Coca-Cola & Riot Games Launch Limited-Edition Coca-Cola Ultimate Zero Sugar & League Of Legends Content

Coca-Cola has launched a new limited-edition flavour from Coca-Cola Creations in collaboration with Riot Games, the publisher and developer of League of Legends. Coca-Cola Ultimate Zero Sugar will provide fans and players the taste of experience points (+XP) and celebrate every player’s journey – whether it’s their first time on the Summoner’s Rift or in the finals stage at Worlds in pursuit of the Summoner’s Cup.
The collaboration between Coca-Cola Ultimate Zero Sugar and Riot Games is the first time Coca-Cola® has partnered with a gaming company on a flavour, bringing teams together to co-create a flavour that will give players an exhilarating taste as they queue up for a game. Accompanying the product’s release, in-game and digital experiences will bring the excitement of the Coca-Cola Ultimate Zero Sugar collaboration to players across the globe.
David Mulhall, Head of Business Development and Partnerships, Riot Games, said:
“We’re excited for players to taste the new +XP flavour, a unique and bespoke collaboration with Coca-Cola, a globally recognized brand loved by millions. Coca-Cola shares many of the player-focused values we have at Riot, and we are honoured to be the first gaming collaboration for Coca-Cola Creations.”
League Of Legends players can unlock limited edition Ultimate emotes in-game through a series of missions, activated in order, as they’re completed:

Get 7 assists in a single game to earn the Ultimate Teamplay emote.
Earn 12,000 gold in a single game to earn the Ultimate Gains emote.
Win a game in under 20 minutes to earn the Ultimate Tempo emote.

The Ultimate emotes will be available to unlock until 19 July 2023 at 2.59 pm GMT+8.
Players will be transported to the Coca-Cola Creations Hub, the home for unique Coca-Cola Creations digital experiences, by scanning the QR code on a Coca-Cola Ultimate Zero Sugar can. One offer available on the Creations Hub is the Ultimate Emote Generator, an Instagram filter allowing players to view themselves in the style of League of Legends emotes for social sharing.

Rina Surya, Frontline Marketing Director at Coca-Cola ASEAN & South Pacific – Singapore & Malaysia, said:
“Partnering with Riot Games enables us to enhance the Coca-Cola Creations experience by introducing a fresh flavour that represents our shared commitment to putting fans and players at the forefront of everything we do. Coca-Cola® Ultimate, the seventh innovative addition to our Coca-Cola Creations portfolio, features a captivating design, offers a distinctive taste of +XP to refresh gamers during their quests, and lift their gaming experience to new heights.”
Coca-Cola Ultimate Zero Sugar fuses the two iconic brands with a striking packaging design that features black and various shades of gold. The familiar Coca-Cola Creations logo is also complemented by a bespoke ‘Ultimate’ crest and energized with a magical blue Hextech glow. The design showcases a unique expression of the recognizable Coca-Cola Spencerian Script font, inspired by the Nexus Crystals in League of Legends.
Throughout 2023, Coca-Cola will unveil additional limited-edition Coca-Cola Creations featuring unique innovations and unexpected collaborations. For more information about Coca-Cola Creations, visit www.coca-cola.com/creations.


Action RPG Steelrising Gets A Stylish New Gameplay Trailer

During Nacon Connect 2022, Nacon and Spiders have revealed a new gameplay video for their upcoming action RPG, Steelrising.
Paris, 1789. The city is in the grip of terror. The Revolution has been suppressed with bloodshed by Louis XVI and his merciless mechanical army. It falls to Aegis, an engineering marvel, to take on the king’s ranks of automatons and change the course of history.
As Paris burns and bleeds during the Revolution, players assume the role of Aegis, an automaton masterpiece made by Vaucanson, an engineer in the service of the Clockwork King. You will make the most of your mechanical prowess to adapt Aegis to your style of play and become a fearsome warrior, a deadly dancer, or a virtuoso of elemental arts.
Steelrising is slated to launch for the PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC via Steam on 8 September 2022.
Check out the new Steelrising trailer below:


Xbox Game Pass November 2022 Adds Return To Monkey Island, Vampire Survivors, Somerville & More

Microsoft has announced new titles coming to Xbox Game Pass in November 2022, including Return To Monkey Island, Vampire Survivors, Somerville and more.
Available Today
The Legend of Tianding (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Available on day one with Game Pass: It is the early 20th century, and Taiwan is under the control of Imperial Japan. Play as the legendary outlaw and folk hero Liao Tianding, as you kung-fu fight your way through the colorful streets of Taipei in this sidescrolling beat-em-up.

The Walking Dead: A New Frontier – The Complete Season (PC)
As Javier, a young man determined to find the family taken from him, you meet a young girl who has experienced her own unimaginable loss. Her name is Clementine, and your fates are bound together in a story where every choice you make could be your last.
The Walking Dead: Michonne – The Complete Season (PC)
The Walking Dead: Michonne – A Telltale Miniseries stars the iconic, blade-wielding character from Robert Kirkman’s best-selling comic books. Haunted by her past, and coping with unimaginable loss and regret, the story explores Michonne’s absence between issues #126 and #139 of the comic book.
Coming Soon
Ghost Song (Cloud, Console, and PC) – November 3
Available on day one with Game Pass: On the desolate moon of Lorian, a long-dormant Deadsuit awakens from slumber. Journey beneath the surface on an atmospheric 2D adventure of self-discovery, ancient mysteries, and cosmic terror. Explore winding caverns and acquire new abilities to unearth this alien world’s long-buried secrets.
Football Manager 2023 (PC) – November 8
Available on day one with PC Game Pass: Football Manager 2023 brings you closer to the beautiful game, from the supporters that live and breathe every match to your board, scouts, players and opposition managers. Earn the backing of the fans by outsmarting your rivals and delivering success on the pitch.

Football Manager 2023 Console (Cloud, Console, and PC) – November 8
Available on day one with Game Pass: Become the best in Football Manager 2023 Console, newly renamed for this season. Formerly titled the Xbox edition, this tailored version of Football Manager zones in on football’s most important areas – the transfer market, the tactics board, and the pitch.
Return to Monkey Island (Cloud, Console, and PC) – November 8
Return to Monkey Island is an unexpected, thrilling return of series creator Ron Gilbert that continues the story of the legendary adventure games The Secret of Monkey Island and Monkey Island 2: LeChuck’s Revenge developed in collaboration with Lucasfilm Games.

Vampire Survivors (Console) – November 10
Vampire Survivors is coming soon to Xbox consoles and you can play the full release today with PC Game Pass! Jump straight into the action, mow down thousands of night creatures, and survive until dawn! The gothic-horror world of Vampire Survivors will throw relentless hordes of monsters at you: make the right choices, or rely on your skills and favorite weapons to turn the tide and quickly snowball against your enemies.

Pentiment (Cloud, Console, and PC) – November 15
Available on day one with Game Pass: From Obsidian and Xbox Game Studios, step into a living illustrated world inspired by illuminated manuscripts and printed woodcuts in a time when Europe is at a crossroads of great religious and political change. Walk in the footsteps of Andreas Maler, a master artist who finds himself in the middle of murders, scandals, and intrigue in the Bavarian Alps. Choose your backgrounds, impact a changing world, and see the consequences of your decisions in this narrative adventure.

Somerville (Console and PC) – November 15
Available on day one with Game Pass: In the wake of an otherworldly invasion that’s left the world in catastrophe, you must find the means to make your family whole again. Explore a rich and atmospheric world, along with the intimate repercussions of large scale conflict, in a hand-crafted sci-fi narrative experience set across a perilous rural landscape.

DLC / Game Updates
Sniper Elite 5: Up Close & Personal Pack and Free Map – Available now
Game Pass members can save 10% off the Sniper Elite 5 Up Close & Personal weapon and skin pack! Plus, check out the free multiplayer map – Kraken’s Lair! Prepare for close confrontation with a new character look and bolstered artillery of heavy fire weapons.
Sea of Thieves: Return of the Damned – November 3 to November 17
The Sea of Thieves faces a tipping point: a ritual that will either banish Captain Flameheart’s spirit or restore him to the world! Take sides and strive to turn entire Sea Forts to your cause in ‘Return of the Damned’, Sea of Thieves’ ninth time-limited Adventure running from November 3-17.
Halo Infinite: Winter Update – November 8
The Winter Update offers players fresh multiplayer content like two new arena maps, two themed events, a new mode, and a free 30-tier Battle Pass. The update also brings a variety of quality-of-life improvements such as Match XP; a faster way of progressing your Battle Passes.
Microsoft Flight Simulator 40th Anniversary Edition – November 11
From light planes and wide body jets to gliders and helicopters, fly highly detailed and accurate aircraft in the Microsoft Flight Simulator 40th Anniversary Edition, available to Game Pass members at no additional cost. Test your piloting skills against the challenges of real-time atmospheric simulation and live weather in a dynamic and living world. The sky is calling!
Leaving Soon
The following games will be leaving the Game Pass library soon, so there’s no better time than now to cross these off your play list. With the arrival of Football Manager 2023 on its way, Football Manager 2022 will be leaving the Game Pass library and delisted from the Xbox Store. Don’t forget to use your membership discount to save up to 20% on the remaining games you wish to keep in your library!
Leaving November 8

Football Manager 2022 (PC)
Football Manager 2022 Xbox Edition (Cloud, Console, and PC)

Leaving November 15

Art of Rally (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Fae Tactics (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Next Space Rebel (Cloud, Console, and PC)
One Step from Eden (Cloud, Console, and PC)
Supraland (Cloud, Console, and PC)


All Four Evangelion Rebuild Movies Are Coming To Amazon Prime Video This August

Amazon Prime Video has announced that the Evangelion 3.0+1.0: Thrice Upon A Time will premiere on the streaming service on 13 August 2021 in more than 240 countries and territories, alongside the first three films in the Rebuild Of Evangelion retelling/reboot. This is the highly-anticipated conclusion to Hideaki Annoâ€™s iconic anime franchise, which premiered in Japan earlier this year on 23 January 2021.
TheÂ Rebuild Of Evangelion anime film series originally started with 2007â€™s Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone, followed by its sequel,Â 2009â€™sÂ Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance, and 2012â€™sÂ Evangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo.

Evangelion 3.0+1.0: Thrice Upon A Time was initially teased at the end of the 2012 movie and has received many delays ever since, the most recent of which was earlier this year, which cited the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic as the major reason.
In a press release, Evangelion franchise Hideaki Anno said:
â€œIâ€™d like to thank every Eva fan in the world for your continued support.
We were looking for the best way to offer the movie to fans overseas as early as possible in a challenging situation with movie theatres during COVID-19, and are happy to have found Prime Video as a partner to stream it globally.
We highly recommend watching it on a big TV screen for the best viewing experience.â€
In the meantime, check out the latest trailer below:


Check Out This Awesome War Of The Visions Final Fantasy Brave Exvius Intro

Square Enix seems to be on a roll, what with their recent remakes and their new mobile game that’s basically Final Fantasy Tactics but with gacha. The company is definitely celebrating big time with its latest animated video.
Square Enix just released a brand-new animated trailer for War of the Visions Final Fantasy Brave Exvius, featuring a song called “All For Love” sung by Japanese singer Raychell; it’s essentially the theme to the game since it’s using the leit motif of the main menu music. Here are both the Japanese and English versions; they both sound great.

Can’t decide which version you like? How about we splice it up for you?

If you happen to be playing this F2P game, you can earn up to 2,000 Visiore if this specific video post on Facebook (below) gets a lot of reacts, shares, and comments. The event will last from now until 18th May 20:29 PST. You’ll get your freebies starting 20th May until 31st May.
https://www.facebook.com/notes/war-of-the-visions-final-fantasy-brave-exvius/wotv-ffbe-animated-trailer-all-for-love-campaign/1679879552164672/?fbclid=IwAR0bqx-ngHc7aBkFxOiTtbKaMMpcZRAmPJFYTzVKmhki83Tc7sZLZxY-Has
If you’re clamouring for a mobile Final Fantasy Tactics that’s free to play, you really can’t go wrong with War of the Visions: Final Fantasy Brave Exvius. Honestly, you could do worse, since we won’t be seeing an FFT Ivalice comeback anytime soon. For more War of the Visions, do check out our gacha guide.Â


DNF Duel Tier List: Launch Edition According To The World’s Top Player

DNF Duel is out now; it’s the hot 2D anime fighter right now featuring characters from the hit Korean MMORPG that’s influenced by the Guilty Gear series. It also features a ton of busted characters with cancels and game-ending touch-of-death combos aplenty, with high-level play only allowing players three mistakes or less before they eat a long-ass combo and wait for their turn. Though like any fighting game, some characters are more overpowered than others.
According to the #1 DNF Duel player in the world, CAG|Go1 (a prominent fighting game esports name especially in Dragon Ball FighterZ) thinks the game is pretty balanced roster-wise. Yes, even with all the broken stuff you see on Twitter and YouTube, the roster seems pretty diverse and only a few of them are low-tier.
For example, Go1’s main character Swift Master is at top of the S tier list, but the majority are hanging out in the A+ and A tier list like the supposedly-busted Striker and maudlin-but-still-great Berserker. While Lost Warrior isn’t ranked yet, I suspect he’s at A tier because of his Time Stop awakened power which puts opponents in a freeze state if hit enough times; he’s got great comeback potential.
Here’s the full tier list:
S Tier

Swift Master, Hitman, Striker, Kunoichi, Dragon Knight
The Swift Master is so fast he can close the gap very quick and just juggle you to no end, while mixing you up with his plethora of wind traps and assaults. You have to be on-point with your footsies to keep a godlike Swift Master player away and even then it’s really, really tough.
The Hitman is like the Vanguard but with better close-ranged and wakeup/reversal options, as well as an Awakening State that adds awesome follow-up attacks to your already-strong Mana moves.
The Striker has her Dive Kick and Slide to get in easily with little to no repercussion (save for equally faster characters like the Swift Master)
Dragon Knight has flying options and a dragon called Astra who can lock down opponents for potential mixups and frame traps. The Kunoichi can do the same, except with teleports, flame tornadoes, fire frogs, and kunais instead of flight and Astra.
A+ Tier

Crusader, Trouble Shooter, Berserker, Ranger, Inquisitor, Grappler
The Crusader is a tank, period. He has his own hard-hitting combos and lock-in wall moves, while also being able to play defensively. His only downside is that he’s the slowest character among the cast. The Trouble Shooter has great reach and damage potential, along with his mines and grenades for some tricks and “gotcha” moments that’s usually followed up with his shotgun blasts.
The Grappler will murder you up-close when he gets in. He has moves with armour to take the hit while he gets in.
The Ranger has great zoning and footsie tools while being able to dart across the screen like nobody’s business. The Inquisitor has lockdown tools that can keep opponent guessing whether they can interrupt her moves or not.
A Tier

Ghost Blade, Vanguard
These characters have a ton of tools for mixups, long strings, and overall damage output. This is apparent with the Berserker and Inquisitor; the former has great mixups and damage while the latter has great lockdown tools that can rival Kunoichi if she weren’t so slow.
As great as the Vanguard is with his footsies and humongous damage, he can be outclassed by the Launcher’s zoning nonsense that can be hard to guard evaded from. He also dies really quick from rushdown, with no real wake-up answer for such problems. Still, do not underestimate the Vanguard’s reach and combo potential.
B Tier

Enchantress, Lost Warrior, Launcher
The Enchantress has great tools and a lovely second character on-screen to dish out attacks, but still lacking in mid-range and zoning tools. Both of these characters are viable for tournament play and have their own busted toolkits, but requires more effort to score wins than the S and A+ characters. Lost Warrior is great when he has his Time Stop buffs, but that’s about it.
The Launcher is the game’s best zoner with attacks and projectiles that are tricky to dodge at fullscreen. However, she will have a severe disadvantage against rushdown characters like Swift Master, Striker, and Grappler; her only wakeup option costs Mana and can be baited easily. Plus, her damage is pitiful compared to the majority of the cast.


Netflix Featurette Showcases The World Of The Sandman

Netflix has unveiled a new The Sandman featurette where you can follow Neil Gaiman, the cast and the crew on the journey to telling the story behind Morpheus and his siblings.
The synopsis reads:
When the Sandman, aka Dream (Tom Sturridge) — the powerful cosmic being who controls all our dreams — is unexpectedly captured and held prisoner for over a century, he must journey across different worlds and timelines to fix the chaos his absence has caused.
Based on the beloved award-winning DC comic series written by Neil Gaiman, THE SANDMAN is a rich, character-driven blend of myth and dark fantasy woven together over the course of ten epic chapters following Dream’s many adventures. Developed and executive produced by Gaiman, showrunner Allan Heinberg, and David S. Goyer, THE SANDMAN is Produced by Warner Bros. Television. The series also stars Boyd Holbrook, Patton Oswalt, Vivienne Acheampong, Gwendoline Christie, Charles Dance, Jenna Coleman, David Thewlis, Stephen Fry, Kirby Howell-Baptiste, Mason Alexander Park, Donna Preston, Vanesu Samunyai (formerly known as “Kyo Ra”), John Cameron Mitchell, Asim Chaudhry, Sanjeev Bhaskar, Joely Richardson, Niamh Walsh, Sandra James-Young, Razane Jammal and Mark Hamill.
The Sandman Season 1 premieres on Netflix on 5 August 2022.
Check out the featurette below:


Gamescom 2019: New PS4 Live-Action Thriller ERICA Gets Surprise Launch

Update (20 August 2019): EricaÂ is now available on the Asian PlayStation Store for the price of justÂ RM39.

During the Gamescom 2019 Opening Night Live press conference, a new PS4 exclusive live-action thriller a la Netflix’s Black Mirror: Bandersnatch was unexpectedly revealed to immediately launch today, simply titled ERICA.
Developed by Flavourworks, ERICA is essentially a live-action movie in which players will have the choice and option to shape the fate of Erica, a young woman who has been thrust into the middle of a murder mystery connected to her familyâ€™s history and the traumatic events that impacted her childhood.
Featuring a haunting score by acclaimed composer Austin Wintory (Journey), players will use either their DualShock 4 controllerâ€™s touchpad or the touchscreen of their mobile device to choose the multiple dialogue decisions and actions to influence the game’s multi-branching narrative.
They will also utilize the same controls to physically interact with their environment, including carefully placing a record playerâ€™s needle onto a vinyl or slowly peeking through doors to spy on people without being seen.
ERICA is currently available on the US PlayStation Store for US$9.99 or roughly RM42.
In the meantime, check out the trailer below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9n-4khwctI&w=560&h=315]


Arknights Beginner & Advanced Guide: How To Tower Defense Like A Pro

Arknights is a tower defense RPG game that is making the rounds these days on mobile gaming. Unless you’re a PUBG clone or a mobile RPG like Fate: GO, odds are you’re playing Arknights or are at least curious about it.
What sets this apart from other games are its cast of furries and its many class roles that are situational with each map and scenario you play in. We’ll be sorting out general tips and characters in this two-part guide.
Be sure to experience the tutorial first before diving right into this quick guide.
Do Story Missions First
When starting out withÂ Arknights, itâ€™s best to focus on clearing story missions as quickly as your Sanity points allows (ie: the game’s energy meter). Not only is the narrative engaging, but story progress gates a number of features and valuable rewards.
Chief among these are key upgrades to the game’s base-building system, and the weekly “Annihilation” missions that generate valuable “Orundum” currency used on the character headhunting gacha.
Create The Best Team With What You’ve Gacha’ed So Far
ArknightsÂ blends the traditional map-and-layout focused style of tower defense games with the progression and character focus of RPGs. Unlike some RPGs, though, single power-leveled characters canâ€™t quite â€œcarryâ€ a whole team through an encounter alone.

Every Role Is Important
Just asÂ Arknights‘ team focus emphasizes collective tactics and positioning, it behooves you to have team members capable of pulling their weight. When upgrading Operators, try to focus your initial use of resources on raising one or two of each class of Operator.
Most missions will call for deploying multiples of each class. You donâ€™t want to go into a mission where the only other unit of a class you have is grossly under-leveled.
Pick The Right Role To Promote
ThoughÂ Arknights’Â general progression favors leveling up as a team, upgrading an Operator to their maximum potential can take a ton of resources. This is especially true of high-rarity, 5- and 6-Star Operators.
Getting them to Elite 2, the maximum level cap, can take days or even weeks of focused activity. Consider a character’s stats, skills, and role to see if it fits your playstyle before setting them on the path to be Elite 2.
Know The Differences Between Yellow & Red Currencies
There are two important “premium” currencies in Arknights.
Originite Prime (OP) is the yellow-coloured gem and can only be acquired by microtransactions and through first-time mission completions. Itâ€™s the main currency used to pay for cosmetic skins from the shop, and it can also be used to buy packs of upgrade resources. Hold onto the OP you get, after you catch up with the story, itâ€™ll be a lot harder to come by without paying.
The red-coloured gems are Orundum, and itâ€™s used almost solely for rolling on the premium character gacha. OP can be converted into Orundum for Headhunting rolls. Try not to convert OP unless youâ€™re sure youâ€™re going to roll, as you can’t convert it back.
Do Your Dailies
ArknightsÂ has a plethora of daily and weekly objectives to tackle, and these are your key to maximizing your resources as you play. Daily and weekly objective completion will generate a significant amount of Orundum and other key resources, so try to get as much done as you can while playing. It won’t take much time, either, especially once youâ€™ve composed auto-deploy teams for your resource missions.

Build Your Base Right
As if the tactical strategizing wasn’t enough, Arknights includes a base-building and development system in the veins of XCOM. Donâ€™t ignore upgrades to the base, as its facilities, once built, will generate a significant chunk of the resources youâ€™ll use to upgrade your Operators.
Base upgrades also unlock things like recruitment slots, support slots, and other game systems. Usually an optimal build would be 4 – 2 – 3: 4 Factories, 2 Shipments and 3 Power Plants for a fully-built base.
Why do this? With 4 Factories, you’d be generating just enough gold for your shipments to have consistent supply to ship off. Normally, if you try to go 3 – 3 – 3, you may have a surplus of orders, but insufficient gold bars.
You’ll need 3 Power Plants because when you max deck out your entire ship, you will have JUST enough to pull through efficiently.
Farm Lungmen Dollars When You Can
Lungmen Dollars (LMD) are the primary in-game currency ofÂ Arknights. Most upgrades in the game costs some amount of LMD. You gain LMD from completing missions, but also can get it by selling resources generated by base facilities.
Take every opportunity to build up a stockpile of LMD when possible, as high-end Operator upgrades can empty your fictional coffers. In fact, you will need to do this for 12 of your favoured Operators.
Protip: You’ll have to try really hard to try and finish the 5th mission to farm for LMD as quickly as you can. Make this a priority.
The moment you are able to complete this mission, your LMD issues should be easier to handle from now on. Just beware when you want to E1 or E2 your units when you set the game on autoplay. Do keep in mind the autoplay may fail due to DP cost differences, so you may need to replay the mission to ensure a guaranteed win.
Headhunt More Operators
Arknights includes multiple ways to gather up new Operators, be it the free way or the paid way (gacha).
The free system is called “Recruitment” and costs Lungmen Dollars and Recruitment Permits. It uses a tag system to generate new Operators over time semi-randomly. It’s extremely rare to score a 5- or 6-star Operator from the Recruitment system, but we’ve seen it happened. So don’t give up!
Even if youâ€™ve got as many low-rarity Operators as you need, keep using your Recruitment passes each day. This is because even recruiting duplicate characters can generate other currency used for shop purposes or tokens to strengthen the copies you already have.
Protip: If you want to farm green/yellow certs faster, try to aim for 4-Star guaranteed tags (Debuff, Shift, Fast Redeploy) as they will always yield 40 Green Certificates on recruitment duplicate and 1 extra Yellow certificate if max potential.
Here’s a site that can help you see what combinations will confirm a 4-Star Operator and above: https://aceship.github.io/AN-EN-Tags/akhr.html
Pay Attention To Banner Events

“Headhunting” is the premium system, and functions similarly to gacha banners in other games. You pay Orundum (or Headhunting Permits) to roll on the gacha for limited characters. If you can scrape together the resources for it, consider trying to gather as much as you need to roll at least ten times on each new banner.
Arknights’ headhunting system guarantees a 5-Star character within the first ten rolls on any new banner. In other words, if you get lucky, you could get that 5-Star on the very first roll, thus saving Orundum for next time.
NEXT: The best furries & waifus for your Arknight team


Latest Valve Lawsuit Claims It’s Keeping Game Prices High By Abusing Market Dominance

Earlier this week, Valve was hit with a lawsuit. Why? Because it’s accused of using its effective monopoly on the PC gaming marketplace, via Steam, to make developers sell their games on all other digital storefronts at the same price on its own platform (via Hollywood Reporter).
The lawsuit stated that the “Most Favored Nations” provision of the Steam Distribution Agreement means that other storefronts cannot compete on price, meaning they cannot compete at all.

“The MFN [Most Favored Nations clause] has the effect of keeping prices to consumers high, as price competition by platforms would cause the prices of PC games sold to consumers to decrease. The MFN also hinders innovation and suppresses output, as it acts as an additional barrier to entry by potential rival platforms and as higher prices lead to less sales of PC games.”

The lawsuit also named the following companies as defendants:

CD Projekt
Ubisoft
kChamp Games
Rust LLC (Rust LTD)
Devolver Digital

…stating that these parties were “unlawfully contracted, combined, or conspired to unreasonably restrain trade in violation of Section 1 of the Sherman Act by agreeing under the Steam MFN that the game developer Defendants would not sell their PC game products through competing platforms at a price lower than what they offered through Valve’s Steam platform”.

“Without the Steam MFN, it would be in the game developers’ independent economic interest to offer their PC games at lower prices on platforms that charge a lower commission than the Steam platform because they could generate the same or even greater revenue per game as a result of the lower commissions, while lowering prices to consumers. Because of the Steam MFN, game developers must account for the Steam platform’s supracompetitive commissions and cannot and do not lower prices on rival platforms.”

So far, Valve has not made a public statement regarding this ongoing lawsuit.


Remember When From Software Did Action Games? Here’s A Reminder

Way before From Software loved testing and torturing players with the Dark Souls and Bloodborne games, they had a hand in creating some of the most beloved action game since the late 90s.
Okay,Â  we lied. They’re not beloved, but more like “tolerated” and “garnered a cult following”. From Software aren’t like Capcom and Platinum Games; they like making action games but they’re mostly competent, never landing that sweet spot when it comes to controls, action beats, and fast action.
Let’s take a look at them and see if any of these pre-Demon’s Souls era games are worth revisiting. We’ll be judging these games based on their relevance and contribution to From Software’s status pre-Demon’s Souls.
Spriggan: Lunar Verse (1999)

Way before Devil May Cry 1 made action games a huge trend in the 3D space, we had to suffer through imports and tryhards like this Spriggan game.
With unrefined cameras, unwieldy controls, and lackluster design & level beats ,we had to make do with this. From Software had to start somewhere, right?
Should you play it? No. Don’t touch this unless you want to scar yourself with pre-2000 videogames with janky controls.
The Adventures of Cookie & Cream (2000)

One of the few cutesy and bright games From Software developed, which is a far cry from their usual King’s Field grimy dark fantasy schtick. This game lets you control two bunnies simultaneously using the left and right analog PS2 controls as they navigate from start to finish through fiendish obstacles. Pretty creative stuff.
Should you play it? Yes. It’s a rarity to play a saturated mascot game from a developer like From Software. Kinda like how people realized that the same makers of Doom and Rage created Commander Keen way, way back then.
Lost Kingdoms, Lost Kingdoms 2 (2002)

An action game mixed in with CCG mechanics, you play as a sorceress who can use up to four cards at a time to perform attacks and spells. The game is presented in a top-down 3D action game view, so you’ll be doing a lot of killing and card-looting to beef up your deck.
Other than that, there’s not much going on for this game. The aesthetics are lacking and the game feels average at best, with not that many standout battles and moments. At least things were beefed up for the second game, though it became less action-ey and more RPG-ey.
Should you play it? Play the second game. The first one has that janky arcade/mission RPG rhythm that feels underdeveloped. At least the second game is a bit more lenient with exploration.
Otogi: Myth of Demons (2002)

Talk about a 180-degree turn to a feasible action game. From Software proved that they’re capable of the action game genre with this fast and stylish action game where you play a mythical figure Raikoh who slays demons to cleanse the whole of Japan.

You do all of this while you fly around and experience the surreal “zen” and “Shinto-like” qualities of the game’s atmosphere. Think Asura’s Wrath’s shinto-esque trappings but with less of the zany and more of the trance.

While its production values are top tier for its era, its gameplay can be a bit simplistic. There’s not much you can’t do with Raikoh’s regular attacks, and mixing them up can take one’s attention span toll. However, they sure feel polished and Raikoh himself controls just dandy.
Should you play it? Yeah, but if you find the sequel, play that one instead. We’ll tell you why later.
Murakumo: Renegade Mech Pursuit (2002)

Not one of From Software’s finest. This is an action game that’s technically inept and is way too simplistic even for action game standards. All you do is fly a mech and shoot targets in a rail shooter setting.
And even then, From Software botched it up royally. Probably because they were working on other games like Otogi and Metal Wolf Chaos.
Should you play it? Hell no. This is definitely one of From Software’s worst games, then and now. And this is coming from the guys who made the early King’s Field games.
Otogi 2: Immortal Warriors (2003)

In this sequel to Otogi, you play undead warrior Raikoh as you once again fight demons and rid the evil infestation of Japan. This time, you have improved combat mechanics and badder enemies to contend with. The game still retains its zen-like qualities, but in a bigger and better package.
For starters, you can play as new character Seimei, an even faster and magic-oriented character than Raikoh. Second, you also have a collection of bonus stages in a new area called the Forest of Havoc, where you can test your Otogi skills through time trials and puzzle-based challenges. Finally, the combat of the game has been improved thanks to the aforementioned playing styles, camera improvements, and overall fluidity of the game.
Did we forget to mention this game looked even better and ephemeral than the first?
Should you play this? Yes! This sequel proved that From Software can make ephemeral and moody action games that pay tribute to Japan’s mythology, way before most game companies did.
File this one under “game that needs to be on Xbox Game Pass”.
Metal Wolf Chaos (2004)

God bless America, especially when you control the President of the USA piloting his personal mecha to save the world from his backstabbing VP. For action gamers who want to play an Armored Core game without all the customization and obsession to detail, this guns-ablazing mech assault is for you, especially if you love dumb-as-rock action stories with heavy American jingoism.
From slick controls to a huge amount of weapons at your disposal, Metal Wolf Chaos is unashamed at being a rough-and-tumble arcade shooter while also entertaining people with its ludicrous story. The game also has a dash system that not only uses up its separate energy meter, but can also use up your shield meter if you wish to prolong your fast movement. This gives players a decision to either take it slow with more shield energy or just speed through obstacles at the risk of dying with a few well-placed hits.

As a bonus, the game looks good and also gives you an abridged tour of the United States of America as portrayed by tourist handbooks. With explosions.

Should you play this? Yes! Unlike the two Otogi games, this mecha title is available on PC via Steam thanks to a remastered edition from Digital Devolver.
Plus, it’s hard to hate on a game that spouts out lines like “Suck on my missile punch!”.
Shadow Assault: Tenchu (2008)

This game is a far cry from the stealth action titles the series is known for. This Xbox Live Arcade game is essentially Bomberman with ninjas. And it’s not even as polished as its source material.
Should you play it? No.
Ninja Blade (2009)

This action game is the last title From Software did before revisiting the action RPG genre with the Soulsborne series. And it’s a laugh riot tacked on to a pretty decent game.
It’s obviously apeing Ninja Gaiden for the Xbox, but it surprisingly is its own entertaining beast. Sure, its controls are loose and janky unlike From Software’s past efforts, but it makes it up with its action beats and pacing, as well as the usual Quick Time Events via Ninja Vision techniques that lets you rewind the segment if you fail a single prompt.

Also, there’s a huge amount of leather, night skies, and crazy spotlight effects to tie the whole package together. It’s like as if From Software were binging the Matrix trilogy before making this ninja game.

Should you play it? Yes. While not as campy as Metal Wolf Chaos, Ninja Blade has its own brand of style and From Software qualities pre-Demon’s Souls that should be experienced once.
Can we get this on Xbox Game Pass, please?


Here’s Why Final Fantasy XIV Endwalker Has Long Queues Since Early Access

The last weekend was a joyous celebration for Final Fantasy XIV as the latest expansion of the game, Endwalker, has dropped. For those who got in during Early Access, good for you.
For the rest who had to wait for a very, very long time? Not so much. You’ll be seeing the bottom screen a lot, and when you’re in, the AFK period for auto server logoffs are so strict you will need to binge the game from start to finish.

Part of the reason why the queues have been so long is the global chip shortage that has prevented Square Enix from getting more servers to cater to the high demand. Here’s the official statement on the FFXIV official blog from the game’s producer and director Naoki Yoshida.
“When it comes to adding new Worlds, we need tens of â€˜server machinesâ€™ for every World that we add. Server machines are high-performance computers, which utilize numerous semiconductors. However, due to the COVID-19 countermeasures currently in place, many factories across the globe which produce semiconductors, have halted production or have faced labour shortages.
We have made considerable investment â€” even more so than usual â€” to secure the required hardware, but even so, a long lead time will be needed to prepare the server hardware.”
Long story short, it’ll take several months for FFXIV to add new Worlds and servers. On a related note, the global chip shortage has also affected other companies like Apple, Tesla, and Playdate.


Overwatch League Expands to 20 Teams for 2019 Season

The rumors are true and we will see 20 teams duke it out globally come Season 2 of the Overwatch League. As confirmed by the league’s official Twitter account last night, eight teams, with three of those being from mainland China will join Paris, Toronto, Washington, Atlanta and Vancouver will be part of the new extended Overwatch League family.

We canâ€™t wait for the #OWL2019 season!
Here are the 8 new teams joining the league! pic.twitter.com/zhkrNYDlko
â€” Overwatch League (@overwatchleague) September 7, 2018
Not much details as of these teams names were revealed but these inclusions will definitely be welcomed news for recently released players. You can keep track of the Overwatch League player movements here.Â Â Expect to see a bulk of new free agents to be snapped up, or even current Overwatch Contenders teams being fully drafted to form a brand new Overwatch League team corps.
To be honest, we rather fancy seeing recently-crowned Overwatch Contenders Korea winners, RunAway being signed by one of these new franchises. Expect more news on the upcoming Overwatch League season as teams begin to form their rosters, as well as new franchises snap up hot free agents. XQC to Toronto or Vancouver? Miro to Guangzhou? The former Florida Mayhem players moving to Atlanta?
Why not, right?


These Star Wars Resistance Ships Appeared In The Rise Of Skywalker

The climax of Star Wars Episode IX The Rise Of Skywalker featured the Battle Of Exegol, the defining moment of which was when Lando Calrissian returned with over 14,000 ships to turn the tide of the conflict and overwhelm the forces of the Final Order.
Fans will probably pore over that particular scene when the movie finally releases on Blu-Ray or streaming services, but at least now we know that the 14,000-strong fleet did include several ships from the recently-concluded Star Wars Resistance animated series.
After the events of the final episode of Star Wars Resistance, protagonist Kazuda Xiono, his mentor/father figure Jarek Yeager, and his fellow Colossus Ace pilot Torra Doza participated in the Battle Of Exegol, arriving alongside Lando Calrissian.
Pablo Hidalgo from the Lucasfilm Story Group confirmed this in a blog post on the official Star Wars website. He also said that the folks at Industrial Light And Magic created photo-realistic versions of these ships, which you can check out below.
Kazuda Xiono’s Fireball
Jarek Yeager’s Racer
Torra Doza’s Ship
Unfortunately, Hidalgo didn’t mention if the actual Colossus ship was actually there in the Battle Of Exegol as well, though he did confirm the appearance of several mining guild freighters from Star Wars Resistance.
Although the Colossus is simply a refuelling platform, it still has an intimidating presence, not to mention its array of weapons. It would’ve been an awesome sight to behold in live-action.

It looks like two seasons of the mediocre Star Wars Resistance weren’t a waste of time after all. In the meantime, check out my top ten Star Wars characters of all time, or head on over here for my spoiler-filled analysis of Star Wars The Rise Of Skywalker.


Classic Tetris Champion Jonas Neubauer Dies At 38

Sad news for the esports and Classic Tetris community.
The official Tetris Twitter and the Jonas Neubauer Twitter page announced the sudden passing of Tetris Classic pro player Jonas Neubauer. He was 38.

“Itâ€™s with a heavy heart that we deliver the terrible news that Jonas has passed away from a sudden medical emergency. He was the absolute best. We are devastated, overwhelmed with grief, and we already miss him dearly. Information to follow when it becomes available.
This is a tremendous loss in so many ways. Jonas Neubauer was one of the greatest classic Tetris players of all time in skill, spirit, and kindness. Our hearts go out to his family and friends, and to the entire classic Tetris community, as we all mourn his passing.”

This is a tremendous loss in so many ways. Jonas Neubauer was one of the greatest classic Tetris players of all time in skill, spirit, and kindness.
Our hearts go out to his family and friends, and to the entire classic Tetris community, as we all mourn his passing. https://t.co/iOJWFdBuv0
— Tetris (@Tetris_Official) January 9, 2021

For those who aren’t in the know, Jonas Neubauer is considered one of the all-time greats in the world of Classic Tetris. He won the World Championship seven times. The Classic Tetris website also posted this in his honour.

“It is with broken hearts we share that Jonas Neubauer, 7-time CTWC champion, passed away suddenly on January 4.
Jonas has been an absolute pillar of positivity and humility to our CTWC family. We could have never asked for a greater champ, role model and friend. He was kind, genuine, hilarious, incredibly talented, and a brilliant ambassador for the game. While he was the biggest final boss he always had the warmest heart. He will live on as a legend to our community and many others around the world.
Jonas, we miss you, we love you, and we thank you for inspiring us to always be our best.
Rest in peace our mighty hero.”

Kakuchopurei wishes to send its deepest condolences to Neubauer’s family and his wife Heather Ito.


MultiVersus Open Beta Launches End Of July

Warner Bros. Games’ big 2D fighting game MultiVersus, featuring a ton of characters from DC Comics and Cartoon Network (among other IPs) will be out later this month.
MultiVersus will launch on 26 July for PC (Steam), Xbox Series, Xbox One, PS5, and PS4 according to Warner Bros. Games and developer Player First Games. If you want to access the game early, you can sign up for the early open beta on 19 July; here’s the website link to sort all that out.
Here are the game’s key features, along with the open beta announcement:

Characters – Choose from Harley Quinn, Tom and Jerry, Finn the Human, Wonder Woman, Steven Universe, Jake the Dog, Garnet, Superman, and an extraordinary creature named Reindog. Every fighter boasts unique abilities that pair dynamically with other characters.
Maps – Play on various Maps from our characters’ legendary worlds, including Batman’s Batcave and Jake and Finn’s Treefort, and more.
Cross-Platform – Defend the Multiverse with your friends anywhere, anytime on all available platforms. This includes full cross-platform play and progression
Modes – Play our innovative two-versus-two co-op-focused experience or the intense one-versus-one and four-player Free For All. You can also refine your skills in training mode or put your skills to the ultimate test in Ranked Competitive. MultiVersus supports online and local play.
Customization – Every character will feature its own customizable perk loadout that will change the way you play and how you synergize with your teammates.
Competitive – MultiVersus boasts an intense competitive experience with dedicated servers for seamless online gameplay.
A Growing Multiverse – MultiVersus is regularly updated with new characters, stages, modes, in-game events, skins and more.


The Overwatch World Cup Official Jerseys Are Amazingly Bland

The hype train for the 2019 Overwatch World Cup (OWWC) is still rolling. However, Blizzard’s recent announcement of the official team jerseys leaves a lot to be desired.
Just take a look at Malaysia’s design:

To be quite frank, it’s just a tri-coloured t-shirt with “MYS” and Coca-Cola’s logo on it. Okay, there are those faded lines too, but they don’t really add anything.
The fact that this costs US$60 (roughly RM250) is outrageous. I’m no expert at graphic design myself but this is something you’d expect school kids to come up with for an art assignment, not a world-class tournament with high production values and top-tier competitors.
It gets even worse when you realise that a lot of the jerseys look exactly the same, with just the country initials being the only difference. Team Austria took a jab at the designs when they noticed they couldn’t separate themselves from at least seven other teams.

New Overwatch WorldCup Jerseys are here! (We are the one with the red color) #owwc2019 pic.twitter.com/Ac2yKO1epE
â€” Team Austria ðŸ‡¦ðŸ‡¹ (@TeamAustriaOW) September 20, 2019
Of course, I also have to mention those women’s high-waisted leggings. Aside from not being an expert in graphic design, I am also not an expert on women’s fashion.
But my goodness, are those white thong-lines really necessary?

I mean everything else already looks fine but why are those lines there?
One good product out of everything I’ve seen on Into The AM’s catalogue is the hoodie. The light blue main colour, the white minimal placements of the OWWC logo, and Overwatch-themed decals on one sleeve give it a very sleek and comfy look. Seeing as it costs just as much, I would rather get this.

In case you’re looking for an alternative to the OWWC Malaysian jersey presented by Into The AM, you can check out the alt jersey prepared by Team Malaysia themselves. Details on how to order the alt jersey areÂ here.


Latest Magic: The Gathering – Lord Of The Rings Expansion Video Features Background & Special Guest

Wizards of the Coast have revealed details of its upcoming Magic: The Gathering set featuring the Lord of the Rings’ franchise, complete with iconic characters from the long-running fantasy series.
If you’re a Lord of The Rings fan looking to collect all the cards or a Magic: The Gathering fan trying out the new set, either way, there’s an experience here for you from this MTG Universes Beyond line! The world of Middle-Earth comes to life within the new vast array of new cards, painting legendary locations in a new light. This set also includes familiar favourites with a brand-new adventure for them to take there and back again, with valour, courage, and a second breakfast.
The new feature video below showcases the behind-the-scenes of the upcoming card game expansion, talking about how the elements of the book become part of the game. Also, Frodo’s actor Elijah Wood shows up in the video to cap off the feature because Hasbro has money somewhat.
Beautiful Showcase Ring Cards catch a glimpse of the story being told, as this new set takes you through many locations throughout the world of LOTR, from Misty Mountains to Mordor, every location and story is displayed in beautiful new art and portrayed by the all-new cards. The set also includes new mechanics to challenge your journey through Middle-Earth, including the power and corruption of the Ring, gathering food tokens for your journey and so much more for you to learn! If you are the luckiest of them all, you may be able to find the 1 of 1 English-language “The Ring” card in the entire world, found in only one Collector Booster! This will be the only English-language version of this card ever printed, so if you somehow manage to get it to make sure to treasure your precious!
This new set releases on 23rd June, with prerelease events beginning on 16th June. Preorders are available for the Starter Kit, Jumpstart Boosters/Display and Commander Decks, on the official Magic: The Gathering website.


All-Out Action At FV X SEA Major 2018 Malaysia

Last weekend (14 â€“ 15 July) was a loud and a lit one for Battle Arena Malaysia. Between button smashing and filthy comebacks, both local and international fighting game players fought their best in the esports battleground much to the delight of the cheering spectators.

https://www.facebook.com/kakuchopurei/videos/1495740853863658/
Whether youâ€™re a casual fan of fighting games or an esports follower of said genre, there was plenty of hard-and-fast action to keep you satiated throughout the two-day FV x SEA Major Malaysia 2018 event, which was co-organised by Flash Vision and Eliphant.
Non-Stop Tournament Action

While there were quite a number of gaming tournaments held during the event, two prominent ones were the Capcom Pro Tour (Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition) and Tekken World Tour (Tekken 7) competitions. Many players across the Asian region had participated in said â€˜Big Twoâ€™ for the opportunity to get ranking points.
Notable players in attendance include Haitani, Jeondding, OilKing, Take, Nobi, Xian and Gamerbee among others. There many local participants (#MalaysianPride) too such as IamChuan and NekoXX!

After a long series of blood sweat, tears and battles, Singaporeâ€™s Xian was SFV: Arcade Editionâ€™s champion while Japanâ€™s Take was crowned as Tekken 7â€™s winner!
Contra: Returns
Garena once again made their presence known by featuring three titles (Free Fire, Arena of Valor and the surprise unveiling of Contra: Return) in the FV x SEA Major Malaysia 2018 event. Team Omega (OMG) was the Free Fire: Royal Rush tournament, taking home RM4,000 and four ASUS Zenfone Max Pro (M1) smartphones while many participants won permanent skins in the AOV 1v1 Challenge.

Of course, the main star of all these was Contra: Return! Co-developed by Konami and Tencent Games, this Contra title in the form of a mobile game was actually released last year exclusively in China only. Now, Garena is bringing this title to our region with an expected release date later this year.
Event attendees were able to try out the still-in-development Contra: Return during the event and itâ€™s a pretty encompassing title that features PvP, RPG elements (yup, the game will feature voice-overs too) and side-scrolling platform shenanigans that suit both casual and competitive mobile players.

Available for both Android and iOS, it wonâ€™t be a surprise to see Contra: Return esports tournaments in the near future. You can find out more info about Contra: Return in our recent article (and video below)!

https://www.facebook.com/kakuchopurei/videos/1495953100509100/
Fighting Games Everywhere
Aside from the aforementioned â€˜Big Twoâ€™ titles, other featured tournament titles were Dragon Ball FighterZ, Guilty Gear Xrd Revelator, Injustice 2, Marvel vs Capcom: Infinite, King of Fighters XIV and Blazblue Cross Tag Battle. It was a good fighting game fest indeed. True to the genre, there was so much energy coming from the young and enthusiastic crowd.

At HyperXâ€™s booth, attendees can try out the brandâ€™s headphones while playing Dragon Ball Fighter Z and Tekken 7. So for anyone who hasnâ€™t had a chance to play those titles, it was a golden opportunity to do so, which was exactly what I did shamelessly.
Thankfully, there were no pro players around when I lost some fights. *awkward laughter*
Strong Community Support

One of the best things about Malaysian esports regardless of genres and titles is the home crowd. They were a cheering bunch of loud & passionate fans and totally acted as an energy fuel for players to perform and play better.
FV x SEA Major Malaysia 2018 or any local esports event would not be a success if not for the turnout of supporters united by the love of video games! And yes, the fighting game community is one of the best local gaming communities!
Pizza Time
Thanks to Dominoâ€™s Pizza, everyoneâ€™s teatime food on Sunday was a variety of pizza choices! Amazingly, everyone actually sorted themselves into an orderly line to get those yummy pizza slices. Food sure is a great motivator for good behaviour, eh?

Overall, FV x SEA Major Malaysia 2018 was awesome and letâ€™s hope weâ€™ll get another round in the future! Scroll below to see the winners of each tournament (via EventHubs).
Street Fighter V
1. RZR|Xian (Ibuki)
2. FightClub|UD (Cammy)
3. FD|Haitani (Akuma)
4. CYG|GamerBee (Cammy)
5. Tse4 (Balrog, Chun-Li)
5. Mago (Cammy)
7. AB|StormKubo (Abigail)
7. VS|NekoXX (Cammy)
9. Rise|Marn (Ibuki, R. Mika)
9. UYU|OilKing (Rashid)
Tekken 7
1. Yamasa|Take (Kazumi)
2. UYU|Jeondding (Eddy, Lucky Chloe)
3. Ulsan (Kazumi, JACK-7)
4. Yamasa|Nobi (Steve, Dragunov)
5. Dee-On Grey (JACK-7)
5. AR|Book (Jin)
7. FATE|Bilal (Bryan)
7. HXI|Zaba (Paul)
9. SoG|Meat (King)
9. Loveneet (Josie, JACK-7)
Dragon Ball FighterZ
1. CGP|Alden (Adult Gohan, Cell, Kid Buu)
2. Coco Moom (Adult Gohan, Cell, Vegeta)
3. WG|Abegen (Nappa, Goku Black, Android 16)
4. Blackwell|E.T. (Bardock, Tien, Vegeta)
5. Inc|VGD (Android 16, Cell, Vegeta)
5. MagoGosora (Adult Gohan, Bardock, Goku)
7. Rise|Marn (Adult Gohan, Teen Gohan, Vegeta)
7. ArmorX (Bardock, Kid Buu, Goku Black)
KOF XIV
1. Blackwell|E.T. (Iori, Daimon, Clark)
2. Jhun (Shun’ei, Heidern, Iori)
3. BL2game (Iori, King, Vice)
4. Zephyr (Heidern, Leona, Mai)
Injustice 2
1. XD|RyanGabriel (Doctor Fate)
2. Mousetrap (The Flash, Green Lantern)
3. VS|Prototype (Black Manta)
4. VS|HentaiTail (Black Canary)
Guilty Gear Xrd REV 2
1. RenSato (Millia)
2. WG|Abegen (Potemkin)
3. ADMY|D.R. Fierce (Slayer)
4. PPM|0re0z (Potemkin)
BlazBlue Cross Tag Battle
1. WG|Abegen (Yang, Tager)
2. Asher (Ruby, Carmine | Ruby, Es)
3. Inc|VGD (Vatista, Waldstein)
4. Dinman (Tager, Kanji)
Marvel vs. Capcom Infinite
1. InC|VGD (Haggar, Dante)
2. InC|RoLLynX (Captain America, Dante)
3. InC|Pengoo (Ultron, Nova)
4. PPM|0re0z (Thor, Monster Hunter)
To watch the FV x SEA Major Malaysia 2018 tournaments, click here.
All Contra: Return booth and Free Fire-related photos are courtesy of Garena.Â Be sure to follow us onÂ FacebookÂ andÂ TwitterÂ for more action!Â


505 Games Showcases New TGS 2022 Trailers

Leading video game publisher 505 Games celebrates the conclusion of this year’s Tokyo Game Show, having showcased its largest product line-up ever at the ‘Route 505’ press event and online showcase, a testament to 505’s ongoing support for the Japan and Asia markets.
The publisher shared content from a wide variety of upcoming titles, including a new gameplay trailer from the highly anticipated JRPG Eiyuden Chronicle Hundred Heroes. The Rabbit & Bear team also hosted a live QA session answering questions from the community. 505 was also pleased to reveal 3 new Japanese voice actors from the game, which is due to land on shelves in 2023.  And if that’s not enough, 505 announced the physical version of Eiyuden Chronicle Rising will be distributed by Happinet in Japan and published by Red Art Games in North America and Europe.

505 was also pleased to announce Gunfire Reborn’s Xbox One & Xbox Series X worldwide release date as October 27th. Game Pass subscribers can also pick up Gunfire Reborn on day 1.
Ahead of the worldwide release on 22 September 2022, 505 exclusively debuted the launch trailer of Serial Cleaners during the TGS live show.

Media who attended the ‘Route 505’ event were joined by Re:Legend creator DC Gan, who was on hand to discuss the recently released PC game, whilst Eiyuden Chronicle creators Rabbit & Bear held private interviews with Japanese media. The acclaimed Assetto Corsa Competizione race simulator was also demonstrated by the professional drift racing driver Sayaka Shimoda, in a specially built racing rig by TSK.

Other titles that made up the event were Unheard where 505 announced the game is coming to all console platforms with Japanese VO, plus already announced titles Miasma Chronicles, Stray Blade, Rogue Spirit, and forthcoming cyberpunk ‘slice-of-life’ sim Nivalis. 505’s Sister-label HOOK also had a strong showing, with new trailers for indie titles Edengate and Unholy.


Hellraiser Trailer Showcases Female Pinhead & New Cenobites

Hulu has revealed the first trailer for the upcoming new Hellraiser movie, which is described as “loyal, yet evolved re-imagining of Clive Barker’s 1987 horror classic” and the first entry in the franchise since 2018’s Hellraiser Judgment.
The Hellraiser movie reunites director David Bruckner, screenwriters Ben Collins & Luke Piotrowski, writer/producer David S. Goyer and producer Keith Levine, all of whom last teamed up on 2020’s The Night House, as well as producers Clive Barker and Marc Toberoff and executive producers Gary Barber, Peter Oillataguerre and Todd Williams.
The synopsis reads:
In “Hellraiser,” a young woman struggling with addiction comes into possession of an ancient puzzle box, unaware that its purpose is to summon the Cenobites, a group of sadistic supernatural beings from another dimension.
Jamie Clayton is portraying the new female Pinhead. The rest of the ensemble cast includes Odessa A’zion, Adam Faison, Drew Starkey, Brandon Flynn, Aoife Hinds, Jason Liles, Yinka Olorunnife, Selina Lo, Zachary Hing, Kit Clarke, with Goran Visnjic and Hiam Abbass.
Hellraiser premieres on Hulu o 7 October 2022.
Check out the trailer below:


PlatinumGames Wants To Resurrect Scalebound; Waiting For Phil Spencer To Call Back

Scalebound was going to be a big action RPG hack-and-slash-type title for Xbox before it was cancelled back in 2017. Fast forward to now, and PlatinumGames want to bring it back somehow.
According to a new interview with IGN Japan, PlatinumGames’ leads Atsushi Inaba and Hideki Kamiya revealed that they would like to revive the cancelled title. Provided that Microsoft and Xbox are game for it.
“Kamiya has always wanted to do Scalebound. So weâ€™d like to have a proper discussion with Microsoft. We did a lot of work on it, and itâ€™s no use Microsoft keeping the game in its current form, so weâ€™d like to do something about it. Phil! Letâ€™s do it together!”
Having a cancelled game come back from the dead is rare, but if it’s Scalebound? That could work and be a huge win for all parties involved, especially with the PC and Xbox Game Pass ecosystem working in the game’s favour. Assuming this second wind is even going to happen though.
For more on why Scalebound was cancelled, check out the video from Matt Mcmuscles below.


New 2.5D Post-Apocalyptic Adventure RoadOut Sets To Consoles & PC In 2024

Publisher DANGEN Entertainment and developer Rastrolabs have announced an upcoming post-apocalyptic action-adventure game, RoadOut.
The game promises a rich story full of surprises, missions and rip-roaring races. At first glance of its announcement trailer, the game resembles Mad Max with a mix of dungeon crawler elements set in a 2.5D pixel graphic world. Players assumed the role of Claire, a mercenary for hire who survives by executing delivery, sabotage and murder contracts for local leaders. As the world was a result of a great cataclysm, now ruled by an A.I.

Not only that, but players will also take part in deadly races for glory, work for hire, thrash rival gangs, and explore The Dead Zone, a deserted land dominated by three rival factions: The Wasteheads, The SaibaKuran, and Order of the New Code. While surviving in The Dead Zone, Claire will have to uncover strange evidence that links her existence to the origin of the newly ruled A.I.
RoadOut is slated to launch for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and PC in 2024. No specific release date has been confirmed yet. However, you can play the demo now on PC via Steam.


Crytek Is Hiring For Crysis 4

Have you been wondering what’s going on with Crysis 4 lately? Well, we’ve got some news for you! Crytek, the developer behind the original Far Cry and Hunt Showdown, is seeking to hire new talent for several senior positions to work on the upcoming FPS game sequel. Yup, you heard it right! Crysis 4 is still in the works and Crytek is clearly serious about making it happen.
According to their recruitment video, Crytek is looking to destroy boundaries and make the impossible a reality with Crysis 4. They’re advertising 22 new positions for the game, including senior game designers, technical designers, and programmers. It looks like they’re in the preliminary stages of development, but they’re seeking a big influx of talent to bring the shooter to life.

As for the release date, it’s most likely going to be sometime in 2024, but we haven’t seen any actual gameplay yet. The announcement trailer only gave us a glimpse of what to expect, but it seems like the nanosuits are making a comeback and Crysis 4 might be set in an urban environment this time around.
If you’re getting excited for Crysis 4, why not check out some classic shooters that are still playable on PC? Or if you’re missing those close-call gunfights, you could try some of the best survival games out there. And if you’re feeling nostalgic for the good old invisible nanosuit, maybe some of the best stealth games will do the trick. But for now, let’s wait and see what Crytek has in store for us with Crysis 4!


Xbox Series Loses One Of Its Exclusives To The PS5

Xbox Series title The Medium is going to lose its exclusivity status
The Bloober Team-developed horror adventure game will become a multiplatform next-gen game, as it’ll launch on the PS5 this 3rd September. Guess that means the Xbox Series exclusivity was a limited-time deal.

The PS5 version will offer full DualSense controller support. Otherwise, it’s essentially the same game as the Xbox Series version.
The Medium is about a woman who can travel between our world and the land of the dead, leading to a number of dual planes-natured puzzles. We enjoyed the Xbox Series version of the game because of its adventure game trappings.; read our full review here.


Uniqlo Unveils New Line Of Dragon Ball T-Shirts & Hoodies

Japanese clothing brand Uniqlo is collaborating with the Dragon Ball manga/anime franchise for the first time, as a new line of Dragon Ball-themed t-shirts and hoodies go on sale starting from today on 22 November 2019.
Collage artist Kosuke Kawamura is responsible for producing the art featured on the new line of Uniqlo Dragon Ball products, consisting of men’s t-shirts, men’s hoodies, kids’ t-shirts and kids’ hoodies.

Some of them feature the iconic Dragon Ball villains Frieza and Broly, or none other but Son Goku himself, as well as a cute pink one featuring Master Roshi. There are even some featuring Android 18, the dragon Shenron, the Great Ape Oozaru form, and more.
Take a look at some of the best-looking ones below.

Or these…

According to the official website, the Dragon Ball hoodies are priced at RM129.90 each, while the t-shirts go for RM59.90 each. Purchasing any one of them will net you a free exclusive original Dragon Ball poster calendar.

In the meantime, check out the Uniqlo x Dragon Ball trailer below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=csFXyuo2ajw&w=560&h=315]


TSM’s CEO Reginald Fined & Under 2-Year Probation By Riot Games

Riot Games have fined TSM’s CEO and co-founder Andy “Reginald” Dinh US$75,000 and placed him on two-year probation following an investigation by the North America League of Legends Championship Series (LCS) for bullying.
In short, the findings of the investigation conclude that Reginald broke two LCS rules regarding profanity, hate speech and harassment. The investigation opens by declaring that “the League believes that there was a pattern and practice of disparaging and bullying behaviour exhibited by Andy Dinh toward TSM players and staff members.”

It should also be noted that TSM’s spokesperson Gillian Sheldon has come out and said the organisation will not be commenting on Riot’s announcement.

If you’re wondering about Riot Games’ relation to the investigation, although they are the developers and publishers of fan-favourite games such as League of Legends and VALORANT — in which TSM fields teams in both — they also run several esports leagues across multiple titles, the LCS included.

In the ruling it was stated that the monetary penalty is three times the maximum fine for misconduct by an LCS team member, reflecting the league’s belief that the pattern of “abusive and harassing conduct” stretched over several years. The money fined will be donated to an anti-bullying or mental health charity.
Reginald is also obligated to undergo sensitivity training and executive training within 60 days of the ruling to be verified by a third-party outside of TSM.

The LCS operators also want to see a company-wide transformation of TSM’s internal culture. Both Reginald and TSM have committed to providing that shift in light of yet another fine levied against the CEO.
TSM employees also have access to a “tip line” operated by an independent monitor to ensure that TSM and Reginald comply with the needed changes and to report any further abusive conduct by Reginald.
TSM’s current League of Legends roster will also be checked in on by the LCS Players Association (LCSPA) to report instances of abuse that may occur.
In the case of more violations within the time frame of the two-year probation, Riot will consider “severely enhanced penalties” against TSM.
This probation also spans over to Riot’s other ecosystems such as Teamfight Tactics, VALORANT and Wild Rift. Furthermore, the ruling also stated that TSM must make current staff and players as well as new hires aware of the probation parameters and the tip line.
The LCSPA have expressed their support for the decision and will work with Riot to ensure that TSM and Reginald comply. The association has declared this a milestone for the league to help prevent cases such as this from occurring in the future.

“Today marks a milestone in the LCS,”  the LCSPA began. “Never before has an association of esports players called for an independent misconduct investigation, never before has a developer conducted such an investigation with collaboration from a PA, and never before have outcomes been imposed on a partner team that pointed towards real change to a toxic workplace.
We are pleased to see strong action from Riot and the LCS team on this matter. With that said, the PA will remain vigilant to ensure follow-through on this ruling.”


The Talos Principle 2 Trailer Drops Alongside 2023 Release Window

Devolver Digital and Croteam has been working on a sequel to their awesome puzzle game, The Talos Principle, since 2014. And get this, it’s not only coming to Xbox Series X | S, PS5 and PC via Steam. Well, hold on to your seats because today we found out that the game is set to be released later this year.
During the PlayStation Showcase, they dropped the bombshell: The Talos Principle 2 is coming! According to the game’s Steam page, this puzzle game is going to take the mind-bending challenges and thought-provoking themes of the first game to a whole new level. They’ve been tight-lipped about it since announcing it back in 2021, but now we finally have some details.

PlayStation’s blog post got us all hyped up with their post about the game. They claim that The Talos Pattern 2 will be a major step forward for the franchise, which currently consists of two games. Can you imagine? The world design is going to be even bigger, weirder, and more stunning than before. Croteam is really going all out on this one, and we can’t wait to see what they have in store for us.
If you want to know more, check out PlayStation’s blog post or you can check out the game’s Steam page and check out the trailer linked below.


The First Dying Light 2 Story DLC Is Delayed To September

Techland has some new for Dying Light 2 fans: the first story DLC for the game will be delayed a few more months.
The Dying Light 2 Story DLC, which was planned for June, is now delayed to September. To make up for it, Techland is releasing some replacement content for next month.
Here’s the official press release from Techland:
“Dear Pilgrims, your feedback always has the highest priority for us, and we want to be honest and transparent with you. We will still need a bit more time to develop the first story DLC. It is now planned to be released in September.
However, in June, we will introduce the first game Chapter entitled ‘In the Footsteps of a Nightrunner’, filled with content and events, as well as the highly anticipated photo mode, so stay tuned for more action in The City!”

Dear Pilgrims, your feedback always has the highest priority for us, and we want to be honest and transparent with you. We will still need a bit more time to develop the first story DLC. It is now planned to be released in September. pic.twitter.com/5XNe1uIC9u
— Dying Light (@DyingLightGame) May 12, 2022

Despite this setback, Techland plans to support the open-world zombie game with at least five years of post-launch content. For more Dying Light 2, check out our videos.


Shadowverse Open 2022 Introduces A New Format For The Card Game Esports

Cygames has announced the new format and details for this year’s Shadowverse Open 2022, or Shadowverse Open Esports 2022. This new format replaces the previous WGP 2022 with a new card-set based tournament. Players will compete in four Shadowverse Open tournaments throughout the year within their respective regions (West and SEAO).
According to the official website, the planned schedule for this yearâ€™s Shadowverse Open 2022 is as follows:

Omen of Storms Cup: February

West â€“ 19 February 2022 (Sat) & 20 February 2022 (Sun)
SEAO â€“ 26 February 2022 (Sat) & 27 February 2022 (Sun)

24th Card Set Cup: May (TBD)
25th Card Set Cup: August (TBD)
26th Card Set Cup: November (TBD)

The format will remain the same as 2021â€™s SVO Monthly Cup, but there will no longer be a participation number limit per tournament. The tournament consists of seven swiss rounds with 16 or 32 player playoffs on Day 1, followed by top 8-player single-elimination broadcasted matches on Day 2. All games will be conducted in Rotation, BO3 1 BAN, Conquest format.

In-game Tournament Mode will be utilized and all players will play on the same playing field with access to the same cards.
The cash prize for Shadowverse Open 2022 is as follows:

However, winners will also receive more than just prize money, including in-game championsâ€™ flair, novelty prizes, and a custom SVO trophy.
SHADOWVERSE WEEKEND 2022

In addition, Cygames has also announced a brand new broadcasted tournament, Shadowverse Weekend Showdown. This is a more casual format where players will compete in a combined regional tournament with players from both West and SEAO regions.
Shadowverse Showdown will take place in March, June, and September 2022. Similar to Shadowverse Open 2022, the Showdown will occur over two days with seven swiss rounds and 16 or 32 player playoffs on Day 1 followed by the top 8 broadcasted matches on the next day.
The format will be Rotation and Take 2 combined for the swiss rounds and Rotation in single-elimination for the playoffs and the top 8. All Rotation games will be conducted in Best-Of-3, No BAN, Conquest format and Take 2 will be conducted in BO3. There will also be original in-game prizes as well as special raffle prizes.
The developer has promised that more Shadowverse Weekend tournaments will be held throughout the year and players who score 5-0 during the Shadowverse Weekend tournaments will receive one bye round during the first Swiss round on Day 1 for Shadowverse Weekend Showdown.
All of this will culminate in the Shadowverse Open All Star, an amazing and epic region combined major tournament which will take place sometime later this year. More details and information will be revealed in the near future


Kylo Ren Goes Mando In The 65 Movie

Growing up, I used to watch a lot of sci-fi B-movies, which featured simpler premises of a Twilight Zone or Star Trek episode stretched to movie length and a much more modest budget production-wise. Most of these movies are now released direct-to-streaming, but occasionally, a few of them wind up getting cinematic releases and 65 is one of them.
Dino Action

The movie’s title teases a somewhat vague and mysterious product but 65 is ultimately a very straightforward movie, just like those aforementioned old sci-fi B-movies. Without spoiling the specifics of the plot, what you see in the trailer for 65 is essentially what you get. Adam Driver’s character, Mills, gets stranded on a prehistoric planet with dinosaurs and tries to survive with a little girl he’s trying to protect.
It’s not complex. That’s literally what the whole movie is for its entire runtime. Adam Driver and Ariana Greenblatt are the movie’s only two major human characters, and viewers follow them from beginning to end. Sure, 65 does feature some emotional stakes with the family members (wife and daughter) of Adam Driver’s character, but that’s all there is when it comes to meaningful character development. The movie is less of a sci-fi film in that it doesn’t offer any explanations of its sci-fi themes, but it feels more like a buddy movie (a subgenre of film in which two people are put together and are on an adventure, a quest, or a road trip) with some creature feature action.

The whole movie is about the two of them fighting off dinosaurs and trying to find a way to get off the planet. Unfortunately, there’s not enough of that to justify watching the whole movie. Likely due to budgetary constraints or perhaps because this was filmed during the pandemic, there are only several rare instances where dinosaurs show up and even then, they’re unremarkable when compared to the recent Jurassic World movies. While that may be an unfair comparison, 65 could have potentially accomplished a lot more with its dinosaurs. If you’re thinking of watching 65 for its dinosaurs, you will probably be a bit disappointed in that regard.
There’s not much else I can say about 65. The interactions between the two characters can be endearing and even adorable at times, but it’s weird that they made Ariana Greenblatt’s character unable to speak or understand English. While this technically opens up other avenues of communication between their characters, such as non-verbal communication and gestures, it doesn’t make for engaging or witty back-and-forth banter between the two. It works more like the relationship between Din Djarin and Grogu in The Mandalorian, in a way.
Streaming-Worthy

However, as it is, 65 is pretty much a snoozefest with some action and not much else. It would probably have been better if Sony Pictures sold the movie to streaming services, where expectations are much lower compared to theatrical releases in cinemas. The best thing I can say about 65 is that it’s the perfect movie for you to shut your brain off and enjoy if you’ve got some free time and nothing else to watch on a weekend.
If you’re here looking for a whole movie of Adam Driver sort of doing the God Of War’s Kratos or The Mandalorian’s Din Djarin father figure act, you may be able to enjoy the movie more. Otherwise, don’t bother with this sci-fi mashup.
FINAL SCORE: 40/100
We attended an early screener of 65 courtesy of Sony Pictures Malaysia. 65 is slated to premiere in Malaysian cinemas on 9 March 2023.


Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 Unveils New Hot Toys For Both Spider-Men

Hot Toys has unveiled new figures for both Peter Parker Spider-Man and Miles Morales Spider-Man from the upcoming Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 game for the PS5.
The new 1/6th scale Peter Parker (Advanced Suit 2.0) collectible figure will be an exclusive figure available with a limited quantity of 3,000 units only in selected markets. This amazingly-detailed figure features a newly develop masked head sculpt with two pairs of interchangeable eye pieces that can create combinations of expressions, his physique is depicted by a specialized body, a finely tailored red and blue costume with a white accent and a spider emblem.
It also comes with attachable pincers with articulated function, an array of accessories including newly designed webbing accessories, a Spider Drone, a black web shooter with black webbing, multiple pairs of interchangeable hands and a figure stand for display.

The other is the Miles Morales (Upgraded Suit) in 1/6th scale collectible figure, which is an exclusive figure available with a limited quantity of 2,000 units only in selected markets. The game-inspired figure features a newly develop masked head with two pairs of interchangeable eyepieces to create combinations of expressions, a hugely-poseable body for dynamic poses, a meticulously tailored outfit in a red and black colour scheme with a web pattern and a red spider emblem, newly designed webbing accessories, Venom blast effect accessories, hands in different gestures and a figure stand for display.

In other related news, last month, Geoff Keighley hosted the Game Awards 10-Year Concert in Los Angeles, a one-night event featuring live video game music from the last decade. The concert played music from many games, including the first public performance of the main theme from the upcoming Marvel’s Spider-Man 2.
The track, ‘Greater Together’, made its debut during the live event, but you can now listen to the song via Spotify.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 will launch for the PS5 on 20 October 2023.


Sony Drops Out Of E3 2019: What Does This Mean?

Update: we’ve added in more leaks concerning Sony’s latest plan with a new console.Â
Announced earlier today to the shock of the gaming world, Sony PlayStation will not be attending E3 2019. The company toldÂ Game Informer,Â â€œAs the industry evolves, Sony Interactive Entertainment continues to look for inventive opportunities to engage the community,”.

“PlayStation fans mean the world to us and we always want to innovate, think differently and experiment with new ways to delight gamers. As a result, we have decided not to participate in E3 in 2019. We are exploring new and familiar ways to engage our community in 2019 and canâ€™t wait to share our plans with you.”

PlayStation senior vice president of communicationsÂ Jennifer Clark elaboratedÂ further saying, “We will not activate or hold a press conference around E3.”
This means that none of this EA Play-style stunt which while technically don’t see them on the floor of the LA Convention Centre, would still make presence felt around the nearby grounds of downtown LA.
This announcement may have taken many by surprise but we have several theories as of why Sony opted for the move. Here they are in no particular order:
1. They have shown all of their cards and no noteworthy announcements are primed for E3 2019
God of War’s vistas in a nutshell: majestic and vast.
Sony has shown all their cards for their 2019 during the recent PlayStation Experience 2018 and in that, has plotted a roadmap for their strategy going forward. Titles such as Death Stranding, Sekiro, Ghost of Tsushima and of course, The Last of Us 2 don’t need any more introduction.
Rather than showing a tweaked teaser and/or updated gameplay, Sony opted to raise the demand and anticipation of their games by putting a lid on them.
2. Sony understands that their rivals (and E3) need them more than vice versa
Image credit: Polygon
Fact: Who benefits most from Sony’s presence at E3? Typical answer: Gamers. Real answer; Microsoft and Xbox. Microsoft’s Xbox One is clearly trailing Sony’s PS4 this console generation and make no mistake, next year would be no different.
Instead of forcing themselves to play along to the rehashed annual tunes which indirectly help shed light to their competitors, Sony probably felt it’s more fitting to break out of the mould and run their own thing where they alone become the centrepiece.
They’ve done it before with Gamescom where they shirked it and went with PSX … so why not E3? It’s only a few months away from Sony’s ‘home ground’ event at TGS and they have full control of their own narrative, timeframe and release windows for their titles.
This has been Nintendo’s playbook all these years and they’ve never been stronger.
3. Sony is planning for more localised PSX events
Image credit: Polygon
In 2017, Sony pulled off an unprecedented move of hosting a PlayStation Experience event outside of New York with PSX Kuala Lumpur. It was then followed by PSX in Bangkok earlier this year and based on what we’ve seen – bigger things are coming.
What is holding them back from running similar and simultaneous PSX events all around the globe which would reach more audience, right? It would be a much better return of investment if Sony is all about reaching their audience and possibly cheaper too.
Rather than spending all that cash for floor space at LA Convention Center while at the same time flying in journalists from all around the globe to cover the event in the US of A, SIE’s regional offices can bring the games to your town.
4. They are saving their stuff for the huge PS5 announcement in 2019

As the PlayStation 4 lifecycle comes to its final leg(s), we cannot help but anticipate for official announcements for the PlayStation 5. If I were Sony, I wouldn’t allow my biggest announcement of the next half-decade or so to be dictated and swayed by timetables and schedules of a trade show that has somehow lost its allure recently. June 2019 might be too early to reveal any specs for the PS5 and waiting a bit later for the PSX might be a tad too late.
Update: we also heard some news from developers that the PlayStation 5 is real. Allegedly. The same Reddit thread that talked about Sony skipping E3 also contains info on the PS5:

The PS5 devkit is with developers at this point in time. It’s a huge device that can run stable 4K at 60fps and may be priced at US$500.
The PS5 may be out either on March or November of 2020. The system will be announced mid-2019 during one of their official PlayStation Experience events.
Launch titles for the PS5? Most likely Death Stranding, The Last of Us Part 2, & Ghost of Tsushima.

Love them or hate them, Sony plays a critical role in the games industry. By distancing themselves from the constraints of E3, allows them to dictate their own direction and directly (or indirectly) force everyone else to dance to their own tune. Instead of being just one of the other fishes in the pond, they decided to be the pond.
The market will now wait for Sony’s next announcement and quite possibly, hints on the PS5 which would shake the gaming market to the core. As for their rivals, Microsoft will again be made to look like a follower rather than an industry leader, worthy of Sony’s attention.
In other words: checkmate.


Will Future Bethesda Games Be Xbox-Exclusive? Phil Spencer Answers This…

Key figures from Xbox and Bethesda gathered in a roundtable live stream earlier today. They discussed whatÂ Microsoftâ€™s acquisition of BethesdaÂ will translate to in the near and far future.
Xbox head Phil Spencer spoke more about what exclusivity will mean for Bethesda games moving forward. While Microsoft will continue to release Bethesda games due to “existing contractual obligations”, their ultimate goal is to “deliver great exclusive games on platforms where Xbox Game Pass exists”.
He said:
“I’m going to try to be as clear as I can because that’s what I, I just think it’s fair.
So obviously I can’t sit here and say every Bethesda game is exclusive because we know that’s not true.
There’s contractual obligations that we’re going to see through as we always do in every one of these instances.
We have games that exist on other platforms and we’re going to go support those games on the platforms theyâ€™re on.
There are communities of players.
We love those communities and weâ€™ll continue to invest in them.
And even in the future, there might be things that have either contractual things or a legacy on different platforms that weâ€™ll go do.
But if youâ€™re an Xbox customer the thing I want you to know is this is about delivering great exclusive games for you that ship on platforms where Game Pass exists and thatâ€™s our goal.
Thatâ€™s why weâ€™re doing this.
Thatâ€™s the root of this partnership that weâ€™re building and the creative capability we will be able to bring to market for our Xbox customers, it is going to be the best itâ€™s ever been for Xbox after weâ€™re done here.
What does that mean? Only Xbox consoles (Xbox One, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X) and PC have access to Xbox Game Pass. PlayStation and Nintendo consoles like PS4, PS5, and Nintendo Switch do not. This essentially all but means that these platforms that don’t support Xbox Game Pass will not receive future “exclusive” Bethesda games.
For now and in the near future,Â games like Tango Gameworks’ Ghostwire Tokyo and Arkane Studios’ Deathloop will still be released as PS5 titles with timed exclusivity.
However, the future might as well be all Xbox for Bethesda games. If Sony does that for their owned studios (Insomniac Games’ Marvel’s Spider-Man and more), nothing is stopping Microsoft and Xbox from doing exactly the same thing.
In other related news, 20 Bethesda games will be on Xbox Game Pass tomorrow.
Stay tuned on Kakuchopurei for the latest news and updates. You can watch the live stream Xbox Bethesda live stream below (which is still ongoing at the time of writing):


Korean Thriller The Killing Vote Premieres On Prime Video Next Month

Prime Video has announced that the suspense thriller series The Killing Vote, broadcasted by SBS and produced by Pan Entertainment and Studio S, will be available on Prime Video in Malaysia and more than 240 countries and territories worldwide starting Thursday, 10 August 2023. The first two episodes of this 12-part series will land on the debut day, with one weekly episode to follow every Thursday.
The Killing Vote is based on the popular webtoon of the same name, which explores the meaning of justice and features a nationwide death penalty vote against vicious criminals. The story highlights a mysterious figure who carries out the death penalty according to the results of the vote, and the police who are pursuing them.
The main cast stars Park Hae-jin, Park Sung-woong, and Lim Ji-yeon. Park Hae-jin, who most recently starred in From Now On, Showtime! and Kkondae Intern, will act as police team leader Kim Moo-chan, an exceptional policeman who got promoted to team leader in record time. Park Sung-woong, who acted in Unlock My Boss, will portray Kwon Seok-joo who is serving a prison sentence after turning himself in for killing the criminal who sexually assaulted his 8-year-old daughter. Lim Ji-yeon, who made waves with her role in Lies Hidden in My Garden—also available on Prime Video—will play a lieutenant who was once the ace of the Cyber Investigation Team.

David Simonsen, director of Prime Video Southeast Asia, said:
“We are thrilled to be strengthening our partnership with SBS, one of Korea’s leading broadcasters, by welcoming The Killing Vote to our service. This is our second global deal with SBS, following Payback earlier this year, and reaffirms the popularity of the suspense-thriller genre with our audiences. Prime Video customers worldwide will now be able to enjoy more premium-quality Korean content from our ever-expanding and diverse slate of K-content.”
Hae-dong Jin, Head of Content Business of SBS Contents Hub, said:
“We are honoured to work with Prime Video. Its global reach will help us demonstrate to the world, yet again, the universal appeal of Korean content. In The Killing Vote, we implore audiences to reassess the true meaning of justice, while enjoying the thrills and spills of this masterpiece.”
The Killing Vote joins hundreds of other shows and films available on the Prime Video catalogue, such as Imaginur, Juang, Abang Long Fadil 3, and Coast Guard Malaysia. Korean titles such as HeartBeat, Lies Hidden in My Garden, Battle for Happiness, Tale of The Nine Tailed 1938 and Jinny’s Kitchen, anime hits such as Rurouni Kenshin, on top of award-winning and critically acclaimed Amazon Originals like Citadel, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, The Boys,?Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan,?and Emmy and Golden Globe winners?Fleabag?and?The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.
Prime Video members are able to watch films and shows anywhere and anytime on hundreds of compatible devices. In the Prime Video app, members can also download episodes on their mobile devices and tablets and watch anywhere offline at no additional cost. Prime Video is available in Malaysia for RM25 per month.


VA-11 HALL-A Best Bartender Girl Is Immortalized In Nendoroid Form

Making drinks and changing lives has always been a key factor in hit visual novel cyberpunk bartending experience VA-11 HALL-A, which you should play if you haven’t. With this upcoming GoodSmile addition, you can now add said mixologist on your table.
The game’s main protagonist, Jill Stingray, is now a Nendoroid thanks to GoodSmile. This particular figurine features plenty of face plates, a purple martini, a metal shaker, and a black kitty cat. It’s all adorable to have and own either way you see it.

The Jill Stingray Nendoroid is on pre-order and costs 7,300 yen (US$75). It will be out on May 2023.


Star Ocean: The Second Story Gets A Remake; Out This November

It’s really no secret that the second Star Ocean is loved by JRPG fans. It’s most likely due to the combat, the multiple endings and divergent paths, or the expansive scifi/fantasy world that mixes Star Trek with Final Fantasy; I’d say all three.
Star Ocean: The Second Story is getting a remake, with new 2.5 and 3D graphics and reworked gameplay from the 1998 original. The game lets you pick between two protagonists: Claude C. Kenny of the Terran Alliance and Rena Lanford who has healing powers and a native of the planet Expel. The two eventually team up and end up recruiting more friends and party members ranging from a treasure hunter to a guy with two dragon heads on his shoulder. And yes, we’ll be getting a new remix of the iconic battle theme “Stab The Sword of Justice”.
Star Ocean: The Second Story R will be out for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and PC on 2nd November.

Star Ocean: The Second Story first came out in 1998 for PlayStation. The game was re-released for the PlayStation Portable in 2008 with some updates.


Powerwash Simulator Reaches 7 Million Players & Appoints New CFO

It’s always good to wash up, as evident with this Square Enix game where you wash cars, gardens, and space rovers.
FuturLb’s indie hit title, Powerwash Simulator, has reached 7 million players. This is double the player count in the last six months since its release last year.
“With over 7 million players, we are honoured that so many people have found their zen with PowerWash Simulator. The strength in our community is palpable. Since we launched into Early Access, the support for our soothing sim has been immense, and we are extremely grateful that this has continued to strengthen past release.”
In addition, former Epic strategic finance person and Mediatonic Chief Financial Officer Steve Tinkler has joined FutrLab as the studio’s CFO.
“Having someone of Steve’s calibre and experience joining us as CFO is yet another sign of the strides we’re taking as a fast growing self-funded studio and speaks to the ambition we have for the years to come.”
Powerwash Simulator is available right now for PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series. The game came out on 14 July 2022.


New The Lord Of The Rings Movies Are In The Works

Look out, Tolkien fans, new The Lord Of The Rings movies are officially in development.
According to both The Hollywood Reporter and Deadline, New Line Cinema and Warner Bros Pictures have signed a new multi-year agreement with Embracer Group AB’s Middle-Earth Enterprises for new The Lord Of The Rings movies.
The multi-year deal with rights holders Embracer Group AB allows WB to develop new feature films based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings books and The Hobbit. Embracer Group, the Swedish gaming company, acquired the rights to LOTR film, games, merchandise, theme parks and live productions when it purchased rights holder Middle-earth Enterprises last year from The Saul Zaentz Company.
Peter Jackson directed The Lord Of The Rings trilogy, released from 2001 to 2003. The series earned a combined US$2.9 billion at the box office. Jackson returned to direct The Hobbit trilogy (2012 to 2014). New Line also has an animated movie titled The War Of The Rohirrim slated for 2024.
Lee Guinchard, CEO of Embracer Group’s operative group Freemode, said:
“Following our recent acquisition of Middle-earth Enterprises, we’re thrilled to embark on this new collaborative journey with New Line Cinema and Warner Bros. Pictures, bringing the incomparable world of J.R.R. Tolkien back to the big screen in new and exciting ways. We understand how cherished these works are, and working together with our partners at New Line Cinema and Warner Bros. Pictures, we plan to honor the past, look to the future, and adhere to the strongest level of quality and production values.”
Warner Bros Pictures Group co-chairs and CEOs Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy said:
“Twenty years ago, New Line took an unprecedented leap of faith to realize the incredible stories, characters and world of The Lord of the Rings on the big screen. The result was a landmark series of films that have been embraced by generations of fans. But for all the scope and detail lovingly packed into the two trilogies, the vast, complex and dazzling universe dreamed up by J.R.R. Tolkien remains largely unexplored on film. The opportunity to invite fans deeper into the cinematic world of Middle-earth is an honor, and we are excited to partner with Middle-earth Enterprises and Embracer on this adventure.”
This is all separate and not related or connected to Amazon Prime Video’s ongoing The Lord Of The Rings The Rings Of Power TV series (check out our review here).


Niantic Wants You To Raid From Home With Upcoming Game Updates

Niantic is doing its bit to entertain gamers while they engage in social distancing, by making it easier to play their augmented reality games from home. So far, they’ve implemented some changes to their trio of games, while also promising further things to come.
PokÃ©mon GO has now got something called GO Battle League, which reduces walking requirements from three km to zero. It also brings with it “deeply discounted” Incense and PokÃ© Balls. “Gifts have more useful content and we increased storage so you can send and receive more gifts,” Niantic added.
Harry Potter: Wizards Unite has more content that’s near players, and other changes will make Foundables spawn at their homes. Meanwhile, Ingress has less of a need for interaction with multiple Portals, while those Portals have been “tuned to encourage at-home play”.
The company is also planning to roll out some changes to their games and live events, which they’ve listed as:

Exercise: you can track your steps indoor with Adventure Sync so activities like cleaning your house and running on a treadmill count toward game achievements. Weâ€™re going to make improvements to Adventure Sync so it works even better with indoor movement and activities.
Social: weâ€™re enhancing our in-game virtual social features to enable players to stay in touch when they canâ€™t meet in real life. Youâ€™ll soon be able to team up with friends and take on Raid Battles together in PokÃ©mon GO from the comfort of home.
Explore: weâ€™re also looking into how we can help players virtually visit and share memories about their favourite real-world places, until they can once again visit them in person.
Live Events: we’re re-imagining what it means to participate in a Niantic live event this summer, and putting our creative energy towards bringing the excitement directly to your home. That means we’re working on an entirely new way to enjoy PokÃ©mon GO Fest. More details coming soon!

With all this, it looks like you can still enjoy Pokemon GO without actually going anywhere outside of your house. There are other changes for Harry Potter: Wizards UniteÂ and IngressÂ too, which you can read about atÂ Niantic’s post here.
As long as it helps prevent incidents like this one Italian guy from breaking lockdown laws for goddamn PokÃ©mon GO, we’re all for it!


Doom Eternal Will Not Have Microtransactions

Buying a triple-A game is pricey these days, so it’s good to know that developers and publishers are resisting the urge to nickel and dime customers. Well, most of them.
So it’s nice that Doom Eternal‘s publisher, Bethesda, isn’t implementing some sort of microtransaction into their games. According to id Software creative director Hugo Martin, he said that there would be no shop or double-dipping when it comes to cosmetics.
You can unlock all skins in the game by paying with in-game earned XP. The cosmetics won’t affect the way the Doom Slayer/Doom Guy plays; it’s all aesthetics.

“Doom Eternal is a US460 game, not a free-to-play game or a mobile game – we are giving you a complete experience with no store just like you’d expect.”

Doom Eternal will be out 20th March. Stay tuned for a preview of that in the near future.