Southeast Asia’s Lemon Sky & Brandoville Studios Allegedly Put Its Artists Through Unpaid Crunch [Update]

Update [5:38pm, 3/5/21]: Lemon Sky has released an official statement. It’s added at the bottom of the story.
Malaysia and Indonesia’s gaming scene will be in the spotlight yet again in 2021, but not because of its awesome indie games. This time around, it’s because of its alleged crunch practices for the sake of churning out art assets for triple-A games.
A recent exposÃ© from the People Make Games YouTube channel, led by game journalist Chris Bratt, has revealed that Malaysia-based triple-A asset outsourcing studio Lemon Sky and Indonesia-based animation studio Brandoville allegedly put its artists through unpaid overtime and had to work weekends to meet tight deadlines. Yes, third-world countries also experience unpaid overtime in the games industry, and it’s done all for the sake of appeasing big clients like Activision Blizzard and Naughty Dog.
According to a former senior Lemon Sky employee’s testimonial, a company like Lemon Sky can only be appealing to a triple-A game-making client, they have to say that they have 100 or 150 people, as well as “do this much in this much time”.
“That gets you in the door and after that, you negotiate a price point. Oftentimes, the artist’s scheduling is the part that ends up getting squeezed. Sometimes it doesn’t sound like a lot, but 5% suddenly becomes two weeks of really late work. But on paper, it’s 5% to get that Blizzard job and are you not going to take it?”
Of course, if they take the high road and prioritize their employee’s well-being, the triple-A client will take its business elsewhere to another animation/game asset-making studio in the region that would take up on their offer. The sad part is that due to the triple-A company’s clout, people would like that accolade to be associated with the brand and name, thus they take the gig and finish it no matter what.
Former & current Lemon Sky employees and senior members in the art department have laid out their testimonies regarding working hours in the company, which is basically crunch forced onto the studio by overseas game studios due to meeting tight deadlines.
“Typically, the normal working hours are 8 hours a day, but frankly speaking, I’d be very lucky if I could go back and rest on time.”

“If the project isn’t going smoothly, on the weekend you have to come back to catch up. During weekdays, you also have to OT until midnight sometimes.”

“Everyone was so stressed out, I had a friend who cried at work, in the bathroom too, because she couldn’t handle it.”

“I frequently worked for 12+ hours, usually until 3 or 4 in the morning and I also still need to go back to work on the weekends for many times.”
For all the substantial amount of OT put in by the workers, the company only official asked its employees to do OT once. Lemon Sky higher-ups allegedly used passive-aggressive methods to coax its artists & workers to put in OT without actually officially doing it beyond the one time, possibly to escape paying them extra. Essentially, crunch is mandatory and an unspoken edict.
“[T]he company never asked for it. Therefore, they do not have to pay for our OT. But we weren’t given enough time to complete our task. If we work overtime, it’s only because we are “slow” and need to “catch up”. It’s always our fault that we couldn’t complete it on time. That’s how Lemon Sky put it.”
Lemon Sky Studios is known for creating high-level assets for triple-A titles such as Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales, Marvel’s Avengers, The Last of Us Part 2, and WarCraft III: Reforged.
Meanwhile, In Indonesia…

Things are just as grim, as Brandoville Studio has Glassdoor reviews stating that working in the company “will take the joy out of making art”. Testimonials from current and former employees of the studio said roughly the same things: unpaid OT, long hours every single day, and a culture where artists who OT without question are favoured.
“I would work everyday until like 3am during my first few months and when I say everyday, that’s including weekends.”

“You have to do it or leave. I worked OT almost everyday, between 10 and 30 hours per week.”

“If you OT a lot and never complain, that’s what the company likes.”
The video even mentions an incident where Brandoville CEO Ken Lai told two employees that they can take the next Monday off since they had to come in to work on a public holiday on a Friday. The following morning, the pair received a long message from one of the company’s higher-ups who happens to be the CEO’s wife, which basically asks them to reject the holiday offer while guilt-tripping the two by bringing up their other colleagues who didn’t ask for replacement day-offs.
Brandoville Studios is known for formerly being a Lemon Sky Studios offshoot before branching out to be an independent studio. Currently, they’re working on an unannounced Naughty Dog project.
Kakuchopurei has reached out to both Lemon Sky Studios and Brandoville Studios for comments regarding these allegations. So far, Lemon Sky has responded with the following official statement, which says that the allegations regarding unpaid OT are “factually and legally inaccurate”.
“We abide by all Malaysian employment laws pertaining to work hours, and the contractual terms and conditions of employment with our employees. The allegations made against Lemon Sky Studios regarding overtime payments are factually and legally inaccurate. This position applies to all employees of Lemon Sky Studios (including former employees).
We value the efforts of our employees and take employee wellbeing and mental health very seriously. In addition to conducting an ethical business and adhering to the standard industry practices, we have gone above and beyond to create an open and holistic environment where our employees have access to recreational opportunities and a space in which their mental health is given priority.
As in any situation where allegations are made, management will take appropriate measures in response. This will include a process for obtaining feedback from ALL of our employees regarding their individual concerns.
We remain steadfast in our pursuit to Make Good Art and we will continue to do so as we grow and improve.”
Check out the full video below:


Fullmetal Alchemist Gets A New Game After So Many Years…

The recent livestream of the Fullmetal Alchemist 20th Anniversary Special announced a new Fullmetal Alchemist game from Square Enix. As expected, it’s for smartphones.
The new game will be based on Hiromu Arakawa’s original Fullmetal Alchemist manga and is called Fullmetal Alchemist Mobile. More details will emerge in 2021 Winter.

Just like most mobile game teasers, the clip shows absolutely nothing game-related save for the official title. On a positive note, Arakawa will be launching a new manga in Monthly Shonen Gangan soon.
The Fullmetal Alchemist manga was on Shonen Gangan from 2001 to 2010. The manga inspired two television anime adaptations in 2003 and 2009, two OVAs, two anime films, and a live-action film. If you ask us, you just need to read the manga and watch the 2009 anime adaptation; forget the rest.


Be Careful: There’s An Avengers Endgame Leak Out There

Earlier today, someone managed to leak the footage of Avengers Endgame, and it wasn’t just any footage. It was almost five minutes of footage cut from what seems to be the climax of the movie.
For ethical reasons, I won’t reveal them here. What’s disappointing is that this comes just one week before the release of Avengers Endgame on 24 April 2019. It’s a big deal because this didn’t happen to just any superhero movie, but arguably the most ambitious one yet.
Some Words Of Advice…
Spreading spoilers on social media or to other people regardless of your intentions are bad. You never know how that could ruin the experience for everyone else. Even if you don’t mind getting spoilers, it’s never a good thing to spread them around.
While some of you may be considering a complete online blackout, we’re delighted to say that most of the leaked footage has been taken down. So if you don’t go actively search for them, it most likely won’t appear on your timeline (unless you have some really obnoxious trolls as friends, in which case, get new ones).
Be vigilant, be patient, it’s only 8 more days to Avengers Endgame. You’ve waited for almost a year. What’s another week or so? Do it for the fallen.
If you won’t listen to us, listen to Brie Larson AKA Captain Marvel herself.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSPBRyKQ4ko&w=560&h=315]


PlayStation Trophies Is Getting Updated, Will Transfer To PS5

Sony is updating its PlayStation Trophy system with major changes. These include increasing the Trophy level range from the current ‘1-100’ to ‘1-999’. Gamers can also rejoice in the fact that all previous trophies will carry over to PS5, just as they have for previous console generations.
According to PlayStation Blog, this Trophy system update will be rolling out starting “later tonight” in the US and “tomorrow” in Europe. However, it’s unclear when exactly it will be implemented in other countries.
Your Trophy level will “automatically be remapped to a new level within this new range based on the Trophies youâ€™ve earned to date.” For instance, if your current Trophy level is 12, it will instantly change to “somewhere in the low 200’s”.
The exact level will “depend on the number and grades of trophies you’ve acquired”. There will be no changes to the Trophies already earned or Trophy information, such as unlock requirements.
In addition, there will also be a new Trophies level calculation system that is more “optimized and rewarding”. Early levels will be easier to progress through, and levels will “increase more consistently”, while Platinum Trophies will be worth even more than they are now.
The trophy level icon on PS5, and PlayStation App at a later date, will be getting a visual upgrade as well. The Trophies icon is currently just a single star, but there will be more variants and ways in the new update.
They are as follows:
Bronze: Levels 1-299Silver: Levels 300-599Gold: Levels 600-998Platinum: Level 999


PS5 Sales In Japan Surpass One Million Faster Than PS4 Did

Back in July 2021, Sony announced that the PS5 has sold more than 10 million units worldwide. Now, Famitsu (via Gematsu) has reported that total sales for the PlayStation 5 have surpassed one million units in Japan alone.
As of 5 September 2021, the PS5 has sold 1,012,656 units in Japan. This number includes 847,421 units of the standard model and 165,235 units of the Digital Edition. Last week, the PS5 sold 15,580 and 1,495 units of each respective model.
In addition, the highest selling game at retail is Capcom’s Resident Evil Village with over 67,000 copies sold since it launched in May 2021. In comparison, the PS4 didn’t reach one million units in Japan until after almost a year following its initial February 2014 launch.
In the meantime, you can check outÂ my in-depth and no-holds-barred thoughts on the PS5Â after having it for more than a month. However, if youâ€™re looking for a more straightforward review, you shouldÂ head on over here instead.


Ex-Ubisoft Assassin’s Creed Top Developer Secretly Working For Tencent

You may not remember Ashraf Ismail, but many folks did. He was a high-profile Assassin’s Creed game developer for Ubisoft before he was dismissed from the company in mid-2020.
Turns out he’s been busy since he was fired from the French company. He’s been helping with the development of a game at Tencent according to Axios. He is serving as “a consulting creative director” with Tencent’s TiMi studio group. The studio is staffed by several other ex-Ubisoft Montreal developers and used to work on past AC games led by Ismail.
This could be seen as a second chance for a developer who was fired due to allegations of abusing his power at Ubisoft, which led to a MeToo reckoning in the game industry a couple of years ago. He also lied about his marital status in courting female fans and possibly Ubisoft employees. But hey, he’s been behaving himself since, despite the fact that Tencent never announced him coming on board the project.
“During our work with Ash, he has carried himself in a professional manner and has consistently shown an eagerness to learn and grow as both a team member and person,” according to a TiMi company representative.
“We strive to provide a safe, respectful working environment for all and will continue to do so as our team grows and expands.”


HBO Max Renews Harley Quinn For Season 3

The R-ratedÂ Harley QuinnÂ animated series has been renewed for a third season by HBO Max, as the DC Universe streaming service gets replaced by a more comics-centric DC Universe Infinite subscription service.
Only two years after it launched, DC Universe is officially going to stop producing original video content and focus on being a comic book platform. However, all of the platform’s scripted originals and library titles will move to fellow Warner Media-backed streaming service HBO Max.
These include Titans, Doom Patrol, Young Justice, and of course, Harley Quinn.
DC Universe Infinite is set to launch on 21 January 2021 with more than 24,000 comic books, as well as digital-first comics, exclusive access to DC fan events, and a stream of recently-released comics six months after the physical versions hit store shelves. Following its initial launch, DC Universe Infinite will then begin expanding globally in summer 2021 onwards.
Speaking with Entertainment Weekly, Harley Quinn co-showrunners Patrick Schumacker and Justin Halpern said:
“Season 2 ended a while ago. We knew the show show was doing pretty well on DC Universe. We knew the show was gonna end up on HBO Max eventually, and we knew that that there were talks happening about a season three, but all of that was happening like almost right when quarantine started.So we had a really long time to think about what we might do, or at least the gist of the story that we might want to tell for season 3. We’re just super excited to finally actually be able to put that into action and actually get the ideas ping-ponging off both the returning writers and the inevitable new writers that we’re getting to hire now. I am very excited to finally get those ideas out and about in the ether.”
They also confirmed that Kite Man and Bane will return in Season 3. During the DC FanDome event just last week, they revealed that Season 3 will focus on expanding the romantic relationship between Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy.
However, it will likely be a while before we’ll see the release of Harley Quinn Season 3. In the meantime, the first two seasons are definitely highly-recommended.


The Company Man Starts Off Charming, But Ends Up Being Cheap

Platform: PC
Genre: 2D Action Game
At first glance, the Malaysian-made indie 2D platformer The Company Man starts off jovial and satirical. You play a corporate worker named Jim as he rises to the top, fighting co-workers in a big corporation in different sectors using his keyboard weapon like a sword and emails as projectiles.
The first few stages of The Company Man is clear as day with its homage. You’ll get vibes of Mega Man X as your main man Jim can perform Zero-style slashes and air dashes, as well as “send emails” in the form of long-ranged bullets or in a wide short-ranged “shotgun” burst.
The title is pretty fun when you’re just cruising along, hitting each checkpoint, and braving the next challenge. There’s even a simple upgrade system where defeating a boss nets you a free coffee beans coupon, giving you your choice of powerups ranging from health and energy extensions to skills like life-leeching and destroying projectiles with your keyboard swipes.
In The Red

But once you’ve proceeded past the initial stages and enter the realms of Accounting, Marketing, and beyond, you start to see the design cracks of a supposed solid platforming base. The game devolves into an exercise in frustration with fewer checkpoints leading up to the obviously tough bits to the odd hit detection and situations where it looks like you can make a jump or assume your main character’s dash gives you a low profile. It doesn’t.
There are also one or two wasted segments begging for challenges and gauntlet-style segments; I was hoping for more action when Jim was on an airship platform in one of the game’s later stages. That segment was quite a bore as I just killed a slew of the same marketing enemies I fought, the platform slowly flying to the right side of the screen amidst the scrolling background.
Some challenges seem like they were added with not much thought. There’s a stage using teleporters that feature a puzzle that requires you to quickly switch teleporters while mid-air after you made the blink. However, you fall straight down and aren’t given much time to react from the get-go.Â There’s also a frustrating part at the penultimate stages where spiked barricades send you back to the beginning of the course if you so much as touch them. While it’s better than starting over from the last checkpoint, I feel that there can be other ways to not make these segments this quirky.
Plus, the later bosses in the game seem to die faster than usual, leaving final tense moments a little anti-climactic. Long story short, the difficulty spikes here are about as unstable as a startup founder after getting way too much for its seeding goal. The less said about the banal music the better; save for the end credits theme which was given more thought to make than the entire OST.
In Need Of Downsizing

The Company Man is not as polished as its inspiration. It barely hits the level of competency and averageness when it comes to indie-level 2D platforming. There are also some technical issues too; the game doesn’t seem to register me defeating the game’s last few bosses.
It’s a shame because I see a lot of potential with the game’s engine and controls.Â While I’m glad that there are more folks making 2D action games in the veins of the Mega Man series, this Malaysian game really needs more fine-tuning and polish. It’s one thing to be a difficult game, but The Company Man just crosses over that delicate line of challenging and frustrating with no indication of such spiking curves from the get-go.
I finished the entire title, but I felt that I got through by blind luck and using exploits in hit detection rather than through pure skill & practice. For comparison, the 2D indie title Cyber Shadow sets those expectations early on and doesn’t let up from start to finish.
No amount of charm and cute art is enough to hide The Company Man’s skeletons in its closet. It’s not the most superficial and worst title I’ve played, but there are way better and more rewarding indie 2D platforming options out there.
Final Score: 50/100


The Top 10 Best Legendary Weapon Skins In Apex Legends

Ever since I’ve become Kakuchopurei’s resident Apex Legends player, I’ve come to realise that the collection of Apex LegendsÂ skins are quite interesting. I’ve had my share of great looking ones as well as boring skins.
Skins define your personality on the battlefield, so it’s fun to have skins for each weapon, especially Legendary skins. Think of it like flexing your Yeezys or Ultraboosts down the local place, it’s gonna turn heads and provide you with some show-off points to your friends.
The community has recently voted for itsÂ top weapons to use on the battlefield, and now we’re ranking our best-looking weapons.
So here’s my take on the top 10 pretty looking Legendary Apex Legends weapon skins starting from number 10.
#10 Cold Justice (G7 Scout)

The Legendary skin for G7 Scout reminds me of the icy missions in Modern Warfare 2. It’s minimalistic repeating skull pattern and that shroud on the barrel makes it look deadly.
NEXT: #9


[Report] Resident Evil 3 Remake In Development; Will Be Released Soon

2019 is almost coming to an end and a lot of people are declaring the Resident Evil 2 Remake their GOTY. The commercial and critical success of the game shows that people love well-made remakes of iconic titles. That’s probably why Capcom is planning to continue captilasing on more past Resident Evil games.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ksBrLDX8SCM&w=560&h=315]
Video Game Chronicles have reported that a Resident Evil 3: Nemesis remake is currently being developed at Capcom. Confidence in this news comes from the VGC’s own sources plus YouTuber SpawnWave (video above) who first reported on From Software’s Elden Ring before it was announced at E3 2019.
As most journalists and fans would assume, Capcom can simply reuse a lot of assets from the Resident Evil 2 remake seeing as how they would probably keep using the awesome RE Engine for future titles. This means that there’s a possibility we might be getting the same sometime in 2020.
Here’s hoping we hear an announcement soon from Capcom (The Game Awards anyone?) because if you’re one of those people who missed out on playing the original games back when they were first released (like myself), then it will be really cool to experience more of the great past Resident Evil games which made millions of people fall in love with the survival horror genre.


Code Vein Sales Surpass Three Million

Bandai Namco has announced that the total shipments and digital sales for Code Vein have surpassed three million units. The game originally launched for the PS4, Xbox One, and PC via Steam in September 2019.
Code Vein is an action RPG with anime-style visuals and Souls-like elements in its gameplay. In the meantime, check out our review of the game here.

#CodeVein has surpassed 3 million copies shipped worldwide, and it's all thanks to you.
Dear Revenants, please enjoy this commemorative illustration to show our appreciation. pic.twitter.com/tMzqAEvKQ1
— Code Vein (@CodeVeinGame) March 21, 2023


Four Seasons Into Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid, And We Finally Get Rita Repulsa As A Playable Fighter!

Lord Zedd’s wife is finally a playable character in a Power Rangers fighting game, after being in the shaft for so long.
NWay’s successful 2D tag team fighting game Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid is now in its fourth season, and with so many character additions, it’s tough to gauge where the developers are going next. Season 4 is not only bringing in Rita Repulsa, but also Poisandra and fan-favourite Adam Park the Black Ninja Ranger.
The latter Power Ranger is getting a huge focus on the trailer, Johnny Yong Bosch battle cries and all. If you like rushdown characters with after-images attack ala Rose’s Soul Illusion, this anime voice caricature’s your man.

Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid is available right now, with its fourth season being available on 21st September.


Activision Blizzard Fires Its CFO; Is Blizzard In A Hot Mess?

Talk about starting the new year with news most dire. Activision Blizzard, a company that had a streak of bad luck (Mike Morhaime stepping down, that Diablo Immortal announcement, Heroes of the Storm scaling down,Â employee layoffs with pay), recently terminated its Chief Financial Officer’s contract this week (via CNBC).
Spencer Neumann, the CFO in question, was fired over causes “unrelated to the company’s financial reporting [ie recent share drops & monthly active users decline rate] or disclosure controls and procedures.”
It may have something to do with Neumann being poached by Netflix and in turn become the company’s newest CFO, according to Reuters. With Netflix being dominant in the past few years, we’re guessing this job may be as fun as it is stressful.
So who’s going to fill that Activision Blizzard CFO void? Why it’ll be the company’s former Chief Corporate Officer Dennis Durkin. The company will be using Durkin’s experience to sort out the share drop and make the company grow financially like old times. This new year may be crucial to the company; it may need to recuperate its losses from that Destiny 2 expansion.


Level Up KL Announces SPACEBAR & PLAY-ONE Online Events In June

Even after cancelling their annual event, the Level Up KL organizers were planning something for June 2020, and now we know what it is. They are going to hold two online events next month, LEVEL UP SPACEBAR and LEVEL UP PLAY-ONE.

LEVEL UP SPACEBAR will the first online edition of Business Connection Programme (BCP) @ LEVEL UP KL, a 1:1 business meeting to connect the international game industry community with Malaysian game companies together to create new business connection and opportunities.
It will take place from 16 to 17 June 2020, consisting of two components: 1-on-1 business meetings held in a speed networking format, with 30 minutes meeting slots prescheduled via an online meeting platform, and sharing sessions featuring 5 to 6-panel sessions of industry leaders and influencers, revolving around the topic of overcoming business obstacles under the COVID-19 pandemic.
Meanwhile, LEVEL UP PLAY-ONE will be a celebration of the latest games created by Malaysian studios, which will be showcased for two days from 13 to 14 June 2020. This will be open to members of the public, who can download, play the game, share it with social media and stand a chance to win exclusive gifts. Malaysian-made games will be featured in online tournaments as well, where prize pools of cash can be won.
According to the official website, an online version of Level Up KL 2020 will still take place from 30 September to 4 October 2020, with more details to be announced in the near future.


The Flash Season 9 Will Be Its Last On The CW

CW has announced that The Flash Season 9 will be the final season of the series, which originally began in 2014. According to The Hollywood Reporter, it will debut in 2023 and consist of just 13 episodes.
Besides Grant Gustin, Candice Patton and Danielle Panabaker are set to return. The Flash Season 9 will premiere just weeks ahead of the planned 23 June 2022 release of Warner Bros.’ The Flash movie starring Ezra Miller. What’s funny is that The Flash film was originally announced just a week after the premiere of The Flash series in October 2014.
The Flash started as a spinoff from Arrow and helped to establish the Arrowverse. The Flash has been the most successful of the Arrowverse series and the longest running too, beating Arrow’s eight-season run. The remaining DC properties besides The Flash on The CW include Superman & Lois Season 3, Stargirl Season 3, and Gotham Knights Season 1.
In a statement, The Flash executive producer/showrunner Eric Wallace said:
“Nine seasons! Nine years of saving Central City while taking audiences on an emotional journey full of heart, humor, and spectacle. And now Barry Allen has reached the starting gate for his last race. So many amazing people have given their talents, time, and love to bring this wonderful show to life each week. So, as we get ready to honor the show’s incredible legacy with our exciting final chapter, I want to say thank you to our phenomenal cast, writers, producers, and crew over the years who helped make The Flash such an unforgettable experience for audiences around the world.“
It was a great eight/nine years but all good things must come to an end eventually.


Xbox Reportedly To Replace Xbox Live Gold With New Game Pass Tier

One of Xbox’s most popular subscription tiers, Xbox Live Gold, has gradually become one of the most popular subscription services for PC games, and Microsoft may be rebranding it soon. The move will mark the end of the “Xbox Live” branding since it was launched on 15 November 2002.
A link to the news was initially posted on Windows Central, but it was removed soon after. Reportedly, the gaming subscription service is being replaced with a new subscription called “Xbox Game Pass Core“. It is said that the switchover will take place on 1 September 2023 and cost $9.99 per month. Users will be able to play over 25 curated video games through this new service, including online multiplayer functionality.
According to the leak, Microsoft claimed that the gaming collection would grow over the next few months, including DOOM Eternal, Dishonored 2, Fallout 4, Forza Horizon 4, Halo 5: Guardians, Halo Wars 2, State of Decay 2, and more. Moreover, existing Xbox Live Gold members will be converted automatically to Game Pass Core subscribers, and free games previously acquired by Live Gold members will remain in their accounts.

It doesn’t stop there. A yearly Xbox Live Gold subscription will automatically convert to Game Pass Core in September if an active subscription is currently in place. The discount offered to Xbox Live Gold subscribers for purchasing games will also be extended to Core subscribers.
Although Microsoft has yet to confirm any of the leaked information, considering the nature of the leak, we are likely to hear more about the new Game Pass tier very soon.


Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 And 2 Remastered Is Grinding Its Way This September

The first reveal of Geoff Keighly’s Summer Games Fest has announced a surprising new game that will surely bring a smile to any gamer who grew up in the 90s and early 2000s; Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 And 2. It is being developed by Vicarious Visions, the same team behind the recent Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy.
Tony Hawkâ€™s Pro Skater 1 And 2 will blend all the original levels, pro-skaters, old-school tricks and more that gamers remember with new, beautifully recreated levels. It will also include blockbuster songs from the original franchise.
The remaster will also include fan-favourite features from games across the entire original franchise, such as revert, lip tricks, wall plant and original multiplayer game modes, including both online and local co-op.

Players can also look forward to the returning skate park editors Create-A-Park and Create-A-Skater modes. They can share their unique skate parks online with friends and outfit skaters with customization options.
In addition, there will be a playable roster of legendary pro skaters, including Tony Hawk himself, Bucky Lasek, Steve Caballero, Geoff Rowley, Andrew Reynolds, Elissa Steamer, Chad Muska, Eric Koston, Rodney Mullen, Rune Glifberg, Kareem Campbell, Jamie Thomas and Bob Burnquist.

Studio head Jen Oneal said:

â€œGetting the chance to bring back the original two games which had such a meaningful impact not only on gaming, but on an entire sports genre, has been an epic experience for our team, many of whom worked on the original series.
Weâ€™re taking what you knew and loved from the original games and mixing that with enhanced creative tools which will allow gamers to invent brand new ways to play the game they love.
Weâ€™re confident it will be the ultimate Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater experience fans have been asking for.â€

Those who digitally pre-order Tony Hawkâ€™s Pro Skater 1 And 2 will receive access to the Warehouse Demo ahead of the gameâ€™s official launch. The demo will be available to download at a later unspecified date.
Tony Hawkâ€™s Pro Skater 1 And 2 will be available for US$39.99 (or roughly around RM170+), while a digital deluxe version that includes unique content and in-game gear will also be available for US$49.99 (or roughly RM216+). For the ultimate fan, a collectorâ€™s edition will be available for US$99.99 (or roughly RM430+), featuring exclusive content and a limited-run Birdhouse deck.

In the press release, Tony Hawk said:

â€œThe original Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater series is a big factor in the evolution of modern skateboarding tricks and inspiring many of the pro skaters you know and love today.
Iâ€™m excited to help inspire a new generation of skateboarders and gamers – and existing fans – to grow the sport even further.â€

Tony Hawkâ€™s Pro Skater 1 And 2 is slated to launch for the PS4, Xbox One, and PC (via Epic Games Store) on 4 September 2020. In the meantime, check out the official trailer below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glpwk-DmiuQ&w=560&h=315]
To celebrate the reveal, Activision has teamed up with famous actor Jack Black on his YouTube channel @JablinskiGames to provide the worldâ€™s first look at gameplay from the iconic Warehouse level in the game. Catch Jack Black and Tony Hawk in action below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8I5baEQbX6Y&w=560&h=315]


The Devs Who Created Disintegration Has Shut Down

2021 claims yet another video game developer: V1 Interactive, the folks behind the action game Disintegration.
The studio recently announced its closure with the following Twitter message:
“We are sad to inform you that V1 Interactive is officially closing. We want to thank all the talented people at V1, both past and present, who helped make the last five years wonderful. And a heartfelt thanks to the amazing community that supported us.
At V1, our priority has been to the wellbeing of our employees. Weâ€™ve been transparent with them about the state of things for months and are making this decision now so they still have ample time to search for new jobs while being supported by our studio.”
The studio was established in 2015. It shipped Disintegration last June on PC, PS4, and Xbox One. It was met with mediocre reviews.Â
It’s rather sad that the team cannot go beyond its one game to make amends. Let’s hope the devs and workers managed to secure another job in the industry.


Narru The Forgotten Lands Is A Puzzle Game Where You Play As An Orb Of Light

Indie developer DreamStorm Studios has revealed its upcoming narrative-driven puzzler Narru The Forgotten Lands, is coming to PC (via Steam), PS5, and Xbox consoles. Use the power of light to resurrect an abandoned world and discover the mysteries of its past.
Narru The Forgotten Lands is a story-driven puzzle game about bringing a dead world back to life and uncovering the secrets of an ancient civilization. As a mysterious orb of light, you must explore this derelict landscape searching for clues about its past inhabitants. Everywhere you go you leave a trail of blooming flora in your wake, offering a colorful painterly experience to your movement.

As you explore the land you’ll solve puzzles to activate ancient mechanisms and reveal secrets of those who came before you. Learn and master new abilities like water walking, wall climbing, and more to reach new secrets as you explore the island. Travel through forests, seas, mountains, and underground ruins to explore different stages of the lost civilization’s history.
Micha? ?azowski, Art Director at DreamStorm Studios, said:
“There are many puzzle games on the market, but we want Narru to be something more than just a relaxing puzzle game. We want it to be an experience, with its deep narrative and mesmerizing world-painting system that allows you to break away from everyday worries. It’s a game that helps calm your mind. With Narru, we wanted to explore the idea of bringing life to the world, instead of destroying it.”
Check out the trailer below:


Realme Claims Title Of Best Budget Phone With 4 Cameras

The Realme brand of smartphones has been super popular in regions like India and Indonesia. Their focus on providing mid to high tier specs in affordable models have also gotten them a lot of users in Malaysia.
The Realme 5 and Realme 5 Pro.
Coming out soon is their new Realme 5 series which consists of three different models. Two models of the Realme 5 and a single variation of the Realme 5 Pro. Here are their specs:

Realme 5
Display: 6.5″ HD+ IPS LCD with teardrop front camera slot
CPU: Snapdragon 665
GPU: Adreno 610
RAM: 3GB / 4GB
ROM: 64GB / 128GB with triple slot expendable storage
Rear cameras: 12MP Quad Camera, Ultra Wide-Angle Lens, Ultra Macro Lens
Front camera: 13MP
Battery: 5000mAH with regular 10W charging, micro USB.
Realme 5 Pro
Display: 6.5″ FHD+ IPS LCD with teardrop front camera slot
CPU: Snapdragon 712 AIE
GPU: Adreno 616
RAM: 8GB
ROM: 128GB with UFS 2.1 high speed storage and triple slot expendable storage
Rear cameras: 48MP Quad Camera, Ultra Wide Lens, Ultra Macro Lens
Front camera: 16MP Sony IMX471
Battery: 4035mAH with VOOC 3.0 (20W) fast charging, type-C.

The phone’s main hook lies in its rear quad camera setup. For their respective prices, these are the only phones boasting that many cameras. Of course, more cameras don’t necessarily mean better pictures. That’s definitely the case for the Realme 5 base models, judging by the short time I had to test their cameras at the launch event.
Speaking of prices, here they are:

Realme 5 3GB+64GB model – RM599
Realme 5 4GB+128GB model – RM799
Realme 5 Pro – RM1099

For those of you who are interested in getting the phones, do note that online official purchases will be exclusively done through Lazada. The Realme 5 will start selling on 17 October 2019 and the Realme 5 Pro starts selling on 10 October 2019. You can start pre-ordering the Realme 5 Pro now. Ordering the Realme 5 Pro on 10 October will also get you a free pair of Alan Walker’s Choice Realme Wireless Buds.
Realme Malaysia brand manager Tiffany Teh boasting the amount of Realme products sold worldwide so far.
We didn’t get a review unit so I can’t say much. demo models at the launch event, I can say that the Realme 5 Pro is a pretty decent device when considering its price. The Quad Camera takes some pretty good pictures and having a USB type-C port with fast charging is definitely cool for a mid-tier phone.


Hearthstone Grandmasters 2020 Kicks Off Tomorrow

The Hearthstone Grandmasters 2020 Season 1 will begin globally on Friday, 17 April 2020, and will run every Friday, Saturday and Sunday until 7 June 2020. Not only will the best Hearthstone players in the world be battling it out every weekend live on YouTube Gaming, but you can also catch the new Demon Hunter class in competitive play for the first time.
Seven new competitors have advanced to Grandmasters this season, introducing new
format changes to test our players more than ever. Check out the details below:

Venue: ONLINE
Dates: Every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday starting from 17 April 2020 to 7 June 2020
Broadcast Start Time: Broadcast days kick off with the Asia-Pacific region playing at 2am PDT on 17 April 2020 (or 5pm GMT+8 for Southeast Asian countries on the same day)
Casters:

AMERICAS: Dan ‘Frodan’ Chou and TJ ‘Azumo’ Sanders
ASIA-PACIFIC: Jia â€œJiaâ€ Dee and Darroch â€œDarrochâ€ Brown
EUROPE: Simon â€œSottleâ€ Welch and Alex â€œRavenâ€ Baguley

Prize Pool: US$500,000 in prizing globally for Grandmasters Season 1
Language Streams on YouTube:

English
Mandarin
Korean
Japanese
Portuguese
Spanish (Latin America)
Arabic
Russian
French

Format Changes

Here’s a breakdown of how things will work in Hearthstone Grandmasters this year:
Weeks 1-3: Swiss into Group Stage
During weeks 1-3, players will compete in matches in a Swiss format on each Wednesday and Thursday to earn placement in the weekend Group Stage. Points from these weekend rounds will be used to determine two Divisions in each region for round-robin weeks.
The 16 players in each region will compete against each other off broadcast in 7 Swiss rounds during the week. On Thursday, after Swiss play has completed, the field is cut in half based on standings and the Top 8 per region will play in a dual tournament format live on YouTube across Friday and Saturday, with the top-4 finals played out on Sunday.
Gameplay format will change every week:

Week 1: Conquest with 1 Ban
Week 2: Four Deck Last Hero Standing with 1 Ban
Week 3: Ten Deck Conquest with 6 Bans

Weeks 4 – 7: Round Robin
Weeks 4 â€“7 will consist of round-robin group play within the two divisions in each region – much like the previous seasons of Grandmasters. Following weeks 1-3, players will be sorted into two divisions based on their points standings. Division A is comprised of the top-8 point-earning players, and Division B will be point total ranks 9-16.
The two divisions compete in round-robin group play over four weeks. The standings at the conclusion of these weeks will determine who will go on to compete in Playoffs, and who will be relegated from Season 1. The format will stay consistent during round-robin weeks, with Bo5 Conquest (4 decks, 1 ban)
Week 8: Season 1 Playoffs
Round-robin weeks lead into Week 8 Playoffs, which will qualify one player per region to the World Championship at the end of the year, while three players from each region will be relegated. Top 6 from Division A automatically make it into Playoffs, while the Top 4 from Division B compete in a play-in round to determine who will join the top 6 from Division A in a dual tournament bracket for Playoffs.
The 7th- and 8th-placed players in Division B at the close of round robin are automatically relegated from Season 1 of Grandmasters. Final relegation will be determined via a 3-match Play-In involving the 7th- and 8th-placed from
Division A, and 5th- and 6th-placed from Division B.
The winner of Playoffs from each region will qualify to the Hearthstone World Championships later this year.
Check out the list of Grandmasters Players below:
AMERICAS

Brian â€œbloodyfaceâ€ Eason
Eddie â€œEddieâ€ Lui
Guillermo â€œEmpanizadoâ€ Tolosa
Fei â€œETCâ€ Liang
James â€œFirebatâ€ Kostesich
Frank â€œFr0zenâ€ Zhang
Edward â€œGallonâ€ Goodwin
David â€œjustsaiyanâ€ Shan
Mihai â€œLnguagehackrâ€ Dragalin
Jerome â€œMonsantoâ€ Faucher
Muzahidul â€œmuzzyâ€ Islam
Facundo â€œNalguidanâ€ Pruzzo
Jason â€œPapaJasonâ€ Meler
Francisco â€œPNCâ€ Leimontas
Ryan â€œPurpleâ€ Murphy-Root
Paul â€œZalaeâ€ Nemeth

ASIA-PACIFIC:

Yashina â€œAlutemuâ€ Nozomi
Ng â€œblitzchungâ€ Wai Chung
Cheonsu â€œche0nsuâ€ Kim
Hyun Jae â€œDawnâ€ Jang
Hyun-Soo â€œFlurryâ€ Cho
Dylan â€œFroSteeâ€ Oâ€™Mallon
Sato â€œgloryâ€ Kenta
Tsz Kin â€œKin0531â€ Lo
Wataru â€œposesiâ€ Ishibashi
Dasol â€œRyviusâ€ Sim

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmQgEMpd_T4&w=560&h=315]


The Oscars 2019 According To The Last King Podcast

Salut! Our pals from The Last King podcast recently published their thoughts about the 91st Academy Awards on Monday morning. Recorded a few hours after the show, the trio of Dr. Shafique, Eccentric Tom, and our own Mr. Toffee took a stab at cheering/jeering the winners and sharing their personal snubs for nominations/wins.
https://soundcloud.com/thelastkingpodcast/episode-110-oscars-2019
Check out their awesome show on their SoundCloud and Spotify page.


shopDisney Adds Limited Merchandise Celebrating Disney 100 Years Anniversary

ShopDisney is launching a number of limited-release collections to celebrate The Walt Disney Company’s 100th Anniversary in 2023. These collections will surely delight generations of Disney fans and families everywhere.

Starting today, fans can purchase the Disney100 Celebration Collection online! Ranging from ornaments to fashion items, let’s take a look at a few released timeless pieces showcasing iconic Disney characters.
DISNEY100 PREMIUM LIMITED RELEASE EARS HAT

Who can forget the iconic Mickey and Minnie’s iconic ears hat? The design is a revolution to the classic ears which can be matched with current fashion style. Or perhaps you can accessorize your place giving a modern aesthetical vibe with a twist of the classic.
DISNEY100 CELEBRATION PLUSH

Plushies can be a great way to add to your Disney collection or as presents to your loved ones. These unique plushies feature Chip ‘n’ Dale, Mickey, Minnie, and Pluto! The characters are donning matching glamorous outfits highlighting Disney’s 100 anniversary.
MICKEY AND FRIENDS DISNEY100 CELEBRATION SKETCHBOOK HANGING ORNAMENTS

Christmas will surely be extra special with the Sketchbook Ornaments featuring beloved characters. Long-time fans definitely appreciate the intricate classic design, yet timeless in a sense. The ornaments portray each character’s personality perfectly with a splash of style. It’s cute, handy, and definitely a must-have piece.
SO MUCH TO CHOOSE
There will be multiple waves of new collections coming to shopDisney Asia throughout the year. Three collections will be rolling out such as;
Disney100 Oswald Collection
Highlight one of Walt Disney’s earliest characters, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. The classic character made its comeback debut with a short animation called Oswald The Lucky Rabbit. Produced by Dorothy McKim, and directed by animator Eric Goldberg from The Walt Disney Animation Studios.
Disney100 The Eras Collection
Features early decades pieces throughout the studio and parks.
Disney100 Decades Collection
Showcase various 90’s iconic characters such as Pinocchio, Snow White, and many more.
Find out more collections and soon-to-be-release limited collections exclusive on the shopDisney Asia website or stay tuned for more updates on their official Instagram account.


CoD Players Have Double The Reason To Look Forward To This Weekend

Call of Duty Warzone and Call Of Duty Modern Warfare players have a great weekend to look forward to, as Infinity Ward has announced yet another Double XP, Double Weapon XP, and Double Tier Progression weekend for both games.
Just like previous weekend events, the Double bonuses go live at 1pm ET on 3 July 2020 or 1am GMT+8 on 4 July 2020 for Southeast Asian countries like Malaysia.
In addition, Call Of Duty Modern Warfare just received a new playlist update earlier today, whichÂ replaces Shoot the Ship with a Shipment (5v5) exclusive playlist, and another for Shoot House (8v8).

A playlist update for #ModernWarfare is also deploying now across all platforms that:
– Removes the Shoot the Ship playlist
– Shipment (5v5) and Shoot House (8v8) are now separate playlists
Don’t forget, our 2XP, 2WXP, and 2X Tiers weekend starts tomorrow at 10AM PDT!
â€” Infinity Ward (@InfinityWard) July 2, 2020
This weekâ€™s big update has also introduced a new sniper rifle called the Spotter Scope and a limited but whopping 200-player mode in Call Of Duty Warzone, as well as other additions and improvements. Head on over here to find out more about the Call Of Duty Modern Warfare Season Four Reloaded Update.


Overwatch 2 Hero Kiriko Officially Unveiled

During the Xbox TGS 2022 live stream, Blizzard officially unveiled a new hero named Kiriko, who will make her debut in Overwatch 2.
Kiriko is a support character who uses magic talisman paper to buff and heal her teammates. She also has shurikens as weapons, as well as teleportation skills (blinking) to get to places quick and help her teammates in need. She’s described as a “single target hybrid healer” who can get into skirmishes and help out on the fly.
Here is her kit on display:
Primary Fire: Healing Ofuda
Kiriko is able to target allies and throw ofuda–paper talismans imbued with powers–in their direction to heal them. This is a series of five projectiles that will hone in on an ally.
The Healing Ofuda is a very slow-moving ability, so there’s an opportunity for players to throw them ahead of time if they anticipate damage.
Secondary Fire: Kunai
Kiriko throws kunai with her secondary fire to deal damage. They are very fast and inflict more damage when they hit critically, making the ability more valuable to players who are used to aiming projectiles.
Swift Step
Kiriko’s main movement ability is the Swift Step, which allows her to target a single ally–in the vein of Mercy’s Guardian Angel ability–and teleport to them instantly. This teleport can even go through walls, making it invaluable when trying to catch up with a team or save allies from a skirmish elsewhere on the map.
Protection Suzu
The Protection Suzu is a small “bell” that can be thrown on the ground or into allies that gives a short burst of immortality and cleanses all debuffs. The cooldown for this skill is really long, FYI.
Ultimate: Kitsune Rush
Kiriko casts a “path” with an illuminated shrine that gives massive buffs to teammates. The buff gives allies movement speed, attack speed, reload speed, and a cooldown reduction.

Overwatch 2 is slated to premiere on 4 October 2022 as a free-to-play game on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and PC.


Here Is Your Evo 2019 Lineup, Featuring Some Newcomers

The biggest fighting game tournament in the world just announced its lineup today. Here it is:

Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition
Dragon Ball FighterZ
Super Smash Bros Ultimate
Tekken 7
Blazblue Cross Tag Battle
Under Night: In-Birth
SoulCalibur 6
Mortal Kombat 11
Samurai Shodown

While the 7 other games are expected and are getting some much-needed love (especially Under Night and SoulCalibur 6), the last two games are making their debut in this Evo tournament. Mortal Kombat 11 will be out late April, so that’s going to be quite a first-time showcase. There hasn’t been much word about Samurai Shodown yet, so this is most likely going to be a pre-release sort of deal where bugs and infinites can happen midway.
In any case, we’re getting a helluva fight from 2-4 August (Pacific Time).
Top image credit: Evo


Netflix Unveils New Money Heist Part 5 Volume 2 Teaser & Poster

The end of the popular series, Money Heist, is almost here. What should we expect?
For Ãlvaro Morte (The Professor), the fifth season is one “full of absolute tension”, and Rodrigo de la Serna (Palermo) assures us that something very powerful that “will not disappoint the fans of the series” is coming.
Jaime Lorente (Denver) wonders “how do you close something so big?”, while Ãšrsula CorberÃ³ (Tokyo) reveals how she would like to come back in a teaser of Money Heist: Part 5 Volume 2 that Netflix has unveiled today along with the official poster of the last five episodes, which will premiere on 3 December 2021.

Money Heist is also one of the most popular non-English series on Netflix. As per Top10.Netflix.com, Parts 3, 4, and 5 are ranked highly in the Top 10.

In the last episode of Volume 1, Tokyo (Ãšrsula CorberÃ³) is dead and the enemy still lurks in the Bank of Spain, wounded but as dangerous as ever. Facing their darkest hour and greatest challenge yet, the gang hatch a bold plan to get the gold out without anyone noticing. To make matters worse, the Professor makes the biggest mistake of his life.
In the meantime, check out the teaser below to build up your hype:


Nintendo’s Reggie Fils-AimÃ© To Retire In April; Bowser To Take Over

Nintendo’s most recognizable figurehead is retiring in April. We are referring to the company’s American president Reggie Fils-AimÃ©.
The Nintendo Twitter post that broke the news showed off the man’s highlights from 2005 all the way to now. His sign-off was in typical Reggie fashion; filled with Nintendo memes, puns, and references to his quotes.

Nintendo fans, Reggie has a message for all of you. Please take a look. pic.twitter.com/EAhaEl5oEJ
— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) February 21, 2019

He will be handing over the reins (or controller) to Doug Bowser. Yes, everyone is aware of the guy’s last name and the fact that he’s the new Nintendo of America president. That joke got old the moment the news broke.

Here’s a quote from Reggie’s farewell video to show that he cherished the time he was running the American division.

“For giving me a Mushroom Kingdom full of incredible memories that I will never forget. I’ve been honoured to be included as part of your family. Just as you understand that Nintendo always tries to put smiles on faces… well, you put thousands of smiles on mine.”

The internet was, of course, emotional about his retirement. We’ll end this segment with these messages. Stay tuned for our favourite Reggie Fils-AimÃ© moments; it’s coming.
And we’ve added our favourite Reggie moments below as well:

This will always be true. We'll miss you, Reggie. https://t.co/N2zBwQDQlY
— DOOM (@DOOM) February 21, 2019

Can't believe I'm writing this: Reggie Fils-Aime is retiring from Nintendo. One of our industry's finest leaders and a dear friend. He's always believed in me. Thank you Reggie.
— Geoff Keighley (@geoffkeighley) February 21, 2019

Reggie: my bodyMe: Reggie: is still readyMe: pic.twitter.com/ogl3tzvpR2
— ?katy (@_inktho) February 21, 2019

Something it feels like we never talked about often was the fact that Reggie Fils-Aime was a rare black man leading a major gaming company. This came up briefly in an interview last year, when Walker was asking companies about how they handle crunch. https://t.co/bdSLhfio5N pic.twitter.com/7DbCWFqfdk
— PLDH (@PLDHnet) February 21, 2019

I think it goes to show what a banner career Reggie had with all these trending topics from different moments. Looks like the latest one is taking its place there too! pic.twitter.com/uGDIg3L2xK
— Chuggaaconroy (@chuggaaconroy) February 21, 2019

https://twitter.com/JessicaChobot/status/1098688059300732930


Nintendo Is Next To Respond To Activision Blizzard Issues After Sony & Xbox

There you have it, folks. The full trinity of the games industry has now voiced out against the toxic reports and issues at Activision Blizzard. It started with Sony and then, Xbox, shortly after. Now, Nintendo has finally joined the fray.
According to a report by Fanbyte,Â Doug Bowser expressed concern over the ongoing problems at Activision Blizzard in an email sent to all Nintendo employees.
The email allegedly states:
â€œAlong with all of you, Iâ€™ve been following the latest developments with Activision Blizzard and the ongoing reports of sexual harassment and toxicity at the company. I find these accounts distressing and disturbing. They run counter to my values as well as Nintendoâ€™s beliefs, values and policies.
Every company in the industry must create an environment where everyone is respected and treated as equals, and where all understand the consequences of not doing so.â€
The email apparently also states that Nintendo is dedicated to providing an â€œopen and inclusiveâ€ workplace and the company expects the same culture from the industry and its partners. Bowser also states that Nintendo has been â€œin contact with Activision, have taken action and are assessing others”.
Last but not least, the email also reportedly states that Nintendo is working with the ESA in order to â€œstrengthen its stances on harassment and abuse in the workplaceâ€.
With all the pressure on Activision Blizzard from consumers and developers/publishers alike, many are calling for the resignation of Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick, who is reportedly one of the roots of the problems at the company. We’ll have to wait and see if Sony, Xbox and Nintendo will be taking further action on Activision Blizzard in the near future.


The 30 Best Games Of 2021: #26

Every day from December to January, we’ll be posting our top 30 games of 2021 daily. Here’s number 26.
#26: Returnal

Platforms: PS5
Housemarque surprised us all with a familiar yet different kind of shooter experience. We proudly declare its sole PS5 entry Returnal the Dark Souls of roguelikes; an apt description if there ever was one. Just like other roguelikes such as Hades, you’ll return to the beginning after dying, and trust me, you’ll die a lot in Returnal.
We’ve died a lot in Returnal; moreso than any other game. The game doesn’t hold back, and the combat is immensely satisfying. It feels like a 3D Mega Man meets Control. Dashing and shooting feel punchy and slick, and you’ll need to get good if you want to reach the end of the game. It was a painful but ultimately satisfying experience if you’re ready for a game that will break you apart again and again. And you want to keep at it to find out the real story behind our heroine’s plight, as well as see what other levels and dangers Housemarque throws at you.
Suffering has never felt more delicious than in Returnal. While the game suffered a number of bugs here and there at launch, numerous updates and patches have made this PS5 shooter all the more polished and refined.


Nintendo Attempts To Burn Twitter Down With Fire Emblem Question

What seems innocuous on Nintendo’s part may very well be the internet’s downfall. It started with a post a few days ago on the company’s American Twitter account.

Who’s your favorite #FireEmblem: Three Houses character?
— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) August 20, 2019

A seemingly harmless question, until you remember the resurgence of the Fire Emblem series and its stable of waifus/husbandos since Fire Emblem: Awakening. With the latest version for Switch out, we have people putting up memes and answers to make their votes heard.
So far, the top contenders in Fire Emblem: Three Houses are:
Edelgard…

…Petra…

…Bernadetta…

BERNADETTA #BernadettaBois pic.twitter.com/gO2Hod7BEr
— Ultima | #??? (@UltimaShadowX) August 20, 2019

…Dorothea…
https://twitter.com/Ahoy_its_ya_boi/status/1163906963719237633
and Claude.

 pic.twitter.com/8rxmG9iQgD
— Susy @ City Lights 3rd Anniversary ?? (@midnightdriverr) August 20, 2019

https://twitter.com/GusBus6Volt/status/1163897033054400515
Fine choices, really, if only because you want to see what the internet and the Fire Emblem-loving community has in store for Nintendo’s response. For more Fire Emblem, do check out our review of Three Houses and our expert-level guide. If you can’t afford a Switch and/or Fire Emblem: Three Houses,Â check out our alternative strategy RPG guides featuring grids & top-down action.
Or you can just look at some of the more esoteric responses below:

Like that's even a question pic.twitter.com/6iy9sDGdP6
— Taylor (Childe Week!!) ?? (@Cute_Idiot) August 20, 2019

Edelgard? pic.twitter.com/Kiy4FpGx7M
— Lanya? (@hunnyblasters) August 20, 2019

https://twitter.com/SpadesEnder/status/1163880763177099264
https://twitter.com/slurpwis/status/1164026852371062784

Bernie’s an easy pick, of course. But all of the Black Eagles girls are my favorite. pic.twitter.com/zgXik7BtbS
— INSERT NAME #StopAsianHate (@Blanked__Space) August 20, 2019

https://twitter.com/copenkamizono/status/1163884467653660678


9 Things I Adored About The Free Borderlands 2 DLC This Week

Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One
Genre: Free DLC for the OG Loot & Shoot game (for the time being)
The Borderlands 2 DLC Commander Lilith and the Battle For Sanctuary is a pretty generous offering from Gearbox Studios, lasting about 5 or more hours and features a ton of new weaponry and bad guys to kill. It also bridges story points between part 2 and part 3 in a fanciful way.
I’ve played through most of it, and it’s definitely worth revisiting the original game just because it reignites your past heartfelt adoration for the series. Without spoilers, you should get it right now before they start charging for it on 9th July. Here are my thoughts in point form.
The Level 30 Character Creation Bit
Right from the get-go, you’re allowed to create a Level 30 Vault Hunter just to play through the expansion. For those who haven’t played the game for a long while and want to try out a different class, this level skip is sorely needed.
8 More Levels To Grind
The DLC bumps up your level cap to 80, which means you’ll have more skill points to allocate and more grinding that needs to be done for all your other level 72 Vault Hunters. Which also means more loot-hunting for level 80 weaponry. Fun!
The Rainbow/Pearlescent Skins

Right around the 2nd or 3rd hour mark, you’ll get vehicle skins that make your Bandit Technical car look a little shinier than usual. Especially in that iridescent colour palette while on the dusty “roads” of Pandora. It doesn’t add any gameplay benefits, but it sure looks purty and makes me drive more than walk.
Them Pearlescent Loot!

Have you ever wanted a sweet-ass sniper rifle that deals TONS of damage and sets people on fire quick? Or an assault rifle that shoots out Shock-laced rockets that drop 3 child grenades on impact? Or a shotgun that launches unicorns? You’ll find a lot of weapons to love in this DLC, proving once again that Gearbox still have a few tricks up its sleeve.
Here’s where things get pretty spoilery. I know it’s a recent expansion to an 8-year old game, but I’ll just put this here in case….

The Follow-Up Narrative Leading To Part 3

Commander Lilith and the Fight for Sanctuary picks up right where Borderlands 2 ended. With the Crimson Lance still sorting their stuff out with the Vault Key they have, they suddenly get bombarded by New Pandora troops led by a hard-edged snarky leader (more on him later).
What follows is a half-baked plan on how to save Sanctuary while trying to find a cure for the plant infection they’re bringing in. The main quest line is told in standard Borderlands 2 way filled with a number of callbacks and surprises. We get to see Mordecai’s new pet, hear Lilith’s introspective on trying to live up to the group and keeping them alive, and listen to a few off-cuff snippets of dialogue from Ellie and Moxxxi concerning their respective brother and son, Scooter.
All of this help enrich the tie-in experience and make Borderlands lore fans get the feels that this is the final episode before part 3.
Hector, The New Pandora General

While the campaign is just a good solid 5-6 hours, it was made all the more entertaining thanks to its assholic antagonist Hector. He will constantly heckle and belittle the Vault Hunter and the Crimson Raiders’ efforts, just enough to both get a laugh and rise out of you.
He may have some good points -that your group’s defenses and strategies need work- but this is made all the better that his comeuppance is worth savouring.
The New Enemies & Gas Mechanic
You’ll be fighting a lot of Dahl troops with medics that heal them at every opportunity. They remind me of the Crimson Lance fights in the first Borderlands, but a tad more organized and hard-hitting.
You’ll also be fending off psychos and bandits altered by Hector’s infection; they have plant growth all over their bodies and they hit harder than before. Plants sometimes sprout in the battle arena and hatch out multiple plant bandits if not taken care of. The cleverly-named Lichenthrope are big hulking masses of green that fire spores at you and take brunts of damage before they can go down.
There’s also the matter of the gas these plant creatures huff in. If you’re exposed to it, there’s a poison meter that fills up. When it’s at the lower levels, you’ll gain a short endurance and strength boost, but if you huff too much, you’ll start dying fast. Later in the game, you’ll be immune to it, but at the very least it makes for some tense moments, especially when fighting Lichenthropes and sprouting plant buds in Ultimate Vault Hunter mode.
It’s not easy being green. Neither is killing it in Ultimate Vault Hunter mode.
Vaughn, The Guy From Tales From The Borderlands

After his fall from grace as a Hyperion stooge, he now acts as a former leader to a group of bandits. Well, formerly, since at the early parts of the expansion his team was killed off by Hector and his army, and the first time he bumps into you he’s cowering in fear at your presence.
A Tiny Tina Moment

You cannot cap off the last-ever Borderlands 2 DLC without some appearance or cameo from Borderlands’ resident child demolitions expert voiced by Ashly Burch. She does get real at one point, but most of the time she’s asking you to collect parts for an explosive task while laying out random lines to make the quest line a bit more interesting.
Also, Uranus still makes kids laugh so hard it’ll make your ears hurt.
Technically, if you haven’t bought Borderlands 2 yet, this expansion costs you just US$6. Or US$14 if you’re a tad late. In any case, this is a lovely send-off to a still fun-as-heck 8-year old game, that also helps keep the Steam platform relevant. Gearbox could have just manufactured this in a standard by-the-numbers fashion, but clearly, they’ve put some heart and soul in bidding farewell to the game that placed them on the games industry map.
FINAL RATING: 80/100


Star Wars Jedi: Survivor – 11 Tips & Tricks On How To Survive Combat

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor launches soon and we’ve played it. In short, we loved it. To find out why, check out our review of the game here. Having gone through the campaign in the second-hardest difficulty level, Jedi Master, we’ve compiled several tips and tricks for you to not only survive the onslaught of the Galactic Empire and everyone else trying to get rid of Cal Kestis.
1. Replaying and revisiting Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order serves as a perfect tutorial-cum-warm up for any returning player. The control mechanics remained relatively the same so if you are keen to get Cal hitting the ground running, loading up your old save does wondrous for your first few hours of Survivor.
2. Deflect blaster fire to sender whenever possible. Thinning out ranged enemies early on allows you to concentrate on melee troops. Also, like in the first game, get rid of the Flametroopers as soon as possible.

3. You can use the Force Push to deflect thermal detonators, shock grenades and even rockets into enemies. Just be aware of their presence and time your Force Push properly.
4. Using Force Pull; do not execute the enemy immediately. Instead, use them as meat shields to close down the distance with the ranged units.
5. Utilize the different lightsaber stances for different situations. The Crossguard stance, for example, is great in weakening or even completely breaking down enemies’ guard meter while the dual-blade is perfect for lumbering melee enemies.

6. A timely evasion maneuver (B if you’re using the Xbox controller) immediately opens you up to the unguarded side or rear of the enemies allowing a quick one-strike kill.
7. Let the enemies fight amongst themselves. When the going gets tough, let them fight it out. Despite sharing a common hatred for Cal, the enemies in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor hate other NPCs equally. So if you spot them battling out one another, let them be. Saves a lot of effort and potentially, valuable Health Stims down the line.
8. Make use of the environment. Sometimes the best way to take out a group of Empire troops would be to give them a not-so-gentle Force Push over the ledge

9. The ally combo meter fills up relatively quickly.  Use it to your advantage often, and spam it as much as possible.
10. Do not mash buttons to force a hit on melee enemies. Perfect parry does not only keep Cal safe from harm, it also reduces the enemies’ block meter. Once it is depleted, easy and free hits for you.
11. If the going gets tough and you find yourself unable to overcome the enemies or a specific boss, you can toggle the difficulty before you enter combat. But THAT IS NOT THE WAY.
Bonus tip: Have fun customizing Cal’s look. Jedi: Survivor lets you change up Cal’s office intern look from the past game to something a bit more gruff and venerable. You can even change up your lightsaber colours and handle.


Don’t Worry Darling Premieres On HBO GO Malaysia This Weekend

From New Line Cinema comes Don’t Worry Darling, directed by Olivia Wilde (Booksmart) and starring Florence Pugh (Oscar-nominated for Little Women), Harry Styles (Dunkirk), Wilde (upcoming Babylon), Gemma Chan (Crazy Rich Asians), KiKi Layne (The Old Guard) and Chris Pine (All the Old Knives). Don’t Worry Darling premieres Sunday, 27 November 2022 on HBO GO.
Alice (Pugh) and Jack (Styles) are lucky to be living in the idealized community of Victory, the experimental company town housing the men who work for the top-secret Victory Project and their families. The 1950’s societal optimism espoused by their CEO, Frank (Pine) – equal parts corporate visionary and motivational life coach – anchors every aspect of daily life in the tight-knit desert utopia.
While the husbands spend every day inside the Victory Project Headquarters, working on the “development of progressive materials,” their wives – including Frank’s elegant partner, Shelley (Chan) – get to spend their time enjoying the beauty, luxury and debauchery of their community. Life is perfect, with every resident’s needs met by the company. All they ask in return is discretion and unquestioning commitment to the Victory cause.
But when cracks in their idyllic life begin to appear, exposing flashes of something much more sinister lurking beneath the attractive façade, Alice can’t help questioning exactly what they’re doing in Victory, and why. Just how much is Alice willing to lose to expose what’s really going on in this paradise?
An audacious, twisted and visually stunning psychological thriller, Don’t Worry Darling is a powerhouse feature from director Olivia Wilde that boasts intoxicating performances from Florence Pugh and Harry Styles, surrounded by an impressive and pitch-perfect cast.
The film also stars Nick Kroll (How It Ends), Sydney Chandler (Pistol), Kate Berlant (Once Upon a Time… In Hollywood), Asif Ali (WandaVision), Douglas Smith (Big Little Lies), Timothy Simons (Veep) and Ari’el Stachel (upcoming Respect the Jux).
Wilde directs from a screenplay penned by her Booksmart writer Katie Silberman, based on a story by Carey Van Dyke & Shane Van Dyke (Chernobyl Diaries) and Silberman. The film is produced by Wilde, Silberman, Miri Yoon and Roy Lee, with Richard Brener, Celia Khong, Alex G. Scott, Catherine Hardwicke, Carey Van Dyke and Shane Van Dyke executive producing.
Wilde is joined behind the camera by two-time Oscar-nominated director of photography Matthew Libatique (A Star Is Born, Black Swan), production designer Katie Byron (Booksmart), editor Affonso Gonçalves (The Lost Daughter), Oscar-nominated composer John Powell (Jason Bourne), music supervisor Randall Poster (No Time to Die) and costume designer Arianne Phillips (Once Upon a Time… In Hollywood).
You can subscribe online at https://www.hbogoasia.my/ or the mobile app via the App Store or Play Store for as low as RM23.30/month. You can also access HBO GO via Astro. HBO GO is also available on Android TV, Apple TV, LG TV and Samsung Smart TV – and comes with AirPlay and Google Cast functionality.


Dead Island 2 Is Real; Coming Out Next February

The long-awaited zombie-slaying open-world action title Dead Island 2, long rumoured to be in development hell, is going to be a reality. And after many, many delays and rumours too!
According to Deep Silver and developer Dambuster Studios, the open-world action title has been reworked and rebuilt from the ground up for the past 4 years. This new version is set in Los Angeles, features six unique zombie-slaying characters with different personalities, and a ton of undead to kill up-close in first-person view. The initial reveal trailer showcases one of the zombie hunters, Jacob, with the game’s narrative being “B-movie” and “pulp”-like.
Dead Island 2 will be out on 3rd February 2023 for PC, Xbox Series, and PlayStation 5.
Gameplay

Reveal Trailer


Game Creator Sandbox Dreams Gets Release Date, Finally

Sony Interactive Entertainmentâ€™s final State Of Play presentation for 2019 has revealed the official release date for game creator sandbox and PS4 exclusive Dreams by developer Media Molecule. It will leave Early Access on Valentine’s Day next year; 14 February 2020.
The game has been in Early Access for a while now, and gamers have recreated everything from Super Mario 64 to Crash Bandicoot and even a boss battle from the unreleased Final Fantasy VII Remake (see video below).
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Az0nOfgal7c&w=560&h=315]
The full version of the game will feature a whole host of new things to inspire players at launch, including a brand new introduction to the game, a new season of tutorials, tool improvements, new game content and a feature-length game titled Artâ€™s Dream.
The developer also teases post-launch content for Dreams but will reveal the details at a later date. Gamers can already pre-order the game at US$39.99 (or roughly RM166+) starting from today, while those who are already in Early Access will receive the full game for no additional cost at launch.
In the meantime, check out the trailer below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8qWEDsuaIA&w=560&h=315]


Capcom Unveils Capcom Home Arcade, Their Retro Gaming Console

With PlayStation Classic and Sega Genesis Mini starting to fill in the retro-gaming market alongside the Neo Geo Mini, Capcom decides to join in with its retro-console, the Capcom Home Arcade.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mq3v7Q_Vsuo]

The console takes the form of the iconic duotone Capcom logo offering 16 of the best Capcom titles from the golden era of arcade gaming. The device features two full-sized premium stick and button configurations, allowing players to properly enjoy the arcade games at the comfort of their homes.
Featuring a pair of competition class Sanwa JLF-TP-8YT sticks with 8-way GT-Y directional gates and OBSF buttons for the finest precision, response times and durability.

The 16 pre-installed games are from the original Capcom CPS1 and CPS2 arcade ROMs with emulation provided by FB Alpha, delivering an authentic & accurate arcade experience exclusively for the Capcom Home Arcade.

Games included on the device are;

1944: The Loop Master
Alien Vs. Predator
Armored Warriors
Capcom Sports Club
Captain Commando
Cyberbots Fullmetal Madness
Darkstalkers The Night Warriors
Eco Fighters
Final Fight
Ghouls ‘N Ghosts
GigaWing
MegaMan The Power Battle
Progear
Street Fighter II
Strider
Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo

The console will set you back at â‚¬229.99 (RM1075), and will be launched on 25 October of this year. Preorders are now open via Capcom’s official online store here.


[Rumour] We Might Be Getting That Wonderful 101 Port For Switch After All…

Right after Nintendo announces the windfall sales numbers of Astral Chain and a bunch of other top tier Nintendo Switch titles, PlatinumGames came up with this pretty quick tease. Possibly for one of the most-requested Wii U port.

Scenes from the PG office! Who's that photobombing Hideki Kamiya? pic.twitter.com/D70oalUTKo
— PlatinumGames Inc. (@platinumgames) January 31, 2020

For those who don’t know, that’s Hideki Kamiya of Devil May Cry/Bayonetta/The Wonderful 101 fame. The person who is photobombing him is Hiroshi Shibata, the lead designer for, surprise surprise, The Wonderful 101.
And we’re pretty sure the Switch on the right side of the photo is purposefully using the blue and lemon green JoyCon to signify the colours of heroes Wonder-Blue and Wonder-Green. Kamiya himself is wearing a red shirt, which is probably a nod to Wonder-Red. You know, from The Wonderful 101. It’s probably a huge, huge coincidence.
On a related note, here’s what renowned video game analyst Daniel Ahmad predicted on Twitter concerning PlatinumGames’ funding from Tencent.

With Platinum Games having secured an investment from Tencent, which will allow the company to pursue a multi platform strategy for self developed IP, we should start to hear more about what they’ve been working on soon. https://t.co/2a7e2UDXdz
— Daniel Ahmad (@ZhugeEX) January 31, 2020

“Self developed IP” like, oh say, The Wonderful 101? Again, probably a coincidence. We’ll just have to wait for an official statement soon enough.
In case you need a refresher, The Wonderful 101 is an isometric action game where you control a flash mob squad of superheroes who can form into weapons to fight off an alien army. Just like most PlatinumGames titles, it’s pretty f***ing insane.


Play Overwatch For Free Starting Today

Contest Alert!Â
Thanks to our friends at Blizzard, we have several Overwatch Legendary Edition PC codes to be won! To be in the running, head on over to ourÂ Facebook pageÂ for further instructions.

Overwatch will be free to play for all starting today, 21st November til next Tuesday, November 27th 2018. Open to everyone across all platforms, all 29 heroes including the recently released Ashe will be playable throughout.

Donâ€™t miss your shot!
Play Overwatch FREE on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
ðŸ’» ðŸŽ® https://t.co/Dx3rXCEXvC pic.twitter.com/wY4eK3xr5k
â€” Overwatch (@PlayOverwatch) November 20, 2018
And the fun doesn’t stop there. If you so choose to continue playing Overwatch after the free trial period ends, you can continue where you left off by keeping all of the rewards you earned along the way. Yep. Them Legendary & Epic skins are yours to keep. Forever. Just make sure that you sign in with the same account which you played with during the free trial period.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=na4yXqNF3NY&w=560&h=315]
Are you with me? Good. Here’s how to answer the call to Overwatch:
Installation Instructions for PC

Download and install theÂ Blizzard Battle.net Desktop App.
Create a free Blizzard account, or log in with your existing account.
Once the Blizzard app launches, click theÂ OverwatchÂ icon.
Select your region from the dropdown menu, then clickÂ Install.
Once installed, clickÂ PlayÂ to begin!

Installation Instructions for PS4

Log in to your Sony account.
Go to the PlayStationÂ®Store and selectÂ SearchÂ from the top menu.
In the search field, typeÂ Overwatch.
SelectÂ Overwatch Free TrialÂ from the search results, then selectÂ Download.
Once the download and installation process is complete, selectÂ Start/LaunchÂ to begin!

Installation Instructions for Xbox One

Log in to your Xbox Live account.
Go to the Xbox One Store, then selectÂ Search.
In the search field, type inÂ Overwatch.
SelectÂ Overwatch: Origins EditionÂ from the search results, then selectÂ Free Trial.
Once the download and installation process is complete, selectÂ Start/LaunchÂ to begin!


CD Projekt Red’s Future Plans Include Triple A Game Development, Witcher 3 Next-Gen, & Vancouver Studio

CD Projekt just released a new group strategy update video, complete with company roadmaps and new plans (via Daniel Ahmad).
To summarize, CD Projekt will be focused on single-player and online experiences. This means that the multiplayer Cyberpunk 2077 add-on may be a no-go.
Though take heart: this also means that the company will be expanding the Witcher and Cyberpunk franchises in regards to games and beyond. To quote the company:
“Single-player RPGs have been, are, and will remain our priority. However, we also perceive the huge potential of both The Witcher and Cyberpunk, and we want to expand their reach to include new areas, media and content types.”
CD Projekt also acquires its close partner and support studio Digital Scapes, who worked on Cyberpunk 2077 since 2018. Digital Scapes, a development company founded by veterans of Bioware, Radical Entertainment, and Relic, will be rebranded as CD Projekt Red Vancouver, and will work closely with other CD Projekt Red operations in Warsaw, Krakow, and Wroclaw on upcoming projects.
“Digital Scapes have put in a great deal of work during the making of Cyberpunk 2077, assisting with development of the game and optimizing its various features. In addition to contributing to our projects the new team will help us perfect our technologies and will broaden our competencies in this respect.”

The company will also be working on multiple triple A games and expansions in parallel going forward.
“We want to be sure that we can work with two global brands at the same time while ensuring top quality of our products. We emphasize technological advancements and we want to set up versatile teams which combine various specializations and competencies.”
You can check out the full video presentation below. For more Cyberpunk 2077 news, go here.


PSA: Watch Out For Black Adam Post-Credits Spoilers Online

If you’re planning to watch Black Adam unspoiled, best you turn off Twitter and all social media apps you have until the 20th October when the film’s out. Or just block off The Rock and Dwayne Johnson’s name on your temporary block list for the next few days.
The post-credits clip of the DC superhero movie has been floating around, though it’s been taken down swiftly by Warner Bros. If you’re curious about it, just go past the many spoiler tags below. You’ve been warned.

Before we go on, just remember that Dwayne Johnson hinted about this on a San Diego Comic-Con 2022 panel answering the question of who would win in a fight: Superman or Black Adam?

Ooooh @TheRock on who would win between #BlackAdam v #Superman depending on who is the man of steel #DC #SDCC #HallH pic.twitter.com/6DGvjDk35t
— Sabina ?????? ??? Graves (@SabinaHasNoR) July 23, 2022

Turns out in the Black Adam post-credits scene, Superman will appear and will be reprised by Henry Cavill. In the post-credits scene, he appears before Black Adam in a more saturated colour suit. The scene’s vibe is combative as Superman tells Black Adam “It’s been a while since anyone’s made the world this nervous”. So will we see a Superman VS Black Adam film in the far, far future? With the DC Comics Extended Universe reboot going on with the Flash and Aquaman movies being pushed back, it’ll be a while until we see this fated confrontation.


Malaysia’s Naquib Azlan Leads Standings In E1 Championship

The E1 Championship, the premier sim racing championship in the region, is approaching its final three races of the season.
20-year-old Malaysian Naquib Azlan of Scuderia Motorsports is leading the charge,Â followed by Singapore-based Mikko Nassi of Korean racing outfit Team Safehouse in second, andÂ Malaysiaâ€™s 17-year-old Mika Hakimi of RSG in third.
With a total of US$15,000 on the line, E1Â  Championship continues on 7 January 2021 at 10pm (GMT+8).Â

Drivers must continue performing their best over the last three races of the season, especially with doubleÂ  race points up for grabs at the final round.
The top 10 drivers will also need to push harder to overcome the success ballast to keep their placing on the leaderboard. The top three drivers will have an addedÂ 15KG, 12KG and 10KG ballast respectively on the following races.Â
The final three races of the season will be happening at Silverstone UK on 7 January 2021, Road America on theÂ 14 January 2021, and Bathurst Australia on 21 January 2021.
Races will be broadcasted live on TV on eGG Network and on the E1 Championship Facebook page.

Organised by Astroâ€™s esports and gaming channel eGG Network and former F1 driver Alex Yoongâ€™s Axle Sports, E1 Championship aims to provide a platform for the best sim racing drivers in Asia Pacific to compete at the highest level.Â
E1 Championship has attracted a number of young up and coming talents who are dominating theÂ standings, such as:
16-year-old Malaysian Troy Eimann of team Scuderia Stratos (currently in 5th place).16-year-old Filipino Inigo Anton of team GT Radial Eurasia (currently in 6th place).14-year-old AustralianÂ  Kalen Chin of team Black Wolf Racing (currently in 7th place).13-year-old Sri Lankan Yevan David of team Stratos Motorsports (currently in 8th place).
In the meantime, check out a recap of the latest races below (or head toÂ the official website here):

https://www.facebook.com/e1championship/posts/172599904614391


Jordanian Government Bans PUBG, Cites WHO Study That Doesn’t Exist

In 2014, the World Health Organisation (WHO) published a report that mentioned concerns about the effects of violent video games on children. You can read it here.
Just last year, WHO introduced gaming disorder in the 11th Revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) and the classification comes into effect in 2022. You can read more here.
Some time ago ranging between the day PUBG was released until this very moment, WHO classified PUBG as a violent game that leads to addiction and social isolation. Sorry, you can’t read the study where this classification comes. Only the Jordanian Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (TRC) has ever laid eyes on it.

On 4 July 2019, PUBG was officially banned in Jordan and the aforementioned hidden WHO study is one of the main reasons why. In their statement released on 7 July 2019, the TRC also cited that the game causes children to have more aggressive thoughts and behaviours. It’s amazing what non-existent data can teach us.
WHO has never specifically classified any particular game as violent. Not Manhunt, not Mortal Kombat, and definitely not PUBG.
The TRC ended their statement saying that PUBG has also been banned in other countries such as China, Nepal, India, and Iraq. The Indian bans were temporary and regional in nature, and Nepal’s ban was suspended by the country’s Supreme Court. (via GamesIndustry.biz).
PUBG’s ban in China was tied to its monetization and China’s licensing freeze. This was what prompted Tencent to rebrand PUBG as Game for Peace for the Asian market.
According to Jordanian news outlet Roya News, the TRC is planning to ban six more games including Fortnite. I assume WHO is about to dish out another study exclusively for the TRC. What a bummer, I really want to know about the adverse effects of Fortnite’s dance emotes.


HoloCure Guide: How To Survive The VTuber Apocalypse

HoloCure is a free game you can check out now which plays similarly to another 2D action title: Vampire Survivors. In HoloCure, you pick any of the VTubers to survive the stage you’re in, collecting experience points and weapons while defeating enemies with your auto-attacks as you move around the giant battlefield.
The game’s creator is Kay Yu, who is renowned for their work for Boruto, Castlevania, and River City Girls, which is why the game looks lovely and heavily animated. It’s also as addictive as Vampire Survivors as you’ll spend hours upon hours trying to power out your VTuber  avatar as much as possible. Here’s a quick guide on how to make it far in HoloCure.
Disclaimer: the game literally came out a day ago, so we’ll be updating this guide periodically.
Who Is The Easiest Starter VTuber To use?

Personally, we would go with Gawr Gura. Her mid-ranged spear attack and its upgrades (as well as the whirlpool special) is generally helpful with keeping enemies away while you damage them from a good distance.
There Are Weapon Combinations
Just like in Vampire Survivors, you can unlock powerful weapons if you pick the right two-item combination during your run. For example, picking up the Elite Laval Bucket and Psycho Axe will have treasure boxes drop the powerful MiComet.
Here are the weapon unlocks you can get. You can combine them if you find a Gold Anvil pop up on the map:

Elite Cooking = Elite Lava Bucket + Spider Cooking
BL Fujoshi = BL Book + Psycho Axe
Light Beam = Glowstick + Fan Beam
Dragon Fire = Plug Type Asacoco + Fan Beam
Idol Concert = Glowstick + Idol Song
Breath-In Type Asacoco = Holo Bomb + Plug Type Asacoco
Flattening Board = Holo Bomb + Cutting Board
Mi Comet = Elite Lava Bucket + Psycho Axe
There Are Secret Items To Unlock
Here are the unlock conditions for some of the items in HoloCure (via Reddit).

Super Chatto Time: Obtain 5000 coins total.

You must win/lose a run with at least 5000 coins total (in hand and winnings from run combined).

You can refund your purchases to get 5000 coins and then win/lose a run to unlock it.

Energy Drink: Survive for 10 minutes using Calli in one run.

Cutting Board: Survive for 10 minutes using Ina in one run.

Idol Song: Survive for 10 minutes using Irys in one run.

Plushie: Survive for 10 minutes using Bae in one run.

Study Glasses: Reach Level 50 in one run.

Injection-type Asacoco: Beat Stage Mode with an Asacoco product.

Only Tail Plug and Breathe-In Type Asacoco works.

Does NOT work with Dragon Fire.

Idol Costume: Use special once.

Credit Card: Find an Anvil once.

Fan Beam: Defeat Fubuzilla once.

Gorilla’s Paw: Defeat Smol Ame once.


Upgrade You Samsung TV For Free!

Samsung has just unveiled its latest TV at the Unbox & Discover event, and it’s all about taking your viewing experience to the next level. They’ve put a lot of effort into making complex technologies feel easy to use and seamlessly integrated into your everyday life. Of course, they haven’t forgotten about the top-notch picture and sound quality that we’ve come to expect from Samsung screens.
But hold on tight because there’s even more exciting news! Samsung Malaysia is showing some love to their loyal customers with an exclusive early-order promotion. From May 3 to May 24, if you place an early order for any selected TV, whether it’s Neo QLED 8K, Neo QLED, or QLED, you’ll get a free upgrade.
That’s right, they’re treating you to an even better TV without any extra charge. If you buy the Neo QLED 8K QN700C, Neo QLED Q80C, or QLED Q60C, you’ll automatically receive an upgrade to the Neo QLED 8K QN800C, Neo QLED QN85C, or QLED Q70C, respectively. And guess what? You’ll pay the same price as before. Now that’s a deal that’s hard to resist! These upgraded TVs will give you incredible picture quality and outstanding performance that will leave you in awe.
Check out the 2023 Neo QLED 8K, Neo QLED 4K and QLED TVs Retail Recommended Price with upgraded model details below:

Purchase with this price
Free Upgrade To

Model
Series
RRP (RM)
Series
RRP (RM)
Savings (RM)

Neo QLED 8K
QA75QN700CKXXM
18,199
QA75QN800CKXXM
22,699
4,500

QA65QN700CKXXM
15,199
QA65QN800CKXXM
17,699
2,500

Neo QLED
QA85Q80CAKXXM
15,199
QA85QN85CAKXXM
18,599
3,400

QA75Q80CAKXXM
11,199
QA75QN85CAKXXM
13,599
2,400

QA65Q80CAKXXM
7,199
QA65QN85CAKXXM
9,599
2,400

QA55Q80CAKXXM
5,999
QA55QN85CAKXXM
7,299
1,300

QLED
QA85Q60CAKXXM
12,199
QA85Q70CAKXXM
14,199
2,000

QA75Q60CAKXXM
8,499
QA75Q70CAKXXM
10,199
1,700

QA65Q60CAKXXM
5,399
QA65Q70CAKXXM
6,199
800

QA55Q60CAKXXM
4,299
QA55Q70CAKXXM
4,999
700

But wait, there’s more! You can also enjoy a special Purchase with Purchase (PWP) offer. You’ll get a whopping 35% off on Q-Series Soundbars when you pair them with your Samsung TV. This means you’ll have access to a powerful and customizable entertainment system that’s designed to enhance your viewing experience like never before.
To take advantage of these exclusive deals, you’ll want to be among the first to pre-order at the Samsung Malaysia Online Store. Just head over to https://www.samsung.com/my/tvs/early-order-2023/pr and get your hands on the TV you’ve been dreaming of.
If you’re curious to learn more about the Neo QLED 8K, you can visit https://www.samsung.com/my/tvs/8k-tv/highlights/.


GTX 1660 Ti and 1650 Now Available On Laptops Starting At RM3200

NVIDIA has introduced a new lineup of their graphics cards, the GeForce GTX 1660 Ti, and the GTX 1650 Turing-based cards which are specially designed for gaming laptops. These cards will deliver a huge improvement over the previous Pascal cards in terms of power efficiency and performance.

The GTX 1660 Ti features 6GBs of GDDR6 memory with a boost clock of 1335-1590 MHz, while the GTX 1650 sports a modest 4GBs of GDDR5 memory with the card clocking at 1245 – 1560 MHz.
Starting from today, the world’s top gaming laptop manufacturers are rolling out more than 80 laptop models which feature NVIDIA’s latest mobile GPU with prices starting at RM3200.
With an impressive range of fast, efficient, and portable laptops to choose from, it’s made clear that an upgrade is intended for players with older cards.

Mark Aevermann, Director of Product Management at NVIDIA, stated that “Now is the perfect time to be in the market for a new GeForce gaming laptop, especially for the tens of millions of gamers with older laptops whoâ€™d like to experience incredibly fast frame rates in their favourite games.â€

A Stepping Stone
Laptop owners commonly estimate that their hardware will stay relevant for at least 4 years before needing to upgrade. The GeForce GTX 1660 Ti laptop configurations, for example, use the latest technologies to deliver up to 4x the performance for gaming compared with the four-year-old GeForce GTX 960M.
The new Turing architecture delivers 1.5x instructions per clock and 1.4x power efficiency of its predecessor, Pascal, which previously set the standard for power-efficient GPUs. As a result, with a power envelope of as low as 60W, GTX 1660 Ti laptops deliver the best performance per watt of any laptop in their class range.
This makes it the perfect gaming GPU for mobile platforms. The Turing cards also boast features such as;

Max-Q design â€” an innovative approach to crafting the world’s thinnest, fastest,
quietest gaming laptops.
Optimus technology â€” delivering up to 2x more battery life while running
quiet and cool.
WhisperMode â€” enabling plugged-in laptops with GeForce Experience to run
much quieter during gaming.
NVIDIA HighlightsÂ â€” which automatically captures the best gaming moments.
NVIDIA AnselÂ â€” a tool for stunning in-game photos.

Play Hard, Work Hard
The Turing lineup can also be used as a competent workhorse in tasks such as using Adobe Creative Cloud which can access advanced video effects in Adobe Premiere Pro CC and Adobe Premiere Rush, and can pan and zoom smoothly in Adobe Illustrator CC regardless of display resolution.
Content creators using Adobe Photoshop CC and Lightroom CC will also reap benefits when using GPU-accelerated particles like Path and Spin Blur.
Where Can I Find One?
GeForce GTX 1660 Ti and 1650 models are available starting today from the world’s top OEMs, including Acer, ASUS, Dell / Alienware, Gigabyte, HP, Lenovo and MSI. We’ll also see some Samsung products with a GTX 1660 Ti in the coming months.
Local system builders such as Aftershock and Thunderobot will also offer the Turing cards. In fact, Illegear has come up with two models sporting the GPUs, which are the Prodigy and the Rogue.
A desktop version of both the GTX 1650 and the GTX 1660 Ti is also available starting from RM615 from brands such as ASUS, Colorful, EVGA, Gainward, Galaxy, Gigabyte, Innovision 3D, MSI, Palit, PNY, and Zotac.
NVIDIA GTX 1660 Ti

Hold The Fort
For a limited time, gamers who purchase a qualifying GeForce 16-series graphics card, desktop or laptop will be entitled to receive 2,000 V-Bucks and the Fortnite Counterattack Set. This offer is available in most regions of the world. For more information, head on to the NVIDIA’s official webpage here.

With a GPU that’s powerful and relatively affordable as this one, it makes PC gaming a more accessible form of gaming. The card is also known to push battle royale titles above 100 frames per second, making it a very viable title even for triple-A gaming.


COD Mobile Garena Masters III Will Be On LAN – Here’s What You Need To Know

The Garena Call of Duty: Mobile scene is finally getting an officially sanctioned LAN after almost three years. With the Group Stages finally wrapped up, teams that qualified for the Playoffs will play each other face-to-face live in Manila.
Without any complaints of desync and lag, we can finally find out who is the best team in Southeast Asia because as we know in esports, LAN is a completely different playing field from online.
RESULTS
To be updated…
TEAMS

ALMGHTY – Singapore
C8 Legacy – Philippines
Omega Esports – Philippines
RTL Esports – Philippines
M420 LowKings – Philippines
Huntsmen – Malaysia
Blacklist Ultimate – Philippines
VVV Esports – Philippines

DATE & SCHEDULE

Date: 13–14 August
Timezone: Singaporean Time (GMT+8)
Venue: Mariott Hotel, Newport World Resorts, Newport Blvd, Pasay, 1309 Metro Manila, Philippines
Prize Pool: US$25,000
SCHEDULE
DAY 1 – 13 August
3:00 PM – TBD [0] vs. [0] TBD (Upper Bracket Quarterfinal)
4:00 PM – TBD [0] vs. [0] TBD (Upper Bracket Quarterfinal)
5:00 PM – TBD [0] vs. [0] TBD (Upper Bracket Quarterfinal)
6:00 PM – TBD [0] vs. [0] TBD (Upper Bracket Quarterfinal)
7:00 PM – TBD [0] vs. [0] TBD (Lower Bracket Round 1)
8:00 PM – TBD [0] vs. [0] TBD (Lower Bracket Round 1)
9:00 PM – TBD [0] vs. [0] TBD (Upper Bracket Semifinal)
10:00 PM – TBD [0] vs. [0] TBD (Upper Bracket Semifinal)
DAY 2 – 14 August
3:00 PM – TBD [0] vs. [0] TBD (Lower Bracket Quarterfinal)
4:00 PM – TBD [0] vs. [0] TBD (Lower Bracket Quarterfinal)
5:00 PM – TBD [0] vs. [0] TBD (Upper Bracket Final)
6:00 PM – TBD [0] vs. [0] TBD (Lower Bracket Semifinal)
7:00 PM – TBD [0] vs. [0] TBD (Lower Bracket Final)
8:00 PM – TBD [0] vs. [0] TBD (Grand Final)
WHERE TO WATCH?
Stream: YouTube / Facebook


Uniqlo Teams Up With Bandai To Print These Great Gundam Shirts

The iconic Gundam franchise is celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2019, an incredible milestone for the series that has spawned countless anime and manga since 1979. Now Uniqlo has allied itself with Bandai and Sunrise to bring to us a collection of Gundam-themed shirts.
Each of the adult shirts will set you back $14.90/RM60+/SGD20+. Check out some of the amazing designs below, including some that feature classic mobile suit mechs like the MS-06 Zaku II, YMS-13 Gyan, as well as the RX-78-2 Gundam and its pilot, Amuro Ray.

The Uniqlo Gundam collection is now available for purchase starting today from 25 March 2019 on the official website here and at all stores.
Uniqlo is on a roll this year, as it prepares to roll out Street Fighter and Super Mario-themed shirts next month in April. In the meantime, check out the UT GUNDAM 40th UNIQLO 2019 Spring/Summer trailer below (it’s Gundam so, of course, there’s going to be a trailer).
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWsiMCohCvQ&w=560&h=315]