Top 8 SEA Professional Football Clubs To Clash In eFootball Tournament

The top eight Southeast Asian Football clubs from seven countries will be competing to be crowned champion in the first regional eFootball tournament, Champions eFootball (CeF) beginning from 9 September to 7 October 2021.
The confirmed participating teams in the eFootball competition include:

Country
Team

1
Malaysia
Johor Darul Taâ€™zim FC

2
Indonesia
Persib Bandung

3
Singapore
Tampines Rovers FC

4
Thailand
Buriram United FC

5
Thailand
Chonburi FC

6
Cambodia
Nagaworld FC

7
Philippines
United City FC

8
Vietnam
Ho Chi Minh City FC

Competing on Konamiâ€™s eFootball PES 2021 Season Update via PS4, the teams will be vying for the title along with a combined prize pool of US$9,000. Starting from 9 September 2021 for five consecutive weeks, the competition will be live-streamed on CeFâ€™s official Facebook and Youtube channel.

The competition will consist of two categories; ELITE and STAR. In the ELITE category, the participating football clubs will be represented by professional esports players.
The STAR category however will feature star footballers from across the region including Mohamadou Sumareh (Malaysia), Beckham Putra (Indonesia), Worachit Kanitsribumphen (Thailand) and Lam Ti Phong (Vietnam). While the Elite category shall be at the core of competition, the Star category aims to entertain and provide light-hearted content for fans from all walks of life.
Yong-Chul Yun, CEO of Champions eFootball said:
â€œIt is no surprise that esports and competitive gaming have become a cornerstone of entertainment and we are proud to bring this platform to the sporting world.
In essence, our vision for Champions eFootball is to provide a platform for some of the best football clubs in the world to compete at a high level while attracting younger audiences and esports enthusiasts from across the region.â€Â
HRH Major General Tunku Ismail Ibni Sultan Ibrahim, Johor Darul Taâ€™zim FC owner said:
â€œDriven by our passion for football, we are thrilled to set foot into the world of esports while sporting the emblem and colours of our beloved club, JDT FC.
Champions eFootball will give us an opportunity to showcase young talent representing our clubs while engaging with new audiences in esports.
We are also excited to compete against the other clubs in the region and look forward to international matches in the coming future.â€
Champions eFootball (CeF) is a premier esports circuit that is participated by professional football clubs in the region. The competition is designed to forge collaboration between esports talent and professional football clubs by competing on an international stage.
The competition is officially endorsed by the Asian Electronic Sports Federation (AESF) as the official governing body of esports in Asia. With the vision of providing a quality competition, AESF will act as the Technical Delegate and will be responsible for all technical conduct and oversee governance to ensure a quality experience for the teams and players.
Sebastian Lau, General Secretary of the Asian Electronic Sports Federation (AESF) said:
 â€œAESF is excited to work with Champions eFootball as an innovative platform that fosters synergy between two giants of the sporting world; football and esports.
We are excited to see what the future holds for football clubs and fans in the region as they venture to compete for glory in esports.â€
For its 2022 season, Champions eFootball (CeF) plans to work with various football leagues in the region to organise a local championship for qualification into the competition. Additionally, the winners of CeF are expected to compete against European football clubs in a similar competition.
For future updates and information on Champions eFootball (CeF), you can visit their website at www.championsefootball.com or on the CeF Facebook or YouTube page.
[videopress dG98Bwzy]


Ghost Of Tsushima Garners Flak From Gamers In China

Ghost Of Tsushima is currently taking the world by storm, receiving almost universal praise for its lush visuals and satisfying combat. Unlike The Last Of Us Part 2 before it, Sucker Punch’s PS4 exclusive has yet to garner much controversy, with the exception of offending some gamers in China.
In Ghost Of Tsushima, players assume the role of Japanese protagonist Jin Sakai to reclaim Tsushima Island from the invaders and antagonists of the game; the Mongols. Since the conflict takes place far from China, it’s not anybody’s fault to think that the Chinese would be involved in any way.
However, if you know your world history, you’d know that during the Mongol invasions of Japan (which took place in 1274 and 1281), the Mongol Empire was under the rule of Kublai Khan, who (at the time) was also occupying most of Northern China, having established his own Yuan Dynasty.
While he only conquered all of China in 1279 by defeating the remnants of the Southern Song Dynasty, he had already established the Yuan Dynasty of China by 1271, which was three years before the Mongols invaded Japan (via Ancient History Encyclopedia).
In fact, he was the one who directly ordered the invasions of Japan after the latter refused to become a vassal of the Mongol Empire and send tribute.
Thus, some in China argue that the Mongols, who had ruled China under the Yuan Dynasty, should be considered to be part of the Chinese people while the Japanese should be considered enemies, as they had previously invaded Manchuria, China in 1931 just before World War II erupted.
According to the South China Morning Post, some users on several of China’s online platforms, like video streaming site Bilibili and Quora-like Chinese site Zhihu, have posted comments that are nationalistic in nature, including:

â€œI stand with the Mongols, [Japanese people] can crawl.â€

â€œAt the end of the day, this is a game where Japanese people are killing Chinese people.
The Mongols are one of the nomadic peoples of northern China. Just like the Han Chinese, they are Chinese people.â€

â€œForeign players can play if they like, but Chinese people shouldnâ€™t join in the fun.â€

However, there were also many others in China who don’t feel the same way, replying to the comments above with logical statements and arguments in retaliation, such as:

â€œThe war at the time [of the Mongol invasion] was a standard act of aggression.
Invasion is wrong. Resistance is right. These are basic moral concepts.â€

â€œThe Japanese invasion of China was a war of aggression, and so was the Mongol invasion of Japan.
I personally think that our hatred should go against any acts of aggression rather than the Japanese people.â€

â€œI get it, this is us Chinese people watching a game made by the Americans about how the Japanese people defended against the Mongols 800 years ago.â€

â€œA bunch of Chinese people trying to find national pride in a Japanese game made in the US, how inferior is thatâ€¦â€

In my opinion, while Ghost Of Tsushima does depict the Mongols as the primary antagonists, the game does not overly demonise them. Also, I appreciate that Sucker Punch has put in an effort to include 50 different collectible Mongol artifacts in the game, indicating that they’ve done their research on the Mongols.
In the meantime, check out all ourÂ Ghost Of Tsushima-related coverage here.


Mega Man X Legacy Collection PlayStation Trophies Revealed!

Update: we might be getting a Mega Man X sequel.Â
Because we all love goshdarn achievements, here are the PS4 trophies you can get from the upcoming Mega Man X Legacy Collection packs.
We’ll divide it into 2 sections: one for Mega Man X Legacy Collection 1 and Mega Man X Legacy Collection 2. So far, I am loving these new achievements since they do focus on the small trivial achievements like cutting off Flame Mammoth’s nose with the Boomerang Cutter and playing the game’s opening stage in both English and Japanese versions.
All trophies are Bronze unless otherwise stated.
Mega Man X Legacy Collection 1 Trophies
SA-Class Hunter (Platinum)
Earn all trophies and prove yourself as the ultimate Maverick Hunter.
Reconnaissance Complete
View 20 images across all four titles, then change the wallpaper to the secret image.
Audio Signal Incoming
Listen to 10 tracks for long enough with the Music Player, and then listen to the secret track.
Identity Erased
Blast through the mystery of the staff credits and return to the future.
He’s Actually Called Vava
Complete the opening stage of any game in both the English and Japanese versions.
Half the Saga (Gold)
Complete Mega Man X1, X2, X3, and X4.
In Buster We Trust
Defeat any of the eight Maverick bosses in Mega Man X.
Nobody Nose My Sorrow
Cut off Flame Mammoth’s trunk in Mega Man X.
Just Plain Dillo
Knock off Armored Armadillo’s armor in Mega Man X.
Gimp My Ride
Destroy an enemy Ride Armor in Mega Man X.
Pretty (Devastating) In Pink
Use the Spiral Crush Buster to defeat a boss in Mega Man X.
Re-Armed
Receive Zero’s arm part in Mega Man X.
Never Hearts to Be Careful
Obtain all Heart Tanks and max out X’s energy gauge in Mega Man X.
First Armor
Obtain all four armor upgrades in Mega Man X.
In the Heart of Battle (Silver)
Learn the Hadoken in Mega Man X.
It’s Over
Defeat Wolf Sigma in Mega Man X.
How Long Will He Keep Fighting? (Silver)
Complete Mega Man X (cannot be earned in Rookie Hunter mode).
Size Matters Not
Complete the opening stage of Mega Man X2 with a full energy gauge.
Half the Sponge He Used to Be
Cut Wire Sponge in half in Mega Man X2.
Covert Ops
Complete Magna Centipede’s stage without being spotted by a single searchlight in Mega Man X2.
Take Your Time
Watch Morph Moth’s metamorphosis in Mega Man X2 without interfering.
Dodge This
Use Giga Crush to score the final hit against any of the eight Maverick bosses in Mega Man X2.
Friendly Neighborhood Mega Man
Use Silk Shot to grab an item in Mega Man X2.
Second Armor
Obtain all four armor upgrades in Mega Man X2.
Zero Squared
Gather all of Zero’s parts and get rescued by the resurrected Zero in Mega Man X2.
Attack Me if You Dare (Silver)
Learn the Shoryuken in Mega Man X2.
It’s Really Over
Defeat the Sigma Virus in Mega Man X2.
The Price of Peace Is Often High (Silver)
Complete Mega Man X2 (cannot be earned in Rookie Hunter mode).
All Units Stand By
Obtain all four Ride Armor chips in Mega Man X3.
Fight Fair!
Destroy Vile MK-2’s Ride Armor (DRA-00) in Mega Man X3.
Speed Isn’t Everything (Silver)
Reach Bit without a Ride Armor and win without the aid of special weapons in Mega Man X3.
Power Isn’t Everything (Silver)
Reach Byte without a Ride Armor and win without the aid of special weapons in Mega Man X3.
Persistence Isn’t Everything (Silver)
Reach Vile MK-2 without a Ride Armor and win without the aid of special weapons in Mega Man X3.
Always Believe in Your Soul
Obtain the Hyper Chip in Mega Man X3.
Third Armor
Obtain all four armor parts in Mega Man X3.
He Wanted You to Have This (Silver)
Receive Zero’s beam saber in Mega Man X3.
It’s Over… Right?
Defeat Kaiser Sigma in Mega Man X3.
X-Treme Danger (Silver)
Defeat Kaiser Sigma without the Hyper Chip in Mega Man X3.
To Save Mankind (Silver)
Complete Mega Man X3 (cannot be earned in Rookie Hunter mode).
Pew Pew
Fire fully-charged shots using all of X’s weapons in a single playthrough of Mega Man X4.
Way of the Saber
Use all of Zero’s special saber techniques in a single playthrough of Mega Man X4.
Fully Charged
Obtain the EX Item, and have max. lives, energy, weapon energy, and full Sub Tanks in Mega Man X4.
He Brought Fists to a Mech Fight
Use a Ride Armor to score the final hit against Magma Dragoon in Mega Man X4.
It Ain’t Ova Till It’s Nova
Use Nova Strike to score the final hit against a boss in Mega Man X4.
Fourth Armor
Obtain all four armor parts in Mega Man X4.
It’s Definitely Over
Defeat Sigma Gunner and Earth Sigma in Mega Man X4.
True HeroÂ
Complete Mega Man X4 as X without using the Ultimate Armor.
Promise Me, Zero
Complete X’s story in Mega Man X4.
Mavericks After All
Complete Zero’s story in Mega Man X4.
Tragic Destiny (Silver)
Complete Mega Man X4 (cannot be earned in Rookie Hunter mode).
Elite (Silver)
Complete an X Challenge stage equipped with only the X-Buster.
What’s Your Hunter Rank?
Check your own ranking in X Challenge.
A-Class Hunter (Silver)
Complete all X Challenge stages.
Mega Man X Legacy Collection 2 Trophies
Ultimate Hunter (Platinum)
Earn all trophies and prove yourself as the ultimate Maverick Hunter.
They’ve Hacked Our Comms
Listen to 10 tracks for long enough with the Music Player, and then listen to the secret track.
Defrag Complete
Blast through the mystery of the staff credits and return to the future.
Curiouser and Curiouser
Complete the opening stage of any game in both the English and Japanese versions.
The Saga Complete (Gold)
Complete Mega Man X5, X6, X7, and X8.
Out of the Frying Pan
Fire the Enigma and detonate the colony in Mega Man X5.
The Red Oneâ€”No, the Blue!
Defuse seven consecutive bombs in Spiral Pegasus’ stage in Mega Man X5.
Insert Tab A Into Slot B
Obtain eight upgrade parts for equipping to armor in Mega Man X5.
Up, Up and Away
Defeat an enemy while wearing the Falcon Armor in Mega Man X5.
By Your Powers Combined
Defeat an enemy while wearing the Gaea Armor in Mega Man X5.
You’re Quick, Man (Silver)
Complete Zero Stage 1 without using Dark Hold in MMX5 (cannot be earned in Rookie Hunter mode).
The Trick Is Not Minding
Defeat Rangda Bangda W while wearing the Gaea Armor in Mega Man X5.
Armor of Light
Obtain the Ultimate Armor from a Light Capsule in Mega Man X5.
Alright, It’s Over!
Defeat Final Sigma W in Mega Man X5.
Time Paradox (Silver)
View all endings of Mega Man X5.
As Long As I Have This Saber (Silver)
Complete Mega Man X5 (cannot be earned in Rookie Hunter mode).
Wait, What!?
Try falling into a pit in Rookie Hunter mode in Mega Man X6.
Glitch in the System
Encounter all 8 stage-affecting nightmare phenomena in a single playthrough of Mega Man X6.
Unfinished Business
Have Zero return to the Maverick Hunters in Mega Man X6.
Ice-Skating Uphill
Defeat an enemy while wearing the Blade Armor in Mega Man X6.
Theatricality and Deception
Defeat an enemy while wearing the Shadow Armor in Mega Man X6.
My Ult Is Ready
Defeat an enemy while wearing the Ultimate Armor in Mega Man X6.
Blackout
Defeat an enemy as Black Zero in Mega Man X6.
What’s Special About SA?
Raise your hunter rank to GA in Mega Man X6.
Let’s Do This Right
Defeat all eight Mavericks before assaulting the laboratory in Mega Man X6.
I’m Sure It’s Over This Time
Defeat Hell Sigma in Mega Man X6.
Let’s Build a Real Utopia (Silver)
Complete Mega Man X6 (cannot be earned in Rookie Hunter mode).
Smooth Operator
Listen to all of Alia’s support calls in Mega Man X7.
Beep Boop I Am a Robot
Use Axl’s copy ability to transform into five enemy types in Mega Man X7.
You Got a License for That?
Defeat enemies using all of Axl’s weapons in Mega Man X7.
The Exquisite Art
Defeat enemies using all of Zero’s techniques in Mega Man X7.
If You Want Peace…
Defeat enemies using all of X’s weapons in Mega Man X7.
Hold My Drink (Silver)
Complete a stage in Mega Man X7 without switching to a partner character.
Take to the Skies
Obtain all four armor parts in Mega Man X7.
Who Rescues the Rescuer? (Silver)
Rescue all wounded reploids in Mega Man X7.
It Has to Be Over Now
Defeat Sigma’s second form in Mega Man X7.
Unstoppable
Use chips to upgrade any one character to maximum in Mega Man X7.
We Haven’t Seen the Last of Them (Silver)
Complete Mega Man X7 (cannot be earned in Rookie Hunter mode).
Heroism Protocol Engaged (Silver)
Upgrade X, Zero, and Axl to a power rating of 100% in Mega Man X8.
Crushin’ It
Defeat an enemy using Giga Crush in Mega Man X8.
Overdrive
Defeat an enemy using X-Drive in Mega Man X8.
Strike First Ask Questions Later
Defeat an enemy using Nova Strike in Mega Man X8.
Total Eclipse
Perform a double attack as Black Zero and White Axl in Mega Man X8.
Doin’ It For Themselves (Silver)
Fight as Alia, Layer, and Pallette in Mega Man X8.
It Feels So Right…
Defeat an enemy using the Sigma Blade in Mega Man X8.
Rival Revival
Encounter Vile V four times and defeat him before completing the Gateway stage in Mega Man X8.
DLN.003
Encounter and defeat Cut Man in Mega Man X8.
It’s Over, Once and For All
Defeat Lumine’s second form in Mega Man X8.
Awakening (Silver)
Complete Mega Man X8 on Normal or higher difficulty (cannot be earned in Rookie Hunter mode).
Speed of Light (Silver)
Complete any X Challenge stage with at least 9:00 left on the timer.
Can’t Hit Me (Silver)
Complete any X Challenge stage with no more than 3:00 left on the timer.
Try Three on One Next Time (Silver)
Complete all X Challenge stages.
These trophies are all cute nods to the game, but the ones that stand out are the ones with the following descriptions:
“Blast through the mystery of the staff credits and return to the future.”
“View 20 images across all four titles, then change the wallpaper to the secret image.”
The last the Mega Man Legacy Collection introduced a secret image, it turned out to be concept art for Mega Man 11, which is due this year.Â The fact that this recent tweet also popped up means that Mega Man 11 isn’t going to be the only new Blue Bomber title in the works.

News: Mega Man X Legacy Collection Album Teases "X's Fight is Not Over Yet"https://t.co/ltH7CKyyOC pic.twitter.com/bD3GutWXnw
— Brian (@Protodude) July 18, 2018

Could we be seeing a new Mega Man X title in the future? And if so, can we not have Sigma make a return, please? Thanks.


Call Of Duty Vanguard Alpha Comes To PS4 & PS5 This Weekend

Activision and Sledgehammer Games have announced that the Call Of Duty Vanguard Alpha will run from 1 am GMT+8 on Saturday, 28 August 2021 to 1 am GMT+8 on Monday, 30 August 2021 exclusively for the PS4 and PS5.
The Call Of Duty Vanguard Alpha will feature the new Champion Hill multiplayer mode. It will be the first hands-on opportunity the world will have with Call Of Duty Vanguard, introducing just some of the gameâ€™s innovations.
These include the opportunity toÂ explore reactive environments across the four maps within Champion Hill, breaking destructible barriers, doors, and other obstructions to create new sightlines or catch a would-be camper by surprise.
Players will also get hands-on time with some of the gameâ€™s armaments, including being able to modify some with up to 10 attachments. They can also play as one of the four main characters; Lucas Riggs, Polina Petrova, Wade Jackson, and Arthur Kingsley as Operators, and of course, experience tactical fast-paced Multiplayer gameplay in Champion Hill.
Call Of Duty Vanguard Champion Hill

In 2019, Infinity Ward broke ground throughÂ Modern Warfare Multiplayer with Gunfight, a new Multiplayer mode based on quick-action, close-quarter small-squad combat that is easy to learn but hard to master. For the next two years, both Infinity Ward and Treyarch continued to innovate, introducing the concept of Gunfight Tournaments to reward the best Duos with exclusive rewards and allowing the modeâ€™s frenetic small-scale maps to see action in more traditional modes like Team Deathmatch in playlists like Face-Off.
Now, Sledgehammer Games introduces Champion Hill, a tournament-style, multi-map and multi-life game mode where tactics and strategy go beyond the pull of a trigger.
In Champion Hill, your squad; either a Duo (two-versus-two) or Trio (three-versus-three) during the Alpha, will compete in a round-robin deathmatch tournament against other squads. Your mission is to reduce all other squadsâ€™ life count to zero before your whole squad is eliminated.
Everyone starts with the same Loadout, and while it can be lethal, collecting Cash; earned by taking enemy lives and picking up drops scattered around the map, will allow you to upgrade your starting weapons and purchase new armaments, equipment, Perks, and Killstreaks during Buy Rounds that happen between Combat Rounds.
Champion Hill also takes place on one large map split up into five sections. Specifically, there is a central Buy Station Area and four arenas for Combat Rounds: the Airstrip, the Trainyard, the Market, and the Courtyard. Once you are eliminated, you can watch how the tournament ends from the Buy Station Area spectator platform, but ideally, you survive long enough to see victory for yourself.
Call Of Duty Vanguard Alpha Preload & Regional Download Links

Call Of Duty Vanguard Preload will begin today at 6 pm GMT+8 on 23 August 2021.
You can download the free Alpha at the links below for your respective region:

PlayStation 5

Americas
Europe, Middle East, Australia, or New Zealand
Japan
Asia

PlayStation 4

Americas
Europe, Middle East, Australia, or New Zealand
Japan
Asia

How To Access The Call Of Duty Vanguard Alpha

Those who haveÂ Call Of Duty Modern Warfare,Â Call Of Duty Warzone, orÂ Call Of Duty Black Ops Cold War installed can access the Call Of Duty VanguardÂ Alpha through the main menu after it is downloaded.
Within any of those released gameâ€™s menus, selecting the Alpha menu blade, to the far left of the main menu screen, either brings you to the Alpha to jump in and play if youâ€™ve already downloaded the Alpha or redirects you to its download page on the PlayStation Store.
All participants will receive a Calling Card and an Emblem, accessible in Call Of Duty Vanguard upon its release; as well as Warzone following the integration of Vanguard; just for being the â€œtip of the spearâ€ and participating in the Alpha.
Call Of Duty VanguardÂ will launch for the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and PC on 5 November 2021. In the meantime, check out the trailer below:


Netflix Geeked Week Day 2: Umbrella Academy, Cowboy Bebop, Locke & Key & More

Netflix Geeked Week is a free five-day event that runs from 7 June to 11 June 2021. There will be tons of exciting announcements and exclusive first-looks to new trailers, celebrity appearances and so much more.
ALL THE NEWS & SNEAK PEEKS FROM DAY 2
Fret not if you canâ€™t watch Geeked Week live because weâ€™re compiling all of the latest news, hottest clips and lots more this week to keep you up-to-date and on top of the action. You can check out all the highlights and announcements from Netflix Geeked Week Day 1 here.
The Umbrella Academy Season 3

The Umbrella Academy showrunner revealed the episode names for all 10 episodes in the upcoming The Umbrella Academy Season 3. However, no release date or window was announced.

Meet The Family
World’s Biggest Ball Of Twine
Pocket Full Of Lightning
Kugelblitz
Kindest Cut
Marigold
Auf Wiedersehen
Wedding At The End Of The World
Six Bells
Oblivion

Money Heist Season 5 New Images

Check out the new images from Money Heist Season 5:
Money Heist Part 5Â is coming this year with two instalments of five episodes each â€“Â Volume 1 will be released on 3 September 2021, whileÂ Volume 2 will be released on 3 December 2021.

Locke & Key Season 2 Release Date

The Locke & Key cast revealed that Locke & Key Season 2 will premiere sometime in October 2021. They also revealed several new images from the upcoming new season.

Another Life Season 2 First Look

They can't fight, and they sure as hell can't run.
ANOTHER LIFE Season 2 is coming this Fall. #GeekedWeek pic.twitter.com/kBrDr2HNBe
— Netflix Geeked @ SDCC #NetflixSDCC (@NetflixGeeked) June 8, 2021

Katee Sackhoff showed us our first look at Another Life Season 2. It will premiere sometime in fall 2021.
The Sandman Behind The Scenes Look

Neil Gaiman provides a behind the scenes look at The Sandman. Check out the (almost) full cast list in the image above:

Â Cowboy Bebop Anime Composer Will Return For The Netflix Series

Yoko Kanno, the composer behind the iconic soundtrack of the original Cowboy Bebop anime will be creating the soundtrack for the new live-action series.
Cowboy Bebop will premiere sometime in fall 2021.

Yoko Kanno, the composer behind the iconic soundtrack of the original COWBOY BEBOP anime will be creating the soundtrack for the new Live Action Series. Also confirmed…Cowboy Bebop is coming this Fall. #GeekedWeek pic.twitter.com/6lHZQcoFR6
— Netflix Geeked @ SDCC #NetflixSDCC (@NetflixGeeked) June 8, 2021

You can watch the entire Netflix Geeked Week Day 2 live stream below:


KKP Best Of 2020: Game #9

For more KKP Best of 2020 entries, head here.Â
#9: Streets of Rage 4

2020 has its shares of old 90s gaming properties coming back to life, from Battletoads to Trials of Mana. Thankfully, they’re all good and retains the spirit of their predecessors.
You can add Streets of Rage 4 onto that prestigious pedestal.
Developers Guard Crush Games, Lizardcube, and DotEmu took the essence of the last three SoR titles and added a lot of new elements between the mid-90s to right now in part 4. The 2D beat-em-up gameplay is retained, but now you can do juggles and implement your life-draining supers more by getting your “drained” life back with counter-hits (but also losing all of it if you get hit once). Oh, and there’s a separate button now to pick up weapons and even catch them mid-flight.

Just like the old games, you are invincible during your throw animations, as well as do a quick ukemi when you’re knocked down or thrown yourself. These old and new mechanics combine really well to form a lovely tribute and worthy successor to Sega’s iconic beat-em-up series.
Also, the soundtrack slaps. You don’t need me to tell you that since Olivier Deriviere, Yuzo Koshiro, Motohiro Kawashima, and the other guest musicians brought their A-game here.


Recapping 2017â€™s Best Overwatch Match: Lunatic-Hai vs KongDoo Panthera (OGN APEX S3 Grand Finals)

So as we head towards the final days of 2017 and with the upcoming Overwatch League pre-season just around the corner, we look back at what a year it has been for the Overwatch community – burgeoning scene especially in the South Korean OGN APEX scene with the emergence of GC Busan dethroning the old guards, EnVyUs boosting their team on and off screen with the acquisition of Seagull and xQc, an exhilarating second Overwatch World Cup and of course, the official launch of the Overwatch League.Â  Many would argue that they’ve seen the best Overwatch match when South Korea defeated the United States but we have to disagree. These folks probably missed out on the Grand Finals of OGN APEX Season 3 where Lunatic-Hai squared off against KongDoo Panthera. Today, we are going to recap the epic battle which in our point of view, is THE BEST Overwatch set we’ve witnessed in 2017.

In a calm, breezy Seoul evening, two of the best Overwatch teams in the world converged at the base of the Lotte Tower in Seoul for the Grand Finals of APEX Season 3. Veteran team and reigning champions Lunatic-Hai, comprising of three South Korean players at the 2017 World Cup Qualifiers â€“ â€œAna Godâ€ Ryujehong, Kim â€œzunbaâ€ Joon Hyuk, and Yang â€œtobiâ€Â Jin-moÂ are the favorites going against the not-so-surprised-package and challengers to the throne, the boys of KongDoo Panthera.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TV31guytz10&w=560&h=315]
The Grand Finals isnâ€™t the first time both teams faced each other this year. In fact, itâ€™s their third bout at APEX Season 3. Placed in the same group for the first round of group stages, Lunatic-Hai won 3-2 during their first encounter, an impressive feat considering it came by recovering from being down 0-2. But the â€œSailorboysâ€, as KongDoo Panthera are known for thanks to their seamen-inspired outfits for Season 3, hit back in their second meet after again being placed in the same group as Lunatic-Hai in the second stage group. After losing the first map, Panthera pulled a reverse sweep to win the series 3-1 to even the score 1-1 and the rivalry, set.
The Setup
And as if it was written in the stars, or perhaps Jeff Kaplanâ€™s diary, both teams met again for the third time in APEX Season 3 on the grandest stage of all: in the Grand Finals. But their route to the Grand Finals could not be any more different. Having won both of their first two group games in Group Stage #2, KongDoo were surprise winners of their group. By beating Lunatic-Hai 3-1 in the aforementioned second meet, followed with a convincing win against LW Blue, they secured a spot in the playoffs against the sole remaining western team in the tournament, APEX Season 1 winners and fan favourites, EnvyUs who finished second in the other group.

As for Lunatic-Hai, the reigning championsâ€™ Group Stage #2 opening loss to KongDoo was like a slap to their faces as they now face instant elimination in every remaining match that they play at APEX S3. The need to beat both CONBOX Spirit and LW Blue to secure a spot in the playoffs and they did in confident fashion, earning consecutive 3-1 and 3-0 wins to regain their confidence and reignite their bid to be the first ever two-time and returning APEX champions.
Road To The Big Stage
En-route to the Grand Finals, KongDoo Panthera had APEX S1 Champions EnvyUs standing in their way. A fan favourite, due to their large following as well as their constant clutch plays and insane team chemistry, their presence and threat were somewhat tripled by the recent addition of the superb Kim â€œEffectâ€ HyeonÂ playing as Tracer along with Mickie who mainly operate as D.Va into their roster. It could have easily been the end of KongDoo Pantheraâ€™s brilliant APEX S3 campaign but they showed their chops with an emphatic 4-0 win that sent everyone in the Overwatch community on full alert.
Beating Lunatic-Hai was probably a one-off fluke, but 4-0-ing EnvyUs? That was never really on the cards. Having won Major League Gaming Vegas 2016 last December, EnvyUs were seen by many as the best team in the West, and possibly the best bet to dethrone Lunatic-Hai. Even in lead up to the match, EnvyUsâ€™ DPS star Taimou foolishly labeled Panthera as â€˜The Easiest Teamâ€™ â€“ something he would instantly regret as his team were sent packing home early by Rascal & crew. People started to take notice.
On the other side of the draw, Lunatic-Hai who were facing elimination a few weeks earlier found AF Blue standing between them and the Grand Finals as well as a shot at retaining their reign as OGN Overwatch APEX Season 3 champions. And AF Blue were no easy meat as they had ArHan and TaiRong â€“ both who were part of 2016 World Cup-winning South Korea team along with Mano, who joins this yearâ€™s Korean squad within their ranks.
The matchup between Lunatic-Hai and AF Blue was akin to a mini reunion for the Korean Overwatch World Cup squad as Lunatic-Hai boasted the likes of â€˜Ana God Ryujehong, zunba, Miro, EscA, tobi â€“ all who were either current or former national team players. A little trivia by the shoutcasters was also an interesting one, the fact that Lunatic-Hai played over double the total playtime compared to AF Blue leading up to their meet.
The backstory was set â€“ an All-Star Battle of South Korean World Cup alumni and present players, reigning champions fighting for their survival with pretenders to their throne standing in their way. The Lunatic-Hai everyone knew woke up, AF Blue had no answer and the team who planted the seeds of doubt, KongDoo Panthera, await.
The See-Saw Battle Of The Ages Part 1: What Started In Egypt Ends Up In China
Playing in front of the largest crowd ever, nerves were expected of the seemingly young and relatively inexperienced KongDoo Panthera team but any doubts were eviscerated as Birdring outplayed Gido on Tracer, leading to a convincing 2-0 win on Lunatic-Haiâ€™s favored Nepal. Not to be outdone, the reigning champions rallied back with a very strong final point hold to win the second map on Eichenwalde 3-2. With over two minutes remaining with the payload a few metres away from the final point, Lunatic-Haiâ€™s decisive kills ensured that they came out tops in the battle of attrition to tie the score 1-1.
Little to everyoneâ€™s knowledge, the tone for the night has been set. KongDoo Panthera showed better discipline and Ultimate economy by faring better on control maps, while Lunatic-Hai who have mechanically superior offensive and support players perform better when it involves escorting and defending points. But what about pure assault maps? Boy,Â were we in for a treat on what was coming next.
While viewers at home watching on stream were pumped following non-stop, extended Overwatch action, viewers at the venue were somewhat hoping for a quick end to the set of matches as the event which was held under the night sky was threatened by potential rain on the horizon.
Sorry folks. The players didnâ€™t care as the â€˜Battle of Anubisâ€™, as I like to call it, happened. In their bids to gain the lead on aggregate, both teams didnâ€™t give in one single bit which saw both teams attacking the map three times resulting in two full captures for both sides capped with a stalled hold on the third. In a textbook example of a snowball capture, Lunatic-Hai, with just one minute in the time pool, managed to capture both points in their first overtime round.
Not to be outdone, KongDoo Panthera matched their rivals by the rounds, tying the map scores at 4-4 before being denied any capture on the second overtime round forcing a tie-decider match on Lijiang Tower; a single control map to decide who wins the round.
Following over 30 minutes of battle on Anubis which saw both teams on even ground, Rascalâ€™s heroics on Genji with the Dragon Blade denied Lunatic-Haiâ€™s last desperate push on Lijiang, ensuring that KongDoo Panthera walk away with the win and a 2-1 overall lead and a step closer to dethroning the fan favorites.
Two control maps, and two wins for KongDoo Panthera. What comes next will shock you.

Stay tuned for Part 2 of the recap which sees Lunatic-Hai cementing their position as the legendary Korean Overwatch team.


[Rumor] Xbox Game Studios Working On An MMO That Works On Any Device

Xbox Game Studios and Finnish studio Mainframe is reportedly working on an upcoming cloud-based mass multiplayer online game where players can jump into any device to experience it.
According to Gamesbeat reporter Jeff Grubb and Windows Central reporter Jez Corden on a recent Xbox Two podcast, the two said that the two companies are working on a cloud-native game and that it could be tied to one of the codenames that they know about: Pax Dei.
The “cloud-native” term means that players can access the game on any device, meaning that this could be a big step forward for MMOs and MMORPGs in the future. See, Pax Dei will run off a remote server, with game mechanics scaling based on the complexity of the device.
For example, certain in-game features would be more suited to different devices; one activity can be done better on a mobile phone (mindless farming, auctions, inventory management), while other complex tasks like missions and raids are better on a console and/or PC.
To add more credence to the story, Mainframe’s website confirms that the studio is working on a cloud-based MMO game.
“Mainframe was formed by veteran developers in Helsinki and ReykjavÃk. Weâ€™re creating a cloud-native MMO, a vibrant world with new ways to engage and connect with our friends. Itâ€™s the game of a lifetime.”
If these rumours are true, Xbox and Mainframe may have a gamechanger of an idea.


[Updated] The International 2022 (TI11): Teams, Schedule & Results

The International 2022 is finally here and is taking place live in Singapore no less. With 20 teams competing against one another, it can be hard to keep track of all the matches let alone the times they take place and the results.
Don’t worry because I’ve got you covered as we’ve listed out all the match-ups and times, and will be updating the scores as the tournament progresses.

DATE & VENUE

				Suntec Singapore

				Singapore Indoor Arena

Date: 15–30 October
Prize Pool: US$18,930,775
SCHEDULE

GROUP STAGE

Date: 15 – 18 October
Start Time: 10:00 AM (GMT+8)

PLAYOFFS

Date: 20 – 23 October
Start Time: 10:00 AM (GMT+8)
Venue: Suntec Singapore Convention & Exhibition Centre, 1 Raffles Blvd, Singapore

FINAL WEEKEND

Date: 29 – 30 October
Start Time: 12:00 AM (GMT+8)
Venue: Singapore Indoor Stadium, Stadium Walk, Singapore

RESULTS

PLACE
$ USD
PERCENT
TEAM

1
$7,991,951
45.00%
Tundra Esports

2
$2,308,823
13.00%
Team Secret

3
$1,598,432
9.00%
Team Liquid

4
$1,065,586
6.00%
Team Aster

5-6

$621,566

3.50%

PSG.LGD

Thunder Awaken

7-8

$444,021

2.50%

beastcoast

OG

9-12

$355,195

2%

Evil Geniuses

BOOM Esports

Gaimin Gladiators

Entity

13-16

$266,370

1.50%

Hokori

Team Spirit

Fnatic

Royal Never Give Up

17-18

$44,307

0.25%

Soniqs

Talon Esports

19-20

$44,307

0.25%

BetBoom Team

TSM

TEAMS
Invited Teams – According to Seeding

PSG.LGD
OG
Team Spirit
beastcoast
Team Aster
Thunder Awaken
BOOM Esports
TSM
Tundra Esports
Gaimin Gladiators
Evil Geniuses
Fnatic

Regional Qualified Teams

Soniqs – North America
Hokori – South America
Entity – Western Europe
BetBoom Team – Eastern Europe
Royal Never Give Up – China
Talon Esports – Southeast Asia

Last Chance Qualified Teams

Team Secret
Team Liquid

GROUP RESULTS

GROUP A

1.
Evil Geniuses
7–0–2
14–4

2.
Team Liquid
5–3–1
13–5

3.
PSG.LGD
4–4–1
12–6

4.
OG
4–2–3
10–8

5.
Hokori
2–5–2
9–9

6.
Royal Never Give Up
4–1–4
9–9

7.
Gaimin Gladiators
2–4–3
8–10

8.
BOOM Esports
1–3–5
5–13

9.
Soniqs
1–3–5
5–13

10.
BetBoom Team
0–5–4
5–13

GROUP B

1.
Tundra Esports
5–4–0
14–4

2.
Team Secret
5–3–1
13–5

3.
Thunder Awaken
2–6–1
10–8

4.
Team Aster
3–4–2
10–8

5.
Fnatic
3–3–3
9–9

6.
Team Spirit
1–7–1
9–9

7.
beastcoast
2–4–3
8–10

8.
Entity
1–4–4
6–12

9.
Talon Esports
2–2–5
6–12

10.
TSM
0–5–4
5–13

MATCHES
GROUP STAGE
Streams: A / B / C / D / E
Day 1
10:00 AM – Stream A – Evil Geniuses [2] vs [0] Soniqs (Group A)
10:00 AM – Stream B – Team Liquid [1] vs [1] Royal Never Give Up (Group A)
10:00 AM – Stream C – PSG.LGD [1] vs [1] Hokori (Group A)
10:00 AM – Stream D – OG [2] vs [0] BOOM Esports (Group A)
10:00 AM – Stream E – Gaimin Gladiators [2] vs [0] BetBoom Team (Group A)
12:00 PM – Stream A – Team Secret [1] vs [1] Thunder Awaken (Group B)
12:00 PM – Stream B – Fnatic [1] vs [1] Team Spirit (Group B)
12:00 PM – Stream C – beastcoast [1] vs [1] Entity (Group B)
12:00 PM – Stream D – TSM [1] vs [1] Talon Esports (Group B)
12:00 PM – Stream E – Team Aster [1] vs [1] Tundra Esports (Group B)
2:00 PM – Stream A – Evil Geniuses [2] vs [0] PSG.LGD (Group A)
2:00 PM – Stream B – Team Liquid [1] vs [1] Soniqs (Group A)
2:00 PM – Stream C – BOOM Esports [1] vs [1] Hokori (Group A)
2:00 PM – Stream D – OG [2] vs [0] Gaimin Gladiators (Group A)
2:00 PM – Stream E – Royal Never Give Up [2] vs [0] BetBoom Team (Group A)
4:00 PM – Stream A – Team Spirit [2] vs [0] Entity (Group B)
4:00 PM – Stream B – Fnatic [0] vs [2] Thunder Awaken (Group B)
4:00 PM – Stream C – Team Secret [2] vs [0] beastcoast (Group B)
4:00 PM – Stream D – TSM [1] vs [1] Tundra Esports (Group B)
4:00 PM – Stream E – Team Aster [2] vs [0] Talon Esports (Group B)
6:00 PM – Stream C – Evil Geniuses [2] vs [0] OG (Group A)
6:00 PM – Stream A – PSG.LGD [1] vs [1] Soniqs (Group A)
6:00 PM – Stream B – Team Liquid [2] vs [0] BetBoom Team (Group A)
6:00 PM – Stream D – Royal Never Give Up [2] vs [0] BOOM Esports (Group A)
6:00 PM – Stream E – Hokori [1] vs [1] Gaimin Gladiators (Group A)
Day 2
10:00 AM – Stream A – Fnatic [1] vs [1] Team Secret (Group B)
10:00 AM – Stream B – Entity [2] vs [0] Thunder Awaken (Group B)
10:00 AM – Stream C – Talon Esports [1] vs [1] Team Spirit (Group B)
10:00 AM – Stream D – Team Aster [2] vs [0] TSM (Group B)
10:00 AM – Stream E – Tundra Esports [1] vs [1] beastcoast (Group B)
12:00 PM – Stream A – PSG.LGD [2] vs [0] OG (Group A)
12:00 PM – Stream B – BOOM Esports [1] vs [1] Gaimin Gladiators (Group A)
12:00 PM – Stream C – Royal Never Give Up [2] vs [0] Soniqs (Group A)
12:00 PM – Stream D – Evil Geniuses [0] vs [2] Team Liquid (Group A)
12:00 PM – Stream E – Hokori [1] vs [1] BetBoom Team (Group A)
2:00 PM – Stream A – Team Aster [1] vs [1] Entity (Group B)
2:00 PM – Stream B – Fnatic [2] vs [0] beastcoast (Group B)
2:00 PM – Stream C – TSM [0] vs [2] Team Secret (Group B)
2:00 PM – Stream D – Team Spirit [1] vs [1] Thunder Awaken (Group B)
2:00 PM – Stream E – Tundra Esports [2] vs [0] Talon Esports (Group B)
4:00 PM – Stream A – PSG.LGD [2] vs [0] Team Liquid (Group A)
4:00 PM – Stream B – Soniqs [0] vs [2] OG (Group A)
4:00 PM – Stream C – Royal Never Give Up [2] vs [0] Gaimin Gladiators (Group A)
4:00 PM – Stream D – Evil Geniuses [2] vs [0] Hokori (Group A)
4:00 PM – Stream E – BOOM Esports [1] vs [1] BetBoom Team (Group A)
6:00 PM – Stream A – Team Spirit [1] vs [1] TSM (Group B)
6:00 PM – Stream B – Talon Esports [0] vs [2] Thunder Awaken (Group B)
6:00 PM – Stream C – Fnatic [1] vs [1] Entity (Group B)
6:00 PM – Stream D – Team Secret [0] vs [2] Tundra Esports (Group B)
6:00 PM – Stream E – Team Aster [2] vs [0] beastcoast (Group B)
Day 3
10:00 AM – Stream A – Evil Geniuses [2] vs [0] BetBoom Team (Group A)
10:00 AM – Stream B – OG [1] vs [1] Hokori (Group A)
10:00 AM – Stream C – Soniqs [2] vs [0] BOOM Esports (Group A)
10:00 AM – Stream D – Team Liquid [1] vs [1] Gaimin Gladiators (Group A)
10:00 AM – Stream E – Royal Never Give Up [0] vs [2] PSG.LGD (Group A)
12:00 PM – Stream A – Team Secret [1] vs [1] Team Spirit (Group B)
12:00 PM – Stream B – beastcoast [2] vs [0] Talon Esports (Group B)
12:00 PM – Stream C – TSM [1] vs [1] Entity (Group B)
12:00 PM – Stream D – Fnatic [2] vs [0] Team Aster (Group B)
12:00 PM – Stream E – Thunder Awaken [1] vs [1] Tundra Esports (Group B)
2:00 PM – Stream C – Team Liquid [2] vs [0] OG (Group A)
2:00 PM – Stream B – PSG.LGD [2] vs [0] BOOM Esports (Group A)
2:00 PM – Stream E – Soniqs [1] vs [1] BetBoom Team (Group A)
2:00 PM – Stream A – Evil Geniuses [2] vs [0] Gaimin Gladiators (Group A)
2:00 PM – Stream D – Royal Never Give Up [0] vs [2] Hokori (Group A)
4:00 PM – Stream A – Team Secret [2] vs [0] Entity (Group B)
4:00 PM – Stream B – Fnatic [0] vs [2] Talon Esports (Group B)
4:00 PM – Stream C – Team Spirit [0] vs [2] Tundra Esports (Group B)
4:00 PM – Stream D – beastcoast [2] vs [0] TSM (Group B)
4:00 PM – Stream E – Team Aster [1] vs [1] Thunder Awaken (Group B)
6:00 PM – Stream A – Team Liquid [2] vs [0] BOOM Esports (Group A)
6:00 PM – Stream B – Evil Geniuses [2] vs [0] Royal Never Give Up (Group A)
6:00 PM – Stream C – PSG.LGD [1] vs [1] Gaimin Gladiators (Group A)
6:00 PM – Stream D – OG [1] vs [1] BetBoom Team (Group A)
6:00 PM – Stream E – Soniqs [0] vs [2] Hokori (Group A)
Day 4
10:00 AM – Stream A – Talon Esports [2] vs [0] Entity (Group B)
10:00 AM – Stream B – Team Secret [2] vs [0] Team Aster (Group B)
10:00 AM – Stream C – Thunder Awaken [1] vs [1] TSM (Group B)
10:00 AM – Stream D – Team Spirit [1] vs [1] beastcoast (Group B)
10:00 AM – Stream E – Fnatic [0] vs [2] Tundra Esports (Group B)
12:00 PM – Stream A – OG [2] vs [0] Royal Never Give Up (Group A)
12:00 PM – Stream B – PSG.LGD [1] vs [1] BetBoom Team (Group A)
12:00 PM – Stream C – Team Liquid [2] vs [0] Hokori (Group A)
12:00 PM – Stream D – Evil Geniuses [0] vs [2] BOOM Esports (Group A)
12:00 PM – Stream E– Soniqs [0] vs [2] Gaimin Gladiators (Group A)
2:00 PM – Stream A – Team Aster [1] vs [1] Team Spirit (Group B)
2:00 PM – Stream B – Fnatic [2] vs [0] TSM (Group B)
2:00 PM – Stream C – Tundra Esports [2] vs [0] Entity (Group B)
2:00 PM – Stream D – Team Secret [2] vs [0] Talon Esports (Group B)
2:00 PM – Stream E – Thunder Awaken [1] vs [1] beastcoast (Group B)
4:00 PM – Stream A – Soniqs [0] vs [1] BOOM Esports (Group A Tiebreaker)
5:00 PM – Stream A – BetBoom Team [0] vs [1] BOOM Esports (Group A Tiebreaker)
6:00 PM – Stream A – Entity [2] vs [0] Talon Esports (Group B Tiebreaker)
PLAYOFFS
DAY 1 – 20 OCTOBER
10:00 AM – Evil Geniuses [0] vs [2] Thunder Awaken (Upper Bracket Quarterfinals)
12:20 AM – Team Secret [2] vs [0] PSG.LGD (Upper Bracket Quarterfinals)
2:35 PM – Hokori [0] vs [1] beastcoast (Lower Bracket Round 1)
3:40 PM – Team Spirit [0] vs [1] BOOM Esports (Lower Bracket Round 1)
4:55 PM – Fnatic [0] vs [1] Gaimin Gladiators (Lower Bracket Round 1)
6:20 PM – Royal Never Give Up [0] vs [1] Entity (Lower Bracket Round 1)
DAY 2 – 21 OCTOBER
10:05 AM – Tundra Esports [2] vs [0] OG (Upper Bracket Quarterfinals)
12:15 AM – Team Liquid [0] vs [2] Team Aster (Upper Bracket Quarterfinals)
2:35 PM – Evil Geniuses [0] vs [2] beastcoast (Lower Bracket Round 2)
3:40 PM – PSG.LGD [2] vs [0] BOOM Esports (Lower Bracket Round 2)
DAY 3 – 22 OCTOBER
10:00 AM – OG [2] vs [0] Gaimin Gladiators (Lower Bracket Round 2)
1:50 PM – Team Liquid [2] vs [1] Entity (Lower Bracket Round 2)
5:30 PM – Thunder Awaken [0] vs [2] Team Secret (Upper Bracket Semifinals)
7:55 PM – Tundra Esports [2] vs [0] Team Aster (Upper Bracket Semifinals)
DAY 4 – 23 OCTOBER
10:00 AM – beastcoast [1] vs [2] PSG.LGD (Lower Bracket Round 3)
1:40 PM – OG [0] vs [2] Team Liquid (Lower Bracket Round 3)
3:50 PM – Team Aster [2] vs [0] PSG.LGD (Lower Bracket Quarterfinals)
6:10 PM – Thunder Awaken [1] vs [2] Team Liquid (Lower Bracket Quarterfinals)
FINALS
DAY 1 – 29 OCTOBER
12:00 PM – Team Secret [1] vs [2] Tundra Esports (Upper Bracket Final)
3:00 PM – Team Aster [1] vs [2] Team Liquid (Lower Bracket Semifinal)
DAY 2 – 30 OCTOBER
12:00 PM – Team Secret [2] vs [1] Team Secret (Lower Bracket Final)
4:30 PM – Tundra Esports [3] vs [0] Team Secret (Grand Final)
STREAMS
Twitch: Stream A / Stream B / Stream C / Stream D / Stream E


SD Shin Kamen Rider Rumble Launches This April

Bandai Namco has announced that the side-scrolling beat ’em up game SD Shin Kamen Rider Rumble will launch for the Nintendo Switch and PC via Steam on 27 April 2023 in Asia with English language support.
The game features an SD visual style, with various kinds of power-up systems that lie in wait for players to experience. The film has been written and directed by Hideaki Anno, who has created several blockbuster hits. The main character, Takeshi Hongo/Kamen Rider, is played by Sosuke Ikematsu. The heroine, Ruriko Midorikawa, is played by Minami Hamabe, while Hayato Ichimonji/Kamen Rider No. 2 will be played by Tasuku Emoto.
In SD Shin Kamen Rider Rumble, there are a total of six low-class members of SHOCKER in the usual stages. Players will face various enemies and stage gimmicks that will keep them on the edge of their seats. The appeal of this title lies in the challenging battles against the advanced members of SHOCKER, who await you as the bosses of each stage.
Players might face defeat in the middle of the game, but the items that they collect will strengthen them and the Cyclone. If players are able to strengthen the Cyclone, they are able to skip the stages that they have cleared and get reinforced items to advance in the battle.


Cyclist Esports Champion Stripped Of Title After Confessing To Cheating

YouTuber Cameron Jeffers was recently stripped of his title as the UKâ€™s first national cycling esports champion on 4 October 2019 (via Forbes). This occurred after the 22-year-old confessed that he resorted to cheating in order to reach live finals of the British Cyclingâ€™s Esports Championships.

According to Jeffers, he acquired the bot-powered Zwift Concept Z1 by a suspicious third-party using a program to fake his avatar riding for many hours at an elevated power level, which he admits is “unethical and unsporting”. This is because the special bike can only be obtained by grinding about a month of hard indoor riding.
The Zwift Concept Z1 is often referred to as the ‘Tron’ bike by other Zwifters (esports cyclists), as it is named after the iconic bike seen in the classic 1982 movie of the same name (and the later Disney sequel in 2010). It comes with better in-game stats, which automatically improves the performances of athletes.
The Zwift Concept Z1 in action.
Other fellow riders also used the ‘Tron’ bike in the finals. The problem here is that Jeffers illegally used it to get to the finals, which is prohibited in British Cyclingâ€™s new esports regulations. In an official statement on his Twitter account, Jeffers apologized and gave justification for his actions.

Statement regarding @BritishCycling eRacing Championships pic.twitter.com/2HANqjPWul
â€” Cameron Jeffers (@Cameron_Jeffers) October 4, 2019
As punishment for cheating (besides getting his championship title stripped), Jeffers has been given a Â£250 fine and suspension from all racing for a period of six months. His championship title now belongs to James Phillips of the Canyon ZCC team, who initially grabbed second place in the finals.
The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) will now seek to work with Zwift to â€œensure the sporting credibility of the cycling esports competitions,” as well asÂ include measures to prevent manipulation of both hardware and software by competitors and that rider profiles are verified ahead of any competition.
In the meantime, check out Jeffer’s official video response to everything that has happened below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hk4tGTZ6TfY&w=560&h=315]


We Talk To Sony PlayStation Singapore’s Arata Naito About PlayStation Stuff

It’s not every day we get to hear a PlayStation representative from a country speak a bit about what’s in store for Southeast Asia’s PlayStation-themed future. Fortunately, we managed to speak with SIE SG Head of Product Management, Southeast Asia’s Arata Naito. Yes, corporations love their bigwig long-as-heck job titles.
Check out the audio interview (with visual aids) below where we talk about the upcoming PlayStation Experience and other business-related PlayStation topics. Apologies for the audio quality in advance; some technical issues beyond our control waylaid us.

Header image credit: Inquirer.net


Malaysian Cinemas Nationwide Are Shutting Down Until Further Notice

Major Malaysian cinemas like GSC and TGV are closing down all their branches in Malaysia for the time being, The decision was reached after the Malaysian Association Of Film Exhibitors (MAFE) ordered all cinemas in the country to suspend operations.
In addition, the lack of movie releases (most of which have been delayed to next year) have caused massive losses to the Malaysian cinema industry. However, they will be monitoring the situation from time to time.
GSC Cinemas will be closing down until the end of November 2020, but TGV Cinemas doesn’t give an estimated time frame. We hope that the cinema industry will rebound from this as soon as possible, despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
It looks like we won’t be able to play our games on the big screen after all.

Hi everything. This is an important announcement.#GSCLoveYou3000 #StaySafe pic.twitter.com/Fz522xINvk— GSC x Mat Kilau ?? (@GSCinemas) October 30, 2020

For your reference.#SupportCinemas #SeeYouSoonTGV pic.twitter.com/Yai5mYcPeq— TGV Cinemas | #TontondiTGV ?? (@TGVCinemas) October 30, 2020


King Recruitment Page Suggest A Mobile Call of Duty Game is in the Works

A mobile version of popular FPS game, Call of Duty is in the works according to the recruitment page of London-based games development company,Â King Digital Entertainment.Â Â
As first reported by gameinformer, the posting on King’s official siteÂ explicitly claimed that the developer has been tasked with adapting Call of Duty to the mobile landscape. Interested in applying as Lead Designer? Well be ready to travel as the studio working on it will be based out of Stockholm, Sweden.
“In collaboration with Activision Blizzard, we are adapting one of the most iconic game franchises of all-time: Call of Duty.”
“The aim is to create a Call of Duty experience on mobile, while also breaking new ground for mobile and redefining the genre. The approach and ambition is to be fresh, social, and highly accessible, while providing a very authentic game experience.” it added.
While there is no clue as to of which period the mobile Call of Duty game is going to be set in, we have a feeling that it will be released annually to complement the PC and console versions carrying the same title. CoD: BLOPS4 Mobile anyone? We are game.
A subsidiary of Activision following its acquisition in 2015, King is most well known as developers of Candy Crush Saga and operating with a combination of in-game advertising along with microtransaction mechanisms in their products.
With the resurgence of shooting games on mobile, most prominently in the battle royale genre, we aren’t surprised that this may be King’s gambit in tapping into that burgeoning scene – possibly another avenue for esports – while at the same time expanding the reach of Activision’s Call of Duty franchise.

Thanks to Aksiz.com for the heads up. For all your video games news in Bahasa Melayu, head over to Aksiz.com. They’re pretty awesome.


RIP John William Galt, The Original Voice Of Shadow Warrior’s Lo Wang

John William Galt, a voice actor known for his roles in classic 3D Realms first-person shooters in the 90s, is dead. He was 81.
Galt was known for voicing Lo Wang in the 1997 Shadow Warrior and Grandfather Enisis in Prey. His death was announced by 3D Realms via Twitter.

We just got word that John Galt has died. John was the voice of Lo Wang in the original @ShadowWarrior and Grandfather Enisi in Prey (2006). His career was more than just videogames, make sure and check out his IMDB page.
John William GaltApril 4th, 1940 – January 29th, 2022 pic.twitter.com/UmGfefttx0
— 3D Realms (@3DRealms) January 30, 2022

His other voice credits include Shadow Warrior 2, Deus Ex, and Daikatana. Galt has a lengthy career in TV as well, starring in roles for Walker, Texas Ranger and Forrest Gump.
Rest in peace, and thank you for the Shadow Warrior one-liners and quips. Here’s an interview with Galt 3 years ago where he talks about his love for voice acting.


Disney Confirms Tron 3 Starring Jared ‘Joker’ Leto

The last Tron movie came out over 10 years ago, with 2010’s Tron legacy garnering over US$400 million worldwide. Now, Disney has finally confirmed a new Tron movie to be directed by Garth Davis and starring Jared Leto in the lead role.
Davis is best known for 2018â€™s Mary Magdalene and 2016’s Lion, which received six Oscar nominations, including for Best Picture. This new Tron movie, or Tron 3, would mark Davisâ€™ major big-budget movie.

Iâ€™m struck with such gratitude for the opportunity to bring this movie to life, especially as both the original video game and the film affected me so deeply as a young child. The fact that I get to be a part of this new chapter is mind-blowing. pic.twitter.com/94MN6tT8Bs
â€” JARED LETO (@JaredLeto) August 10, 2020
Jesse Wigutow wrote the most recent draft of the script, while Leto himself is also producing alongside Justin Springer and Emma Ludbrook.
The original 1982’s Tron starring Jeff Bridges was set inside the computer program called the Grid, where a computer hacker is abducted and forced to participate in gladiatorial games. It was iconic for its neon computer graphics and special effects, which were incredible at the time.
However, according to Deadline, the movie is still in early development even though it already has its director. In that case, it may be a while yet before we’ll see this movie, especially in this ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.


New Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 Trailer Showcases More Of The High Evolutionary

During the Super Bowl 2023, Marvel unveiled a new trailer for Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3. The trailer has a funny albeit emotional tone, with more looks at Chukwudi Iwuji’s High Evolutionary (who will be the main antagonist of the movie), as well as Will Poulter’s Adam Warlock.
The trailer teases how the High Evolutionary was involved in Rocket’s past trauma and origins.
In Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, our beloved band of misfits are looking a bit different these days. Still reeling from the loss of Gamora, Peter Quill must rally his team around him to defend the universe and protect one of their own. A mission that, if not completed successfully, could quite possibly lead to the end of the Guardians as we know them.
James Gunn writes and directs Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, which stars Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff, featuring Vin Diesel as Groot, Bradley Cooper as Rocket, Sean Gunn, Chukwudi Iwuji, Will Poulter and Maria Bakalova. Kevin Feige is the producer and Louis D’Esposito, Victoria Alonso, Nikolas Korda, Simon Hatt, and Sara Smith serve as executive producers.
Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 premieres in cinemas on 4 May 2023.
Check out the trailer below:


Persona 3 Reload & Persona 5 Tactica Trailers Leaked

It looks like someone at Atlus made a big oopsie. The trailers for Persona 3 Reload and Persona 5 Tactica have been prematurely released on the official Instagram accounts for Atlus West.
Persona 3 Reload is the rumoured Persona 3 remake, and will launch for the Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC and Xbox Game Pass in early 2024. The fact that the trailer only mentions Xbox and PC means that the reveal was likely supposed to have been at the upcoming Xbox Bethesda showcase on 12 June 2023.

The other is Persona 5 Tactica, which looks to be a tactical turn-based strategy game. It will launch for the Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC and Xbox Game Pass on 17 November 2023.

More details will surely come during the Xbox Bethesda showcase when it takes place at 1am on 12 June 2023. Stay tuned! In the meantime, do check out our video feature on the leak.


Back 4 Blood Console Versions Are Now Available For Pre-Order

From the former developer of the Left 4 Dead franchise, Back 4 Blood is now available for pre-order in selected retailers in Malaysia. It’s essentiallyÂ Left 4 Dead 3Â in all but name, asthe rights to theÂ Left 4 DeadÂ franchise remains with Valve.
You can pre-order the console versions of the game (PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X) at the following prices:
Back 4 Blood Standard Edition – RM219Back 4 Blood Deluxe Edition – RM299

https://www.facebook.com/Maxlink4Gamers/posts/3610326812391888

It’s interesting that the console versions of Back 4 Blood will be priced relatively the same as the PC version on Steam.
Back 4 BloodÂ is slated to release for the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and PC on 23 June 2021.


Hulu Unveils Chilling First Trailer For Marvel’s Helstrom

Hulu has released a new trailer for its upcoming Marvel horror series, Helstrom.
The trailer seems to lean heavily into horror, with the Helstrom siblings investigating something that their mother let loose on the world. However, it gives very little away about the actual plot of the series, or who else from the Marvel Cinematic Universe will be appearing.
In the comics, Daimon and Satana Hellstrom (Ana Helstrom’s original name) are both children of the demon Marduk Kurios. They were even once part of the Midnight Sons group, which consisted of Marvel’s magic-based heroes like Ghost Rider and Blade.

The official synopsis for Helstrom reads:
As the son and daughter of a mysterious and powerful serial killer, Helstrom follows Daimon (Tom Austen) and Ana Helstrom (Sydney Lemmon), and their complicated dynamic, as they track down the worst of humanity; each with their own attitude and skills.
It stars Tom Austen as Daimon Helstrom, Sydney Lemmon as Ana Helstrom, Elizabeth Marvel as Victoria Helstrom, Ariana Guerra as Gabriella Rossetti, Robert Wisdom as Caretaker, June Carryl as Louise Hastings and Alain Uy as Chris Yen.
Since Helstrom was executive produced by Paul Zbyszewski, Karim Zreik and Jeph Loeb (under the now-defunct Marvel Television), it remains to be seen if it will even be officially considered a part of the MCU’s canon.
Perhaps we’ll learn more about the upcoming TV series during New York Comic Con 2020, which is slated to take place online from 8 to 11 October 2020.
Helstrom will debut its 10-episode first season exclusively on Hulu on 16 October 2020. In the meantime, check out the trailer below:


Company Of Heroes 3 Delayed To February 2023

Sega and Relic Entertainment have announced that Company Of Heroes 3 will now be launching for PC on 23 February 2023. The RTS game was originally slated to release on 17 November 2022.
Check out the full statement from the developer below (via Twitter):
As we approach the November 17 launch date for Company of Heroes 3, our team has decided the game is not quite up to our players’ or our own high standards. There still are bugs to squash, pixels to polish, gameplay to adjust and feedback to address.
As a result, we’ve decided to move the launch date to February 23, 2023. While we know many of you are itching to get your hands on the game, we believe this to be the best decision for Company of Heroes 3, our players and our studio. This provides our hard-working team and partners with the necessary time to deliver Company of Heroes 3 in a better overall state.
We are incredibly proud of the dedication our community has shown throughout CoH-Development. Your feedback has been critical in these last stages of development and will continue to be a driver for our team for years to come.
Thank you for your support and patience,
The Company of Heroes 3 team
In the meantime, check out my hands-on preview of Company Of Heroes 3 by heading over here and check out our gameplay footage of the game below:


Check Out The Netflix Dragon’s Dogma Anime In Action

One of Capcom’s arguably underrated action titles is getting a brand-spankin’ 7-episode anime series, and so far it looks intriguing.
Netflix just released a trailer for the show, slated for a 17th September release. It features the following that’s sure to sate fans like myself:

Dragons, hydras, griffins, cyclops and goblins; all from the game.
Fantasy action & violence.
Pawns with names tied to the red-haired Arisen (named Ethan).
CGI anime.
A ton of British accents.

Shin’ya Sugai of 009 Re: Cyborg fame will be directing and producing the anime, while Taiki Sakurai (Cannon Busters) will be executive producer.
Trailer below, along with the show’s description. No sign of B’Z’s “Into Free/Dangan”, which is a crying shame:

“After losing his home to a dragon, Ethan sets out to hunt it down once and for all. A pawn appears by his side and serves to protect his life. But the dangers that lie in wait for Ethan are beyond their imaginations, for when you fight a monster… you just may become one too.”


Justin Roiland Gives Statement Following Dropped Domestic Abuse Charges

The domestic violence charges filed against Rick & Morty co-creator Justin Roiland earlier this year have officially been dropped, according to a representative with the Orange Country District Attorney.
Speaking with IGN, they said that the reason why the charges were dropped is because they “did not have sufficient evidence to prove the case beyond reasonable doubt”, as well as “additional information that came to light during the investigation.”
Meanwhile, Roiland’s attorney, T. Edward Welbourn, said:
“I commend the Orange County District Attorney’s Office for conducting a thorough review of the facts and deciding to dismiss the case against Justin. I’m thankful justice has prevailed.”
For the first time since the charges were levied against him, Roiland also spoke out on Twitter:
“I have always known that these claims were false – and I never had any doubt this day would come.
I’m thankful that this case has been dismissed but, at the same time, I’m still deeply shaken by the horrible lies that were reported about me during this process.
Most of all, I’m disappointed that so many people were so quick to judge without knowing the facts, based solely on the word of an embittered ex trying to bypass due process and have me ‘canceled.’ That it may have succeeded, even partially, is shameful. However, now that the legal case has ended, I’m determined to move forward and focus both on my creative projects and restoring my good name.”
After the charges came to light earlier this year, several companies cut ties with Roiland, including Adult Swim, which was where Roiland was co-creator, executive producer, and voice actor on Rick And Morty, as well as Squanch Games, which developed High On Life, and Hulu, which worked with him on animated series such as Solar Opposites and Koala Man.
As of now, it’s unclear if Justin Roiland will once again be able to work with these companies moving forward.

justice pic.twitter.com/1q9M4GA6MV
— Justin Roiland (@JustinRoiland) March 22, 2023


Devotion Is NOT Launching On GOG Later This Week (Update)

(Updated on 16 December 2020)
In a bizarre turn of events, GOG has suddenly revealed that Devotion won’t be coming to the platform after all.
They cite the reason for doing so “after receiving many messages from gamers”. It’s unclear what that exactly means for now, but it’s possible that GOG is referring to complaints made by gamers from China.

Earlier today, it was announced that the game Devotion is coming to GOG. After receiving many messages from gamers, we have decided not to list the game in our store.— GOG.COM (@GOGcom) December 16, 2020

Developer Red Candle Games has announced that first-person psychological horror game Devotion will launch on GOG on 18 December 2020 for US$16.99 (or roughly RM68+).

Hello friends, we want to share with you– Red Candle will publish #??Devotion on Dec 18 on GOG.https://t.co/dlC6qzBiHxThe content and the price of the re-release remains the same, for $16.99 / €13.99Thank you for your trust and support. We wish you a happy end of the year pic.twitter.com/peVPd7cyVo— redcandlegames (@redcandlegames) December 16, 2020

The game first launched for PC via Steam in February 2019 but was removed by Valve from Steam in early 2019 due to assets that supposedly mocked Chinese President Xi Jinping. Itâ€™s been that way for more than a year, until now.
We (at Kakuchopurei) even listed Devotion as one of our best games of 2019, which just goes to show how much of a shame it is that itâ€™s not available for more gamers around the world.


Free Fire World Series 2021 Singapore Breaks Global Esports Record

It’s a hell of a week for Free Fire mobile battle royale fans.
First up,Â the Finals of the Free Fire World Series 2021 Singapore (FFWS 2021 SG) has hit a peak of 5.4 million concurrent viewers, excluding Chinese platforms, according to Esports Charts. For comparison, FFWS 2021 SGâ€™s peak concurrent viewership figure of 5.4 million more than doubles 2019â€™s World Series record.
The FFWS 2021 SG delivered record viewership across multiple platforms. Round 1 of the FFWS 2021 SG is the highest peak viewership of any esports match in history, excluding Chinese platforms. The FFWS 2021 SG more than doubled its peak viewership for the Free Fire World Series 2019 Rio, which attracted 2 million peak concurrent viewers; that’s a lot of views.
Second piece of good news for fans: Team Phoenix Force from Thailand are the FFWS 2021 SG world champions, with Team Phoenix Forceâ€™s TheCruz dubbed the MVP. The Thai team took home the World Series title and US$500,000 in prize money after claiming 4 Booyahs and 48 kills en route to a staggering 113 points.
Second place goes to Team LOUD from Brazil (77 points) and third place goes to Team Silence from CIS (73 points). Team Phoenix Forceâ€™s victory represents the first World Series victory for Thailand, after Team Corinthians from Brazil won the Free Fire World Series 2019 Rio in front of their home fans. Good job, Thailand!
The FFWS 2021 SG brought to Singapore 18 teams from 11 regions as they competed for a US$2,000,000 prize pool â€“ Free Fireâ€™s largest ever. Points were awarded based on round ranking and the number of kills.
All of the matches were broadcast live. To replay any of the high-octane action, head over to the Free Fire Esports Official YouTube channel. Also, if you’re itching for some battle royale, you can download the gameÂ on the Apple iOS App or Google Play store.


Six Tips To Max Out Your D4DJ Groovy Mix Rhythm Gaming

From the same folks that brought you BanG Dream! Girls Band Party!, D4DJ Groovy Mix is an anime-styled rhythm game focusing on DJ girls instead of girl bands.
Part of a multimedia project that combines DJ concerts, anime, and games into one dynamic experience, Groovy Mix represents the game portion of this project with frenetic music beats.
But D4DJ Groovy Mix is more than just a rhythm game to get good at. It also has a ton of side mechanics that can influence how well youâ€™ll score on any song. In other words, it’s also an RPG.
Whether youâ€™re here because youâ€™re a fan, or whether youâ€™re just in the mood for a robust rhythm game, these important tips and tricks will be sure to help you scratch out some sick mixes.
Teambuilding and Creating the Best Unit

Like many gacha games, your path to success always begins with your roster of characters. Once youâ€™ve pulled some cards from the gacha, youâ€™ll find that each card can come at a rarity of 2 to 4-stars.
Naturally, 4-star characters represent the strongest characters, but this is only a piece of the puzzle when it comes to teambuilding in D4DJ.
Before we get ahead of ourselves, letâ€™s first dive into how we judge the worth of a card. Each card comes with three set parameters, known as Heart, Technical, and Physical. These categories are not important – just combine the values together to get the cardâ€™s total power. Usually, the higher the power, the better.
Each card also comes with a skill that activates during gameplay. While these skills are important, you should still prioritize the Total Power of your unit whenever possible.
Besides card power, the composition of team members is also important. As you may have noticed, each character in the game also belongs to a unique DJ group. By matching team members within their respective groups, youâ€™ll get a bonus to Total Power.
For example, a unit that is composed of only Happy Around! units will offer a bigger score bonus than if it were two members from Happy Around! and Peaky P-key each.
For the sake of convenience, hereâ€™s a list of the groups and their respective members:
Happy Around!

Rinku Aimoto
Maho Akashi
Muni Ohnaruto
Rei Togetsu

Peaky P-key

Kyoko Yamate
Shinobu Inuyose
Yuka Jennifer Sasago
Esora Shimizu

Photon Maiden

Saki Izumo
Ibuki Niijima
Towa Hanamaki
Noa Fukushima

Merm4id

Rika Seto
Marika Mizushima
Saori Hidaka
Dalia Matsuyama

Rondo

Tsubaki Aoyagi
Nagisa Tsukimiyama
Hiiro Yano
Aoi Miyake

Lyrical Lily

Miyu Sakurada
Haruna Kasuga
Kurumi Shiratori
Miiko Takeshita

One last thing to mention is Event Bonuses. Whenever certain events are ongoing, there will be bonuses provided if you include certain characters and specific styles.
The characters and styles will depend on the event, but youâ€™ll want to match your team with these bonuses to get more event points.
Since the game will continually encourage you to meet different requirements per event, expect to level a wide variety of cards over the course of the game.
The Lowdown on Unit Training and Limit Breaks

To improve your score multipliers, you have to increase the Power of your cards. This can be done by levelling up these cards using EXP tickets. You can get these tickets by reaching score and combo milestones in various songs, and as rewards from login campaigns and events.
There is a limit to this, though. Once you reach certain EXP thresholds, youâ€™ll be asked to Limit Break a card so that you can continue levelling them. Limit Breaks use items called Crystals, a limited resource that you obtain by playing through events.
For levelling and limit breaking, focus on the highest rarity cards first and work your way down. After that, start building team compositions that provide the biggest bonuses to your score.
Focus on Club Buffs in the Long Term

While setting up your team, you may have noticed a feature called Club Buffs. Club Buffs provide passive boosts to your charactersâ€™ parameters based on the items in your Club. The bonuses on these items are divided based on each DJ group, and they can also be upgraded.
Though the advantage is marginal, slowly upgrading these items over time will ensure that youâ€™ll eventually start earning better scores as you continue playing the game.
If youâ€™re just starting out, focus on installing and upgrading the Club items which benefit your main party the most. For example, if your main unit consists of mostly Merm4id characters, then youâ€™ll want to install and upgrade the Club items that boost Merm4idâ€™s parameters.
How to Unlock More Songs

There are several currencies that are used to unlock songs in D4DJ. The most commonly-used ones are called Soundtrack Medals and Cover Medals.
Soundtrack Medals are used to unlock Game and Instrumental tracks. Meanwhile, Cover Medals unlock song covers performed by the D4DJ cast. These medals can be obtained either through events or via the Coin Exchange.
Another type of song is called a Base Song, which consists of established music by different artists. These are songs that arenâ€™t covered by D4DJâ€™s singers but are in the game nonetheless. For instance, Hololive songs by their original singers can be found under this category.
These songs are unlocked using a rarer resource called Songpearls. Songpearls can only be easily obtained by exchanging them with Songshells, which you get from rolling a duplicate card in the gacha.

Obviously, this makes it a difficult currency to obtain, so youâ€™ll want to think carefully before deciding which Base Song to unlock.
Finally, some original songs can only be unlocked through story progression. New stories are unlocked as you use members of specific groups in your plays to unlock new ranks. Expect to do quite a bit of reading as you collect more songs, though!
Dailies and Things to Remember

If youâ€™re keen on playing D4DJ regularly, there are a few things youâ€™ll want to pay attention to.
-Diamonds and gacha tickets, for one, will let you collect new cards through the gacha. This is especially important for F2P players who arenâ€™t keen on opening their wallet.
-Work on increasing and diversifying your roster with different characters and styles so that you can do well in events. Diamonds and gacha tickets can be accrued gradually by doing your dailies and weeklies, so try not to miss out.
-Speaking of characters, some events will also reward characters as freebies. If youâ€™re too busy to bother with events, donâ€™t fret, as these cards are pretty easy to get. That being said, you should definitely grab these characters so that youâ€™ll have a bigger collection to utilize down the road.
-Next, make sure to redeem your free Voltage (stamina) each day. Normally, this will cost you 300 Diamonds, but itâ€™s always on the house when youâ€™re redeeming it for the very first time.

-Since Voltage can be stacked, thereâ€™s no downside to redeeming Voltage each day. You’re free to stockpile them for when you have more free time.
-Last but not least is the Exchange menu. The Exchange is where you can purchase various items such as EXP tickets, Crystals, and more using Coins or Songshells. However, most of the items here are limited and only refresh on a monthly basis.
Songshells are an extremely finite resource, so you should only use Coins to purchase these items. If youâ€™re low on coins, good items to prioritize are the Energy Drink 5 and the 3* Crystals
Take a Peek at the Accessibility Settings

One of the better features of this game is that itâ€™s put some effort into accessibility. If youâ€™re still learning the ropes and are getting overwhelmed by the gameplay, try turning on auto for either the tap, slider, or disc portions of the song.
Similarly, you can also freely customize your live settings to get the best rhythm experience. You can adjust note opacity, speed, input delay, and much more. With all of these options at hand, youâ€™ll no doubt find a setup that best suits you.

At the end of the day, you’ll still have to do well on the rhythm portion of the game to reap the rewards. Accessibility can make all the difference between a poor experience and a great one. If certain beatmaps are giving you trouble, the key might be in the settings.


Diablo 4 Gets Hellish Fashion Collaboration With Iconic Danish Group Han Kjøbenhavn

Not content with tattoo parlours, Diablo 4 is getting another unique collaboration in lieu of the game’s 6th June launch. In the form of Danish fashion group Han Kjøbenhavn.
During Milan Fashion Week which ends today, the fashion group showed off a number of outfits inspired by Diablo 4 and its main antagonist Lilith. Here are the official descriptions for these hellish designs:

The “Chthonic Penumbra” collection is an artistic vision born from the dark corners of a genre-defining game. The designs feature handcrafted elements in faux fur, vegan leather, feathers, and plenty of grey and black hues, with softer compliments of whites, pearls, and chrome throughout. The dramatic showcase is meant to inspire images of “hell as a beautiful place”.
Attendees at the show were treated to a high-concept journey through creative director Jannik Wikkelsø Davidsen’s eye-catching sculptural designs, inspired by themes from the world of Sanctuary and Diablo IV’s mother of Demons, Lilith. The show was also accompanied by dystopian-themed audio and vibrant, blood-red fabrics, creating a dramatic, legendary experience.

The pret-á-porter collection is set to debut as part of the Fall/Winter 2023 ready-to-wear showcase and will be available for purchase in Summer 2023. Diablo 4 will be out in open beta form later this March.


Ruggero Deodato’s Cannibal Trilogy Will Get A Video Game Entry Called Borneo: A Jungle Nightmare

Welp, add another game to the ever-growing “banned in Malaysia” list.
Apparently, there’s going to be a video game entry to the infamous Cannibal film trilogy, the masterclass shock found footage horror and gore-filled work of famous Italian director Ruggero Deodato. Its title? Borneo: A Jungle Nightmare, an “original chapter in the Cannibal cinematic line”.
From the looks of the trailer, the game will be a graphic adventure game filled with a lot of horrifying depictions of people being eaten and the aftermath. And half of it taking place in the city with allusions to former tribesfolk adjusting to inner-city life. Probably. Deodato’s shockfest films aren’t exactly subtle. Go judge it for yourself.

I’ll say this: as a fellow Sarawakian who has resided in longhouses and verandahs, as well as experienced the Sarawakian forest backs (is that the word?) I’m morbidly curious as to how Deodato’s associates and developer Fantastico Studio will portray tribe life and East Malaysia. It’s going to be tasteless and probably offensive, like how most of Deodato’s work was back in the day.Â So I’m willing to see how far it pushes the envelope in terms of its schlockiness.
Borneo: A Jungle Nightmare will be out in Summer 2021 for PS5, Xbox Series, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch(?), PC via Steam, and Mac.


Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare II Ranked Play Overview

The latest Call of Duty multiplayer mode -Modern Warfare II in this case- has Ranked Play, which will be out when the game’s Season 2 starts, which should be tomorrow GMT+8.
The game’s Rank system requires players to put in more weight and reward on winning matches, as well as tweak the Rank and Skill Divisions, adding in Skill Rating (SR) Forgiveness and Demotion Protection. To actually be in Ranked Play, you need to be at least Level 16. However, Ranked Play allows you to have unrestricted item access -including weapons and attachments- to ensure everyone is on the same competitive footing.
Ranked Play will take place on these maps:
Hardpoint

Al Bagra Fortress
Breenbergh Hotel
Embassy
Mercado Las Almas
Zarqwa Hydroelectric

Search & Destroy

Al Bagra Fortress
Breenbergh Hotel
El Asilo
Embassy
Mercado Las Almas

Control

Al Bagra Fortress
Breenbergh Hotel
El Asilo

Skill Rating
Playing matches grants Skill Rating, from Bronze to Top 250 complete with a skull emblem that’s on par with a dudebro game like CoD.

Bronze – 0-899 SR
Silver – 900-2,099 SR
Gold – 2,100-3,599 SR
Platinum – 3,600-5,399 SR
Diamond – 5,400-7,499 SR
Crimson – 7,500-9,999 SR
Iridescent – 10,000 SR minimum
Top 250 – 10,000+ SR (see below)

When the new Season starts, everyone starts out as Bronze Ranked players. You win matches, your rank goes up. In higher Skill Divisions, more emphasis will be put on team performance to ensure all winning playstyles are appropriately rewarded. Speaking of teaming up, here are some restrictions for squadding up in Ranked Play.

Bronze through Platinum players can party up with no restrictions.
Diamond and Crimson players can only form parties with and play against other players within two Skill Divisions.
Iridescent and Top 250 Players can only form parties with and play against other players within one Skill Division.

10,000 will be put on the Top 250 Leaderboards for all to see. This year, the Top 250 will be active at the beginning of each Season and start to fill as the best players climb above 10,000 SR and qualify.
Rank & Seasonal Win Challenges
Winning a Ranked Play match counts toward two additional systems: your Rank and Season Win Rewards.

Win cumulatively and you’ll go through the numbered ranks as displayed on the pic above. One Ranked Play win equals one star: win 5 and you get the snake medal that appears in the colour of your Skill Division. Win more and you’ll get wolves, gorillas, and the mighty dragon (50 stars) as your symbol next to your Ranked account. Each win also counts toward a Seasonal Win Challenge, which offers new rewards each Ranked Season. No matter your skill division, you will still win stuff.
Additional Features For Ranked Play

Ranked play matches will not start if teams are uneven. If a player disconnects or quits before a match begins, all remaining players will return to the lobby and the match will not count.
SR Forgiveness: if a player disconnects or quits in the middle of the match, all team members outside of that player’s party will not lose ANY SR. Basically, if that 4v4 becomes a 3v4 due to a teammate quitting, SR can still be earned if you manage to overcome the disadvantage and win the match, but losing while shorthanded won’t deduct any SR.
Penalties and suspensions can be given to those who quit, disconnect, sit idle, or commit friendly fire too often. Players who show repeated bad behavior will be handed more severe punishments. The system used to evaluate repeated bad behavior has been overhauled in Modern Warfare II to punish bad actors and avoid harsh punishments for players who consistently play the game the right way, or who change their ways after being penalized or suspended more consistently.
Demotion Protection: this new feature will help all players avoid immediate relegation after advancing to a new Skill Division. After advancing to a higher Skill Division, players will not lose any SR within the first three games in the new Division. Following that initial protection, if players do lose enough SR to risk relegation, players must lose two consecutive matches to be demoted out of their Skill Division. Demotion Protection also applies to the first three matches of every Season.
Two additional features of note are Hot Streak Flames, which rewards players who can rack up 3+ game win streaks over a 72-hour period, and the addition of Ranked Play Icons in Social Profiles, allowing you to show off that Skill Division and Rank across Modern Warfare II and Warzone 2.0, no matter what mode you play.

Ranked Play Rank Rewards

Rank 5: “Ranked Competitor” Operator Skin Pack, one “Home” version and one “Away” version awarded for both the Male and Female CDL Operators
Rank 15: Pro Issue Sidearm Blueprint, which has similar attachments to what is used at the highest level of competitive play.
Rank 30: New Gun Screen that tracks Ranked Play wins.
Rank 40: Pro Issue Combat Knife Blueprint, which is another popular competitive Secondary weapon.
Rank 50: “Ranked Veteran” Operator Skins (Home and Away) awarded to Male and Female CDL Operators, proof of your commitment to Ranked Play no matter your Skill Division.

This should be a good wake-up call for players who want to take their FPS CoD skills to a higher level. Ranked Play will be available tomorrow for PC and console versions of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II.


The Disney+ Stan Lee Documentary Is A Touching Tribute To His Time At Marvel

It’s been almost five years since we lost Stan Lee and last year in 2022 would have been his 100th birthday. To commemorate the late legend and what would have been his 100th birthday, Disney+, in collaboration with Marvel Studios (this is very important to note), has released a one-shot documentary about parts of his life and his time at Marvel.
Excelsior!

Disney+’s Stan Lee documentary is just about one and a half hours long in runtime, and it covers quite a lot in that short duration. This includes starting from his birth in November 1922, how he started working at Marvel (Timely Comics at the time), how he met Jack Kirby for the first time, how he coined his iconic pen name, how he met his wife (the late Joan Lee, who passed away just one year before Stan Lee did), the Comics Code Authority and how Stan Lee defied them and more. However, since this documentary was made in collaboration with Marvel Studios, it ultimately focuses most of its content on Stan Lee’s time at Marvel and how he created his most iconic characters such as the Fantastic Four, Spider-Man and more.
One would think that since that’s the case, the Disney+ documentary is simply a corporate-mandated fan-service flattering look at the late Stan Lee as a way of making Marvel look good. For the most part, that’s somewhat true, but there are moments in the documentary which potentially teased what could have been meatier and more compelling content if the documentary makers had more time and resources, perhaps more episodes instead of a one-shot. For instance, I loved the part when Stan Lee wanted to quit but his wife encouraged him to do what he liked, which was how he went on to create the Fantastic Four with Jack Kirby.

Speaking of Jack Kirby, the documentary also features several real sound bites and audio from the late legendary comic book artist. Plus, for much of the documentary’s runtime, it’s also the real Stan Lee’s voice as the narrator, and perhaps they achieved that by taking existing audio from him before he passed away, but I digress. Some of the best parts of this Stan Lee documentary isn’t just how it shows Stan building up Marvel over the years and different eras, but also in showing how instrumental Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko were in helping Stan achieve that. Comic book fans could argue that the documentary doesn’t delve deep enough (and that’s also true), but the documentary does a decent job of introducing the names of the late Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko to more casual viewers who otherwise wouldn’t have even known these two late legends existed.
Back to my earlier point, due to the involvement of Marvel Studios, the Disney+ Stan Lee documentary does feel a bit too clean and sanitized. The best documentaries aren’t afraid to delve deeper into any controversial drama or unsavoury parts, but this documentary is from Disney so it had to be family-friendly. It glosses over many of the darker parts of Stan Lee’s life and barely touches his life outside of Marvel, so this documentary really acts as more of a summary of his time and contributions to Marvel, not to Stan Lee’s life as a whole. As a result, we don’t see much of the real conflict and disputes between Stan Lee and Jack Kirby or between Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. That said, the documentary does show a small part of that by featuring a public argument between Stan Lee and Jack Kirby on live radio. However, it doesn’t delve any deeper, and it mostly skips a lot of the drama from Stan Lee’s later years at Marvel before the Marvel Studios era, including when Marvel almost went bankrupt in the 90s (which is how other companies like Sony were able to purchase the rights to Marvel characters like Spider-Man).
Nuff Said

And yet, I can’t deny how much Stan Lee meant to me, and to countless others across the world. On the day that Stan Lee passed away (on 13 November 2018), I wrote a heartfelt article about what Stan Lee meant to me and how he was like a grandfather I never had. Even before Marvel Studios released their first movie, Iron Man, in 2008, I was already a longtime fan of Stan Lee ever since I could remember. Ever since I was a kid, the main reason why I wanted to attend Comic-Con was simply for the opportunity to meet Stan Lee in person. While I will never be able to do that now, I’m glad that there are people out telling stories about Stan Lee, even if it doesn’t show him as the great but flawed individual that he was.
Having said all that, the Disney+ Stan Lee documentary is great for casual viewers who don’t really know much about the late legend, but it doesn’t offer much for comic book fans or those who already know more. Still, I couldn’t help but tear up when I finished watching the Disney+ Stan Lee documentary. Firstly, it ends with a picture of Stan Lee, together with Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko, side by side, showcasing that no matter what their issues were in life, they all worked together and without even any one of them, Marvel wouldn’t be what it is today.
The documentary also ends with one of the last speeches Stan Lee ever made, back in 2017, which I believe perfectly encapsulates why I and countless others look up to him as an inspiring figure.
These were his words, and I dare you not to cry:
“If you have an idea that you genuinely think is good, don’t let some idiot talk you out of it. That doesn’t mean that every wild notion you come up with is gonna be genius, but if there is something that you feel is good, something you want to do, something that means something to you, try to do it.
Because you can only do your best work if you’re doing what you want to do and if you’re doing it the way you think it should be done, and if you can take pride in it after you’ve done it, no matter what it is, you can look at it and say, “I did that and I think it’s pretty damn good.” That’s a great feeling.
I want to wish all of you the best luck in the world.
Just do your thing. Whatever you do, give it your best shot.
Excelsior!”
In the words of the late Stan Lee, nuff said.
FINAL SCORE: 70/100
We received an early screener of Stan Lee courtesy of Disney+ Hotstar Malaysia. Stan Lee is slated to premiere on Disney+ Hotstar on 16 June 2023.


Realme GT Neo2 Gaming Flagship Launches In Malaysia Next Week

realme Malaysia has announced that they will be launching their brand new gaming flagship smartphone, realme GT Neo2 on the 3rd of November 2021 via their Facebook page. realme Malaysia is launching this gaming smartphone for their fans to have a more comfortable experience while gaming.
The realme GT Neo2 features a stainless steel vapor cooling plus which is by far realmeâ€™s best heat dissipation system. It has an 8-layer cooling structure that ensures the phone’s heat dissipation is more effective for an enhanced gaming experience.
Within the 8-layer cooling structure, realme GT Neo2 uses an all new thermal compound called the diamond thermal gel layer. The GT Neo2 is also the first ever smartphone to use this diamond thermal gel layer which contains 20% mesh diamond dust. realme uses this diamond dust as it is a much better thermal conductive material compared to other thermal compounds with up to 50% more effective in heat transfer to ensure the temperature of the GT Neo2 is controlled for long gaming sessions.
realme also increased the area of its stainless steel VC heatsink to 4129mmÂ² which happens to be realmeâ€™s largest VC heatsink by far. This 4129mmÂ² VC heatsink has an increased cooling area of 30% compared to realmeâ€™s previous generations which means it covers 68% of the motherboard and 42% of battery area to ensure the heat dissipation speed is more effective and efficient. The CPU temperature is decreased by 18 degrees celsius and a 20% increase in heat transfer so the GT Neo2 can run at its peak performance for a longer period of time.
This impressive cooling chamber is made specially for gamers who prefer playing games on their smartphones. This is why the realme GT Neo2 is suitable for long hours of gaming while avoiding the phone from heating up and causing discomfort.

Catch the launch of the realme GT Neo2 at realme Malaysiaâ€™s Facebook page at 3pm GMT+8 on 3 November 2021.


Metal Gear Survive Gets A Release Date

The first Metal Gear game to be made after Hideo Kojimaâ€™s departure, survival-action-adventure game, Metal Gear Survive will be released on February 20th 2018. Announced at last year’s Gamescom, the gameÂ takes place in the time period between Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes and Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K90rOdEiV_U&w=560&h=315]
Pre-ordering the game rewards players with the Day 1 Survival Bonus Pack, which includes: 4 gold-plated weapons including a bat, a sledgehammer, a survival machete, and survival spear; two additional gestures (happy, and thumbs up); four metallic survival scarves (green, blue, pink, and silver); â€œkabukiâ€ face paint; a Mother Base nameplate; and Boxman â€œthe orangeâ€ accessory.

Metal Gear Survive will be on the PS4 and Xbox One.


Janda Hunters’s Top 10 Games Of 2019

2019 was a slow time for games, understandable since its the end of the Xbox 1 and ps4s life cycle, and everybody’s focusing on 2020. However, a few gems and surprises did get released. Here’s my best of 2019.
*Note that I didn’t play Control and Sekiro due to my reluctance to touch anything from From Software; lol.
10. Days Gone
Zombies. Lots of them…
Story and gameplay-wise it lacks polish but its a decent attempt to quench my zombie-killing thirst, at least until The Last Of Us 2 comes out.
9. Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night

I must admit I’m a rabid Castlevania fan, especially the IGAvania stuff. This game really takes me back to my hundreds of hours playing Symphony of The Night so it’s here.
Also, zombies.
8. Mortal Kombat 11
NRS games are not the most competitive or deepest fighting games, but it is the most flashy and Hollywood out of all of them.
7. Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order
Everybody was sceptical when another Star Wars game was announced, especially since it was released by EA and the controversy of BattleFront 2, but they managed to surprise with a decent single-player game and no loot boxes.
6. Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare
It’s an attempt to appease the fans of the old Modern Warfare, and a valiant one at that. The single-player campaign is a bit short by today’s standards, but multiplayer is hours lost without realizing.
5. Death Stranding

After much hype, this is what it boils down to…
DS is a bit disappointing in terms of what it actually delivers. A slow burner of a title, it picks up quite slow, and the story could be confusing at times. But when it picks up, it’s a Kojima game with all the greatest visuals that can come out from a 6-year-old console.
Great design, sound and visuals almost make this a GOTY winner, but the slow pace and convoluted stops this from being one of the greats.
4. Apex Legends
The game doesn’t offer in terms of bringing anything new, battle royale is years old by now and class selection even more, but it manages to blend the formula decently resulting in hundreds of hours lost.
3. PokÃ©mon Sword/Shield
It’s not anything new, but it works. It ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
2. Devil May Cry V

It’s rare that any company want’s to dabble in a pure action game like they did in the ps2, ps3 era as they did with Dante’s Inferno, God Hand and Bayonetta in the past. Even God Of war has become an action RPG-esque game albeit an excellent one.
However, Capcom proves that they are a master of this genre. With popcorn Hollywood visuals coming from the excellent RE Engine, Capcom managed to throwback to the blissful old days of PS2 button mashing.
1. Resident Evil 2: Remake
This game took us by surprise when it was announced back in E3 2019. If DMC was a throwback to the PS2 days, then this is a reenactment of the golden ps1 days. The game is as long and short as it needs to be, great for both crowd who wants to play it slow and steady, and speedrunners who want to bulldoze it through with plenty of replay value.
Yes, I am a Capcom fanboy. And zombies.


[Rumour] Halo Infinite Multiplayer Will Be Out Next Monday

Next Monday is a significant day for console shooter fans. It’s the 20th year anniversary for Halo: Combat Evolved, the FPS that made the genre viable on consoles. And Xbox has a pretty neat idea to celebrate that occasion.
According to some rumours and datamining from HaloDotAPI and Reddit, Xbox will be celebrating the anniversary by releasing Halo Infinite’s multiplayer on 15th November, next Monday.

Heroes of Reach – November 15, 2021 #HaloInfinite pic.twitter.com/zLESxO6Bcs
— #SaveHaloDotAPI (@halodotapi) November 11, 2021

Infinite next week
— #SaveHaloDotAPI (@halodotapi) November 11, 2021

https://twitter.com/Surasia4/status/1458854375271677958

What better way to celebrate the anniversary of the Xbox than with a birthday surprise.
I can independently confirm & share with you today that Halo Infinite multiplayer will be made available on Monday, November 15.
Suit up, Spartans. https://t.co/fLpR86bu4O
— NateTheHate2 (@NateTheHate2) November 12, 2021

File this one under “uncertain” since there hasn’t been any marketing going on with the game’s multiplayer coming out early. At the very least it could just be an open beta that’s free-to-play with a few levels.
All I’m saying is that if it’s really happening as a stealth drop, the company may need to fix its current Xbox Live problem ASAP.


We’re Getting A New Dragon Ball Action RPG AND Jiren In Dragon Ball Fighter Z

Love Super Saiyans but want an action RPG loot-hoarding fiesta attached to it? Well your prayers have been answered.
Thanks to a recent Bandai Namco tweet, the development team will start making a Dragon Ball Z action RPG dubbed “Dragon Ball Game Project Z: Action RPG”. Guess they haven’t settled on a kick-ass title yet. But still, if it’s an action RPG, that can mean something along the lines of Dark Souls or Diablo, but with Dragon Ball and energy projectiles aplenty.
Oh, and we’re getting this Universe 11 guy in Dragon Ball FighterZ.

More information will be revealed at the Dragon Ball FighterZ World Tour Finals in 26-27 January. So why is Jiren a big deal? Because it took the combined might of Goku, his mortal enemy Frieza who came back from the dead just for this, and Android 17 to take down this brute who keeps getting stronger by the minute.
This last fight in Dragon Ball Super is a choreographed thing of beauty and will most probably be re-enacted in DBFZ.

The full tweet below.

In 2019, the project of a New Game focusing on the World of Dragon Ball Z begins!And more news coming to DRAGON BALL Fighter Z! The Warrior from Universe 11 is joining the fight!More information to be revealed at the DRAGON BALL FighterZ World Tour Finals in January 26th ~ 27th https://t.co/K8tc4BvnZa
— BANDAI NAMCO EUROPE (@BandaiNamcoEU) January 16, 2019