Alienware Teams Up With Iconic Esports Franchise For Good In Gaming Initiative

Over the last decade, Alienware has nurtured the growth of esports, which is now quickly outplacing more traditional sports and growing at a rapid scale. Last year, viewers watched an astonishing 18.6 billion hours of content and, this year, the industry is expected to surpass US$1 billion in revenue.
With this phenomenal growth comes significant job opportunities too, and not just for the players and trainers. It takes thousands of software engineers, content creators, data analysts, game designers, social media specialists, venue operators, accountants, lawyers and more to make the world of esports turn.Â
Alienware and Team Liquid have partnered for the last 10 years on this phenomenal esports journey. Alienware is announcing the Good in Gaming initiative in partnership with Team Liquid, driven by a shared vision of a gaming community where everyone feels respected and included. Good in Gaming will focus on community, education, empowerment and competition.

Alienware and Team Liquid will offer young gamers mentorships, scholarships and internships to help them grow and gain access to resources and connections. So, whether their passion is to play on the battleground or drive behind-the-scenes action, the gaming world has a place for everyone.Â
In the months ahead, Alienware will announce specific programmes: from mentorship, internship and scholarship programmes; online resources for aspiring esports pros; to tournaments welcoming of everyone with the will to compete. The goal is to be a force for positive change in the industry and open doors for a new generation of players and engineer, creators, analysts, designers, accountants, lawyers and more.
To learn more, you can join The Alienware Update live stream event on 2 June 2021 at 3am GMT+8. It will explain more about the Good in Gaming initiative, Alienwareâ€™s newest products, the latest partnership news, some fun gameplay with celebrity guests and more.
[videopress 6KpidUC3]
In addition, Alienware has also unveiled a brand new family of 15- and 17-inch gaming laptops (both confirmed coming to Malaysia, see the media alert attached) that introduce a new purposeful design and several industry-first innovations to deliver best-in-class thermals with excellent display quality.

With up to a UHD display option, Intel 11thâ€¯Gen Core processors and NVIDIAâ€™s 2ndâ€¯gen GeForce RTX graphics, this laptop delivers the ultimate performance for gaming and content creation. The Alienware X Series newly evolved cooling technologyâ€¯and Hyper-Efficient Voltage Regulationâ€¯integratesâ€¯newâ€¯thermal materials like Element 31â€¯(an exclusive to Alienware)â€¯withâ€¯even more coolingâ€¯andâ€¯airflowâ€¯forâ€¯optimal temperature controlâ€¯across all core componentsâ€¯even in extended gaming sessions.
Pricing and Availability for Malaysia
In addition to the new X-Series, the Alienware m15 R6 and Dell G15 systems will be available for purchase online at dell.com.my.

Products
Starting specs
Availability in Malaysia
Starting Price
(RM)

Alienware x15
TBA
June 2021
TBA

Alienware x17
Intel Core i7, 16GB, 512GB, RTX3060, FHD
TBA

Alienware m15 R6Â
Intel Core i7, 16GB, 512GB, RTX3060, FHD
RM 8,199

Dell G15 TGL
Intel Core i5, 8GB, 512GB, RTX3050, FHD
RM 4,199


Plague Inc. Celebrates 10th Anniversary With Infectious Statistics

Remember that popular game where you end humanity with a virus? Plague Inc. is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year in 2022 and the developer, Ndemic Creations, is sharing some shocking statistics about the game to commemorate the milestone.
Available on PC (via Steam) and mobile (Android and iOS), Plague Inc. boasts more than 180 million players worldwide. Ironically, the most popular name for a virus is, well, COVID-19. That’s not surprising, considering the second and third most popular names are Death and Poop, respectively. Really classy, folks.
Oh, and you’d probably guess the most popular starting country too. Too late, it’s China. For some reason, the least popular starting country is Finland. Poor Finland.
You can read fun facts like those and more in the Ndemic Creations Twitter thread below:

Plague Inc. is 10 years old! A Thread ?
Time flies when you're infecting the world.
(1/9)?#plagueinc pic.twitter.com/3zt3cho9wN
— Plague Inc. / Rebel Inc. (@NdemicCreations) May 26, 2022


Bandai Namco’s SYNDUALITY Game Officially Titled SYNDUALITY: Echo of Ada

The folks over at Bandai Namco and Game Studio have just announced the official title of their upcoming game, SYNDUALITY. The game will now be known as SYNDUALITY: Echo of Ada and will be released worldwide in 2023 for PS5, Xbox Series X | S, and PC via Steam.
It’s a science-fiction third-person shooter game that’s set in a dystopian world where humans and AI have to work together to survive. If you’ve been keeping up with the buzz, you might remember that the SYNDUALITY anime was also previously announced. Well, it looks like they’ve got a name for that too! The anime will be titled SYNDUALITY: Noir.

The game takes place in the year 2222 after a poisonous rain wiped out most of humanity and created deformed creatures that now hunt the remaining population. Humans have been forced to build an underground haven called Amasia, where they have to collaborate with artificial intelligence called Magus in order to survive.
In SYNDUALITY: Echo of Ada, players take on the role of Drifters, who collect rare resources called AO crystals while battling xenomorphic creatures known as Enders. They’re accompanied by Magus, their AI partners, who provide guidance, help in fights, and warnings. The game is centred around Cradle Coffins, which are armed vehicles that players can customize to fit their playstyle.
And if that’s not enough, the game will also have multiplayer, with other Drifters joining in to help or hinder players in their missions.


League Of Legends PCS Spring Split Postponed To Next Month

In light of recent developments impacting COVID-19 regulations in various Southeast Asian markets, Riot Games Southeast Asia has announced that the 2021 Pacific Championship Series (PCS) Spring Split season start date will be postponed to 19 February 2021. This is to protect the well being and safety of players and staff.
It was originally supposed to begin on 5 February 2021.
They are still strictly observing the mandates of local authorities, but stringent travel restrictions and local lockdowns implemented to mitigate the spread of the virus have led to the season postponement.
Riot Games SEA will share more news about the team roster and schedule as soon as possible.
https://www.facebook.com/lolpacific/posts/266032148220496


Korean Workplace Dramedy Race Premieres On Disney+ Hotstar This May

What Park Yoonjo lacks in qualifications and experience she more than makes up for in tenacity and drive, but when everyone in the company discovers that several recent hires were made as part of a newly created diversity program, Yoonjo will have to overcome the insurmountable to win their approval in RACE, a new Korean workplace dramedy coming 10 May 2023 exclusively to Disney+ Hotstar.
Park Yoonjo has spent her entire career trying to prove that she belongs. Born into a family without means, she was unable to secure a university degree or lean upon her family connections to get ahead, but what Yoonjo lacks in formal education she more than makes up for in work ethic.
In RACE, viewers follow along as Yoonjo battles against a stacked deck to secure her dream job at Seyong, a huge Korean conglomerate. Although it appears Yoonjo’s luck has finally taken a turn for the better, reality quickly steps in to prove her wrong, forcing Yoonjo to work harder than ever to overcome the seemingly insurmountable and prove to everyone that she belongs where she is. Set in modern-day Seoul, RACE perfectly captures the nuanced dramas of the modern day workplace in a fun and entertaining way.
Starring Lee Yeonhee (New Year Blues, Welcome to Wedding Hell) as “diversity hire” Park Yoonjo; Moon Sori (The Handmaiden, Seoul Vibe) as Goo Yijung, the leading voice in the PR industry, Hong Jonghyun (Moon Lovers) as Yoonjo’s friend Ryu Jaemin and Jung Yunho (Dating On Earth) as CEO of Earth Communication Seo Donghoon, RACE is written by acclaimed screenwriter Kim Roori (Hyena, The Ace) and directed by Lee Dongyoon (She Would Never Know, 20th Century Boy and Girl).
First announced as part of an expanded slate of local APAC content at the 2022 Disney Content Showcase, RACE joins a whole host of incredible Korean titles now available on Disney+ Hotstar, including: Call It Love about a girl driven to revenge but who falls in love with her potential victim; Soundtrack #1 about two friends who are secretly in love with each other; and Big Bet about a serial entrepreneur whose life is turned on its head when he is arrested for murder.


All The Games From Ubisoft Forward September 2020

The second Ubisoft Forward live stream in 2020 took place earlier today, featuring release date announcements and new game reveals.
Check out the games below:
Far Cry VR

Far Cry VR is coming to in 2021 exclusively at Zero Latency VR locations. Up to 8 players can play this co-op VR shooter for a roughly 30-minute-long experience.
AGOS A Game Of Space

Players can experience innovative and realistic physics-based gameplay to build and pilot their space probes, as well as explore unique star systems, scavenge resources, unlock new tools and technologies, and face the perils of space.
AGOS A Game of Space is slated to release for Uplay, Steam and Oculus on 28 October 2020.
The Crew 2

Starting from 25 November 2020, players can star in their own show on Motorflix. This new trailer also reveals a new sneak peek of the first episode “The Chase” and more about new Season updates.
Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon Breakpoint

Trey Stone enlists Ravenâ€™s Rocks, a Russian separatist group and their agents, the Bodarks, to plan attacks on US soil. Nomad is assigned a simple mission: take down everyone involved in Stoneâ€™s plan. Red Patriot will offer a branching storyline and optional mission objectives.
All players will get access to two free missions and can purchase the full adventure afterwards, but Year 1 Pass owners can play the new adventureâ€™s 10 missions in full. Upon completing missions, players will unlock 26 high-quality rewards.
Episode 3 will be available on 15 September 2020, including the RED PATRIOT adventure, on PS4, Xbox One, and PC.
Roller Champions

Roller Champions is slated to release for the PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC, and mobile sometime in early 2021.
As a Roller Champion, you compete in a team of three against three. The rules are simple: take the ball, make a lap while maintaining team-possession, and score.
You can go for more points by completing additional laps before attempting a goal. After each game, you gain fans, customize your character, and ultimately unlock impressive fan celebrations.
It’s essentially Rocket League with roller skates.
For Honor

The Order of Horkos has imposed a regime of terror. But in the most desperate times, a spark of rebellion is all you need to bring back hope.
For Honor Year 4 Season 3 Resistance is slated to release on 17 September 2020.
Tom Clancy’s The Division 2

On 22 September 2020, The Summit game mode will make its debut in Season 3 of Warlords of New York; a new replayable challenge where agents make their way up a 100-story skyscraper to take on progressively difficult foes, and earn increasingly better rewards.
Ubisoft also confirmed that existing owners on the PS4 and Xbox One will be able to upgrade to the next-gen version on the PS4 and Xbox Series X/S for free.
Immortals Fenyx Rising

Immortals Fenyx Rising is a new open-world action-adventure game inspired by Greek mythology. Players assume the role of Fenyx, a new winged demigod on a quest to save the Greek gods and their home from a dark curse.
With the help of reclaimed legendary artifacts, Fenyx will take on mythological beasts, solve puzzles, and master the legendary powers of the gods to defeat Typhon, the deadliest Titan in Greek mythology, in an epic fight for the ages.
Immortals Fenyx Rising is slated to release for Google Stadia, Xbox Series X, Xbox One, PS5, PS4, Nintendo Switch, Epic Games Store and Uplay on 3 December 2020.

Prince Of Persia Sands Of Time Remake

Developed by Ubisoft Pune and Ubisoft Mumbai, Prince of Persia The Sands of Time Remake is slated to release for PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X, Xbox One, Uplay, Uplay+ and Epic Games Store on 21 January 2021.
Camera, controls, and combat have been completely rebuilt and updated for today’s standards. Players can choose between the original or modernized mapping. Other details include:
-Overhauled camera,-Combat improvements,-Additional conversations between the Prince and Farah that were cut from the original,-Smoother parkour animations,-Re-recorded dialogue, and a new cast.
Players can also unlock the original Prince Of Persia game from 1989 (â€™92 Mac version) in the game and then access it from the main menu. Pre-order now and get access to the Back to the Origins Set which includes the Original Prince skin, Original Weapons set and Classic Filter to experience the game as back in time. The game will cost US$39.99.
Hyper Scape

Turbo Mode is coming soon to Hyper Scape. All gear is at the maximum fusion level and health regenerates faster. Can your squad keep calm as sectors collapse rapidly? Turbo Mode will be available for a limited time starting from 15 September 2020.
Rainbow Six Siege

Sam Fisher is here to teach you a lesson. Unlocking the Year 5 Pass and play as Zero now in Operation Shadow Legacy.
Ubisoft also confirmed that existing owners on the PS4 and Xbox One will be able to upgrade to the next-gen version on the PS4 and Xbox Series X/S for free, which is slated to arrive later in 2020 with 4K 120FPS support.
Scott Pilgrim Vs The World The Game Complete Edition

Rediscover the beloved 2D arcade-style beat ’em up inspired by the iconic comic book series and movie, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World.
Play as your favourite characters â€“ Scott Pilgrim, Ramona Flowers, Knives Chau, Stephen Stills, and more. Level up and learn new awesome abilities, unlock secret items and modes, and summon powerful allies to defeat the League of Ramona’s Evil Exes.
The Complete Edition includes the remaster of Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game and its original DLCs: the Knives Chau and Wallace Wells Add-On Packs.
Team up with friends to battle your way through waves of tough enemies to fight for love. Share health and coins, compete in mini-games like Dodgeball, and challenge each other to an epic-last-one-standing duel.
Scott Pilgrim Vs The World The Game Complete Edition is slated to release for the PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Stadia, Windows PC and UPLAY+ sometime in Holiday 2020.

Huge thank you to the fans who never shut up about the Scott Pilgrim game, not once, ever, even for one second to let me sleep. This game belongs to you. Now please get out of my house— Bryan Lee O'Malley (@bryanleeomalley) September 10, 2020

Watch Dogs Legion

Get a sneak peek of some behind the scenes footage of his brand new music video Rainfall which will be part of a special mission available at launch in Watch Dogs Legion.
Watch Dogs Legion is slated to release for Xbox Series X, Xbox One, PS5, PS4, PC and Stadia on 29 October 2020.
Ubisoft also confirmed that the protagonist of the very first Watch Dogs, Aiden Pearce, will be playable in Watch Dogs Legion.

Riders Republic

Jump into the Riders Republic massive multiplayer playground, where players can ski, snowboard, bike, or wingsuit across an open world sports paradise. Race in mass start events, develop your riderâ€™s career, or kick back with friends and free roam the parks.
Riders Republic is slated to release for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and Stadia on 25 February 2021.
Just Dance 2021

From the hottest hits to family favourites, Just Dance 2021 brings you 40 hot tracks.
Check out the new tracks revealed:
Paradisio Ft. Dj Patrick Samoy – BailandoThe Weeknd – Blinding LightsDJ Fresh & Jay Fay Ft. Ms Dynamite – Dibby Dibby SoundGalantis – Runaway (U & I)Ultraclub 90 – Samba de JaneiroMichael Gray – The WeekendAlex Newell – Boy, You Can Keep ItThe Girly Team – Till The World EndsEminem – Without Me
Just Dance 2021 is slated to release on 12 November 2020.
You can watch the entire Ubisoft Forward September 2020 presentation below.

Or check out a brief one-minute-long highlight recap below:


Robocop Rogue City Drops In June 2023

During Nacon Connect 2022, Nacon and Teyon have announced that Robocop Rogue City will launch for the PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC via Steam, and Nintendo Switch in June 2023.
Welcome to Detroit; crime runs rampant as the city lies on the edge of ruin, people fighting for scraps as others live extravagant lives of luxury. Control of the Detroit Police Department is given to the Omni Consumer Products corporation in an attempt to restore order. You are that solution, RoboCop, a cyborg tasked with protecting the city.
The triumphant return of RoboCop wouldn’t feel right without the man who brought so much life into the role, and Nacon has confirmed that Peter Weller (who played Alex Murphy AKA Robocop in the original movies) will be performing voiceover work on the game.
Check out the trailer below:


The Mandalorian Season 3 Episode 7 Breakdown & Easter Eggs

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

Elia Kane Is Still Working For Moff Gideon

While this should have been obvious by how she betrayed Doctor Pershing in The Mandalorian Season 3 Episode 3, we now get the confirmation that she is working for Moff Gideon. Also, this is the first time that we see Moff Gideon alive since The Mandalorian Season 2 finale.
The Remaining Imperials Are Organized As Part Of The Shadow Council, They Mention Grand Admiral Thrawn But Thrawn Is Not Part Of It

One of them, Captain Pellaeon, mentions Grand Admiral Thrawn. Thrawn will be played by Lars Mikkelsen in the upcoming Ahsoka series, which will premiere in August 2023.
Pellaeon was first mentioned in the new canon in Star Wars Rebels and was part of the contingent of Imperials under Thrawn’s command. He featured prominently as Thrawn’s right hand in the “Heir to the Empire” trilogy of books, written in the early 1990s by Timothy Zahn.
Read More: https://www.slashfilm.com/1253016/mandalorian-season-3-episode-7-review/
However, Moff Gideon mentions that Thrawn is missing and is not part of the Shadow Council. We’ll see what he’s up to in the Ahsoka series later this year.
Commandant Hux Is The Father Of General Hux From The Sequel Trilogy

Pellaeon also mentions that Commandant Brendol Hux (played by Brian Gleeson, brother of Domnhall Gleeson) is in charge of something called Project Necromancy.
In addition, this Commandant Hux is actually the father of General Armitage Hux (Domhnall Gleeson) from the Star Wars Sequel Trilogy

Project Necromancy Involves Cloning, Might Be What Keeps Emperor Palpatine Alive For The Sequel Trilogy

Moff Gideon mentions that Project Necromancy involves the “creation of clones”. This project could be what is actually keeping Emperor Palpatine alive for his eventual reappearance in Star Wars Episode IX The Rise Of Skywalker. However, it’s worth noting that Palpatine was not directly mentioned in this episode.
IG-11 Is Now IG-12 And A New Vehicle For Grogu

An unnamed Anzellan on Nevarro has made IG-11 somewhat operational again but as IG-12, a new droid vehicle for Grogu.
Bo-Katan Reveals How Moff Gideon Originally Got His Hands On The Darksaber

Bo-Katan reveals how she surrendered the Darksaber to Moff Gideon after the fall of Mandalore during the Night Of A Thousand Tears. That’s how he got his hands on the Darksaber, as we saw all the way back in The Mandalorian Season 1.
Dark Troopers With Beskar Armour And Moff Gideon Has His Own Darth Vader-Like Beskar Armour

Dark Troopers with Beskar armour and jetpacks. Well, time to add yet another type of Stormtrooper into canon.
Also, Moff Gideon’s new armour looks cool.

Paz Vizsla Sacrifices Himself, Killed By Praetorian Guards

Paz Vizsla makes an honorable sacrifice with a last stand while the other Mandalorians escape. However, he eventually gets killed by several Praetorian Guards.
The Praetorian Guards first made their debut in Star Wars canon in Star Wars Episode VIII The Last Jedi as the bodyguards of Supreme Leader Snoke, but chronologically, this would be their first-ever appearance.

All of this sets the stage for an epic season finale next week. Until then, excelsior!


Here’s When The Call Of Duty Black Ops Cold War PS4 Beta Is Dropping

Activision, Raven Software and Treyarch have previously announced that Call Of Duty Black Ops Cold War will feature an Open Beta for the Multiplayer mode, though official details and information will only be revealed on 9 September 2020.
However, a release date has already been leaked ahead of schedule. According to the in-game Store in Call of Duty Modern Warfare and Call Of Duty Warzone (via COD Tracker), Early Access to the Open Beta for Call Of Duty Black Ops Cold War‘s Multiplayer mode will begin on 8 October 2020, first for PS4 players.
This version of the official production description were discovered by players who have an Arabic copy of the game. After translation, it reads as followsâ€¦
“Early Access for the Open Beta starting October 8, and will be available on PS4 first.”

Take all this with a grain of salt for now, as Activision has yet to confirm whether or not this information is true.
Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War will launch for the PS4, Xbox One, and PC via Battle.net on 13 November 2020. Head on over here for everything we know so far.


Darkest Dungeon 2 Revamps & Restructures What You Already Love About Hardcore RPG Romps

Darkest Dungeon 2 has the makings of a great GOTY nominee for next year (or the next depending on its development schedule). While in Early Access form, the base computer role-playing game of getting your group to the top of the mountain while fending off insurmountable odds in forms of lush-looking and meaty turn-based combat seem pitch-perfect. It’s challenging, yes, but that’s the core of Red Hook’s meal ticket: to reward you for taking the road with the most strife.
Deep Dive

Whereas the first Darkest Dungeon takes its time in letting you in on the turn-based combat and dungeon romps, as prep time and party management is a fundamental part of the first game, the sequel just lets you loose from the get-go. The sequel is a roguelike where death means restarting progress albeit with some permanent upgrades you get to keep forever.
You start off in a cart with your merry band of warriors (Man-At-Arms, Graverobber, Plague Doctor, and a few new and returning classes), driving it to your main destination while making pitstops at inns for respite and light-charging. Yeah, your torch is the only thing that’s keeping you illuminated on the dark path filled with dangerous encounters and fights. You may come across treasure, opportunities to boost hope (that powers your light), and even learn a bit about the party members you’re with.
But in most cases you’ll be waylaid by highwaymen, monsters, and overpowered cultists. Darkest Dungeon 2 will challenge you always, push you to the brink of extinction, and make you fail. And you’ll be doing a ton of runs after many party wipes, getting the hang of things, how the combat works, how your party members fare, and everything in-between.
The game’s stress system takes a different turn now. You now have to worry about it creeping up quick during the journey. There are 10 pips of stress per party member. Anything from taking damage to riding in a cooped-up carriage for long will build that up bit by bit. When it reaches 10 and max, he/she will freak out, take massive damage, and sour the relationship with whoever he/she is trying to team up with.
Check Your Blood Pressure
Managing stress is much more taxing in this sequel since it builds up over time, can blow up in your face, and continue on until your party is demoralized, leading to a dead party. Fortunately, there are spells and items you can use at inns to decrease and manage this. And you’ll need to do this and also manage relationships.
A good relationship between party members will make them do more assists and criticals in fights. A bad one means missed turns, missed attacks, and other sorts of bad things that will give your enemies the advantage.

Darkest Dungeon 2 also does a great job at fleshing out its cast members while also giving them gameplay-enhancing boons. There are Enlightening Shrines scattered throughout the game. Going into one of them gives you the option to see one of your party member’s backstory.
Pick the absinthe-loving Graverobber and you’ll find out about her rich life before her current predicament. Best of all, she gets a permanent new skill that you can use at the start of a new run. Examples include the useful Dead of Night that clears a corpse in the way and gives her 33% healing.
Keep Calm & Carry On Dungeoneering

Even in its Early Access form and the game’s need to tweak the difficulty further, the game’s combat, aesthetics, and overall tone and feel are incredibly promising. It may be next year’s Hades: a long-running game that’s still a work in progress, but will most likely impress by the time it’s ready.
And I do hope people turn Darkest Dungeon 2’s combat animations a thing on Twitter. Seeing the wind-up, action, and wind-down for all my party members and abominations I’m fighting does make the sting of eventual defeat a little less severe. And to add to that, I am a fan of the Runaway class’ animation.
Darkest Dungeon 2 is out now in Early Access form on PC via Epic Games Store.


Disney Speedstorm F2P Its Way To PC And Consoles This Summer

Disney and Gameloft are teaming up to release its free-to-play kart racing game Disney Speedstorm later this Summer 2022.
The racing game will be available on PC, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series, PS4, and PS5 in a few months time. Interested parties can pre-register for the game on the official website.
Playable characters in the roster include Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Captain Jack Sparrow, Mulan, Sully from Monsters Inc., Mowgli from The Jungle Book, Elizabeth Swann (Pirates of the Caribbean), and Belle from Beauty & The Beast. The game’s many race courses will take place in famous Disney locales like Pirates Island and the ruins in The Jungle Book.


So Why Are Ghost of Tsushima’s Loading Times So Godlike?

One thing a lot of reviewers and writers have mentioned about our favourite game for the second half of 2020, Sucker Punch’s Ghost of Tsushima, is not its pretty, pretty graphics. Or its meaty combat system. It’s also about its fast load time.
Transition periods in fast travel and loading is so quick, you barely have time to read the gameplay and lore tips that usually fill up the screen during the process. But did you know that it was previously harder and it was “nerfed”?
According to Sucker Punch Production lead engine programmer Adrian Bentley (via Kotaku), it was due to the coding team’s solid foundational code that “loaded up the fine-grain texture and mesh streaming systems” for the game.

“It started as a forward-looking side project and came online just in time as we began running out of memory on PlayStation 4 developer hardware due to the huge amount [of] art the team was adding.”
“Our art teams did an amazing job pushing their assets to fit in our aggressive performance and memory budgets. They accomplished a huge amount especially considering the size of our team. As an example, one of our 200m x 200m terrain tiles only usually takes up around 2 MB (compressed) on disc, including all the terrain and foliage placements. Itâ€™s easier to load a lot of data when you keep it compact.”

What’s also noticeable, if you play the game longer than 30 hours or so, is that the prerecorded movies in Ghost of Tsushima hide the game’s loading times; a technique they used in the company’s previous InFamous games.

“Our mesh and texturing systems are very fine-grain and fairly conservative. We only have one copy of every asset on the disc. During most loads, when not jumping into a close-up, we only load newly required assets and can dial down our streaming density a bit.
This usually results in requesting one or maybe two fewer mipmap levels for big textures. Users shouldnâ€™t see pops because we still have the texture data we need to render when jumping into gameplay 99% of the time.”

And it really shows! Those screenshots of the game that everyone is taking right now are just beautiful, from the flower fields that serve as duelling grounds to the mesmerizing-yet-closed-space bamboo forests just outside one of the major Buddhist temples. Oh, and that giant Buddha statue at the leftmost part of the island; whoah!
Other noteworthy tidbits:

When you die in the game, the game only needs to re-run a quick “spawn” process with the data that’s already loaded.
The majority of the game’s areas are peaceful and meditative, with the variety of its backdrop stemming from color, placement, layer, and other art direction choices. This also contributed to the game’s fast load time.
The “nerf” bit we mentioned? The team artificially extended the downtimes after a player dies so that they can read the tips for a second or so. Originally it was quicker than that.

The full interview is here; it’s a good technical read if you want to find out more about the smoke and mirrors behind Ghost of Tsushima’s fast load times. If you want to find out if the game is worth buying, check out our review.


Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew Ships Out This August

Pirate-filled stealth strategy game Shadow Gambit: The Cursed Crew is finally coming out after much teasing and gameplay-showcasing.
The Mimimi Games-developed title will be out for PC, Xbox Series, and PlayStation 5 on 17 August. The demo for the game is still available until 26 June as part of Steam Next Fest and will feature 2-4 hours of gameplay.
Check out the gameplay trailer and key features list below, as well as our preview.

Assemble Your Cursed Pirate Crew – Embark on a journey with cursed pirate Afia and seek the legendary Black Pearls to revive a cursed crew of your own. Each of your eight shipmates is a playable character with an individual personality and armed with unique supernatural powers. Launch friend or foe with Gaelle’s magical cannon, use Mr. Mercury’s soul anchor to open a magic portal or dash across spacetime for split-second stealth attacks with Afia’s mythical sword.
Outsmart Your Enemy – Pull-off an epic heist and salvage a mysterious treasure of otherworldly power to defy the army of the Inquisition. Infiltrate their fortresses. Sneak behind enemy lines. Cleverly combine the magical skills of your crew to take out a variety of enemies with carefully considered tactics. Feel like a brilliant mastermind when your plan clicks perfectly into place!
Your Ship, Your Home – Join The Red Marley, a ghost ship with a living soul. On deck, plan your next adventure or just hang out with your crew mates while they enjoy their un-life. Get to know these legendary cursed pirates of the Lost Caribbean. With individual character missions find out about their backstories, learn who they are and what led them on their cursed journeys.
Explore the Lost Caribbean – Go ashore a variety of exotic islands in the Lost Caribbean. From locales oozing with cursed soul magic to tropical beaches and lively pirate shanty towns: Every island is a unique hand-crafted sandbox where adventures await.
Play It Your Way – Freely select your crew members before embarking on each mission. Utilize their unique abilities to find new strategies against the forces of the Inquisition. Plot your own path to enter and exit each island, be stealthy or more head-on in your play style and use the environment to your advantage. It’s your playground to experiment in!
Manipulate Time and Experiment – The powerful time-manipulating magic of your ghost ship is yours to wield. Pause time to consider your strategic choices or queue up multiple character actions. Capture a memory of every passing moment, to instantly return to if things go south. Change your approach and tactics to discover own unique solutions to each moment in the game—in your own time!


All You Need To Know About The eRacing Grand Prix SEA Semi-Finals

The competition is heating up as the top 45 drivers in the eRacing Grand Prix SEA will participate in the semi-finals, which is set to take place this weekend at 3 Damansara Shopping Mall in Petaling Jaya from 17 to 18 August 2019.
The 45 drivers who qualify will be divided into three groups (Red, Blue, and Green) and coached by local professional racing drivers, including the likes of Adam Khalid, Timothy Yeo, and James Veerapan.
The fastest (and best) driver so far is 25-year-old Mior Muhammad Hafiz, who set the fastest lap during the time-trial rounds (1:56.945s) earlier in July 2019. Aiming to qualify for the Grand Finals later this month, he said:

“After the conclusion of the time-trial, I have been practising a lot to prepare myself for the semis.
Motorsport has always been my passion.
I am determined to do well and prove myself especially when the championship is getting closer to its conclusion.
My goal is to be the overall champion and I will work hard towards it.”

Alex Yoong (left), Mior Muhammad Hafiz (middle) and Mohd Faizal (right) after the conclusion of the eRacing Grand Prix SEA time trial which took place at Atria Shopping Gallery earlier last month.
Only a total of five drivers (out of the top 45) will progress from this weekendâ€™s semi-finals and stand a chance to race for the ultimate prize in the Grand Finals. The eRacing Grand Prix SEA is a major esports event, officially sponsored by the likes of PlayStation, Razer, JD Sports, and more.
After the semi-finals conclude this weekend, the eRacing Grand Prix SEA Grand Finals will take place at the same venue later this month from 31 August to 1 September 2019.
The eRacing Grand Prix SEA will then head to the Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore, Vietnam, and Thailand as their next stops where the winner in each country will be trained and offered a spot in the Formula 4 South East Asia Championship (F4SEA),
The F4SEA is an unmissable experience worth Euro $100,000, set to be the first step for the winners of each country towards achieving their dream of becoming a professional race car driver.
Here’s what former Formula 1 driver and Axle Motorsport founder Alex Yoong had to say about the competition so far:

“After observing the time-trials, I am really excited by the talent displayed by the drivers especially those in the top 45.
I witnessed some good drivers with exceptional racing skills and I am convinced we are going to have a really good competition.
Moving forward, we will make sure that the format is a lot more interesting for the competitors by featuring different races or reverse grids.â€

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KV2bhFJKOT0&w=560&h=315]


Activision Blizzard Sued For Wrongful Death By Suicide Victim’s Family

The hits just keep on coming for Activision Blizzard. And it’s not the good kind.
Following the massive workplace harassment investigation and controversy that spanned for a year or so, Activision Blizzard is facing hot water yet again. This time, it’s being sued by the family of an employee who died by suicide.
According to the Washington Post, the complaint was filed by the parents of Kerri Moynihan, a 32 year-old finance manager at Activision Blizzard. See, she was found dead during a company retreat in 2017; the sexual harassment she faced was a “significant factor” leading to her suicide. Turns out that during the 2017 holiday party, male co-workers passed around a picture of her vagina and referenced a male supervisor who allegedly brought sex toys with him on the business trip.
Kerri’s case was referenced in a California Department of Fair Employment and Housing lawsuit filed last July, proving that the company was fostering a culture of sexual harassment, misconduct, and gender-based discrimination among others. It turns out that Kerri’s boss, Greg Restituito, lied to investigators in the Anaheim Police Department looking into her death in the Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa hotel room where the retreat was held. He was concealing the fact that he had a sexual relationship with Kerri. Following her death, he was making efforts in covering up and hide evidence of his relationship with her.
Read more about it here. Not sure how this will look for the parties involved, especially one of them who is buying Activision Blizzard as a whole.


Final Fantasy XV’s Ardyn Is Your Next Dissidia Fighter

Ask, and ye shall receive. Final Fantasy XV’s main bad guy Ardyn Izunia will be joining the Dissidia Final Fantasy roster next year.
Just like FFXV’s hero Noctis, Ardyn has the “power of kings” which include warping, phasing, summoning crazy weapons from thin air, and using royal arms. Unlike Noctis, he uses daemon magic to harass his foes from afar.
Check out his evil fighting style below.

Given that he’s one of the main reasons people stuck around for FFXV’s story, it’s nice to see this bad guy get some recognition similar to Kefka and Kuja in this side game.Â Ardyn will be joining the cast on 9th January 2020 as DLC. If you’re playing this fighting game in Japanese arcades though, you can use him starting 24th December.Â
Dissidia Final Fantasy NT is out on PS4 and PC.


Twitch Sells Curse Media To Fandom; Are Game Wikis Being Monopolized?

If you’ve been searching for protips online or even some backstory for an obscure video game character, chances are you’ve been on wiki site Fandom. The company that runs these information hubs is now acquiring Curse Media, the guys who run gaming wiki sites like Gamepedia via Twitch.
According to Kotaku, Fandom has signed a “definitive agreement to acquire Curse Media from [owners] Twitch, Inc; including all media assets and employees. The company plans to combine Gamepedia into their current operations. Twitch said the following:
“We’ve signed an agreement for Fandom to acquire Curse Media and make it part of their offering to gamer communities. . . Twitch will continue to focus on our priorities supporting streamersâ€™ ability to earn a living educating and entertaining fans.”
One would think that this combo means a bigger wiki database for gamers to refer to. The truth is a bit more complicated: Gamepedia has 2,200 wikis. Fandom has over 300,000 wikis, meaning that some of the latter’s wikis will overlap the former’s.
This may even be a takeover of sorts to integrate Gamepedia’s wiki engines into Fandom’s, employees be damned. And it may not look so good for people who handle game wikis since Fandom has intrusive autoplaying ads when compared to Gamepedia’s embeds at the bottom. But we could be wrong. We’ll see how this unfolds in the coming months.


Falcom’s New The Legend Of Heroes Entry Features Real-Time Combat & An All-New Cast

Falcom just revealed new information about its next The Legend of Heroes series of JRPGs, and it’s a doozy.
Called The Legend of Heroes: Kuro no Kiseki (probably Trails of Black if translated literally), the game features a new combat system, a new cast of characters, and a giant-as-heck capital city to explore. Let’s break it down.
Gameplay
The command-style Action Time battle system is now revamped. Now battles seamlessly transition from action battles on the field to command-style battles, meaning combat is faster than before.

Characters can now manually position themselves before taking their action. You can use Crafts, Arts, and other turn-based actions based on the seven elements in past Legend of Heroes games. Additionally, you can receive a temporary boost from the Xipha combat orbment. Different party members get different buffs when they’re close to the radius of the orbment’s power.
Think Tales of Zestiria’s combat system, but turn-based.

New Cast
Players now control a new hero named Van Arkride, a 24-year old Spriggan who works in the capital city of Edith. Spriggans are a detective/bounty hunter/negotiator mash-up workers in this universe.

He is joined by first-year student Agnes, who uses an orbital staff to defend herself. Basically your mage of the group.

Other characters include Feri Al-Fayed, a young member of the high-ranking jaeger corps “Kurgha Soldiers”…

…and Aaron Wei, a philanderer and leader of the youth in the Easterner Quarter of the Republic.

You can expect more The Legend of Heroes characters from past entries to make an appearance, since this is a shared universe with those previous titles like The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky and The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel.Â
New Setting

The new game takes place in the Republic of Calvard, located in Midwest Zemuria. The kingdom became a democratic republic following a previous revolution a hundred years ago. The game will mostly take place in the Capital City of Edith, the largest metropolis in Calvard. If you’ve played a couple of Cold Steel entries, you must have heard of Calvard a number of times.
The game will be out later in 2021 in Japan. No consoles has been announced yet, but we might get more info during the Falcom 40th Anniversary live stream later at 7pm GMT+8. As for an English version? I’m calling it: late 2022.


Flash Vision Announces Offline Malaysian Fighting Game Tournament For 2021

So far, it’s looking pretty safe to host offline events, which is what tournament organizers & fighting game group Flash Vision are doing.
To celebrate the upcoming Ramadan festivities, Flash Vision will be hosting a Malaysia FV Cup 2021 Ramadan Edition for the Malaysian fighting game community. Here are the details:
Date: 1st May
Venue: Epicenter, Jalan LGSB 1/4, Sungai Buloh.
Time: 12pm until 9pm
Prize Pool: RM2,000, with the first prize being RM250.
Games:

Street Fighter 5: Champion Edition
Tekken 7
Dragon Ball FighterZ
The King of Fighters XIV

Registration fee: RM30 (includes buffet & lucky draw)
Registration link: https://forms.gle/Zpjatt2JVwj5g4oQ6
Sponsors list: Flash Vision, Kitamen, Epicenter, Galax Malaysia, OCPC, Orico, AndaSeat.

Due to MCO restrictions in Malaysia, the tournament will be restricting the number of total players to 64 pax.


Indonesia Has The Highest Gaming Revenue In All Of SEA; Singapore Last

Want to find out which country in the world has the highest video game revenue this year? Look no further than this latest Newzoo chart. If you want to see how each Southeast Asian country fare, keep scrolling all the way to no. 17.

Here are our takeaways:

Indonesia is placed at 17 with US$1,130 million in game revenue and a population of 267 million people. Currently, it’s the top Southeast Asian country with the highest video gaming revenue this year.
This is followed by Thailand with US$692 million and 69 million people.
Malaysia is in third place with a total of US$654 million and a population of 32 million people.
Vietnam is at US$490 million with a population of 96 million.
The Philippines is at US$478 million with 107 million people.
Singapore is at US$330 million with a population of 6 million. To be fair, Singapore is a tiny little dot of a country when compared with the other SEA nations.
Unsurprisingly, China is at the top with US$37,945 million with a population of 1,415 million.

But these numbers alone don’t tell the whole story. Basing on SEA countries’ internet population and calculating it against the total amount spent on games, the tables flip with your average Indonesian only spending about US$13.2 on their games per year. This puts them fourth in of the amount spent per gamer when compared to other SEA countries.
Here is a ranking of SEA countries based on the amount spent on game/ person:

Singapore: US$66
Malaysia: US$24.2
Thailand: US$18.21
Indonesia: US$13.2
Vietnam: US$9.4
Philippines: US$7.24

Hopefully, such data would be helpful in assisting game publishers in deciding which country to focus on when it comes to pushing their titles. While Singapore does indeed lead the tables here, the potential reach (6m population, 5m internet users) pales in comparison when it comes to the potential in countries such as the Philippines (107m population, 66m internet users) and Indonesia (267m population, 82m internet users).Â Malaysia (32m) sits comfortably here, with a healthy revenue in games coupled with high internet penetration (27m).
The economy also comes into play with Singaporeans enjoying a stronger purchasing power thanks to their stronger economy and solid currency compared to other SEA countries.
What Does This All Mean?
The numbers above may also somewhat reflect the gaming tendencies in these countries with Singaporeans, Malaysians and Thais gravitating towards console and PC while in Indonesia and the Philippines, mobile games like Mobile Legends and Clash Royale help cement those numbers and make people spend money on games thanks to the lucrative free-to-play model.
At the same time, PC games like Dota 2 and League of Legends do help contribute to these gaming revenue numbers with the same payment model. The Steam Sale discounts do help too. We highly doubt that console games on the PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch contributed much in the aforementioned Southeast Asian regions.
Congrats on being in the top 100, Asia!


No Jedi, No Problem, Says Star Wars The Bad Batch Producers

Star Wars The Batch Batch is the latest animated series in the long-running franchise and it’s currently ongoing with nine episodes so far available to stream on Disney+ Hotstar Malaysia.
Star Wars The Bad BatchÂ follows the elite and experimental clones of the Bad Batch as they find their way in a rapidly changing galaxy in the immediate aftermath of the Clone War. Members of Bad Batch; a unique squad of clones who vary genetically from their brothers in the Clone Army; each possess a singular exceptional skill that makes them extraordinarily effective soldiers and a formidable crew.
The Bad Batch was originally introduced in the final season ofÂ Star Wars The Clone Wars, and they were the focus of the first major story arc in the aforementioned season.Â The Bad Batch is an elite clone commando squad consisting of four clone troopers designed with genetic mutations. These include:

â€œTech,â€ a clone with heightened mental capacity and intelligence.
Clone Sergeant â€œHunter,â€ a clone with improved sensory abilities.
â€œWrecker,â€ a clone with enhanced strength.
â€œCrosshair,â€ a clone with sharpshooter abilities.

Each member of the Bad Batch could be identified by a skull icon on their clone trooper armour. Following the Battle of Anaxes (which happened in the first four episodes of Star Wars The Clone Wars Season 7), fan-favourite Clone Corporal â€œEchoâ€ also officially joined the squad.
Star Wars The Clone WarsÂ creator andÂ The MandalorianÂ executive producerÂ Dave FiloniÂ returns forÂ Star Wars The Bad BatchÂ as executive producer alongside Athena Portillo (Star Wars The Clone Wars,Â Star Wars Rebels), Brad Rau (Star Wars Rebels,Â Star Wars Resistance) and Jennifer Corbett (Star Wars Resistance,Â NCIS).
We managed to participate in a roundtable interview with head writer and executive producer Jennifer Corbett as well as supervising director and executive producer Brad Rau, courtesy of Disney+ Hotstar Malaysia. This interview has been edited for clarity.

Q: What are the challenges of making a Star Wars show with almost zero Jedi presence?
Jennifer Corbett: That’s a good question. As you know, a lot of people, when they think of Star Wars, it’s always Jedi-related but we view Star Wars The Bad Batch as a successor series to The Clone Wars because now we’re at a point in the timeline where it’s a dark period for the Jedi and it’s post-Order 66. We’re really kind of diving into the Clone troopers. We’ve gotten to know them during the Clone Wars and we got to really get attached to them.
Now, what happens to their story is that the chips have been activated and the Empire is rising and how the Bad Batch fits into this. They (the Bad Batch) never really dealt with Jedi. They worked with Anakin Skywalker once for like a single mission but they were really kind of their own entity.
They aren’t as attached to them (the Jedi). While good soldiers follow orders from the Empire, the Bad Batch don’t often follow orders so how does this misfit team find their place in the Empire. They don’t, because they don’t like orders and how they find purpose moving forward.
Brad Rau: I agree, as a Clone story, it makes sense that we don’t see too many Jedi. Also, after the events of Star Wars Episode III Revenge Of The Sith, the Jedi have either been destroyed or whoever’s left have been scattered to the far rims of the galaxy.
It’s really interesting that in the Original Trilogy, not everybody believes in the Force. Jedis are an anomaly, it’s a weird thing. What is this weird thing that’s happening? Over a period of 18 years, there must not have been hardly any Jedi seen by hardly anybody anywhere so it does make sense in this era to navigate forward.
For us, it’s an opportunity to, as much as we love Jedi, not dwell on that side of Star Wars but what is the characters’ story and what is the drama at this point in the timeline.
Q: With all the cameos from Rex to Cad Bane, Star Wars The Bad Batch feels like The Clone Wars 2.0. What do you think distinguishes The Bad Batch from the others?
Jennifer Corbett: Brad and I are such massive Star Wars fans. In telling the story of the Bad Batch and it being such a big galaxy, the idea of them coming across certain people because in this timeline there are a bunch of people who are bouncing around. Would the Bad Batch come across them?
We’re always very careful as to why we’re bringing in who we’re bringing in and how that services the story of the Bad Batch and Omega. We don’t want to just bring everybody in and have it be a cameo fest. I think we’ve done a good job in making sure that the reason that they’re there serves the purpose of the story that we’re telling.
Brad Rau: If you’re following each episode, is there another bounty hunter but you forget about it and it’s all very intentional until you hear that guitar music playing. What’s going on, and you see Cad Bane. When we were in the writers’ room talking about that, we were so excited.
We started looking at the old designs from The Clone Wars that were never realized for Cad Bane and how we can fine-tune them and bring them in, we were writing scripts and working with Corey Burton (the voice of Cad Bane) to record it and animating them.
We would get chills when we see him coming into the show so it seems like the fans will be very, very excited to see him as well.

Q: Who would you say is the real villain of the series; Grand Moff Tarkin, Admiral Rampart or Crosshair?
Jennifer Corbett: Ooooh, that sounds spoiler-y. I would say, the Empire. It’s just the entity itself and they’re all a part of it and they all represent different aspects of the Empire. It’s all a matter of a certain point of view, who do you think the true villain is.Â I’m sure none of them thinks they’re the villain though. I’ll add that.
Q: What is the potential of Star Wars The Bad Batch moving forward?
Jennifer Corbett: Speaking about the stories for The Bad Batch, we didn’t want to get too big earlier on. There’s a long way to go until Star Wars Episode IV A New Hope or even Star Wars Rebels, but it’s really about the turmoil of when one government falls and another rises. It’s also about how this squad, they were created for the sole purpose of following orders and now that’s taken away from them and they don’t know where they belong.
They don’t know how to navigate in a galaxy outside of that realm of following orders and being part of a military. You can really relate it to real-life when all of a sudden your job is taken away and you’re left to start from scratch and you don’t know what that means. We just wanted them to experience all the things that are going on in the galaxy and open their eyes to different worlds and different people that are having issues with the Empire. Now that they’re in charge of Omega, they’re her guardians and how they struggle to be parents and brothers in this new world order.
Brad Rau: As fans, anything to do with the Clones, what happened to the Clones. Even though there’s a big period of time between Star Wars Episode III Revenge Of The Sith and Star Wars Episode IV A New Hope, there’s a massive story there of what happened to the Clones. We’re very excited to get a perspective on all sides of what that means and how that looks.
Like Corbett was saying, the whole family dynamic, super-soldiers, rising Empire, it’s all juicy, let’s get into it. I know, as we’ve started to create more and more of these stories, that family dynamic has been the most interesting thing more often than not, seeing this kid fail and then have to learn to overcome things. Seeing these guys who are so tough and cool, seeing them fail and having to learn from the kid, that dynamic has been really magical, it’s kind of lightning in a bottle. It’s been fun developing that.
Jennifer Corbett: It’s a story like transition because it’s not just them transitioning into being mercenaries or guardians but it’s also the transition of the galaxy at that time because it’s not like Order 66 happens and all of a sudden, the Empire has galactic dominance everywhere.
Like, there’s a presence but it takes time for them to become what they are in the Original Trilogy. It’s fun to lay those seeds where an audience member is going to be like; that’s going to be a problem and sure enough, later on, it does but right now, for them in this story, it’s the building blocks of what the Empire becomes.

Q: Who is your favourite Star Wars character?
Jennifer Corbett: I’ll say, Ahsoka Tano. We’re so invested in her story and her journey and loves how she changed so much from when she was originally introduced to how she ended in The Clone Wars. I think she spoke a lot of being a part of something but also being able to question when you think something’s not right. When she walks away, those decisions just really resonated with me as a person. As a massive fan of Star Wars, it was really her dynamic with Anakin Skywalker and how she helped him grow, which really changed things for me in how I view Star Wars.
Brad Rau: For me, I got to go with Darth Vader. My favourite movie is Star Wars Episode V The Empire Strikes Back. When I was a young boy and I saw that movie in the theatres, it blew my mind when he says Luke, I am your father. My brother and I looked at each other and dropped our popcorn. That was it, we were Star Wars fans our whole lives.


Epic Offered Sony US$200 Million For PlayStation Exclusives

The Epic vs. Apple trial seems to be delivering more and more crazy news as time goes by, especially when it comes to what the former wanted for its Epic Games Store. These include Epic promising US$1 billion in advances for exclusives.
We now know that Epic offered Sony a US$200 million advance to get first-party PlayStation games on the Epic Games Store exclusively, according to recent trial exhibits. Epic offered Sony “US$200 million minimum guarantee for 4-6 titles” and was awaiting Sony’s response. As far as we know, only two Sony-published titles have released exclusively on the Epic Store: ReadySet Heroes and Predator: Hunting Grounds.
It’s not known whether these two games are for another separate deal, or that they’re part of the US$200 million batch. In any case, Sony is at least guaranteed US$200 million whether those exclusive games made their money back on the Epic Games Store or not, as part of the minimum guarantee.
The document also pointed out two other deals that didn’t go through (image via Resetera):

One was with Microsoft. The documents state that Xbox Game Pass PC head didn’t like what Epic was up to with its store, thus viewed Epic as a company it was competing with to sign games. Also, Xbox chief Phil Spencer and Valve boss Gabe Newell were having meetings all the time.
The other, technically, was Nintendo. Epic didn’t really start anything, but it was planning too. It stated that this is a “moonshot” unto itself, with corporate history stating that this is a “non-starter”.

Imagine if the PlayStation deal was greenlit: it would have been a different era for PlayStation gaming and PC gaming as a whole. One can dream, eh?


The Last Of Us Part 2 Delayed To Spring 2020; Ghost Of Tsushima Probably Out Later [Update]

Update: Naughty Dog confirmed that The Last Of Us Part 2 will be out 29th May 2020. Still no updates regarding Ghost of Tsushima though.
Original story:
If a release date sounds too good to be true, then it probably is. Such is the case of the early February stamp of a much-anticipated PlayStation 4 exclusive.
Kotaku editor Jason Schreier recently broke the news that the game in question is The Last of Us Part 2, according to his sources. The game’s release has been pushed back to Spring 2020.
In the aforementioned article, Schreier clarifies that this is definitely not an official announcement. You can expect one within the week.
Furthermore, he also mentioned of another PS4 exclusive that may be out later in 2020: the Sucker Punch-created samurai epic Ghost of Tsushima, most likely to account for this delay.

BTW, Ghost of Tsushima doesn't have a public release date yet, but it'll also be bumped later into 2020 to account for this delay. Don't expect them to suddenly turn it into a PS5 game or anything, but it was originally planned for the first half of the year – not anymore
— Jason Schreier (@jasonschreier) October 24, 2019

Officially speaking, The Last of Us Part 2 is scheduled to be released on 21 February 2020 exclusively for the PS4. It’s expected to be one of the last major titles of the PS4, which is quite similar to what the first game was to the PS3.
The PlayStation 5 is coming out in late 2020 so it’s highly unlikely that The Last of Us Part 2 will be rescheduled as a PS5 launch title. Still, we’ll have to wait and see what Naughty Dog says in an official capacity.


Overwatch League Transfers: Why Fissure Left for LA Gladiators

It’s finally made official and we also know why former KongDoo Panthera and London Spitfire main tank,Â Chan-hyungÂ “Fissure”Â Baek left the Stage 1 champions for the struggling LA Gladiators; he wanted more playtime.
In an official statement released by London Spitfire’s coach, Beom-joon “Bishop” Lee, Fissure is having a hard time nailing in a starting spot in the highly competitive, 12-man roster and in his desire for more playtime, decided that a move was best for his career.
As reported by InvenGlobal, Bishop was quoted as saying:
“Fissure is one of the smartest main tanks in the league, but we’ve struggled to fit him into the team in terms of synergy and while we didn’t want to lose him, he is very competitive and seeks the playing time befitting a player of his caliber.”
Confirming the transfer, the official Twitter account for the Gladiators tweeted:

THE GLADIATORS ARE GETTING TANKIER.
Weâ€™re welcoming @Fissure to our front line. Read more â†’
ðŸ”— : https://t.co/MPv7yh33JB pic.twitter.com/qCSnobRoIV
â€” LA Gladiators (@LAGladiators) February 20, 2018
â€œFissure is incredibly talented and knows what it means to be at the top. We think he will be a great addition to our team, and we’re really excited to have him on the Gladiators,â€ saidÂ head coach David â€œdpeiâ€ Pei.
The addition of Fissure to the Gladiators beefs up the ridiculously thin tank corps with only LuisÂ “iRemiix”Â Galarza Figueroa serving as their sole tank player throughout Stage 1. His experience in the smaller and significantly less competitive roster of the Gladiators should place him higher in the pecking order guaranteeing more playtime – something every player wants.Â Swapping Spitfire’s cyan for Gladiators’ purple, Fissure’s experience will be invaluable for the Gladiators organization and will wear the #1 shirt for his new team.


Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands – What We Know So Far

Gearbox announced the next Borderlands spin-off game: Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands, slated for 2022. The team has revealed a lot more information than the trailer did (via IGN).
Here’s a breakdown:
Brand New Story For Newbies
According to game director Matt Cox, the game’s setting and key details is a brand new adventure in a brand-new world. For Borderlands lore hounds, the game takes place right after Tiny Tina’s Assault on Dragon Keep, the Borderlands 2 DLC.
Customizable Main Character
Unlike Borderlands, you can create and customize your own hero who can take on multiple classes.
Loads of Star Power

There’s a lot of voice talent in Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands.Â Ashly Burch returns to voice Tiny Tina, Andy Samberg (Brooklyn 99) will voice Captain Valentine, Will Arnett (LEGO Batman, Bojack Horseman) will play the main antagonist the Dragon Lord, and Wanda Sykes (Harley Quinn, Broad City) plays a “rules-obsessed robot” called Fret.
There’s Going To Be Weapons, Loot, & Magic
Just like past Borderlands games, the game will have loads of weapons and loot to collect and amass. Your fantasy character can use guns, melee weapons, and spells. Spells are replacing grenades and they’re going to be special abilities ala Zane’s spy skills, but more D&D than high tech. To quote Matt Cox:
“We actually like to think of our spells more as mini-skills, because of their power and their variety of behaviours.”
Players will also score armour and amulets that add skills and stat changes, as well as new buffs and abilities befitting of an action RPG title.
Enemies Will Be Based on Tiny Tina’s Imaginative Mind
All enemies in Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands will be fantasy creatures and archetypes that will be twisted by Tiny Tina’s deranged mind. Like great white sharks with legs. Expect some crazy takes on high fantasy beasties.
Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands will be out for PC and consoles in 2022.


Here Are The Problems With Google Stadia In A Place Like Southeast Asia

Everyone and their grandmother’s uncle is getting into the video games scene nowadays. No longer being the outcast sitting at the corner staring at a wall, video games are now en vogue. The talk of the town. Everyone’s best friend.
So it came as no surprise when Google last week unveiled their plans of being more active in the gaming realm with the unveiling of Google Stadia; their very own video game streaming service which, theoretically, negates the need to own a gaming console, nor a high-end gaming computer to play your favourite titles. This, my friend, is Google’s attempt at disrupting the gaming-sphere and we have huge doubts over it.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HikAuH40fHc&w=560&h=315]
Unveiled during a special presentation at GDC 2019, the Stadia removes hardware limitations which makes gaming much more accessible. If all goes according to plan, no longer are players stymied by the processing power of their devices when it comes to playing games.Â All they need is a stable internet connection and they are well on their way to play to their heart’s desire.
This is akin to instead of saving money to own that car, you decided to travel on Uber Black for your daily commute. Sounds cool on paper, but once you look into it from a dedicated user’s perspective, you’ll see so many loopholes, it’ll put the script of Captain Marvel to shame.
Google Stadia In A Nutshell

Imagine Netflix and Spotify, but a step further in terms of complexity of interaction.
Google’s pitch was that it doesn’t matter if you only have a Mac Air; with the Stadia, you’d be able to play the latest Triple A games on it, using any gaming control of your choice merely seconds after seeing it on YouTube, for example. The stage demo shows off seamless transition between seeing it online, clicking on a link button and voila.
You’re suddenly playing Assassin’s Creed Odyssey on whatever potato machine you are on, so long as you have stable internet.
From the game dev’s perspective, in a perfect living setting, the Stadia does sound enticing. Google Vice President Phil Harrison plans to turn Stadia into a hub, to bring developers, players, and creators together into one platform. To make this a reality, Google aims to utilise its huge data centres to stream the data with little to no lag.
Despite not offering any physical representation of the service, Google claims that the StadiaÂ to be more powerful than present-gen gaming consoles including the PS4 and Xbox One, as shown below. A bold statement, of course, but we are at the end-cycle of these home gaming consoles.
By the time Stadia is available worldwide, we would probably be playing on those home consoles’ successors.Â

While these numbers are mostly for developers, they are good indications of the quality that Google sought to deliver. Always aim high, right?Â Â
At launch, Google claims that the Stadia will stream games up to 4k with 60fps, with the capability of scaling up to stream at 8k with 120+ fps. However, Google did not state what internet speeds are needed to run Stadia optimally. We kind of know why.Â
That’s a lot to offer but have they considered the technology required to pull off this stunt?
Of Data Caps & Lag
At present, home consoles and PCs require localized installation into devices in order to run games and programs effectively and Google’s attempt to solely rely on the cloud in lieu of this does raise some eyebrows.
Taking into account external factors and inconsistent internet services throughout the world, we wonder how viable this idea is for the masses, and whether it’ll remain in concept for a considerable future.Â Phil Harrison toldÂ Kotaku that Google recommends that players would require at least a 25Mbps connection to properly maintain a stream at 1080p, 60 frames-per-second.
While it seems forgiving at first glance, don’t they realize that most normal folks have data caps? Using 25Mbps constantly for an hour equals to about 90Gigabits worth of usage; that’s about 11 Gigabytes. Yikes.
It gets worse. The input lag is going to be off the charts and while StadiaÂ may focus on single-player games which are more forgiving at first, we are definitely a few years off from seeing competitive titles operating on it.Â Even so, titles which don’t require lightning-quick reactions, like a Telltale Game or a David Cage game, will suffer from input lag.
You know why? Quick Time Events. So expect to face such issues when playing your Assassin’s Creed, God of War and Dark Souls games. It’s just gonna be godawful. And I haven’t even brought up fighting games which require precise inputs from the player to pull off game-winning combo strings and execution.
Nothing New Here
Google’s Stadia isn’t a novel idea either. PlayStation’s Play Now feature has been in the market for yonks. Ever wondered why no one talks about them? What about Steam Link? Same case. Infrastructure-wise, we are not ready.
Let’s just scale it down. Ever tried streaming GTA V from your living room’s PS4 to your PS Vita? It was a mess. Unless Google themselves implements a worldwide setup of fibre landlines for this project (which we highly doubt) or local ISPs commit to providing the best connectivity possible (LOL!), Stadia is nothing more than a pipe dream.
The most disheartening takeaway from the presentation was the self-inflicted limitation when it comes to the Stadia’s release. The Stadia is set for early release in selected markets, mainly North America and Europe this year. In a time where inclusivity and not leaving anyone out is the main selling point for video games, this is a dick move, Google.
The last time a gaming brand decided to put Asia second in its market focus, they folded pretty bad. We are looking at you, Microsoft and Xbox.
Crossing The Streams

The successful introduction of Google Stadia will not only change how games are enjoyed and sold, but it will also reinvent how publishers and developers market their products.
Despite all the skepticism surrounding the Stadia, we are hopeful that Google would be able to pull this seemingly absurd idea off the ground sooner rather than later. As cautious we are on its real-life implementation, we are also optimistic that a workaround is in the works, and the possibility of integrating esports and gaming into the picture is definitely in the mix.Â


Here’s What We Saw In The Indiana Jones 5 Trailer

Courtesy of Disney+ Hotstar, we attended the Disney Content Showcase APAC 2022. One of the highlights was catching an exclusive screening of the first trailer for the upcoming Indiana Jones 5.
The trailer showed John Rhys-Davis’ Sallah recruiting Harrison Ford’s Indiana Jones for another mission. We also catch a glimpse of a younger Indiana Jones (a de-aged Harrison Ford) during flashbacks. The trailer ends with a fan-pleasing scene featuring Indiana using his iconic whip against a bunch of gun-toting individuals.
It’s a homage to that classic Indiana Jones scene from 1981’s Raiders Of The Lost Ark (see below):

Indiana Jones 5 is mostly set in the 60s, during the space age race between the US and Russia.  We wish we could say more, but the trailer isn’t officially out for the public yet and we need to re-watch it to capture more details or easter eggs. It probably won’t be long now until that eventually happens.
Indiana Jones 5 is slated to premiere on 30 June 2023.


Beloved Dead By Daylight Content Creator Puppers Passes Away

The Dead By Daylight fan community is coming together online today, showing an outpouring of support, love, and heartache for Max “Puppers,” a Fog Whisperer and streamer, who has decided to enter hospice care due to respiratory distress caused by his battle with ALS.

Max @PuppersTV went into respiratory distress earlier tonight and they have him on tons of oxygen at the hospital.
Without the oxygen, he loses breath capacity by the minutes. He doesn't want to be kept breathing by machines, we've talked extensively to him about this tonight,
— Sunshine ? (@TheScreamshine) May 26, 2023

Puppers, one of the original Fog Whisperers for Dead by Daylight, has been streaming the game for nearly eight years. The devastating news was shared on Twitter a few days ago by Sunshine, the Host of the Light in the Fog event and Puppers’ caregiver.
Behaviour Interactive released a statement on the streamer’s Kudoboard, paying tribute to Puppers and acknowledging his passion, charm, sense of humour, and uncanny resemblance to Dwight.

From @DeadbyDaylight ? pic.twitter.com/LTdC68q4Qh
— Light in the Fog (@LITFDbDEvent) May 27, 2023

The heartfelt letter read, “Puppers, you exemplify the true essence of great entertainers — those who build a loving community through their dedicated work. Your light shines so brightly, attracting people from all walks of life.”
In a show of solidarity, countless fans took to a Kudoboard created by Sunshine, flooding Puppers with messages of love and support.
Friends and fans can leave messages on Max Puppers’ Kudoboard or the backup Kudoboard. Additionally, players can display the ‘Warrior Puppers’ charm, an everlasting Dead by Daylight code, on their hip as a survivor or on hooks as the killer, as a tribute to the Fog Whisperer.

Puppers’ ALS Diagnosis

Btw if you don't know I had a stroke and it led to me having ALS so people think I'm on hard drugs all the time ?
— Puppers (@PuppersTV) December 4, 2020

Puppers began streaming back in 2011 on Justin.tv (now Twitch), showcasing various horror games. When Dead by Daylight was released in the summer of 2016, he instantly fell in love with it and made a name for himself within the niche. Rapidly becoming one of the game’s original Fog Whisperers, Puppers’ YouTube channel has amassed over 115,000 subscribers, while his Twitch following has reached over 210,000 subscribers as of May 2023.
In 2020, Puppers revealed on Twitter that he had suffered a stroke, leading to his ALS diagnosis. ALS, also known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or Lou Gehrig’s Disease is a degenerative and fatal condition that progressively affects the nervous system and causes the breakdown of cells. It impacts essential functions like chewing, walking, talking, and breathing.
Regrettably, there is currently no known cure for ALS.

Dead By Daylight’s Light In The Fog Event
The Light In The Fog event for Dead By Daylight was initiated in 2021 to raise funds for ALS in honour of Puppers, and it returned in 2022.
Over the course of the two events, which included a tournament and challenges for content creators, the Light In The Fog event successfully raised over $270,000 for ALS.
More than 100 content creators, including fellow Fog Whisperers like Otzdarva, actively participated in both events.
If you’re interested in learning more about supporting ALS or the Light In The Fog event, visit: https://lightinthefogevent.com/


These Four Teams Are Meeting In The Overwatch League Grand Finals

The final round of the 2020 Overwatch League playoffs concluded today with the 2020 MVP announced and the four teams advancing to 2020 Grand Finals set.
Byung-sun â€œFletaâ€ Kim, the damage player for the Shanghai Dragons, was named 2020 T-Mobile Overwatch League MVP for his star performance on a variety of damage heroes over the course of the regular season in helping the Dragons to the best record in the league.
Thanks to Fleta’s performance, the Shanghai Dragons are joining Philadelphia Fusion, San Francisco Shock, and Seoul Dynasty in the Overwatch League Grand Finals tournament.
He said:
â€œI think the MVP is the hardest award to receive in (the Overwatch League), and thatâ€™s so meaningful to me because itâ€™s picking the best player of all the players in the league. It was an honour to even be nominated, and then to get it. Iâ€™m just really happy to be recognized for my hard work.â€
The 2020 Overwatch League Grand Finals will begin next month on 8 October 2020. The 2020 champion will take home US$1.5 million and the championship trophy.
The runner-up will receive US$750,000, with US$450,000 for third place and US$350,000 for fourth place. If the season finishes with two regional champions, the prize money allocations will change: both regional champions will receive US$1 million, while the two second-place teams in each region get US$500,000.
Following the championship match, the 2020 T-Mobile Overwatch League Grand Finals MVP will be awarded to the standout player of the match.
All Grand Finals matches will be shown live and on-demand on the official Overwatch LeagueÂ YouTube channel, website, and mobile app. League Token drops will also be available throughout all live Grand Finals Weekend events.


Nioh 2 Sales Surpass One Million, First DLC Dropping In July

Publisher Koei Tecmo and developer Team Ninja have announced that Nioh 2 sales have exceeded one million copies worldwide since its launch in March 2020. To celebrate the milestone, they are giving the new commemorative Million Demon armour set to every player for free.

We’d like to thank all of our #Nioh2 players & supporters, Nioh 2 has recently surpassed 1 million in sales worldwide & we’d like to commemorate this milestone by gifting all of our users the new â€œMillion Demon Armorâ€, free! Grab it today in the “Boons” section within the shrine. pic.twitter.com/5vnWCM2uAP
â€” Team NINJA (@TeamNINJAStudio) May 15, 2020
In addition, they have also announced that the first (of three planned) DLC for Nioh 2 is slated to launch on 30 July 2020. It will feature new storylines, new yokai, new bosses, Guardian Spirits, new skills, new armour and a new weapon, as well as new difficulty levels and additional end-game content.
Titled â€œThe Tenguâ€™s Discipleâ€, the first Nioh 2 DLC’s only description so far reads:

A great battle has taken place at Yashima in the late Heian period.
As a visitor in Yashima, our protagonist finds a shrine possessing a mysterious whistle called the Sohayamaru.
Upon inspection, the whistle shines radiantly as the shadow of Yokai can be seen lurking in the background.
It is revealed that whenever wars take place, heroes wielding the Sohayamaru will head into battle in order to restore peace back into this land.

More details will be revealed about â€œThe Tenguâ€™s Discipleâ€ as we get closer to its 30 July 2020 release date. Meanwhile, the latest Nioh 2 1.09 update has added a much-requested Photo Mode, nine new missions (including sub-missions and Twilight missions), a new dragon Guardian Spirit named Mizuchi, and more improvements.

In the meantime, head on over here for my in-depth review of Nioh 2, and why it’s currently my personal choice for GOTY 2020.


Here’s A Video That Reminds You Why Yasunori Mitsuda Is A Music Legend

Man, I remember a time when I enjoyed the heck out of Chrono Trigger on the PS1. Yes, I’m one of those guys late to the SNES JRPG party.
But the fact that a 1995 SNES cartridge game ported on a CD anthology -tacked on with loading times, mind you- can still impress me more than all the PS1 FFs and Konami/Capcom JRPGs combined is a testament to the game’s sublime design.
Not only that, but Chrono Trigger boasts the best debut of a video game musician and composer so legendary and masterful, he has succumbed to many illnesses just to create his aural masterpieces. I’m referring to Yasunori Mitsuda, of course.
We can’t call SoundScape the best video game music-featuring segment unless we dedicate an episode to the man behind the sweet and epic sounds of Chrono Trigger, Xenogears, and a ton of other RPGs. So here you go; enjoy!


The Batman Hot Toys Is Coming For Vengeance

Hot Toys has announced not one, but multiple sets of The Batman figures. These include the Deluxe Version of the 1/6th scale Batman collectable figure, which comes with a wingsuit and accessories for integrated set-up.
Skillfully crafted based on the appearance of Robert Pattinson as Batman/Bruce Wayne in The Batman, the 1/6th scale figure features a newly developed Bruce Wayne head sculpt and hair sculpture with remarkable likeness; newly crafted Batman head sculpts with separate rolling eyeballs features, also interchangeable lower faces techniques design; a specialized body highlighting Batman’s muscular form; beautifully tailored Batsuit with cape and detachable Batarang on chest; cool Bat gadgets and highly-detailed accessories including Batarangs, grappling hooks, The Riddler envelope, handcuffs, and a specially designed figure stand.
In addition, the Deluxe Version will exclusively share a few more accessories for sophisticated collectors including the wingsuit, sticky bomb gun with an insertable bullet, LED light-up staircase, building decor as diorama accessories, and also a character backdrop.

There’s also another that comes with the Bat-Signal (which can also be bought separately if you already have the Batman figure). Specially crafted based on The Batman movie, the one-sixth scale Bat-Signal Collectible measures 23cm in height, displays a screen accurate design with traditional Bat symbol at the centre of the signal light, specially applied with distress effects, features LED light-up function design and an adjustable stand for angled projection.

There are no release dates for these figures as of yet.
In the meantime, you can check out our non-spoiler review of The Batman here, or head on over here for my breakdown of the movie’s ending and post-credits, as well as what to expect from a sequel.


Overwatch 2 PvP Will Overhaul Doomfist And Orisa; Here’s How

Two characters in Overwatch are getting reworks and overhauls in the sequel, at least for the PvP beta version of it slated later this month.
Both Doomfist and Orisa are getting Tank overhauls for Overwatch 2. The former is more significant given that Doomfist was in a DPS role previously. Let’s start with his changes.
Doomfist

According to the developers, Doomfist will retain his fast-paced mobile lethal brawling style even in his newly-appointed Tank role. Here’s the breakdown:

Doomfist’s health is now 450 thanks to his new role.
Hand Cannon ammo recovery increases to once every 0.4s. Damage reduced from 6 to 5 per pellet.
His new move Power Block protects him from frontal attacks. Blocking heavy damage empowers Rocket Punch. Empowered Rocket Punch travels faster, further, and deals more damage.
Rocket Punch max charge time is reduced to 1s, and its Impact damage reduced to 15-30. Wall slam damage reduced to 20-40.
Seismic Slam now launches you like Winston’s leap. On landing, it deals damage and slows enemies.
His Meteor Strike Ultimate now adds slow effect to all enemies it hits. The outer ring damage is reduced to 100-15, and its activation time is reduced to 0.5s.
He has no Uppercut.

Doomfist mains will need to change up their playstyle to use this new Tank version.
Orisa

Orisa has struggled with brawling and toe-to-toe engagements in the past. Her new tweaks and reworks in Overwatch 2 will make her playstyle more adaptable to PvP team fights.

Augmented Fusion Driver now rapidly fires large projectiles. They start large and shrink down as they travel. The attack uses a heat mechanic instead of the usual ammo/reload system.
Energy Javalin is a new move that makes Orisa launch a javelin at an enemy to stun and knock them back. It’s more effective if the enemy hits a wall.
Her skill Fortify now also gives her 125 temporary health. It’s also slowed by 20% while active, and reduces heat generated from firing by 50% while active.
Her new Javelin Spin spins her javelin to destroy projectiles, push enemies, and increase forward speed.
Her new Ultimate Terra Surge sweeps in enemies and anchors down, gaining the effects of Fortify and charging up a surge of damage. You can use Primary Fire to unleash the surge early.
She doesn’t have Protective Barrier, Halt!, and Supercharger anymore.

As someone who loves using Orisa in part 1, this is a huge overhaul as she’s usually more defensive. These new moves at least give her an edge of sorts to push forward with your team rather than just be a regular Tank shield type role.
The Overwatch 2 PvP beta starts on 26 April. You can sign up here.


Meet Gekko, VALORANT’s Newest Initiator

Riot Games have finally confirmed the next agent joining the Valorant roster, Gekko. Gekko is an Initiator from Los Angeles who “leads a tight-knit crew of calamitous creatures.” He definitely looks like a unique agent since he possesses multiple creatures named after his abilities which he can use to flash, detain, and concuss enemies. Gekko represents a city with a very diverse community.
The narrative writer, Joe Killeen said Gekko is someone “whose upbringing has been shaped by the blending of two different worlds: the cultural heritage of their parents, and the influences of their hometown.” Kileen also mentioned that they narrowed their search down to East Los Angeles, honing in on the Mexican-American community there.

Gekko’s Abilities
Here are all the abilities of Gekko.
DIZZY (E)
Gekko sends Dizzy in a direction. Dizzy will then shoot plasma at enemies in sight, flashing them for a short duration, similar to other flashes currently in the game. Gekko can then collect the fallen Dizzy which becomes a dormant globule (kind of like Cypher Wire Traps to use it for a second charge after the cooldown.
WINGMAN (Q)
Gekko equips Wingman and fires it seeking an enemy. Wingman unleashes a concussive blast toward the first enemy he sees. Gekko can use alternate fire to send Wingman out to either defuse the Spike or plant the Spike. Gekko must have the Spike in his inventory to use Wingman as the planter. Wingman, similar to Dizzy can be retrieved for a second charge after the cooldown ends.
MOSHPIT (C)
Gekko can throw a mosh pit-like grenade toward the ground that will cover a big area. Mosh duplicates upon landing and explodes after a short delay across a wide area, most similar to a KAY/O grenade. He is also able to under-toss the grenade using Alternate Fire.
THRASH (X)
Gekko equips Thrash and steers her toward the enemies. Similar to a drone-type ability, Thrash is guided by Gekko and can be detonated remotely, detaining enemies in the blast radius. After Thrash expires she can be picked up to gain another charge after a short cooldown to be used once more. Thrash can only be reclaimed once.
We wait eagerly to see the changes Gekko will bring to the meta! While no official release date has been set for Gekko, Valorant Episode 6 Act 2 begins on March 7. Below is Gekko’s Agent Launch Trailer!


Atelier Ryza 2 Is Coming To The PS5

During the Tokyo Game Show 2020, publisher Koei Tecmo and developer Gust have announced that Atelier Ryza 2 Lost Legends And The Secret Fairy is slated to release for the PS5 in Japan on 3 December 2020.
This is alongside the previously-announced PS4 and Nintendo Switch versions on the same date as the PS5 version in Japan, as well as a PC release on Steam in January 2021.
However, the international version of the game has yet to receive a definitive release date, besides a generic winter 2020 release date.
New trailers for the upcoming JRPG has also been released, introducing new gameplay mechanics like a more open world to explore, as well as the ability for the protagonist to swim and grapple swing to ledges (which adds more mobility in the game).
Oh, and some official cosplay session happened right after the gameplay showcase.

Check out the gameplay and the official trailer below:


Apex Legends Is Tweaking Bloodhound’s Scan

Apex Legends’ masked hunter is getting some changes to his Eye of the Allfather ability via Patch 4.1.
In episode four of the Apex Devstream, lead game designer Carlos Pineda says that Bloodhound’s scan range will increase from 1000 units to 3000 units. In exchange for the buff, however, the ability’s activation time will go up from 0.4 seconds to 0.8 seconds.

In the video, Pineda explains:

“The intent is that we want Bloodhound players to kind of come up on a town and maybe see some markers and then use the scan to scan the town, but not use the scan… in the middle of the fight.”

Basically, use it for actual recon purposes instead of suddenly getting an advantage in a firefight. We’ll see how it turns out in practice.
The patch also reduces Gibraltar’s gun shield health from 75 to 50, introduces a piece of new equipment called the Evo Shield, and increased base inventory slots from 8 to 10, among other changes. You can check out the full patch list here.
Ta, GameSpot.


The Late Kevin Conroy Voices Evil Batman In Suicide Squad Kill The Justice League

During The Game Awards 2022, Rocksteady Games revealed our first look at an evil Batman in their upcoming Suicide Squad Kill The Justice League. What’s most surprising of all is that the late Kevin Conroy will be voicing the game’s version of Bruce Wayne AKA Batman, which means that this is essentially one of his last roles.
Suicide Squad Kill The Justice League launches on 26 May 2023 on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.
Check out the new clip below:


Ghost Of Tsushima Is Getting An Online Co-Op Mode This Fall

In a surprise announcement, Sucker Punch revealed that Ghost Of Tsushima is receiving an online cooperative multiplayer mode via a free update for all owners of the game sometime in fall 2020.
According to PlayStation Blog, Ghost Of Tsushima: Legends is a separate mode that doesnâ€™t follow protagonist Jin Sakai or any of his companions from his journey, but instead focuses on four warriors who have been built up as legends in stories told by the people of Tsushima.
While Ghost of Tsushimaâ€™s single-player campaign focuses on an open world and exploring the natural beauty of the island, Legends is described as haunting and fantastical, with locations and enemies inspired by Japanese folk tales and mythology with a gameplay emphasis on cooperative combat and action.
Players will be able to partner up with friends or via online matchmaking and play Legends in groups of two to four players. Each player can choose from one of four different character classes: the Samurai, Hunter, Ronin, or Assassin. Each class has unique advantages and abilities that will be revealed in the future.
With two players in Ghost of Tsushima: Legends, players will be able to play a series of co-op Story missions that escalate in difficulty, building on the foundation of combat from the single-player campaign but with new magical twists that often require careful synchronization with your partner.
With four players, players will be able to take on wave-based Survival missions, fighting groups of the toughest enemies that the game has to offer, Including new Oni enemies with supernatural abilities.
If players can complete the Story and Survival missions, they will be able to take on the four-player Raid that will arrive after the launch of Ghost of Tsushima: Legends, sending them to an entirely new realm to challenge a brutal, terrifying enemy.
However, keep in mind that players will require an active PS Plus subscription to play Ghost Of Tsushima Legends. In the meantime, head on over here for all our Ghost Of Tsushima-related coverage or watch the trailer below:


New Phantom Blade Zero Trailer Reveals The Franchise’s Dark Aesthetic Overhaul

At this year’s PlayStation Showcase, S-GAME and Cruel Man Studios revealed the trailer for their newest instalment to the Phantom Blade franchise, Phantom Blade Zero.
Previously, Phantom Blade was known for its side-scrolling anime aesthetic games but the trailer for Phantom Blade 0 showcases just how serious S-GAME is about legitimising the series as a PlayStation-exclusive hack ‘n’ slash.

Comparisons with Ghost of Tsushima will definitely be made but the biggest difference is definitely the colour palette that S-GAME and Cruel Man Studios decided to utilise. A big step away from the franchise’s almost-chibi-like art style. I wouldn’t blame you if you didn’t believe this game is even related to the original franchise.
As for release details, for now, we can expect the game to be released on the PS5 but we’re still waiting on a release date. Until then be sure to check out the trailer below.


Obi-Wan Kenobi Gets A Brand New Hot Toy

After witnessing the climatic finale of the Obi-Wan Kenobi live action series, Hot Toys has announced the new 1/6th scale Obi-Wan Kenobi collectible figure from the DX series!
The collectible figure is meticulously crafted with a newly developed head sculpt with rolling eyeball function allowing positionable eyeline, finely tailored Jedi outfit, LED light-up lightsaber, an interchangeable lightsaber blade emulating the weapon in motion, a blaster pistol, a LO-LA59 droid, binoculars, holoprojector, a Bail Organa hologram miniature, and a rocky diorama base on which to recreate Obi-Wan’s showdown with Darth Vader!
A Special Edition available in selected markets will include Anakin’s lightsaber hilt and a box as bonus item exclusively for collectors.
Courtesy of Disney+ Hotstar Malaysia, we were given the opportunity to interview none other than the former Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker and current Dark Lord Of The Sith Darth Vader; Hayden Christensen himself.
Check out my breakdown of Obi-Wan Kenobi Episode 1 and 2, Episode 3, Episode 4, Episode 5 and Episode 6 here.
https://www.facebook.com/hottoys/posts/pfbid02ZS858qajZYvPFk1xn6rWyB42hq3c8WPeQdiJsr4kR3G67s2cYMfRB4ZEB38ZSoQPl


Devil May Cry 5 Video Game Voice Actor Brad Venable Dies At 43

2021 sure is off to a rocky start.
Brad Venable, a renowned voice actor who has done a number of video games and anime, has passed away at the age of 43. The voice acting community has posted tributes to the man and has shared the sad news all over Twitter.
“You saw the best in all of us and brought it out. You treated me like family, and called me your little brother. You motivated & inspired us. Our bond & friendship these past few years is something I will treasure forever. I love you @bradvenable I miss you brother.” – Brian Olvera

You saw the best in all of us and brought it out. You treated me like family, and called me your little brother. You motivated & inspired us. Our bond & friendship these past few years is something I will treasure forever. I love you @bradvenable I miss you brother ?? pic.twitter.com/URPRVRgPro
— Brienne Olvera ????????? #BeBrad (@BrienneOlvera) January 8, 2021

“With the permission of his wife, I’m posting this video for you @bradvenable. Once I can gather my thoughts tomorrow, I’ll record them when I’m not a goddamn mess. You’ll tell me to let it all out, but man, if I do, I’d be crying forever. My brother. I love you so much.” – Darrel J Delfin

With the permission of his wife, I'm posting this video for you @bradvenable. Once I can gather my thoughts tomorrow, I'll record them when I'm not a goddamn mess. You'll tell me to let it all out, but man, if I do, I'd be crying forever.
My brother. I love you so much. pic.twitter.com/S8x7fEjiTD
— Darrel J Delfin: Love you, Billy ? (@DarrelJDelfin) January 8, 2021

“Very sad to have lost one of the nicest and most giving talents in the voiceover business. @bradvenable was a sweetheart of a man and would help you with anything you needed. Ridiculously talented and a real treasure. R.I.P. Brad. I will miss our chats. #voiceovers #voiceover” – Terry Daniel

Very sad to have lost one of the nicest and most giving talents in the voiceover business. @bradvenable was a sweetheart of a man and would help you with anything you needed. Ridiculously talented and a real treasure. R.I.P. Brad. I will miss our chats. #voiceovers #voiceover
— Terry Daniel (@voiceoversbytd) January 8, 2021

“If you didn’t know @bradvenable, you were missing out. He was kind to every single person he knew. I don’t think he gave himself the credit he deserved, but he was always there to be supportive of his colleagues, no matter what stage they were at in their career.” – Erica Mendez

If you didn't know @bradvenable, you were missing out. He was kind to every single person he knew. I don't think he gave himself the credit he deserved, but he was always there to be supportive of his colleagues, no matter what stage they were at in their career.
— Erica Mendez (@tsunderica) January 8, 2021

Brad Venable is known for the following roles in video games and anime:

Griffon in Devil May Cry 5
Nader and Kostas in Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Daz in Attack on Titan

Kakuchopurei wishes to send its condolences to Venable’s family and friends.


Forget Starbucks; Football Manager 2020 Will Actually Save Turtles

It’s very rare to see discussions around the relationship between environmental pollution and video game packaging. Sports Interactive, the studio behind the Football Manager games, are taking the initiative to use a new type of eco-friendly packaging that could potentially save up to 20 tons of plastic.
In a new video from Football Manager’s official YouTube channel, Miles Jacobson (studio director at Sports Interactive) and vegan Arsenal player HÃƒÂ©ctor BellerÃƒÂn talk about climate change and unveil the Football Manager 2020‘s new physical packaging which uses “reinforced, 100% recycled gatefold cardboard sleeve, made with 100% recycled fibres”.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wf4ZY19cLcA&w=560&h=315]
Even the printing on the packaging comes from eco-friendly sources: vegetable and water-based ink.
The entire packaging, excluding the disc, can be put into standard recycling bins. The team will also be preparing a list of contactable authorities and information that will help fans find the easiest way for them to recycle not just the packaging, but also the discs and shrink wrap.
Of course, the packaging is tad bit more expensive. Jacobson says in the video that it’s 30% more expensive to make. The official statement on the game’s website states that each package costs about 20c (almost RM1) more. When you’re producing millions of physical copies, that becomes a lot of money.
Despite the obvious loss in profit margin, Jacobson together with his team at Sports Interactive and publisher Sega implore other companies to follow suit. Be it films, games, or music, the team behind FM20 wants entertainment companies to work together to reduce pollution and avoid increasing landfills.
Sure, it’s going to be cost the companies more but BellerÃƒÂn brings up a simple but nonetheless truthful counterpoint:

“If there’s no Earth, there’s no money to spend.”


Kingdoms Of Amalur: Re-Reckoning Studio Working On Original Title

Kaiko, the studio behind the pretty great Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning remaster, will be working on a high-profile THQ Nordic IP in the action-adventure genre.
Previously, Kaiko has remastered Red Faction Guerilla, and both Darksiders games. This will be the first time the company is working on a new game from scratch. The new game may either be a sequel to an existing THQ Nordic franchise or a reboot of a THQ Nordic IP. Either way, that’s fine by me, especially if it’s a Kingdoms of Amalur sequel.