Disney Content Showcase Unveils 2023 Streaming Content Slate, Including Exclusive APAC Content

The Walt Disney Company Asia Pacific today unveiled a new slate of upcoming movies, series and new APAC titles for Disney+ and Disney+ Hotstar at a star-studded Disney Content Showcase event at Singapore’s iconic Marina Bay Sands.
Featuring guest appearances from the stars and cast of Disney’s new Korean dramas Big Bet, Connect and Call it Love; Japanese titles House of the Owl, Gannibal, and Dragons of Wonderhatch; as well as Indonesian series Teluh Darah, Mendua, Hubungi Agen Gue, Tira, Wedding Agreement The Series Season 2 and Jurnal Risa, today’s event saw the unveiling of over 50 shows to hundreds of press and partners in attendance.
The showcase featured an expansive slate of global tentpole titles which were first presented at D23 Expo in Anaheim, including:

Marvel Studios: Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, The Marvels, Secret Invasion, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Loki Season 2
Walt Disney Animation Studios: Wish, Iwaju

Pixar: Elemental, Win or Lose, Elio, Inside Out 2
Walt Disney Pictures: Haunted Mansion, The Little Mermaid, Snow White, Mufasa: The Lion King, Peter Pan & Wendy
Lucasfilm: The Mandalorian Season Three, Ahsoka, Star Wars: The Bad Batch Season Two, Star Wars Visions Volume Two, The Acolyte, Indiana Jones 5

Closing the showcase was a special presentation of the wildly anticipated Avatar: The Way of Water, directed by James Cameron and produced by Cameron and Jon Landau, starring Zoe Saldana, Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, Cliff Curtis, Joel David Moore, CCH Pounder, Edie Falco, Jemaine Clement, and Kate Winslet. The film opens globally in theatres on December 16, 2022.
The Walt Disney Company Asia Pacific also announced today an expansion of its long-standing strategic collaboration with leading publishing house Kodansha to include Japanese anime. This expanded collaboration will include licensing exclusive SVOD anime titles based on manga produced by Kodansha that will be available exclusively on Disney+ and Disney+ Hotstar, starting with Tokyo Revengers: Christmas Showdown Arc.
“Our aspiration is for stories from the Asia Pacific region to be a key pillar for the next 100 years,” said Carol Choi, Executive Vice President of Original Content Strategy, The Walt Disney Company APAC. “Our curated content from APAC is a key part of the unparalleled storytelling and creative excellence The Walt Disney Company is known for, and we look forward to further showcasing storytelling excellence from the region on the world stage.”
Key highlights of the new APAC content slate include:
Japan:

Tokyo Revengers: Christmas Showdown Arc: The first title to be released as part of Disney’s expanded collaboration with Kodansha, Tokyo Revengers: Christmas Showdown Arc will see former bad boy Takemichi use his accidentally acquired powers of time travel to go back and save his high school girlfriend from being murdered by the Tokyo Manji gang, unwittingly changing the destinies of those around him.
Gannibal: A thrilling live-action adaptation of the hit manga about dark and mysterious disappearances in a remote Japanese village, Gannibal is co-produced by Teruhisa Yamamoto (producer of Academy Award® winner “Drive My Car”) and Tatsuya Iwakura, adapted for the screen by Academy Award® nominee Takamasa Oe (“Drive My Car”). This exciting new series will launch December 28 only on Disney+ and Disney+ Hotstar.

Dragons of Wonderhatch: From the mind of director Kentaro Hagiwara and producers Teruhisa Yamamoto (producer of Academy Award® winner Drive My Car) and Hitoshi Ito (The Boy and the Beast, Mirai) and Hideyuki Wakuta comes the first Disney+ Hotstar original fantasy series from Japan- Dragons of Wonderhatch. Featuring a groundbreaking combination of live-action and anime elements, this series tells the story of a high school girl who struggles to fit in with her classmates before being swept up on an adventure with a boy from another world who will forever change her destiny.
House of the Owl: Starring Min Tanaka and Mackenyu, House of the Owl follows Ryutaro Ogami, Japan’s number one fixer, revered for his ability to guide Japan’s politicians and most senior business leaders through sensational and career ending scandals unscathed. In this gripping fictional drama series we follow the fixer as he faces his most daunting challenge yet – dealing with a chain of events that could forever change Japan’s politics, while also facing his family – the only people he can’t control.

Korea:

Call It Love: Directed by Lee Kwangyoung, the master of romantic dramas, Call It Love tells the story of a mistreated daughter who seeks revenge on her mistress after the sudden death of her father.
Moving: Starring Ryu Seungryong, Han Hyojoo and Zo Insung,?Moving?is based on a popular webtoon by Kang Full and tells the story of three teenagers who discover they’ve inherited unusual powers from their secret agent parents
Worst of Evil: Set in 1990s Korea,?The Worst of Evil?follows an investigative taskforce as their undercover officer, Park Joonmo, infiltrates a new criminal organization responsible for fuelling a trafficking triangle.?Starring Ji Changwook, Wi Hajun and Lim Semi, production is currently underway on this exciting new crime drama.
RACE: Written by acclaimed screenwriter Kim Roori, RACE is about a mediocre employee who unleashes her potential after discovering she was hired at her top-tier publicity company for diversity reasons.
SUPER JUNIOR: THE LAST MAN STANDING: On November 6, 2005, a K-pop group SUPER JUNIOR 05, made their debut. First leaving their mark on Asia, they rapidly grew, becoming SUPER JUNIOR, and amazed audiences across the world. In SUPER JUNIOR: THE LAST MAN STANDING, viewers are taken behind-the-scenes in a one-of-a-kind exploration of SUPER JUNIOR and its members, offering new insights into the modern K-pop industry.
BTS MONUMENTS: BEYOND THE STAR:?An exclusive Disney+ Hotstar original,?this music docu-series will chart the incredible journey of 21st century pop icons BTS. With unprecedented access to a vast library of music and footage over the past nine years, the series will feature the daily lives, thoughts and plans of BTS members, as they prepare for their second chapter.
j-hope Solo Documentary (working title): Following pop star j-hope in the lead-up to his recently released solo album, this upcoming documentary features never-before-seen interviews with j-hope, a behind the scenes look at his solo album preparation process, his 2022 Lollapalooza performance and a unique look at the album’s listening party.

Indonesia:

Hubungi Agen Gue! (The Talent Agency): An adaptation of the hit French series?Dix Pour Cent?(Call My Agent!), this dramatic comedy follows four agents in an Indonesian talent agency as they struggle to save their business following the unexpected death of the company’s founder. Starring Donny Damara, Hannah Al Rashid, Yoga Pratama and Lydia Kandou, each episode will feature A-listers guest-starring as themselves. Produced by legendary producers Mira Lesmana and Riri Riza (Ada Apa Dengan Cinta?) and SK Global Entertainment (Crazy Rich Asians), and directed by one of Indonesia’s top directors, Teddy Soeriaatmadja.
Wedding Agreement The Series Season 2: After a wildly successful first season, Wedding Agreement The Series returns with a gripping new story. Starring Refal Hady as Bian and Indah Permatasari as Tari, season two opens three years after the first, with Bian suddenly deciding he needs to start over.

ANZ:

The Artful Dodger: The Artful Dodger is an international premium character drama set in the frontier colonies of 1850s Australia. Across eight episodes the scripted series explores the adult double life of Charles Dickens’ famous prince of thieves – The Artful Dodger – now a surgeon, who can’t shake his predilection for crime. From high-octane heists to life-and-death surgeries, glittering parties to colourful streets, this series is a rock’n’roll tale with an Aussie twist starring Thomas Brodie-Sangster (Pistol, The Queen’s Gambit), David Thewlis (Landscapers, Fargo), Maia Mitchell (Good Trouble, The Fosters) and Damon Herriman (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Judy and Punch).
The Clearing: Based on the acclaimed novel In the Clearing by J.P. Pomare, and inspired by cults throughout history, this is a story of buried trauma and the effect of being raised under the oppressive spell of Adrienne, a rare female cult leader. When Freya uncovers a secret plan to resurrect the long-dormant ‘Kindred’ with the kidnapped little girl from the news and her precious son Billy in their sights, her own warped childhood resurfaces. Set in the gothic isolation of the Australian bush, a forbidding landscape of dark-edged myth and speculation, The Clearing is an emotional and psychological thriller that burrows under the skin and inside the mind, blurring the lines between past and present, reality and nightmare.


Dragon Quest Anime Gets Official Release Date

Dragon Quest: The Adventure of Dai was originally announced in 2019, but now Square Enix has finally announced the official release date for the upcoming anime reboot.
Itâ€™s based on the manga of the same name which was published by Shonen Jump from 1989 to 1996. This will actually be the second anime adaptation of the same property; the first having aired from 1991 to 1992.
The plot of Dragon Quest: The Adventure of Dai is unrelated to any of the eleven Dragon Quest games. It follows protagonist Dai, a 12-year-old boy who lives on an island of peaceful monsters with dreams of becoming a hero. Destiny comes calling when the demon lord, Hadlar, returns to start a new reign of terror.
According to Gematsu, theÂ Dragon Quest: The Adventure of DaiÂ anime will premiere on 3 October 2020 at 9.30 am JST every week on TV Tokyo Network.
The opening theme song, â€œIkiru wo Suru,â€ is sung by Japanese rock band Macaroni Enpitsu.
The animeâ€™s main voice cast is as follows:
Dai (voiced by Atsumi Tanezaki).Popp (voiced by Toshiyuki Toyonaga).Maam (voiced by Mikako Komatsu).Leona (voiced by Saori Hayami).Avan (voiced by Takahiro Sakurai).Hyunckel (voiced by Yuuki Kaji).
There will also be several new games related to the anime. Check out the new teaser trailer featuring the anime’s opening theme song below:


The New Vivo S1 Comes With Ultra Game Mode To Boost Gaming

Vivo has officially launched its new Vivo S1 smartphone in Malaysia today. The reasonably-priced device is geared towards the youth, with decent specs and even an ultra game mode for all mobile gamers out there.
In Ultra Game Mode, Vivo S1 users can customize and tweak the settings of each individual game to improve their overall gaming experience and save battery life. These include the ability to selectively block calls, hide notifications, and more.
The best feature of the Ultra Game Mode is the Esports/Competitive Mode. When this particular mode is enabled:

Background notifications are turned off
System resources are smartly managed
The control area in the notification bar is reduced to avoid accidental touches
Phone temperature and game performance are balanced to make the game smoother

Games that support Esports/Competitive Mode include PUBG Mobile, Mobile Legend: Bang Bang, and more.

The specs for the Vivo S1 isn’t too shabby either, which you can check out below:

Screen Touch ID Fingerprint Sensor
Battery: 4500 mAH with Dual Engine Fast Charging
Camera: 16MP+8MP+2MP AI Triple Camera with 32MP Selfie Camera
Screen: 6.38-inch Full HD+ Super AMOLED
Processor: Mediatek Helio P65 Octa-Core
RAM: 6GB
Storage Space: 128GB
Colors: Diamond Black / Skyline Blue
OS: Funtouch OS 9 (based on Android Pie 9.0)

The Vivo S1 is now available for pre-order until 26 July 2019, but it will be available for purchase starting from 27 July 2019 nationwide for a price of RM1099. Those who pre-order the new smartphone will receive RM100 instant rebate (when they pay RM50) and an exclusive gift in the form of a Vshare K1-Bluetooth speaker.
Check out photos from the Vivo S1 official launch event held earlier today at Bangsar Shopping Centre.


Here’s The Schedule For This Year’s ESGS Online Game Expo

The Philippines’ Electronic Sports and Gaming Summit (ESGS) is going online this year for obvious reasons. Thanks to COVID-19 and the pandemic, everyone is taking their gaming events online, and organizers Gariath Concepts are doing the same to keep ESGS going.
Here’s the schedule for this year’s online offerings. Each stream will start at 11am. We’ll be updating this page closer to the actual event.
Broadcast link: fb.com/esgsphilippines
Day 1 (23rd October)
First Half

Day 1 Opening
Indie Party: Bayani by Ranida Games
Launchpad: Corsair
Game Room: Taipei Game Show
Team Mountain Dew Meet & Greet + MLBB Showmatch
Legion Games- Rainbow Six Siege Open Championship Grand Finals

Second Half

Indie Party: Rising Hell by Toge Publishing
TNC Predator & Akosidogie by Predator
Cosplay Competition by PLDT
Indie Party: No Straight Roads by Metronomik
Astra Arena: Asus ROG (Dota 2 Online championship grand finals)
Day 1 Closing

Day 2 (24th October)
First Half

Day 2 Opening
Indie Party: PBA Slam by Ranida Games
Game Room: Fall Guys
ASUS ROG Call of Duty Mobile Open
Hearthstone Feature by Blizzard
Meet & Greet: Junnieboy + PUBGM Exhibition Match by Mountain Dew

Second Half

Game Room: World of Warcraft: Shadowlands
Lenovo product feature
Alodia & Dexie Play Among Us by PLDT Home
Indie Party: Bake ‘N Switch by Streamline Studios
Legion Games Mobile Legends Open Championship
Day 2 Closing

Day 3 (25th October)
First Half

Day 3 Opening
Indie Party: Lithium Games byÂ  Games by Nico
Indie Party: Neon Tail by Rocket Juice Games
Indie Party: Fight of Animals by Digital Crafter
Mountain Dew PUBG Mobile Open Tournament

Second Half

TNC Show Match
ASUS Product Feature
Indie Party: Jack Axe by Keybol Games
Square Enix Special Feature
PLDT Home Valorant Open Tournament
Day 3 Closing


Coromon Will Let You Catch ‘Em All This March

Coromon, the modern monster taming game from developer TRAGsoft and publisher Freedom Games, is slated to release for the Nintendo Switch, PC and Mac via Steam on 31 March 2022.
Set off on an unforgettable adventure as a young apprentice Coromon trainer, and journey across the Velua region collecting fearsome yet adorable creatures with the latest creature catching technology from the brilliant scientist, Lux Solis. Along the way, you’ll have to stop a shady organization from releasing the dark power of legendary Coromon Titans upon the world.

There are more than 120 Coromon composed of various types like sand, magic, foul, heavy, air, poison, among many others to capture and train. You’ll fight in tactical battles through puzzle-filled dungeons, roadside brawls, and multi-stage boss fights against the six legendary Titans threatening the Coromonâ€™s way of life.
In addition, you can also return to the Trainer Hub after each battle to nurse the squad back to health before setting off once more, as well as grow and individually customize each Coromonsâ€™ stat pool to create the perfect dream team for either casual or competitive play.

The advantage of Coromon over PokÃ©mon is that you can enjoy the way you want to play with the use of three open save slots to endlessly experiment with different Coromon strategies and select between four distinct difficulty modes, including a built-in, fan-favourite â€œNuzlockeâ€ option. You can also craft a capable trainer at the start of their Coromon journey with a wide selection of physical and fashion options.
TRAGsoft founder Jochem Pouwels said:
“Coromon is our modern take on a classic and beloved genre. Everything from the built-in difficulty options to the expanded control over stat customizations, squad combinations, and more, itâ€™s all to create a personal and tailored experience for creature catching trainers that have been asking for this for decades.
Coromon is finally almost here to give the people what they want!â€

The game will be priced at US$19.99 with English, French Italian, German, Spanish, Portuguese (Brazilian), Russian, Japanese, Korean, and Chinese (Simplified) language support.
To learn more, you can visit the official siteÂ and join the community onÂ Twitter,Â Instagram,Â Facebook, andÂ Discord. In the meantime, check out my hands-on preview of Coromon by heading over here.
[videopress NEPajiJf]


Half-Life Alyx Is Coming In March

One of the most ambitious VR game of all time has finally received a release date, and it’s pretty soon. Valve has announced that Half-Life Alyx is slated to release on 24 March 2020.
Originally revealed in November 2019, Half-Life Alyx will be the first new Half-Life title in over 13 years. It has since received a pretty lukewarm reception for being an exclusively VR game, and not being the long-awaited Half-Life 3 that everyone actually wanted.
There will be pre-order bonuses for anyone who has purchased a Valve Index starting from 2 March 2020 with Steam VR Home environments inspired by locations from the upcoming game. Half-Life Alyx is currently priced at only RM85.50 on Steam thanks to a ten percent pre-order discount, though its full price is actually RM95.

Pre-Order bonuses for anyone who has purchased a Valve Index will start rolling out the week of March 2nd, beginning with Steam VR Home environments inspired by locations in Half-Life: Alyx. We will have more information on upcoming Valve Index availability soon. pic.twitter.com/wICU1e9HhF
â€” Valve (@valvesoftware) February 13, 2020
In case you missed it, all games in the Half-Life Collection are currently free to play for all Steam users, from now until 24 March 2020 when Half-Life Alyx releases. In the meantime, re-watch out the announcement trailer below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2W0N3uKXmo&w=560&h=315]


VR Schoolgirl-Staring Stimulator Summer Lesson To Get Two New Ladies (In English)

Good news for Summer Lesson fans, all five of you out there with too much money to burn. Bandai Namco just announced the English versions of the VR interaction game(?) Summer Lesson: Allison Snow and Summer Lesson: Chisato Shinjo.
Players will get to interact, hang out, and be in close contact with both a prim and proper token anime white girl (Allison; on top) and a pampered princess archetype (Chisato; down below).Â They’ll be on sale in one convenient bundle in 2018 all over Southeast Asia -Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, and Indonesia.

There’s no price tag, but our guess is that it’ll be close to SG$100 if it’s involving two women. That’s usually called a Thailand special; heyoooo!
Here is what’s inside this tag-team bundle:

Summer Lesson: Allison Snow Seven Days Garden (Basic Game Pack)
Summer Lesson: Allison Snow International Exchange (Add-on Pack)
Summer Lesson: Allison Snow Summer Sky Singing Voice (Add-on Pack)
Summer Lesson: Allison Snow Extra Scene Cheering Edition (Outfit & Situation)
Summer Lesson: Allison Snow Extra Scene Watermelon Splitting (Outfit & Situation)
Summer Lesson: Chisato Shinjo Seven Night Etude (Basic Game Pack)
Summer Lesson: Chisato Shinjo Magic Hour of Red Carpet (Add-on Pack)
Summer Lesson: Chisato Shinjo Refreshing Breakfast Time (Add-on Pack)
Summer Lesson: Chisato Shinjo Extra Scene Twilight Youth Edition (Outfit & Situation)
Summer Lesson: Chisato Shinjo Extra Scene Kayo Show (Outfit & Situation)

Keep in mind that this is a PlayStation VR experience, so you’ll need the headset in addition to the bundle. Last we checked, that was SG$450. We think you can get 5 sets of different harem anime and a ton of Johnson & Johnsons with that price tag.

For those who don’t know what Summer Lesson is, we’ll just take this description quote from producer and director Tamaoki:
“Summer Lesson is a virtual-reality game playable on the PlayStationÂ®VR, where players can interact with realistic female characters as if they are standing right before your eyes. The game lets players communicate up close and personal with the character, and go through a variety of vivid situations and encounters with her.”
I’m very sure the devs gave special care and detail to the “up close and personal” and “vivid situations” portions of this VR game. Which, to the delight of its core target market, is playable with just one hand.
For the record, we dug up these low-hanging fruit potshots from our “jokes to use in the next Dead or Alive Extreme” chests. The furniture variant, you perv.


Epic Sues Fortnite Playtester For Leaking Chapter 2 Details

I’m not a big Fornite fan but it has to be admitted that the black hole event that ushered in Fortnite – Chapter 2 was definitely one of the craziest stunts in gaming history. Returning with a new map and bunch of other new features, the new chapter is definitely a breath of fresh air for longtime fans.
As per usual of any anticipated reveals in gaming, not everyone was patient. Epic Games has filed a lawsuit against Fortnite playtester Ronald Sykes who used multiple Twitter accounts to leak out vital information regarding Fortnite – Chapter 2. One of the alleged accounts tweeted out an image of the new map plus revealing details about new mechanics such as swimming and driving boats.
According to the information they have, Epic is confident that @FNGzus was one of the accounts used by Sykes.
In the lawsuit, Epic’s lawyers state that Sykes has clearly broke the NDA that he signed when being recruited as a playtester. Epic is asking for injunctive relief and maximum damages for Syke’s breach of contract, citing that “Epic has suffered and is continuing to suffer irreparable injury”.
Thanks, Polygon. The full lawsuit document is included in the Polygon article.


Henry Cavill Not Returning As Superman, James Gunn Working On Next Superman Movie

James Gunn has confirmed that Henry Cavill will not return as Superman. He also said the next Superman movie will focus on an earlier stage of his life.

Peter & I have a DC slate ready to go, which we couldn’t be more over-the-moon about; we’ll be able to share some exciting information about our first projects at the beginning of the new year.
— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) December 15, 2022

Henry Cavill also posted on his Instagram:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Henry Cavill (@henrycavill)


Quantic Dream PS4 Exclusives Coming Soon To PC Via Epic Store

It looks like PlayStation exclusives aren’t even sacred anymore. During a keynote at GDC (Game Developers Conference) 2019 in San Francisco, Quantic Dream announced that Detroit Become Human, Beyond Two Souls, and Heavy Rain are slated to release for the PC exclusively via the Epic Games Store.
This news (via Twinfinite) is surprising due to the fact that all three interactive narrative choose-your-own-adventure titles were previously PlayStation exclusives. Heavy Rain and Beyond Two Souls originally launched on the PS3 in 2010 and 2013, respectively, before eventually releasing for the PS4 later on. Meanwhile, Detroit Become Human is barely a year old, as it was initially released for the PS4 in May 2018.
In fact, the Epic Games Store pages for all three games are already up right now. Check out Detroit Become Human here, Beyond Two Souls here, and Heavy Rain here. The prices for each game have not been revealed, but minimum and recommended spec requirements are officially stated.
On a personal note, as much as I prefer console exclusives to remain exclusives (particularly that on PlayStation), I believe that it’s ultimately better for the industry that these titles are becoming available to a wider demographic of gamers.
Created by David Cage, all three titles received divisive opinions at launch. Some liked it and some did not. However, we can all at least agree that they’re entertaining, especially some of the unintentionally funny moments. Head on over here to discover more of the best David Cage moments in video game history and be reminded of his glory.


Riot Games Announces New Publishing Label For Third Party LoL Games

Ever since Riot Games made announcements for tons of new games during their League of Legends 10th Anniversary livestream, the gaming industry has speculating on how this will change the future of the online gaming market. A new announcement from the company gives us a clearer picture on their strategy.

Riot has just announced Riot Forge, a publishing label aimed at publishing games set within the League of Legends universe but developed by third party studios. According to the FAQ on the Riot Forge official website, developers working with Riot Forge will also receive support in the form of QA, localisation, voice-overs, research, marketing, and more.
It’s stated on the website that the games made under the Riot Forge label will be designed for PC, consoles, and mobiles but not every game will be released on all platforms. For now, Riot hasn’t revealed which studios they’re working with and has made it clear that the games are still very early in development.
For more information on Riot Forge, head on over to their official website.


Xbox Is Upgrading & Redesigning Its UI

Xbox has announced that they’re finally upgrading, updating and redesigning their UI on consoles like the Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S. However, the first to experience these will be limited to a random subset of Xbox Insiders in the Alpha Skip-Ahead ring.
Microsoft is planning the launch the completely new UI sometime in 2023.
Ivy Krislov, senior product manager lead of Xbox experiences, said:
“We want to ensure this experience is the best it can be, and we know getting it right will take some time which is why we will be rolling it out slowly and iterating throughout the process,” explains Krislov. “With your input, we’re looking forward to launching this new, better Home experience in 2023.”
According to the blog post, the initial key updates include the following:

The new “Jump back in” row gives you quick access to your most recently played games and apps.
Easily access important system apps like Settings, Store, Search and My Games & Apps with their own dedicated tiles on Xbox Home.
Consistent design and visual identifiers with updated layouts to keep the experience familiar.
When you scroll down, you’ll see curated categories and recommendations tailored to your gaming preferences.

It’s been a while since Xbox has updated its UI so this is good news for Xbox players.


Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak Title Update Launches Today

Capcom’s Monster Hunter Rise’s expansion is getting, well, expanded further with a new title update.
During today’s title update video feature, the game will be getting a bunch of new colossal monsters for players to fight, as if the Sunbreak expansion isn’t enough to sate those genocidal jollies. Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak’s first major title update will add in Lucent Nargacuga, Seething Bazelgeuse, Silver Rathalos, and Gold Rathian.
In addition, the title update will be fixing a number of bugs and balancing the game out. You won’t have to wait too long to experience these changes: the update is out today on 10th August.
Check out the patch notes and video presentation below:
New Story Elements

New Story Elements

New monsters have been added and will appear in Gathering Hub quests.

Lucent Nargacuga
Seething Bazelgeuse
Silver Rathalos
Gold Rathian

New afflicted monsters have been added to the game.
New quests have been added.
A new quest system, Anomaly Investigations, has been added. Anomaly investigations will become available after completing the main story and progressing further in the game.
A new locale has been added: Forlorn Arena.
New weapons, armor, layered equipment, and skills have been added.
New facility added related to the Anomaly Investigations.
Qurious Crafting is now available as a new feature at the Smithy.

New System Elements

New Guild Card pages, awards, and titles have been added.
Two new speech timings have been added to Auto Shoutouts: “When the monster is pacified” and “When the monster is delirious”.
You can now select a Badge of Heroes which will display next to your Hunter’s name.
A new option has been added: “Hunter Connect Invite Settings.”

Steam Version-Only Additions and Changes

New Steam achievements have been added.

These achievements can be unlocked by obtaining the Guild Card medals added in Ver.10.0.2.0.
Achievements for new medals added in Ver.11.0.1.0 will be available in the next update, Free Title Update 2.

Bug Fixes and Balance Adjustments

Player

Hunter

Power Sheathe (Great Sword): Fixed an issue where Power Sheathe would not apply its buff effect if you perform a dodge too quickly after using the move with a left or right input.
Harvest Moon (Long Sword): Fixed an issue where Harvest Moon would not deactivate properly after your weapon is sheathed due to abnormal statuses (by performing a dodge right after you recover from the status).
Harvest Moon (Long Sword): Fixed an issue where Harvest Moon would not deactivate after transitioning into Wyvern Riding state.
Foresight Slash (Long Sword): Fixed an issue where Foresight Slash could not be chained into a Sacred Sheathe Combo after using the Spirit Gauge to perform the move and failing the counter.
Sword & Shield: There is a slightly longer delay before your character’s direction changes when making a movement input during or at the beginning of a guard, making Backstep easier to execute in these situations.
Charge Blade: Fixed an issue where the effects of the Rapid Morph skill would not trigger when using Axe: Smash from a sheathed state.
Charge Blade – Air Dash: Fixed an issue where the Air Dash move would be canceled early if the move was used right at a ledge (or otherwise when you are already in midair at the start of the wirebug animation).
Charge Blade – Ultra Element Discharge (Impact Phial Only): Fixed an issue where the slamming portion of the attack would not have the weapon’s elemental or status effect buildup values applied to it.
Insect Glaive: Fixed an issue where if a Kinsect was launched at a monster that was changing areas, the Kinsect would stop moving at the location the monster was when first launched.
Awakened Kinsect Attack (Insect Glaive): Fixed an issue where the player could get locked in the Switch Skill’s animation and be unable to move after the Kinsect performs its automatic attacks right after using the Switch Skill.
Light Bowgun – Elemental Reload: Fixed an issue where reload speed would not be correctly reflected onto the player’s Equipment Info when in bases with this skill equipped.
Light Bowgun – Fanning Maneuver: Fixed an issue where the player’s direction would change to the same directional input used when performing Fanning Maneuver right after a Switch Skill Swap.
Light Bowgun – Critical Firepower: Fixed an issue where recoil reduction would not be correctly reflected onto the player’s Equipment Info when in bases with this skill equipped.
Bow – Bolt Boost: Fixed an issue where the Gunner Aim Assist option would not work correctly for Super Critical Range aiming when using Bolt Boost.
Grinder (S): Fixed an issue where, when the sharpness boost activates while you already have the boost from a previous activation, the length of the original boost could unintentionally be overwritten by a shorter boost effect.

Buddies

Fixed an issue where you could end up with more active Kittenators than intended during multiplayer.
Fixed an issue where Buddies would sometimes stagger at the start of some monsters’ turf wars.

Followers

Fixed issues that kept Followers from successfully performing Wyvern Riding on monsters in other areas and making their way back to the player.

Monsters

Monsters

Fixed an issue where some beam- or laser-shaped attacks could go through walls and other obstacles.
Almudron: Made adjustments to an issue where Almudron would sink unnaturally into the ground when toppled near a ledge.
Magma Almudron: Fixed an issue where the player or Buddies might sometimes disappear when breaking the rocks Magma Almudron creates during battle.
Nargacuga: Fixed an issue where some of Nargacuga’s attacks that should trigger a mountable state in other monsters were not behaving as intended.
Mizutsune: Fixed an issue where Mizutsune would sometimes keep moving towards a wall in the Jungle locale.
Rakna-Kadaki: Fixed an issue where Rakna-Kadaki could fail to leave the locale in certain parts of the Lava Caverns locale.
Rajang: Fixed an issue where Rajang could fail to leave the locale in certain parts of the Citadel locale.
Malzeno: Fixed an issue where some of the effects of Malzeno’s attacks would not display as intended.
Pukei-Pukei: Fixed an issue where Pukei-Pukei would not drop items when latched onto by a Marionette Spider during certain actions.
Kushala Daora: Fixed an issue where a wind pressure reaction would trigger visually even when a wind pressure reaction was not triggered functionally.
Chameleos: Fixed an issue where high rank Chameleos would sometimes not behave as intended when affected by a flash.
Fixed an issue where dropped monster materials would disappear after a certain number of them are active at once.

Wyvern Riding

Fixed an issue where some Wyvern Riding attacks could damage other players.

Locales and Environments

Locales

Fixed an issue where a Wyvern Riding monster launch could cause a monster to crash into a wall in places where a wall doesn’t actually exist in certain areas of the Jungle locale.
Fixed an issue where the player could get stuck on certain parts of Area 3 of the Jungle locale.
Fixed an issue where the player could get stuck on a branch of the large tree in the center of the Jungle locale.

Endemic Life

Marionette Spider: You no longer lose a Marionette Spider if you were not able to pull a monster toward you.
Marionette Spider: You can no longer discard a Marionette Spider while you are in the middle of using one.
Nintendo Switch: Fixed an issue where, if you unplug your earphones or otherwise change the sound output while playing, the audio would cut off the next time you obtain a Wirebug or when the effects of a Morphed Wirebug wear off.

Base and Facilities

Facilities

MP Accelerant: Changed the inputs required for using MP Accelerant to be slightly more convenient.
Locked talismans will now all be grouped at the bottom when melding at the Melding Pot.
Nintendo Switch: The L and R buttons can now be held down to change pages on the material selection screen at the Melding Pot.
Steam: The LB and RB buttons can now be held down to change pages on the material selection screen at the Melding Pot.
Fixed an issue where the Rathian Cortex material could be obtained from Master Rank Rathalos on Meowcenaries expeditions.
Fixed an issue where the Equipment Skills display would disappear when using Compare Equipment on a weapon after canceling a Compare
Equipment on armor that has 6 or more armor skills.
Fixed an inconsistency with the Item Box sorting order for Sun Springnight Carp and Locked Treasure Chest.
Fixed an issue at the Canteen where food skills different than those from a Bunny Dango Set could be triggered when selecting that set right after selecting other dango.
Fixed an issue where the preview camera could not be moved while adjusting the hue, saturation, or contrast when changing pigments for armor and layered armor.
Fixed an issue where certain inputs could change the results of Anima and Reincarnation melding.

Miscellaneous

Quests

Increased the reward money, Hunter Rank points, and Master Rank points for Scorned Magnamalo quests.
Rewards claimed from Optional Subquests that could not be obtained (due to the total number of those rewards being at their maximum) are now automatically sold.
Fixed an issue where it was possible to join quests above your own highest unlocked rank when using the Random option to respond to Join
Requests at ranks A1? to A4?.
Fixed an issue where the game screen would not return to normal after fading to black during certain cutscenes while in multiplayer.

Equipment

Fixed an issue where the same materials were required for multiple upgrades for the Secta Du White.
The stats for F Khezu Whaccine X have been adjusted to the following:

Before: Melee attack power: 195 — Ranged attack power: 215 — Elemental attack power: 23 — Damage type: Severing.
After: Melee attack power: 200 — Ranged attack power: 230 — Elemental attack power: 21 — Damage type: Blunt.

The stats for C Khezu Arma X have been adjusted to the following:

Before: Melee attack power: 195 — Ranged attack power: 215 — Elemental attack power: 23 — Damage type: Severing.
After: Melee attack power: 200 — Ranged attack power: 230 — Elemental attack power: 21 — Damage type: Blunt.

Fixed an issue where the forging material types for Orangaten were categorized as MR Bishaten instead of MR Blood Orange Bishaten.

Items

Large Elder Dragon Gem: Now sells for 18,000 zenny instead of 12,000z.

Menus

Fixed an issue where the awards page of other players’ Guild Cards would sometimes not be updated properly.
Fixed an issue where certain skill effects would not be properly reflected onto the status of equipment registered to equipment loadouts.

Options

The long sword’s Silkbind Sakura Slash is now affected by the Player Hit Effects and Other Player Hit Effects options.
The Buttons for Wyvern Riding option can no longer be changed in the middle of a quest.
Fixed an issue where audio volume would change much more than intended after changing the volume in the options.
Steam: Fixed an issue where Guild Cards would sometimes not fully delete.
Fixed an issue where the icon for Rachnoid in the quest results screen would sometimes display as a Felyne icon instead.
Fixed various text bugs.
Other miscellaneous bug fixes have been made.


[Rumour] Capcom May Be Working On Another Resident Evil Game

The Resident Evil 3 REmake and the Project Resistance multiplayer aren’t the only things Capcom is cooking in its own lab.
According to rumours from Biohazard Declassified and Twitter user Nibel, we might be getting a new first-person Resident Evil title. Here’s the breakdown:

The game will not be called Resident Evil 8, but will have a “clever title”.
Ethan from RE7 will be returning as a playable character; the game will retain its first-person view like in RE7.
The game was apparently tested last year.
The game’s new setting will be a rural, snowy, mountain-filled area set in Europe. The level design will start from a village and will lead up to a castle.
The enemies this time will be zombies just like in RE2. However, there will also be “wolf-like” creatures that assault players in certain areas and a persistent shadowy “female” enemy that hounds you until you shoot it.
RE’s cauliflower biceps representative Chris Redfield will be returning.
No platforms for the game has been confirmed or leaked yet. We’re going to guess “PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC” for this one.

It matches with stuff I've been hearing which is why I went forward with it
The info in the video is all coming from a playtest that Capcom had some time ago apparently
— Nibel (@Nibellion) January 28, 2020

If this is all true, then I’m actually glad that the series is sticking to its more terrifying FPS viewpoint for the numbered sequels going forward. Bonus points if it’s VR-enabled and comes with a creepy version of an old folk song.


New Samsung Monitors Elevate Esports & Gaming

With cutting-edge technology and innovation, Samsung is aiming to elevate every gamer’s experience and is also a proud premium partner of the inaugural Olympics Esports Week, which gathered top gamers far and wide to compete on the international stage in Singapore from 22 to 24 June 2023.
For everyone aspiring to be esports athletes, embark on the thrilling adventure of competitive gaming with Samsung’s gaming monitors that offer the ultimate immersive experience with best-in-class refresh rates and stunning visuals. Whether you are captain of a spaceship or flying a fighter jet, be transported straight into your favourite virtual world with the Odyssey Ark’s vertical Cockpit Mode1 as you soak in impeccably detailed soundscapes generated by Sound Dome technology, powered by Dolby Atmos.
Unleash your inner gamer in fast-paced gaming titles that prioritize fast reflexes through the Odyssey Ark’s 165hz refresh rate, 1ms response time (GtG)2 and Freesync Premium Pro. Then take your gaming arsenal to the next level with the Samsung Gaming Hub3, to access a wide range of PC, console and even cloud games.
This personal gaming theatre then converts easily into an in-home cinema or your work or school companion with its split-to-fit multiscreen flexibility. Whether gaming, accessing built-in apps like YouTube, or browsing the internet and more all at once, the Multi View4 feature allows the handy and flexible configuration of up to four screens with individual sizing and window placement.
Whether you are a gamer or just an everyday user looking for the best possible visual experience, the Odyssey OLED G9 is the monitor for you. As the latest addition to the Odyssey line-up, the Odyssey OLED G9 1800R’s curved display provides a wider field of view and ultimate immersion into any gaming world. Get ready to be blown away by its remarkable visuals and smooth, responsive gameplay on a 32:9 aspect ratio, whether multiplayer gaming or for your favourite open-world virtual adventures.

AMD FreeSync Premium Pro further enhances the Odyssey OLED G9’s super smooth gameplay experience. With DisplayHDR True Black 400, the monitor delivers incredible details and vivid colours regardless of the game being played or the content the user is watching.
Be spoiled for choice outside of gaming with the Odyssey OLED G9’s built-in Smart Hub, that gives you access to popular streaming apps like Netflix, Hulu, and YouTube, a space-saving alternative to stream your favorite video content from the cloud instead of downloading them or committing to an additional set-top box5. As a gamer, your monitor makes all the difference in how you get in on all the action, make strategic decisions, and interact with other players.
The world’s first dual ultra-HD gaming monitor, the Odyssey Neo G9 Gaming Monitor, is your best bet to conquer every intense gaming session. Equipped with Quantum Matrix Technology, sit back and relax while its Quantum Mini LEDs create controlled brightness and perfect contrast in your choice game environment, enabling superior imaging from shadows to bright scenes.
Spark your senses with its 1000R curved 57-inch screen that unveils virtual worlds with unparalleled details in 7,680×2,160 resolution and a 32:9 aspect ratio in one screen for the first time. Then, follow the fastest action with its rapid 240Hz refresh rate and grey-to-grey 1ms response time, and seize victories in the most fast-paced games.
Eye strain and fatigue are things of the past when it comes to the Odyssey Neo G9 Gaming Monitor’s Samsung Matte Display that reduces light reflections and minimizes distractions, so you can game for hours.
Unlock a new era of gaming with Samsung’s exceptional range of monitors, from the Odyssey Ark or the Odyssey OLED G9 line-up today. Whatever your in-game needs, these cutting-edge displays are guaranteed to transport you right into virtual worlds and ignite your passion for gaming like never before.


Hawkeye Kate Bishop Hot Toys Looks Ready For Action

Hailee Steinfeld’s Kate Bishop made her debut in last year’s Hawkeye Disney+ TV series and the Hot Toys 1/6th scale Kate Bishop collectible figure from the Hawkeye collection is now ready to accept new challenges (via Facebook).
Crafted with exceptional workmanship, the one-sixth figure captured Hailee Steinfeld’s appearance as Kate Bishop in Hawkeye features a newly developed head and hair sculpt, realistic wound make-up and bandage; finely tailored archer costume; wood grain patterned bow, also arrows and interchangeable trick heads, arrow quiver and a figure stand for display.
However, there is no release date or price as of yet.
You can check out my previous breakdowns ofÂ Hawkeye Episodes 1 and 2, Episode 3, Episode 4, Episode 5, and Episode 6 here.


Diablo 4 Devs Stress Again That Action RPG Will Not Be Pay-To-Win

Blizzard developers for the upcoming action RPG Diablo 4 stressed time and again that its game will not be pay-to-win, among other things
Diablo 4 game director Joe Shely said in a quarterly update on the game via Blizzard’s site that the game will have post-release content like its Seasons mode, where players start from scratch with a new character every season. Players also won’t be able to spend real money to upgrade character abilities.
“To play in the new season, you’ll create a fresh character and experience the new seasonal features and content while levelling up alongside other players. This, along with capping paragon points in Diablo IV, ensures that your effort and skill – measured by both dexterity and theorycrafting – determine how powerful your character becomes. It also allows players who missed the last season to participate.”
The update also mentioned that there will be free rewards and paid rewards, all of them cosmetics.
“This season design requires that all sources of character power come from playing the game, so you will not be able to pay for power in Diablo IV. Completing Season Journey objectives also grants progress toward the Season Pass, a new feature with a battle pass-style progression that advances alongside the Season Journey, enabling players to earn even more rewards just by playing.”
The Season Pass has both free rewards (cosmetics, premium currency, and gameplay boosts) and paid rewards (cosmetics and premium currency only). There will be a single track of rewards with Free Tiers that are unlocked just by playing the game and levelling, and Premium Tiers which provide no in-game power or advantage over other players. The Free Tiers of the pass will provide gameplay boosts to all players – things which make the journey of levelling up a fresh seasonal character faster and more streamlined. In contrast, the Premium Tier rewards are focused on aesthetics, providing a huge value in the form of cosmetics and Premium Currency.”

Diablo 4’s in-game shop will sell Premium Currency, with the items inside only being cosmetic; they will not grant a direct or indirect gameplay advantage.
“The Shop sells cosmetics for Premium Currency. Cosmetics give players even more options to customize the visual appearance of their characters. Nothing offered in the Shop grants a direct or indirect gameplay advantage. So, while many of these may look like powerful pieces of gear, they have no in-game stats.”

Until the game comes out in 2023 for PC and consoles, we’ll have to take Blizzard’s word for it. Let’s hope it doesn’t end up like its controversial mobile cousin.


After 16 Years, 2K Will Start Making NFL Games Again

Call it a historical moment in gaming for you pigskin fans, I suppose. 2K Games announced a deal with the National Football League (NFL) to release a number of new American football titles in the coming years. The first one will be published in 2021.
The last time 2K made an NFL game was back in 2004 when ESPN 2K5 came out. It came out at less than half the price of Madden NFL 2005. Since EA couldn’t handle the competition, they ended up signing an exclusive license deal with the NFL.
With this new deal long in the making, we do hope American football games take the turn for the better. Not many people were pleased with EA’s previous Madden entries despite good sales numbers, so here’s hoping a bit of competition will improve the scene.
Where does that leave EA?
Well, they’re still going to make Madden games. According to a recent statement about the NFL partnership, they will still be focused on making NFL simulation games. According to EA CEO-slash-fistbump-in-human-form Andrew Wilson, he told Polygon that they “still have a number of years left on our agreements there,” which will expire at the end of 2022.
Full press statement below:

â€œEA SPORTS is the exclusive publisher of NFL simulation games, and our partnership with the NFL and NFLPA remains unchanged. Our agreements have always allowed for non-exclusive development of non-simulation games on various platforms. Our commitment to NFL fans, which spans almost 30 years, has never been stronger, and weâ€™re having our biggest year yet.
Madden NFL 20 is the most successful game ever in the franchise, and new modes like Superstar KO and our Madden NFL esports broadcasts are growing the fan base. Weâ€™ll be building on that momentum with more new and different experiences, on more platforms and with new ways to play, in the years to come.â€


Trackmania For Consoles Will Be Out This Month

The free-to-play racing title Trackmania from Ubisoft will be out for consoles soon.
After languishing on PC since three years ago, the racing game with the user-generated tracks and loop-to-loops will be out for PlayStation 5, PS4, Xbox Series, and Xbox One on 15 May. This version of the game will have cross-play and cross-progression, meaning you can take your PC saves and tracks onto the console platform(s) of your choice.


Nvidia Releases GeForce GTX 1660 Ti, Now Available For PC Master Race

The newly announced GeForce GTX 1660 Ti was just released today, offering speeds up to 3x faster than a GTX 960 and 1.5x faster than a GTX 1060.

Based on the 12th generation Turing architecture, the new card takes advantage of all of Turing’s shader innovations to deliver twiceÂ the TOPS of the previous-generation Pascalâ„¢ architecture. It supports concurrent floating point and integer operations, a unified cache architecture with 3x the L1 cache, and turbocharged performance using adaptive shading technology.
Sipping Power
The Turing architecture performs 1.5x instructions per clock and 1.4x the power efficiency of Pascal, which was touted as the best power-efficient card on the market.
As result, the GTX 1660 Ti sips power with a power envelope of 120 watts, making it the best performance per watt of any GPU in its class.

Buttery Smooth Performance
The GTX 1660 Ti is set to surpass its predecessors and shine in modern games with complex shaders. It is up to 1.5x faster than the GeForce GTX 1060 6GB and allows performance up to 120 frames per second at 1080p in popular online titles such as Fortnite, PUBG and the stellar battle royale, Apex Legends.
The GPU features 1,536 CUDAÂ® cores, 6GB of the new GDDR6 memory running at 12Gbps and a boost clock of almost 1.8 GHz, which can be easily overclocked to provide extra horsepower for better performance.
According to Nvidia, more than two-thirds of current gamers are still playing on GPUs that only have the performance â€” or lower â€” of a GTX 960-class GPU that came out in 2014. Fret not, gamers, as the 1660 Ti offers up to 3x the performance of the 960 making it an excellent and cost-effective upgrade for those who want to enjoy dramatically faster frame rates in games.

Trick Up Its Sleeve
The GTX 1660 Ti also includesÂ GeForce Experienceâ„¢, the application that simplifies gaming and easy-to-use features such as:

NVIDIA HighlightsÂ â€” which automatically captures the best gaming moments.
NVIDIA Ansel â€” a tool for stunning in-game photos.
NVIDIA Freestyle â€” which lets gamers customize their gamesâ€™ appearance with post-processing technology.

Availability and Pricing
The GeForce GTX 1660 Ti custom boards are available starting today from the worldâ€™s leading add-in card providers, including ASUS, Gigabyte, MSI, and Zotac. Pricing starts at RM1,250 on Nvidia’s official Lazada page and will vary based on partner designs and features.


The Harry Potter 20th Anniversary Return To Hogwarts Special Unveils New Trailer

The Harry Potter 20th Anniversary Return To Hogwarts special has revealed a brand new trailer. The highly anticipated retrospective special is set to premiere exclusively on HBOÂ GO on 1 January 2022.
OriginallyÂ announced last month,Â the retrospective special invites fans on a magical first-person journey through one of the most beloved film franchises of all time as it reunitesÂ Daniel Radcliffe,Â Rupert Grint,Â Emma Watson,Â and other esteemed cast members and filmmakers across all eightÂ Harry PotterÂ films for the first time to celebrate the anniversary of the franchiseâ€™s first film,Â Harry Potter and the Sorcererâ€™s Stone.
AdditionalÂ Harry PotterÂ film alumni joining the memorable tribute includeÂ Helena Bonham Carter,Â Robbie Coltrane,Â Ralph Fiennes,Â Jason Isaacs,Â Gary Oldman,Â Tom Felton,Â James Phelps,Â Oliver Phelps,Â Mark Williams,Â Bonnie Wright,Â Alfred Enoch,Â Ian Hart, Toby Jones,Â Matthew Lewis,Â Evanna Lynch, producer David Heyman and filmmaker Chris Columbus, Alfonso CuarÃ³n, Mike Newell and David Yates.

Harry Potter 20th Anniversary Return To Hogwarts is produced by Warner Bros. Unscripted Television in association with Warner Horizon at the iconic Warner Bros. Studio Tour Londonâ€”The Making of Harry Potter. The special is executive produced byÂ Casey Patterson of Casey Patterson Entertainment (A West Wing Special to Benefit When We All Vote) and Pulse FilmsÂ (Beastie Boys Story).
In the meantime, you can check out all eightÂ Harry PotterÂ filmsÂ or streamÂ Harry Potter Hogwarts Tournament Of Houses before the magical event by subscribingÂ toÂ HBOÂ GOÂ onlineÂ atÂ https://www.hbogoasia.my/Â or the mobile appÂ via theÂ App StoreÂ orÂ Play Store forÂ as low as RM23.30/month. HBOÂ GOÂ is also available on Android TV, Apple TV, LG TV and Samsung Smart TV – and comes with AirPlay and Google Cast functionality.
Check out the trailer below:


Nendoroid Ellie Looks Adorable & Ready For Action

In commemoration with the release of The Last Of Us Part 2, Good Smile Company has surprised us all with a Nendoroid Ellie. She not only looks incredibly cute with her freckles dotted across her face, but she also comes with two face plates; a standard expression and a shouting expression (both of which looks very serious).
Weapons from The Last Of Us Part 2 that Nendoroid Ellie can equip include a gun, bow and arrow, machete and the infamous brick. Priced at Â¥5,091 (or roughly RM200+), you can already pre-order Nendoroid Ellie starting from now until 20 August 2020.
According to the official website, Nendoroid Ellie is expected to release sometime in November 2020.

The Last Of Us Part 2 is out now for the PS4. In the meantime, check out my full spoiler-free review of the game here, or head on over here for a guide and tips for the game.


ALGS Split 2 Playoffs : The Eliminations

The Apex Legends Global Series Split 2 is underway, with the best Apex Legends players going at it for glory!
Now that we’ve had 2 days of warm-ups and getting back into the groove,. The teams have finally been separated into the Winners and Losers Brackets. If you’re new to the competitive side in Apex Legends, don’t worry, I’ll explain how it goes!
We call this stage the Elimination Stage or The Bracket Stage. This stage consists of 3 phases, The Winners Bracket, The Losers Bracket Round 1, The Losers Bracket Round 2. The bottom 20 teams from the group stages will compete in the Losers Bracket Round 1, in which the Top 10 from the Losers Bracket in Round 1 will go through to the Losers Bracket Round 2. The Winners Bracket will feature the top 20 teams from the group stage where they will fight it out in a six-game series, with the top 10 directly advancing to the Finals. They will also receive bonus points based on their standings. 1st place will get 10 points, reduced down by 1 per place.
Now Losers Bracket Round 2 will be made up of the bottom 1o teams from the Winners Bracket (the top 20 teams from group stages), and the Top 10 from the Losers Bracket of Round 1. The remaining 20 teams of the day will then compete in one last six-game lobby, with the top 10 advancing to the Finals to join our other 10 winners and the bottom 10 are eliminated from the tournament.

So, who do you want to see advancing into the Finals?
Don’t forget to stay tuned at these times if you are following the games!

Interesting Facts

The Kill Leader List
This is the current Kill Leader list from the first 2 days of group stages.

Region Power – NA on top?
We’ve got the Winners Bracket breakdown by region.

North America:  8/11 – 73%
TSM, DZ, LG, OXG, NRG, XSET, 100T, FaZe
Complexity unfortunately misses out on Winners by just 1 point. FURIA and OpTic fall short… very short. Hopefully they pull it back.

APAC North:  6/9 – 67%
FNATIC, GO, PVX, Naked, FC Destroy, Realize
APAC North has really been showing up this LAN. Surprising everyone on how well they’ve been doing throughout the group stages.
Northeption misses out on Winners by JUST 2 points. They were just stuck at 88 for multiple games in a row and just couldn’t squeeze through 🙁
FNATIC dominated and showed up, finishing 3rd overall.

EMEA:  5/10 – 50%
Alliance, Entropiq, Element 6, Acend, Pioneers.
Alliance has been dominating the last 2 days, finishing close behind TSM. Effect also finishes as the current Kill Leader, showing everyone what a huge powerhouse he really is.
Fire Beavers, a huge fan favourite, sadly fall short by 4 points.
 GoNext, Aurora, Vexed, and JLingz will also go through into the Losers Bracket.

APAC South: 1/5 – 20%
Moist is the only APAC South team that went into the Winners bracket.
ONIC, DF, BLVKHVND, and MDY White will continue into the Losers. Hopefully we see them gaining the same amount of success as their other fellow APAC mates.

South America: 0/5 – 0%
No team from South America has surprisingly not qualified for Winners.
SAF is predicted to dominate the Losers Bracket, but we’ll see about that.

Memorable Moments

Aurora 6-0

Aurora Gaming from EMEA won every single one of their contests on the first day.
Aurora went 3-0 vs ONIC on Storm Point and then proceeded to 3-0 vs DarkZero on Worlds Edge.

NRG has the Sweetest Dreams
NRG Sweet pulls an insane clutch, when he goes down during a fight and his teammates manage to reset and get him back in the game with a mobile respawn beacon. He doesn’t have a gun, but he comes back with a big bang, getting enough time to force down some accelerants to get Big Sheila ready.
Watch it here:

Oh, Sheila! @NRGgg walk away from this lobby standing their ground and the winners of Match #6Great stuff!#ALGS | Split 2 Playoffs pic.twitter.com/bp9wvI1pH5
— Apex Legends Esports (@PlayApexEsports) July 14, 2023

Stay tuned and we’ll update you on what else is happening here at the ALGS Split 2 Playoffs!


Is Netflix’s Cursed A Worthy Subversion Of Arthurian Legend?

In the past, most stories featuring the mythical King Arthur and his sword Excalibur have focussed on either Arthur Pendragon himself, his mentor Merlin, or any of the Knights Of The Round Table. In the majority of these stories, the Lady Of The Lake (also known as Nimue) is most commonly the one who bestows King Arthur his Excalibur and Merlin his magic.
However, along comes Cursed by the combined minds of writer Tom Wheeler and legendary comic book creator Frank Miller, the latter of whom is best known for his darkness and edge, as evident in his run on Marvel’s Daredevil and the legendary The Dark Knight Returns.
Cursed is described as a re-imagining of the Arthurian legend, and from what I’ve seen so far (from the five out of ten episodes provided to me), it is definitely that. It delivers a twist on the famous myth by having the main protagonist be the Lady Of The Lake or Nimue; with the story told from her perspective. In this version of the story, she is also the one who wields Excalibur and not King Arthur, as it would traditionally be.
Essentially, what Tom Wheeler and Frank Miller seek to achieve with Cursed is to subvert our expectations of these characters from myth and legend. In that regard, I believe that they have somewhat succeeded, by breaking from the usual mould of standard King Arthur stories.
Yas Queen Nimue

Protagonist Nimue is amazingly brought to life by Katherine Langford of Netflix’s 13 Reasons Why and award-winning movie Knives Out fame. Fortunately, Langford has the advantage of making the character her own, as Nimue herself has never been given this much of a spotlight in modern pop culture (as far as I know). Langford herself is a delightful protagonist, confident and cool, but let’s talk more about who Nimue is in the context of Cursed.
In the world of Cursed (seemingly set sometime in a fictional version of an alternate medieval England), humans live alongside the Fey Kind, who are basically a race of non-human humanoids that fit the fantasy archetype of elves and the like. There are many subspecies of Fey, but Nimue is part of the Sky Folk, who weirdly don’t look any different from normal humans but are still ostracized and discriminated against.
That’s right, humans, in general, are xenophobic towards the Fey, especially the Red Paladins of the Christian Church, who act as the antagonists in the series. These religious zealots have started an inquisition of sorts against the Fey, who in their eyes, are abominations and heathens who must be ‘cleansed’ (read: kill).
Cursed isn’t exactly as R-rated like Netflix’s The Witcher adaptation or Game Of Thrones. The worse swearing I personally heard was “bitch”, there were no nudity or sex scenes besides shots of bare butts, and the violence isn’t particularly gory or gratuitous. It’s slightly jarring then, that these Red Paladin dudes not only literally commit genocide but also burn people on crosses and stakes.

While you don’t actually see anyone burnt to a crisp (like I said, the violence is relatively tame), you do get uncomfortable and disturbing scenes of people getting burned and screaming (often in the background). Still, I’m not really that surprised, considering Cursed was the partial brainchild of none other than Frank Miller, who isn’t exactly known for being subtle with dark subject matter.
That said, Cursed does have an 18+ rating on Netflix, which is why it’s weird that it’s relatively tame compared to other fantasy series with the same maturity rating. I’m not saying that this is a bad thing per se, but fans of Frank Miller should know that Cursed is tamer in comparison to his usual bloodier and edgier fare. Again, no nudity or sex scenes (other than bare butts) and gratuitous bloody violence.
I will say this if you’re a fan of Frank Miller you’ll probably notice some of his signature edginess and tendency to go unnecessarily dark to still be present in certain scenes. For example, one scene had Nimue wanting to sneak into town while the Red Paladins were looking for her. She hitched a ride on a dentist’s wagon for this purpose and for the ruse to work, the dentist had to rip one of her teeth out there and then. It will surely make you flinch, but it’s still not as ‘bloody’ as other teeth-ripping scenes from other movies or TV series.
I won’t spoil much of the story, but it begins with Nimue’s village getting raided by the Red Paladins, resulting in the death of her mother, Lenore. With her dying words, Lenore bequeathed Excalibur to Nimue, tasking her to deliver it to Merlin. It’s worth pointing out that Excalibur is never referred to as Excalibur in Cursed, but instead as several other names, including the Sword Of Power and the Sword Of The First Kings.

That’s because Cursed boasts deep lore of its own, which is fairly easy to keep up with, as the pacing of the story is thankfully linear with the occasional flashbacks and not the mess that was the first season of Netflix’s The Witcher. However, things ramp up a bit near the halfway point of Cursed‘s first season, as you’ll suddenly receive an influx of new characters and factions. Another thing I appreciate is that Cursed doesn’t seem to want to emulate Game Of Thrones, but unfortunately, does feature some tropes from other iconic works of fantasy.
You see, Nimue herself is hated by her own people as well, for surviving an attack by a Dark God when she was younger and receiving a ‘mark’ as a result of that attack. Since then, she’s been shunned and pushed away. Sound familiar? She’s kind of the opposite of Harry Potter, so she’s infamous for something that he is famous for.
I rolled my eyes when I heard Merlin say that the Sword Of Power AKA Excalibur was forged in the Fey Fires and can only be destroyed that way (The Lord Of The Ring‘s the One Ring and Mount Doom in Mordor, anyone?). Merlin also made a prophecy with the Sword Of Power that sounds suspiciously like a certain Marvel character’s hammer; “Whosoever wields the Sword Of Power shall be the one true king.” Very subtle, Frank Miller. Or are these intentional references/easter eggs? Who knows.
Knights Of The Not-So-Round Table

We have familiar characters like King Arthur and Merlin who are spelt out as such, but half the fun of Cursed is figuring out or discovering which of these characters are actually the same characters from Arthurian legend. These include Knights Of The Round Table and others (whom I can’t reveal, of course).
The MVP of Cursed and the highlight of the series for me is Merlin, portrayed by Gustaf SkarsgÃ¥rd. Fans of History Channel’s Vikings will know him as the eccentric and weird Floki. He brings some of that manic energy to his role in Cursed as well, giving us an atypical and fresh version of Merlin that’s not the stereotypical wise wizard like Gandalf or Dumbledore. He acts more like a charlatan who’s adept at trickery instead of a powerful magician, though that’s part of his charm.

Meanwhile, there are layers to Devon Terrell’s portrayal of Arthur too. This version of Arthur is not the chivalrous knight of legend. He’s more of a lovable rogue or scoundrel in the vein of Star Wars’ Han Solo, and it helps that he has chemistry with co-star Langford as well.
As for the other supporting characters, I can’t really say much due to the veil of secrecy attached to them. Like I previously mentioned, half the fun is discovering or realising just who they actually are in the context of Arthurian legend, though some of these may fly over the heads of those who aren’t familiar with Arthurian lore.
High Fantasy

Fantasy TV series can look cheap if done half-heartedly, but Cursed looks anything but cheap. Netflix clearly spent a hefty sum to make Cursed look good, and it shows. It’s still nowhere near the level of Game Of Thrones, but what is? Despite the CGI looking a bit iffy at times (which is a problem plaguing other Netflix shows as well), Cursed has one thing going for it that not even Game Of Thrones or Netflix’s The Witcher has.
What’s that, you say? Well, one of the most iconic aspects of Star Wars is its fadeout transitions between scenes. In Cursed, some scenes transition into another with unique and animated transitions that look amazing in action. This was probably done by the developers of Cursed as a tribute to the source material’s graphic novel/comic book elements.
Heck, knowing Miller’s previous habits of incorporating comic book style and visuals to his movies (like Sin City and the much-maligned The Spirit, both of which he directed or co-directed), it was probably his idea to implement the animated scene transitions in Cursed in the first place. If so, it’s a brilliant move and one that makes Cursed stand out from being just another fantasy series.
Unfortunately, they don’t happen often enough or as much to my liking, though I understand that it’s unrealistic to expect every single scene transition to be animated that way in a TV series with many episodes. As for the action scenes in Cursed, they’re decent and well-shot, though not as good or dynamic as the ones in Netflix’s The Witcher.
I did notice one lengthy one-take scene (the trend sparked by the hallway scene in Netflix’s Daredevil), but this is more similar to the one in that Battle Of The Bastards episode in Game Of Thrones. Just like Jon Snow darted through the chaotic battlefield in one long take in that scene, Nimue can be seen accomplishing the same feat when she runs through the chaos of the Red Paladin’s attack on her village.
Worthy Of Excalibur?

Will Netflixâ€™sÂ Cursed be the next big fantasy thing like Game Of Thrones or Netflix’s The Witcher? I’ve only seen five out of the ten episodes of its first season, and I say that it certainly has the potential to be. It still has a treasure trove of unique lore left unexplored and more Arthurian legends just waiting to receive their own twists.
Cursed could be just the thing needed to inject new life into the now-tired and overused myth of King Arthur. It’s too familiar, and making it unfamiliar again will return the status of the legend of King Arthur to the enticing and exciting story it once was before it was adapted to death.
Final Score: 70/100


We Talk To E1 Championship Season One Champion Aleef Hamilton About His Aspirations, Rivals & More

A few months ago in June 2021, the E1 Championship Season One came to an epic close when Singaporean sim racer Muhammad Aleef Hamilton and his team, Team Flash, was crowned driver and team champions.
Now In August 2021, the E1 Championship is counting down to the first race of Season Two, which kicks off on 25 August 2021.
A total of 20 drivers will be competing for E1 glory, including defending champion Ar Muhamad Aleef â€˜Hamiltonâ€™ (SIN) of Team Flash, Naquib Azlan (MAS) of Stratos Motorsports, Kalen Chin (AUS) of Blackwolf Wot Performance Racing, and Inigo Anton (PHL) of GT Radial Eurasia Motorsport.
They will need to prove their skills on the track to compete for the RM67,000 (US$16,000) prize pool.
How did it feel to become the champion of Season 1?
It was a very proud and humbling moment for me, especially to have won with Team Flash and clinched both titles in our debut season!
What is next for you now that you’ve won the first season of the E1 Championship?
To try and do our best for Season 2, as well as to attack regional and international tournaments like the Toyota GT Cup and Logitech G Challenge!Â
Do you have any plans to race in actual live cars following your successful esports career?
Definitely! However, as Iâ€™m still serving my National Service, coupled with difficulties brought by COVID-19 and limited funding, it is tough to do so. But we will have free test sessions at Sepang in a Formula Renault car real soon, so I will definitely try my best there and hopefully be able to impress a few people!
How are you preparing for the upcoming E1 Championship Season 2?
Pretty much the same way I prepare for every championship, which is to study the details and practice efficiently to extract the most when it matters.
Who do you consider to be your fiercest rivals in esports?
This is a question I haven’t really asked myself, because I have great respect for all my competitors and generally get along very well with them. But if I had to pick a name it would be Naquib Azlan, he’s really quick both in real life and on the sim, and is a whole package for any race. But I do work with him when we do endurance races, and we banter, laugh and joke around almost all the time!Â
Aleef Hamilton of Team Flash.
How and why did you start taking part in sim racing esports?
I started esports thanks to my love for Formula One, and it is my dream to be a Formula One driver. But due to the high cost of racing, I started to compete in free esports events around Singapore during the F1 season and learned my trade from there. I usually study off real F1 onboard laps from Hamilton, Vettel and Alonso, and apply it into my sim racing.
Sim racing felt like the perfect sport for me, where the weak could work hard enough and beat the powerful without breaking the bank. It was also the only driving thing I could do, and I loved it from the get go!
Who would you consider your idol when it comes to racing or esports?
Definitely Lewis Hamilton. I grew up watching him and even interacted with him a few times. He’s just someone that I relate to very much, the way he carries himself and performs on track is second to none and such an inspirational figure to me and millions of others.
Do you support any particular professional racer today?
Lewis, and probably a few others like Nyck De Vries in Formula E, Scott McLaughlin in IndyCars and more.
Do you have any advice for aspiring sim racers out there?
I would say enjoy yourselves first and foremost, and to focus on self-improvement while balancing it out with other aspects of your life because sim racing is heavily dependent on mental fitness and fortitude. So never give up and keep having fun!Â
Do you have any favourite non-racing video games you play in your free time?
Yup! Games like FIFA, Call of Duty, Grand Theft Auto, all help me to de-stress and chill with my friends.

As was previously mentioned, you can check out Naquib Azlan in action during the E1 Championship Season 1 by tuning into Astro eGG Network or their official Facebook page every Wednesday starting from 25 August 2021 2021 at 9pm GMT+8.
Check out the E1 Championship Season 1 schedule and format below:

For more on the E1 Championship, head on over to theÂ official Facebook page hereÂ or theirÂ YouTube channel here. In the meantime, you can check out a video recap of the E1 Championship Season Zero finale below:


The Most-Used & Most-Liked Characters In The Guilty Gear Strive Open Beta Session

Arc System Works just released its new blog post about Guilty Gear Strive’s development as well as some interesting open beta stats in the middle of February.
For starters, the most-used characters during the OBT are Ramlethal, Sol Badguy, and Giovanna. We’re not surprised Sol is in the top 3: he’s always favored over Ky somehow because of his moveset and his look.
Most-Played Character

Japan

Ramlethal
Sol
Ky Kiske
Giovanna
Nagoriyuki

Asia

Sol
Ramlethal
Ky
Giovanna
Nagoriyuki

North America

Ramlethal
Giovanna
Sol
Ky
Nagoriyuki

South America

Giovanna
Sol
Ramlethal
Ky
Nagoriyuki

Europe

Ramlethal
Giovanna
Ky
Sol
Nagoriyuki

Oceania

Ramlethal
Giovanna
Sol
Ky
Nagoriyuki

The most-liked character in all the regions is, surprise surprise, Ramlethal. Giovanna comes in second place as she’s popular outside of Japan and Asia. It’s probably the good boy she has at her side, or the fact that she’s a new female in the GG roster.
Most-Liked Character
Japan

Ramlethal
Sol
Ky
May
Nagoriyuki

Asia

Ramlethal
Sol
Nagoriyuki
Ky
Giovanna

North America

Ramlethal
Giovanna
Sol
Ky
Nagoriyuki

South America

Ramlethal
Giovanna
Nagoriyuki
Sol
Millia

Europe

Ramlethal
Giovanna
Nagoriyuki
Sol
Ky

Oceania

Ramlethal
Giovanna
Sol
Nagoriyuki
Potemkin

Guess everyone’s a sucker for the reformed Ramlethal, her moveset, and her adorable victory screen. You have to be a hateful weab to dislike it.

Other key takeaways from the blog:

People hated the Network Mode (Online Lobby), to no one’s surprised. It wasn’t an overwhelming amount, but there was a lot of red in the infograph when compared with the rest of the mode rankings like Versus Mode and Tutorial Mode.
Yes, Arc System Works will add a rematch option for the Online Lobby.
The majority of players are comfortable with Online Battle thanks to the rollback netcode. This is probably network technology other fighting game-making companies should be using moving forward.

You can read the full story here.


The Dragon Prince Season 3 Trailer Teases Impending War

We already know that The Dragon Prince Season 3 is slated to premiere later this month on 22 November 2019, but Netflix has given us a first glimpse at the upcoming new season with a brand new trailer that teases incoming conflicts and brewing war.

The official description for The Dragon Prince Season 3 reads:

“The new season opens as Callum and Rayla finally enter the magical land of Xadia, and begin the last and most dangerous leg of their journey to reunite Zym with his mother, The Dragon Queen.
Meanwhile, Ezran returns to the kingdom of Katolis to take his place on the throne, only to be immediately pressured to go to war with Xadia.
Lord Viren, who is imprisoned and desperate, begins to realize the power of his new ally â€“ the mysterious Startouch elf, Aaravos.”

Clocking in at nine episodes, The Dragon Prince Season 3 is only the third of seven planned seasons, according to creators Aaron Ehasz and Justin Richmond. The animated series is shaping up to be a great fantasy saga on its own, with deep and growing lore that’s ripe for further exploration in future seasons.
Check out the epic new The Dragon Prince Season 3 trailer below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8FPzAW7HZ4&w=560&h=315]


The Settlers Reboot Will Be Out This March; Closed Beta Announced

Ubisoft’s upcoming reboot of 90s strategy serf-managing & medieval warfare title The Settlers will be coming out early this year.
The Settlers will be out on 17th March for PC via Ubisoft Connect, and will feature the top-down isometric (albeit adjustable camera) strategy-laden gameplay fans know and love. Made by Ubisoft DÃ¼sseldorf, The game’s Snowdrop Engine will make everything look pretty and fit for 2022 gaming aesthetics. It’s also a little different than most sims where you need to prioritize preparation and defense over speed-building and surprise.
In addition, players can sign up for the newly-announced closed beta test here. It will run from 20th to 24th January, so go register right now!


Nicolas Cage Shows Up At Summer Game Fest, Unveils Dead By Daylight Gameplay

During the Summer Game Fest 2023, Nicolas Cage showed up on stage to talk about his role as a playable character in an upcoming Dead By Daylight update.
He will play himself in the game and will take the role of a playable Survivor.

Here’s the official blurb:
“After countless awards and over one hundred movies shot across the globe, Nicolas Cage had seen it all and done it all – or so he thought. While on set filming the role of a lifetime, his performance summoned The Entity, a malevolent being of incomprehensible power. The actor soon found himself cast in otherworldly Fog, forced to Survive a host of terrifying Killers deadlier than even the most scathing film critic.”
Dead By Daylight is a multiplayer action/horror game where one player takes on the role of a brutal Killer and the other four play as Survivors. As a Killer, your goal is to sacrifice as many Survivors as possible. As Survivors, your goal is to work together to evade, escape, and most importantly – stay alive.
Nicolas Cage has become a horror icon in recent years, starring in movies like Willy’s Wonderland and the recent Renfield.


Garena Announces Multiregional Free Fire Tournament With A US$50,000 Prize Pool

Garena, the publisher of the popular battle royale game Free Fire, has recently revealed its plans to host the Free Fire Clash Squad SEA Cup (FF CS Cup) next month. This tournament will feature teams from four different regions, namely Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, and MCPS (Malaysia, Cambodia, Philippines and Singapore). With a prize pool of US$50,000, the FF CS Cup promises to deliver an exciting and unique esports experience for Free Fire enthusiasts.
Scheduled to take place from 7–16 July, the tournament will span six match days, during which the 16 participating teams will compete fiercely for the coveted prize. The FF CS Cup aims to provide a fresh take on Free Fire esports following the recently concluded Free Fire SEA Invitational, allowing fans to witness their favorite teams engage in thrilling battles in the game’s first-ever multiregional professional CS Mode tournament.

Tournament Format

The FF CS Cup will adopt a two-weekend format. The initial weekend, from 7–9 July, will feature a Single Elimination bracket with matches played in a best-of-3 format. A draw show will be conducted prior to the tournament to determine the teams’ brackets. On the first two days, eight teams will vie for the top four slots, while the third day will witness the eight best teams from the previous matches competing for the remaining four slots in the next week.
The second weekend, spanning 14–16 July, will host the Double Elimination bracket in a best-of-5 format. The top four teams from the previous week will face off against each other, with the winners of the two matches advancing to the Upper Bracket and the losers competing in the Lower Bracket. The Lower Bracket will offer one last opportunity for teams to reach the Grand Final, while the Upper Bracket winners will battle it out for the championship title. The thrilling climax of the FF CS Cup is set to take place on 16 July, where Free Fire fans will witness the crowning of the tournament’s champion.

MCPS regional qualifiers

Teams can now register at: https://tinyurl.com/FFCSCupMCPS
In addition to the participating regions, Garena has also opened registration for the MCPS regional qualifiers, targeting teams from Malaysia, Cambodia, The Philippines, and Sri Lanka. Interested teams can register until 9 June, 11:59 PM (UTC+8). The qualifiers, scheduled across June, will consist of group and knockout stages to determine the top four teams that will represent the MCPS region at the FF CS Cup in July. Moreover, the qualifiers offer a prize pool of 60,000 Diamonds for the top eight teams.
The FF CS Cup matches will be livestreamed on official Free Fire social channels, allowing fans from around the world to tune in and support their favorite teams. Additionally, Free Fire’s anniversary celebrations will include a special afterparty, details of which will be revealed in the coming weeks.
With the FF CS Cup’s grand spectacle on the horizon, Free Fire fans can expect exhilarating gameplay and fierce competition as teams battle for glory and a share of the impressive US$50,000 prize pool.


New Shovel Knight Games Features 16-Bit Upgrade

Everyone who was into old-school games adored Shovel Knight. So it’s only fitting that developer Yacht Club Games and Nitrome (Bomb Chicken, Green Ninja) team up for a spin-off called Shovel Knight Dig.
But look: it’s not 8-bit anymore. There are a lot more colours this time around! And instead of a Mega Man level select & layout, you now put your shovel to good use and dig downwards to your level.

Think Dig Dug and Mr. Driller, but with Shovel Knight’s brand of humour and storytelling. Speaking of which, the plot is about Shovel Knight getting back his loot from the dastardly Drill Knight and his digging crew. It also comes equipped with the chiptune compositions of Jake Kaufman who did the first Shovel Knight’s OST and also a handful of WayForward games’ music.
The game is getting a PS4 release and may be out for other platforms. No release date has been set yet though.


Did Ubisoft Teased A New Far Cry Game Inside Far Cry 6?

Tons of Far Cry 6 videos showcasing the early parts of the game have popped up earlier this morning. From intro stages to even bizarre roided-up chicken levels, there’s a lot going on in the game’s fictional oppressed island of Yara and its fascist military vs guerilla army gameplay and storyline.
What we didn’t expect was a tease of an upcoming Far Cry game (or something else) inside its upcoming Far Cry game. Imagine that.
According to gameplay footage by RaptorRoll Gameplay, one of the crates in Yara’s many military and factory instalments within the Costa Del Mar area has a QR code. When you use your in-game camera to scan it, a teaser pops up showcasing a map with icons of players and animals, along with animals mauling random people.

It may be a cute Easter Egg, but our guess is that Ubisoft may be advertising an upcoming Far Cry battle royale game. But instead of a storm making the battlefield smaller, it’s a horde of beasts. Apt really, since cougars, coyotes, and sun bears are the real antagonists in the game, always interrupting you in your story campaign.
Far Cry 6 will be out this Thursday, 7th October. Stay tuned for our review.


Street Fighter 5 Luke May Look Plain, But His Kit Is Pretty Fun

Street Fighter 5 just received its final DLC character: Luke. While he may not have the best default look and story, this army brat’s playstyle is pretty fun and hectic.
He’s a rushdown zoner hybrid, with regular moves that make him advance forward like his standing Light Punch, Medium Punch, and Heavy Punch. A “Shoto-plus”, if you will. To do simple ground combos with him, you either need to start him off with one of his kicks or any of his crouching Light and Medium moves. For follow-ups after getting a hit confirm, your basic-level answer is either his standing LP, MP, HP or standing MP, MP, MP, MP target combos.

His standing HK up-close is a decent meaty attack for setup purposes, baiting enemies with your own frame advantage moves. Perhaps his best move is his standing HP and forward HP, which can punish whiff attacks and close the gap. These regular attacks are safe when blocked, so follow them up appropriately.
He can space and zone opponents out with his Sand Blaster (his Shoto projectile staple), but where he really shines in the keep-away department is his V-Trigger 1 Fully Armed. He basically has a fast 3-hit projectile move from his HP+HK special which can be followed up from most of his attacks. If you land a hit with his EX Sand Blaster, he can go to a damaging follow-up with his HP+HK special.
His V-Trigger 2 lets him chain one Flash Knuckle with another Flash Knuckle of a different strength; this goes well with his V-Skill 1. Depending on the situation, you can either go full-on temporary zoning with V-Trigger 1 or just mix it up close and personal with V-Trigger 2 shenanigans. In short, a pretty good entry-level character for players to jump in and have fun with.
Of course, the higher-level players and tournament favourites are experimenting with the character, dubbing him mid-tier for the moment. It’ll be a while until his place is determined in the SF5 tier list, but for now, here’s his kit in the hands of fighting game experts and pro players.

And if you’re curious as to how he factors into the Street Fighter mythos, check out the video below.


These Dragon Ball Z Custom Sneakers Will Kamehameha Your Wallet

How much would you pay for a pair of custom Dragon Ball Z sneakers? If you said “RM3.7k”, then read on you crazy hobbyist you.
Graphic designer Matthew Walsh decides to paint over a pair of Nike Air Max 1 sneakers with Goku’s signature colours and share it all over Instagram.Â And they look pretty dang awesome! We especially like the kanji for “Goku” plastered on the shoes’ tongues.

The reception was so massively positive, he decided to share the love for a steep price.Â If you have that RM3.7k on hand, you can buy a pair at Vijz Restorations. Apparently, Matthew Walsh has teamed up with these Air Max 1 makers to hand-craft these custom shoes for willing buyers, complete with a custom box, t-shirt, and a certificate of authenticity.
You might want to hurry though; there are only 8 slots reserved for buyers worldwide.Â If you want a cheaper alternative, might we suggest the Adidas x Dragon Ball Z collab sneakers instead?


Microsoft Announces Wired Xbox Stereo Headset

Earlier this year, Microsoft announced the official Xbox Wireless Headset. Now, they have announced the brand new wired Xbox Stereo Headset for those who prefer an alternative to wireless headphones.
The new Xbox Stereo Headset features many of the same design elements as the previously announced Xbox Wireless Headset, albeit being wired. You can connect directly to the Xbox Wireless Controller or other devices through the 3.5mm audio jack, no batteries required.
The Xbox Stereo Headset also supports high-fidelity spatial sound technologies including Windows Sonic, Dolby Atmos, and DTS Headphone: X.
The Xbox Stereo Headset is available for pre-order today fromÂ Microsoft Store and other select retailers for US$59.99 USD worldwide.


PlatinumGames Is Open To Acquisition Talks, But…

In real life, diplomacy usually doesn’t fail. At least as far as negotiations for acquisitions go.
According to CEO Atsushi Inaba, PlatinumGames would be open to acquisition offers by another company, as long as it maintains its freedom (via Videogames Chronicle).
“The most important thing for us is to have the freedom to make the games that we want to make. What I hear about the recent acquisitions, I donâ€™t think Microsoft is going to start micromanaging Activision to where they take away all their freedomâ€¦ I donâ€™t think itâ€™s going to be a relationship like that.
â€œI think thereâ€™s going to be a lot of mutual respect there and I think Activision will be able to continue doing what they do best. Thatâ€™s also whatâ€™s most important to us at the end of the day, whatever form that takes for us and our company. So I would not turn anything down, as long as our freedom was still respected.”
Inaba also felt it was weird that there aren’t as many mergers in Japan compared to the rest of the world.
“For some of these big companies with all their money you sometimes think, â€˜come on! Buy some companies up already!â€™ It does feel strange to see Japanese companies being passive all of the time.”
You know what they say about being passive: not much gets done, if anything at all, if you do not take the initiative.


Andrew Garfield Speaks Out On Spider-Man No Way Home

Rumours of Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield reprising their former roles as Spider-Man in the upcoming Spider-Man No Way Home have surfaced from time to time since last year. However, earlier this year Tom Holland himself confirmed inÂ a new interview with Esquire that the rumours were not true.
Now, one of the two former Spider-Men have finally broken their silence on the rumours and spoke out on the lingering issue.
In an interview with MTVâ€™s Josh Horowitz on Tuesdayâ€™s episode of the Happy Sad ConfusedÂ podcast, Andrew Garfield denies ever having any involvement with Spider-Man No Way Home.
He said:
“It’s f—ing hilarious to me.
Because I do have this Twitter account, and I see how often Spider-Man is trending.
It’s people freaking out about a thing, and I’m just like, guys.
Guys.
I wish I could just be able to speak to everyone and say, ‘I recommend that you chill.'”
The only confirmed returning roles so far are Jamie Foxxâ€™s Electro,Â Benedict Cumberbatchâ€™s Doctor StrangeÂ andÂ Alfred Molinaâ€™s Doctor Octopus.
He added:
â€œI canâ€™t speak for anything else, but for myself.
They might be doing something, but I ainâ€™t got a call.
I did not get a call.
I would’ve gotten a call by now.
That’s what I’ll say.
I don’t want to rule anything out.
Maybe they want to call me.
Maybe they want to call me and say, ‘Hey, people want this.'”
There you have it, folks, straight from the mouth of Andrew Garfield himself. You can check out the snippet of when he says all that in the clip below:

Andrew Garfield is ready to talk about those rumors about his return as Spider-Man. You might be surprised to see what he has to say. Watch the full interview on the brand new #happysadconfused patreon! https://t.co/e84Wokl1SQ pic.twitter.com/Civpe3Am5p
— Josh Horowitz (@joshuahorowitz) May 4, 2021

Directed by Jon Watts (who also directed 2017â€™sÂ Spider-Man HomecomingÂ and 2019â€™sÂ Spider-Man Far From Home),Â Spider-Man No Way HomeÂ is slated to premiere on 17 December 2021 later this year.


Free Sarah Kerrigan Skin for Widowmaker is Heading to Overwatch. Here’s How to Get It

In celebration of the 20th Anniversary of StarCraft come March 31st, Blizzard will be giving away a cool Sarah Kerrigan skin for Widowmaker in Overwatch for free, along with a host of other in-game items across all of their titles including Diablo 3 and Heroes of the Storm.
But we are guessing you’re here for the Sarah Kerrigan skin and how to get it, right? Well all you gotta do is log into the game between March 6th and April 3rd 2018 to receive the Sarah Kerrigan skin for Widowmaker. This isn’t the first time Widowmaker got a StarCraft Ghost-inspired skin, as she also has a Nova skin option which was part of the newest wave of non-event exclusive hero skins released alongside the latest map, Blizzard World late in 2017.

Own other Blizzard titles? Of course you do. By following these steps for the respective Blizzard games, you stand to get:

StarCraft: RemasteredÂ â€” Log in toÂ StarCraft: RemasteredÂ after March 6 to receive a commemorative 20th Anniversary UI Skin forÂ StarCraft: Remastered.
StarCraft 2Â â€” Log in toÂ StarCraft 2Â after March 6 to receive a special UI Skin for each race. Additionally, log in between March 6 and April 3 to receive a Portrait and Decal.
DiabloÂ 3Â â€” Log in toÂ Diablo 3Â after March 6 to receive Dominionâ€™s Revenge, a fearsome Battlecruiser-themed Pet.
OverwatchÂ â€” Log in toÂ OverwatchÂ between March 6 and April 3 to receive the Sarah Kerrigan Ghost skin for Widowmaker.
World of WarcraftÂ â€” Between March 31 and April 6, /salute one of the following StarCraft-themed companion pets â€” Zergling, Grunty, Mini Thor, Baneling, or Zeradar â€” to receive the â€œSalute to StarCraftâ€ Feat of Strength.
Heroes of the StormÂ â€” Log in toÂ Heroes of the StormÂ between March 27 and April 7 to receive a 20th Anniversary Portrait for Protoss, Terran and Zerg.
HearthstoneÂ â€” Play a StarCraft-inspired Tavern Brawl between March 21 and 25 to receive threeÂ Kobolds & CatacombsÂ packs!


Ubisoft Doing Well, PC Gaming Is Number One In Revenue

Despite all the contention concerning Assassin’s Creed Odyssey’s pay-to-save-time mechanics, it’s still one of Ubisoft‘s best-selling games. The company recently released their financial report for the first quarter of their 2019-2020 sales and there are some interesting findings.
PC gaming is now leading in terms of revenue with a 34% share of the pie. Ubisoft’s biggest moneymaker used to be the PS4 which generated 38% of the total revenue in the first quarter of 2018-2019. For the first quarter of 2019-2020, the PS4’s percentage dropped to 31%, putting it just a bit behind PC.

In the company’s conference call, CEO Yves Guillemot said that the PC’s good performance is helped a lot by Anno 1800, a PC-exclusive city-building strategy game. The game is sold on the Epic Games Store (EGS) and Ubisoft’s own Uplay Store but not on Steam. According to CFO Frederick Duguet, the game did well on the EGS and is also seeing a strong momentum on Uplay.
Assassin’s Creed Odyssey and Rainbow Six Siege seem to the company’s two biggest darlings. Player recurring investment which includes purchase of digital items, DLCs, season passes, subscriptions, and advertising is cited as one of the major contributors. The Division 2 is apparently “the industry’s biggest hit since the beginning of the year” based on numbers from NPD, GSD, GfK, Famitsu, and the company’s own estimates.

On a year-on-year basis, Ubisoft suffered a decrease in overall sales. With net bookings totaling up to â‚¬314 million (RM1.45 billion), it’s quite a decrease compared to the last first quarter’s â‚¬381 million (Rm1.76 billion). However, this is still better than what Ubisoft expected and the company is standing by its full-year target of â‚¬2,185 million (RM10.09 billion).
The report ends with a list of upcoming releases for the July – September 2019 period. Two Anno 1800 expansions and Rainbow Six Siege Year 4 Season 3 are some of the titles on that list.
You can read the report and listen to the conference call here.


On Board: Scrabble To Add 300 New Words Like “Sheeple”, “Twerk”, & “Facepalm”

I do love me some Scrabble sometimes when I need to flex my wordplay and wordsmithing abilities. So it’s with due diligence that I report the latest word additions in the official Merriam-Webster Scrabble Dictionary.
According to AP, there will be:

short words like “OK” and “ew”. According to lexicographer Peter Sokolowski & Merriam-Webster Scrabble Dictionary editor at large, players have been waiting for the “OK” addition for a long time.

Basically two- and three-letter words are the lifeblood of the game.

20 words that start with Q and no U next to it like “Qapik”, a monetary unit of Azerbaijan, equal to 1/100 of the Azerbaijani manat. “Every time thereâ€™s a word with q and no u,” said Peter, “itâ€™s a big deal. Most of these are obscure.”
esoteric culinary dishes getting the spotlight. We now get to play words like “bibimbap”, “sriracha”, and “arancini”.
new-age terms like “bizjet” and even some well-known words like “zen”.
choice internet/pop-culture words. These include “aquafaba”, “sheeple”, “wayback”, “emoji”, “facepalm”, “hivemind”, and “twerk”.

You can check out the full list here.


Here’s What We Know About The Overwatch 2 Beta, Its New Graphics Engine, & Ping System

The developers of Overwatch 2 and game director Aaron Keller answered a lot of questions during the official Reddit AMA recently. Here’s a quick breakdown of the chat; the full Reddit thread is here.
The Game Might Have A Ping System
Well, they’re not sure. Aaron Keller said that there’s a prototype of this feature at Blizzard right now, but he can’t say whether it’ll be in the final release of the game.
“We’ve definitely considered this. In fact we have a prototype of it running internally right now. We don’t make a habit of promising things to players until they are actually announced and I’m not going to break that tradition right now (I’m sure I’ll blow it at some other point in this AMA), but it is something that we are excited about as a team and are working through issues currently.”
The Game Will Have Crossplay
Blizzard’s technical director John Lafleur said the game will most likely have crossplay than cross-progression.
“We’re pretty excited about the possibilities of cross-play and cross-progression, but we don’t have anything to announce today. However, given the additional complexities of cross-progression, it would probably make the most sense to tackle cross-play, first and then explore progression as a potential add-on, if we go this route.”
The Game Might Have A Beta This Year
It’s too soon to confirm full details, but Lafleur said there “hopefully” will be a beta for the game.
“Almost certainly, yes. If I knew when, I couldn’t tell you. If I told you, I’d have to kill you. But [Aaron Keller] is our resident secret-leaker, so you might give him a try! :)”
The Overwatch 2 Engine Is Mightily Improved From The Original
Here’s what Lafleur said about the new game’s engine.
“Yes, we’ve had a lot of changes to the game engine. Many optimizations, better lighting, and many new features have been added. PvE has also allowed us to look much more at how our environments tell our story, so we’ve added many features that help with that.
In addition, since the hardware landscape has changed a lot since Overwatch was launched, we’re taking the opportunity (both on the artist side and the technical side) to beef up our high-end features and assets.”
The Original Game Will Not Have A 120FPS Patch
“We don’t have any plans to do so, at the moment. We would have to invest a non-trivial amount of time to upgrade original Overwatch to recognize and separately treat the PS5 (it involves changing the platform SDK). Instead, we’re taking that time to focus on making OW2 the best we can on the next gen consoles.”
Our guess? You have to play the sequel to get all the next-gen goodies and graphical upscaling features.
For more on Overwatch 2, here’s the recent multiplayer PvP video stream for the upcoming sequel. Expect the game to be out in 2022. Or not.