Genshin Impact Lantern Rite Event Guide: How To Party Liyue Style [Update]

Genshin Impact’s 1.3 update is live, and with it comes a pretty big limited-time event to celebrate this month’s Chinese New Year.
There’s a lot to keep track of, so here’s a guide tackling each different activity in the Lantern Rite event.
Five Flushes Of Fortune – Photo-Taking Guide

There’s a nifty photo-taking event in Genshin Impact that’s similar to Pokemon Snap, but with way more restrictions. To activate this quest and get the Kamera, talk to Ji Tong in Liyue. He’s at the north part of the town.
Once you have the Kamera, you can start taking photos. However, you can’t exactly snap a general item and call it a day; you have to take a photo of a specific object of a specific colour. Once you take a photo, you gain a randomly coloured picture: red, blue,yellow, brown, purple. You need one of each to get the Five Flushes Of Fortune daily reward via trading them with Ji Tong.
Here’s a step-by-step guide:

You gain 10 Film per day. You need Film to take photos of Today’s Photo Subject.
Every day, there will be a new Photo Subject. Today’s one, for example, is a Red Item.
You need to scour the world to find that one item and take photos of it. For this instance, you should take photos of Jueyun Chili at Qingce Village.

Once you take a photo of the correct subject, you gain a random-coloured picture.
Protip: you can take pictures of the same item as long as it is a different entity. So if you see two stalks of Jueyun Chili, you can take 6 photos to gain 6 randomly-coloured pictures.
In case you do not get a particular colour for the Rewards, you can give extras to your friends in hopes that they give you one of their extra colours.

Geovishaps Guide
To start this monster hunt, you need to talk to Zhiping who is located south of Liyue. He will ask you to find out what’s causing earthquakes in the region.

Head to the western bit of Tianqiu Valley; the Geovishap is waiting at ground level in a conveniently-shaped giant circular arena.

There it is, in all of its glory. Here are a few protips on defeating it:

The Primo Geovishap has the standard three-hit swing that ends with an AoE ground pound. Just dodge accordingly.
The Primo Geovishap has a breath attack. Just get behind it when it starts doing it, then attack it from behind.
If you get too close, it will do a damaging crowd-control swing with its tail. Luckily it telegraphs this move; just dodge accordingly.
Occasionally, the Primo Geovishap will do a large AoE heavy-hitting Shower attack. You need to have a character who can summon a shield (like Noelle or Xinyang) to counter this effect. A single counter will deal a good chunk of damage to it.

When it’s at half health or less, it will start launching projectile spikes onto the ground that will summon additional protruding grounds spikes after a second or two delay. Just move out of the way when you see the spikes plant itself in an area.
The Primo Geovishap will also burrow into the ground, dig its way to your general direction underground, and then do a two-hit emergence and ground pound attack. Dodge and get out of the way as soon as it stops in front of you when it’s tunneling.
When the Primo Geovishap is at less than a quarter of its health, it will stop doing its Shower attack. So no free counter damage; you have to brute force your way through its thick noggin.

Theater Mechanicus Guide

Theater Mechanicus is a new tower defense activity that you can play in Genshin Impact’s current CNY event. It involves a lot of Xiao Lanterns, Veneficus Sigils, and Peace Talismans. Here’s how to access it:

First, complete the Lantern Rite festival starter quests, which lets you go wild with Xiao and his kit.
Then, you’ll need to create Xiao Lanterns using the alchemy bench. Get the recipe from an NPC named JingMing in Liyue, then craft away. You’ll need the following to craft 1 Xiao Lantern: 1x Lantern Fiber (collect random plants & flowers), 1x Wick Material (hilichurl & Fatui enemy drops), 1x Plaustrite Shard (mine ore nodes).
Speak to Ruijin in Liyue Harbor. She’ll let you try out one Theater Mechanicus tower defense session for free. All future runs require you to cough up 1 Xiao Lantern.

Once that’s done, you’ll need a basic gist of how it goes:

Like any tower defense mini-games, you need to stop enemies from reaching the escape point. Enemies come in waves; if you kill them off in every wave, you win.
The catch? Your party members cannot deal damage directly to them. Instead, you’ll need to use their elemental reaction abilities to trigger Mechanici towers that you can place all over the field. You build them using Veneficus Points.
The towers you have on tap are Tidal Flats (Hydro), Spark (Pyro), Thin Ice (Cryo), Thunderstrike (Electro), and Recovery (extra construction points). And just like in other tower defense games, you can upgrade them.
When you start, you’re given a minute to set up your towers. The only protip right now is place them where you can cause the most amount of elemental reactions. For instance, place Tidal Flats next to Thin Ice for easy Frozen effects on enemies. Or place Spark next to Thunderstrike for easy Overload opportunities.
Keep in mind; some fast enemies can escape easily than others, so setting up towers for easy Freeze opportunities is vital for later waves.
Once you complete a wave, you’ll get a Mystic Arts screen. These are modifiers that help you with your tower defense management. These also cost Venificus Sigils.
The party combination you create is also very important. Good picks include Kaeya & Ganyu (Cryo), Mona & Xingqiu (Hydro), Xiangling & Klee (Pyro), and Fischl (Electro). These characters can generate reactions faster because of their quick cooldown times for their skills.
Alternatively, characters like Venti and Jean have special Anemo skills that push away mobs so that you can prevent their escape. If you have either one, slot them in.
The best part? This mini-game allows for co-op play, so you can have other folks with better gacha luck to help you out.
Once you complete certain challenges, you’ll earn Veneficus Sigils that will help you permanently upgrade your existing towers so that they start off strong & powerful.
Clearing the mini-game and its challenges will also award you Peace Talismans; use these for rare items in the Xiao Market.

Mystic Arts List
Use Veneficus points to buy these. While most of these Mystic Arts powerups are beneficial, some of them cost 0 points and are detrimental to your wave runs, but they offer a bonus once they’re killed.

Mystic Art
Cost

X-type tower has increased attack
160

X-type tower has increased attack speed
40

X-type tower has increased range
120

X-type tower has increased elemental mastery
80

X-type tower has decreased costs
40

Increased construction points gained from tower deconstruction
75

Reduced cooldown of stage interactions
75

Cryo towers fire at an extra target; +150% damage vs. frozen opponents
300

Hydro towers gain +150% damage vs. wet opponents
300

Electro towers gain +50% damage bonus with each attack (stacks up to five times); lasts 30 seconds
300

Fearless â€“ A Ruin Guard or Ruin Grader will spawn at the start of the wave. Defeating this enemy awards extra Veneficus Sigils at the end of the run.

0

Fickle â€“ X-type tower might be unable to attack for one wave; increased range/attack afterward.

0

Tower Upgrades List
You need Veneficus Sigils to permanently upgrade your towers.

Tower Name
Base Effect
Level 3 Upgrade
Level 5 Upgrade

Tidal Flats (Hydro damage and status)
Small AoE attack
Larger AoE
Periodically creates mist bubbles that can imprison enemies

Spark (Pyro damage and status)
Lobs fireballs that deal small AoE damage
Larger AoE
Leaves behind flames that damage enemies passing through

Thin Ice (Cryo damage and status)
Shoots a frost bullet
Frost bullets decrease SPD
Frost bullets explode to deal AoE damage

Thunderstrike (Electro and status)
Attacks one enemy at a time with lightning
Attacks three enemies simultaneously
Periodically strikes one nearby opponent

Recovery Mark I (Construction Points)
Generates bonus construction points when you defeat enemies within a small AoE around the tower
Increased AoE
Greatly increases the amount of construction points obtained

Gust (Anemo damage and status)
Will be unlocked on February 11
Can be rotated to adjust its orientation; knocks back enemies
Increased knockback distance
Will pull in enemies while itâ€™s charging

Longbow (Physical damage)
Will be unlocked once you reach â€œGuests From Afarâ€ Festive Fever stage
Periodically shoots arrows
Increased effectiveness against Geo
Bolts gain homing capabilities

Desire (Tower Buffer)
Will be unlocked once you reach â€œGuests From Afarâ€ Festive Fever stage
Increases the attack of towers in a small AoE around it
Does not stack with the effects of other towers
Increases the buffâ€™s AoE
Note: This is a level 2 upgrade
Can overlap with effects from other Mysticus Mechanici
Note: This is a level 3 upgrade

Ambush Mine (Pyro damage and status)
Will be unlocked on February 12
Deals massive Pyro AoE damage when an enemy gets close
Greatly decreases construction points needed to build
Defeating an opponent with the Ambush Mine can cause another explosion to occur

Portal of Wonders (Teleportation)
Will be unlocked once you reach â€œGlow of a Thousand Lanternsâ€ Festive Fever stage
Two of these can be built on a map.
Players may use a Portal of Wonders to teleport to its counterpart.
N/A
N/A

Peace Talisman Challenges Rewards List
The main reason you want to ace Tower Mechanicus. Trade these talismans for awesome rewards at the Xiao market.

Challenges
Peace Talisman Reward

Clear a stage at difficulty 1
160

Clear a stage at difficulty 2; have a score of at least 420 points
300

Clear a stage at difficulty 3; have a score of at least 490 points
300

Clear a stage at difficulty 4; have a score of at least 560 points
300

Clear a stage at difficulty 2; defeat all monsters
300

Clear a stage at difficulty 3; defeat all monsters
300

Clear a stage at difficulty 4; defeat all monsters
300

Raise any four Mechanici (towers) to level 4
300

Raise any five Mechanici (towers) to level 5
400

Raise any six Mechanici (towers) to level 6
500

Lantern Rite Event Guide
Check out this video for a full walkthrough of the Lantern Rite starter quest that leads to the opening of the Xiao market in Liyue.


Netflix Renews Locke And Key For Season 2

Netflix has announced that they have renewed Locke And Key for a second season. The first season of the streaming giant’s adaptation of the comic book by Joe Hill and Gabriel RodrÃguez originally premiered last month on 7 February 2020. Due to the Coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak crisis currently gripping the world, that now seems like a lifetime ago.
Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, Locke And Key showrunnersÂ Carlton Cuse and Meredith Averill said:

“We are thrilled to be continuing the journey of Locke & Key alongside all of our amazing collaborators.
We are grateful to Netflix for all their support, especially at this difficult time, and look forward to bringing you the exciting next chapter of our story.”

It’s great news for fans of the source material, as an adaptation of Locke And Key was stuck in development hell for years before Netflix picked it up. It was notorious for being difficult to adapt, but I’d say that the showrunners have pulled it off, despite taking some liberties on the comics.
We still don’t have any details on Locke And Key Season 2, or even a potential release date yet. In the meantime, check out our full review of Locke And Key Season 1 here, or head on over here for our exclusive interview with the showrunners Cuse and Averill to learn more about how the show came to be.


Granblue Fantasy: Versus Is Great, Even With Its Small Roster & Dubious DLC Practice

Review originally published on 10th February. We pushed it to 2nd March as the game will finally be out for the US.Â
Platform: PS4
Genre: 2D anime fighting game with Street Fighter footsies
Size isn’t everything, but when it comes to fighting game rosters, it’s usually quality and quantity. And Granblue Fantasy: Versus’ selection, while unique and filled with familiar-yet-fresh archetypes, still feels small when compared to even Street Fighter V‘s 2016 debut.
With 11 unique characters to play with, it’s only a matter of time after a month or two when players have already exhausted their choice of roles & pocket selections. Speaking of which, the game will get additional characters in a suspect announcement pre-launch, which we’ll get to in a few more paragraphs.
And that’s probably the only bad thing I can say about this sidequest based on the Granblue Fantasy mobile game. Why? Because everything else is spectacular and inviting. The latter point especially, since fighting games can be Rubik’s cubes in themselves.
Taking Flight

This spin-off to the absurdly popular gacha mobile RPGis a 2D fighting game that combines the fundamental gameplay of earlier Street Fighter titles with streamlined input notions of an anime fighter. The outline is the same: best of three, beat up your opponent in a game of 2d skill, and so forth.
The streamlining occurs in the controls and how special moves come out. Every character has a three-hit auto combo they can pull off by pressing any of the attack buttons consecutively. You can do your regular inputs, but you have access to “hot keys” and unique skills where you can pull moves off with a press of a button.
Each of your character’s many special moves have three different versions; a light, a medium, and a heavy version. If you use the heavy version of, say Katalina’s sword anti-air uppercut, that particular move will need to “cool down” for a few seconds before you can use it again. The tradeoff is that her heavy anti-air is completely invincible from its starting wake-up animation and deals a significant amount of damage.
While you can block by holding back like in most fighting games, you can also defend by pressing the guard button. This input also gives you access to evades (back + guard) that lets you avoid attacks for a split second (think The King of Fighters ’94’s evade), and “crossover” forward dodges (forward +guard) that let you switch sides with your opponent. There are even “just” block techniques that give you a frame advantage if you defend an attack at the last possible second.
All these features lead to not only beginner-friendly controls for fledging fighters but also great tools for experts to exploit. If you’re getting pressured by an onslaught of attacks and unblockable setups, just evade/crossover with precise timing and you can punish accordingly when they’re left vulnerable from an attack. If you spot an incomplete block string, push your opponent back with a heavy special attack and give yourself space while your move cools down. You will be appropriately punished if you time it wrong, so use it sparingly.

While I did comment on the lacking quantity concerning its roster, there’s still a lot to love with whoever we have. From female burly wrestlers to a trio who can summon a goddess as a desperation move, there’s no lack in playstyles and variety.

If you want to learn the ins and outs of GBVS while you fight, you should use main character Gran and his knight buddy Katalina, who have all-rounder moves and kits to fight off most of their adversaries. If you lean towards grapplers and hard-hitters, effeminate wrestler Ladiva and scary dude Vaseraga will sort you out.
Rushdown players will have a ton of fun with chivalrous knight Lancelot and obligatory fantasy midget Charlotta; the latter basically has a combo of E.Honda and Akuma moves that close the gap super-fast if you so much as even blink. And if you are a zoner and footsies-priority kinda fighter, obligatory RPG fighting game tart Metera and emo girl Ferry have a ton of tricks up their metaphoric sleeves with their arrows and ghostly compatriots respectively.
How’s the online, you may ask? It’s as stable as they come, provided you fight players within your region. Heck, most of my fights with Japanese and Taiwanese players come out fine and dandy with slight online delay. All in all, it’s as good as it can get so far.
In case you need a heads-up with most of these fighting game terms I just inserted here, the game is nice enough to provide a glossary not just for its lore, but also fighting game terms. That’s always helpful!
Eye In The Sky

No matter how well your game plays out and how promising it is to the old guard of fighting game fans, it won’t mean squat if it’s tough to pick up from the get-go. Which brings me to these important points:

Is the game’s tutorial mode inviting enough to make you want to play the game beyond its story mode?
Is the game’s story mode worth the hours and time?

This is important because as many learned fighting game folks can tell you, you need new blood to get people on board your fighting game. And to attract new blood, you need an array of single-player content to keep them engrossed and hopefully make them come to the conclusion to take it to a competitive level.
Games like Mortal Kombat 11 do this very, VERY well. Dragon Ball FighterZ? It does this fine too and adds some nice touch of diverging storylines in the show’s canon. Bad examples? Street Fighter V (back in 2016) and Samurai Shodown. I loved the latter SNK game mechanics-wise, but it needed more than just a simple 8-stage story mode to keep younger and newer folks invested.
Thankfully, Granblue Fantasy: Versus offers a meaty single-player experience. RPG mode brings up a whole new story that lets players revisit the locations of Granblue Fantasy in a delicious coat of paint and a bunch of new orchestrated-slash-guitar-laden music courtesy of artists like Yasunori “Octopath Muthaf***ing Traveller” Nikishi and Stella Magna.
Its tale is pretty stock if you’ve at least watched and/or read a few dozen shonen or isekai animes, mangas, or light novels. Basically, part of your good guy team gets hypnotized into fighting your crew and you have to knock sense into them while figuring out the mysterious dark powers messing about in Granblue and its floating island world. As per standard Arc System Works story modes, you get talking heads (with mostly great Japanese and English VOs) with varied portraits and text, as well as key cutscenes that look so lush, they were probably sponsored by Cygames’ excess pocket gacha change.

Still, buying Granblue Fantasy: Versus mainly for its story is like playing a mobile RPG for its engaging narrative; it’s fine icing to sample, but you’re missing the point. Gameplay and loot-hoarding takes precedence here.

For newbies, it’s part anime tropes-filled story and part fighting game tutorial mixed in with a single plane 2D brawler. You’ll not only learn how to combo and duel, but know when to guard and evade attacks, and also pull off hard-hitting Skybound Arts at the right time.
You’ll be fighting clustermucks of enemies, with a giant boss thrown in for good measure. The tougher fights against the uniquely large bosses are tests of endurance and patience, forcing you to use Support abilities that heal you mid-battle or boost your attacks with armour-breaking or long-ranged multi-hitting properties.

Most of these fights will have you turning either to the left or right beating up enemy mobs, which is why the shortcut keys and block button are important. It’ll take a while for you to get used to the fact that pulling off quarter circle back motions may lead to a 50-50 chance that you’ll end up facing the wrong way. The game conditions you to use these “hotkeys” as a viable means for real fights against people.

As with all great titles that make use of their story modes and tutorials, Granblue Fantasy: Versus weaves this organically using this RPG mode.

Once you progress deep into RPG mode, you unlock Tower of Babyl which is essentially endless mode. You start off tackling 5 stages within a single playthrough, then work your way up to tougher battles and longer sets of stages. Beating these will net you better weapons and equipment.
And you’ll need all the loot you can get unless you want to get one hit KO’ed by the majority of high-leveled enemies. And your reward for these single-player fares? Weapons that boost your strength and HP that act as unlockables for versus play.
Keep in mind that the loot will alter your attack and health stats only in single-player mode. You can unlock them in multiplayer, but they’re only cosmetics that replace your character’s default weapon skins.
Simply put, you’ll be engrossed in its single-player mode for a good solid 4 to 5 hours; maybe even more post-ending with its extra difficulty modes & a plethora of shiny weapons to collect. Again, this is all optional and you can just jump straight to versus mode like every other person, but it’s a nice and meaty alternative to have to justify its full-on price tag.
But just barely.
Flight Of Fancy

When you look at its surface, 11 characters (and a secret unlockable dude) for RM200 seems like a hard sell. Unless you really, REALLY love fighting games, you may be second-guessing yourself at the local game shop counter.
The fact that Arc System Works has a Season Pass filled with extra new characters who will be available within 2 months, with said announcement made before the game is even out mind you, this rubs people the wrong way. Bad DLC practices are unfortunately commonplace within big and middle-sized companies. This is especially damning with some fighting games where dedicated tournament players will be forced to buy characters that have already been in the series in the previous iteration of the game.
Remember when SoulCalibur’s Tira and Cassandra was in the main roster in previous games before they were post-launch DLC in part 6? Ah, good times.
Plus, this isn’t the first time Arc System Works is presenting the illusion of withholding supposedly launch day characters as a means to get more money out of its player base. Blazblue – Cross Tag Battle is a notorious example of this.

While some may argue that these announced DLC characters were probably made and completed right after the game went gold, the timing for these announcements & marketing plans could be better.

Why not announce the new characters and Season Pass AFTER the game is out, unless this was Sega and Arc System Works’ plans all along? This isn’t a new company making fighting games for the first time: these are from the same guys who made legacy titles like the Guilty Gear and BlazBlue series.
And last we checked, the recent iterations for the aforementioned ASW titles had more than 11 characters out at launch. Marketing & PR done messed up here, however you see it.
Air Time
Minor issues and overlying industry bulls*** aside, I am impressed with 2020’s first fighting game offering. At the very least, Granblue Fantasy: Versus‘ graphics and soundtrack coloured me impressed. When you have the patented AWS 2D/3D art in play with Granblue Fantasy’s lush 2D artworks as a frame of reference, your game’s going to be a hell of a looker.
I’m just thankful that there’s an incredibly solid fighting game to back it up. Not only will veterans enjoy the best of both a Street Fighter and an anime fighter title, but newbies will have fun getting into an accessible fighting game that gets deeper over time.
Pros

Great fighting system.
Meaty single-player content.
Lovely graphics.
Epic fighting game soundtrack.
Inviting for newbies.
Great online play (so far).

Cons

Needs a bigger roster…
…that’s not blocked by an alleged DLC paywall.
Controls in RPG mode takes some time getting used to.

FINAL SCORE: 80/100
Disclaimer: we haven’t had a chance to test out online mode to the fullest with optimal settings yet. So far our current matches have been unstable and lag-spiked. We’ll be sure to update this review with netcode talk when we played more online fights within a week or two while the game is still fresh.


Capcom Countdown Reveal Pops Up; Might Be New Street Fighter Reveal

Capcom has launched a teaser website which is counting down to something later this week.
The date of the reveal will be on 21 February 2pm GMT+8 (next Monday), which is coincidentally the same time the upcoming Street Fighter 5 Capcom Pro Tour Season Final showcase finishes. The Capcom Pro Tour Season Final will be showcasing exhibition matches from 18th February until the 21st, featuring 31 pro Street Fighter 5 players like Angrybird, Mago, Punk, Idom, and Daigo Umehara.

Does this mean we will be getting a short peek at Street Fighter 6? Or a new fighting game in the Street Fighter universe? We’ll be tuning in, of course, so let’s hope that’s the case. Street Fighter 5 has been around long enough since 2016, so a new engine and 2D mechanics change for next year (and also being out on all platforms apart from PC and PS4) would be great for fighting game fans.
Honestly, I’m also cool with a new Capcom vs SNK; that’s also long overdue.


Final Stranger Things Trailer Teases More Action & New Monster

Ahead of its slated premiere in two weeks, Netflix has released the final trailer for Stranger Things Season 3, showcasing more action and higher stakes than ever before. The sleepy town of Hawkins will once again be thrust into chaos and the kids will need to work together again to defeat this new threat.
The entire gang returns, with Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown), Mike (Finn Wolfhard), Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin), Max (Sadie Sink), Will (Noah Schnapp) and Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo) a little bit older than we last saw them in Stranger Things Season 2.
In the trailer, Mike even says:

â€œNo matter what happens, we have to stop him together,â€

The trailer ends with all the kids cowering behind counters and cars in the mal, hiding from an unseen new monster angrily growling in the distance. Can this new monster be even scarier than the Demogorgon?
The official description for Stranger Things Season 3 is as follows:

Itâ€™s 1985 in Hawkins, Indiana, and summer’s heating up. Schoolâ€™s out, thereâ€™s a brand new mall in town, and the Hawkins crew are on the cusp of adulthood.
Romance blossoms and complicates the groupâ€™s dynamic, and theyâ€™ll have to figure out how to grow up without growing apart. Meanwhile, danger looms.
When the townâ€™s threatened by enemies old and new, Eleven and her friends are reminded that evil never ends; it evolves.
Now theyâ€™ll have to band together to survive, and remember that friendship is always stronger than fear.

Here are the titles for all eight episodes in Stranger Things Season 3:

Episode 1: Suzie, Do You Copy?
Episode 2: The Mall Rats
Episode 3: The Case of the Missing Lifeguard
Episode 4: The Sauna Test
Episode 5: The Source
Episode 6: The Birthday
Episode 7: The Bite
Episode 8: The Battle of Starcourt

Stranger Things Season 3 premieres on Netflix on 4 July 2019. In the meantime, check out the final trailer below:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=104URQI-BCY&w=560&h=315]


Here’s How You Can Get One Month Free Origin Access

Origin may not be everyone’s favourite PC games launcher but it still packs an impressive library of fun games. It’s also the primary storefront for some of EA’s major titles such as Battlefield V, Anthem, and The Sims 4, all of which you can play for free if you have Origin Access Basic.
Well, I’ve got great news. EA is taking part in the National Cybersecurity Awareness month and they’re offering one month of free Origin Access Basic for Origin users who turn on login verification. The offer ends on 31 October 2019 and users will get their Origin Access beginning on 1 November 2019.
A portion of the 200+ games you can play for free with Origin Access.
Aside from being able to play a ton of games for free, Origin Access Basic will also allow you to play 10-hour free trials of upcoming games in early access. On top of that, you also get 10% on Origin purchases. It’s a pretty sweet deal.
To turn login verification, follow these steps:
1. Login your EA/Origin account in the EA website.
2. Click on your profile thumbnail on the top right corner and go to “Account Settings”.
3. Go to the “Security” tab and you’ll see one part that says “Login Verification”.
4. Click “Turn On” and follow the steps.
For those of you who already joined Origin Access on either Basic or Premier, worry not. If you turn on login verification, you won’t be charged for the month of November. If you’ve already turned on login verification prior to this, you’ll still get one month free Origin Access in November.
So what are you waiting for? Go get yourself one month free Origin Access!
Read EA’s official post here.


Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Comes To Steam Next Month

Ubisoft has confirmed that Assassin’s Creed Valhalla will launch on Steam on 7 December 2022. Assassin’s Creed Valhalla originally launched for the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and PC via Ubisoft Connect and the Epic Games Store back in November 2020.
In a statement to Eurogamer, Ubisoft also confirmed that other titles such as Anno 1800 and Roller Champions will also launch on Steam, albeit with unspecified release dates for now.
A Ubisoft spokesperson said:
“We’re constantly evaluating how to bring our games to different audiences wherever they are, while providing a consistent player ecosystem through Ubisoft Connect. Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, Anno 1800 and Roller Champions are among the Ubisoft titles that will be releasing on Steam.”
More free content will be coming to Assassin’s Creed Valhalla by the end of the year, including a The Last Story epilogue chapter.
In the meantime, check out our full review of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla here, or head on over here for our guide on how to be the best Viking in the game.


Wild Rift Southeast Asia Icon Series Summer Season Kicks Off Next Month

Riot Games Southeast Asia has announced that the League Of Legends Wild Rift Southeast Asia (SEA) Icon Series Summer Season will kick off on 3 April 2021, following its five weekend-long regional Preseason.
The Wild Rift SEA Icon Series will be the first tournament produced by Riot Games Southeast Asia in partnership with their regional partners and will be an important foundational step to establishing the regional legacy Southeast Asian players and teams can bring to the global mobile MOBA esports scene.Â Â
From February to the end of March and across seven location-specific tournament circuits, teams across Southeast Asia have been competing for the title of local Wild Rift Preseason champions. With the start of the Summer Season, these top teams will compete over a two-month period before the victors meet for the Summer Super Cup, where the best players and teams from each competing locale will be crowned.
Riot Games Southeast Asia, Hong Kong, and Taiwan Head Of Esports Chris Tran said:
â€œWeâ€™ve had an exciting preseason for the League of Legends: Wild Rift Southeast Asia IconÂ  Series, during which weâ€™ve seen some show-stopping performances from our invited teams.
We look forward to cheering these top regional talents on and we invite all Wild Rift fans to cheerÂ  their favourite teams on as they continue their journey this Summer.â€Â
The Wild Rift SEA Icon Series: Summer Season will kick off on April 3rd, and features eight-week-long tournaments in the Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, Taiwan, Malaysia, Indonesia, andÂ  Singapore. The full list of registration dates, qualifier start dates and broadcast channels forÂ  each regional tournament are listed below -Â
Indonesia (ONE UP)Â

 Registration start date: March 22Â
 Qualifier start date: April 4Â
 Broadcasted in Bahasa IndonesiaÂ Â
 Where to watch: Youtube

Malaysia (ESL MY)Â

 Registration start date: March 8Â
 Qualifier start date: April 3Â
 Broadcasted in Bahasa MalaysiaÂ
 Where to watch: Youtube, Facebook

The Philippines (PPGL)Â

 Luzon Open 1 Registration start date: March 22Â
 Luzon Open 1 Qualifier start date: April 4Â
 Luzon Open 2 Registration start date: March 29Â
 Luzon Open 2 Qualifier start date: April 10Â
 Visayas Open Registration start date: April 12Â
 Visayas Open Qualifier start date: April 24Â
 Mindanao Open Registration start date: April 12Â
 Mindanao Open Qualifier start date: April 24Â
 Broadcasted in TaglishÂ Â
 Where to watch: Facebook, Youtube, Twitch

Singapore (ELIPHANT)Â

 Registration start date: March 29Â
 Qualifier start date: April 24Â
 Broadcasted in EnglishÂ Â
 Where to watch: Youtube, Twitch, Facebook

Taiwan (CYBER GAMES ARENA)Â

 Registration start date: March 15Â
 Qualifier start date: April 3Â
 Broadcasted in MandarinÂ Â
 Where to watch: Twitch, Youtube, Facebook

Thailand (ESL TH)Â

 Registration start date: March 8Â
 Qualifier start date: April 3Â
 Broadcasted in ThaiÂ
 Where to watch: Twitch, Youtube, Facebook

Vietnam (VNG)Â

 Registration start date: March 15Â
 Qualifier start date: April 3Â
 Broadcasted in VietnameseÂ
 Where to watch: Youtube, Facebook, TikTok


Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 Has Casted Its Adam Warlock

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, the next upcoming Marvel movie from director James “Best Suicide Squad” Gunn, will be featuring an Adam Warlock (via Deadline).
Following through on a teaser from the end of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2, Adam Warlock will be played by actor Will Poulter (Midsommar, Black Mirror: Bandersnatch).

According to Marvel Cinematic Universe canon, Adam Warlock will be the creation of the Sovereign led by Ayesha, who will send this “perfect being” to defeat the Guardians.
Adam Warlock in the comics is an artificial being who is known for playing both the hero and villain (sometimes as Adam Magus) in cosmic and space-related Marvel universe adventures and story arcs. Usually, it involves the comic book versions of the Guardians of the Galaxy.
It’ll be fun to see this super-powered artificial being hindering/helping the Guardians in the MCU and its Phase 4 multiverse comic book nonsense.


Here Are Some Planet Zoo Tips & Tricks To Build A Better Zoo Negara

Planet Zoo gives you a ton of options and choices on building the perfect animal-filled park, be it a digital safari or a snowy tundra-esque “biodome”. But truth be told, there’s a lot going on in the game thanks to its management options and a plethora of animals to choose from.
So how should you start your zoo-making escapade? Let us help you out with some tips we’ve learned during our time in Frontier Entertainment’s latest sim offering.
Change Your Pause Button To The Spacebar
You’re going to want to pause the game more often than usual; like in those turn-based real-time CRPGs. Even on the slowest setting, time passes deceptively quickly.
If you let the game run while you spend 10 or 15 minutes crafting a habitat, you might find dozens of babies have been born, adult animals have died of old age, or other issues have cropped up. Get in the habit of pausing often; map the button to the spacebar as it’s more accessible.
Start Slow, Think Little
Do not cave in to the impulse of building a giant-as-heck habitat. It takes quite aÂ  bit of time to start seeing profits match your efforts. Just like any other sim game,Â  build and expand too fast and you’ll lose money quicker than a rich fat guy in a Thai soapy massage brothel.
Each habitat and exhibit you build takes a lot of resources to maintain. So take your time and start small for now. Hire a small amount of staff and adopt a realistic amount of animals in proportion to your design. Expand your enclosure only if you’re making a profit or breaking even.
Maximize Your Viewing Space
Did you know that you can add windows to walls so that your audience can gawk at animals from a better vantage point? It’s an easy-to-miss option: you can add windows to solid walls so you can build windows into bricks and wooden walls.
Create Shared Habitats To Save Money

If you’re looking to save money on construction costs and get a lot of value from less land, acquire animals that can share their habitats with different species. Giraffes, buffaloes, warthogs, gazelles, and many others are actually happier occupying the same habitats with certain other speciesâ€”the in-game Zoopedia will tell you with whom they benefit from living.
It’s easier for your staff to manage these animals when they’re all together instead of them being spread out all over the place.Â  It makes it clearer for your guests to see and learn about different animals without getting tired from walking too far. Also, the animals like each other, so it’s a win-win situation.
Make Your Staff Work-Life As Convenient As Possible
If you’ve ordered a mechanic or vet to do research or a zookeeper to handle some important task, you may wind up waiting a long time, and it’s not always obvious why. Your staff members may be bottlenecked because they can’t simultaneously use small facilities.
While one zookeeper is chopping up food, or a mechanic is studying new zoo technology, anyone else will have to wait patiently outside, peering in through the window if it’s the only small facility available. Protip: research can unlock larger facilities that can be shared by more than one employee.)
It might also be down to guest congestion. If your employees are slow getting around, think about building them their own dedicated staff paths so they don’t bump into guests.
Cheat The System To Achieve Bronze
You can unlock the zoo and map in challenge and sandbox modes by completing the first series of bronze objectives in career mode. If this gets tricky, keep in mind that you can balance and tweak the game just to achieve them; the game doesn’t register that as cheating.
For example, if you want to earn a yearly profit of $1,500.00 and get your employee happiness levels over 70% one after the other, you can first lower employee pay to the lowest to get the profit goal. Then crank up their pay to get that happiness rating.
Use SouvenirÂ  Shops To Placate Angry Customers
Much like in real life, tourist traps and gift shops can turn frowns upside down for the masses. If you want to get more money out of your guests without pissing them off too much, consider researching souvenir shops first before putting in burger huts and drink stalls.
That way, you can get away with raising admission fees and charging for toilet use. Sure, donation boxes outside habitats are great earners, but Planet Zoo’s guests are more enticed by buying big dumb hats from souvenir shops.
If You Have To, You Can Adjust Loan Repayments
Making a profit with your zoo is hard. So why not resort to loans? To a point, anyway.
Loans can help keep you afloat, and you can adjust the monthly repayments from the loan menu. If you take out a loan, you can adjust how long you want to take to pay it back, which can help you out with lower payments in the short term even if it doesn’t do you any real favours in the long term.
Use this if you 70% think you don’t need to start afresh with a new zoo.
Kick Out Rowdy Guests
Some of your guests will be jerks. There may be vandals, litterbugs, and even pickpockets hiding among the nice people who just want to look at your zebras and giant snails.
You do you can sic a security guard on them and kick them out. Or, you can just do it for fun. Just make sure they buy a hat first. This goes for individuals or groups;Â  protestors don’t count.
Be Careful When Splitting Habitats

There will come aÂ  time when you need to expand your zoo, which also means splitting habitats.
It’s easy enough to draw some barriers through the middle and turn that huge habitat into two smaller ones. But before doing that, make sure the gate winds up in the same section the habitat’s current resident is in.
If you divide a habitat in half and the animal is in one half but its gate is in the other, Planet Zoo will decide the animal has escaped. Even if that one bear or tiger is sleeping while you’re doing this, the game will still make that decision.
When All Else Fails, Make YourÂ  Animals Immortal
It’s heartbreaking to see your animals die from starvation and diseases from your neglected animal-caring duties. If you’re playing on sandbox mode, you can turn animal mortality options off and make them live forever. It’s unrealistic,Â  sure, but this at least makes you focus on the animal zoo designing aspects better. After all, the game is called Planet Zoo, not Planet Veterinary.


Shadow And Bone Season 2 Trailer Teases Epic Return Next Month

Netflix has released the first full trailer for Shadow And Bone Season 2, which will premiere on 16 March 2023.
The synopsis for Season 2 reads:
To stand a fighting chance against General Kirigan and his seemingly indestructible new army, Alina Starkov and Mal Oretsev rally their own powerful new allies and begin a continent-spanning journey to find two mythical creatures that will amplify her powers.
Back in Ketterdam, a chance at a deadly heist sends the Crows once again on a collision course with the legendary Sun Summoner.
Shadow And Bone stars Jessie Mei Li as Alina Starkov and Ben Barnes as General Kirigan.
Joining the cast this season are cast are Anna Leong Brophy (Back, Traces) and Lewis Tan (Mortal Kombat) as Tamar Kir-Bataar and Tolya Yul-Bataar, twin Grisha mercenaries who work under the privateer Sturmhond; Jack Wolfe (The Magic Flute) as Wylan Hendricks, which is most likely the alias of popular Six of Crows character Wylan Van Eck; and Patrick Gibson (The OA) as Nikolai Lantsov, prince of Ravka.
Shadow And Bone Season 1 premiered in April 2021 (and it’s part of our Netflix April 2021 highlights as well).
Check out the trailer below:


Saints Row Reboot’s New Video Showcases Criminal Ventures And The Return Of Insurance Fraud

Volition and Deep Silver just unveiled a new gameplay trailer for its upcoming reboot of the Saints Row series.
The video is basically about the game’s criminal ventures. Here, the new Saints need to build their criminal empire from scratch, so they need to do hits and set up organized crime rings to get made and take over the city of Santo Ileso. The businesses you build and its placement on the city map is entirely up to you.

Each of these ventures come with their own characters, gameplay, and rewards. And yes, the series’ highly popular minigame insurance fraud will be in these ventures via the Shady Oaks Hospital criminal venture.
Check out the gameplay trailer below. Saints Row (2022) will be out on 25th February for Xbox Series, Xbox One, PS5, PS4, and PC.


Steam Spring Sale 2023 Is Live, Here Are The Best Deals

Spring is in the air! That also means another big Steam sale is upon us, and the Steam Spring Sale is now live!
It is live from now until 24 March 2023 at 1 am GMT+8.

Check out the best deals below:
Total War Warhammer 3 (RM126.63, 33% off)

It’s one of the best Total War games and it’s basically all your fantasy warfare dreams come true in one game.
Red Dead Redemption 2 (RM72.27, 67% off)

Even five years on, it’s a testament to how good this game looks, and the open-world is one of the most immersive ones out there. This is arguably one of Rockstar’s best games ever made, so if you missed out on this in 2018, now is the best time to play it.
Midnight Suns (RM97.50, 50% OFF)

Midnight Suns came out last year and it’s already half off. The folks who made XCOM made this into more than just a superhero XCOM clone and it’s a game worth playing, especially for Marvel fans.
Horizon Zero Dawn Complete Edition (RM68.97, 67% OFF)

It’s been a hot minute since Horizon Zero Dawn was released but that still doesn’t take away from the fact that it was a Game of the Year contender. With the Complete edition being 67% off, you can experience the base game along with all the DLCs for a fraction of the price.
Borderlands 3 (RM26.85, 85% OFF)

Borderlands 3 may be three years old but the game still offers an immersive experience that can provide hours of fun and entertainment. It’s a blend of genres, which combines elements of role-playing games with those of first-person shooters. At only RM26.85, it’s well worth the investment.
Sonic Frontiers (RM106.53)

One of the best 3D Sonic titles we’ve played in years. While that’s not really high praise, you can get some fun out of this now-33% discounted open-world speedster title.
Persona 4 Golden (RM63.20)

The best Persona-themed JRPG out there, featuring a lovely cast of characters, an idyllic setting, and a nifty soundtrack plus a combat system with tons of Personas to amass. It’s hard to get “Heartbreak, Heartbreak” out of your head after hearing it a good amount of times while you’re chilling out at Junes.
Norco (RM17.60)

One of last year’s more underrated adventure games, NORCO is about the sinking suburbs and industrial swampland of a surreal and distorted South Louisiana.
Teardown (RM32.80)

A lovely and delightful destruction sandbox game. Prepare the perfect heist in this destructible voxel universe; it’s just so satisfying to break things down and get creative with said mass devastation.
Doom Eternal (RM69.29)

At half-off, you’re getting the complete version of one of 2020’s best first-person shooters. Run, jump, rip, and tear all demons in your way while getting glory kills and jamming to an awesome metal OST.


New Live A Live Remake Trailers Showcase Two Of Its Scenarios

Square Enix showed us a sneak peek of its upcoming remake of SNES RPG classic Live A Live. You know, the JRPG with the eight heroes from different eras whose stories converge in one final epic arc that was never localized outside of Japan.
Anyway, the remake’s new trailers are looking sweet, featuring the Prehistoric stage that stars caveman Pogo and the Imperial China stage that features kung-fu legend Shifu who has to pass down his teachings to one of the three students available. Check out the action, the English voice-overs (even for the cavemen segment!) and the awesome new arrangements of the game’s classic Yoko Shimomura themes. “Megalomania” included:

Live A Live will be out for Nintendo Switch on 22nd July. You can pre-order the digital copy right now.


Resident Evil Infinite Darkness Trailer Reveals July 2021 Release

Besides details about the Resident Evil Village demos, the second Resident Evil Village Showcase live stream also unveiled a brand new trailer for Netflix’s Resident Evil Infinite Darkness. The upcoming 3D CGI series will premiere sometime in July 2021.
The trailer also revealed that the series takes place in 2006, two years after the events of Resident Evil 4Â and that viewers will meet the President AKA Ashley Graham’s father as zombies attack the White House.
Leon S. Kennedy will be voiced byÂ Nick Apostolides, andÂ Claire Redfield will be voiced byÂ Stephanie Panisello,Â well known to fans as the voice actors from theÂ Resident Evil 2 RemakeÂ from 2019 (check out my review here).
The new anime series will be produced and supervised by Capcomâ€™s Hiroyuki Kobayashi, who has been responsible for bringing numerous titles in theÂ Resident EvilÂ series to life. TMS Entertainment, which has birthed various anime series likeÂ Lupin The 3rdÂ andÂ Detective Conan, is leading production, with Quebico, led by Kei Miyamoto (Resident Evil Vendetta), in charge of 3DCG animation.
The official synopsis reads:
In 2006, there were traces of improper access to secret Presidential files found in the White Houseâ€™s network.
American federal agent Leon S. Kennedy is among the group invited to the White House to investigate this incident, but when the lights suddenly go out, Leon and the SWAT team are forced to take down a horde of mysterious zombies.
Meanwhile, TerraSave staff member Claire Redfield encounters a mysterious image drawn by a youth in a country she visited, while providing support to refugees.
Haunted by this drawing, which appears to be of a victim of viral infection, Claire starts her own investigation.
The next morning, Claire visits the White House to request the construction of a welfare facility.
There, she has a chance reunion with Leon and uses the opportunity to show him the boyâ€™s drawing.
Leon seems to realize some sort of connection between the zombie outbreak at the White House and the strange drawing, but he tells Claire that there is no relation and leaves.
In time, these two zombie outbreaks in distant countries lead to events that shake the nation to its very core.
In the meantime, check out the new teaser trailer below.


A Heroic Hyrulean Is Coming To Super Mario Maker 2

Super Mario Maker 2 may not be everyone’s cup of tea but it’s one of those games Super Mario fans have absolutely enjoyed due to how much freedom it gives you in creating your best and worst ideas. Well, get ready because more new tools are coming including a legendary sword.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_vWCCBVyCFs&w=560&h=315]
The Super Mario Maker 2 2.0.0.0 update will be released on 5 December 2019 with a host of new content including the Master Sword from the The Legend of Zelda series. Pick it up in-game and your character will turn into the heroic Hyrulean himself, Link.
That’s not all, you also unlock his abilities such as using his sword to attack, his shield to block, his bow and arrow to pick up far-off items, and even his bombs to clear out obstacles. Link’s introduction into the game opens up hundreds, if not thousands, of new ways to build levels and challenges.
The update also comes with other new additions including:

Ninji Speedruns

Take on timed challenges and see other players’ Ninji Ghosts to see how you’re holding up against their performance.
Clearing the courses will get you in-game rewards for special Mii costumes.

Dash Block

Gives you a speed burst when stepped on.

Frozen Coin

Coins surrounded by a block of ice that can only be released if melted by fireballs or other fire elements, including a certain angry sun.

P Block

When a P Switch is hit, invisible P Blocks temporarily turn into hard platforms or vice-versa.

Spike

The classic enemy that coughs up massive spike balls and launches them at Mario. If used in a the snow environment, they’ll toss snowballs instead.

Pokey

The iconic stacked cactus from multiple Super Mario games joins Super Mario Maker 2 for the first time. Players can even edit the height of each Pokey.

Another interesting addition that I want to highlight is the Ninji Speedruns. Each Ninji Speedrun event will run for about a week, with new courses distributed periodically. It’s a great approach in introducing a more direct approach towards competitive play in Super Mario Maker 2.
The 2.0.0 update will be free to download starting from 5 December 2019 for all Nintendo Switch users.


Overwatch League: Stage 3 Play-Off Teams Finalized

No one predicted it but it finally came true. The Boston Uprising has created history by becoming the first ever team to score a perfect 10-0 record in a regular Overwatch League stage following their 3-1 win over the Los Angeles Gladiators yesterday. With that win, they not only secured the top spot in Stage 3, but also a rematch against the Gladiators who were fourth in the standings. Putting their early-stage drama behind them, the Uprising, true to their name have gone from strength to strength as they plow through season favorites New York (3-2) , London (3-2), Seoul (2-1) and Gladiators (3-1).
Meanwhile, the Gladiators were assured of a playoff spot ahead of the San Francisco Shock due to better map difference. However, the Shock in Stage 3 looked like a totally different team than they were in the first two stages and should not be overlooked as they launch a late push for the season playoff.
For the first time ever as well, only one ‘full-Korean’ team is in the stage playoff – New York Excelsior – as both London Spitfire and Seoul Dynasty falling on the wayside to the likes of Boston and the two Los Angeles teams, Gladiators and Valiant. But their fans should not be worried as we believe these two teams are in this for the long run and are reserving their strats for the playoff round that really matters, the seasonal playoff stages. A hint of this was shown during Dynasty’s matches this week, as their support main, Ryujehong flexed to the main tank role, allowing their new addition, Gambler to slot in as second healer alongside Gido or Tobi. Our take? They have something up their sleeves so do not count them Koreans out.
The schedule for Stage 3 playoffs are as follows:

Winners of each playoff match will square off in the stage 3 title match for the right to walk home $100,000 richer. The runners-up gets $25,000 prize money. You can catch all the action live via Twitch.


FIFA 22 Adds Club Owned By Deadpool & Mythic Quest Actors

Welsh football club Wrexham AFC owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have confirmed that the club will be playable in FIFA 22.
Ryan Reynolds, best known for playing Marvel character Deadpool, and Rob McElhenney, best known for starring in sitcoms like It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia and Mythic Quest, famously purchased the football/soccer club in 2020.
They announced Wrexham AFC’s inclusion in FIFA 22 in a brief video on Twitter.

This is a statement from the press office of Wrexham AFC regarding #FIFA22
"We're in the game".
Ends.@EASPORTSFIFA
??? #WxmAFC pic.twitter.com/88tYTs2lkX
— Wrexham AFC (@Wrexham_AFC) September 12, 2021

It’s funny when they said (in the video):
“Our first full season as Wrexham owners has begun, yet many people still don’t know where Wales is.
Many people think that Wales is in England.
It is not!
It is in a region known as Rest of World – an important geographic area known for its random assortment of cultures, climates and football clubs.
If you’re planning on visiting Rest of World, please consider visiting Wrexham.
What the f*ck is Rest of World?!”
Wrexham AFC is currently fifth in the National League standings.
FIFA 22 is slated to launch for the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, PC, and Nintendo Switch on 27 September 2021.


World Of Warships Partners With Ocean Conservation Charity For World Ocean Month

World Of Warships developer Wargaming has revealed the details of their newest charity partnership as a part of their collaboration with King Features’ iconic character Popeye the Sailor Man. Taking place in June 2023 during World Ocean Month, the limited run of themed in-game content will benefit the marine conservation charity organisation FORCE BLUE.
Co-founded and led by actor and Recon Marine Veteran Rudy Reyes, FORCE BLUE unites the community of Special Operations veterans with the world of marine science and conservation for the betterment of both. With a longstanding history of supporting veteran and historical non-profit organisations, this collaboration marks World of Warship’s entry into ocean conservation, as they work in partnership with Popeye the Sailor Man to support the charity FORCE BLUE.
In support of FORCE BLUE’s efforts, Wargaming will be making a donation of US$50,000 to the organisation. On top of this donation, 10 percent of the net revenue generated from the sale of Popeye items will also be shared in support of the charity following the conclusion of the campaign.
FORCE BLUE, which was founded in 2016, is a charity with a focus on resolving two issues, the deterioration of the planet’s marine ecosystems and the difficulties far too many military veterans face when their service ends and they no longer have a mission. FORCE BLUE has used this as an opportunity to bring highly qualified veterans from special forces under the instruction of renowned scientists and environmentalists. Through this training, these veterans are equipped to travel to different parts of the world, carrying out missions to preserve and restore marine biodiversity.
Jim Ritterhoff, Co-Founder and Executive Director at FORCE BLUE, said:
“FORCE BLUE is honoured to be partnering with World of Warships in support of World Ocean Month. I don’t think there’s a single veteran on our team who isn’t a fan of Popeye, and so to be working with the two of them, while championing our mission of preserving and restoring the world’s marine ecosystems is an incredible opportunity.”
Live throughout June, the Popeye Charity Bundle includes two Commanders, Popeye and Bluto, equipped with unique voiceovers, as well as two flags, and a unique camouflage for the Tier VII USS Colorado. Alongside this, running until 30 June 2023, World Of Warships will also see a special “Save the Ocean” chain of missions equipped with weekly sprints and a free-themed Container waiting at the end. This follows the latest World Of Warships content update, which launched on 24 May 2023, bringing European destroyers in Early Access, the release of the Pan-American cruisers and Convoy battle mode to the game.
Check out the trailer below:


Rainbow Six Siege Will Be Free to Play This Weekend

Bored with your list of games, want to try something new but tired with battle royale games in the market? Then you’d be glad to know thatÂ Rainbow Six Siege will be available to play for free from May 17 to 20th for PC, PS4 and Xbox One.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23T_OGDnwME&w=560&h=315]
If you enjoyed the game during the free weekend period, then you’d be pleased to know that you can carry over the progress and continue to play uninterrupted when you purchase the full game. Ubisoft are offering up toÂ 50% off on theStandard, Advanced, Gold, Complete Editions between May 17 and May 28th.
The timetable for when R6S will be free to play this weekend are as follows:


SEA Markets Finally Get PS5 Official Prices & Local Release Dates

Southeast Asians may have been given the short stick for the release of the PS5, but it’s better late than never. Several Southeast Asian countries have finally received their official prices and release dates for the next-gen console.
So, far that includes Singapore, Malaysia, and the Philippines. We have listed down only SEA countries with official prices and release dates as announced by PlayStation Asia (or verified sources):
Malaysia PS5 Prices And Release Date
The PS5 is slated to launch in Malaysia on 11 December 2020.
 The Malaysian prices for the PS5 and its peripherals are as follows (via PlayStation Asia):
PS5 Standard Edition â€“ RM2,299PS5 Digital Edition â€“ RM1,869DualSenseâ„¢ Wireless Controller (standalone) â€“ RM349PULSE 3D wireless headset (with 3D audio support and dual noise-cancelling microphones) â€“ RM469HD Camera (with dual 1080p lenses for gamers to broadcast themselves along with their epic gameplay moments) â€“ RM279Media Remote (to navigate movies and streaming services with ease) â€“ RM149DualSense Charging Station (to conveniently charge two DualSense Wireless Controllers) â€“ RM149
For more details on when and where to pre-order, head on over here.
Singapore PS5 Prices And Release Date
The PS5 is slated to launch in Singapore on 19 November 2020.
The Singaporean prices for the PS5 and its peripherals are as follows (via PlayStation Asia):
PS5 Standard Edition â€“ S$729PS5 Digital Edition â€“ S$599DualSenseâ„¢ Wireless Controller (standalone) â€“ S$99.90PULSE 3D wireless headset (with 3D audio support and dual noise-cancelling microphones) â€“ S$149HD Camera (with dual 1080p lenses for gamers to broadcast themselves along with their epic gameplay moments) â€“ S$89.90Media Remote (to navigate movies and streaming services with ease) â€“ S$44.90DualSense Charging Station (to conveniently charge two DualSense Wireless Controllers) â€“ S$44.90
Philippines PS5 Prices And Release Date
The PS5 is slated to launch in the Philippines on 11 December 2020.
The Filipino prices for the PS5 and its peripherals are as follows (via Sirius Gaming):
PS5 Standard Edition â€“ P$27,990DualSenseâ„¢ Wireless Controller (standalone) â€“ P$3,990PULSE 3D wireless headset (with 3D audio support and dual noise-cancelling microphones) â€“ P$5,590HD Camera (with dual 1080p lenses for gamers to broadcast themselves along with their epic gameplay moments) â€“ P$3,290DualSense Charging Station (to conveniently charge two DualSense Wireless Controllers) â€“ P$1,690
Those in the Philippines can start pre-ordering the PS5 starting from 20 November 2020. Some local retailers in the country have updated their plans for PS5 pre-orders, such as DataBlitz below:

https://www.facebook.com/DataBlitzPH/photos/a.2068642873278372/2068642889945037

Indonesia PS5 Prices And Release Date
The PS5 is slated to launch in the Philippines on 22 January 2021.
The Indonesian prices for the PS5 and its peripherals are as follows (via PlayStation Asia):
PS5 Standard Edition â€“ ID$8,799,000PS5 Digital Edition – ID$7,299,000DualSenseâ„¢ Wireless Controller (standalone) â€“ ID$1,269,000PULSE 3D wireless headset (with 3D audio support and dual noise-cancelling microphones) â€“ ID$1,699,000HD Camera (with dual 1080p lenses for gamers to broadcast themselves along with their epic gameplay moments) â€“ ID$999,000DualSense Charging Station (to conveniently charge two DualSense Wireless Controllers) â€“ ID$499,000
Cheapest PS5 In SEA So Far
If we look at Malaysian RM as a common currency, considering the current conversion rates, the cheapest PS5 Standard Edition is available in Singapore, with Indonesia ranking as the most expensive so far:
PS5 Malaysia: RM2,299
PS5 Singapore: RM2,231.70
PS5 Philippines: RM2,388.35
PS5 Indonesia: RM2,554.55
Conversion Rates
S$1 = US$0.74RM1 = US$0.24P$1 = US$0.021


PokÃ©mon Presents February 2021: All The Games

The PokÃ©mon Company hosted a special PokÃ©mon Presents live stream earlier tonight to celebrate the franchise’s 25th anniversary.
Here are all the announcements:
New PokÃ©mon Snap

New PokÃ©mon Snap is coming to the Nintendo Switch on 30 April 2021. You can pre-order the game now.

PokÃ©mon Brilliant Diamond & Shiny Pearl

The PokÃ©mon Company announced remakes of PokÃ©mon Diamond and Pearl, which are retitled PokÃ©mon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, respectively.
They are slated to release for the Nintendo Switch sometime in late 2021.
PokÃ©mon Diamond and Pearl were originally released in 2006 in Japan and 2007 in the rest of the world for the Nintendo DS.

PokÃ©mon Legends Arceus

PokÃ©mon Legends Arceus seems to be a new open-world game is coming to Nintendo Switch in early 2022.
The gameplay footage showed a trainer being presented with three starter PokÃ©mon from a variety of regions: Rowlet from Alola, Cyndaquil from Johto, and Oshawott from Unova. The game takes place in the Sinnoh region in the past during the feudal era.
Players will have to throw old PokÃ© Balls at wild PokÃ©mon to catch them. The legendary PokÃ©mon Arceus also plays a major role in the game, but no details were provided.

You can watch the full PokÃ©mon Presents presentation below:


I Am Groot Brings Cuteness Overload In The Form of Shorts

Who could have ever expected a talking tree that only speaks three words would somehow turn out to be one of the most famous mascot-like characters in an entire cinematic universe? The best and most iconic version is arguably Baby Groot, but we only got one movie with him (2017’s Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2). The next time we met him in 2018’s Avengers Infinity War, Groot would already have turned into Teen Groot. A Groot-focused series is definitely a great idea, especially for fans hankering for more cute Baby Groot.
I Am Groot

The new Disney+ Hotstar I Am Groot series of shorts follows Baby Groot going on brief solo adventures, in between the events of 2017’s Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2 and its post-credit scene depicting Groot as a teenager (this was confirmed in our interview with the I Am Groot director and executive producers). As such, you shouldn’t expect any of the Guardians to show up with the sole exception of Rocket Raccoon (who is already confirmed to appear, so that’s not a spoiler), and for good reason, this series really is focused on Baby Groot’s solo adventures. Each episode features a standalone story with Groot just going on quick solo stories of his own.
You don’t need to have watched any MCU movie to prepare for this, except maybe 2014’s Guardians Of The Galaxy. However, some viewers might find the I Am Groot series to be unsatisfying because each episode is short but sweet; only about 4 minutes each, and there are only five episodes in the first batch of the first season. Yeah, you can pretty much finish the first season of I Am Groot in less time than it takes to finish your lunch.
Still, the I Am Groot series is worth watching despite being so brief. There’s not much to spoil, but each episode is hilarious. The antics and mannerisms of Baby Groot are amusing and never fail to put a smile on one’s face, just like how he’s been in the movies (except for the annoying Teen Groot). Groot can only speak those three words (I am Groot), grunt and scream so it’s a testament to the animators and creative teams behind I Am Groot in bringing the breathtaking photorealistic visuals to life. If not for some stilted animations here and there, one would believe I Am Groot is live-action at first glance; that’s how detailed and beautiful the visuals are.
However, the jokes are mainly slapstick jokes and the physical antics of Groot, so there’s not exactly much depth here in terms of complexity. That said, I Am Groot was clearly never made with the intention of adding much lore to the Marvel Cinematic Universe; it’s only concerned with providing viewers with a fun time for all ages. Kids will likely love to watch and re-watch Groot’s shenanigans, while older viewers can appreciate and be mesmerized by the lush graphics.
I Am Groot

All five episodes of the first batch of I Am Groot translates to a runtime of merely 20 minutes, but trust me, that will be 20 minutes well spent. You’ll probably finish the entire first batch of episodes in one sitting, but it’s definitely worth checking out for the charming and cute Baby Groot alone. The second batch of the first season (another five episodes) couldn’t come any sooner.
FINAL SCORE: 80/100
We received an early screener of I Am Groot courtesy of Disney+ Hotstar Malaysia. The first batch (five episodes) of I Am Groot is slated to premiere on 10 August 2022 on Disney+ Hotstar Malaysia.


League Of Legends & Milio’s Design: Smol, Cute, And Bratty

Here’s a little insight on our adorable new champion in League of Legends, Milio.
Milio is of the very few champions that’s being released as a pre-teen. Now on top of creating a well, literal child, the Champions team wanted to bring an entirely new dimension of representation into Milio’s character.  We were told in a press conference, that the major goal was to not just create the first male enchanter support, but to also bring in more Latino representation to League.
Unlike his other support pyros, Annie and Brand, Milio’s pyro skills were designed to be a soft flame. His spells look more warm and cozy instead of the harsh and aggressive playstyle we see from other pyros. Milio’s smol fuemigos are round and bouncy, with a soft glow.

It was important for Milio to be made smol and cute. The design team worked hard to make sure his youthful energy was portrayed in his kit. Hence, the spell names like Cozy Campfire and fast-paced excitement in his playstyle.
“One: he’s high energy. I wanted to try to make it feel like there’s a lot of movement and a lot of excitement in his actions. But two is making him feel kind of annoying like a bratty younger brother to some degree. The way that he ends up interacting with you in lane is that he’s not going to outright kill you, but he’ll keep annoying you until you get so fed up that you try and kill him,”

Riot Emizery

Milio’s Background
Milio grew up in a remote village far away from the capital of Ixaocan, unlike Qiyana who was born sitting at the top of Ixtal’s social hierarchy. He’s known to be optimistic who sees the good in everything and that puts him in a position of someone who can break a cycle of generational trauma deep within his family.
Since Milio is intuitive and well, unwittingly a genius, his grandmother, believes he can become a Yun Tal, which is a master of elemental magic. In succeeding this, he will restore his family’s honour and will become a part of the Ixtal’s ruling court. But first, Milio will have to take a test before a massive magical loom, the Vidalion. According to the lore, if he succeeds, he would unseat Qiyana as the youngest person ever to join the Yun Tal.

Read Milio’s Abilities Explained here.


Cowboy Bebop Live-Action Show Cancelled After One Season

See you, space cowboy. For real.
Netflix has cancelled the live-action adaptation of Cowboy Bebop after its premiere less than a month ago. According to Hollywood Reporter, the move happened less than three weeks after the show’s 19th November debut. The show has had a rough reception, garnering a 46 percent positive critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes as well as a 56 percent positive audience score.
The decision in-house was made by balancing the show’s viewership and cost. The show racked up almost 74 million viewing hours worldwide since it debuted, but it plummeted 59 percent for the week of 29th November.
The Cowboy Bebop live-action adaptation starred John Cho, Mustafa Shakir, and Daniella Pineda. We personally thought the casting was right and had a few decent moments here and there, but the overall reason it failed was because it mimicked the anime a bit too much and failed at capturing that same cool essence. Still, it deserved a second chance as some of it had potential to grow. Check out our review here.


Marvel’s Eternals Character Posters Showcase Each Hero

Weâ€™re less than a month away from Marvelâ€™sÂ Eternals at this point, and Marvel Studios has released character posters for each Eternal.
The movie stars:

Angelina JolieÂ asÂ Thena: A fierce warriorÂ Eternal who can form any weapon out of cosmic energy, and develops a close bond with Gilgamesh over the centuries.

Richard MaddenÂ asÂ Ikaris: The tactical leader of the Eternals who can fly, project cosmic energy beams from his eyes, and has superhuman strength.

Kumail NanjianiÂ asÂ Kingo: An Eternal who can project cosmic energy projectiles from his hands.Â Enamoured with fame, Kingo becomes a popularÂ Bollywood film star to blend in on Earth.

Lauren Ridloff as Makkari: An Eternal who uses her cosmically powered super-speed to scout planets.Â She is the first deaf superhero in an MCU film and, as such, she is not affected by the sonic booms she creates.

Brian Tyree Henry as Phastos: An Eternal and an intelligent cosmic-powered inventor who secretly helps humanity progress technologically.

Salma Hayek as Ajak: The wise and spiritual leader of the Eternals, who has aided the advancement of human civilization and is able to use her abilities to heal. Ajak can communicate withÂ Celestials.

Ajak (Salma Hayek

Lia McHughÂ asÂ Sprite: An Eternal who can project lifelike illusions. Sprite appears to be a 12-year-old child, but she is stronger and cleverer than she looks.

Don LeeÂ asÂ Gilgamesh: The strongest Eternal who can project an exoskeleton of cosmic energy. He becomes Thenaâ€™s partner in their exile from the other Eternals.

Gemma Chan as Sersi: An empathetic Eternal with an affinity for humankind who can manipulate matter. She has been in love with Ikaris for centuries, and poses as a museum curator on Earth.

Barry Keoghan as Druig: An aloof Eternal who can use cosmic energy to control the minds of others. He becomes withdrawn from the other Eternals because he disagrees with their interactions with humankind.

Marvel Studiosâ€™ Eternals follows a group of heroes from beyond the stars who had protected the Earth since the dawn of man. When monstrous creatures called the Deviants, long thought lost to history, mysteriously return, the Eternals are forced to reunite in order to defend humanity once again.
The outstanding ensemble cast also includes Kit Harington as Dane Whitman AKA the Black Knight.
ChloÃ© Zhao directs the film, and Kevin Feige and Nate Moore are the producers, with Louis Dâ€™Esposito, Victoria Alonso and Kevin de la Noy serving as executive producers. The screen story is by Ryan Firpo & Kaz Firpo, and the screenplay is by ChloÃ© Zhao and ChloÃ© Zhao & Patrick Burleigh and Ryan Firpo & Kaz Firpo.
Eternals is slated to premiere on 4 November 2021 in Malaysian cinemas.
In the meantime, check out the latest featurette below, or head on over hereÂ for my breakdown of the previous latest trailer:


Fire Emblem Engage Drops In January 2023

During Nintendo Direct September 2022, Nintendo announced Fire Emblem Engage, a new entry in the long-running franchise.
Become the Divine Dragon and save the continent of Elyos!
Use hero-summoning strategies to defeat an ancient threat in a brand-new Fire Emblem game . Summon valiant heroes like Marth & Celica alongside a new cast of characters and engage in turn-based, tactical combat against a great evil in this new Fire Emblem story.
Fire Emblem Engage launches for the Nintendo Switch on 20 January 2023.


Modders Found A Way To Fix Borderlands 3’s Worst Feature

Thanks to a recent modding discovery, players are able to change up aÂ Borderlands 3Â flaw: its story.
Sort of.Â See, Gearbox left their pre-rendered cutscenes in MP4 format, like the awkward Lilith cosplayer staring at you, either smiling or wincing in pain. This means that savvy modders can just replace it with whatever files you have on hand.
The results are the beginning of something magical.
https://twitter.com/sickdooger/status/1186904221939048448

 pic.twitter.com/P0lA8pJ5SA
— Rob (@Yahiko_Gaming) October 23, 2019

Right now, we have a shrimp rave and a Ricardo Milos meme changing up the game’s story. Granted, it’s a surface-level change, but it’s a start to spice up those replays when you’re farming or even starting a new character.


What’s Next For Henry Golding? Let’s Suggest A Few Pop Culture Roles

Update: Henry Golding just tweeted a while ago (3rd September) about putting together a fan list for Cowboy Bebop. This feature’s updated to add in that tidbit.Â
In case you haven’t heard, the Asian-filled romantic comedy Crazy Rich Asians is out in theaters. So far it’s getting good reviews, but there’s one bit from these write-ups that stood out to me. Henry Golding, the British-Malaysian actor who plays the main male lead alongside female lead Constance Wu, takes a backseat to the real meat of the show, which is Constance Wu’s Rachel in the battle of wits and supremacy against Michelle Yeoh’s mother archetype. Henry Golding’s Nicholas is the metaphorical trophy in this catfight and class war.
So yeah, there’s not much room for Henry to go beyond his role as a charming if straight-shooting pretty boy with a streak of well-behaved-ness, though he did shine in the last third of the film in an unconventional setting for a climactic ending scene. Still, with his newfound triple-A Hollywood success, Henry’s got a lot going for him in the future.
So we here at Kakuchopurei wonder: where can he go next? Who should he star as or be cast as in future films? With our awesome pop culture knowledge and knowhow, we make a few predictions and suggestions.
Here’s what you should know about Henry Golding in bullet point form before we go to the nitty-gritty:

He completed his bejalai Iban rite of passage and documented it in a show called Surviving Borneo. He sorted out his own filming equipment and went through this journey for 2 straight months.
He has a long history of being a host and presenter for shows like Football Crazy in ESPN Asia, Welcome to the Railworld (MY and Japan), and The Travel Show.
He seems to favour doing a lot of travel-related hosting gigs before he took on his big Hollywood film gigs. It does show that he’s willing to improvise when on camera and is definitely spot-on when approaching people & interviewees/victims for his show.
His last film gig is a B-grade horror film called The Borneo Incident. Think found footage horror flick but set somewhere in Sarawak. He’s gotta get a paycheck somehow, right?

All caught up with Mr Golding? Let’s fire up our predictions and suggestions!
James Bond Villain/Henchmen
There was an article floating around that proclaims that he should be the next James Bond. I disagree because he’s not knee-deep long in Hollywood and mainstream showbiz as of yet. Guys like Pierce Brosnan, Daniel Craig, and (maybe) Idris Elba proved themselves for more than 10 years before they deserve the film Bond prestige.

Instead, why not cast him as a memorable side character or side villain? We wouldn’t get great 007 films if it weren’t for imposing & sometimes comically memorable bad guys like Oddjob, Xenia Onatopp, Scaramanga, Blofeld, Silva, and Goldfinger.
Henry can definitely fill in these roles if he’s given the chance; he has the accent to pull off a suave-ish henchman with a quirk. Maybe he can have more tattoos on his body to make him stand out.
Or how about he become Q’s Asian assistant who eventually takes up the mantle in the next Bond films if they start using Idris Elba for them? That makes for a racially diverse 007 film to shut certain demographics up.
Kong Kenan (DC Comics)

An Asian Superman with a completely different backstory and character arc. Because why not?
In all seriousness, if DC’s film block has enough money to throw around, they might as well go for broke and shove in a Superman-like hero in their DC Extended Universe canon. Particularly one from the comic books of Asian descent. Enter Kong Kenan, the Superman of China on Earth Prime.
How should he be portrayed? That’s easy: just be a rash but well-intentioned hero-in-training. Take bits from Henry Cavill’s Man of Steel role but give it a slightly more “newbie” twist since Kong Kenan (a) wasn’t born an alien, (b) was a bully before he had a change of heart, and (c) almost has the same character arc as Terry McGinnis from Batman Beyond.
If starting Kong Kenan on film is a tad much, why not create Kong Kenan in the CW DC shows? The big four -Arrow, The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, and Supergirl- are all great superhero TV shows in their own right (and arguably better than the Netflix Marvel shows). Either way, Henry looks like he can pull off the physique and the personality of the new Superman.
Amadeus Cho (Marvel)

What goes well with any Marvel movie? A Hulk! They always end up as better supporting heroes than main heroes (see Ang Lee’s The Hulk and The Incredible Hulk’s box office returns for proof of this).
Let’s hypothesize the fact that Mark Ruffalo’s Bruce Banner bites it in the upcoming Avengers film in 2019. We need a new Hulk, right? So there are many ways this can go down:

She-Hulk
Red Hulk
The Asian Hulk

If Marvel went for the 3rd option, they should cast a hot star fresh off the boat on Hollywood dynasty soil. With Henry doing A Simple Favor later this year and a bunch of other shows in 2019, he should ride the lightning and attempt to try out auditions for Amadeus Cho.
Personality-wise, Amadeus is an Asian Mastermind Excello -super-smart, suave, but usually in his own world. Guess Henry may have to do some method acting and do comic book versions of folks like John Nash and Alan Turing who can Hulk out. He may have to pick up an American accent though, but I’m sure he’s diligent enough to do this, especially if he wants to get in on the Marvel train. That’s one ride you do not want to get off from, at least until after 10 years.
Spike Spiegel
Why the hell not?

Hey @DaveBautista, I'm putting together a fan list for a little anime called Cowboy Bebop… You would be the perfect "Jet" to my "Spike". Game?
— Henry Golding (@henrygolding) September 3, 2018

Do you think Henry Golding has what it takes to go beyond his future typecasted role? Should he be in superhero and pop culture-savvy films? Or do you think he’s a one-trick pony? Let us know!


XEL Is A Gorgeous Sci-Fi Zelda Title Coming To 2022

Publisher Assemble Entertainment and developer Tiny Roar just revealed a lovely-looking action-adventure game in the veins of The Legend of Zelda, except it’s sci-fi and the main character isn’t mute.
The game is called XEL and will be out for PC and consoles in 2022. You play a blue-haired explorer thrust in a strange sci-fi land with aliens and robots, exploring every nook and cranny, take in the sights and sounds of each biome in the world, and probably earn a special item or five that will help solve the puzzles and defeat bosses with specific weaknesses and attack patterns.
We won’t say no to more Zelda clones that look just as good as this, that’s for sure. Trailer & key features below.

Key features of XEL:

Sci-fi Dungeon Diving:Â The world of XEL features a vast, extensive overworld and challenging, Zelda-like dungeons to explore
A Deep Combat System:Â Become proficient at using a variety of attacks and combos, while dodging, and parrying to tackle and take out foes
Gadgets & Guns:Â Master and upgrade your weapons, shield, and gadgets to smash your foes and open up new areas to explore
Deep Lore and a Deeper Mystery:Â What exactly happened to this world, and who is responsible? Piece together a captivating story and dive into the legends behind the cryptic history XEL
Spacetime? Not a Problem:Â Unlock special abilities that allow Reid to bend the rules of space and time, granting her access to previously impassable areas and opening up new ways to defeat difficult enemies


Liyab Esports Lets Go Of AoV Coach Peaceboy For Being Involved With Enemy Team

This story is still developing…
Liyab Esport’s Arena of Valor team will be short of one person.
Specifically, they’ll be without one coaching staff member; JeeJay San Jose “Peaceboy” Ordiales is officially let go from his duties after he admitted to being directly involved with helping another team during the 2019 Globe Philippine Pro Gaming League AOV tournament.
https://www.facebook.com/teamliyab/posts/2342394236085091?__xts__%5B0%5D=68.ARCbgR5q51-f0w3mu6GzNWNpq9_O2DDpZXuNbNtRKv_xkGNU1PROeDZycE9eCyrR3XTU3j08T_wkJZV16SWK4iDOouFls5PelfLfj2IY_KUbZeC1SzPfGozuktQkIdkHwyX20fzR24q1f4mT0c4p9YG_NLKPJlq3DYBeyfhX1ZbAApWOUHUvsTTNISTktkAfxBmJ886KcLmrzcbRgXJnBHU3r1c5Vhlq2103xfC4TynSNrhy-rb8lp_jSRunT3LbV-p9Px2Du3k7CvytdcOam3-jbjXvkRrbpW0Lhq3cC54TpNFT3WXHj7Q6-p2YEtYAAGFmlLgB5xdwcqjrYHkPENDZ&__tn__=-R
Following this, the PPGL just published a statement that violators of their tournament’s code of conduct will result in being banned from participating in all seasons for all games for the entirety of PPGL 2019 and a six-month participation ban for all esports events organized by MET Events.
https://www.facebook.com/ppglgg/photos/a.846367642208489/1128010047377579/?type=3&__xts__%5B0%5D=68.ARB0e4TOyeGYPhhRgnOCxQDU4K8gGYjy1Jb-SUIgwQGIZk1TK0q1MMZs6kYOIho9aErg-ydjaBpLWZQ0rHNM9lw0ouPzfla7o_LHw89QFozgpypzQ9yH5HkT8HQdBnz6bAjzbLft2ksznaIKc9nYvXUt-cZHnOe-euhM5A88VjMnSNAVAe80a9eRndxYhT85sPpUHmP1XUkS-VFkUB4mVqlfjcvk7MHQiEumpyf5KAaOwfm095G721zIM6TAJnZoluP6_KKYEp4EFVS2OSBefIITYOW6emNrU4sf0oJFdToNI5coQhQ0-jxDrAeK5RtOrjQR_0kl8UTiBB9O1243nTtmWw&__tn__=-R
In related news, Team Liyab are close to representing The Philippines at the League of Legends SEA Tour Finals in Vietnam this April. These turn of events, however, may not look so bright if they had major plans for the PPGL 2019.
Top image credit: Liyab Esports


Simpsons/Futurama Creator’s Next Project Set For Netflix This August

Pop culture fans should be familiar with Matt Groening’s animated works. He was the mastermind behind The Simpsons, his satirical take on suburbia America, and Futurama, his joke-laden love letter to science fiction.
Now he’s planning to tackle the fantasy genre with his new series Disenchantment, set for Netflix this coming August 17; no word if this applies to Malaysian or Singaporean Netflix though. The 10-episode series (for now) is about an alcoholic princess named Bean (voiced by Abbi Jacobson) who is bored with ruling her current kingdom and wants to go adventuring. Joining her is an elf named Elfo (voiced by Nat Faxon) and her pet demon Luci (voiced by Eric Andre).
The studio behind the animation is Rough Draft Studios, which is also responsible for Futurama. Speaking of which, alumni from the classic series will lend their voices including John “Bender/Marcus Fenix/Joker” DiMaggio, Billy West, Maurice LaMarche, and Tress MacNeille, among others.
We’ll cap off this report with still images of the show. As a huge Futurama and pre-Season 10 Simpsons fan, I look forward to the team’s ribbing of fantasy tropes.


KKP & Buzzpop.tv talk Game of Thrones S8 E03(SPOILERS)

So that Battle of Winterfell that happened Monday morning? We have some words about it. Check it out below.

Check out our pals at Buzzpop.tv for your Bahasa Melayu pop culture fix.


Mass Effect Legendary Edition Beams Down This May

Mass Effect Legendary EditionÂ was initiallyÂ announced in November 2020, but it only received a vague 2021 release window back then. Now EA and BioWare have finally announced the release date for the highly-anticipated remastered trilogy of games.
Mass Effect Legendary Edition is slated to release for the PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, and PC on 14 May 2021.
Mass Effect Legendary EditionÂ will include the entireÂ Mass Effect trilogy with updated â€œtextures, shaders, models, effects and technical featuresâ€ as well as all single-player DLC and promotional packs, remastered for 4K Ultra HD.Â This includes single-player base content and over 40 DLC from Mass Effect, Mass Effect 2, and Mass Effect 3 games, including promo weapons, armours, and packs â€“ remastered and optimized for 4K Ultra HD.
Those looking to replay the trilogy will be happy to learn that they can now choose to play as the iconic Femshep from Mass Effect 3 across all three titles, and the first Mass Effect will feature gameplay enhancements like improved aiming and weapons balance, SFX, input/controls, squad behaviour, cover behaviour, and gameplay cameras.
Also, it seems that FemShep is getting the spotlight she deserves. So much so that the character’s VO Jennifer Hale was touched by the gesture (via Twitter).

not gonna hide it, this is  pretty damn cool@masseffect @bioware #N7?????? https://t.co/5Ar4shnkxN pic.twitter.com/9qH6IvEHpn
— Jennifer Hale (@jhaletweets) February 3, 2021

In the meantime, check out the epic trailer below:


Battlefield 2042 Gameplay Trailer Unveils Final Five Specialists

EA and DICE have unveiled a new trailer showcasing the Specialists for the upcoming Battlefield 2042. There will be a total of 10 Specialists in the game at launch.
Thanks to the recent Open Beta, the developer will also be implementing the following changes by the time the game launches next month (check out the full details here):

Increased the number of Tanks that youâ€™ll experience on Orbital. Itâ€™s up from 4, to 8 on PC, Xbox Series X/S, and PS5.
Made changes to movement, adding strafe input to sliding, adding the ability to vault on moving objects, and toning down jump spamming.
A nearby Grenade Indicator has been added.
Entry and Exit animations are now shorter, with some being removed entirely.
Elevators have been fixed so that you see less funky behaviours with doors.

In addition, EA alsoÂ recently confirmedÂ thatÂ Battlefield 2042Â will not feature a traditional single-player story campaign.
Battlefield 2042 is slated to launch for the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC on 19 November 2021.
In the meantime, check out theÂ Battlefield 2042Â gameplay footage below:


E3 2019: Adventure Time’s Finn & The Gang Invades Brawlhalla

During its E3 2019 press conference, Ubisoft announced that characters from the Adventure Time animated series will be crossing over into the free-to-play brawler game Brawlhalla.
Three new characters will be joining the Brawlhalla roster, including Finn, Jake, and Princess Bubblegum. Besides these new fighters, a new game mode called Buddy will be making its debut in Brawlhalla, which is a team-based mode of sorts, as well as a new stage named the Tree Fort based on Finn and Jake’s home from Adventure Time.
The Adventure Time Brawlhalla crossover is available now on all platforms (PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC). Check out the trailer below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQWPLKHv2TU&w=560&h=315]


TikTok Taps Into Esports With FIGHT Esports Team up

TikTok Gaming Ground PH (TikTok GGPH) has announced a partnership between TikTok Southeast Asia and global esports organizer Forest Interactive Gaming Habitat Team (FIGHT Esports), which is kicking off withÂ TikTokÂ Philippines.
Through TikTok Gaming Ground PH, the thriving community of gamers on the app can look forward to exciting live gaming events and tournaments hosted by the official TikTok GGPH account, as well as even more gaming content shared and compiled by the TikTok PH Gaming Community.
TikTok’s Gaming Operations Manager for the Philippines John Castro said:
â€œTikTok continues to pursue opportunities to inspire creativity and bring joy to all Filipinos.
With gaming actively becoming a positive source for community building and enjoyment, we are happy to be doing our part in providing the growing gaming community with a platform for education, positive connections and interaction.”
To commemorate their partnership,Â TikTokÂ Philippines and FIGHT Esports are jointly hosting the first-ever #TikTokGGPH Creator Cup Tournament, which will be set withinÂ Valorant.
The Creator Cup is taking place from 27 to 28 February 2021Â  from 3pm to 9pm GMT+8, and the entire event will be live-streamed on TikTok via @tiktokggphofficial.
TikTok Philippines is offering a US$1,000 prize pool to be awarded to the champion, 1st runner up, and 2nd runner up of the tournament.
FIGHT Esports Project Manager Chantal-Denise Ortega said:
â€œTikTok is fast becoming a place where people create, share, and enjoy a new type of experience.
It really makes a lot of sense for us to leverage the digital entertainment platform to reach the gaming community and give them the opportunity to connect and share their passion with fellow gamers around the world.
This will create a unique and innovative esports experience where they can follow and engage with their favorite gaming content creators, tune in to esports tournament livestreams, as well as celebrate esports in ways that have never been done before.”
A video campaign will also be held within the TikTok app, as part of the official #TikTokGGPH launch. From 12 to 28 February 2021, creators on the platform can upload a video that perfectly captures their gaming style, and shows the community exactly what it’s like to be a gamer.
To qualify, creators must use the hashtag #TikTokGGPH when they post their video entries. At the end of the campaign period, 20 creators will be selected to become part of TikTok’s community of gamers, based on the level of passion for gaming, and creative potential seen in their videos.


Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak Gets New Monsters This Late November

The Monster Hunter Rise train ain’t stopping anytime soon, and Capcom is unloading more beasts for players to murder this November.
The Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak expansion Title Update 3 will be out on 24 November for Nintendo Switch and PC, according to a new Capcom video. New monsters in the update include Chaotic Gore Magala, Risen Teostra, and Risen Kushala Daora.
Here are the rest of the update’s highlights:

Anomaly Research Quests – New monsters, including Risen Kushala Daora! A7? quests are now available! Anomaly Investigations now go up to Lv. 200! New features for Qurious Crafting!
Anomaly Investigations – These are quests where the play conditions, such as the target monster, the locale, and the number of players are randomly determined. Complete these quests to earn points required to level up the Anomaly Research Lab, and special materials that allow for new upgrades to your weapons and armour. As a new feature, you can now also lower the level of the quests you possess.
Risen Elder Dragons – Risen Elder Dragons Elder dragons that have fully overcome the affliction caused by the Anomaly, creating a symbiotic relationship with the Qurio. Their “risen” state poses an even greater danger than when they were still under the influence of the affliction. When their anger reaches its peak, each elder dragon gains its own unique and extraordinary powers, becoming even more fearsome than before. Stay on the offensive to prevent them from entering this state or to knock them out of it.
New Layered Weapons – We’ve added the Stuffed Monster Series of 14 layered weapons! Pick your favourite weapon design to spice up your hunting life!
Paid Downloadable Content – A variety of paid downloadable content has been added, including the Stuffed Monster Series of 14 layered weapons!
Event Quests – Complete Event Quests to gain special rewards!

Check out the update in action below.


New York Subliners Defy All Odds & Win CDL Major I

The first Major of the 2023 Call of Duty League season has just wrapped up and it was an event filled to the brim with upsets that no one could have ever anticipated. But I think the same goes for many when I say that the thing that shock everyone the most is the New York Subliners taking home the trophy.
Check out the piece we did for beginners getting into CoD esports
With an absolutely stacked roster featuring the French phenom in Paco “HyDra” Rusiewiez, tournament MVP Matthew “KiSMET” Tinsley, Cesar “Skyz” Bueno and Preston “Priestahh” Greiner, the New York Subliners (NYSL) claimed the Grand Prize of US$200,000 along with 65 CDL points that will contribute to their seeding going into the 2023 Call of Duty League Championship.

Throughout the event, the New York Subliners consistently impressed with their strong performances, winning match after match and earning a spot in the grand finals. In the final round, they faced off against Seattle Surge.
But their journey there wasn’t easy. Throughout the weeks leading up to Major I, NYSL didn’t have the best record in the online qualifiers as they went 2–2 only managing to secure the eighth seed going into the Major. This meant that they would have to start in the Group Stage where they would face other franchised teams along with Amateur teams that came through the Challenger Qualifiers.
Regardless of their poor seeding, they made quick work of their Group topping the table 2–0 while retaining a perfect map record of 6–0. Going into the Playoffs stage they would first face a hot Florida Mutineers who were just coming off an extremely intense series, upsetting the tournament favourites in OpTic Texas 3–2. Fortunately for the NYSL, the Mutineers weren’t able to capitalise on the momentum they had acquired from the series with OpTic and were sent into the lower bracket.
In the next round of the upper bracket, the Subliners were pitted against Seattle Surge, which would later become the Grand Final matchup. Despite taking Map 1 Breenbergh Hotel Hardpoint, Seattle were on top of their game as they went on to take the next three maps by a hair and winning the series 3–1, sending NYSL down into the lower bracket.
In the lower bracket, NYSL would face the newly branded Las Vegas Legion. Although the series was competitive, they managed to take down the Legion in a convincing 3–1 fashion.
The next round of the lower bracket would pit NYSL against one of their most formidable opponents so far in the tournament, Toronto Ultra. Considered the favourites to win after OpTic got upset, NYSL would have their work cut out for them. Toronto started off hot taking the first Hardpoint 250–236, but New York snapped back, taking the next Search and Destroy (S&D) and Control pretty convincingly. But the Ultra just had to show them that they were the superior Hardpoint team and managed to win Map 4, levelling out the series, 2–2. But there’s a saying in Call of Duty, “S&D wins series” and NYSL managed to take Map 5 without much hassle.
New York’s work wasn’t done quite yet though as their next opponent would be none other than Atlanta FaZe. Coming off an extremely close contested loss against Seattle, Atlanta were out for blood as they wanted the opportunity to get back at Surge. But so were New York as they managed to take Map 1. Atlanta bounced back winning Breenbergh Hotel S&D 6–4. Unfortunately for FaZe, winning Map 2 wasn’t enough to get their momentum rolling as New York managed to close out the next two maps with ease, solidifying their spot in the Grand Final where they would go on to face Seattle Surge once again.
In hindsight, it’s safe to say that although Seattle Surge looked unstoppable this entire tournament, New York were on a completely different level in this series as they took map after map only dropping Map 4 Mercado Las Almas Hardpoint. NYSL manage to close out the Best of 7 Grand Final uncontested 4–1, crowning them the CDL 2023 Major I champions.

During the qualifiers, a lot of drama surrounded New York’s star player in HyDra with now-retired teammate Ian “Crimsix” Porter exclaiming the narrative that HyDra was extremely difficult to work with during his final season. In HyDra’s post-game interview, obviously filled with emotions, he stated that:
“I proved Crimsix wrong, I’m so happy for that.”

Listen to what @HyDrAnml had to say in his post-victory interview ??#CDL2023 | Major I pic.twitter.com/3zd5d8XhwN
— Call of Duty League (@CODLeague) December 19, 2022

To coincide with this victory, New York’s objective player, KiSMET was awarded tournament MVP for the phenomenal performance he displayed throughout this tournament. After not having the best couple of years being in and out of the CDL, this win is a testament that shows why he deserves to be in this league.