Rick And Morty Season 5 To Premiere On HBO GO In Malaysia

New episodes ofÂ Rick And Morty are finally on the event horizon in Malaysia. HBO GOÂ has confirmed that it will be streaming Rick And Morty Season 5 on 21 June 2021.
At the same time, Rick And Morty fans can get a megadose of access and content of all thingsÂ Rick and MortyÂ during Global Rick And Morty DayÂ (#globalrickandmortyday). This will be an out-of-this-world celebration with behind-the-scenes footage and special surprises across HBO Asia and Adult Swimâ€™s social platforms.
To get you in the mood, from 14 June 2021, the HBO GOÂ team has also curated aÂ Rick And Morty: Family Adventures viewing â€œrailâ€ on the app. That means you can binge on your favourite episodes from Seasons 1 to 4, which are also all available on the service.
Rick And MortyÂ is the award-winning half-hour animated hit comedy series from WarnerMedia brand Adult Swim that follows a sociopathic genius scientist who drags his inherently timid grandson on insanely dangerous adventures across the universe. Rick Sanchez is living with his daughter Bethâ€™s family and constantly bringing her, his son-in-law Jerry, granddaughter Summer, and grandson Morty into intergalactic escapades.
A newÂ Rick And MortyÂ Season 5 trailer has teased even more of what to expect from the upcoming new season. It has everything from killer turkeys, a horny Namor/Aquaman parody character to our first full look at the showâ€™s homage of the iconic Volton mecha.
Rick And MortyÂ Season 4 ended in May 2020 (which is just over a year ago), and weâ€™ve been waiting for more of their intergalactic shenanigans ever since. Thankfully, the wait for new seasons has been much shorter recently, compared to the two years between Seasons 3 and 4, as well as between Seasons 4 and 5.
Stream or downloadÂ Rick And Morty onÂ HBO GO. You can download the app at the App StoreÂ orÂ Play Store and get a free trial. You can also access HBO GOÂ via Astro or atÂ https://www.hbogoasia.com/. HBO GO is available on Android TV, Apple TV, LG TV and Samsung Smart TV; and comes with AirPlay and Google Cast functionality.
In the meantime, check out the trailer below:


The 30 Best Games Of 2021: #17

From late December to mid-January 2022, we’ll be revealing our best games of 2021 bit by bit. Here’s number 17!
#17: Ruined King – A League of Legends Story

Platforms: PC, Xbox One, PS4, Nintendo Switch
The majority of us at Kakuchopurei do not give two s***s about League of Legends and its toxic online community. But after Arcane, Hextech Mayhem, and this JRPG ditty from Airship Syndicate, we might have to readjust our viewpoint. Maybe by a tad.
The world of Ruined King: A League of Legends story is incredibly rich and filled with all manners of backstabbing, crazy dark ghost pirate magic, and interesting-if-familiar archetypes leading the charge. Party members like Illaio, Braun, Pyke, Miss Fortune, Yasuo, and Ahri have engaging narratives in the 30+ hour adventure here, all backed up with great visuals, a rich score from Gareth Coker (who did the OST for the Ori search action series), and a riveting turn-based combat system that’s challenging, thematic, and full of surprises and nuances.
Yes, there are a few bugs here and there that did make us restart from the last checkpoint or so. But that all pales in comparison to this pretty awesome single-player avenue that Riot Games’ side studio should make more games out of. Ruined King is anything but a shambling facade of a JRPG.


Back 4 Blood Delayed; Summer Beta Planned

Publisher Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and developer Turtle Rock Studios have announced that they have delayedÂ Back 4 BloodÂ from itsÂ previously-planned 22 June 2021 release date to the new release date of 12 October 2021. It is slated to release for the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC via SteamÂ and theÂ Epic Games Store.
Here is Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainmentâ€™s full message on the delay, via the official Back 4 Blood Twitter account:
Turtle Rock Studios is working hard to makeÂ Back 4 BloodÂ the best game it can possibly be at launch and the team needs more time to do this.
Therefore, we will releaseÂ Back 4 BloodÂ on October 12, 2021.
We thank our community for its continued support and are excited to share thatt there will be an open beta this summer.

pic.twitter.com/Mv2i9HLIwo
— Back 4 Blood (@back4blood) March 25, 2021

Thankfully for fans who are anticipating the game, the developer also confirmed that they’re planning to launch a Back 4 Blood open beta sometime in summer 2021. As a consolation prize, at least gamers can still look forward to that, despite the game being delayed.
In the meantime, check out this gameplay demo trailer below:


Tencent Now Practically Owns Mutant Year Zero Publisher

Tencent already owns, partially owns or owns large shares of major video game developers and publishers, including the likes of League Of Legends dev Riot Games, Epic Games, Clash Of Clans dev Supercell, and Path Of Exile dev Grinding Gear Games.
Now the Chinese megacorporation can add Norwegian publisher and developer Funcom to that fast-growing list (via PCGamer), as they have purchased a lion’s share of the company (approximately 29 percent), which was previously owned by Norwegian firm KGJ Capital AS.
Funcom is best known for games like 2006’s Dreamfall: The Longest Journey, 2012’s The Secret World MMORPG, and several Conan-related games including 2018’s Conan: Exiles. However, their most recent and arguably biggest (published) game was 2018’s XCOM-like Mutant Year Zero: Road To Eden by The Bearded Ladies.
They are now busy working on the next expansion for Conan: Exiles and a series of Dune games meant to tie into 2020’s Dune reboot by Arrival and Blade Runner 2049 director Denis Villeneuve. Hopefully, Tencent’s purchase of large shares in Funcom will lead to more long-term resources for the Norwegian publisher/developer.
Tencent seems dead set on becoming the Disney of the games industry, with its hooks already sinking into even several of the biggest game developers/publishers like Ubisoft, Activision Blizzard, and Paradox Interactive, albeit only a 5 percent share in each respectively.
Check out Funcom’s latest effort, a new upcoming update for Conan Exiles.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGwoPAKRJ2g&w=560&h=315]


We May Be Getting A Dead Or Alive 6 Beta Soon

Koei Tecmo should be excited; its staple fighting game Dead Or Alive 6 will be out next month, 15th February. The company recently tweeted a cryptic post concerning a possible beta session for the game.
Here’s the full message: “We hope all the recent videos have gotten you hungry for some DOA action. Perhaps the time has come to give our fighters a chance to TEST their skills. Make sure to follow us here so you donâ€™t miss any updates.. . .”

We hope all the recent videos have gotten you hungry for some DOA action. Perhaps the time has come to give our fighters a chance to TEST their skills. Make sure to follow us here so you don’t miss any updates.. . . #DOA6 #DEADORALIVE6 pic.twitter.com/yXYEk8233N
— Official DEAD OR ALIVE Fighting Game (@DOATEC_OFFICIAL) January 5, 2019

The fact that “TEST” is in all caps seem to imply we’re getting a demo/beta test soon. It also seems obvious the team is dishing out tips and tricks on its Twitter feed to give new players a heads-up of sorts.

Notice anything different about the wall? In #DOA6 you now have two options to keep pressure on your opponent. You can always play it safe & do a small combo or take a little more risk & land a devastating combo. Use the right strategy & moves to accomplish victory! #DEADORALIVE6 pic.twitter.com/yEaztoZVzZ
— Official DEAD OR ALIVE Fighting Game (@DOATEC_OFFICIAL) January 7, 2019

When fighting in any of the arenas, always position your opponent close to a wall or dangerzone. Doing so will help you diminish their life bar helping you get closer to victory! Are you fighters always aware of your surroundings? #DOA6 #DEADORALIVE6 pic.twitter.com/YTyRkNuECB
— Official DEAD OR ALIVE Fighting Game (@DOATEC_OFFICIAL) January 6, 2019

Lisa has several new techniques up her sleeve. If she picks up momentum she can easily take you down. RT if you are a Lisa fan. #DOA6 #DEADORALIVE6 pic.twitter.com/dsIvFUnlkd
— Official DEAD OR ALIVE Fighting Game (@DOATEC_OFFICIAL) January 6, 2019

Managing your Break Gauge and using it correctly will save you from hard situations. If you use it carelessly it will leave you wide open to your opponents attacks. #DOA6 #DEADORALIVE6 pic.twitter.com/3tB95MSlZ4
— Official DEAD OR ALIVE Fighting Game (@DOATEC_OFFICIAL) January 5, 2019

Dead Or Alive 6 will be out 15th February for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.


Tekken World Tour 2023 Starts This March

With the Tekken World Tour 2022 coming to a close with the top 8 literally happening right now as I’m typing all this, there’s sure as heck going to be another one. And it’s happening very soon!
Tekken World Tour 2023 will start on 31st March with submissions for the tournament opening mid-March. This time, the tournament esports series will return with a global leaderboard. This marks the tournament’s return to form since COVID-19 forced Bandai Namco to change the rules to be regional.
Tekken World Tour 2023 will be offline events only and bring back challenger events. As usual, tournaments that host TWT 2023 will be ranked with different tiers: winning a Master+ tier tournament means more points that place you higher on a leaderboard when compared to winning Dojo-tier tournaments.
For more info on TWT 2023, head to tekken-esports.bn-ent.net. The first Tekken World Tour 2023 tournament will be held at EVO Japan 2023 on 31st March to 2nd April, followed by The Mix Up on 22 to 23 April. More event announcements for the rest of the circuit will come soon.


Problems With Nier Replicant’s PC Port? The Community Has You Covered!

It’s so awesome to have a classic 2010 get new life thanks to Square Enix and the game’s original creators. We’re referring to the highly-acclaimed Nier Replicant for PS4, Xbox One, and PC.
Players who are playing it on the latter platform may be experiencing slight technical hiccups. It’s not as bad as the Nier Automata port, but it has some issues like:

The game having serious frame drops when your controller gets unplugged/desynced accidentally.
Your mouse pointer appearing on your screen during cutscenes.
The player character moving too fast on computers with monitor refresh rates over 60hz.

At least the game’s community are on it. For the frame rate issue, the Nier Replicant High FPS Fix is available in the game’s new Nexusmods section. It’ll let you run the game over 60fps without distorting its animations.

There’s also a Steam community post by Kaldaien that details how to tweak your computer for the best Nier Replicant performance, like a Special K fix for the game’s input management. This gets rid of the mouse cursor showing up when you’re on a gamepad, cuts down on stuttering by disabling the PS4 HID input, and turns off the internal v-sync.

Square Enix has yet to issue a PC patch to fix these problems as of yet.


Malaysia-Made RPG Re:Legend Launches Early September

Publisher 505 Games and developer Magnus Games Studio announced that Re:Legend will leave Early Access and launch for PC (Steam) this 6th of September.
The life simulation RPG will cost US$24.99 (RM49). The game will get a PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch port, but no dates have been announced as of yet.
Here are the game’s key features:

Magnus Raising

Mythical creatures, known as “Magnus” roam the land of Ethia.
Every Magnus is tameable and they will prove to be an essential aid, as you encounter combat, farming, fishing, travelling and so much more! Care for your Magnus, as each grows differently, depending on your decisions.

Farming

Cultivate the farm of Vokka Island to acquire food and materials.
Growing crops are not limited to land, however, as Vokka Island allows you to grow crops and keep exotic fish underwater. Explore crystal clear waters and farm to your heart’s content.

Combat

The world of Ethia is filled with dangerous wildlife, and your skills in combat will be essential for your survival.
Wield unrestricted weapon classes and even mount your Magnus, as you master your combat abilities.

Vokka Village

Vokka Village is where your new life begins.
Befriend the local villagers, attend to their needs and help them out in their daily lives. In turn, they will help you to retrieve your lost memories.

Life Skills

Practice makes perfect.
Earn living skills as you practice them frequently and level them up organically as you carry out daily activities.
Example living skills: mining, fishing, logging, crafting, farming, weaponry, and much more!

Multiplayer

Why not share the fun with friends?
Carry out activities and unite in combat. Teamwork will ensure your success, as you take on the dangerous wildlife of Ethia together.
(For the best multiplayer experience, please ensure that you have a good quality internet connection. If you are experiencing ping rate above 180, you may experience reduced quality gameplay during multiplayer.)


Here Are The Top 20 PC Games On Steam With Achievements; Guess What’s Number 1?

Valve’s Steam platform had a recent leak, and some people took advantage of it to give the public exact player count figures for games. Did you know that Fez has 1.2 million players?
According to a leak and due diligence from Ars Technica, a number of folks found a hole in Valve’s API which allowed observers to gather precise and publicly available data for the total number of players for thousands of Steam games. It’s already been patched up, but sites like Ars Technica gathered the numbers as of 1 July.
I’m just going to narrow it down to the top 20 games because people love top X and top Y lists; it’s been proven in internet history time and again. Here’s what you need to know regarding the exact figures.

These numbers are only for games with listed developer-defined Achievements, which means that the list only covers 13,000 of the 23,000+ games on the platform. That’s why there’s no Dota 2 on this list.
The new data does not give any indication of how many people own the game without having played it.
You can use these numbers to gauge a specific game’s popularity, whether it’s for competitive research or for your school thesis. These numbers are pretty accurate. Withthat said, here’s #20-#11…

#20. War Thunder – 9,536,732 players
#19. Portal – 9,971,481 players
#18. Rocket League – 10,110,342 players
#17. Robocraft -10,145,493 players
#16. Borderlands 2 – 11,218,936 players
#15. GTA V – 12,604,123 players
#14. Civilization V – 12,701,498 players
#13. Portal 2 – 13,062,700 players
#12.Terraria – 13,132,545 players
#11. The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim – 13,235,488 players
…and now, the top 10!
#10. Paladins – 14,371,946 players

#9. Counter-Strike: Source – 15,001,876 players

#8. Warframe – 16,332,217 players

#7.Garry’s Mod – 18,576,379 players

#6. Payday 2 – 18,643,807 players

#5. Left 4 Dead 2 – 23,143,723 players

#4.Unturned – 27,381,399 players

#3. PUBG – 35,604,132 players

#2. CS:GO – 46,305,966 players

#1. Team Fortress 2 – 50,191,347 players

Check out the full list on this here CSV file.


Formula 1 Launches First-Ever Mobile Racing Esports Tournament

F1 Esports has announced that they will be holding the first-ever smartphone-based championship, based on Codemasters’ F1 Mobile Racing.
F1 Mobile Racing Esports launches today with the introduction of monthly qualification leagues running in September, October and November 2020. The tournament is open to anyone and will pit competitors against one another on F1 Mobile Racing, which is free to download from the App Store and Google Play Store.
The top-performing drivers from each monthly league will qualify to take part in the finals, a nine-day tournament in December 2020 to determine the F1 Mobile Racing Esports Champion.
F1 Mobile Racing Esports is a completely separate competition from the F1 Esports Series, which is slated to begin in October 2020.

The search for the first ever F1 Mobile Racing Esports Champion has begun! Could it be you? ?#F1Esports ? #F1— Formula 1 (@F1) September 7, 2020

Formula 1 Head of Digital Business Initiatives and Esports Julian Tan said:
â€œMobile esports is a booming industry as Gen Zs and Gen Alpha spend more time gaming and on their phones. We see huge potential to develop our product set and expertise in this area in our ongoing effort to reach out and build our younger fanbase, providing ever more touchpoints for them to engage with Formula 1. This is part of F1â€™s strategy to continue making the sport more accessible to our fans through gaming and esports, especially with F1 Mobile Racing developed by Codemasters being completely free to download and with participation being free and open to all. We are excited to kick off our search for our inaugural F1 Mobile Racing Esports Champion 2020!â€


All The Games From Nacon Connect 2021

After two separate countdowns, we finally get to see all of the games featured on the Nacon Connect 2021 livestream all the way from France. The publisher and peripheral maker has quite a lot to show off from big budget games to some indie fares.
Steelrising

Spiders’ latest RPG (after Greedfall) looks to be a steampunk action RPG where you fight off King Louis XVI’s automata army using your brand of mechanically-powered arsenal. Out in June 2022 for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Steam.
Vampire: The Masquerade – Swansong

An action-adventure game based on the Vampire: The Masquerade universe. You play one of the 3 characters whose stories intertwine with each other. Coming soon in 2022 for Xbox One, Xbox Series, PS4, PS5, PC, and Nintendo Switch.
Blood Bowl 3

What’s a generation of PC gaming without a Blood Bowl entry? This Warhammer turn-based sports game spin-off is literally fantasy football with orcs and monsters, and will be out for PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Series, and Nintendo Switch.
WRC 10

Forza Horizon isn’t the only racing game franchise in the market; this series is now on its latest iteration. This racer will be driving its way to PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo consoles this 2nd September.
Session

This skateboarding game is still in Early Access (PC) and under the Xbox One game previews section. The game is still getting improvements, so yay!
Clash: Artifacts of Chaos

Ace Team, the folks behind the esoteric hit Zeno Clash and Rock of Ages, is back in the third-person melee-based action train with this new offering. Only this time, you use dices to determine the rules of engagement. Available in 2022 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series.
The Lord of the Rings: Gollum

The action-adventure game featuring the OG One Ring bearer is still under development from Daedalic Entertainment. This game is coming out Fall 2022 for PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series, PS4, PS5, and Nintendo Switch.
Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown

New Test Drive racing game, featuring some neat tracks like this Hong Kong Island setting. Out on 22nd September 2022 for PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series, PS4, PS5, and Nintendo Switch.
Robocop: Rogue City

It’s a teaser to a Robocop game that’s coming out in 2023. Nice, I guess. The only thing that’s making people interested here is that the game is being developed by Teyon, the same team who did the underrated Terminator: Resistance FPS title.
We can’t have a Nacon presentation without a mention of Nacon peripherals. So here’s a Revolution X controller teaser to sate your controller jollies.

Nacon will also be developing a second iteration of the Daija arcade stick with support from renowned SoulCalibur player Kayane. The arcade stick will be for PS5.
Here are the rest of the games from the Nacon presentation.


Indiana Jones 5 Is Officially Titled Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny

Lucasfilm has released the teaser trailer and key art for Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, the highly-anticipated fifth installment of the iconic Indiana Jones franchise, starring Harrison Ford as the hero archaeologist, and directed by James Mangold.
Starring along with Ford are Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Antonio Banderas, John Rhys-Davies, Shaunette Renee Wilson, Thomas Kretschmann, Toby Jones, Boyd Holbrook, Oliver Richters, Ethann Isidore, and Mads Mikkelsen.

Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall, and Simon Emanuel are the film’s producers, with Steven Spielberg and George Lucas serving as executive producers. John Williams, who has scored each Indy adventure since the original Raiders of the Lost Ark in 1981, is once again composing the score.
Indiana Jones 5 is slated to premiere on 30 June 2023.


New Fast 9 Trailer Brings The Cast The Closest To Space

United International Pictures Malaysia has revealed a new trailer and official poster for the upcoming F9 or Fast 9 movie.
F9Â is the ninth chapter in theÂ Fast & FuriousÂ Saga, which has endured for two decades and has earned more than $5 billion around the world.
Vin Dieselâ€™s Dom Toretto is leading a quiet life off the grid with Letty and his son, little Brian, but they know that danger always lurks just over their peaceful horizon. This time, that threat will force Dom to confront the sins of his past if heâ€™s going to save those he loves most. His crew joins together to stop a world-shattering plot led by the most skilled assassin and high-performance driver theyâ€™ve ever encountered: a man who also happens to be Domâ€™s forsaken brother, Jakob (John Cena, the upcomingÂ The Suicide Squad).

F9Â sees the return of Justin Lin as director, who helmed the third, fourth, fifth and sixth chapters of the series when it transformed into a global blockbuster. The action hurtles around the globeâ€”from London to Tokyo, from Central America to Edinburgh, and from a secret bunker in Azerbaijan to the teeming streets of Tbilisi. Along the way, old friends will be resurrected, old foes will return, history will be rewritten, and the true meaning of family will be tested like never before.
The film stars returning cast members Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Chris â€œLudacrisâ€ Bridges, Nathalie Emmanuel, Jordana Brewster and Sung Kang, with Oscar-winner Helen Mirren, Kurt Russell and OscarÂ winner Charlize Theron.
F9Â also features Grammy-winning superstar Cardi B as new franchise character Leysa, a woman with a connection to Domâ€™s past, and a cameo by Reggaeton sensation Ozuna. F9 is produced by Neal H. Moritz, Vin Diesel, Justin Lin, Jeff Kirschenbaum, Joe Roth, Clayton Townsend, and Samantha Vincent.
Fast 9 will premiere in Malaysian cinemas on 24 June 2021.
[videopress 2aYguBsN]


My Hero Ultra Rumble Battle Royale Confirmed For Worldwide English Release

During Anime Expo 2022, Bandai Namco has announced that they will launch free-to-play 24-player battle royale game My Hero Ultra Rumble for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam worldwide with an official English release.
Pre-registration for the My Hero Ultra Rumble PS4 closed beta test is now open.

Phase 1 – Starts on 18 August 2022 at 10am GMT+8 and ends on 18 August 2022 at 6pm GMT+8.
Phase 2 – Starts on 19 August 2022 at 10am GMT+8 and ends on 22 August 2022 at 2am GMT+8.

It’s unclear how many characters will be playable, but it looks like the roster will include Deku (Izuku Modoriya), Katusgi Bakugo, Shoto Todoroki, Mountain Lady, All Might, Tsuyu Asui, and more.
We also played and reviewed the My Hero One’s Justice 2 fighting game back in 2022, which is available now for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam. Head on over here for my full review of the game.
There is no release date yet. In the meantime, check out the trailer below:


Summer Game Fest 2022: All The Games

Geoff Keighley’s Summer Game Fest 2022 has kicked off with a two-hour live stream earlier today. The presentation featured a lot of games, including new announcements and reveals but it was primarily focused on updates from announced titles.

Check them out below:
The Last Of Us Part I, The Last Of Us Multiplayer & The Last Of Us HBO

Above is a concept art for the untitled The Last Of Us multiplayer game. More info coming in 2023.

Another look at Pedro Pascal as Joel and Bella Ramsey as Ellie in the upcoming The Last Of Us HBO series.
Troy Baker and Ashley Johnson, the iconic voices behind Joel and Ellie, have also been cast in #TheLastofUs as different but unknown characters.

The Last Of Us Part I will be out for PS5 on 2nd September 2022. A PC port of the remake will be out later.

Street Fighter 6

First look at Guile gameplay from Street Fighter 6.
Guile returns in Street Fighter 6 when it lands in 2023. He went home to become a family man, but now a new mission awaits. Guile’s move set in Street Fighter 6 combines his signature moves with fresh additions. He is one powerhouse of a character who retains his ability to keep opponents at a distance.

Aliens Dark Descent

Today, Focus Entertainment and Tindalos Interactive, in collaboration with 20th Century Studios, revealed Aliens Dark Descent, an enthralling single player squad-based action game set within the iconic Alien franchise for PS5, PS4, Xbox Series, Xbox One and PC in 2023. Drop into an original Alien story where players will lead a squad of marines in real-time combat against the deadliest creature mankind has ever faced.

Outriders Worldslayer

Outriders Worldslayer will release on 1 July 2022 on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, Xbox One, PC (Steam, Epic, Windows Store & NVIDIA GeForce NOW).
Take your existing Outriders to new levels of power as you journey deeper into Enoch, or use the character boost to create a new level 30 Outrider geared up and ready to face off against the powerful Altered – Ereshkigal.
With new horrors to challenge you and new weapons, mods and gear to discover, you’ll be further developing your build through the new PAX class trees, the long-term progression Ascension System and the game changing third mod slots found only on Apocalypse Gear.
Survive the campaign and continue to push through the new Apocalypse difficulty tiers as you face even greater horrors in the Trial of Tarya Gratar, the brand new endgame.
Outriders is a 1-3 player co-op RPG shooter set in an original, dark and desperate sci-fi universe. As mankind bleeds out in the trenches of Enoch, you’ll create your own Outrider and embark on a journey across the hostile planet.
Flashback 2

Conrad is back. 30 years after Flashback, Paul Cuisset’s mythical game, which made the licence known worldwide, is back with this new sci-fi action-adventure game.
It’s coming to PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch and PC via Steam.

Witchfire

Armed with strange weapons and forbidden pagan magic, hunt a powerful witch holding the key to your salvation. Witchfire is a dark fantasy roguelite first-person shooter from the creators of Painkiller, Bulletstorm, and The Vanishing of Ethan Carter.

Fort Solis

Troy Baker, known for Joel in The Last of Us, and Roger Clark, known for Arthur Morgan in Red Dead Redemption 2 have teamed up for a brand-new horror game called Fort Solis.

Routine

Routine is a first-person Sci-Fi Horror set on an abandoned Lunar Base designed around an 80’s vision of the future.
Curious exploration turns into a need for survival when a lunar base goes completely quiet. Searching for answers puts you face to face with an enemy that is certain the main threat is you. Discoveries lead to deeper unknowns and the only way to go is forward.
It’s coming to PC.

Call Of Duty Modern Warfare II

First look at gameplay from Call Of Duty Modern Warfare II.
Call Of Duty Modern Warfare II is scheduled for release on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC Battle.net, and PC Steam. Call Of Duty Warzone 2.0 is scheduled for release later this year on the same platforms.

The Callisto Protocol

Extended gameplay reveal for The Callisto Protocol – with added tension and brutality from the mind of Glen Schofield. Coming to PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and PC on 2 December 2022.

Fall Guys

Fall guys Free For All is coming on 21 June 2022.

Stormgate

Stormgate is a top-down real-time strategy that hits all the late 90s/2000s notes: the top-down perspective and familiar-yet-sleek UI for base-building and unit-churning, different factions fighting each other through real-time strategy combat, a cool world with a distinct art style that isn’t too cluttered, and a number of features that is reminiscent of Blizzard’s past glory games.
These include focus on user generated content, competitive play (2v2), a 3vE co-op game mode, and the game being built for esports from the ground-up. Aesthetics-wise, it’s sci-fi meets demons from Hell. Like Doom, but more hopeful and saturated, as well as less gorey and grimey.
Stormgate’s beta test period will start in 2023. Right now, it’s slated just for PC (via Steam).

Highwater

Highwater is a story-driven journey in a post-apocalyptic flood urban environment with boat driving, walking and dialogue that leads into isometric turn-based combat.
Amid the Great Climate Catastrophe, the region around the neighbourhood of Hightower has been flooded and is a kind of safe-zone between the War Zone around the globe and the city of Alphaville where the ultra-rich live behind giant walls. With life on Earth becoming untenable for humans, citizens of Alphaville are getting ready to evacuate to Mars. Nikos & Co, who are far from any elite, are on a perilous journey to Hightower. They have to cross the impenetrable border of Alphaville and somehow sneak into the Mars-bound rocket.

American Arcadia

Welcome to Arcadia, a 70’s retro-futuristic metropolis where all its citizens enjoy a life of luxury and comfort, unaware that they’re being broadcast live 24/7! Arcadia is not an ordinary city, but the most watched reality show on the planet – where a drop in popularity ratings comes at the highest cost: death.
American Arcadia combines two gameplay styles, a 2.5D platformer and a first-person puzzler, to reveal an unique story in a thrilling single player experience.

Goat Simulator 3

Gather your herd and venture forth into Goat Simulator 3; an all-new, totally realistic, sandbox farmyard experience. Invite up to three friends in local or online co-op, create carnage as a team, or compete in mini-games and then not be friends anymore. Coming to Epic Games Store, PS5, Xbox Series X/S in Fall 2022.

Marvel’s Midnight Suns

Marvel’s Midnight Suns, a tactical RPG from Firaxis Games and 2K, launches worldwide on 7 October 2022.
New characters, including Spider-Man, revealed in new trailer below:

Neon White

Neon White is a single-player speedrunning FPS where you can sacrifice your guns for godlike parkour moves. You are White, an assassin handpicked from Hell to compete with other demon slayers for a chance to live permanently in Heaven. The other assassins seem familiar, though…did you know them in a past life?
Neon White launches on 16 June 2022 on Nintendo Switch and PC via Steam.

Midnight Fight Express

Midnight Fight Express launches on 23 August 2022 for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch and PC.
You’re Babyface, a former member of the criminal underworld lured back into “the life” by a mysterious AI drone. Your mission against impossible odds: Fight your way across the city before sunrise, and prevent a citywide criminal takeover together.
Engage in a brutal and hyper-kinetic brawling ballet, using every environmental tool and street fighting technique at your disposal. Level up your abilities to take down the mounting onslaught of bozos, cronies, and crime lords.

Warframe

A new expansion for Warframe has been revealed.

Zenless Zone Zero

Check out new combat gameplay from miHoYo’s Zenless Zone Zero below:

Honkai Star Rail

miHoYo’s Honkai Star Rail gets a new trailer.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Shredder’s Revenge

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Shredder’s Revenge is unleashing ninjutsu in an all-new brawl against the Foot Clan on 16 June 2022 on PC via Steam, Nintendo Switch, PS4, Xbox One, Xbox Game Pass, PC Game Pass, as well as PS5 and Xbox Series X/S.
Watch a brand new trailer showcasing the eagerly anticipated playable character Casey Jones, the Turtles’ spirited ally determined to clean up the streets of New York City. Casey’s balance of range, speed and power makes him a formidable all-around threat as he swings through flanks of Foot Clan soldiers with his signature hockey stick.
Our first look at the 6-player multiplayer mode as well:

Humankind

Push Humankind even further with the Cultures of Latin America DLC.
Features 6 new cultures (Caralans, Nazca, Taíno, Inca, Argentinians & Cubans), 6 new natural and built wonders, 9 new independent people, 15 new narrative events & 30+ new in-game themed music tracks composed by Arnaud Roy.

One Piece Odyssey

One Piece Odyssey will be released on PS4, PS5, PC, and Xbox Series X/S in 2022.

Metal Hellsinger

On 15 September 2022, become the song of vengeance itself as the Unknown, as you hunt for the Red Judge, lord of the Hells. Metal Hellsinger can be wishlisted on Steam and is available for pre-order now on PS5, Xbox X/S, with a 48-hour Early Access pre-order bonus.
Players across the world can now groove to the killer beat of Alissa White-Glüz’s vocals in the demo level and chase that leaderboard high score. The best way to understand Metal: Hellsinger is to experience the pulsating gameplay firsthand, and now everyone can! Blast through the Hells, shooting, dashing, and performing takedowns on time to the thunderous beat of a searing original soundtrack by composer duo Two Feathers, performed by some of metal music’s most celebrated contemporary vocalists.

Saints Row

Boss Factory is the name, makin’ Saints is the game. Create the best Boss in history – your Boss, with our (not blowing our own trumpet here but…) pretty damn impressive character customisation. Get your Boss Santo Ileso ready by making them ahead of time so you can get on with more important things on 23 August 2022, like taking over the city, stealing cars and causing general mayhem.
Use the sharing options in Boss Factory to show is what you did and keep an eye on the Saints Row Twitter account for weekly challenges with special prizes, plus we will be sharing our favorite Bosses from now until launch. Your Boss can be uploaded to our Boss Gallery, where your friends can download your Boss for their game. Or you can import other player’s creations to yours.

Warhammer 40,000 Darktide

Warhammer 40,000 Darktide launches on 13 September 2022 for Xbox Series X/S and PC. It will also be available via Xbox Game Pass day and date.

Nightingale

Nightingale is a first-person, PVE, open-world survival crafting game played solo or cooperatively with friends. Build, craft, fight and explore as you venture through mystical portals into a variety of amazing and fantastical realms.

Layers Of Fears

Layers Of Fears is a first-person psychedelic horror chronicle focused on tense exploration and immersive storytelling – a new game built upon the foundations of Layers of Fear, LOF: Inheritance, and Layers of Fear 2 with a surprising new story and gameplay direction.
Created with the cutting-edge Unreal Engine 5 technology, the game will support Ray Tracing, HDR effect, 4K resolution, and make use of the Lumen system to offer the most immersive and visceral horror experience.
Layers of Fears will be the complete, definitive and at the same time unpredictable way to discover the stories of artists enslaved by their obsessions. Prepare for an exquisite horror experience thanks to the expanded plot lines that will cast a new light on the overarching narrative.
It’s coming to PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC.

Cuphead Delicious Last Course

The Cuphead DLC will be out in 30 June 2022 for all platforms.

Gotham Knights

Gotham Knights will be released for the PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC on 25 October 2022. The developer confirmed that the game will not be released for the PS4 and Xbox One.
Check out the new Nightwing trailer below:


All The Awesome Holiday Artwork From Game Companies & Developers

It’s going to be 25th December soon, which means every single video game company out there is taking a long-deserved break after slaving away at game-making. To celebrate the upcoming happy occasion, each of these companies has done their PR checklist of posting up some lovely artwork that represents their games, current or upcoming.
Here they are, all on one feature piece.
Nintendo
The Big N launched a piece of artwork hyping up its upcoming multiplayer shooter Splatoon 3, which is sure to come out in 2022.

Wishing all Inkling and Octolings out there happy holidays from the #Splatoon3 team! pic.twitter.com/8nulTVk0pd
— Nintendo UK (@NintendoUK) December 21, 2021

Sega
The house that bore Sonic The Hedgehog, the Yakuza series, and also the Shin Megami games (via Atlus) has a bunch of their respective mascots celebrating the festivities.

Thank you for making 2021 such a wonderful year! ?
Happy holidays from all of us at SEGA & ATLUS! ??
? @Pseudochel pic.twitter.com/j8LWbRZMDU
— SEGA (@SEGA) December 20, 2021

Pirahna Games

Plan Of Attack

Naughty Dog
The devs who made last year’s cheery action title The Last of Us Part 2 brought back an old mascot that put them on the map.

Season's greetings from all of us at Naughty Dog ???? Wishing you to you, your friends (furry and otherwise!), and families a safe and happy holidays!
Thank you to @haileydelrio for this this merry and bright Jak and Daxter holiday illustration! pic.twitter.com/LnHy2jrrTU
— Naughty Dog (@Naughty_Dog) December 17, 2021

Insomniac

Housemarque
Talk about making a holiday statement.

Guerilla Games
Even the Horizon Zero Dawn robot animals are in on the holiday action.

Santa Monica Studio
The next God of War is coming out next year, so what better way to celebrate its impending arrival than with a nice holiday artwork featuring the game’s titular father and son?

Hazelight Studios
The folks who made the co-op game It Takes Two made this little GIF.

Team Asobi
Here’s one from the folks who made that awesome PS5 tech demo.

Bend Studio

Sucker Punch
Oh yeah, that Ghost of Tsushima DLC is out this year. Enjoy some chibi artwork.

Respawn Entertainment

Bandai Namco

Ember Lab
Might as well have the cute little Rots have their own Xmas card, right?

Square Enix

Netherrealm Studios
Snowality!


Here’s A Gorgeous Look At The Upcoming Dragon Quest Animated Movie

There’s a new animated Dragon Quest movie in the works and it’s headed to Japanese theatres this 2nd August. It’s called Dragon Quest: Your Story; here’s a quick look at it.

Who knew that slimes and sabers can look this friggin’ beautiful? I’m kinda surprised the humans don’t look that Toriyama-esque though; they look more like wistful Dreamworks fantasy heroes ala How To Train Your Dragon.
It looks like the film is going to adapt the story of Dragon Quest V; the hero in that game is a beastmaster who tame monsters to fight for him. Even the story has the same beastmaster father figure who acts as the hero’s mentor who is most likely going to die to further his growth…

…and this girl who looks like Nera, the hero’s love interest…

…and Bianca, the hero’s other love interest. Dragon Quest V lets you marry either one. Will it also have the next generation of heroes twist like in the source material?

There’s no international release date so far; here’s hoping it makes its way to Malaysian and Singaporean theatres the following month after August.


Idris Elba Is Knuckles In Upcoming Sonic Movie

When he’s not playing Macavity in Cats or Bloodsport in The Suicide Squad, Idris Elba is usually cast as a gruff guy masterminding a drug empire in Baltimore or a commander fighting giant kaijus.
His next big role? A CGI echidna with giant fists. You heard right: Idris Elba will be voicing Knuckles in the upcoming Sonic The Hedgehog sequel, which is due in 2022.

Knock, knock….#SonicMovie2 #Knuckles pic.twitter.com/N1PW5XaCEd
— Idris Elba (@idriselba) August 10, 2021

What’s that distant sound? Why that’s the internet losing its collective mind over this awesome casting decision.


Dungeon RPG Labyrinth Of Zangetsu English Version Is Coming In 2023

It seems like PQube and KaeruPanda will release dungeon RPG Labyrinth Of Zangetsu for the PS4, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam sometime in Q1 2023 in the west.
According to retailers such as VGP and PNP Games, the listings indicate that an English version of the game is coming out. In Japan, Labyrinth Of Zangetsu is slated to release on 29 September 2022.
The game’s description reads:
Set in the Ido period, the world has blackened under the disaster of the Ink of Ruin. Conscript a team of skilled warriors to venture deep into the impure Labyrinths to conquer the Ink plaguing the land. Will you return unscathed and free the land of this stain? Dangerous yokai await you inside!
Labyrinth Of Zangetsu features uniquely illustrated visuals in a hand-drawn, jet-black ink brush stroke which is very reminiscent of traditional Japanese Calligraphy. There will be six playable heroes pre-programmed into the game, but there is also an option to create/build your own hero with unique individual stats and abilities.
The game will also feature enemies based on traditional Japanese folklore and Yokai (ghosts, ghouls, and demons), as well as turn-based battles with various Ink Beasts in the most dangerous areas.
In the meantime, check out the gameplay from the game below:


Crystal Dynamics Explains Why Spider-Man Is PlayStation Exclusive In Marvel’s Avengers

Earlier this week, PlayStation announced that Spider-Man would be exclusive to the PS4 and PS5 version of Marvel’s Avengers in a free update in 2021. It incurred the wrath of gamers everywhere, especially Xbox and PC players, who complained that the move was anti-consumer. This has prompted a response from developer Crystal Dynamics.
Speaking with Newsweek, Crystal Dynamics head Scot Amos confirmed that the reason why Spider-Man is exclusive to the PS4 and PS4 is due to the unique relationship between Marvel and Sony, especially since the latter still owns the cinematic rights to the iconic superhero.
However, he reassured that all of that ultimately doesn’t affect their plans to incorporate crossplay for Marvel’s Avengers.
Amos said:

“Because of Sony’s unique relationship with Marvel and PlayStation, specifically, that gives us an affordance with Spider-Man that we wouldn’t have otherwise.
So that’s something unique because of that relationship, but looking at the future you know we have cross-gen, PS4 to PS5 will work and Xbox to Xbox Series X will work so cross-gen works.
Looking at cross-play as a broader ecosystem is something we want to explore absolutely for the future.
At the moment we have no promises, we have no announcements, but it’s saying ‘hey, this is a connected world we want everybody to play together where they can.’
So when we get to it, and assuming we get to that future, certainly we’ll talk about [cross-play] then, but for the moment it is two separate issues of saying one does not actually influence the other.
We wanted this to be something specific because of the unique relationship and the great partnership between Sony and our collaboration with Marvel that’s awesome and then looking at future consoles and other announcements, we’ll make them when it’s time.
So the beauty of Spider-Man and what Spider-Man represents as a character in this world is, again, it comes back to the relationship with PlayStation and Marvel.
We happen to be ones who can execute and deliver when it comes down to choices of where and what Spider-Man can be, that’s a relationship question that you know PlayStation absolutely has the rights to that as you guys know with Sony’s [movie rights] ownership there and Marvel with Sony saying, ‘hey, this is something we can do, this is something we can do on this platform’ and as creators we have this opportunity that we can make something unique and fun and awesome.
We love the idea of being able to bring this character to the PlayStation players and so as far as everybody goes, dude, we just announced Hawkeye less than a week ago, we have two characters announced within a matter of five days the future is bright.
People will get fixated on one thing as opposed to you’re going to have hundreds of hours of content in years of storylines coming ahead of us and new worlds and regions and new heroes and more stuff we haven’t even announced yet.
But I really do think people look at this and say ‘yeah, okay, we get that we understand the business behind that,’ but in general we’re making this game for everybody.
We want this to be the place you get to play those superhero fantasies out with my Avengers team that’ll continue growing with new characters, characters you haven’t you even guessed yet that are gonna come to this roster down the road and new regions as well, so I am I am very excited for what the future holds for everybody on all platforms.”

It’s unclear at this point whether Xbox and PC players will receive their own exclusive content, but there is apparently a lot of content still planned for the game, so there’s still hope.
Marvel’s Avengers is slated to release for the PS4, Xbox One, PC and Google Stadia on 4 September 2020.


Supergirl Takes Off Her Skirt In Image For New Season

No, I’m not kidding. CW’s Supergirl/Kara Zor-El really does take off her skirt in a new promotional image for the upcoming Season 5 of Supergirl, as shared by Melissa Benoist on her personal Instagram page.
The image showcases Kara Zor-El’s brand new costume for the first time since the very first season initially debuted in 2015. Supergirl’s sleek new look replaces her traditional iconic skirt with a pair of pants, similar to Superman’s. Besides that, she now has a revised golden belt and her gauntlets now extend all the way to cover her knuckles.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Melissa Benoist (@melissabenoist)

In an interview with EW, Benoist explained that the showrunners and her have wanted to apply this change for a long time.

â€œWeâ€™ve been talking about pants since season 1.
Every time a writer from the show has come up, and itâ€™s freezing cold in Vancouver, Iâ€™m like, â€˜Guys, please can I not wear tights?â€™
I love [Karaâ€™s old costume]. I havenâ€™t changed it because it so works, and I think it is very Kara. Iâ€™ve always felt that â€” until recently, Iâ€™m like, â€˜Somethingâ€™s gotta give.’â€

It’s a natural part of her evolution as a character, after five seasons that have pitted the Girl Of Steel against threats like other Kryptonians and even Lex Luthor himself.
She continued:

â€œI just think itâ€™s more adult.
Part of my goal in this whole series for whenever the show ends, I just want there to be a very clear arc for this character that she evolved as a woman and found her femininity and her adulthood, just a self-discovery.â€

In fact, I personally think that Supergirl’s Season 5 costume is very similar to the second Superman Rebirth costume, which only debuted a few years ago in Superman Issue 20 (2017).

Supergirl Season 5 is set to premiere on 6 October 2019.


PlayStation 5 Release Window Isn’t Budging, Even With COVID-19 Around

COVID-19 sure has wrecked a lot of plans, be it offline events or game development schedules. At the very least, it’s not affecting the upcoming release of PlayStation 5.
According to Sony’s recently-out company-wide fiscal year 2019 quarter earnings report, the company and PlayStation group address the effects of the pandemic and its associated lockdowns that affected console manufacturing.
Here’s the official word on the PS5’s progress:

Regarding the launch of PlayStationÂ®5, although factors such as employees working from home and restrictions on international travel have presented some challenges in regards to part of the testing process and the qualification of production lines, development is progressing with the launch of the console scheduled for the 2020 holiday season.
At this point in time, major problems have not arisen in the game software development pipeline for Sonyâ€™s own first-party studios or its partnersâ€™ studios.

The company also added that while “there has been a slight impact on the production of PS4 hardware due to issues in the component supply chain”, it has been offset by a “significant increased” number of digital game sales.
Things may change if the world’s social and economic situation deteriorates. But for now, let’s chalk this as good news for many, many PlayStation fans out there.


Ubisoft Announces Riders Republic Free Weekend On Consoles

Ubisoft has announced that Riders Republic will kick off free play sessions on multiple platforms this week:

A free week on PS5 and PS4, starting from 9 September 2022 at 2am GMT+8 and ending on 16 September 2022 at 2am GMT+8.
A free weekend on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One consoles starting on 9 September 2022 at 2am GMT+8 and ending on 13 September 2022 at 2am GMT+8.

All players will have full access to the base game’s content during the duration of the free weekend. Players who want to continue exploring the Republic can purchase the game and save up to 67 percent on consoles for a limited time and keep their progression.
For more information about Riders Republic Free Weekend, you can visit https://ridersrepublic.com/freeweekend.
Check out the trailer below:


The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance Director Wants The Series To Return One Day

It’s been three plus years ago, and people still remember how epic the live-action animatronic/puppet dark fantasy show The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance was. It was the prequel to the 1982 Jim Henson movie and was aired on Netflix; the fact that it was a critical darling in 2019 made its cancellation after 1 season all the more perplexing.
The director of the show Louis Leterrier, who is currently handling Fast & Furious X, has a lot to say about the show even up until now (via io9). Most of them unanimously positive, to the point where he really wants the show to come back.
“I won’t tell you. Because I still have hope that it can come back.
I mean, who would have thought that 37 years later that [we would’ve been able to bring Dark Crystal back]? So, I have high hopes. You know, it might not be me. It might be my grandson or, you know, Jim Henson’s great-grandson, but somebody will direct the rest of this show because we need to tell that story. And beyond. I mean, Thra is a place we want to go to.”
The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance is out now on Netflix. You should go watch all 10 episodes if you haven’t yet; it’s good stuff. Leterrier’s other film, Fast X, is coming out on 19 May.


Here’s Where & When You Can Watch This Weekend’s FV Cup X Tekken World Tour 2019

Need to tune into some Street Fighter V, Samurai Shodown, and Tekken 7 action? Then head down to Quill City Mall for this year’s FV Cup 2019 fighting game tournament.
Here are the details:

Date: 24th-25th August
Venue: Quill City Mall, Kuala Lumpur
Games: Street Fighter V, Samurai Shodown, The King of Fighters XIV, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, The King of Fighters ’98, Tekken 7
Registration: https://forms.gle/1kVGcFxD5Z93xPQe6
Registration fee: RM50
You can still watch the event at Quill City Mall and enjoy the fighting game festivities. But as they say: half the fun is challenging yourself against Southeast Asia’s finest. And if you’re a fan of Tekken 7, you’ll get to see the following international pros fight.

Knee, the man who got second place at this year’s EVO 2019 Tekken 7 tournament.
Ulsan.
Chikuri.
Nobi.
Book, one of Thailand’s best Tekken 7 players.
Jeondding.

If these names mean a lot to you, Malaysia’s a good a place as any this weekend to get your fanboy/fangirl Iron Fisting on.


Street Fighter 6: Zangief Move List & Guide

Street Fighter 6 is coming out on 2nd June, which is just less than a month away. As such, the game’s roster for its launch is set with 18 characters, each with their various playstyles.
In this entry, we’ll be focusing on Russia’s Red Cyclone, Zangief. The big man who defines the fighting game term “grappler” for years to come since his early 90s debut.
Note: This guide is still in development.
All inputs are in numpad notations. For example, Hadouken from player 1’s starting side is 236P.
Attack buttons are as follows: LP, MP, HP are light punch, medium punch, and heavy punch respectively. LK, MK, and HK are light kick, medium kick, and heavy kick respectively. None of this Fierce or Roundhouse bulls*** in Asia.
Info & video credits: Fighting Game Anniversaries, WoolieVS, FlawlessDeku, Capcom, Reversal

Street Fighter 6 Zangief Overview

Zangief is big. And slow. He can take hits as well as dish them out, with command grabs and simple footsie tools, and even has an anti-air in the form of his double lariat. He does take his time getting to his opponent due to his slow walk speed, though the Drive Rush cancels can help fix that.
When playing Zangief, know that you want to go in, get your opponent guessing whether you’re attacking or grabbing, and sort it out from there. His game plan is pretty simple, though his tools aren’t as varied as other characters which mean he can be easy to ready if you’re prepared. But when one of your command grabs does 30% damage in its OD (EX move) version AND you can make a few more mistakes at guessing and eating mixups due to your high health, you don’t really need much.
And for those who miss his Green Hand/Banishing Flat, he has Drive Rush/Drive Cancel as a lovely substitute.
Play If: You like big-bodied characters with big hard-hitting moves, big health, command grabs up the wazoo.
Avoid If: You prefer normal or fast-moving characters, you prefer fights mostly from afar.

Street Fighter 6 Zangief Move List

Special Moves
Double Lariat: PP. Anti-air plus combo ender. Good invincibility.
Screw Piledriver: 360°P (turn joystick 360 degrees then press Punch). Signature command grab and damage dealer; abbreviated to SPD. LP version has best range. MP and HP deal great damage but must be done up-close. OD version deals the most damage; three of these on an opponent will win you the match.
Because of the current fighting game’s “lax” input method and shortcuts, you don’t have to hit all 8 directional inputs to get the 360 input; 6 is enough. So you can just do the Tiger Knee-style input (412369P) to do this without accidentally jumping.
Borscht Dynamite: 360°K. Command air throw. You can do a Tiger Knee input (412369K) to do a quick command air grab that reacts to jump attacks (or to end combos when opponent is in juggle state).
Russian Suplex: 63214K. Command grab featuring two suplexes. If done from afar, Siberian Express activates. Siberian Express is a run that automatically does a command grab powerbomb when you’re immediately up-close to an opponent. Use this as a surprise if you catch your opponent at a good distance and just blocking. OD version gives you 1 hit of armour.
Tundra Storm: 22HK. Counters grounded kicks. Not much use safe for against characters who primarily footsie you with kicks. Like Dhalsim and Cammy.

Super Arts
Aerial Russian Slam (Level 1): 236236K. Anti-air. Can use as a combo ender when you have opponent in juggle state.
Cyclone Lariat (Level 2): 236236P. Hold P to change effect. Has vacuum effect.
Bolshoi Storm Buster (Level 3): 720°P. The SF6 version of Super Atomic Buster. Deals massive damage but needs to be done up close as it’s a command grab.
Protips on doing the double 360 inputs: you can buffer the motions when in Drive Rush state. When you throw an attack, just before its animation finishes, you buffer the 720 motion quick. Like the 360 shortcut, you don’t have to do all 16 directional inputs; there will be shortcuts that will be discovered by pro players when the game launches.

Unique Attacks
Hellstab: 3MP. Can be canceled into special move.
Knee Strike: 6MK. You can do an empty Knee Strike and then buffer command grab to surprise grab anyone within range. Knee Strike to SPD LP is the best tactic to use that will catch anyone off-guard, be it beginners or pros.
Headbutt: 6HP. Doesn’t absorb fireballs anymore, but you’re at frame advantage if this move is blocked. Can be cancelled to special move too.
Cyclone Wheel Kick: 6HK. Overhead, but very unsafe if blocked.
Stemana Dropkick: 3HK. Goes through low sweeps from the majority of the cast due to its airborne properties. Like a KOF shorthop but with a hard kick to the face.
Flying Body Press: During jump, 2HP. Splash attack that crosses up opponents. Use it for mixups after a knockdown.
Flying Headbutt: During jump, 8HP. Can be cancelled into air special move, like oh say an OD Borscht Dynamite.
Machine Gun Chops: MP>MP>MP. Only combos if it’s a counter-hit. Savvy opponents can interrupt it halfway if it’s not a counter-hit, so use it sparingly as a “block string“.
Power Stomps: 22MK>MK>MK. Target combo; last hit can be cancelled into special moves.


Blizzard Reveals More About What To Expect From Diablo 4 Endgame

Blizzard has revealed a new gameplay video showcasing what to expect from the Diablo 4 endgame when the game launches for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S on 6 June 2023.
As players advance through the story and into the endgame, they will unlock a ton of brand-new activities that provide meaningful progression for any play style. There are a variety of experiences for players to pursue, and the team is excited to share more information on those today.
PROGRESSION DETAILS

After finishing the campaign, challenge yourselves with higher World Tier difficulties by completing Capstone Dungeons. The higher the World Tier, the more loot and advantages your character can get.
The Paragon System contains even more opportunities to refine your perfect character build beyond the initial Skill Tree to make it uniquely yours. Choose a path and which boons and glyphs you would like to pursue based on your play style.
Add to the Codex of Power by finding Aspects hidden away in dungeons. This will allow you to take items found in the world and turn them into more powerful legendary items.
There are over 120 dungeons in Sanctuary and any one of them can become a Nightmare Dungeon. Use Nightmare Sigils to activate the Nightmare version of dungeons and add more difficult objectives and challenges to conquer.
Even more powerful monsters roam Sanctuary for those that have completed the campaign. Defeat these monsters in Helltide areas to collect shards that can be used to purchase big rewards at caches.
Head to the Tree of Whispers to collect Whispers of the Dead. With every bounty that is completed, players can return to the tree to receive a big reward cache.
For those looking to test themselves against other players, they can do so in the Fields of Hatred. In this PvP area, players can choose to engage in player vs player conflict or complete tasks to collect shards to purify in town. Rewards await those with purified shards, but all players in the Fields will be at risk to those looking to PvP.
As a Live Service game, Diablo IV will continue to be updated long after launch.

In the meantime, head on over here for our review-in-progress of the game after playing the open beta.
Check out the Diablo 4 endgame video below:


Ragnarok X Next Generation Gets Spooky With Halloween Revelry Party

With the end of October fast approaching, we all know what this means: itâ€™s time for Halloween! Publisher Nuverse aims to mark this special occasion with the next major event update coming to Ragnarok X Next Generation, giving players the opportunity to get into the Halloween spirit while earning tons of exclusive prizes!
As it is in the real world, where businesses and families get ready for the holiday with spooky decorations, the good citizens of Midgard are bringing Halloween to life in their own way. Walk down the streets of Prontera, and you may notice the presence of grinning pumpkins, bats, and ghosts strung around, as everyone gets ready to let loose in the upcoming Halloween Revelry Party!

Starting on October 31st till November 11th, players who are Base Lvl. 35 and beyond will be able to get in on the festivities by speaking to Jakk near Odinâ€™s Stature in Prontera to join one of ten party scenes. Every day between 20:00 – 21:00, Jakk will summon a large group of mini- and MVP-bosses across different areas of Prontera at set intervals. Players must eliminate these bosses to earn exclusive Halloween â€˜Badgeâ€™ materials and edible candies (with â€˜surprisingâ€™ side-effects!), along with all the usual experience, zeny, and rare boss drops that come with them. Once the event timer is over, players will also be ranked based on their performance, which could also earn them extra event currency that can be traded in for special prizes.
Once the party is over, players can trade in their Halloween Materials to Jakk for a variety of fun, Halloween-themed items, from the humble Deviling Hat to the Resurrection on Night March and Witch costume sets. Do note that Jakk will only stay in Prontera for 7 days after the event ends, so donâ€™t forget to redeem your prizes before he leaves for good!

Nuverse is also very aware of the massive popularity of Ragnarok X Next Generationâ€™s GvG system, as well as the success of the recent large-scale Cross-Server Ultimate Hunter Showdown, where thousands of players got to represent their servers in a legendary battle for glory. With that in mind, we are happy to announce that the Cross-Server GvG System will be permanently added to the game this upcoming October 23rd, giving players the chance to not only be the best in their server but across the entire game!

From the Halloween Revelry Party to the Cross-Server GvG update, all the adventurers of Midgard will have their hands full for the foreseeable future, with riches and rewards awaiting everyone with the courage to earn them.
You can downloadÂ Ragnarok X Next GenerationÂ on iOS (Link) or Android (Link).


Sifu Arenas Update, Xbox Version, & Steam PC Port Kickpunches Its Way To March

Sifu will be out for PC (Steam), Xbox Series, and Xbox One later this month.
The action game that won the hearts of many last year on PC (Epic Games) and PlayStation consoles is getting ported to those platforms on 28 March according to developer Sloclap. In addition, the free Arenas update will also be out on that same date, featuring an extra 10 hours of gameplay. Here are more details from Sloclap’s press release regarding the new modes.
“With nine new locations and 45 merciless challenges spread over five game modes, the Arenas expansion is packing up to 10 extra hours of gameplay into the already demanding title. Masters of kung fu will be pushed to their limits as waves of enemies crash upon them in Survival mode, or pushed to perfection in the Performance mode.
With Time Attack, players can also battle against the clock on a path filled with enemies. Sifus looking for a twist on the game’s impactful combat can also try the new Capture mode—where players must take and hold a marked area—or Manhunt mode, where a specific target surrounded by protectors must be taken down.”
We enjoyed Sifu back in 2022 thanks to its exhilarating combat and high-level gameplay. Any excuse for us to go back is always welcome, thus we accept Arenas with open arms.


This Battle-Damaged Iron Man Mark 85 Hot Toys Will Make Your Wallet Cry

While Hot Toys have already revealed the normal Iron Man Mark 85 figure a few months ago, now feast your eyes on the battle-damaged version of that very same suit. It’s essentially similar to the original but with more battle damage details and weathering effects (via Facebook).
The battle-damaged Iron Man Mark 85 Hot Toys figure also comes with a battle-damaged 1/6th scale Nano Gauntlet as seen in the movie equipped with LED light-up function and matching interchangeable hands mounted with all six Infinity Stones.
You can recreate Tony Stark’s tragic death in Avengers Endgame every time you see this figure on your shelf and then cry in the corner as you mutter “I Love You 3000” to yourself.
In addition, a Special Edition version of the battle-damaged Iron Man Mark 85 Hot Toys figure will be available in selected markets, where it will include an exclusive Holo Shield accessory.
Check out the battle-damaged Iron Man Mark 85 Hot Toys figure in all its glory below.

For more onÂ Avengers Endgame, check out our spoiler-free review ofÂ Avengers: EndgameÂ here, our discussion for whatâ€™s next post-Avengers EndgameÂ here, or the upcoming movies you can look forward to in the MCU Phase Four (4) post-Avengers EndgameÂ here, or what the future holds for the MCU cast we all know and loveÂ here.


Diablo 4 Rogue Player Solos World Boss Meant For 12 Players, Kinda…

If you want to hear a story about a player who nearly got a World Boss solo world record before someone jumped into the fray and kill-steal from him, stay awhile and listen.
Diablo 4’s Early Access and Open Beta weekends featured a World Boss named Ashava the Pestilent. He’s a giant demon dragon with wide-reaching moves and heavy-hitting attacks, as well as requiring 12 people to beat. Check out our attempt against the big fella below.

Got all that? Now imagine fighting it solo. That’s pretty much a challenge everybody is trying to attempt, with renowned Diablo player Wudijo almost being able to do so. Yes, he was close to defeating it until a random Necromancer came in to steal the kill at 2% life.
Wudijo’s max-level Rogue (level 25) was built with all sorts of legendary gear and featured wild damage while protecting himself with Dark Shroud while using Inner Sight as the go-to Rogue special skill. And he was on Hardcore too, meaning that if his character died, it’s wiped forever.

He managed to pull off the Solo feat, even if the random Necromancer stole the final blow. At least Wudijo was a good sport about it. Of course, if you want to see a pure solo effort, there’s another Diablo player named Vidjerei who managed to do just that without any interference.

Diablo 4 will be out on 6 June for PC and consoles; I’m very sure many players will want to attempt soloing this gargantuan demon dragon when the game launches. Or die trying.


Here’s Why Xbox’s Project xCloud On iOS Won’t Happen

Last month, Microsoft announced that its streaming game service would be free for every Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscriber, but it looks like that might be a moot point for iOS users.
Earlier today, Microsoft confirmed that they have ended their Project xCloud game streaming test for iOS devices. While they have apparently been testing xCloud on iOS in over the past few months, the recent announcement regarding xCloud on mobile devices only included Android platforms.
Microsoft also informed xCloud testers that the preview for iOS platforms would end on 11 September 2020, but the Android preview will continue on.
Speaking with The Verge, a Microsoft representative said:

â€œOur Project xCloud preview TestFlight period has ended on iOS and we are focused on delivering cloud gaming as part of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate to Android customers beginning September 15.
Itâ€™s our ambition to scale cloud gaming through Xbox Game Pass available on all devices.â€

Why did this happen? Well, Microsoft faced complications with “App Store policies”, though they have yet to reveal which Apple policies are preventing xCloud from launching on iOS.
In comparison, rival Googleâ€™s Stadia game streaming service is also not available on iOS platforms, with other game streaming apps also having issues on the App Store in the past.
In hindsight, it seems like the issues are related with Appleâ€™s rules on in-app purchases through its App Store and the strict limits on â€œremote desktop clientsâ€, which means that apps are only allowed to connect to a user-owned host device or game console owned by the user.
That seems likely to be the case, considering that Microsoft is avoiding in-app purchases with the Google Play Store version of the Xbox Game Pass that will come with xCloud. Instead, they have replaced that with a special version of the Xbox Game Pass app that will allow Xbox players to redeem tokens and make in-app purchases like buying skins or DLC items in the Xbox Store.


CD Projekt Red Bosses Receive Huge Bonuses Despite Cyberpunk 2077’s Problematic Launch

Cyberpunk 2077 has a disastrous launch, to say the least. However, the game still sold pretty well. Still, the executives at CD Projekt Red are slated to receive massive financial bonuses in millions of dollars while the developer’s staff (AKA the ones who actually made the game) are only getting smaller bonuses.
According to a report by Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier, the staff at CD Projekt Red were expecting to get a higher bonus. As of now, they told Bloomberg that they will receive bonuses of about US$5,000 to about US$9,000, while the senior employees will receive closer to US$15,000 or US$20,000.
In comparison, CD Projekt Red CEO Marcin IwiÅ„ski and co-CEO Adam KiciÅ„ski are each slated to receive a bonus of 24 million zloty, or US$6.3 million. Another board member, Adam Badowski, will take home US$4.2 million. From CD Projektâ€™s total annual earnings, 20 percent is allocated to profit-sharing bonuses, with 10 percent going to employees and 10 percent going to the board.
What this translates to is that the company had allocated a total of US$29.8 million to 865 employees, for an average of about US$34,000 each. Meanwhile, five of CD Projektâ€™s board members received bonuses amounting to a whopping US$28 million.
During an investors call last week, Kicinski justified the bonuses, saying:
â€œWe earned this money and the company earned this money, of course, but more net profits, more bonuses.
So well, we have results, we get bonuses, and thatâ€™s the contract we have.â€
Despite the stark difference in bonuses, one CD Projekt Red employee did tell Bloomberg that the company reevaluated salaries and increased wages this year in 2021 for some of the lowest-paid positions, such as testing, to align them with video game industry standards.
Well, one step forward is still better than nothing.


Eldest Souls Is A New Pixel Art Boss Rush Game Dropping Next Month

Following its exclusive reveal at GamesRadar+â€™s prestigious E3 event â€“ the Future Games Show, indie publishing house United Label is excited to share a brand new trailer for the much-awaited pixel art, souls-like boss rush, Eldest Souls. It will release on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC on 29 July 2021.
Created by indie developer Fallen Flag Studios, and published by United Label, Eldest Souls is a challenging, pixel-art boss-rush game with a focus on fast-paced brutal combat. In a final act of vengeance, the Old Gods have unleashed a great Desolation upon the world, turning farmlands to the desert, and rivers to dust. You, a lone warrior, must explore the vast, forgotten Citadel, in search of the Old Gods. Your quest? Kill them all in boss rush glory.

Eldest Souls focuses on only the toughest and most engaging of combat encounters â€“ the Bosses â€“ with each Old God presenting a new and unique challenge. Fitting rewards await those who triumph in the form of new powers and abilities, which can be combined in numerous ways to result in a multitude of diverse builds. But as players explore the labyrinthine passages of the Citadel, theyâ€™ll also encounter intriguing NPCs, compelling questlines, and a series of dark and ominous mysteries. Slowly uncover the truth behind the Old Gods and their agelong imprisonmentâ€¦

The brand new, fully animated trailer tells the epic story of the world, from the humble beginnings of man to their enslavement by the Old Gods, and finally, to mankindâ€™s eventual uprising. Ending on a note of futility, the titleâ€™s nameless protagonist overlooks the colossal Citadel, wherein lies a nigh-impossible task â€“ overthrow the Old Gods once and for all.
Eldest SoulsÂ features:

Battle your way through a series of uniquely challenging Boss-Rush combat encounters.
Discover a cast of intriguing NPCs and questlines as you explore the ancient Citadel.
Unearth the mystery of the Old Gods, before total devastation befalls the World.
Bask in the glorious pixel-perfect graphic style, dripping in gorgeous attention-to-detail.
Your Build. Your Rules. Customize your own combat style from a multitude of ability combinations.

Eldest Souls will release digitally on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch and PC on 29 July 2021. The game can be added to your Steam WishlistÂ here, andÂ GOG WishlistÂ here.
In the meantime, check out the trailer below:
[videopress Tl0jrFvv]


You Can Now Watch The Demon Slayer Entertainment District Arc On Netflix

The Demon Slayer Season 2 Entertainment District Arc has officially begun, and the first episode is now available on Netflix, including Netflix Malaysia. The first episode of this newly-adapted arc is a special 46-minute premiere episode.
New episodes will debut every Monday at around 12am GMT+8.
The first seven episodes of Demon Slayer Season 2 featured its own adaptation of the Mugen Train arc, which ran from October to November 2021. Demon Slayer Kimetsu No Yaiba The Movie Mugen Train came out last year in Japan and in other regions in 2021 to great success.

In the Demon Slayer Entertainment District arc, Aimer will sing the opening song â€œZankyÅ Sankaâ€ (Song of Reverberation) and the ending song â€œAsa ga Kuruâ€ (Daybreak).
In the meantime, you can also check out my review of Demon Slayer Kimetsu No Yaiba The Hinokami ChroniclesÂ byÂ heading over here.


Guess How Much The Sonic Movie Redesign Cost Paramount?

Question: what’s blue and cost way less than US$35 million to rework? This guy!

It’s nowhere near the alleged number above that Paramount used to rework the main character to an acceptable standard in the Sonic The Hedgehog movie set for 2020. In fact, the real figure is less than US$5 million according to sources close to the movie’s production (via IndieWire).
Apparently, the VFX work on the actual film was far from completed by the time the decision was made to delay the film and redesign Sonic. The only VFXÂ  that was completed was the first abominable version of Sonic in the April trailer. That’s logical project management for you: no company is stupid enough to showcase their finished product in aÂ  trailer that’s 6 months prior to your actual work.
The Sonic movie will be outÂ  13th February 2020.


Netflix Announces Stranger Things VR Game

During Stranger Things Day 2022, Netflix and developer Tender Claws have announced Stranger Things VR. It will launch for “major virtual reality platforms” in winter 2023.
In Stranger Things VR, players will play as Vecna in this new Stranger Things adventure in virtual reality, becoming an explorer of unknown realities as you form the hive mind and tame the void. Invade minds and conjure nightmares in your quest to enact revenge on Eleven and Hawkins.
Stranger Things VR is a psychological horror/action game coming to major virtual reality platforms sometime in winter 2023.
You can head over to the official website here, and check out the trailer below:


These Are All Of Disney’s Movie Plans From That D23 Expo This Year

Disney unleashed a ton of news about their movie plans for the next few years during this year’s D23 Expo this weekend.
We’re going to just focus on what’s brand new; let’s break them down.

Jungle Cruise
Yep, Disney is making a movie out of a theme park ride again; this time with the river safari-themed outdoor one from Disney Land. The film stars Emily Blunt and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, and will basically have plot elements and beats similar to the Indiana Jones trilogy.
“We made a movie about men kicking ass and saving the girl,” Johnson said as he summed up the film.

The stars of Disney’s #JungleCruise, @TheRock and Emily Blunt, take the stage at #D23Expo. pic.twitter.com/ho0HvNWK2B
— Walt Disney Studios (@DisneyStudios) August 24, 2019

Cruella
The 101 Dalmations villainess Cruella de Vil gets an origin story much like Maleficent. The film combines 1970s punk rock aesthetics and, no surprise, dalmatians. Also, we get a sneak peek at how lead actress Emma Stone looks like in the film.

Here’s your first look at Emma Stone as Cruella de Vil in Disney's Cruella. The film, also starring Emma Thompson, Paul Walter Hauser, and Joel Fry, comes to theaters May 28, 2021. #D23Expo pic.twitter.com/KqxJ0yMYQ3
— Walt Disney Studios (@DisneyStudios) August 24, 2019

Foxy! The film will be out 28th May 2021.
Soul, A New Film From Pixar
We finally get more details on Pixar’s latest after Onwards. SoulÂ will be directed by Pete Docter, the man behind Up and Inside Out, and will be focused on metaphysics. Which means the title is as on-the-nose as you can get.
It’s about a middle school band teacher named Joe Gardner (Jamie “I played Ray Charles dammit” Foxx) who ends up as a soul or something, and he’s assisted by another soul voiced by Tina Fey. Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross will be doing the film’s score alongside Jon Batiste, so expect the narrative and music to be a bit more soul-searching than usual.
We apologize. Soul is out 19th June 2020.

Just Announced: @iamjamiefoxx and Tina Fey will lead the cast of #PixarSoul, coming to theaters June 19, 2020. Here’s a first look at their characters, Joe Gardner and 22, and a new piece of concept art. #D23Expo pic.twitter.com/Ls8JDvOsCe
— Walt Disney Studios (@DisneyStudios) August 24, 2019

The cast of #PixarSoul joins the #D23Expo stage! pic.twitter.com/AK8hk6YocK
— Walt Disney Studios (@DisneyStudios) August 24, 2019

Raya & The Last Dragon
Walt Disney Animation has another film up its sleeve, and it’s thankfully not a remake. Their latest animation project is Raya & The Last Dragon and it’s about a woman named Raya who has to save her country of Kumandra by finding the last dragon. Raya will be voiced by Cassie Steel while the dragon Sisu will be voiced by Asian wunderkind Awkwafina.
The film is directed by animators Paul Briggs and Dean Wellins, written by Adele Lim (Crazy Rich Asians), and produced by Osnat Shurer (Moana). It will also showcase a lot of Southeast Asian aesthetics and art styles; Disney’s going for the Hong Kong action movie fantasy vibe not unlike the animated Mulan. But with a tolerable dragon.

The title will debut Thanksgiving 2020, which is next November for those who aren’t turkey fans.

Check out the new logo for Raya and the Last Dragon, coming to theaters November 2020. #D23Expo pic.twitter.com/xVz1jCagLR
— Walt Disney Studios (@DisneyStudios) August 24, 2019

The cast of #PixarOnward embarked on a quest to #D23Expo. ? pic.twitter.com/0lwfeiJ1tX
— Walt Disney Studios (@DisneyStudios) August 24, 2019

Just Announced: Disney’s Raya and the Last Dragon, starring @cassandrasteele (Raya) and @Awkwafina (Sisu, the Last Dragon). Check out all-new concept art, and see the film in theaters November 2020. #D23Expo pic.twitter.com/V40bv64IIp
— Walt Disney Studios (@DisneyStudios) August 24, 2019

The Rest
The D23 expo also showcased the following:

A sneak peek at Maleficent: Mistress of Evil.
8-minute footage of the Pixar fantasy adventure Onward featuring the voices of Tom Holland and Chris Pratt.
A short glimpse at Frozen II, which may answer all the questions left open from the first film like Elsa’s true origin and powers, as well as her dead folks. Sterling K Brown and Evan Rachel Wood joins the cast as Lieutenant Matthias and Queen Iduna respectively. Ten bucks says the lieutenant is the twist bad guy.

Just Announced: @SterlingKBrown (Lieutenant Matthias) and @EvanRachelWood (Queen Iduna) have joined the cast of #Frozen2, coming to theaters November 22. #D23Expo pic.twitter.com/xCGGDEJhFo
— Walt Disney Studios (@DisneyStudios) August 24, 2019


Shazam 2 Is Officially Titled Shazam Fury Of The Gods

The DC FanDome Shazam panel took place earlier today, with director David F. Sandberg, and actors Zachary Levi, Asher Angel, Faith Herman, Jack Dylan Grazer, and Meagan Good, as well as newcomers Sinbad and Adam Brody.

They only revealed that the title for Shazam 2 is Shazam Fury Of The Gods. It is slated to premiere on 22 November 2022.


Apex Legends Season 17 Will See The Firing Range Get A Massive Overhaul

The Firing Range in Apex Legends is getting a huge overhaul in Season 17, Arsenal, after staying largely the same for years. This is exciting news for players who use the range to practice using weapons, test out Legend abilities, and even 1v1 each other. Despite some improvements in Season 16, the Firing Range always felt like it could be so much better.

We did a “Everything You Need To Know” about Season 17

Thankfully, Season 17 is bringing a completely new Firing Range experience with a lot of potential. The old Firing Range map is being replaced with a bigger and better map that features a range for practising with all weapons, a 1v1 ‘Duel Pit’, and even a vert course to practice movement.
The new Firing Range also has fully customizable dummies that can fight back. You can increase or decrease the difficulty settings of the dummies to make the challenge harder or easier.
In addition to the new features, the Firing Range will also have a town setting with buildings for more realistic practice. These buildings will have doors and windows, which are important for interactions with abilities.

The new 1v1 pit is a dedicated area for 1v1 combat and makes it much easier to join in-progress Firing Range sessions. This means you can invite a friend to your game and start practising together right away.
Finally, the Vert Course is perfect for those who want to improve their movement techniques. This update is a major expansion of the Firing Range and allows players to hone their skills in combat, movement, and abilities.

Season 17 of Apex Legends starts on 9 May and also adds the new Legend Ballistic.


Sony Celebrates Game of Thrones Season 8 Premiere With Free Dynamic Theme

Game of Thrones Season 8 premieres today, and to celebrate that, Sony is giving away a limited editionÂ Game of Thrones dynamic theme depicting the dragon Viserion before and after it was transformed into a White Walker.
But before you proceed, I should point out that this is currently available only in the U.S., but you can use your U.S. PSN accounts to grab this one.

ðŸ”¥ Tonight’s the night â„ï¸
Download this free, limited-run Game of Thrones theme before the final season premieres: https://t.co/M1eWcYRF0d pic.twitter.com/Gj7CZWm7RS
â€” PlayStation (@PlayStation) April 14, 2019
The sweet theme also comes with free sets ofÂ Game of ThronesÂ PS4 avatars. The avatars feature the House Sigils and characters from the saga.
In order to redeem these nice freebies, follow the steps below;

Login to your US PSN account on a web browser.
Watch the three short videos here.
You’ll then receive codes that correspond to the video.
Click “Redeem Here” after the video completes.
Use that code to redeem.
Download to your PS4.

It’s a magnificently beautiful theme. I honestly can’t stress how pretty the animation is. I never had the urge to make a US PSN account, until now, that is. Check out the dynamic theme in action below.
[wpvideo suPAN2t7]
Grab the Game of ThronesÂ dynamic theme and PS4 avatars before the offer ends!


Triple-A Is Not The Way It Used To Be – Uncharted Director

Single-player games may not be dying anytime soon, but perhaps it’s long overdue for the games industry to change its ways, at least according to Amy Hennig. She’s a veteran games developer, having worked on games like the first three Uncharted titles, Jak 3 and the Legacy of Kain franchise. Hennig has been in the games industry for more than two decades, so she definitely knows what sheâ€™s talking about.
In an interview with Gameindustry.biz, Hennig stressed that one of the biggest challenges in games development stems from human nature. As the size of teams increases from two digits to numbering in the three digits, it only gets more complicated and complex with more people in the mix.

“What doesn’t change is the challenge of trying to do a creative endeavor with a group of human beings, and that only gets more complicated as the teams have gotten bigger and bigger.
In my career, I’ve gone from a two-person team to 15 or something, then 30, then 70, and up to now. It’s just insane, right? So we all have all the same flaws we have as human beings, and then it’s amplified by having a 300-person team versus a 10-person team.”

Hennig refers to the recent alarming news of massive layoffs, which she attributes to the rising costs of games development and the aforementioned huge staff size. Thanks to these factors, she warns that making games aren’t sustainable anymore, which is what led to those layoffs tragically happening in the first place.

“I think we keep doing it that way because we have these established companies and teams, and that’s a resource, an asset you don’t want to just throw away. But on the other hand, we’re seeing news stories left and right where developers are folding and publishers are laying off hundreds of people.
It feels like something feels inevitable, because the cost of development and keeping all these people on staff, especially in expensive areas, just doesn’t feel sustainable.”

Hennig proposed several solutions to this problem currently plaguing the games industry, one of which is the eventual act of unionization and to outsource development to external parties in order to lessen the burden on in-house teams.

“Obviously that would require a big sea change in the industry — probably towards unionization, too — but you would have a lot more external partners or freelance developers as part of a team, do more things as distributed development rather than have everything in-house.
It would allow for a lot more flexibility rather than feeling that constant pressure, that churn of salaries.”

However, Hennig also warns of the possible unintended ramification of said solutions, like the question of what that would mean to existing employees in large companies. Despite that, she believes that the move to outsourcing and smaller production teams is what the games industry will inevitably be heading towards.

“That’s a shame because I don’t want to see people lose their jobs. Even saying my desire is to work at a smaller studio, it’s not because I want to see the industry shrink and get outsourced; it just feels inevitable.
And it feels more financially sound to partner up.”

Whatever the solution turns out to be, we hope that the industry learns from its mistakes, and realize that important it is to be unionized. Measures need to be taken to ensure that the rights of game developers remain protected and that the games industry doesn’t crumble under its own weight anytime soon.
We leave you with an unrelated tweet of Amy Hennig wishing the Nolan North, who voices Nathan Drake in the Uncharted franchise, a very happy birthday.

Happy Birthday, Huck! @nolan_north â¤ï¸ Love you! pic.twitter.com/PmpghUsrS4
â€” Amy Hennig (@amy_hennig) October 31, 2018


Persona & Love Live J-Pop Idol Mobile Game Team Up For New Gacha Characters

A while ago, mobile rhythm game Love Live! School Idol Festival announced a collaboration with Atlus’ Persona series, which is pretty common in this day and age. The collaboration involves Love Live! idols wearing costumes inspired by personas/RPG magic ghost Stands from recent Persona titles.
We now get to see how the idols look like in their new SSR Persona-fied garbs (via the official website), which are sure to be great gacha money-spending material for fans of the games.
Chika Takami (Persona 3’s Psyche)

Riko Sakurauchi (Persona 4’s Himiko)

Kanan Matsuura (Persona 5’s Necronomicon)

Dia Kurosawa (Persona 4’s Kaguya)

You Watanabe (Persona 5’s Cendrillon)

Yoshiko Tsushima (Persona 4’s Ariadne)

Hanamaru Kunijida (Persona 3’s Lucia)

Mari Ohara (Persona 3’s Orpheus)

Ruby Kurosawa (Persona 5’s Pandora)

This Persona x LoveLive! gacha collaboration will be available from 31st October to 25th November.


Here’s How You Can Play The Closed Beta Of Mega Man X Dive

Capcom Taiwan will be recruiting 30,000 players for an Android-only Mega Man X Dive closed beta test later this August. If you’re feeling masochistic or just straight-up curious at how low the duo of X and Zero can go, here’s how you can sign up:

Apply on the official website via a Google Play Gmail account.
Sign up before the cut-off date of 22nd August at 12pm GMT+8.
Once you’ve done that, you’ll be able to check on the event site starting 23rd August 12pm GMT+8 to see if you were selected.

This closed beta test will take user feedback into account and will process the issues, like bugs, crashes, or how funny X and Zero looks in a mobile game of this magnitude. All game data from the closed data will be deleted, so don’t get too attached.
Mega Man X Dive will be out in 2019.


CoD Data Miners Finds A Different Kind of Gem

With games that function as a live service of sorts with drips of content over time, data miners and leakers have taken it upon themselves to discover and reveal whatever’s coming to our favourite games. This includes Treyarch’s Call Of Duty Black Ops Cold War, which isn’t even officially out yet.
However, it looks like developers have grown smart to their tactics, and Treyarch is probably the first to have ever trolled these leakers at their own game. Imagine their surprise when they discovered something hidden in the Call Of Duty Black Ops Cold War executable file.
What is it? They just got rick rolled, folks. We’re not kidding.

Fun fact: looking through the COD Cold War .exe, you will find a couple Rick Roll links 🙂 pic.twitter.com/5BBNhnjUc5— Saturn (@prSaturn) October 17, 2020

Hidden inside the game files are actual working links that lead those data miners and leakers directly to Rick Astleyâ€™s now-infamous â€œNever Gonna Give You Upâ€ music video on YouTube.

It’s hilarious and goes to show that the developers are just people with a sense of humour as well. In the meantime, today (19 October 2020) is the last day for theÂ Call Of Duty Black Ops Cold War.
Call of Duty Black Ops Cold WarÂ is slated to release for the PS4, Xbox One, and PC viaÂ Battle.netÂ on 13 November 2020, and for PS5 and Xbox Series X sometime this holiday.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=8o-kI11cAx4


Black Panther & Spider-Verse Get Top Billing In Oscar 2019 Nominations

It’s a great year to be a comic book movie fan. This year’s Academy Awards/Oscar is chock-filled with some unorthodox picks. Earlier in the US, actors Tracee Ellis Ross and Kumail Nanjiani announced the nominees, and if you’re a big movie buff, you don’t want to miss out on this list.
Standouts for us comic book fans include Black Panther for Best Picture, Best Production Design, and Best Music (Original Score), Avengers: Infinity War for Visual Effects, and Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse for Animated Feature Film. If you’re just a big overall film geek, you’d be pleased to know that BlackKKKlansman, The Favourite, Roma, and Isle of Dogs are on the Best Picture and Animated Feature Films list.
Check out the full list below:
BEST PICTURE
Black Panther
BlakkKlansman
Bohemian Rhapsody
The Favourite
Green Book
Roma
A Star is Born
Vice
ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
Christian Bale,Â Vice
Bradley Cooper,Â A Star is Born
Willem Dafoe,Â At Eternityâ€™s Gate
Rami Malek,Â Bohemian Rhapsody
Viggo Mortensen,Â Green Book
ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE
Yalitza Aparicio,Â Roma
Glenn Close,Â The Wife
Olivia Colman,Â The Favourite
Lady Gaga,Â A Star is Born
Melissa McCarthy,Â Can You Ever Forgive Me
ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Mahershala Ali,Â Green Book
Adam Driver,Â BlacKkKlansman
Sam Elliott,Â A Star is Born
Richard E. Grant,Â Can You Ever Forgive Me
Sam Rockwell,Â Vice
ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Amy Adams,Â Vice
Regina King,Â If Beale Street Could Talk
Marina De Tervira,Â Roma
Emma Stone,Â The Favourite
Rachel Weisz,Â The Favourite
ANIMATED FEATURE FILM
Incredibles 2
Isle of Dogs
Mirai
Ralph Breaks the Internet
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
CINEMATOGRAPHY
Cold War
The Favourite
Never Look Away
Roma
A Star is Born
COSTUME DESIGN
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
Black Panther
The Favourite
Mary Poppins Returns
Mary Queen of Scots
DIRECTING
Alfonso CuarÃ³n,Â Roma
Yorgos Lanthimos,Â The Favourite
Spike Lee,Â BlacKkKlansman
Adam McKay,Â Vice
Pawel Pawlikowski,Â Cold War
DOCUMENTARY (FEATURE)
Free Solo
Hale Country This Morning, This Evening
Minding the Gap
Of Fathers and Sons
RBG
DOCUMENTARY (SHORT SUBJECT)
Black Sheep
End Game
Lifeboat
A Night at the Garden
Period. End of Sentence
FILM EDITING
BlacKkKlansman
Bohemian Rhapsody
The Favourite
Green Book
Vice
FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
Capernaum
Cold War
Never Look Away
Roma
Shoplifters
MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING
Border
Mary Queen of Scots
Vice
MUSIC (ORIGINAL SCORE)
Black Panther
BlacKkKlansman
If Beale Street Could Talk
Isle of Dogs
Mary Poppins Returns
MUSIC (ORIGINAL SONG)
All the Stars,Â Black Panther
Iâ€™ll Fight,Â RBG
The Place Where Lost Things Go,Â Mary Poppins Returns
Shallow,Â A Star is Born
When a Cowboy Trades His Spurs for Wings,Â The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
PRODUCTION DESIGN
Black Panther
The Favourite
First Man
Mary Poppins Returns
Roma
SHORT FILM (ANIMATED)
Animal Behaviour
Bao
Late Afternoon
One Small Step
Weekends
SHORT FILM (LIVE ACTION)
Detainment
Fauve
Margueritte
Mother
Skin
SOUND EDITING
Black Panther
Bohemian Rhapsody
First Man
A Quiet Place
Roma
SOUND MIXING
Black Panther
Bohemian Rhapsody
First Man
Roma
A Star is Born
VISUAL EFFECTS
Avengers: Infinity War
Christopher Robin
First Man
Ready Player One
Solo: A Star Wars Story
WRITING (ADAPTED SCREENPLAY)
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs
BlacKkKlansman
Can You Ever Forgive Me
If Beale Street Could Talk
A Star is Born
WRITING (ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY)
The Favourite
First Reformed
Green Book
Roma
Vice


Philippines’ Major Fighting Game Tournament Postponed To 2021

Sad news for fighting game fans who wish to visit The Philippines for some REV Major action this year.
Organizers Gariath Concepts and PlayBook Esports announced that this year’s REV Major is cancelled due to COVID-19 still messing up the world. The organizations and its partners will be working towards next year’s REV Major instead.
https://www.facebook.com/revmajorph/posts/1298020230368192?__cft__[0]=AZU7ew_JVZ9-_NnK8ITjrZ40ZaXtWQWSxnaE8hyabKsRTGzRrZyH0-5O0UWIhv9CUBrRGmATe6kiJvRxPOCvRezFh-hErufeI6f8vuj_yklSasgKRpu6oOXu4_c8hPVyLNTUvAxao-GuxapduDz2WPihCpuluEOyF1Gl4-DXvQMxZPmnl9Pyb01CnBopMjeX50SAHEC65fVAiDw3YsxtC9j7Z3prtCNxnxp1-TBHkxEOqucVXZ8vSHGBEYe6tlammjJMT7FuBPkeDch1aReEGs99&__tn__=%2CO%2CP-R
While this is a huge disappointment for many, it’s for the best since large gatherings of this much hype are susceptible to a pandemic like COVID-19. In the meantime, here are some chief moments from REV Major 2017, 2018, and 2019. Hope you like high-level Tekken 7 play.

Top image credit: REV Major


Sonic The Hedgehog 2 Unveils New Character Posters

United International Pictures Malaysia has unveiled new character posters for Sonic The Hedgehog 2 ahead of the movie’s upcoming release.
InÂ Sonic The Hedgehog 2, after settling in Green Hills, Sonic is eager to prove he has what it takes to be a true hero. His test comes when Dr. Robotnik returns, this time with a new partner, Knuckles, in search of an emerald that has the power to destroy civilizations. Sonic teams up with his own sidekick, Tails, and together they embark on a globe-trotting journey to find the emerald before it falls into the wrong hands.
Sonic The Hedgehog 2Â stars James Marsden, Ben Schwartz as the voice of Sonic, Tika Sumpter, Natasha Rothwell, Adam Pally, and Jim Carrey returning, alongside new additions Shemar Moore, with Idris Elba as the voice of Knuckles, and Colleen Oâ€™Shaughnessey as the voice of Tails.
Sonic The Hedgehog 2 premieres in Malaysian cinemas on 28 April 2022.


League Of Legends Worlds 2020 Broke Viewership Records

This year marked the tenth World Championship in League of Legends competitive history, and it certainly was a memorable one.
The event kicked off with Play-Ins at the Shanghai Media Tech Center, introducing a mixed reality stage that allowed us to travel virtually through the elements and bring the city ofÂ  Shanghai indoors.
Over the course of 38 Play-In matches, fans watched 160.92Â million hours of play, a 61.76 percent increase from the same period in 2019, and the AMAÂ  increased 87.18 percent year on year to 3.6 million.Â
In total, the 2020 Worlds Championship recorded more than one billion hours watched, which is the highest ever for a Worlds championship in ten years of League Of Legends.

The newly-built SAIC Motor Pudong Arena welcomed 6,312 live fans after 3,205,750 people (all who needed to be a Level 30 player or higher) who registered toÂ come see the show live.Â

This year, the world saw the first-ever Finals Pentakill, which was impressively pulled off by Suningâ€™sÂ Bin on Fiora. The Finals Pentakill is the first ever seen in a Finals match, and the twelfth overall in Worlds history.Â Â

PENTAKILL FOR BIN'S FIORA! #WORLDS2020 pic.twitter.com/pmgr2Jz2Gm— LoL Esports (@lolesports) October 31, 2020

Despite this memorable victory in Game 2 of the Finals, Suning eventually was overtaken byÂ DAMWON Gaming for the World Championship title in a 3-1 victory.
The Finals were broadcast in 16 languages and across 21 platforms. In total, the WorldsÂ Championship Finals hit a record-breaking 23.04 Million Average Minute AudienceÂ (AMA) and 45.95 million Peak Concurrent Users.

There was also zero positive tests for COVID-19 among the players after more than aÂ month of the competition.


PlayStation Lays Off 90 Employees As Part Of “Global Transformation”

Sony Interactive Entertainment and PlayStation have apparently laid off over 90 of their employees in the United States. According to the report from Axios, the layoffs were part of a “global transformation”. The 90 jobs were mostly from the PlayStation sales and marketing divisions.
In the report, one of the employees affected by the layoffs told Axios that they were disappointed that PlayStation didn’t inform them about the cuts sooner. What is the reason for the layoffs? It seems like PlayStation is shifting towards direct-to-consumer marketing, and they’re leaving behind retail and physical games marketing.
For instance, current Sony and PlayStation job listings for marketing roles include several positions for their subscription services. This isn’t totally unexpected, considering that the company recently announced a massive overhaul of their PlayStation Plus content offerings and packages.