be a variety of activities across multiple maps and game modes, all themed after him.
In addition to the football-themed content, Erangel, Aftermath, and Livik will all see noticeable changes with this update. Aftermath will undergo a complete overhaul, with comprehensive upgrades to the map, as well as to armour, firearms, energy system, and more, alongside new gameplay mechanics intended to keep matches fresh and exciting. Players will also feel changes and optimisations to the other maps, such as additional weather effects being added to Livik.
PUBG MOBILE’s Version 2.3 Update will be available soon. You can download the game for free on the App Store and Google Play Store.


We Break Down The First-Ever Borderlands 3(?) Teaser [Update]

Can’t wait for the next Borderlands game to satiate your loot-and-shoot action RPG cravings? Me neither; we brought it up time and again.Â About time Gearbox released something official a few days before their PAX East showcase.
Check out the full teaser below:

My Observations & Best Guesses So Far
The video in question is dubbed Mask of Mayhem. It’s a collage featuring a ton of Borderlands characters like Lilith the OG Siren, Brick, Mordecai, Claptrap, Sir Hammerlock, Ellie, Moxxxie’s bar,Â and a lot of guys and girls with Handsome Jack-style cartoon-style mid fades.
We also have a sneak peek of some new playable(?) characters, but that’s just blind guessing on my part. These guys below may be the new villains; a bro & sis twin combo. Or they could be new Sirens.

Guess we’ll be fighting midgets and skags yet again.

Here’s a guy with a left scouter-like device, or an eyepatch. New playable character? Is he gonna pilot that drone behind him?

This cyborg looks cool. I do hope he’s playable. He’s probably gonna be the sniper/assassin-style class ala Zer0.

Another new playable female character? Chances are her skills involve vehicles and revolvers.

Let’s not forget this other female Vault Hunter to the right. She’s decked out in Crimson Lance gear, so maybe she has the same skills as the late Roland?
According to this leak (via PC Gamer), the new Vault Hunters are Zane (Mr. Eyepatch), Flak (robot/cyborg), Amara (Siren), and Moze (Soldier).

What are the chances that’s Tiny Tina all grown up on the right of Mordecai & Brick?

Who’s this gun-wielding hobo with the cape? Any chance he’ll be voiced by Rutger Hauer?

[Update] Rhys from Tales from the Borderlands is here along with Zer0 and Maya. Guess he runs Atlas now.

Maya – new cap outfitZero – badass assassinRhys – with a mustache, and notice he is standing on top of the ATLAS sign pic.twitter.com/eGXNtJxA6f
— MentalMars (@mentalmars) March 27, 2019

In any case, we’ll be getting more info about Gearbox’s next Borderlands game on 29 March, 2am GMT+8. My guess? They’ll call it Borderworlds if they’re planning on going beyond Pandora. Tell us your predictions & guesses on this post or on Facebook.


Ratchet & Clank Rift Apart Size & Pre-Load Date Revealed

One of the most highly-anticipated upcoming PS5 exclusives is Ratchet & Clank Rift Apart and it looks like players won’t have to worry about conserving too much space ahead of time. According to the PlayStation Game Size Twitter account (who pulls data from PlayStation servers), Ratchet & Clank Rift Apart will be around 42.183 GB (before the day one patch).

? Important Note: 42.183 GB is the same in all regions (America-Europe-Asia).
? #PS5 #RatchetPS5
— PlayStation Game Size (@PlaystationSize) May 15, 2021

PlayStation Game Size also revealed that Ratchet & Clank Rift Apart pre-load will begin on 4 June 2021 for those who have pre-ordered the game. However, it’s important to note that none of this information has been confirmed by developer Insomniac Games, despite the reliability of the source.
Ratchet & Clank Rift ApartÂ is slated to release for the PS5 on 11 June 2021. You can check outÂ more details here. In the meantime, check out the trailer below:


Streets of Rage 4: Mr X Nightmare – How To Unlock Roo

Streets of Rage 4’s new DLC is out. Apart from its new characters like Estel, Shiva, and Max, there is one more secret character you can get: Roo from Streets of Rage 3.
That’s right: the kangaroo is now playable in the game. Here’s a video on how to unlock it.

How To Unlock Roo

Hover over the Story mode at the main menu.
Hold up and X (Square if PS controller).
Press start.
Let go of all inputs.
Roo should now be unlocked in the character selection.
You must complete a stage with Roo to make him permanent on the character selection screen (finish a stage, get a grade, etc.). If you don’t, you will have to input the code again.

Credits to Valerie on Steam for this protip. For more on the new DLC, check out our review and Survival Mode guide.


Disney Announces New Release Dates For Black Widow, Mulan & More

Disney has finally unveiled new official release dates for many of its upcoming major movies, including Mulan and Black Widow. Both were supposed to be released in March and April 2020, respectively, but were delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
These new release dates (via Deadline) include several of the Marvel Cinematic Universe films following Black Widow, as well as other future movies like Indiana Jones 5 and Jungle Cruise.
Here are the new release dates for upcoming Disney movies (newly-announced release dates are the ones in Bold):

Mulan: 24 July 2020
The French Dispatch: 16 October 2020
Black Widow: 6 November 2020
Free Guy: 11 December 2020
West Side Story: 18 December 2020
The Last Duel: 25 December 2020
The Eternals: 12 February 2021
Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings: 7 May 2021
Jungle Cruise: 30 July 2021
Doctor Strange In The Multiverse of Madness: 5 November 2021
Thor Love And Thunder: 28 February 2022
Black Panther 2: 8 May 2022
Captain Marvel 2: 8 July 2022
Indiana Jones 5: 29 July 2022

Weirdly enough, Disney has yet to reveal new release dates for several movies formerly owned by 20th Century Fox, including The New Mutants, The Personal History of David Copperfield, Antlers, and Woman In The Window. These movies remain delayed indefinitely as of now.
Meanwhile, Disney’s Artemis Fowl will be going straight to streaming service Disney Plus instead of releasing in cinemas. However, it has yet to receive a new release date either. It’s been a wild and unpredictable year for movies in general, and this will likely continue until the COVID-19 pandemic has been safely contained, which hopefully happens sooner rather than later.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fl2r3Fwxz_o&w=560&h=315]


Marvel’s Avengers Permanently Slashes Takedown & Emote Prices

Marvel’s Avengers is struggling a lot after its initial launch in September 2020. Players are leaving the game, and to entice them into continue playing, the developers have permanently reduced the prices of the takedowns and emotes in Marvel’s Avengers.
According to a splash page now greeting players when they boot up the game (via PC Gamer), here are the current prices (in Credits) for takedowns and emotes in the game:

Is it enough to entice gamers? I don’t think so, considering the major problems of the game have to do with its core gameplay loop, which still hasn’t changed.
Malaysia-based CGI art and animation studio Lemon Sky StudiosÂ also contributed to the development ofÂ Marvelâ€™s Avengers. In the meantime, check outÂ our review of the game here.


Young Souls Is A Fun 2D Diversion If You Love Co-Op Beat-Em-Ups

Platform(s): PC (Steam), Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, PS4
Genre: 2D beat-em-up featuring isekai-like elements
In Young Souls, a new entry in the 2D beat-em-up genre, you play a pair of rambunctious foul-mouthed twins who have to play the isekai protagonists role of delving in an underground fantasy goblin-filled world and save your previous town in the process.
There’s a bit of a nicely-paced narrative tucked in, featuring twins Jenn and Tristan being branded as outcasts of the town they’re trying to save but at the same time show their good side with their deeds. Young Souls does delve in the morality of dealing with two warring sides and resolves it in a tight manner; it’s not high art but it gets the job done.
Dungeoneering In 2D

As for the beat-em-up action, which is the main crux of Young Souls? It’s fine. Basically, you can play this single player or co-op, going through a series of dungeons divided in different regions (fire, ice, swamp, ghost-filled, and so forth). Just like an action RPG, you can get a ton of loot to strengthen the twins and buff up their playstyle. You have fast daggers, giant greatswords with slow swings but big damage, and the sword-and-shield combo. You also have a few defensive moves you need to master right off the bat: the dodge and the parry. The former lets you roll away from danger and comes with its own invincibility frames, while the latter lets you parry attacks and stun enemies if you time it just right. It’s very satisfying to be on the defensive and bait enemies to attack you, only for you to parry them and retaliate in kind.
The gameplay loop of beating up and killing goblins and other monsters in left-to-right dungeon layouts -with some traps and obstacles in-between- is fun for a few hours, but does get repetitive given the genre. And if you can master parrying in the first two hours, you can essentially beat the game easily; Elden Ring-levels of challenge this ain’t. And some of the weapons aren’t balanced properly: my supposedly fast-but-weak high level daggers seem to deal more damage than the same rarity greatsword, so why give both Tristan and Jenn slow weapons when the fast ones are more effective in the long run?

Still, I managed to garner some enjoyment out of Young Souls thanks to its cheery aesthetics, decent controls, fun-if-familiar gameplay route, and its decent runtime of 8 hours or less, depending on how fast you can get the hang of the parrying. What few bosses they have to challenge you are pretty exhilarating experiences, particularly the ones involving the goblin warrior lady spirit from the warrior statues you come across. And shopping in the town and buffing up the twins permanently by going to the gym? These are nice touches that happen quick and do not get in the way of the highlighted actions.
Young Souls is certainly no Streets of Rage 4, but it’s still worthy of your time if you like more RPGing and loot-collecting in your 2D beat-em-up experience. You could definitely do worse than with this 1P2P and The Arcade Crew offering.
Final Score: 70/100


Granblue Fantasy: Versus’ Final Boss Will Be Playable Early Next Month

Granblue Fantasy: Versus’ diminutive roster will get a tad bigger next month, as Arc System Works revealed the trailer for its upcoming new playable character Beelzebub (or Chaos Bringer in the US). He will be available on 3rd March as a free download, assuming you finished Arcade and RPG mode. Also, that’s the date of the game’s US release.

Technically, he’s available in the game as a final boss in both the Arcade mode and RPG mode. The devs probably took a lot of time to make sure he’s tournament-ready.
He still has some of his moves like the dive kick and the stacked-up knives move, but none of the full-screen and invincible bulls*** you see on the bottom video.

He’s also the first character in Granblue Fantasy: Versus‘ roster to fill the antagonist slot, as everyone in the game is basically chums with each other. Additionally, there will be more story content added in RPG mode on the same release date which will take place before and after the mode’s story.
The game will see more new characters popping up via the first season pass like Narmaya (March), Soriz (April), and female Gran Djeeta (April). And yes, there’s also a second season pass in the works with the game’s other antagonist Belial leading the pack.
I’ve already talked about the dubious nature of these season passes and how they were announced before the game even came out on my review. That’s probably the only sore point in this otherwise stellar fighting game to start off 2020.
For more tips & tricks on how to Granblue Fantasy: Versus properly, head here.


Spider-Man Across The Spider-Verse Swings To Sony Pictures Animation’s Biggest Opening Weekend Of All Time

The global opening weekend box office revenue for Spider-Man Across The Spider-Verse is a total of a whopping US$208.6 million. This marks a record-breaking opening weekend for a Sony Pictures Animated film.
According to Deadline, the US domestic box office is US$120.5 million while internationally, it managed to garner US88.1 million. Currently, there are 59 markets open with Japan and Korea to follow later in June 2023. Internationally, China led with US$17.3 million, Mexico with US$11.6 million, followed by the UK at US$11.5 million.
Miles Morales returns for the next chapter of the Oscar-winning Spider-Verse saga, Spider-Man Across The Spider-Verse. After reuniting with Gwen Stacy, Brooklyn’s full-time, friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man is catapulted across the Multiverse, where he encounters a team of Spider-People charged with protecting its very existence. But when the heroes clash on how to handle a new threat, Miles finds himself pitted against the other Spiders and must redefine what it means to be a hero so he can save the people he loves most.
Spider-Man Across The Spider-Verse is now showing in Malaysian cinemas on 1 June 2023. The sequel to Spider-Man Across The Spider-Verse, Spider-Man Beyond The Spider-Verse, will premiere in March 2024, which is less than a year from now.
In the meantime, check out my review of Spider-Man Across The Spider-Verse here, as well as the biggest cameos in the movie, my ending explained and post-credits scenes breakdown, and what to expect from Spider-Man Beyond The Spider-Verse.


Strayed Light Demo Out Now Ahead Of April Release Date

If you love the action RPG stylings of the From Software games, but would rather do more parrying than actually attacking things for some reason, developer Embers has you covered.
Strayed Lights is a new indie action game where you control a “light being” whose sole offense is his defense. He has the power to gather energy from foes by parrying their attacks, then unleash a killing wave of power once his parry meter fills up. However, he has to be the same colour as his enemy’s oncoming attack to gain said parrying energy; it’s a bit like the classic 2D shmup Ikaruga in a way.

Check out the light and rhythmic duels in action on this special The Mix Direct Spring 2023 Showcase trailer, complete with music by the game’s composer Austin Wintory (Flower, Journey, Skullgirls, etc.)

If that looks really cool to you, you can play the demo right now until 27 March. Strayed Light will be shining its way onto PC, Xbox Series, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch this 25 April.


Football Sim Fantasy Hits Peak With Football Manager 2023

Platform(s): PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
Genre: Football simulator
Like a seasoned team boss who improves their team incrementally over the years -promoting youth and homegrown talent instead of a massive restructuring by acquiring a US$100M player- so does developer Sports Interactive with their annual Football Manager releases. The latest edition of the game, Football Manager 2023 (FM23) released on PC last November and more recently hitting home consoles stayed very close to its predecessor but by no means, merely a roster update.
Unlike other sports sims, say, the FIFA series or the more egregious one in Madden, FM23  did not fall into the trap of reskinning and compiling a new starting squad list. The changes were much more nuanced which allows even the most hardcore and seasoned FM gamer to stumble upon new mechanics, interactions and scenarios.
Training Days
To the uninitiated, Football Manager is exactly what it says on the tin. You assume the role of a manager of a football club, and you manage the day-to-day activities. It’s basically football micromanagement on roids for football aficionados.

With the ability to assume the managerial role at almost literally any professional football team registered under FIFA, you will train players, develop tactics, respond to match outcomes in real-time – down to the team talk and body language you want to exhibit when you are praising or chastising a player- and the most fun task; participate in the transfer windows.
Not content with unearthing and signing the next Lionel Messi from South America? Perhaps dip your toes into identifying the next crop of superstar coaches from an obscure league in Central Europe! How about taking a non-league team to the pinnacle of world football? Or perhaps win all the continental football tournaments in one continuous save.
There’s literally no definite endgame. You decide how you want your legacy to be remembered as. My personal goal is to accrue enough transfer budget, that I maintain a US$1 billion on the side at any time, ready to be spent on anyone. I’m almost halfway there in my current save.

The depth of which Sports Interactive was able to implement into FM23 is astounding. You are only limited by your imagination and perhaps if you’re playing it on PC, your hardware. Like FM23 on PC, FM23 on consoles have access to 122 playable leagues from 53 nations.
We are happy to report that the game plays superbly on home consoles and the only gripe would be the awkward navigation using your controllers instead of the mouse and keyboard.
Apart from that, the gameplay is equal across the board. If you played the FM Touch before, the console version is more detailed and resembles closer to its PC brethren. Other console-exclusive ‘Quality of Life’ implementations include a more streamlined feel and a 30-season limit. There’s also an optional ‘Instant Match Result’ for the console version, although if you’re playing on PC, this is basically going on a vacation on the day of a specific match.
One of the more significant and identifiable improvements over Football Manager 2022 (which I was able to discern) would be how quick and reactive your team is to your instructions when done on the fly. Notice that the opposing team is pressing high, trying to limit your goalkeeper’s distribution to defenders? Instruct your keeper to kick it long to the wings and suddenly your transition game is catching them out of position. Not to say this solution didn’t work in previous iterations, just that we feel it’s better executed and players react almost instantly to tactical adjustments.

Here’s a free tip. Abuse the potential height disparity between your target man and opposing defenders. Utilizing floated crosses instead of whipped in or driven crosses could be the difference between winning and finishing a game on a stalemate.  And thankfully, unlike FIFA, where traits concerning speed very much play a huge role in determining how a game pans out, the statistic-laden nature of Football Manager games give you literally unlimited approaches to your games and tactics.
Rebuilding your squad after a reliable, tried and tested approach has run its course due to player transfers and retirement is what keeps many players returning for more. Either to replicate the success with a new crop of players or simply attempt something totally new. You’re the manager. It’s entirely your call.
Post-Match Analysis
If we are to nitpick on FM23 it would be the similar issues as we pointed out in last year’s version. The lack of ability to edit your team’s colours and jerseys as you progress into the next season and the physical developments of players from your youth system. It would be super cool to nurture say, a promising defender who is already standing at six feet tall at the age of 16 and setting him up for a full team appearance when he reaches 18 years of age; the next Virgil van Dijk standing at 6ft 5in.
Also, this year’s version seems to be more “newbie friendly” thanks to the chatty Assistant Managers and coaches. They not only drop insights as to what’s happening on the field mid-game, but also adjustments to players’ training, demands and even their mental state, especially after several positive performances on a trot. It’s quite a refresher for the series and one that is sorely needed.
If you love football and the intricacies of running a team, you’ll love Football Manager 2023. If you love statistics and data crunching – regardless of whether you love the sport – you’ll love it too. Just don’t get too carried away with the transfer spend, aye?
Last point worth mentioning; Football Manager 2023 is available on GamePass PC AND on Xbox. So if you are subscribed to these services, it’s right there waiting for you.
PROS

The best football managing sim just got better.
Squad is more reactive to active tactical commands.
Improved match engine = more immersive gameday presentation.
Like last year, lots of data.
We love data.

CONS

No option to edit player kits at the turn of a new season.
Physical attributes for youth players are locked.

(you’d notice the cons are exactly the same as last year’s ones)
FINAL SCORE: 80/100
The score above is representation for both the PC and console versions.


Here’s Your First Look At Battlefield 2042 Hazard Zone Mode; Seems A Tad Familiar

EA just released gameplay footage of its new mode for the upcoming multiplayer online shooter Battlefield 2042. And it does look a tad familiar…

This new mode for the upcoming shooter basically has you and a few others form a squad to find Data Drives and escape the map unscathed. Of course, every other squad will be hunting you down within the vicinity, so it’s every squad for themselves. Essentially, it’s part team-based battle royale, part Escape from Tarkov, and a bit of Scavengers.
Here are more details about this mode and its rewards system according to an EA presser:
Squads that successfully capture Data Drives and extract will be rewarded with DMC as well as a bonus dealt out to members based on their actions taken during the match, such as kills. The more Data Drives you extract, the higher the reward for your squad will be.
The more Data Drives you gather in a match of Hazard Zone, the more XP you gain for your overall level and Battlepass and the more DMC you collect to spend on equipment and upgrades during a future match.
If you’re on a hot streak and your Specialist extracts consecutively enough, you’ll earn an Extraction Streak marker tied to the chosen Specialist that will reduce the cost of weapons, equipment, and tactical items for that Specialist while you continue playing with them. However, if you fail to extract, that marker and all its benefits disappear until you earn another streak, so don’t get cocky, No-Pat. It’s a long fall.
Alongside your equipment, you can also buy Tactical Upgrades that can drastically improve your chances of survival.
There are 15 Tactical Upgrades available at launch, and hereâ€™s a quick glimpse at some of them:

Extra Throwable – Carry +1 of your selected throwable Gadget.
Insider Information – Show the landing position of crashing capsules 30 seconds before they arrive.
Loadout Insurance – Reimburse 25% of upgrades and Loadout cost if you die.
Negotiated Bounty – +50% Dark Market Credits bounty when killing Opposing Forces
Quickdraw Holster – Swap between weapons 15% faster

Looks pretty fun if you’re into the group-based battle royale kinda gameplay style. The mode will be available alongside the main game this 19th November for consoles and PCs.


How PokÃ©mon Legends: Arceus Refreshes The Age-Old Formula

PokÃ©mon Legends: Arceus is living up to be the most different game in the series, with many changes that you can just notice at a glance. Recent entries to the Pokemon series were faced with criticisms for being too samey, with love for the game seemingly fading out but the new features emerging from the tall grass are looking to reinvigorate this old classic. Here is our list of how PokÃ©monÂ Legends: Arceus is revamping the series.
Gotta Catch These Hands

Combat gets a major overhaul which adds some needed change into the series without being completely unfamiliar. Itâ€™s not changed entirely by still being turn-based, but the battle HUD looks a little similar to Persona 5â€™s, making it easier to navigate. The kicker though is that your trainer can now freely move about while your pokemon duke it out, giving you a more natural option for running away by literally running away from the encounter. You can even heal your pokemon several times in one turn. This minor change makes you feel like a part of the environment itself, as opposed to a transition to a stage with a generic background.
You initiate fights by throwing a Pokeball containing your pokemon at the enemy, which begins a familiar animation and brings up the battle HUD. Moves can come in two styles now once your pokemon has mastered it. Agile Style hits for less, but depending on your speed stat it can even let you hit twice in one turn. Strength Style hits harder but can be used less often, kinda like using more AP than usual.
How’s your throwing arm?
Mother Base
Jubilife Village serves as your homebase, where you can change outfits, hairstyles, and restock. Towns arenâ€™t present in the game, but the base acts as one giant town with everything being there as opposed to being scattered everywhere. This new addition also brings major changes to how you store your pokemon.
Due to the time period itâ€™s set in, PCs havenâ€™t been invented yet, so you store pokemon the good old fashioned way, with pastures all around Jubilife Village. This adds a small sense of customizability as what pokemon you catch determines what roams in your base. We expect to see some really crazy bases in the future as players fill their bases with their favourite pokemon.
Crafting is also added to the game, letting you craft items such as Pokeballs and potions, using stuff you find in the world. Players will be able to craft at crafting tables in your base or at the many campsites you can set up.
Third Person Shooterâ€¦ Pokemon?
Just like combat, catching pokemon has undergone a complete rework as well. Now, trainers will need to aim and throw Pokeballs manually like in a third-person shooter, letting you catch pokemon instantly and avoid combat entirely.
On top of that, different pokemon have different methods to be caught, sometimes requiring stealth or having to be weakened before you lob a Pokeball. This makes it more skill-based and a little less luck-based while giving players more incentive to learn pokemon habits that can make catching them more individually memorable.
“We shall no longer serve you.”
Did I also mention that Pokemon can and will attack you? Some portions of the game have the pokemon attack you instead of forcing you to dodge. Getting hit surrounds the screen with a red vignette, Call of Duty style, and getting hit too many times causes you to faint.
Fainting gives you a chance to lose items in your inventory so it kinda makes it the Dark Souls of Pokemon (Sorry). It even comes with boss fights in the form of Noble Pokemon which are special, especially strong pokemon complete with a healthbar. and you can even damage them using items that you can throw at them.
It seems Pokemon Legends: Arceus is doing all it can to fix its previous issues and reignite the love from the fanbase, even if there’s the other half who aren’t fans of change. Or having an open-world game run on Nintendo Switch hardware, which is arguably showing its age & prowess.


Are Any Of The New Vampire: The Masquerade RPGs Ever Going To Come Out?

The Vampire: The Masquerade video games sure are cursed hot potatoes, being that they’re getting pushed back bit by bit.
First it was Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2, which has a “TBA” stamp on its release date due to its recent issues with its main designers/writers leaving. Now we have the other title, Vampire: The Masquerade – Swansong, also being pushed back.
The upcoming RPG from publisher Nacon and developer Big Bad Wolf Studio will be out on 19th May 2022 instead of February for PC (Epic Games), PS5, PS4, Xbox Series, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch. Here’s the press statement:
“This wasnâ€™t a decision we took lightly, but one necessary to ensure the highest possible quality while retaining a healthy work-life balance for our team. Granted, the pandemic also threw a couple of wrenches into our planning, but this delay will allow us to apply some additional polish and give us some extra time for QA. Weâ€™re a small but very passionate team, eager to create an immersive experience that rivals the sort of personal storytelling youâ€™d experience from a great tabletop session. One that leaves you with questions long after the credits have stopped rolling (but a reason to go back and see how things could have been different).”
What are the chances this small team RPG will be out before Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2? Place your bets, everyone!


Call Of Duty Warzone Players Can Try Modern Warfare Maps For Free This Weekend

If you’re F2Ping it with Call of Duty Warzone, you should know that there will be some Modern Warfare multiplayer maps available for playing this weekend. For free, of course.
Activision announced (via Charlie Intel) that it will make the following maps free to play on Call of Duty Warzone from 24th April to 27th April.

Aniyah Incursion
Hovec Sawmill
Khandor Hideout
Shoot House
Talsik Backlot

You can play either 6v6 or 10v10 with players of both games (Warzone and Modern Warfare 2019 reboot) through PC, PS4, and Xbox One. There will be a new playlist in-game to make it easy for players to select.
For more on Call of Duty Warzone, head here.Â


One Punch Man: Road To Hero Fists Way Towards Mobile; Pre-Registrations Now Live

The One Punch Man manga/anime is a classic example of a superhero show that turns the genre upside its head with a swift uppercut. It focuses on a guy named Saitama who one-hit kills bad guys in his path, and how he’s integrated into a society filled with class-ranked heroes -ie: not very well because of his dopey look hiding his OPness.
Now you get to play a game featuring this guy and his motley crew of cyborgs and retired superheroes in a card RPG title for, of course, iOS and Android. The game will be ready this 16th September, though you can pre-register for the game right now.

The card RPG game will cover the show’s first season; later seasons & heroes will be put into the game as future content. So far it’s looking like an isometric turn-based strategy game with cards. Should be fun to kill time as Saitama and the gang later this year on your phone.


Overwatch League Season 2 Report: Key Takeaways From Week 1

Overwatch fever is in full effect as the second season of the Overwatch League has started. Here’s what happened in week 1:
Philly Clickin’Â
The Philadelphia Fusion got their payback for their Grand Finals loss. They convincingly defeated the defending champions, London Spitfire 3-1 at the opening match of the new Overwatch League season.
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As both teams were using almost identical lineups like the last fight they had, it was a Goats vs Goats fight as predicted. Both teams relied on the notorious meta to start things off, but the outcome is reversed this time around. The Fusion continued their momentum in their second match, edging past impressive newcomers to the league, Atlanta Reign 3-2.
New York Excelsior Idling
Despite winning both of their games, the NYXL didn’t look as dominant compared to last season. The Uprising managed to steal a map and forced a draw on another while Washington Justice also managed to rattle the NYXL who at times appear rusty coming into the second season.
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We should be able to get a better gauge of their current state via Excelsior games against Valiant and the Outlaws next week.

Shockingly Good
We are guilty of underestimating the Shock in our early season power rankings due to their lack of reputable main tanks in a Goat-driven meta. But guess what? A strong DPS corps may be the answer to silence the notorious Goats comp. The Shock has so many capable players in their arsenal to turn the tide.

Then again, that 4-0 win was over the Dallas Fuel so we won’t go overboard with our praises. Despite losing a tightly contested match against the LA Gladiators in their second match, the Shock is finally showing promise befitting the talent they possess. A juicy showdown against the Titans awaits them in Week 2.
Dallas Fuel Slow Burn or Early Ignition?
After going down tamely 0-4 to the Shock in their first match, the Fuel bounced back with a morale-boosting win over the Seoul Dynasty.Â  Zacharee still appears unprepared for the OWL as he’s been the Fuel’s weakest link throughout Week 1 and we can only wonder how long will he be able to keep Taimou out of the starting lineup.
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The momentum is on their side after that win against the Dynasty and a winnable game against the Charge await them but their true test would be against Philadelphia Fusion in game 2 of Week 2. Will the fire burn bright or go out on a whimper?

Dynasty Lacks Killer Instinct
After their convincing win over the Los Angeles Gladiators, the Seoul Dynasty walked into a brick wall against the resurgent Dallas Fuel in their second match.
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While they managed some really interesting team fight wins in Week 1, the Dynasty lacked that solo magic moment from their key players. Fissure was muted all week while Fleta is yet to find those decisive, key kills which made him one of the most feared DPS players last season.
Expect them to stabilize come Week 2, though they are in serious need of some magical one-man heroics from time to time.
Spitfire Unsettled
No one expected to see the Spitfire to lose their first two matches, moreover to go down to Paris Eternal. Are they a team in crisis, or just an early season slump?
It’s still too early to tell but Spitfire’s decision to proceed with a thin roster (only 8 players, FYI) may have started to bite back. They have become too predictable and teams don’t fear them as much anymore.
Vancouver Titans Are the Real DealÂ
The main question for the Vancouver Titans during pre-season was how will the former Runaway squad fare on the biggest stage. The answer now is clear; theÂ Titans can easily hold their own against the best in the world.

OK, that win was ‘only’ against the Shanghai Dragons but what surprised us the most was how clean and easy the Titans made it look. Bumper & Co made quick work against the Dragons and expect them to continue asserting their dominance in Week 2.
Out of Sorts Outlaws, or Just Unlucky?
Losing back-to-back matches, each over five maps must sting for the Outlaws moreover against teams who were perceived to be weaker than them.

This is compounded by the fact that their next two matches are against the impressive Hangzhou Spark and the NYXL. Bad news for Outlaws fans. A 0-4 record by the end of week 2 is highly possible.Â
New Teams and Players Stepped Up Big Time
The perception that there’s a huge gulf between the original Overwatch League teams and the newcomers can now be put to rest.

Of the three matches resulting in a 4-0 score in Week 1, two involved new teams who came out victors.Â Paris Eternal’s shocking win over the reigning champions should serve as a rallying call to all new teams that regardless of participation in Season 1, it’s a whole new ball game this time around.

That’s it for our coverage of Week 1 of the Second Season of the Overwatch League. Stay tuned for more news, insights and analysis in days to come!


COD Mobile Garena Masters III – Omega Esports Keep Their Title

In a nail-biting Best-of-5 that went all the way to a Game 5 S&D held at Manila Marriott Hotel in Pasay City, Omega Esports prevailed and remain as the Kings of Garena.
Omega Esports‘ consists of a seven-man roster in Kennedy “iDra” Mondoy, John Clarence “Jayzee” Riveria, Kenneth “KenDy” Pimentel, Jerrold “Woopiiee” Regay, Kevin “Kevs” Baguio, Ronan “Rage” Eleria and Jonnel “R1sky” Buemio alongside coach Bruce “Dev1ce” Cruz.
https://www.facebook.com/omegaesportsph/videos/1242155776597794
Omega Esports, formerly known as NRX Jeremiah 29:11, were previously considered to be one of the best teams in the Eastern hemisphere as they were they had previously owned the title of Kings of Garena.
They would later be dethroned by the equally dominant Blacklist Ultimate, but at the last Garena Masters, Omega were able to reclaim their title.
With Call of Duty: Mobile returning to LAN for Garena Masters III, the question was whether or not Blacklist Ultimate would be able to reclaim their crown from Omega, but if anyone was going to dethrone Omega, it was going to be them.
Earlier that day, Omega had faced Blacklist in the upper bracket final which also went to a Game 5 but Omega managed to secure themselves their spot in the Grand Finals.
Blacklist on the other hand were knocked down into the lower bracket final where they would go on to face ALMGHTY, defeating them 3–1 and guaranteeing a rematch in the Grand Finals. Weirdly enough, the Grand Finals played out similarly to the upper bracket finals, whereby Blacklist were able to take both Hardpoints in either series. Unfortunately for them, their Search and Destroy (S&D) just was not on Omega’s level as they lost 3–7 in three of the four S&Ds that were played.
What’s Next?
For both teams, their eyes now look toward the World Championship. With LAN in the cards, this means that this year’s Champs won’t be divided into the Western Finals and the Eastern Finals, and we will finally be able to find out which region is the best region in the world!


Metal Gear Solid 3 Original Voice Cast Will Be Used For Upcoming Remake

Earlier today, Konami has announced a remake of Metal Gear Solid 3 called Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater. Many are wondering if the game’s original voice actors will be used or whether there will be a new set of VOs.
It turns out that the former will be used. According to Konami’s official press release, the original voice cast is going to be used for Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater.
“The remake will star the original voice characters, rich storyline and expansive features of combat survival in harsh environments evolved with unprecedented graphics and immersive sound.”
To recap, the voice cast for the original include:

David Hayter as Naked Snake
Lori Alan as The Boss
Suzetta Minet as EVA
Josh Keaton as Ocelot
Neil Ross as Colonel Volgin
Gregg Berger as The Pain
Michael Bell as The Fear
J. Grant Albrecht as The End
Richard Doyle as The Fury

Most likely the master recordings for the original game back in 2004 is good enough to be used in the upcoming remake. Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater will be out for PC, Xbox Series, and PS5. No release date has been announced yet.


Marvel’s New Card Game Is Fixing Its Monetization Problem

Marvel Snap is a brand-new card game from studio Second Dinner, made up of ex-Hearthstone developers. So they should know how to make a fun PvP card game, which they did, based on impressions online so far.
Its monetization scheme, however, needed some work. While it wouldn’t be fair to ask developers to publish a game for free and not make money out of a free-to-play game, the game’s Nexus Events is rather dubious, to the point that the developers had to scrap it and give everyone a Jane Foster base card as an apology.
Why was it bad? Because it was heavily-criticized by its fledging player base for its over-aggressive monetization and also misrepresenting and poorly describing/explaining the likelihood of higher tier rewards dropping. The event itself has very low drop rates, meaning players can spend hundreds of dollars to acquire them. The common rewards were also just in-game currency and resources for card-upgrading. Here’s a quote from a Reddit user that summed up the event’s problem very well:
“My biggest gripe is that a ‘nexus event’ is not an event at all. You don’t participate in this event, just dump your wallet into it.”
Long story short: if you tell your player base that you can get every card in your game over time without paying anything, and then two months later restrict a powerful card (the Jane Foster card in question) to people willing to pay for it, you will piss them off.
At the very least, Second Dinner is fixing the issue by scrapping Nexus Events and returning gold players have spent at the event:
“With Marvel Snap’s next patch, any gold you’ve spent on Nexus Events will be returned. Additionally, we will grant the Jane Foster base card to ALL players regardless of [whether] you participated in Nexus Events. For new accounts created after this patch, Jane Foster can be unlocked in Pool 3.”

An update regarding Nexus Events pic.twitter.com/QQcReZ8Xr4
— MARVEL SNAP (@MarvelSnap) August 2, 2022

Marvel Snap is currently in closed beta on Android devices; the PC version will be out soon.


Marvel’s Spider-Man Miles Morales Confirms Another Supervillain

We already know that Marvel’s Spider-Man Miles Morales will feature iconic Marvel supervillains like the Tinkerer, the Rhino, and even the antagonistic corporation Roxxon. However, a tweet has confirmed the presence of another supervillain in the upcoming game; and it’s none other than the Prowler.
Marvel’s Spider-Man Miles Morales’ Prowler was confirmed via tweets by the official Insomniac Games Twitter account, which comes after the official Marvel Entertainment Twitter account posted a variant comic book cover that revealed the Prowler in the upcoming game.

Well it seems Spider-Man the Cat is out of the bag. https://t.co/ZzobA6Gls8— Insomniac Games (@insomniacgames) October 27, 2020

Our first look at the Prowler comes from Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales creative director Brian Horton’s variant cover for The Amazing Spider-Man #55 comic. Most people might already know the Prowler as being Miles’ uncle from 2018’s Spider-Man Into The Spider-Verse.
It’s likely that the game’s version of the Prowler will once again be Aaron Davis, who is Miles’ uncle, and not the original one from the main universe comics, Hobie Brown. It’s Davis who has a connection to the Tinkerer, so it makes more sense that way.
Marvelâ€™s Spider-Man: Miles MoralesÂ is slated to release for the PS4 and PS5 on 12 November 2020. It is now open for pre-orders on the PS4 (check out all the details here).


Here’s A Diablo Immortal Rift Simulator If You Don’t Have US$12,000+ To Spend

If you’re wondering what it’s like to spend an ungodly amount of money on Diablo Immortal’s Elder Rift and other “gacha” items, but don’t have the wallet amount to do so, you’re inluck.
Reddit user buzzycat created a US$25 Rift simulator to try out. Basically, you can either spend US$25 to get a single roll, or press the other button to calculate the total cost of getting a 5 Star Legendary Gem. The simulator has a pity system implemented just like in the game: spending US$125 will guarantee a “?/5 star legendary gem drop”.
So far, I’ve “lucked” out and spent US$2,225 to score a single 1 5-star gem. Most people would have to spend triple that amount to get one; that’s how crazy the gacha system is in Diablo Immortal.

At least now you know how Blizzard scored its US$24 million within its first 2 weeks via this mobile action RPG game.


Hogwarts Legacy For PS4 & Xbox One Delayed Until 5 May

If you’ve been eagerly waiting for Hogwarts Legacy to come out on your PS4 or Xbox One, we’ve got some news for you. Unfortunately, Warner Bros. Games and Avalanche Software have decided to push back the release date from 4 April to 5 May. But don’t worry, it’s just one more month of waiting!
On the bright side, if you own a PS5, Xbox Series, or a PC, you’ve been able to play Hogwarts Legacy since 12 February, and it’s been a huge hit. It sold over 12 million copies in just two weeks, which is pretty amazing.
Oh, and Switch fans, don’t feel left out! A version of Hogwarts Legacy is also coming your way on 25 July, so mark your calendars.


You May Need To Farm These Guns For Borderlands 3’s Handsome Jackpot DLC

Borderlands 3’s first-ever major DLC, Moxxi’s Heist Of TheÂ Handsome Jackpot, will be out later this week. Apart from a whole new bunch of Handsome Jack-slash-casino-themed levels, the game will bring back one of Borderlands 2’s most prominent enemies: the bots.
We can’t say much about the expansion until it’s officially out, but we can say this: you will be fighting a lot of mechs and Hyperion bots, the only race in the game to have full armoured health bars. This means you’ll need to stock up on Corrosive elemental guns to effectively melt them to scrap.
Here are our top weapon picks and where to farm them. If possible, aim for the guns that give you a long damage/elemental damage buff after you perform an action skill. Oh, and do your loot runs on the Mayhem 4 modifier to get the most out of your legendary boss loot rates.
Corrosive Cutsman

(image credit: Reddit)
Where To Farm This: Borman Nates, Meridian Outskirts.
Any seasoned Borderlands 3 player would know the power of elemental Cutsman SMGs at this point; they sorta split in two and are tethered by a line, and they kill most things dead if they’re close to each other.
If you happen to come across one that’s anointed like the one above, you can cut most enemies down like its namesake.
Corrosive Crossroads

Where To Farm This: Katagawa Jr in Atlas HQ. In case you forget, he’s the boss of that area.
Another super powerful SMG and one of my favourite go-to boss killers. It consumes 2 ammo and fires 3 projectiles per shot in 6 bursts. That equals a lot of crits.
Just be warned: this gun will burn through ammo unless you’re Moze and have most of her Bottomless Mags skill tree active.
Corrosive Laser-Sploder

Where To Farm This: Sylestro in Tanzendeer Ruins.
A crowd-pleaser Assault Rifle, this gun does sustained corrosive damage plus some bonus explosions via rockets. God bless Torgue and their booms.
Corrosive The Butcher

Where To Farm This: Raging Titan in Slaughter Shaft.
There aren’t that many shotguns with corrosive element, so the Butcher is your best bet. In case a Loader bot gets up in your face, switch to this and let the buckshots fly.
Corrosive Nemesis

Where To Farm This – Mouthpiece in Ascension Bluff
If you prefer pistols, the Nemesis can inflict Shock damage in addition to its primary elemental. Two for the price of one, alongside the Dahl-patented 3-shot burst and semi-auto modes.
Some of these Hyperion bots will pack some of that blue-coloured protection goodness, so it’s best to have a sidearm that takes care of both shield and armour.
Corrosive The Dictator

Where To Farm This – The Agonizer 9000 in Guts of Carnivora.
I’m usually in favour of the Shreddifier when it comes to Vladof assault rifles, but I’m willing to give this one a chance.
The gun fires three bullets in a horizontal line in rifle mode, seven in bipod mode. It can either land all of its bullets onto one critical spot, or multiple crit points when shot from afar. Long story short, it’s a worthy test for the upcoming bot-filled DLC.
That’s our tips for now. If you have other Corrosive suggestions, let us know either here or on Facebook.


Thor Love And Thunder In Malaysia Delayed To 21 July 2022

Thor Hot And Thunder will now premiere in Malaysian cinemas on 21 July 2022, instead of its original 7 July 2022 release date.
Malaysian cinema chain GSC Cinemas announced the news via Twitter earlier today. However, no official reason was given for the delay except that the order was given by Disney. Those who have already booked advance tickets will receive refunds within 14 working days.

A very important announcement for #ThorLoveandThunder ? pic.twitter.com/IR5xpEyvMv
— GSC x Mat Kilau ?? (@GSCinemas) July 1, 2022

TGV Cinemas has also announced the same news on their Twitter account:

Breaking News: @DisneyStudios Malaysia has confirmed that the release of #ThorLoveandThunder in Malaysia is now postponed to 21 July 2022.
For customers who have purchased advance sales tickets, you will be fully refunded. Kindly take note of the below: pic.twitter.com/4PS0YTYm1G
— TGV Cinemas | #TontondiTGV ?? (@TGVCinemas) July 1, 2022

The official synopsis of the movie reads:
The film finds Thor (Chris Hemsworth) on a journey unlike anything he’s ever faced – a quest for inner peace. But his retirement is interrupted by a galactic killer known as Gorr the God Butcher (Christian Bale), who seeks the extinction of the gods.
To combat the threat, Thor enlists the help of King Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson), Korg (Taika Waititi) and ex-girlfriend Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), who – to Thor’s surprise – inexplicably wields his magical hammer, Mjolnir, as the Mighty Thor. Together, they embark upon a harrowing cosmic adventure to uncover the mystery of the God Butcher’s vengeance and stop him before it’s too late.
In the meantime, check out my breakdown of the Thor Love And Thunder trailers 1 and 2 here.


Overwatch League News Roundup: Two New Franchises to Be Confirmed, Player Negotiations Begin For Everyone Else

According to sources, two new franchises will be announced today, bringing the total number of Overwatch League teams at the start of the second season to fourteen. Rod ‘Slasher’ Breslau a.k.a ‘Leakboy’ added that these two teams will be based out of Guangzhou, China and Atlanta, Georgia.

As reported by ESPNâ€™s @JacobWolf, the Guangzhou and Atlanta OWL franchises will be backed by the Nenking Group (ownership of Chinese Basketball Associationâ€™s Guangzhou Long-Lions) and Cox Enterprises, respectively. https://t.co/g3WSIqUrHT
â€” Rod Breslau (@Slasher) August 1, 2018
As for the rest of the teams, they are now allowed toÂ negotiate extensions with current players or to sign players from their affiliated Contenders team. Teams may also begin making player trades. These agreements must be finalized by 8th September, failing which, unsigned players (from the Overwatch League inaugural season) will be deemed as free agents from 9th September onwards.
The ‘expansion teams’ will then be allowed to sign the available free agents starting 9th of September til 7th October. This window is exclusive for the expansion teams only.
From October 8th onwards, all the teams are allowed to sign for free agents for the second season of the Overwatch League.
Additional Requirements:

All teams must have a minimum of eight players under contract by Dec. 1, 2018. Teams may sign or trade players until a final deadline during the 2019 season that will be announced at a later date.
Players who turn 18 prior to the season deadline are eligible to sign Overwatch League contracts for the 2019 season. While the date has yet to be finalized, players born before May 1, 2001, will be eligible.
Beginning with the 2019 season, the term of player agreements will no longer be fixed at one year with an additional one-year option. Players and teams may negotiate contracts for up to three years, with a maximum of one year as an option in addition to one or two guaranteed years.
All contracts must be submitted to the League Office for review and approval.

The league also introduced a new system called ‘Two-way players’.
For the 2019 Overwatch League season, teams and players may negotiate the right to designate the player as eligible to compete in Contenders on an affiliated team. Any player on the roster may agree to be eligible for Contenders play, but a maximum of four players may be designated as â€œtwo-wayâ€ players during each Overwatch League stage, and those players must be identified and submitted to the League Office prior to each stage.
Two-way players are eligible to compete in Contenders, subject to the following rules:

Regardless of where they play, two-way players count toward the Overwatch League roster limit of 12 and must earn the same salary and benefits. Two-way players also will count towards the eight-player Contenders roster limit for weeks in which their Contenders team designates them as eligible to compete.
Two-way players lose their Contenders eligibility if they appear in more than two Overwatch League matches in a stage.
A maximum of two designated two-way players may compete in any single Contenders match.
No player will be eligible to appear in both Contenders and Overwatch League matches in the same week.

While the first season of the Overwatch League concluded last week, the journey continues as teams seek to improve on their Season 1 performances with new additions via trades or unearthing diamonds in the rough. Ask Philadelphia Fusion whose inclusion of Eqo and Snillo turned their disappointing start into an appearance at the Grand Finals.
We will be bringing you all the transfer news, updates and gossip as we gear up for Season 2 of the Overwatch League so keep it locked on to Kakuchopurei.com


Swery’s The Good Life Delayed To Spring 2020

Remember Deadly Premonition and D4: Dark Dreams Don’t Die? Yeah, those were fun oddball story trips, courtesy of one Hidetaki Suehiro, better known online and on Twitter as Swery.
He left Access Games to form White Owls Inc., and his first announced title is an adventure game called The Good Life. It was initially supposed to be out the end of this year, but a recent Kickstarter update stated that it would be slated for Spring 2020. The reason? To “extend the development period in order to deliver The Good Life to [their] backers in the best condition possible.”
Which brings me to the next point: what is The Good Life?

It’s A Daily Life Simulator x SWERISM
What the hell does that even mean? Well, it’s a daily life RPG where you play a reporter who has to cover her debts by taking photos of a place called Rainy Wood, the “happiest town in the world”. This being a Swery game, not all is as it seems.
For starters, there’s a murder mystery that needs solving.

And when night comes and there’s a full moonlight, all the townspeople transform into cats and dogs. Including yourself.

What you do in the town and how you act can change the course of the story and the people around you. Since you’re also on the job for money, you can either post them up on the game’s equivalent of Instagram except you earn advertising profits for heavily-liked photos, or sell your pictures to newspaper company Morningvale.
Or you can even take up different part-time jobs.

Part Animal Crossing, part Tokyo Jungle, part LucasArts adventure game, all bizarre. This game’s sounding quaint and unique the more I keep reading about it. It’s a shame it’s been delayed to next year though. And for those who have been keeping track since its announcement, the devs will be adding the following for the title:

Improved graphics
Increased map size
More background details
More shops are accessible
Photography is its own little mini-game now, with a tag system
You can discover things with the Catâ€™s Eye, and move comfortably and easily just like a cat
Various parameters added for Naomi such as hunger/sleepiness/beauty care
Item gathering/crafting
You can take food with you and eat it where you like
You can memorize scents as a dog and visualize them to find things
Gardening
You can fight wild animals as a dog
Lots of new items

Read more about the game here.Â


Xbox Game Pass Adds Maneater, Conan Exiles & 13 More Games

Microsoft hasÂ announced new titles coming to Xbox Game Pass for Console and PC in May 2021, including Snowrunner,Â Maneater,Â Conan Exiles,Â MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries, and more.
SnowRunnerÂ (Cloud, Console, and PC) â€“ Available Now
SnowRunner puts you in the driverâ€™s seat of powerful vehicles as you conquer extreme open environments with the most advanced terrain simulation ever. Drive over 40 vehicles from brands such as Ford, Chevrolet, and Freightliner as you leave your mark on an untamed open world.

Peggle 2Â (Cloud) EA Play â€“ May 20
Peggle 2 is a magical game full of bouncing balls, magical pegs, and bricks made of pure compressed joy. Test your luck and skill by clearing pegs, bashing bricks, and timing your shots just right to achieve extreme fever.
Plants vs. Zombies: Battle for NeighborvilleÂ (Cloud) EA Play â€“ May 20
Ready the Juice Cannons and prepare for battle! Unearth 20 fully customizable character classes, tackle hilarious missions, defeat epic bosses, go all-out against friends and foes in six PvP modes, including Battle Arena, and more.
Secret NeighborÂ (PC) ID@Xbox â€“ May 20
Secret NeighborÂ is a suspenseful multiplayer horror game where a group of kids try to rescue their friend from the Neighborâ€™s creepy basement â€“ the only problem is one of the kids is the Neighbor in disguise.
The Catch: Carp & Coarse FishingÂ (Cloud, Console, and PC) â€“ May 20
With 35 species to hunt, youâ€™ll have to work up your strategy and tactics to catch every boss fish. To succeed youâ€™ll need to choose your angling spot, based on time of day, weather conditions and perfect equipment, before casting out to battle and catch these elusive creatures.
The Wild at HeartÂ (Console and PC) ID@Xbox â€“ May 20
Day one with Xbox Game Pass!Â The Wild at HeartÂ is a whimsical story centred around two children that escape to a fantastical land filled with magical creatures to befriend and an oddball order of guardians whoâ€™ve lost their way. Explore a beautiful, handcrafted world full of charming puzzles and deep secrets. Welcome to the Deep Woods.

Knockout CityÂ (Console and PC) EA Play â€“ May 21
Day one with Xbox Game Pass for PC and Ultimate with EA Play. Team up and duke it out in Knockout City, where epic dodgeball battlers settle the score in team-based multiplayer matches. Throw, catch, pass, dodge, and tackle your way to dodgeball dominance.

ManeaterÂ (Cloud, Console, and PC) ID@Xbox â€“ May 25
ManeaterÂ is a single-player action RPG, set in the Gulf Coastâ€™s unforgiving waters. Fight to survive in the open ocean, swamps, and rivers with danger lurking at every depth. Your only tools are your wits, your jaws, and an uncanny ability to evolve as you feed.
Conan ExilesÂ (Cloud and Console) ID@Xbox â€“ May 27 â€“ Optimized for Series X|S on May 27
Alone and naked in a hostile land, your first task is simply to survive. Then you must build a stronghold and gather your allies. And from there, you can set out to dominate your enemies.Â Conan ExilesÂ is a single and multiplayer survival game, set in a massive open-world sandbox with mythical beasts, perilous dungeons, and the freedom to play whichever way you like.

Fuzion FrenzyÂ (Cloud) â€“ May 27
The Xbox originalÂ Fuzion FrenzyÂ combines the continuous, frenetic action of a futuristic street sport with the action-packed fun of mini-games set in a dynamic 3-D urban environment. Six arenas and more than 45 mini-games provide plenty of competitive fun for up to four players.
Joy Ride TurboÂ (Cloud) â€“ May 27
Joy Ride TurboÂ is an arcade racer delivering precision handling, speed, and crazy stunt mayhem! In the Stunt Park, show off your skills or explore and find collectibles that unlock cars, giving you an edge for faster races and death-defying stunts.
MechWarrior 5: MercenariesÂ (Console) ID@Xbox â€“ May 27
Welcome to the year 3015! Itâ€™s a hell of a time to be alive. Humanity has colonized thousands of star systems, war is everywhere, and the battlefields of the future are dominated by hulking machines known as BattleMechs. Itâ€™s dangerous work for the elite pilots of these metal monstrosities, but thatâ€™s why a power-hungry MechWarrior like you came here, right? If youâ€™re looking to blast, wreck, stomp â€“ and profit â€“ step inside!
Slime RancherÂ (PC) ID@Xbox â€“ May 27
Slime Rancher is the tale of Beatrix LeBeau, a plucky, young rancher who sets out for a life a thousand light-years away from Earth on the â€˜Far, Far Rangeâ€™ where she tries her hand at making living wrangling slimes. With a can-do attitude, plenty of grit, and her trusty vacpack, Beatrix attempts to stake a claim, amass a fortune, and avoid the continual peril that looms from the rolling, jiggling avalanche of slimes around every corner!
Solasta: Crown of the MagisterÂ (PC) ID@Xbox â€“ May 27
Discover the shattered world of Solasta. Explore ruins and dungeons for legendary treasures, learn the truth of an age-old cataclysm, and stop it from happening again. Tailor your squad to your preferred strategy and maximize your partyâ€™s abilities in classic tabletop RPG tradition. The choice is yours.

SpellForce 3: Soul HarvestÂ (PC) â€“ May 27
Make your mark in the chaotic world of Nortander inÂ SpellForce 3: Soul Harvest. Explore and prosper, build and lead armies, develop your character, and defend the throne in this story of renegades and rebellion.
More Cloud-Enabled Games with Xbox Touch Controls

Starting today, Ultimate members can experience Xbox Cloud Gaming (Beta) touch controls with seven more cloud-enabled games.

Banjo-Tooie
Call of the Sea
Genesis Noir
Narita Boy
Nier: Automata Become As Gods Edition
Rain on Your Parade
Two Point Hospital

DLC / Game Updates
Destiny 2: Season of the Splicer Has Begun
Embark on a new adventure filled with challenging activities, powerful exotics, and a mysterious digital landscape. Harness new tech to customize your appearance and assemble your fireteam for the return of the iconic Vault of Glass. Crash the Network and save the Last City.
Gears 5: Operation 7 â€“ Available Now
Xbox Game Pass members can save up to 10% off the Operation 7 Bundle! Strike at the heart of the enemy inÂ Gears 5Â Operation 7. Jump in with two new characters, a brand-new multiplayer map, renewed Tour of Duty, and more.
Minecraft:Â How to Train Your Dragon DLC â€“ Available Now
Xbox Game Pass members save up to 10%! This is Berk, home of Vikings and dragons! Join Toothless, Hiccup, and the rest of the dragons and riders on heroic adventures in Minecraft. Compete in racing, map the world, and release captive dragons from invading trappers! Tame, collect, and train dragons from the vast reaches of the Barbaric Archipelago.
Minecraft Dungeons: Hidden Depths DLC â€“ May 26
Xbox Game Pass members save up to 10%! Make a splash with Hidden Depths! A spreading corruption has reached the oceanâ€™s darkest depths and now threatens the natural ebb and flow of power. Fight new foes, discover new gear, and prove that your heroic skills are not only foolproof â€“ theyâ€™re waterproof as well.
SnowRunnerÂ Season 4: New Frontiers â€“ Available Now
Xbox Game Pass members can save up to 10% on theÂ SnowRunnerÂ Season Pass! This season adds the enormous Russian Amur Oblast region, challenging players to complete a new series of intricate missions across four new maps. Two new vehicles have been added, along with new vehicle skins and hood ornaments to drive in style.

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Perks
We have even more Perks to dish out in this already crowded month!Â  Go claim them now before theyâ€™re gone via the Perks gallery on your Xbox console, Xbox App on PC, and Xbox Game Pass mobile app on iOS/Android.
Rogue Company:Â Season Two Perk PackÂ â€“Â Available Now
Gear up for Season Two of Rogue Company with free cosmetics, Battle Pass XP, and Rogue Bucks!
World of Tanks: Might and Metal Pack â€“ Available Now
Storm your way onto the battlefield with two heavy-hitting Premium tanks, and use the 7 days of Premium, 1,250 gold, and Boosters to enhance your vehicles and rise to the top!
SmiteÂ x Monstercat:Â â€“Â Available Now
Itâ€™s party time! Claim the Smite x Monstercat Starter Pass and get started with all four Gods on the Monstercat Battle Pass, their Voice Packs, and Battle Pass Points.
Warface: Absolute Power BundleÂ â€“Â Available May 20
Dominate theÂ WarfaceÂ battleground with an ultra pack full of gear, weapons, consumables, and more!

Xbox Game Pass Quests
New undead Quests are added every week in May and you can still chomp through the month-long double-points Quests. Survive until the end of May to claim and redeem your points for Xbox gift cards and more. Check for new Quests on your console and Xbox Game Pass mobile app!
Check out these new Quests this week:

The Walking Dead: A New FrontierÂ (100 points):Â Make 12 choices (Ultimate)
Beholder Complete EditionÂ (50 Points):Â Send 1 Report to the Ministry

Leaving May 31
Join us in giving the following games a proper farewell by playing them before they leave Xbox Game Pass. Remember to use your membership discount to save up to 20% to keep these games in your library!

Assetto CorsaÂ (Cloud and Console)
BroforceÂ (PC)
Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5+2.5 RemixÂ (Console)
Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter PrologueÂ (Console)
Surviving MarsÂ (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Void BastardsÂ (Cloud, Console, and PC)


Epic Games To Pay Over US$500 Million Fine Over Fortnite Microtransactions

Fortnite developer Epic Games will pay a total of US$540 million to settle allegations made by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
According to the FTC, the fine is due to two separate “record-breaking” settlements. One is a US$275 million fine for violating the Children’s Online Privacy Protection [COPPA] rule, which imposes limitations on websites and online services directed to children under 13 years old. Epic will also have to pay US$245 million in refunds to customers over its “dark patterns.”
The FTC alleges that Epic Games “deployed design tricks, known as dark patterns (which Wikipedia defines as “a user interface that has been carefully crafted to trick users into doing things, such as buying overpriced insurance with their purchase or signing up for recurring bills”), to dupe millions of players into making unintentional purchases”. Epic Games will be required to “adopt strong privacy default settings for children and teens, ensuring that voice and text communications are turned off by default”.
FTC Chair Lina M. Khan said:
“As our complaints note, Epic used privacy-invasive default settings and deceptive interfaces that tricked Fortnite users, including teenagers and children. Protecting the public, and especially children, from online privacy invasions and dark patterns is a top priority for the Commission, and these enforcement actions make clear to businesses that the FTC is cracking down on these unlawful practices.”


Here Are Your ArcRevo Japan 2022 Winners For Guilty Gear Strive & DNF Duel

This year’s big Arc System Works fighting game tournament in Japan has come and gone, with some big winners in tow.
Apart from showcasing new DNF Duel updates, the tournament has its share of high-level plays. TY and Gobou, renowned Guilty Gear Strive players, have secured the top two spots in the tournament.
Keep in mind that this is one of the last qualifiers for the 2022 ARC World Tour, meaning this Japan tournament carries qualifying spots only for the winner of each game’s tournament.
Here are the winners.
Guilty Gear Strive

The moment of victory.Thanks for a great match!#ARCREVO #AWT2022 #GGST pic.twitter.com/H128JctCi8
— ASW_esports ?Arc World Tour 2022 (@ASWesports) December 4, 2022

1. TY (Chipp, Giovanna)
2. Nth| Gobou (Goldlewis, Zato-1)
3. Infiltration (Zato-1)
4. JOZ| Mocchii (Sol)
5. BNN| DarkNecro (Nagoriyuki)
5. Tric Trac Ouen Bot (Giovanna)
7. Gesui (Leo)
7. Mugi (Nagoriyuki)
DNF Duel

???????????????? ???????????????? ??????????????#ARCREVO #AWT2022 #DNFDuel pic.twitter.com/1okkbJEtFX
— ASW_esports ?Arc World Tour 2022 (@ASWesports) December 4, 2022

1. Nanpon (Striker)
2. Besame (Kunoichi)
3. EGO|Hishow (Hitman, Striker)
4. Kikyou-chan (Ranger)
5. Nth| Jirou (Kunoichi)
5. EGO| Armperor (Berserker, Ghostblade)
7. AYA| Hentaidalwave (Dragon Knight)
7. Tsurugi| G.X. (Lost Warrior)


Alan Wake 2 Is Now Playable From Start To Finish

Remedy Entertainment has announced that the development of Alan Wake 2 has progressed to the point where the game can now be played from beginning to end.
According to CEO Tero Virtala, the development of Alan Wake 2 is progressing smoothly. In a recent statement following the release of the company’s financial results, Virtala stated that the game is in full production and nearly complete with all its content, being playable from start to finish.
The next step will be to refine the game experience. Virtala considers Alan Wake a valuable brand for the company. However, he acknowledged that the remastered version of Alan Wake released in 2021 has not yet generated any royalties, but he remains hopeful that the release of Alan Wake 2 will drive sales, especially among fans and new players who want to experience the original story on modern consoles.

Alan Wake 2 was officially announced during The Game Awards in 2021. The reveal trailer showcased Alan in various locations such as the wilderness and New York City. At the time of the announcement, Remedy’s creative director, Sam Lake, described the game as a “survival horror” but warned that it would “go dark” for some time before any new information was revealed.
In May 2022, Lake provided an update on the game’s development, stating that it was “going really well” and that the team had a lot of material and a significant portion of the game was already playable.
He explained that the studio was focused on creating the best possible survival horror game for Remedy and did not want to take the team’s attention away from that goal. As a result, fans would have to wait a bit longer for a demo and trailer.


12 Things To Look Forward To In Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers

Take a walk on the dark side with the upcoming Final Fantasy XIV expansion that’s slated for the 1st of July. After going through two expansions of the game trying to save the world, this latest large-scale DLC plans to make you take the dark route by journeying across alternate dimensions and fighting the evil Garlean Empire.
With a new expansion comes new continents and areas to explore, new quests to complete, new classes to experiment with, and new bosses and raids to tackle. Here’s the lowdown of what you can expect; think of this feature as a quick cheat sheet on what’s new and what’s updated in this bold new venture in Eorzea.
Hell, use our feature to gauge if it’s worth taking a plunge again in the timesink that is FFXIV. Because from the sounds of it, it sure looks like it.
#1. You Get To Rebuild Heavensward

The Restoration of the Holy See of IshgardÂ is a longterm project for crafters and gatherers to contribute resources to rebuilding the capital city of Heavensward. Like the Doman Enclave in Stormblood, players can donate unwanted items for a small reward. Over time, those donations will slowly change the way the Holy See of Ishgard looks as it is slowly rebuilt.
Little is known aboutÂ FarmsÂ but they were briefly mentioned, though it was made clear that farmers won’t be a new crafting class.
#2. You Can Replay Completed Main Quests In A Tougher Setting
New Game+ mode lets you replay story and class quests from A Realm Reborn, but scaled up to your current level. The game’s story is pretty epic, and there’s some sweet story gear to acquire, so why rob new players who got the level boost a chance to play the game’s epic tale from start to finish?
#3. You Can Bring In NPCs To Raid Dungeons With You
To up the single-player aspect of the FFXIV MMO structure and keeping in line with its source material, you can bring up an option called Trusts which lets you play Shadowbringers dungeons with a team of NPC story characters. It’s a great way to ensure players have a filled-up party to run dungeons with and sort out long queue times.
#4. You Get To Finish The Fight Against Zenos Yae Galvus

FFXIV: Shadowbringers picks up after Stormblood’s post-launch updates. Zenos Yae Galvus, the big-bad of Stormblood, is back and all we know is that the battle between him and your character possibly triggers an apocalyptic calamity.
During the events of Shadowbringers, you travel to the First, a kind of alternate dimension from Eorzea, where light has overcome darkness, throwing the necessary balance between them off-kilter. To save the First, you must become a Warrior of Darkness and restore that balance.
#5. You Get To Play The Fabulous Dancer….

Do you like to be a ranged DPS guy or girl who bust out some moves and sexy grooves ala Young MC? Do you also like to use group abilities to buff up your party in a pinch and do it with style? Then the Dancer is for you.
Just be prepared to see a lot of meters that need filling up and react. A lot. To things that happen on the fly. As well as play a mini-game where you need to match dance steps to make buffs and spells happen and with a high chance of success and bonuses.
You also need to utilize the class’ variety of long range single-target weapon skills and close range AoE attacks so that you can get a resource called Fourfold Feathers. These can be spent on powerful abilities that use the Dancer’s fan to strike hard with a magical burst.
If there’s one thing the Dancer is good at, it’s to organize the chaos within the battlefield while breaking into a rhythm or two. There’s also chance that comes into play in being an effective Dancer, but the effects and payoff should be well worth the risks.
#6. ..And The Badass Gunbreaker….

The game’s fourth tank class comes into the fray guns ablazing, literally speaking. If you fancy playing a guy who may fight like Squall Leonhart, the Gunbreaker is the way to go. Keep in mind that their guns are meant to enhance their slashing attacks, so don’t expect any ranged play with this class.
Gunbreakers have a unique mechanic called the Powder Gauge, where they store cartridges that are spent on powerful special attacks or even amplifying certain moves; like boosting a Demon Slice attack to a Fated Circle that creates an AoE explosion around the attack area. You gain them from basic attack combos via your gunblade.
And then there’s Continuation, an ability that lets you link together an explosive combo by carefully timing the abilities you use. Which means this technique can extend your four-hit combo to a seven-hit attack if you use the continuation attack at the right time.
If we’re talking tank abilities, the Gunbreaker has spells like Heart of Light that gives everyone a defense boost and Heart of Stone that heals your party whenever you perform your basic Powder Gauge-building combos.
#7. ….In Level 60!
No need to start grinding your new classes; you can jump straight to level 60 to experience both these new and exclusive classes!
#8. You Get To Play As A Sexy Bunneh…

Specifically, you now get to play as the Viera. Yep, that’s the same race from the awesome Final Fantasy XII. Since Yasumi Masuno, the director of FFXII, made a raid that tied the worlds of Eorzea and Ivalice together, it’s only fitting that players get to play that venerable race.
#9. ..Or A Manly Lion Thing

You can also play as the mighty Hrothgar. They may remind you of the Ronsos in Final Fantasy X. This race and the Viera are gender-locked; Hrothgars are male while Vieras are female. Why are they gender-locked? Because that’s the world they built and Square Enix also did not factor in people being whiney snowflakes about it. But take heart: director Naoki Yoshida may change things up depending on fan feedback.
#10. The Machinist Gets An Overhaul

FFXIV‘s crappiest class will finally get its day in the Eorzea sun. The Machinist is now packed with gadgets and robots that are fun to play around with. This class now uses two resources: heat and batteries. These build up when using special attacks. When the battery meter is full, they can power up your Rook Auto-turret and Automaton Queen to help you out.
When your heat gauge is built up to a good amount, you can spend it to “Hypercharge” your gear to gain access to special gadgets like the auto-crossbow and heat blaster. This is sounding more like the MMO version of FF6’s womanizer Edgar. And that is pretty awesome!
#11. It’s Making Classes And Roles A Bit More Streamlined
In a recent interview with Naoki Yoshida, the team plans to trim the fat and return classes to their basic roots.

“We took a bold step this time.We mustered up a lot of courage and decided to revisit and really clean things up. Itâ€™s simplified, yes, but we did it to make jobs easier to grasp. That was the first big step we took in redesigning all the jobs.
Itâ€™s still subjective though. Itâ€™s a matter of asking: Is this comfortable? Is this still fun for us to play?”

#12. There’s A Huge Log Of Text In The Recent Patch Notes
The expansion will be out in a few days, so what better time than now to read up on the 5.0 update?
The update will add two new cities, The Crystarium and Eulmore, as well as new field areas Lakeland, Kholusia, Amh Araeng, Il Mheg, and The Rak’tika Greatwood. Main scenario quests will, of course, be included, along with “myriad” side quests. Notably, those side quests will utilize a new “automatic level adjust system known as quest sync.” Square Enix says the new side quests “will have their difficulty and EXP rewards adjusted to match your current level.”
Full notes are here for your reading.
And that’s it for all of FFXIV’s features. Let us know if you’re planning on going back to Eorzea next week either on our website or our Facebook page.Â


This Iconic Villain Joins Power Rangers Battle For The Grid This Week

Developer nWay originally announced that iconic Power Rangers Rita Repulsa would be joining the fighting game Power Rangers Battle For The Grid as a playable fighter in the game’s Season 4 Battle Pass earlier this year. She will finally arrive this week on 14 December 2021 after millennia of being trapped in a space dumpster.
Fans of the franchise will be happy to learn that Rita Repulsa will be voiced by fan-favourite Barbara Goodson, who has provided the voice for the character since the very beginning when Mighty Morphin Power Rangers debuted in 1993.
From her ominous Moon Base, Rita plots her conquest of Earth, which has resisted her attacks for millennia. Ritaâ€™s fighting style emphasizes both mastery over her Putty Patroller army and a dizzying array of different magical spells guaranteed to keep her opponents off-balance. Pinwheel Chaos, a rolling ball of devastating energy, starts off at a distance then slowly moves closer to Rita, instantly putting opponents at a disadvantage by drawing them closer to her.
Thanks to the magical mastery of her pile of Putty Patrollers, almost nowhere in a battle is safe for her opponents. While her Patrollers mindlessly pursue, punch, and subdue opponents, Rita covers them from a distance with myriad and devastating magical spells. Royal Candle bisects the screen with a fiery and explosive attack, making any opponent in mid-range a target. Anyone foolish enough to get within close range of Rita will then have to contend with her magic-enhanced kicks and staff strikes, coupled with her mastery of aerial manoeuvrability thanks to her Queenâ€™s Ambit spell.
Power Rangers Battle For The Grid Season 4 can be purchased for US$14.99, but DLC characters can also be purchased individually for US$5.99 each.
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