Chocobo GP Is Now Available On Mobile Devices

Square Enix has announced that a free mobile app inspired by the upcoming kart racer, Chocobo GP, is now available for download on iOS and Android devices.
Titled Chocobo GPâ€™ (read as â€œChocobo GP Dashâ€), players will need to navigate through wild and hectic stages to deliver treasure to the finish line and compete against friends to achieve the best score. In Chocobo GPâ€™, players are in for a frantic racing experience as they navigate exhilarating stages and rank against friends for the top spot.
It features 35 varied courses, and the Ghost option allows players to race against a ghost of themselves to try and beat their own record. Players can also customize and enhance Chocobo through various stats to match their playstyle.
Additionally, Chocobo GP will be available for Nintendo Switch on 10 March 2022.
You can download Chocobo GP’ on the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store.


Return To Monkey Island Will Be Out This September

The long-awaited follow-up to the Monkey Island series is getting a release date.
Return To Monkey Island will be out later this year on 19th September, which is International Talk Like A Pirate Day. The new release date trailer shows off recurring character Stan (same lined outfit and all) talking about the game’s new features and a pre-order Horse Armour item that doesn’t do jack and just sits in your inventory.
Return To Monkey Island will be out for PC and consoles. Original series creator Ron Gilbert will be behind this new sequel.


FIFA 20 FUT ICON Ratings Revealed For Legendary Players

When talking about a game as big as FIFA 20, it’s difficult to avoid leaks and EA knows this all too well by now. Perhaps in an effort to ensure that they can fully monetise on the news and announcement, the company has decided to officially unveil new information on some new FUT ICONs, specifically former football legends.
Here is a list of the players together with their cards and stats:
Zinedine Zidane

Pep Guardiola

Ronald Koeman

Michael Essien

Gianluca Zambrotta

Kenny Dalgish

John Barnes

Ian Wright

Ian Rush

Hugo Sanchez

Garrincha

Didier Drogba

Carlos Alberto Torres

Andrea Pirlo

And so far these are the ones that have been revealed. FIFA 20 is scheduled to be released on 27 September 2019 for PS4, Xbox One, and PC (Origin). Those who purchase the Champions Edition or Ultimate Edition will get to play the game beginning 24 September 2019.


Super Nintendo World Japan Teases Donkey Kong Expansion

The Super Nintendo World theme park in Osaka, Japan, is slated to officially open later this week. However, there are already signs that indicate a potential Donkey Kong expansion in the works.
According to VGC, Super Nintendo World features a locked door hidden towards the north of the park with a design that is very reminiscent of Donkey Kong. The theme park has yet to officially announce a Donkey Kong expansion, but there images showing a concept model for a Donkey Kong area in Super Nintendo World.
In 2020, Bloombergâ€™s Kurumi Mori claimed that Super Nintendo World was developing the rumoured Donkey Kong section, but new Donkey Kong-related assets have been data-mined from the Universal Studios Japan mobile app in December 2020, which lends even further credibility.
The assets include various collectables from the Donkey Kong Country series and they even match the visual style of Super Nintendo Worldâ€™s Stamps. This suggests that Achievements-style Donkey Kong challenges will be added to the future expansion. Check them out below, courtesy of Twitter user @KRoolKountry:

All of this remains unconfirmed for now, so we’ll have to wait until Universal or Nintendo confirms anything.


Everyone’s Favourite Fallout 4 Doggo Has Passed Away

Say what you want about Fallout 4, but almost everyone who’s played the game will remember their NPC dog companion, Dogmeat. Dogmeat helps players attack, defend, and even find loot, making them a valuable companion in the wastelands. We apologize for being the bearer of sad news, but the real-life inspiration for Dogmeat has recently passed away.
Former Fallout developer Joel Burgess announced on his Twitter account that River, the real-life dog that inspired Fallout 4‘s Dogmeat, has died. Earlier today, Burgess has uploaded several tweets and images showing the late River and how the dog was instrumental to the development of Fallout 4. Many gamers have since offered their condolences.
You can check out his entire Twitter thread below:

I said goodbye today to River, who most of you know as Fallout 4’s Dogmeat.
Heartbroken doesn't cover it, but I won’t eulogize her here. For twitter, I thought it'd be appropriate to look back at her impact on that game.
(plus, writing about game dev hurts less than grieving) pic.twitter.com/ayN1Vd6oqQ
— Joel Burgess (@JoelBurgess) June 27, 2021

You can also check out more behind the scenes footage of River as Dogmeat in the video below:

Rest in peace in canine heaven, River. We’ll miss you.


Here’s What We Know About That Cutesy Gears of War Mobile Game…

2019 is looking sharp and stellar for Gears of War fans. The trio of projects announced during last year’s E3 may be out end of the year. We have the next mothership instalment called Gears 5 (they officially dropped “of War” this time around) for Xbox One and PC as well as a strategy title called Gears Tactics which is basically a PC-exclusive Gears-version of X-COM.
And then we have the weirdo of the bunch: Gears Pop, a mobile game based on the Funko Pop versions of the Gears of War cast and universe. Think of the game as a fan service title for die-hard fans and an entry point for casual players. The fact that it’s free-to-play also helps its cause in getting the mainstream audience’s attention.
Here’s what else we know so far (via Gamesindustry.biz):
-It’s developed by Mediatonic, the London-based studio responsible for Square Enix RPG Heavenstrike Rivals and the international remake of pigeon-dating visual novel Hatoful Boyfriend.
-The dev team has a long-term relationship with Xbox; they created Xbox Live Arcade titles Foul Play and Fable Fortune.
-According to the company’s commercial director Helen Burnill, the team had to work closely with The Coalition about the IP, as well as figure out how to take a “brutal, ultraviolent game” and create aÂ  mobile game for a broader audience?

“With any IP, we look to boil it down to what the strengths are, what makes that IP unique, what are the characteristics. With Gears, it’s things like cover combat and mechanics that are inherent to the franchise. So it’s been about… taking those without necessarily taking the gory, adult gameplay that’s a great fit for a console 18+ audience, but not necessarily a wider mobile audience.”

-And here’s how it looks like:

-Yes, it’s basically Clash Royale but with Gears characters stylized as Funko Pop figurines. You summon units on your side, and they proceed on forward to take down your opponent’s outposts and base to net you a win.
-There is one main addition to the mobile RTS mechanic set by Supercell’s moneymaker:Â When the timer is down to 60 seconds, your power output doubles which means you can summon more units or bigger Locust units. You can either build a deck that takes advantage of this bonus, or add one or two expensive-but-big-units and save them when the time comes. Your choice.
-Notice something? Xbox and Gears fans aren’t giving this game and its video a lot of grief and dislikes, unlike oh say Blizzard when they announced Diablo Immortal and EA when they announced Command & Conquer: Rivals. The difference and tone of the announcements are clear: Xbox and The Coalition relegated its gameplay reveal on its Gears Pop! YouTube channel instead of taking the spotlight from a giant stage with a hardcore gaming/PC-gaming audience.
The other two stuck with their hubris; no prize for guessing what happened next.
-There is no concrete release date for this game, but it’s slated for 2019. The game’s on soft launch right now, so do check out your friendly neighbourhood app store to see if it’s available in your region yet.
Check out the full Gamesindustry.biz interview here.


You Can Now Listen To The Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 Theme Song

During the weekend, Geoff Keighley hosted the Game Awards 10-Year Concert in Los Angeles, a one-night event featuring live video game music from the last decade. The concert played music from many games, including the first public performance of the main theme from the upcoming Marvel’s Spider-Man 2.
The track, ‘Greater Together’, made its debut during the live event, but you can now listen to the song via Spotify.
Check it out below:

It’s composed by John Paesano, who also made the music for the previous two games, Marvel’s Spider-Man and Marvel’s Spider-Man Miles Morales.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 will launch for the PS5 on 20 October 2023.


Chinese Overwatch League Teams To Boycott Activities Featuring Seoul Dynasty’s Saebyeolbe

Chinese Overwatch Leagueâ€™s Chengdu Hunters, Guangzhou Charge, Shanghai Dragons, and Hangzhou Spark have allegedly announced that they will refuse to participate in any activities including Seoul Dynastyâ€™s main DPS, Saebyeolbe.
According to Dot Esports, this comes after controversial comments were made on Saebyeolbeâ€™s stream regarding the unification of China and the freedom of speech on Chinese streaming platforms.
On 14 April 2021, Saebyeolbe posted an apology note on his personal Instagram account. In his note, he apologized to the Chinese Overwatch community for controversial remarks made on his Douyu live stream, which has since been deleted.
Now, two weeks after what happened, the managers and owners of all four Chinese Overwatch League teams posted on Weibo that they will be boycotting all activities involving Saebyeolbe.
In theory, they could still play against Seoul Dynasty if the team fielded a different DPS and not Saebyeolbe.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CNpQ7dOHxl2/


ESL One Returns to Genting With Dota 2 Minor

Following the success of ESL One Genting 2017 in January, ESL returns to the highland resort in Malaysia for another event, Malaysia’s first ESL Minor event, ESL One Genting 2018 happening from January 26-28 2018. Available on three tiers, tickets for the event will start selling on October 19th starting fromÂ  MYR180 for those who preorder. Looking forward to witness it live? Well you’re in luck as seating arrangements are as follows:

The ticket rates will inflate accordingly with the number of seats sold so we’d recommend you start booking now. Based on the ESL One 2017 tourney, we highly recommend you to book not only your tickets beforehand, but also get your rooms in Genting Highlands sorted to avoid accommodation issues later on.

Malaysiaâ€™s first official Minor tournament, 400 points are up for grabs and we should get the final list of teams competing as we head closer to the tournament date. We will keep you updated on any news pertaining to the event as we go along. For more ticketing info, head over to ESL One Genting 2018’s official site.


Road to Avengers Infinity War: Marvel Cinematic Universe Phase 2 Recap

We are getting closer and closer to Avengers Infinity War’s release in Malaysia on 26th April 2018. I recapped Phase One of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) from Iron Man (2008) to The Avengers (2012), which you can check out here.
Part 2 will focus on what was Marvel Studios’ Phase 2 of the MCU, starting from Iron Man 3 (2013) to Ant-Man (2015).
7) Iron Man 3 (2013)

After The Avengers (2012) came out, many (including myself) was a bit worried. How was Marvel going to top themselves after that, one of the biggest comic book movies to date? Their answer was Iron Man 3 (2013).
After the Battle of New York in The Avengers (2012), Tony Stark has been having panic attacks due to PTSD. Because of that, he has been making himself busy with building dozens of new armour. A new villain, The Mandarin, caused a number of bombings, one of which injured Tony’s friend, Happy Hogan. Tony then issued a personal threat to the Mandarin, which he responds by attacking Tony’s home. He escapes the attack to rural Tenessee, where he learns that these bombings have been the result of Extremis’ flaws.
Tony tracks the Mandarin to Miami and realizes that the Mandarin was a British actor all along and that Aldrich Killian is the real villain. Killian kidnaps the President and brings him to an oil rig to kill him, where Tony summons all his armour to help him, with assistance from Jarvis. In their fight, Pepper Potts powered by Extremis saves Tony by killing Killian. The movie ends with Tony activating the Clean Slate protocol and destroying all his armours and Tony finally removing shrapnel from his heart.
Iron Man 3’s post-credits scene was the first disappointing one. It’s simply Tony who has been telling the story of what happens in Iron Man 3 to Bruce Banner. That’s all. Yawn.
Add to that, this movie ruined the Mandarin. This movie will always remain the worst in the MCU for me, although the next one isn’t that much better.
8) Thor: The Dark World (2013)

Some people say this is the worst movie in the MCU. I certainly can’t argue with that, with its weak villain and boring story. However, it introduced another Infinity Stone son I guess it gets points for that.
The movie begins with Thor and his fellow Asgardians in a final battle to restore order to the Nine Realms after the Bifrost was destroyed at the end of Thor (2011). We learn that the Convergence, an alignment of the Nine Realms, is set to happen. Dr Jane Foster, investigating a disruption in the law of physics, gets pulled into another dimension and infected by the Aether. Heimdall senses this and sends Thor to pick her up.
It turns out that an ancient enemy, Malekith, has also sensed the Aether. He and his forces attack Asgard, where Thor’s mother gets killed during the battle. Thor enlists the help of Loki and heads to Svartalheim to fight Malekith. During the battle, Loki seemingly dies. Malekith plans to unleash the Aether in Greenwich when the Convergence happens. Thor and his friends stop him. When Thor returns to Asgard, he tells Odin of Loki’s sacrifice and refuses the crown. It turns out that Loki is impersonating Odin.
In Thor: The Dark World’s post-credits scene,Â Volstagg, and Sif visit the Collector and entrust the Aether to his care.
9) Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)

After two straight duds, the MCU redeems itself with its best movie yet. It still is the best MCU movie, in my opinion, four years and many more movies later. This movie also made Captain America extremely relevant and adds a much-needed expansion to the mythos surrounding SHIELD and the history of the MCU. The MCU was never the same again after this movie.
The movie starts with Steve Rogers still getting used to the modern world even after the events of The Avengers (2012). Things start getting suspicious when they couldn’t decrypt the data extracted from a mission. Then, Nick Fury was attacked and seemingly assassinated by the Winter Soldier. Fury gives Rogers a flash drive containing the truth and the senior SHIELD officer Alexander Pierce asked for information, Roger refused to give it him and thus branded a traitor. He goes on the run with the Balck Widow and follows the trail of information to a secret SHIELD bunker. They find supercomputer embedded with the consciousness of Arnim Zola, where they discover that Hydra has been secretly operating within SHIELD since it was founded after World War 2.
They escape the bunker before it was destroyed and finds out that Alexander Pierce is the head of HYDRA. They enlist the help of Sam Wilson AKA the Falcon and discovers that Project Insight an identify potential threats to HYDRA and eliminate them. Rogers also discovers that the Winter Soldier is his childhood friend Bucky Barnes, who was presumed dead in World War 2.
In the final battle, Rogers tries to convince the Winter Soldier of his past and in the end, while Rogers was sinking in the river, Bucky saves him at the last moment before escaping himself. The movie ends with Romanoff testifying before the Senate of HYDRA in SHIELD and Fury has to Eastern Europe to eliminate HYDRA’s remaining cells.
In Captain America: The Winter Soldier’s post-credits scene, Baron Wolfgang Von Strucker is seen at a HYDRA lab, with two test subjects, Pietro Maximoff AKA Quicksilver and the Wanda Maximoff AKA the Scarlet Witch. In the other post-credits scene, we see the Winter Soldier visiting a Bucky memorial at the Smithsonian museum.
10) Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)

The first truly cosmic movie of the MCU was a game-changer in many ways. Sure, Iron Man was maybe a C-list superhero when his movie was made. The Guardians of the Galaxy were relatively unknown even by some ardent comic book fans. I knew then that if Guardians of the Galaxy became a hit, then no characters were off-limits for Marvel Studios.
The movie starts with Peter Quill’s mother dying when he was a child and being abducted by aliens soon after. Fast forward years later and we meet an adult Peter Quill stealing an orb on Planet Morag while being pursued by a couple of aliens led by Korath. He escapes with the Orb but encounters Gamora, Groot, and Rocket on the planet Xandar. They were caught by the Nova Corps and thrown into the Kyln Prison, where they meet Drax. Meanwhile, Ronan, the bad guy meets with Thanos, the big bad guy, to discuss Gamora’s betrayal.
The team works together and escapes the Kyln to find a buyer for the Orb, the Collector AKA Taneleer Tivan. It turns out that the Orb contains an Infinity Stone. In the final battle on Xandar, the Guardians of the Galaxy confront Ronan and defeats him with the power of the Infinity Stone. The movie ends with the team giving the Infinity Stone to the Nova Corps for safekeeping and Quill learns that he is only half human.
In Guardians of the Galaxy’s post-credits scene, we see The Collector sitting amongst his destroyed collection along with a cosmonaut dog and Howard the Duck.
11) Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)

How could the MCU live up to its biggest and most overrated movie so far in The Avengers (2012)? With this bland sequel. The movie was disappointing and it was only notable for introducing Quicksilver, the Scarlet Witch, and the Vision. Thankfully this was Joss Whedon’s final MCU movie.
The movie starts with The Avengers raiding the last Eastern European HYDRA base. The scepter they find within the base is used by Stark and Banner to create Ultron. Ultron goes evil and hatches a plan to launch the city of Sokovia into the air and crash it into the ground, killing everything. Thor returns to activate the Vision with his hammer. In the final battle in Sokovia, Quicksilver sacrifices himself to save Hawkeye.
The team defeats Ultron with the help of the Scarlet Witch. The movie ends with the Avengers establishing a new base and Thor returning to Asgard to find out more about the Infinity Stones.
In Avengers: Age of Ultron’s post-credits scene, Thanos isn’t satisfied with his pawns and dons the gauntlet himself. He vows to find the Infinity Stones himself.
12) Ant-Man (2015)

The introduction of yet another hero. In the comics, Ant-Man was actually one of the founding members of the Avengers. In the MCU, he’s just another new hero with shrinking powers.
Scott Lang is a former thief who is trying to get his life back on track. Then, Dr Hank Pym hires him to steal the Ant-Man suit as a test, to see if he’s worthy of handling the suit and its powers. His mission is to steal the Yellowjacket suit created by Darren Cross, who stole the technology used by Pym to shrink objects. After defeating Darren Cross and surviving the quantum realm, Scott keeps the Ant-Man suit and finds out that Sam Wilson AKA the Falcon is looking to recruit him.
In Ant-Man’s post-credits scene, Hank Pym shows Jent Van Dyne a prototype Wasp suit. In the other post-credits scene, we see Bucky in the custody of Steve Rogers and Sam Wilson, and they are unable to call Stark because of the Accords. This alludes to the next movie, Captain America: Civil War.
All right, folks, Thatâ€™s all for Phase 2 of the MCU. Weâ€™ll return soon with the recap for Phase 3 of the MCU. Weâ€™re going to make sure everyoneâ€™s up to snuff before Avengers Infinity War arrives in a few weeks. If you want to know more about where the Infinity Stones are right now, read my article here.


Granblue Fantasy Fes 2020 Schedule Announced; Will Be An Online Show

Thanks to COVID-19, Cygames will need to host its upcoming Granblue Fantasy fiesta online. Luckily, that’s been the norm worldwide, meaning no need to spend so much on logistics and whatnot.
In any case, Cygames will be unveiling its Granblue Fantasy plans in the Granblue Fantasy Fes 2020 live event on 12th and 13th December starting at 12pm and 1pm respectively. Highlights of the event include character reveals for Granblue Fantasy the mobile game and a Stella Magnus Special Live performance, which should be fun for fans of the game’s soundtrack.
Full schedule below, now in GMT+8 time. Watch the event on this YouTube link.Ã‚Â
12th December – Saturday

12:00 to 12:45 Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Opening Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Featuring Yuuki Ono, Emiri Katou, Nao Touyama, Yoshihisa Kawahara, Rika Tachibana, Yuito Kimura, and Tetsuya Fukuhara.
12:45 to 13:45 Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Granblue FantasyÃ‚Â So Far 2020 Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Featuring Emiri Katou, Nao Touyama, Asami Imai, Minoru Shiraishi, Yuito Kimura, and Tetsuya Fukuhara.
14:00 to 15:00 Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Official Cast Stage
15:15 to 18:15 Ã¢â‚¬â€œ GranblueÃ‚Â TV Channel! Fes Edition Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Featuring Yuuki Ono, Emiri Katou, Nao Touyama, Kazuhiko Inoue, Tetsu Inada, Jun Fukuyama, Asami Imai, Minoru Shiraishi, Madoka Yonezawa, Takuya Eguchi, Ryouta Oosaka, Yuito Kimura, and Tetsuya Fukuhara.
18:15 to 01:00 (13th December) (YouTube) Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Satellite Stage Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Featuring Yoshihisa Kawahara, Rika Tachibana, Inuko Inuyama, Takanori Hoshino, and more.
21:00 to 23:30 Ã¢â‚¬â€œÃ‚Â GranblueÃ‚Â Night PartyÃ‚Â Ã¢â‚¬â€œ RequiresÃ‚Â 3,000 yen ticket purchase. Featuring Ichirou Mizuki, Tetsu Inada, Kishou Taniyama, Asami Imai, Kana Ueda, Aya Hirano, Minoru Shiraishi, Ryoko Shiraishi, Ryou Hirohashi, Emiri Katou, Madoka Yonezawa, Yuuki Ono, Akiko Hasegawa, Hisako Kanemoto, Natsumi Takamori, Rika Tachibana, Asami Seto, Nao Touyama, Junya Enoki, MAO, Mark Ishii, and Minami Tanaka.

13th December – Sunday

13:00 to 14:10 Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Stella Magna Special Live in Granblue FantasyÃ‚Â Fes 2020 Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Featuring Stella Magna, Taro Kobayashi, CHiCO (from ACE), and STEVIE (from 44MAGNUM).
14:10 to 15:40 Ã¢â‚¬â€œ GranblueÃ‚Â Q&A Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Featuring Yuuki Ono, Emiri Katou, Nao Touyama, Yuichi Nakamura, Yuito Kimura, and Tetsuya Fukuhara.
15:40 to 17:00 Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Granblue FantasyÃ‚Â Fes Special Character Live
17:30 to 20:30 Ã¢â‚¬â€œ GranblueÃ‚Â Broadcast: Christmas Special Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Featuring Yuuki Ono, Emiri Katou, Nao Touyama, Kana Ueda, Yoshihisa Kawahara, Yuichi Nakamura, Ryoko Shiraishi, Takanori Hoshino, Rika Tachibana, Ryouta Oosaka, MAO, Yuito Kimura, and Tetsuya Fukuhara.
20:45 to 21:35 Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Granblue FantasyÃ‚Â Fes 2020 Special Show: Trails of Azure -The Stars of the Sky-


Gran Turismo 7 Update Fixes Bug That Resets Game Progression

Chalk it up for developer Polyphony Digital for patching up Gran Turismo 7 from a possibly catastrophic bug. The devs have given the game a 1.09 update which fixes five main issues, one of which that could reset game progression “if the game was started with an unstable network connection”. Yikes.
The patch did not fix the low rewards players are getting from completing races to get the cars they want. Here’s what Polyphony boss Kazunori Yamauchi said:
“We know that this is not the Gran Turismo experience you expect and we will be making a goodwill gesture in the form of a non-paid credit pack of 1 million Cr available to those players who may have been affected.”
The above credit pack, which is worth US$15, will be made available to everyone who owned either the digital or physical version of Gran Turismo 7 before today.
Here are the fixes and changes from update 1.09:
1. Daytona International Speedway
Fixed an issue where swerving suddenly into the pits on the Tri-Oval and Road Course caused the pitstop sequence to be skipped, and the car going straight to the exit.
2. Sport & Lobby
Fixed a very rare issue where an application error would occur in an online race or Lobby when entering a race event.
3. My Page
Fixed an issue where the stats for Clean Races, Fastest Laps, Pole Positions and Victories in the “Sport” category in the Profile section would not display correctly.
Fixed an issue where the value for the “Races” statistic in the “Sport” category in the Profile section was displayed as double the correct amount.
4. Others
Fixed a rare issue where the game progression would reset if the game was started with an unstable network connection.


[Report] Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League Delayed To 2023

Rocksteady’s next big game that’s set in the DC Universe may not be out in 2022.
According to sources close to the project (via Bloomberg), Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League will be delayed to 2023 due to needing more time in the proverbial oven. Specifically, the delay is caused by “the pandemic and other development challenges” associated with it.

Of course, Warner Media has a slew of other titles like Gotham Knights, Hogwarts Legacy, and Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga slated for 2022 or so; perhaps this delay could be a good thing as it may be cannibalized by other titles under the Warner banner.
Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League will be out in the future for PC, Xbox Series, and PS5.


BlizzCon 2020 Is Cancelled, To Be Moved Online In Early 2021

Yet another video game event has been cancelled due to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic and this time itâ€™s BlizzCon 2020. The highly-anticipated annual event would usually run in November.
Itâ€™s worth pointing out that this is the first major gaming event as late as November 2020 to be officially cancelled. In an official statement, BlizzCon Executive Producer Saralyn Smith said:

“Several weeks ago, I shared an update about our uncertainty around holding BlizzCon this year.
Since then, a lot has changed . . . and a lot also hasnâ€™t changed.
During this time, weâ€™ve had many discussions about what holding a convention could look like in light of all the health and safety considerations weâ€™d want to make.
Weâ€™ve also talked about different paths we could take, and how each one could be complicated by fluctuations in national and local health guidelines in the months ahead.
Ultimately, after considering our options, weâ€™ve come to the very difficult decision to not have BlizzCon this year.
Weâ€™re feeling deeply disappointed about this decision, and imagine many of you will feel the same.
I truly love BlizzCon, and I know thatâ€™s a sentiment shared by everyone at Blizzard.
We will sorely miss connecting with so many of you at the convention and â€œrecharging our geek batteriesâ€ this fall.
But we will meet again!”

In what might sound hopeful for Blizzard Entertainment fans, she also said that the company might be looking to replace BlizzCon 2020 with a virtual event. Unfortunately, she clarified that the earliest that this could potentially even happen would be sometime in early 2021.

“Weâ€™re talking about how we might be able to channel the BlizzCon spirit and connect with you in some way online, far less impacted by the state of health and safety protocols for mass in-person gatherings.
Weâ€™d want to do this as soon as we could, but given that this is new-ish territory and the different factors involved, it will most likely be sometime early next year.
BlizzCon is also a stage for big esports events in Blizzard games each year, so weâ€™re also looking into alternatives for supporting some of the high-level competition that would normally take place at the show.
Weâ€™ll tell you more about our plans as they developâ€”but in the meantime, we hope to see you exploring the Shadowlands, hanging out in the Tavern, pushing the payload (do it!), and wherever else in the Blizzard universes you may roam.”

Last year’s BlizzCon 2019 was notable for having officially announced Overwatch 2Â and Diablo 4, so it was likely that this year’s iteration of the event would have revealed even more about the sequel to 2016’s Overwatch and the latest instalment of the Diablo franchise.
Other game events that have also been cancelled, postponed, or turned into digital events due to COVID-19 include Paris Games Week 2020, E3 2020,Â Gamescom 2020,Â EVO 2020,Â QuakeCon 2020, andÂ Taipei Game Show 2020.


You Can Now Play As David Bowie in Overwatch. Well. Sort Of.

Let’s not kid ourselves. Overwatch’s latest character, Moira resembles the late David Bowie. And we believe that we speak on behalf of all Ziggy Stardust fans that if Blizzard does not come up with a Bowie-themed skin, we riot. Thankfully for everyone, we don’t have to.
Moira recently made it to the PTR and along with that, revealed all available skins for the Irish lass which include an ode to David Bowie with the ‘Glam’ skin.

In case you are still in the dark about her abilities, the official description read:
Moiraâ€™s biotic abilities enable her to contribute healing or damage in any crisis. While Biotic Grasp gives Moira short-range options, her Biotic Orbs contribute longer-range, hands-off damage and healing; she can also Fade to escape groups or remain close to allies in need of support. Once sheâ€™s charged Coalescence, Moira can save multiple allies from elimination at once or finish off weakened enemies.Â
Listed below is her move set as well as the corresponding keys and buttons for PC, PS4 and Xbox One.
Primary (PC/ PS4/XBO): Left Click/ R2/ RTÂ Â
Biotic Grasp:Â Using her left hand, Moira expends biotic energy to heal allies in front of her. Her right hand fires a long-range beam weapon that saps enemiesâ€™ health, healing Moira and replenishing her biotic energy.

50 damage per second
âœ˜ CannotÂ headshot
75 healing per second
âœ˜ CannotÂ headshot

Default (PC/ PS4/XBO): E/ R1/ RB
Biotic Orb:Â Moira launches a rebounding biotic sphere; she can choose between a regeneration effect that heals the allies it passes through, or a decay effect that deals damage to enemies.

200 max damage
300 max healing
10-second cooldown

Default (PC/ PS4/XBO): L Shift/ L1/ LBÂ Â
Fade:Â Moira quickly teleports a short distance.

10Â mÂ range
6-second cooldown

Ultimate Default (PC/ PS4/XBO): Q/ Triangle/ YÂ Â
Coalescence:Â Moira channels a long-range beam that both heals allies and bypasses barriers to damage her enemies.

66.6 damage per second
Lasts 6 seconds

We welcome her addition to the roster as she adds a lot into the shallow pool of viable support characters in the current meta. We cannot wait to see how her inclusion shifts the play style of casuals and hardcores alike and look forward to how the Overwatch League teams utilize her in competitive play.
No word yet on when Moira will hit consoles but based on past reveals, you can expect to have her on your PS4 and Xbox One once the current PTR cycle ends and goes live on PC; changes which will also be reflected on the consoles.


ILLEGEAR ONYX (2018) Review

Let’s be brutally honest about it.
Gaming laptops are a risky investment for gamers out there. With limited, sometimes zero upgrading and customizing capabilities, gaming laptops have always been consigned as luxury machines for gamers with deep pockets who put portability ahead of everything else when it comes to their PC gaming experience.
Ranging from about RM3000 to a whopping RM20000 for some models, gaming laptop makers have always touted their devices as being the best in the market, yet many are merely differentiated by the badge these machines carry.
At Kakuchopurei.com, we believe in getting the most out of our buck. If we were to spend a small fortune on a gaming machine, it better be one of a kind, or at least, unique in its own right, tailored to our needs. What is the point of spending over twice your monthly gross salary for something that is pretty much an off-the-shelf product, right?
Introducing ILLEGEAR and their range of customisable gaming laptops which while still carry that relatively lofty pricetag, offer a more worthwhile experience that befits money spent.
Enter the ONYX
Their latest crown jewel would be the 2018 ONYX model which boasts a bezel-less, slim build laptop which is powered byÂ Intel Core i7(or i5) processor and GTX1060 (orÂ GTX1050Ti) graphics card which we got to review. After a few weeks of converting the review unit as our daily driver, here are our thoughts of the device.
Straight out of the box, the ONYX is definitely a beauty. Unlike most brands that sport garish designs on their gaming laptops in attempt to appear menacing and edgy, the designers at ILLEGEAR probably came from the design school of ‘less is more’.Â The brushed, black-anodized aluminium steel spell minimalism with a hint of raw power underneath it all. However, we would highly recommend you keep a wiping cloth close by as it attracts fingerprints and smudges like Overwatch players to newly released hero.
With the slim build of 359(W) x 240(D) x 19.9(H) mm, the 15.6-inch screen sports the form factor of a 14-inch laptop – slightly bigger than your average MacBook Pro yet not skimping when it comes to its capabilities and ports. But what we love the most about the laptop’s build is how compact it feels in your hand yet how surprisingly wide the screen is once you set it up.Â This is also reflected in its overall weight, which sits just below the 2kg point (1.95kg) – perfect for those who frequently game on the go.

True to the monstrous processing power under the hood, the ONYX sets up fast, handles like a dream and if we are to compare it with supercars, would be of the classy and elegant Aston Martin (probably the DB11) as compared to the garish Lamborghinis plaguing the supercar market. The ONYX really is all about its bite than simply bark.
However, we have to point out that we aren’t huge fans of its mechanical keyboard, the v2 by GENESWITCH. The placement of the tiles are too close to one another for our liking and while it isn’t the best mechanical keyboard on a gaming laptop out there, it does its job in delivering a good gaming experience.Then again, it’s only our opinion and we highly suggest you try out the sample unit at ILLEGEAR’s office-cum-showroom in Petaling Jaya.
STAYING COOL
Temperature controls on the ONYX can be accessed directly from the desktop via the ONYX Command Centre app. It is intuitive and you wouldn’t need a degree in rocket science to effectively operate it. Settings for the keyboard backlight, lightbar color, fan speed management and system monitoring can all be conducted via this highly effective custom app by ILLEGEAR.
Throughout the review period, we realize the fan can be a tad annoying once the temperature gets high with its incessant whirring sound. It also takes a while to lower its temperature which may be a bane for those whose microphones tend to pick up even the slightest sound in the background. In situations where you require extra juice to keep the machine cool, the fan booster button is just a push away and while the ONYX’s quad heat pipes ensures effective heat dispersion, we highly do not recommend operating this laptop literally on your lap unless you’re have a kink in having your nads baked.
Speaking of sound, while the sound quality when played via headphones are decent, the same cannot be said of its built-in speakers which could be louder – Just a small note for those who prefer to watch movies and shows via speakers instead of plugging in their headsets. While the ONYX score well above average in every department, sound is one of the few areas that barely cut the grade.

In spite of its thin form, the ONYX still come with a host of ports including 1x USB Type-C, 1x HDMI 2.0, 2x Mini Displayport, HD webcam and in-built microphone and regardless of your graphics card of choice, is VR ready straight out of the box. We were informed that an option for 144Hz IPS display and bigger battery upgrades for existing and new ONYX users are due on June. But there’s a tradeoff.Â  In order to fit in the bigger battery, users will need to sacrifice the 2.5″ HDD.

So where does the ONYX stand in our books? We feel that if you are to spend almost two months of your hard-earned cash on a gaming laptop, you might as well go for something that is one-of-a-kind and tailored to your needs and we believe the ONYX ticks all of those boxes. Despite its minor flaws pointed out earlier, they alone aren’t enough to dissuade us from recommending the ONYX to those in search of a more bespoke gaming laptop.
The starting configuration for the ONYX starts at RM5499 which sees the rig running on i5 processor with aÂ Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050Ti 4GB GDDR5. You can then further customise the rig to suit your need and budget including changing its processor, graphics card, cooling system, RAM (starting with 8GB, upgradeable to 32GB) solid state and SATA drives and various other after-sales services.
With the option to run the machine with an i7 processor and GTX1060 graphics card powering this baby, we shall spare you the nitty gritty details and assure you that it will play all your latest games in high specs sans any hiccup.
Final Verdict
The ONYX is a great choice for those who demand that personal touch when it comes to their gaming laptop. In the ONYX, ILLEGEAR have successfully found that rare balance of power, portability and price when it comes to gaming laptops.
While ONYX is by no means cheap – we believe you’d be getting a good deal from the price you would be paying for it. Without sacrificing power for portability, the ONYX may very well be the new standard bearer for us when it comes to gaming laptops in 2018.
What We Loved:

The form factor + relative lightweight compared to similar models in the market
All the necessary ports are there
Classy finish

A Bit on the Meh Side

The keyboard isn’t the best out there
The fan can get a bit too loud if you crank it all the way up

Full Score: 85/100Â
RECOMMENDED


The 30 Best Games Of 2021: #13

From late December to mid-January 2022, we’ll be revealing our top 30 games of 2021 bit by bit. Here’s number 13!
#13: Moonglow Bay

Platforms: Xbox One, Xbox Series, PC
If there’s a title that adds an incredibly relaxed vibe to an ever-growing tense games list, this RPG-lite using voxel graphics will fit the bill.
Moonglow Bay is part fishing, part cooking, and part simulation where you play a boatperson trying to revitalize a dying haven. It’s also a title with chillax music and a pleasant and uplifting narrative despite its pretty bleak starting point. But the game’s core loop involves you catching all sorts of fish on the island, cooking and prepping them, and then selling them in cute vending machines. All that money you’re getting goes to reinvesting in the town and making it a viable tourist spot yet again. Once you’re in the game’s hypnotic loop, there’s no stopping. Trust us; we tried.
A lot of what is in Moonglow Bay makes it a spiritual successor to Stardew Valley, except with fishing. The wistful tone, the cute artstyle, and some sombre moments; it’s what you expect from a wholesome adventure title. But the combination works and makes it stand out from 2021’s many aggressive and action-heavy titles. Even if you’re not a fan of fishing games, you’ll warm up to this quaint yet worthy offering. There’s a lot of big feelings to get from this indie title, and that’s more than enough to justify your purchase.


Puzzle Quest 3 Will Be Out In Early Access This March; Will Steal All Your Free Time For 2022

Puzzle Quest, a series of puzzle games that’s sorta like Bejeweled but with its own fantasy and damage-dealing mechanics that makes it gosh-darn addictive, is getting a third game.
Developer Infinity Plus Two just announced that Puzzle Quest 3 will be out on PC via Steam Early Access on 1st March 2022. This is in sync with the game series’ 15th anniversary of the original title’s release. Here’s the official statement from Infinity Plus Two’s CEO Steve Fawkner.
“We’ll be working with the community to get the balance and feel of PQ3 just right on PC while also experimenting with new features based on your feedback, including controller support!”
Highlighted features of the third Puzzle Quest game include five classes -Paladin, Berserker, Assassin, Necromancer, Shaman- and multiplayer co-op and PvP options. As you can tell from the gameplay trailer below, there’s a bit of pizzaz in the actions and the graphics, but the match-3 bits are still the same as ever. The gem-matching sounds are just as catchy and satisfying, it seems.

You can pre-register on the game’s official site. The game is free-to-play, which means pre-registration equals exclusive in-game rewards. I can guarantee you that while this game may not earn GOTY awards, it will take up a lot of people’s time for the remainder of 2022.


Alan Wake 2 Unveils New Gameplay Footage

Alan Wake 2 will allow 2 playable characters (Saga Anderson and Alan Wake, our duo of protagonists for this game) which players will be able to swap between during their playthrough. Players can start the game playing as Saga – it’s a sequel but it is also a standalone experience.
“There is no right way to play through this – you can choose” – Sam Lake
We got to see raw, unedited gameplay here at the Summer Games Fest 2023. The trailer shows Saga Anderson, an FBI Agent, which will be one of the playable characters.

Alan Wake 2 releases later this year on October 17 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.


Life Is Strange Dev Reveal New Xbox Exclusive IP Featuring A Trans Character

During the X019 London Inside Xbox live stream, Dontnod Entertainment announced a new Xbox exclusive IP, titled Tell Me Why. The new game by the developer behind Life Is Strange and Vampyr will be a narrative-driven game featuring twin protagonists, one of whom is a transgender character.
Set in small-town Alaska, Tell Me Why will place players at the heart of a mystery in an intimate story where twins Tyler and Alyson use their extraordinary bond to unravel memories of a loving but troubled childhood.
Game director Florent Guillaume said:

â€œThe core mechanic of the game is the special bond Tyler and Alyson share and is also a theme strongly anchored into the Dontnod storytelling approach.
Over the course of the story, players will explore the identical twinsâ€™ different memories of key events and choose which memory to believe.
Ultimately, the choices players make determine the strength of the twinsâ€™ bondâ€”and the future course of their lives.â€

Tell Me Why is notable for being the first game from a major studio to feature a transgender as a playable character. The developer has worked closely with Microsoft and the LGBTQ media advocacy organization GLAAD to ensure that the character Tyler is an authentic representation of the transgender community.
GLAAD Director of Transgender Representation Nick Adams said:

“Microsoft and Dontnod have approached Tyler with a real commitment to authenticity.
Tyler is a fully-realized, endearing character, whose story is not reduced to simplistic trans tropes.
Creating a playable lead trans character â€“ and taking such care to get it right â€“ raises the bar for future LGBTQ inclusion in gaming.”

Consisting of three chapters, Tell Me Why is slated to release for the Xbox One and PC sometime in Summer 2020, as well as on the Xbox Game Pass. In the meantime, check out the emotional trailer for the upcoming game below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVXqGQC9J2o&w=560&h=315]


Barbie Teaser Trailer Comes With A 2001 A Space Odyssey Reference

Warner Bros Pictures has released the first teaser trailer for the upcoming Barbie movie. Bizarrely enough, it begins with a scene that seems like a homage to Stanley Kubrick’s 2001 A Space Odyssey of all things, with the iconic Richard Strauss’ Also Sprach Zarathustra playing in the background.
Barbie director Greta Gerwig must have some crazy stuff planned but we don’t get to see much of that yet in the short teaser trailer. Barbie stars Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, America Ferrera, Simu Liu, Kate McKinnon, Alexandra Shipp, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Issa Rae, Rhea Perlman, and Will Ferrell. It premieres in cinemas on 21 July 2023.
Check out the trailer below:


FV Cup x TWT 2019 Becomes Bedrock To Pakistan’s Newest Rise To Power In Tekken

Continuing one of the most fascinating story arcs Tekken 7 has seen in a while, Pakistan swoops in for yet another beastly victory at FV Cup x TWT 2019 in Malaysia.
Pakistanâ€™s Awais Honey clawed his way through a lengthy loserâ€™s bracket to defeat Koreaâ€™s Knee by 3-0 and 3-2 in Tekken 7 Grand Finals.

If you havenâ€™t heard of Awais Honey, itâ€™s because this is his first-ever international tournament. Heâ€™s an insanely good Akuma player thatâ€™s spot-on when it comes to landing some intensely difficult combos.

He also took home the win for Pakistan with a perfect final round.

Thatâ€™s seven letters rousing a hyped crowd as the realization of the new champion finally set in.
[wpvideo YyUAB0oe]
Here Comes a New Challenger
But that wasnâ€™t all Pakistan had to show at the tournament. Just take a look at Tekken 7â€™s Top 8:

1st place – Awais Honey (Pakistan)
2nd place – Knee (Korea)
3rd place – Nobi (Japan)
4th place – Khan (Pakistan)
5th place (tied) – Pekos (Japan)
5th place (tied) – Ulsan (Korea)
7th place (tied) – Bilal (Pakistan)
7th place (tied) – Chikurin (Japan)

Out of five Pakistani players that attended, three of them made it into Top 8. Awais Honey, Khan, and Bilal matched up in numbers against Korea and Japan, giving us an almost evenly split player line-up between three countries.
Combined with Awais Honeyâ€™s victory over Knee, Pakistan has firmly entered the world stage as a brand new generation of competitors that everyone should look out for.
The Place Where It All Began
For Malaysia, itâ€™s an interesting and humbling event as the country has become host to a second defining moment in Pakistanâ€™s Tekken history.

It was only last year at FV Cup x SEA Major 2018 when Arslan Ash first set his sights on international waters. A relatively unknown player back then, his prowess quickly garnered global recognition as he mauled some of the best players in the business and eventually took championships at the largest fighting game tournaments in the world, EVO Japan 2019 and EVO 2019.
That Awais Honey would appear out of the blue with sound victories over Tekken legends such as Book, Ulsan, and Nobi – and on his first international run no less – certainly adds to this exciting time in competitive Tekken.
An Important Stepping Stone
FV Cup x TWT 2019 is an official tournament of the Tekken World Tour (TWT), a championship series where players from all across the globe compete and collect points. This is so that fighters can secure their place in the 19 limited spots at the Tekken World Tour Finals on 7th December 2019 in Bangkok, Thailand.

Malaysiaâ€™s tournament classifies as a Challenger event and thus provides a lofty 150 points to the champion. At the time of writing, the cut-off for 19th place in the Tekken World Tour standings sits at 361 points.
This means that Awais Honey is nearly halfway through to qualify if he is indeed planning on making his mark at Tekken World Tour Finals, where only the best of the best will play.
Different Strokes For Different Folks

Though Tekken 7 was the star of last weekend, FV Cup x TWT 2019 was host to various other fighting games. Amongst the many setups available, tournament-goers also enjoyed competing in games the likes of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, The King of Fighters XIV and â€˜98, Samurai Shodown, Mortal Kombat 11, and Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition.
Here are the winners for each of the games:
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

1st place – moom
2nd place – Marcane
3rd place – meh

The King of Fighters XIV

1st place â€“ J]-[UN
2nd place – DinosaurX
3rd place â€“ BL2game

The King of Fighters â€˜98

1st place – Pacman
2nd place – WahChai
3rd place – Universal

Samurai Shodown

1st place – Orez
2nd place – VGD
3rd place – WayneNEWB

Mortal Kombat 11

1st place – Pepega
2nd place â€“ CaptainFluffles7
3rd place – ToMShiM

Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition

1st place – IamChuan
2nd place – Kofmaster
3rd place â€“ fit3amir

Hit And Miss

FV Cup x TWT 2019 was no doubt a blast for the many people looking to meet international players, compete in their favourite games, or to spectate fun matches over the weekend.
The very best players in their respective games got a chance to compete in a real-life boxing ring.

On top of one giant screen overlooking the players, you canâ€™t say there wasnâ€™t at least a bit of flavour to the tournament aesthetic.

However, the screen itself faced issues with some broken panels as early as Day 1, something that never got fixed even as the event wrapped up. During a couple of matches involving meter-using characters like Geese Howard, spectators couldn’t tell how long his MAX mode would last during critical points of the fight.

Though the venue at Quill City Mall was at a convenient location just opposite the KL Monorail, the spectator turnout left a lot to be desired. Most of the viewers on-site were avid fans rather than curious bystanders, and the mall itself devoid of visitors to experience exhibitions even on a Sunday.
[wpvideo AxPi6eaS]
I also personally felt that the lack of a single anime fighting game like BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle at the tournament hurt some of the diversity that this event could have been.
All-in-all, the highlight of FV Cup x TWT 2019 was certainly in its Tekken 7 run. Nail-biting matches and history in the making salvaged what would have otherwise been your run-of-the-mill tournament. It certainly felt like a step down from the FV Cup x SEA Major 2019 tournament that took place just earlier in the year, but perhaps priorities were set elsewhere this time around.


Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II Will Be Free-To-Play For A Week

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II is offering a limited-time Free Access Period from 19–26 April. During this time, you can team up with your friends and play the classic 2v2 Gunfight mode, explore the new Pelayo’s Lighthouse map, and access other classic multiplayer maps and modes.

The Gunfight mode returns with the Season 03 launch and features four maps – Alley, Blacksite, Shipment, and Exhibit – perfect for duelling. In addition, the Pelayo’s Lighthouse map challenges players to navigate a small island during a storm and provides various power positions.
The Free Access Period also includes six core multiplayer maps and a battle map with multiple game modes to choose from. You can play Team Deathmatch, Hardpoint, Domination, Kill Confirmed, Grind, Gun Game, Infected, One in the Chamber, and All or Nothing.
Here is a list of all the maps and modes that will be accessible to Free Access players:

6v6 Core Maps: Farm 18, Shoot House, Shipment, Dome, Himmelmat Expo, Pelayo’s Lighthouse
6v6 Modes: Team Deathmatch, Hardpoint, Domination, Kill Confirmed, Grind, Gun Game, Infected, One in the Chamber, All or Nothing
Gunfight Maps: Alley, Blacksite, Exhibit, Shipment
Battle Maps: Santa Seña
Battle Map Modes: Ground War, Invasion

If you enjoy the Free Access experience, consider upgrading to the full game to access Black Gold, a nighttime infiltration map, and other exclusive content. And don’t forget to invite your Warzone 2.0 squadmates to play with you during this period.
The Free Access Period starts on April 19 at 10 AM PT and ends on April 26 at 10 AM PT. Keep in mind that an additional download is required to play. Check your platform for more details on the file size.


LEGO DC Super-Villains Going Rogue October 19

Chalk up one more lucky strike for that E3 Walmart Canada leak! This time it’s Warner Bros. and its upcoming LEGO game, LEGO DC Super-Villains.
Warner Bros Games just released the teaser trailer for the upcoming crime-making game below. We’ll update this post with the full-blown trailer later in the day:

Here ‘s what we know about the game and how the cover looks like (via Geek Culture):

It sounds pretty much the same as past LEGO Batman and LEGO Marvel Super Hero games, down to the co-op mode and large playground stages for brick-collecting and etcetera. Except you play as the DC bad guys like The Joker, Harley Quinn, Professor Zoom, Gorilla Grodd, Lex Luthor (in a Superman outfit), Darkseid, and many more.
You can custom-build your super-villains. According to the back-of-the-box features, “the look, style, abilities, and backstory of the playerâ€™s villain can be modified, with new powers and customiser elements to be unlocked along the way. “
It’s slated for an October 19 release dateÂ for Nintendo Switch, PS4, Xbox One, and PC. Fun fact: that’s a week before Red Dead Redemption 2 comes out, FYI.Â

This is definitely one for the kids if the PEGI-7 age rating is of any indication. So yeah, if you’re sick of playing as Will Arnett Batman or LEGO Superman, this one’s definitely for you.


ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 Gaming Laptops Launch In Malaysia

ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) Malaysia has announced the new Zephyrus G14 series of gaming laptops. With an ultraslim chassis under 20mm, the Zephyrus G14 features the new AMD Ryzen 4000 Series Mobile Processors and up to an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 GPU. Users can optimize for gaming or creative pursuits with a choice between high refresh and high-resolution displays, both with PANTONE Validated colours and adaptive sync technology.

They also boast more than 10 hours of battery life in a single charge and the ability to charge from compatible Type-C power packs. Available in either Moonlight White or Eclipse Gray, the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 gaming laptops are only 17.9mm thin and 1.6kg without the custom LED matrix, which utilizes a whopping 1,215 mini LEDs to give gamers a new medium to express their individuality.

The ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 gaming laptops come with up to an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 augmented by ROG Boost up to 1298MHz at 65W. The discrete GPU is based on the latest NVIDIA Turing architecture, which melds dedicated cores for programmable shading, real-time ray tracing and artificial intelligence.
The specialized hardware allows higher stream quality with minimal performance impact, and itâ€™s compatible with Open Broadcaster Software (OBS), a popular capture tool among burgeoning creators and aspiring Twitch streamers.

In addition, the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 gaming laptops offer a choice between two premium panels tailored for different needs. Users can select a faster Full HD display that goes up to 120Hz or opt for a higher WQHD resolution. With up to 32GB of fast DDR4-3200 RAM across dual channels, users can expect blazing fast speeds, especially thanks to the ultra-fast storage is supplied by an NVMe SSD with up to 1TB of capacity.
These will be the first ASUS ROG laptops to feature an ErgoLift hinge that tilts the keyboard at a more comfortable angle. The bottom of the display lifts the back of the machine when the lid is opened, giving the vents in the base more room to breathe.

ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 GA401I-HHE027T

AMD Ryzenâ„¢ 5 4600HS Processor 3.0 GHz (8M Cache, up to 4.0 GHz).
NVIDIAÂ® GeForceÂ® GTX1650 GDDR6 4GB.
14-inch Non-glare Full HD (1920 x 1080) IPS-level panel, 120Hz, 100% sRGB, PantoneÂ® Validated, adaptive sync.
PCIE NVME 512GB M.2 SSD.
Eclipse Gray (No AniMe Matrix).
RM4,499 (August 2020).

ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 GA401I-IHE103T

AMD Ryzenâ„¢ 5 4600HS Processor 3.0 GHz (8M Cache, up to 4.0 GHz).
NVIDIAÂ® GeForceÂ® GTX 1650Ti GDDR6 4GB.
14-inch Non-glare Full HD (1920 x 1080) IPS-level panel, 120Hz, 100% sRGB, PantoneÂ® Validated, adaptive sync.
PCIE NVME 512GB M.2 SSD.
Moonlight White with AniMe Matrix.
RM5,299 (Available Now).

ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 GA401I-IHE102T

AMD Ryzenâ„¢ 5 4600HS Processor 3.0 GHz (8M Cache, up to 4.0 GHz).
NVIDIAÂ® GeForceÂ® GTX 1650Ti GDDR6 4GB.
14-inch Non-glare Full HD (1920 x 1080) IPS-level panel, 120Hz, 100% sRGB, PantoneÂ® Validated, adaptive sync.
PCIE NVME 512GB M.2 SSD.
Eclipse Gray with AniMe Matrix.
RM5,299 (August 2020).

ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 GA401I-UHE099T

AMD Ryzenâ„¢ 7 4800HS Processor 2.9 GHz (8M Cache, up to 4.2 GHz).
NVIDIAÂ® GeForceÂ® GTX 1660Ti Max-Q GDDR6 6GB.
14-inch Non-glare Full HD (1920 x 1080) IPS-level panel, 120Hz, 100% sRGB, PantoneÂ® Validated, adaptive sync.
PCIE NVME 512GB M.2 SSD.
Eclipse Gray with AniMe Matrix.
RM6,199 (August 2020).

ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 GA401I-VHE341T

AMD Ryzenâ„¢ 9 4900HS Processor 3.0 GHz (8M Cache, up to 4.4 GHz).
NVIDIAÂ® GeForceÂ® RTX 2060 Max-Q GDDR6 6GB.
14-inch Non-glare Full HD (1920 x 1080) IPS-level panel, 120Hz, 100% sRGB, PantoneÂ® Validated, adaptive sync.
PCIE NVME 1TB M.2 SSD.
Moonlight White with AniMe Matrix.
RM7,699 (September 2020).

ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 GA401I-VHE340T

AMD Ryzenâ„¢ 9 4900HS Processor 3.0 GHz (8M Cache, up to 4.4 GHz).
NVIDIAÂ® GeForceÂ® RTX 2060 Max-Q GDDR6 6GB.
14-inch Non-glare Full HD (1920 x 1080) IPS-level panel, 120Hz, 100% sRGB, PantoneÂ® Validated, adaptive sync.
PCIE NVME 1TB M.2 SSD.
Eclipse Gray with AniMe Matrix.
RM7,699 (September 2020).

ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 GA401I-VHA232T

AMD Ryzenâ„¢ 9 4900HS Processor 3.0 GHz (8M Cache, up to 4.4 GHz).
NVIDIAÂ® GeForceÂ® RTX 2060 Max-Q GDDR6 6GB.
14-inch Non-glare Full HD (1920 x 1080) IPS-level panel, 120Hz, 100% sRGB, PantoneÂ® Validated, adaptive sync.
PCIE NVME 1TB M.2 SSD.
Moonlight White with AniMe Matrix.
RM7,699 (Available Now).

ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 GA401I-VHA231T

AMD Ryzenâ„¢ 9 4900HS Processor 3.0 GHz (8M Cache, up to 4.4 GHz).
NVIDIAÂ® GeForceÂ® RTX 2060 Max-Q GDDR6 6GB.
14-inch Non-glare WQHD (2560 x 1440) IPS-level panel, 60Hz, 100% sRGB, PantoneÂ® Validated, adaptive sync.
PCIE NVME 1TB M.2 SSD.
Eclipse Gray with AniMe Matrix.
RM7,699 (August 2020).


Cris Tales Gets A New Character & Dungeon For Its First-Ever Update

One of Cris Tales’ more important side characters will be made playable in the RPG’s latest update.
Publisher Modus Games and developers Dreams Uncorporated and SYCK have released a new content update for Cris Tales, featuring Adri the engineer as a playable character, with machines that can evolve using the game’s time mechanic. The update also features some new dungeons, decreased load time, even a new ending.
The update will be for all versions of the game: PC, Xbox One, PS4, and Nintendo Switch. Here’s the list:

New Character â€“ Adri

Seventh playable character who will join your party.
Adri is a robot mechanic who the player first encounters in St. Clarity. She plays a significant part in the late game story.
In combat, Adri acts as a summoner, building simple machines such as mines and turrets that can be enhanced through Crisbellâ€™s time powers.

New Dungeon

Alongside Adri comes a new mechanical themed dungeon.
Brand new enemy encounters and unique puzzle-solving mechanics.

Return of the New and Improved Coliseum

Battle waves of increasingly challenging enemies for new loot, chests, currency, and rewards.
Accessed by speaking to the traveling merchant.
New enemies and a completely original boss.

General Updates

Completion of the new content introduces a completely new cutscene and a new ending for the game.
New content is accessible in the late game, and players who have already completed the game can just load their most recent save to experience the new content.

Patch Notes

Added a new playable character.
Added a new side quest and dungeon, with new enemies and a new boss.
Added a new Colosseum. Speak to the Wandering Merchant to test your mettle!
(Switch only) Reduced loading times by approximately 30 percent.
Fixed an infinite white loading screen that could rarely occur at the end of battles.
Fixed a gameplay blocker that could rarely occur when a characterâ€™s syncro is interrupted.
Fixed a gameplay blocker that could rarely occur during the Volcano Sisters boss fight.
Fixed a gameplay blocker that could rarely happen during certain other boss fights.
Fixed an issue with the Empressâ€™ Gaol ability which could impact party composition after the battle.
Fixed issues with minor graphical flickering in some backgrounds.
Various text and graphical fixes.

Additional Switch Patch Notes

Fixed numerous text bugs.
Fixed numerous user reported soft-locks.
Fixed an achievement not being unlockable.
Fixed enemies occasionally not appearing during a battle in the salt mines.
Fixed the â€œburnâ€ icon becoming distorted when using Impact Strikes.
Adjusted pricing for Tents.
Adjusted pricing for the Distortion Ring.
Crisbell now learns Heal at level 2.
The Empress will now use perfect heal for only two turns.


Borderlands 3’s August Hotfix Just Made Some World Drop Sniper Rifles Actually Useful

The latest hotfix for the current king of loot-shoot games Borderlands 3 will be buffing up some common drops to make them a tad more viable. Oh, and also will add in the Show Me The Eridium event that will see more Eridium dropping moreso than usual and discounts at Crazy Earl’s cosmetic store in Sanctuary.
But you’re not here for that; you’re here to see if your favourite weapon(s) made the cut, especially if your luck has been filled with useless sniper rifles you don’t need that are filed under “world drops”. Here they are:
Monocle

Increased weapon damage

Headsplosion

Increased weapon damage

Storm & Firestorm

Reduced charge time
Increased weapon damage

ASMD

Increased weapon damage
Slowed down the orb and increased the explosion damage

Lyuda

Increased weapon damage
Decreased reload time

AutoAimÃ¨

Increased weapon damage

Recursion

Increased the ricochet cap from 5 to 7

Star Helix

Increased weapon damage

Ogre

Increased weapon damage

Sawbar

Increased weapon damage
Increased the radius of the child projectiles

Damned

Increased weapon damage

Smog

Increased weapon damage
Doubled amplified damage when weapon shield is at max capacity

Webslinger

Increased weapon damage

Globetrottr

Increased the number of shots before the weapon breaks

Juliet’s Dazzle

Increased weapon damage

Good Juju

Doubled the critical hit bonus per body shot

General Grenade Buff

Increased grenade damage across the board

I particularly like the buffs that are given to the Monocle, Lyuda, and AutoAimÃ¨. The latter Handsome Jackpot sniper rifle got me through thick and thin for my Vault Hunters before guns like Unseen Threat and Complex Root came into the picture. Hopefully, we’ll see some builds tailored towards these “Year 1” sniper rifles, especially with FL4K and his Fade Away action skill.
Here are the rest of the updates you’ll get from this recent hotfix.

Turns on the Summer 2020 Anniversary Event: Show Me The Eridium, live until August 27 at 9:00 AM PST
Replaced Mayhem 4 gear with Mayhem 6 gear in the Guardian Takedown boss pools
Increased the health of Titus, Herb, and Juno in theÂ Bounty of BloodÂ Add-On Content


Marvel’s Guardians Of The Galaxy Trailer Showcases Cosmo The Doggo

PublisherÂ Square EnixÂ and developerÂ Eidos Montreal have released a new trailer for Marvelâ€™s Guardians Of The GalaxyÂ introducing Cosmo the space dog.
The new video cutscene for Marvelâ€™s Guardians Of The GalaxyÂ features an interaction between Cosmo the space dog, the Guardians and a lot of adorable puppies. In the cutscene, which takes place within his base on Knowhere, Cosmo chases his tail, plays fetch and growls menacingly at Rocket, all while discussing a shared interest in getting to the bottom of the latest galactic mysteries with Star-Lord.

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A very, very good boy with a lot in his doggie dish, Cosmo is a former Soviet space dog currently serving as both Knowhereâ€™s Chief of Security and father to a litter of Russian space puppies. Utilizing a combination of psionic and telepathic abilities that allow him to communicate with humans, raccoons, and trees, Cosmo will prove an invaluable ally to the Guardians throughout their travels to the deepest, darkest corners of space.

Marvelâ€™s Guardians Of The GalaxyÂ will release for the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC on 26 October 2021.
Check out the trailer below:


LEGO Movie 2: Sack of New Bricks, or Bag of Old Tricks?

Platforms: PS4, PC, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
Genre:Â Open-world Builder Sandbox
I don’t care what people have to say. All I’m saying is that The LEGO Movie 2 VideogameÂ is one enjoyable open world game where I can beat baddies, destroy some LEGO property, harvest some bricks and build my own town. It’s Grand Theft Auto, without the ‘grand’, ‘theft’ and ‘auto’.
The Lego Movie 2 Videogame is not your atypical LEGO game. Gone are the days of sidescrolling LEGOs and here we are with our open LEGO world with tons of LEGO goodness.
The game is based on the movie of the same name so you can expect to see familiar characters in the game playing a role somewhere. Watching the movie beforehand rewards you with little easter eggs and references that you’ll enjoy.
Yeah, this movie.
The game is reminiscent of LEGO WorldsÂ with added gameplay elements. This creates a magnificent experience within the game.
Feeling sleepy, Lady Liberty?
The story begins in a small town called Apocalypseburg. It also serves as your tutorial. You’ll then travel to a number of planets scattered around the Systar System. Each planet offers you the freedom to continue the string of story mission or to diverge and play side missions to create your own form of the story.
Build To Your Heart’s Content
One of the best features of the game is the use of the story’s gadgets. As you play, you gain different coloured bricks as a building material. With those bricks, you could build stuff using your Builder Page, given that you have the plans.
When you’re done with building, you can use Unikitty’s magic Paint Wand to give a little splash of colour to basically everything in the world. These gadgets create another level of fun in an already fun story.

You start off with Emmet, but you can switch to dozens of other characters, including Lucy, Rex, Unikitty, and many more.

My still empty building hub.
In other ways, I see this as a way to develop creativity. The game pitches you puzzles in which you have to solve to progress. Earlier in the game, the puzzles test simple movement mechanics such as jumping and attacking. But later on, the game incorporates more mechanics such as platforming, and the best part is solving the puzzles with gadgets. It promotes creativity, especially in young kids.
Another form of creativity that I enjoy is the freedom to build. By playing the campaign and exploring the worlds, you’ll come across props within the levels, such as street posts, rocks, wheelbarrows, dogs and whatnot. You can scan them with the Scanner Binoculars and it will stay in your collection for you to build anywhere in the game.
I thought building Emmet’s house on water would be exclusive. It drowned the population.
Not to mention, there’s a hub where you have to build a town from props, characters and buildings you find throughout the game to increase its population. It’s a nice touch of sandbox there. As long as you have the materials and the plans, you can build any building you see from the world.
Another Couch Co-op Game?
From the get-go, yeah this game seems to be very fun to be played with another friend. It’s as fun as your traditional LEGO games in terms of puzzling and gameplay.
Sure, it’s fun to play with a friend and beating up the silly enemies is easier as a team but I wish that there was more substance to local multiplayer. Even some bonus co-op missions would have been cool.
One of the silly enemies.

Unlike traditional LEGO sidescrollers where two players would be on one screen and the camera only pans in and out depending on player location, this game splits the screen ala your 2000s couch co-op game.

For some, it isn’t a huge problem. For me though, the lack of screen real estate truly affects your experience but after a while though, you seem to gloss over the issue after a few laughs here and there with your buddy.
Any Bricks To Collect?
As per LEGO game usual, the replay value is sky high. For example, you’ll have 475 Master Bricks to collect throughout the whole system. Plus, there are also 6 bonus planets within the Rex-Plorer System. In addition to all those, there will be a few more free DLC areas within the Galactic Outskirts. Studs are a common in-game LEGO currency that has been the norm since mammoths were roaming the land.
I forgot to mention, you unlock customizations through ‘loot boxes’, but fear not, no microtransactions are available in this game. There are a few types of boxes, such as;

Character – Unlocks character
Items – Unlocks weapons, stickers, and more customizables
Building – Unlocks a building
Super – Unlocks modifiers like 2x studs or visual filters
Mega – Guaranteed no duplicates

You basically get random drops from enemies or from treasure chests scattered throughout the world.
Did I mention that the treasure chests respawn every time you load the area? So you can farm these to your heart’s content.
LEGO Battle Royale?
Glitches
With Anthem holding the crown for a glitchy and buggy game, I’m disappointed to say that this game is peppered with a lot of them. When I’m playing, I’m just waiting for them to pop up, and when it does, I’m just disappointed because the fun has been taken away from me.

You know, it’s like walking in the middle of the night, with the lights off, and the floor is full of LEGO bricks waiting to be stepped on. And when you step on one, you swear, and shake it off, then you move on.

Just like stepping on a LEGO brick, it takes just a simple fix, such as reloading the mission, to ward off the inconsistencies. I do wish the developers can tune up their game a bit even if it’s just a licensed game fare; there’s still a lot of fun in this LEGO co-op adventure game built for all ages.
Pros:

Fun mechanics
Simple, rewarding puzzles
Great references from the movie
Local Co-op
Very accessible for kids

Cons:

No fast travel for an open world
Unskippable dialogues
Tons of texts
Glitches, tons of them

FINAL SCORE: 60/100


How Dark Phoenix Changed Up Capcom’s Fighting Scene

When Marvel vs Capcom 3 came into the fighting game scene in 2011 after a lot of hype, many Versus fans and connoisseurs of hyper fighting were beyond joy. It was a revolution of fighting games that not only brought two popular pop culture and gaming IPs together, but also made competitive fighting games a lot more colourful.
MvC3 also introduced a game-changer that shook the fundamentals of a 3v3 versus fighter. Sure, you can attribute it to the X-Factor mechanic, where a character can activate a timed power-up that amplifies the damage he/she dealt and their movement speed. But the other huge chunk of the history-making credit goes to then-new MvC character Jean Grey, an X-Men mutant renowned for her insanely powerful telepathic skills and being the host for the Phoenix Force, a space entity created by writer Chris Claremont during his iconicÂ series’ run.
In the comics, the formerly vanilla token female X-Man ended up being the host to the aforementioned super cosmic power who can turn evil and commit planetary-wide genocide. In Capcom’s fighting game and its pseudo-sequel-slash-mandatory-Capcom-update Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3, her Dark Phoenix form triggers when she dies.
In this form, she moves ultra-fast, teleports instantaneously in front or behind people, and can summon a sh***** of things on-screen while catching you off-guard with one-touch-of-death combos. The catch is her life bar gradually whittles down over time and she dies really, really fast when she gets hit, so you have only but in-game seconds to make full use of her powers.

That’s more than enough for the savviest players to close games out with.

Force Of Will
Phoenix basically made player death in a fighting game incredibly scary. While it’s a viable strategy to have a glass cannon who comes it at certain times, she’s even better as a “last-ditch trump card”. Players familiar with MvC3 made sure they put the fear of Phoenix into their opponents by not spending their X-Factor just yet while building up their Hyper Combo meter with whoever they have.
Once she goes down for the count, the real fight for survival happens. Her incredibly fast and damaging moves, projectiles, Supers, and blink-and-you’re-dead mixups make her a force to be reckoned with especially with X-Factor activated.

From 2011 until even now, she is usually added in an MvC team as the very last character who can turn the tides of battle insanely quick.Â The best characters to make up this team were usually Dr. Doom, Magneto, Wesker, Haggar, and Sentinel.

When it came to pro players who popularized her use, none came close to Ryan “Filipino Champ” Ramirez, Jay “Viscant Snyder, and Mine during the heydays of Marvel vs Capcom 3.

Her time with pro-level teams whittled down, at least during big bouts like EVO throughout the years. Thanks to other popularized teams such as the (in)famous Vergil/Zero + one other character combo. Most players in the higher calibre know how to deal with a Phoenix attack when it happens.
Still, Capcom’s inclusion of Phoenix’s Dark Phoenix skill made a lot of MvC3 players fear and respect this character. She changed up the death mechanic in fighting games significantly.

The MvC3 meta was built around her for the majority of the game’s lifespan: you either knew how to deal with a Phoenix team or you didn’t.

She is essentially a roadblock for high-level play because her death and aftermath can catch many unwary players off-guard and snatch victory from them even for a fraction of a second.Â Players have to find many workarounds and setups to her triggered ability. This included tactics like “snapbacking” to her while her user has little to no meter to trigger her just yet, then finishing her off with a combo. Even in regular mode, Phoenix has the lowest HP among the cast, so it’s not that hard to take her down on her if you’re on-point with your offense.
Plus, there was that one glitch players found in 2017.

It’s super-situational and requires unorthodox timing though, so it’s not practical at the very least. But it shows the community’s resilience in creating ways and tutorials around dealing with just one character in a team. A character that fundamentally changes up the game from just a 3v3 fight to a 3v3+1 endurance match. A character that many MvC3 players, casual and pro-level, love and hate due to her significance in X-Men lore and also her skillsets.
For plebs like me, however, it’s fun to just watch the fireworks, so to speak. Seeing someone’s entire team decimated by a lone Phoenix/Dark Phoenix is its own kind of joy that not even Marie Kondo can muster.

C’mon Baby, Light My Fire
Unlike the Greek/Roman mythical animal she’s based on, she didn’t come back from obscurity in the eventual Capcom sequel Marvel vs Capcom Infinite. However, The game wasn’t as popular and hypeworthy as its predecessors. I can go into great detail as to why, but Stumblebee said it best.
My point here is that it’s a shame she didn’t make a comeback because it did show Capcom taking risks with character mechanics while capitalizing on their self-made fighting game resurgence.

Her inclusion in fighting games made waves in the competitive scene for better and for worse. It made the fights we watched exciting while also invigorated people to level up their “fighterpedia” and competitive know-how.

Let’s hope the current Capcom folks and team, who are responsible for their current redemption arc with the Resident Evil 2 REmake and Devil May Cry 5, will at least think about bringing her back in a future Marvel vs Capcom revamp. Because by god the series really needs it to bring the company’s current story full circle.


A Fallout TV Series Is Coming From Westworld Creators & Amazon

Just as gamers are getting sick of the Bethesda’s treatment of the Fallout franchise (with the atrocious Fallout 76 in 2018), we’re suddenly getting a Fallout TV series from parties who might actually care about the iconic post-apocalyptic game franchise.
According to Variety, Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy (best known for being the showrunners of HBO’s Westworld) are working together with Amazon Studios to develop a Fallout TV series.

#PleaseStandBy. @Fallout @BethesdaStudios #KilterFilms pic.twitter.com/IEDr7AkVvD
â€” Amazon Studios (@AmazonStudios) July 2, 2020
In a joint statement, the creative duo said:

“Fallout is one of the greatest game series of all time.
Each chapter of this insanely imaginative story has cost us countless hours we could have spent with family and friends.
So weâ€™re incredibly excited to partner with Todd Howard and the rest of the brilliant lunatics at Bethesda to bring this massive, subversive, and darkly funny universe to life with Amazon Studios.”

Bethesda Game Studios will be involved with the development of the show and series director Todd Howard will serve as executive producer on the show. As of now, none of the plot details or casting has been revealed, so it remains unclear if the Fallout TV series will be an adaptation of existing games, or a brand new original story.
More and more games are getting TV series adaptations, including the hallowed Halo franchise and even recent award-winning games like Disco Elysium. Perhaps we’re looking at a comic book-like adaptation boom for video games? Only time will tell.


No More Heroes 3 Is Not Going To Be A Nintendo Switch Exclusive Soon

The Grasshopper Manufacture and Suda 51 joint No More Heroes 3 will be ported outside of the Nintendo Switch later this year.
No More Heroes 3 will be out for PlayStation 4, PS5, Xbox Series, Xbox One, and PC this fall. The new versions will feature improved visuals, better framerates, and faster loading times.
The special Day 1 edition will sell for US$59.99 and contain the following:

a copy of the game
a softcover art book
a CD with select songs from the soundtrack
a Santa Destroy biker licence plate
a custom box with a new illustration by series artist Yusuke Kozaki

No More Heroes 3 features main character Travis Touchdown fighting assassins from space and continues the story from the first two No More Heroes and spin-off game Travis Strikes Back. We played the Nintendo Switch version last year; it was fun & stylish with its presentation despite the janky controls and tech issues. Hopefully the ports solve that issue.


“E3 2022” Summer Games Showcase 2022: The Full Schedule (GMT+8)

It’s that time of year folks! Summer is just around the corner and which means new games are coming our way.
The cancellation of this year’s E3 doesn’t necessarily mean that this summer is going to be dry in terms of game events and announcements. In fact, there’s a lot of them happening next month. So don’t worry; I’ve got you covered as I’ll be giving a rundown of the games and events going down in June.
All times listed here are in GMT+8 (Malaysia, Singapore, and the Philippines).
Warhammer Skulls – 2 june

Warhammer fans; your time has come as Warhammer Skulls is taking place very early on Thursday morning. For the casual Warhammer fans who may not know, Warhammer Skulls is an event dedicated to Warhammer video games and will feature “world premieres, reveals, and announcements”. The event will take place at 1:00 AM.
Watch On: Twitch
PlayStation State of Play – 3 June

Sony is holding the PlayStation State of Play event on Friday, 3 June at 6:00 AM. The event will run for almost 30 minutes, and is slated to consist of third-party reveals and PS VR2 games.
We can anticipate a full announcement for Street Fighter 6 as well as a trailer for the VR version of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II, which is said to be exclusive to PSVR 2.
Watch On: YouTube / Twitch
Sonic Central Showcase – 8 June

Sonic Central returns tomorrow! pic.twitter.com/QAFLNYGZoK
— Sonic the Hedgehog (@sonic_hedgehog) June 6, 2022

The Sonic The Hedgehog showcase will be on air later at midnight (a minute after 7 June 11:59pm GMT+8 ). We’ll probably see more Sonic Frontiers and news about Sonic Origins.
Summer Game Fest – 10 June

The Summer Game Fest is back again on 10 June at 2:00 AM for us Southeast Asian folks. We can expect the usual game announcements, reveals, and more.
It should be noted that Geoff Keighley will return as host and in previous years, Keighley’s shows have had a wide variety of games, with Summer Game Fest 2021 notably concluding with Elden Ring getting a trailer and a release date.
Watch On: YouTube / Twitch / Facebook / Twitter / TikTok
Devolver Direct – 10 June
The next wacky Devolver Direct stream will start at 6am 10th June, right after the Summer Game Fest.
Geeked Week – 11 June

Again hosted by Geoff Keighley literally the next day, Netflix’s Geeked Week’s gaming section, dubbed “The Cuphead Show!” will take place on 11 June at 6:00 AM as Netflix’s takes its first steps into the gaming sphere since Black Mirror’s Bandersnatch.
Watch On: YouTube / Twitch / Facebook / Twitter / TikTok
Guerilla Collective – 12 June

The Guerilla Collective indie game showcase will show off its brand new indie titles at 4:00 AM on 12 June.
Watch On: YouTube / Twitch
Future Games Show – 12 June

GamesRadar+ is again returning with the Future Games Show, which will be held on 12 June at 3:00 AM. Around 40 games will be featured, along with new reveals for titles from Team17, Thunderful, and Amanita Design.
Watch On: YouTube / Twitch / Facebook / Twitter / Website
Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase – 13 June

The Xbox and Bethesda Games Showcase will be held on 13 June at 1:00 AM. While most Xbox summer showcases run for around 90 minutes, an exact timeframe for the show has not yet been confirmed.
Watch On: YouTube / Twitch / Facebook / TikTok
PC Gaming Show – 13 June

The annual PC Gaming Show is returning and will be held on 13 June 3:30 AM. The PC Gaming Show has traditionally focused on PC versions of multiplatform games, or PC-exclusive titles such as simulation and strategy games.
Watch On: YouTube / Twitch
Capcom Showcase –14 June

Capcom will be showing off new information for its games next week on 14 June 6:00 AM GMT+8. The show will be 35 minutes worth of news and in-depth updates on previously-announced Capcom titles. It’s definitely going to be more RE4 Remake and Street Fighter 6, so yay!
Wathc On: YouTube / Twitch
Final Fantasy VII 25th anniversary – 17 June

Not too much is known about the event other than it will pay homage to Final Fantasy VII along with some reveals and new tidbits of information according to Tetsuya Nomura.
“We will be streaming “FINAL FANTASY VII 25th Anniversary Celebration”. At only around 10 minutes long, it will be short and sweet, but we have packed in lots of information, so I hope everyone can look forward to the unveiling”
– Tetsuya Nomura, Lead Designer for Final Fantasy
Watch On: YouTube / Twitch


Cyberpunk 2077 Is Popular On PS4 Despite Sony’s Warning

Cyberpunk 2077, a sci-fi RPG that has been getting fixed since its release last December, is topping the PlayStation Store charts this June.
This is in spite of it being available for purchase on the PlayStation Store for nine days following Sony kicking it out of the PlayStation Store last year. The game finally returned to the company’s online store on 21st June after six months of being in exile.
Keep in mind that this is also in spite of Sony putting up a warning about Cyberpunk 2077 still being broken.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: Users continue to experience performance issues with this game. Purchase for use on PS4 systems is not recommended. For the best Cyberpunk experience on PlayStation, play on PS4 Pro and PS5 systems.
It seems that this warning is not dampening interest in the RPG. Cyberpunk 2077 was the top downloaded game on the PS4 in both North America and Europe, beating out GTA5, FIFA 21, NBA 2K21, and Call of Duty: Black Ops – Cold War.

We’ve said it already on our review last year: Cyberpunk 2077 is a great game with a rich main story and some nice twists and turns in its gameplay, but it’s obviously riddled with bugs and technical issues. It’s good news for CD Projekt that the game is bouncing back sales-wise, with the company still fixing what was already broken.


SoundScape: Shoji Meguro’s Best Hits

A few years back, I used to create videos about video game music under the name SoundScape. Actually, it was under “Mr Toffee”, but I branded them SoundScape because “sound” + “escape” = video game music = SoundScape.
I had fun doing those, though it’s as super-niche as it can get despite me spending oodles of my time perfecting my mixes and videos. And then I stopped doing them since early January because I’m contemplating on what to do next with the channel.
After that short break, I’m back to doing these, but on a monthly-or-bi-monthly basis because I’m also helping out with them Kakuchopurei videos.Â Check out the video-slash-mixtape below where I talk about the Persona/Shin Megami Tensei composer and his awesome works.


PlatinumGames’ Merch for Wonder Festival 2020 Are Straight Fire

Rejoice fans of PlatinumGames (and gamers in general) and make sure your wallets are at the ready. Or depending on your post-CNY budget, hide them – physical and the digital ones, as PlatinumGames merchandise lineup for the 2020 Winter Wonder Festival has just been revealed and they are indeed wonderful.
Set to be available on sale for the public this weekend at PlatinumGames’ booth during the Wonder Festival held at Makuhari Messe in Chiba, we won’t blame you if you have a tinge of jealousy for anyone residing in or visiting Tokyo this weekend.
Fan of their games or not, that Platinum Man statue (Â¥10,000 ~ RM376 ~ US$92) is a work of art while the acrylic Platinum Figure would be an awesome addition to any work station.

PlatinumGames will also be showcasing the prototype of the Pt Shirogane statue which as of this moment, not yet available for sale.

Other items on sale include acrylic figures and dioramas and t-shirts bearing the logo of the studio. And also this statue of Wonder Red from The Wonderful 101.

The only downside of all this is the lack in variety of stuff available for sale. Guess they decided to go with quality rather than quantity.
For more info on what’s on sale, head on over to their site here.


Apex Legends Season 13 Brings In Newcastle, New Storm Point Map Update, & Reworked Rank System

Respawn has released the latest patch notes for its hit multiplayer shooter Apex Legends, which is now in its 13th Season.
Apex Legends Season 13, dubbed the Saviors patch, will be out on 10 May, later today, and will bring in new legend Newcastle, a major Storm Point map update, and a reworked Ranked system. Also, a new PvE minigame is introduced where players fight against waves of Titanfall Spectres on IMC armouries.

Check out some highlights from the Saviors patch notes below or head on over to our website to get the full scoop ?
?:https://t.co/xQpVFBNDsa pic.twitter.com/qIQmKsY3V9
— Apex Legends (@PlayApex) May 9, 2022

Check out the full patch notes below:
NEW LEGEND: NEWCASTLE
HEROIC DEFENDER
For years, Newcastle defended the small town of Harris Valley, making it a safe haven for all who lived there. Now to fulfill that mission and continue defending his home, he’ll have to prove himself a hero among Legends. In the Apex Games, Newcastle can use his Knockdown Shield to protect his squadmate as he revives them, and even drag them out of harm’s way. He can charge into the fray with a Mobile Shield, blocking weapon damage and deflecting grenades, while his Ultimate erects a fortified Castle Wall.
PASSIVE: RETRIEVE THE WOUNDED
Drag allies as you revive and protect them with your Revive Shield.
TACTICAL: MOBILE SHIELD
Throw a controllable drone that creates a moving energy shield.
ULTIMATE: CASTLE WALL
Leap to an ally or target area and slam down, creating a fortified stronghold.
MONSTROUS MAP UPDATE
With this being the first map update to Storm Point, our goal was to add new content and improve map features while not subtracting anything. We added a brand-new POI; a washed-up sea creature known as the Downed Beast—which is a unique combat experience for Apex Legends—an organic combat zone, and a refreshing change from man-made architecture. On top of that, we added a brand new PvE feature, IMC Armories, at four strategic locations around the map which can dynamically change the championship outcome. Be wary here, you will encounter waves of Spectres but if you survive you can earn sweet loot tailored to your loadout.
MAP ROTATION
The map rotation for the season for Saviors will be Storm Point, Olympus, and World’s Edge. We’re also removing the longer 2-hour rotation block. We felt that could be too long considering it could span the whole play session for some people.
RANKED RELOADED
Apex Legends: Saviors’ upgraded Ranked system adds tier demotions, entry cost adjustments,, and a rework of Ranked Points to promote teamplay. The current Ranked goals revolve around Teamplay for Victory, and Accurate Skill & Better Competition. We are making a large number of changes that focus on these two core pillars, with the outcome that players will focus on playing as a team and playing for the win, and RP will be a more accurate representation of your overall game skill.
BALANCE UPDATES
Fortified Legends

Fortified no longer reduces headshot damage

Crafting Rotation

Flatline & Longbow coming out and are now floor loot
Rampage & R-301 going into crafter

Gold Weapons

EVA-8, Bow, Flatline, P2020, Spitfire

Helmets Buff

Blue helmet headshot damage reduction increased from 40% to 50%
Purple helmet headshot damage reduction increased from 50% to 65%

Kraber

Headshot multiplier down from 3.0 to 2.0
Damage reduced from 145 to 140

Rampage

Increased reload time from  2.6 to 3.1
Slightly increased handling times

LSTAR

Reduced headshot damage multiplier from 1.75 to 1.5
Reduced headshot distance from 64m to 57m
Overheat cool-off time increased from 2.5 to 3.6
Slightly increased handling times

Devotion

Damage reduced from 16 to 15
Reduced headshot damage multiplier from 1.75 to 1.5
Reduced headshot distance from 64m to 57m
Increased reload time from 2.8 to 3.2
Draw time increased to 0.8 from 0.7
Holster time increased to 0.75 to 0.65
Raise time increased to 0.65 from 0.55
Lower time increased to 0.6 from 0.5

Havoc

Improved recoil at the start of the pattern

Dual Shell

Removed from floor loot and crafting bundles

Mozambique & Peacekeeper

Increased limb damage from 0.8 to 1.0

Crate Weapons

Spitfire back to floor loot
Mastiff into crate

Spitfire

Damage decreased from 19 to 18
Purple & Gold Magazine capacity reduced from 55 to 50
Crouched hipfire spread increased
Removed barrel attachment slot
Reduced headshot damage multiplier from 1.75 to 1.5
Reduced headshot distance from 64m to 57m
Increased reload time from 3.2 to 3.4
Draw time increased to 0.8 from 0.7
Holster time increased to 0.75 to 0.65
Raise time increased to 0.65 from 0.55
Lower time increased to 0.6 from 0.5

Mastiff

Tightened blast pattern
Ammo capacity reduced from 6 to 4
Stockpile ammo: 28
Damage per pellet increased from 11 to 14
Increased pellet size
Fire Rate increased from 1.1 to 1.2

Cells & Syringes

Cells and Syringe spawn rates have been lowered by about 18%

Rampart Improvements

Sheila spin-up time decreased from 1.75s to 1.25s
Amped Cover deploy health increased from 45 to 120
Amped Cover deploy time decreased from 4.25 to 3.6

Valkyrie

Can no longer freely spin while launching during Skyward Dive

Out of Bounds

When going out of bounds the following will be disabled:

Legends Abilities
Weapons, Ordinances and Survival Items
Healing items (Will not cancel mid healing)
All Active Passives (e.g. Valks Jet Packs)

World’s Edge

Redesigned windows at Lava Siphon’s Control Tower to focus sightlines
Added some additional cover around Lava Siphon’s Lava Pit
Gondola loot has been tweaked. The chances of finding high-tier armor in them have been notably reduced. Climatizer and Lava Siphon will still remain as High Tier Loot POIs

ARENAS PRICING ADJUSTMENTS
Thermites

100 ? 75

Charge Rifle

Lvl 1: 200 ? 150
Lvl 2: 200 ? 150
Lvl 3: 450 ? 400

Longbow

Base: 400 ? 300
Lvl 1: 250 ? 200
Lvl 2: 300 ? 250
Lvl 3: 400 ? 350

Sentinel

Lvl 3: 400 ? 350

Bocek Bow

Lvl 2: 250 ? 200
Lvl 3: 300 ? 250

Triple Take

Base: 600 ? 500
Lvl 1: 250 ? 200
Lvl 2: 300 ? 250
Lvl 3: 400 ? 300

Devotion

Lvl 1: 150 ? 200
Lvl 2: 250 ? 350

L-STAR

Lvl 1: 200 ? 150

Havoc

Base: 350 ? 400

Hemlok

Lvl 2: 250 ? 200
Lvl 3: 350 ? 300

Prowler

Lvl 2: 300 ? 250
Lvl 3: 350 ? 300

BUG FIXES

Fix for players inside of Bangalore smoke unintentionally getting aim assist on targets outside of smoke.
Fixed bug where Valk could no longer use Jumptowers if she has been previously shot down during her Ultimate.
Fix for Volt animation for cases where the weapon and reticle have a jittery animation when the player is crouched.
Fix for cases where weapons and attachments can be dropped/switched during Charge Tower interaction leading to animation glitch.
Fix for Charge Rifle Legendary skin “Curse of the Amazon” where the upper part of the weapon blocked camera view when aiming down sites.
Fixed bug for cases when the user accesses the replicator and pulls up their inventory before the UI for the replicator shows up, they can drop their weapon and is stuck in a crouched position.
Canyonlands: Fix for cases when players could get blocked when trying to activate Valk’s Ultimate.
Fixed a bug where Season Trackers were no longer showing what season stats they are tracking.
Fixed bug where the Sentinel could charge instantly when vaulting.
Xbox One: Fix for cases where players sometimes had to skip the Legend Select phase due to being stuck on the “waiting for players” screen.
Fixed issue when Knocking a player on an enemy team and then dying before getting the kill, can lead to the kill being rewarded to another team instead
ARENAS – Fixed issue where Boosted Loader was missing on Wingman.
Fixed issue where Finishers are not counted as damage towards Challenges.
Fixed bug where Purple Evo shields glow through closed care packages, loot pins, and Lifeline Care Packages.
Fix for cases where players could get killed by a death box if coming in contact with it on an airship.
Fixed bug for an issue with Players getting killed when throwing a caustic barrel up against an opening door.

CRYPTO

Fix for cases when Crypto’s heirloom (sword) appears stuck in the middle of his body while his drone is deployed.
Fixed issue when inspecting his Heirloom with the “Deadly Byte” skin equipped, can show missing arm texture.
Fix for cases when players could recall their Drone instantly after activating their Ultimate.
Fixed bug for when Crypto is using his legendary skin, and while being revived by a Mirage, he turns invisible except for his sunglasses which remain visible during the revive.

FUSE

Fixed bug where using Fuse’s Tactical in water caused the audio to get overwhelmingly loud.
Fix for bug where players can extend Motherlode’s range if used on flyers, Crypto’s drone, loot drones, and Loba’s Bracelet.

HORIZON

Fix for cases when Horizon’s Ultimate disappears if the player opens a door next to it.

MIRAGE

Fix for bug where the shield regeneration from Wattson’s ultimate would reveal Mirage’s location when he is invisible while reviving.
Fixed bug for when Mirage’s decoys would sprint faster when the player is armed with an item than when they are unarmed.

PATHFINDER

Fix for an issue where grappling grounded Loot Rollers can cause the player to get flung at high velocity.

NEW CUSTOM MATCH SYSTEM
Custom Match is replacing the previous Private Match system.

Custom Match QOL improvements:

UI & Design Improvements.
Custom Match now saves Team Names & Match Settings when returning from match to lobby.
Match flow improvements.

Added new launch parameters to pre-select viewing targets for Observer.
Updated the color pallet used by Observers when viewing teams (Map Overview + Highlights)

Additionally, fixed the color duplication issue previously seen on the map overview

Updated the Team Eliminated Text with a unique color for Anonymous Mode in Custom Match.


Tiny Tina’s Not-So-Tiny In Latest Borderlands 3 Cosplay Guide

Everybody who played the heck out of Borderlands 2 remembers demolitions expert Tiny Tina, a precocious kid with a wild imagination and is charmingly voiced by one Ashly Burch (now an anime dub seiyuu). Fans now get to see her in full view in the latest cosplay guides released by Gearbox.
Check them out below. Note the Roland tattoo on her arm, a nod to the fallen Borderlands vault hunter.

In addition, we also have a first look at bartender/business entrepreneur/innuendo slinger Moxxi, Borderlands hunter Mordecai, and Borderlands 2 OP Siren Maya in their Borderlands 3 incarnation. Looking awesome, ladies!

It’s pretty cool that Gearbox is sending these out for their fans so that they get the cosplaying and colour schemes as accurate as possible. You can download them on the following links below:
Tina
Moxxi
Mordecai
Maya
Borderlands 3 will be out 13th September for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.


Kizuna AI: Touch the Beat! Has Been Delayed To 25 May

If you’ve been waiting to get your hands on Kizuna AI: Touch the Beat! on PS4, PS VR, Switch, or PC, we’ve got some news for you. Gemdrops, the game’s developers, have decided to push back the release date from 27 April to 25 May. Why the delay, you ask? Well, they want to make sure the game is top-notch before releasing it.
If you’re not familiar with the game, it originally launched as a VR-only title for Quest devices back in October 2020. Then, in February 2021, it was released for PS5 and PlayStation VR2. So if you’re a fan of rhythm games, this might be one to check out once it’s finally available on all platforms.