Malaysian-Made Playdate Handheld Delayed To Early 2022

Panic has announced that they have delayed the launch of its Playdate handheld to early 2022. According to the official post, the initial units shipped with batteries that didnâ€™t work as expected, which forced them to send all the units back to Malaysia in order to install new batteries from a different supplier.
Besides that, the company also said that they were affected by the ongoing global chip shortage as well, which means that the supply of the Playdateâ€™s current CPU wonâ€™t be available for two years. To solve that problem, Playdate handhelds shipping later in 2022 will come with a revised mainboard with a more widely-available CPU.
There is also good news, as Panic also confirms that the Playdate will arrive ready with two new games, as well as a more robust, journaling file system, to get the most of its 4GB of storage. Playdate is an open platform, and the Pulp Public Beta will arrive in January 2022. Meanwhile, the full Playdate Software Development Kit (SDK) should be arriving in February 2022.
Playdate was originally announced in May 2019 as a new handheld gaming console reminiscent of the original Nintendo Game Boy byÂ Panic Inc., a company responsible for publishing Campo Santoâ€™sÂ Firewatch game and several MacOS software. It made headlines here in Malaysia because it is manufactured locally at a factory in Sungai Petani, Kedah, Malaysia.


[Rumour] Ghost Of Tsushima Delayed To August

It looks like we may not be getting our historical samurais & ninjas vs Mongols fix this June.
According to a PlayStation Canada leak, the game may be delayed to a 1st August release instead of its current launch date of 26th June.

This is most likely done to accommodate the new timeframe for the recently-delayed The Last of Us Part 2. This may also mean that Naughty Dog’s sequel may be released in June. These delays were made due to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic messing up these game’s launches and marketing plans.
Guess we’ll have to wait until PlayStation makes an official word about these turn of events.


Check Out Destiny 2’s Season of Arrivals Roadmap

After the previous news blowout, Bungie recently released a roadmap detailing what’s going to happen this week and the next few months in Destiny 2.Â
Here’s the Season of Arrivals roadmap.

Here are the things that you can do in Destiny 2 starting this week onward:
New PvE Activity
Players will be able to participate in the Contact public event, where they have to group up and defeat enemies spawning within Io. You can earn most of your rewards in this ongoing activity.
New Dungeon
This was the Prophecy dungeon we talked about in brief previously.
New Season Pass
Each new Destiny season comes with a new season pass. In Season of Arrivals, players can earn the new, Witherhoard Exotic grenade launcher. Those who own the Season Pass can pick up their grenade launcher immediately, but non-Season Pass owners can still acquire the weapon by levelling up the free track of the Season Pass.
New Artifact
Fans of Oppressive Darkness will be pleased to know that the artifact has returned. There’s also a nifty pulse rifle mod that turns exotic pulses into anti-unstoppable tools.
New Exotic Weapons

Players will get a chance to acquire the following loot from your Strikes and Raids:

The Witherhoard season pass grenade launcher
Trace Rifle
Traveler’s Chosen

Umbral Engrams
These will drop random loot that let you get the power level needed to play Crucible or particular Strikes in a playlist.
Solstice Of Heroes
A free event that lets you grind to collect an exclusive Legendary Armor set. Starts on 11th August.
There’s actually a lot more going on here, but so far it’s a good start to what could amount to a large amount of content to keep the Destiny 2 train going.


The Crew 2 Season Four Episode Two The Contractor Is Now Live

Ubisoft has announced that The Crew 2 Season 4 Episode 2: The Contractor, the latest update brought to Ubisoftâ€™s open-world motorsports game, will be available today on Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PS5, PS4, and PC through the Ubisoft Store and the Epic Games Store.Â
After travelling through Americaâ€™s most iconic cities to complete missions for Marcoâ€™s Cab, Diamond Limousine and Rocket Co., Season 4 Episode 2: The Contractor will allow players to explore the wildest spots of the United States by making deliveries for two brand-new companies: Intrepid Outdoor, specialized in the delivery of camping equipment, and US Wildlife Watchers, a charity dedicated to the protection of animals and their reintroduction to nature.

Season 4 Episode 2: The Contractor will be accompanied by a brand-new Motorpass. It will offer 50 tiers of new exclusive rewards, both free and premium, including vehicles such as the Koenigsegg Gemera Outclassed Edition (Hypercar), the Land Rover Defender V8 Works Intrepid Outdoors (Rally Raid), the Hummer H1 Alpha US Wildlife Watchers (Rally Raid) and a brand-new creation by the Ubisoft Ivory Tower team, the Creators Hunter 51 (Rally Raid).

Apart from the Motorpass, Season 4 Episode 2: The Contractor will continue its free monthly vehicle drops, letting players enjoy and drive new vehicles including the Chevrolet Silverado Intrepid Outdoors (Rally Raid) or the Ariel Atom (Street Race), both available on January 19. Additional vehicles will be available over the course of the Episode alongside new vanity items, including new animated rooftops, as well as smokes, tires, underglows and window tints.

The LIVE Summit experience also continues during this Episode with a new batch of weekly iterations. During LIVE Summits, there is only one objective: getting as high up the leaderboard as possible. Each week, the best players will be rewarded with exclusive items and vehicles based on their ranking. In addition, no less than 3 fully-modded LIVE Summits will be playable during this Episode, including one of the most ambitious events released to date.


Klassic Movie Skin Pack Drops In Mortal Kombat 11

Robocop, Rambo, and now the likeness of the 1995 Mortal Kombat movie characters? That’s right, Mortal Kombat fans, you can now play as three of the characters from that campy adaptation of the fighting game franchise.
The Klassic MK Movie Skin pack features three different skins with the likeness and voice of :
Christopher Lambert’s RaidenBridgette Wilson’s Sonya BladeLinden Ashby’s Johnny Cage
However, you’ll have to buy the Klassic MK Movie Skin pack with a standalone purchase, even if you own Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate.


Sony Animation’s Next Project Is About A Demon-Slaying K-Pop Group

It was bound to happen: someone’s bright idea to mix K-Pop artists with magical girl demon-slaying anime tropes. Who knew that it would be coming from Sony Pictures Animation, the same folks behind Cloudy With A Chance of Meatball and Spider-Man: Into The Spiderverse?
According to a Sony Pictures Animation tweet, The Lego Ninjago Movie’s Maggie Kang and Wish Dragon’s Chris Appelhans will be directing the upcoming K-Pop: Demon Hunters. It’s in the title: an animated musical featuring a K-Pop girl group who moonlight as demon hunters. To quote Maggie Kang (via Variety):
“Having been a fan of the genre since its beginnings in the â€™90s, this film is my love letter to K-Pop and my Korean roots. It encompasses and celebrates everything K-Pop isâ€”itâ€™s the film I would want to see as a lifelong fan and I hope the millions of K-Pop fans out there in the world will feel the same.”

Training for the big debut. K-Pop: Demon Hunters is currently in development at Sony Animation.
This film follows a world-renowned K-Pop girl group as they balance their lives in the spotlight with their secret identities as badass demon hunters. pic.twitter.com/sFScsOqMN5
— Sony Pictures Animation (@SonyAnimation) March 8, 2021

Apart from that announcement and that sweet artwork above, not much has been revealed for now.


The Most Memorable Video Game Movie Adaptations Out There

It’s safe to say that PokÃ©mon: Detective Pikachu is the best video game movie adaptation of this recent generation, at least in the eyes of your favourite movie score aggregator site. Our very own Comicslord said it himself that it’s a lovely kid’s film that wears its PokÃ©mon name loud and proudÂ despite its flaws.
Of course, calling it the best among its peers isn’t saying much, especially when you’re surrounded by a majority of mediocre to amazingly bad films. So let’s take a trip down memory lane and sort out the most memorable of all video game adaptations.
Keep in mind that “memorable” in this context can mean either good or bad. We should stress that the majority of this listicle is leaning way towards the latter.
Mortal Kombat: PG-13 Goofiness

There’s not much to hate about the Paul WS Anderson Mortal Kombat movie. Unless you wanted heads being ripped out of necks with their spinal cords dangling. But for a cheesy 90s action film with great fight scenes, some deadpan delivery from Christopher Lambert as Raiden, and that iconic techno track where some dude yells out the title once in a while, it could have been worse.
And yes, we’re still trying to erase its sequel, Mortal Kombat: Annihilation, from our minds.
NEXT


Minecraft Dungeons New DLC Details Announced & Leaked

Are you still hankering for more multiplayer Minecraft Dungeons action? Are you already done with the game’s Adventurer and Apocalypse modes? Well, Mojang aren’t done with the game yet, thankfully.
According to an official Mojang announcement (and some sleuths over at Reddit), Minecraft Dungeons is getting new content this July and later on. The first new DLC is subtitled Jungle Awakens.

New weapons & armour include:

Whip
Ocelot armour

The new enemies you will be facing are:

Jungle Abomination; basically a jungle-themed version of the golems you fought in the original game’s mines & underground levels.
Whispers. These long-ranged spellcasters summon vines that can hit you from a distance or summon flowers that shoot projectiles at you.
Leapers. They leap at you, I guess.
Brown Pandas.
A ton of enemies who secrete poison gas upon death. As if Adventurer and Apocalypse mode’s evokers and wizards aren’t a handful already.

The second new DLC is called Creeping Winter. You’ll be fighting in snowy tundras and plains. However, there’s no set release month for this DLC.
New weapons are:

Ice Wand, an artifact that creates large ice blocks that can crush your foes.
Snow Bow, a ranged weapon that freezes on impact.

New enemies include:

Wicked wraiths.
Icy Creepers, who slow you down if you get caught in their explosions.
Frozen Zombies. They throw snowballs at you.
Chillagers.

The new DLC and updates will also include Trials, which would mean players will need to complete daily and weekly challenges to get loot and money. Other new additions include crossplay functionality, and a Diamond Dust item that lets you upgrade your current weapons to a higher level.
Nothing’s been officially confirmed yet; there’s no release period for the ice-themed update as of yet and how much it will cost. Still, this does bode well for players who are on the Minecraft Dungeons train for the long haul, provided that the DLC comes with a fair price. I do hope they can fix the last few stages and their bugs.


Who Are The Eternals: A Cosmic Guide

I remember writing over two years ago about why Marvel’s Eternals is the studio’s biggest risk yet. That’s holding true so far, as the Rotten Tomatoes of the movie currently stands at 66 percent at the time of writing. That’s the lowest of any Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) movie yet, but this isn’t a review of the movie just yet (look out for that soon!).
The Eternals are perhaps even more obscure than the Guardians Of The Galaxy was before their movie was released. Don’t worry though, here’s a brief primer to introduce you all to them before the movie releases on 4 November 2021.
Marvel Studiosâ€™Â EternalsÂ 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.
Who Are The Eternals?

In the comics,Â The EternalsÂ were created by the late legend Jack Kirby in 1976. A race of space gods called the Celestials (who you may have noticed in a flashback in 2014â€™sÂ GOTG) arrived on Earth millennia ago and experimented on humanity, thereby creating two offshoots: the Eternals (who look like humans) and the Deviants (who look like disfigured monsters).
The Eternals can best be described as what humans would call â€˜godsâ€™, or rather â€˜godsâ€™ in the way that Marvelâ€™s Asgardians are also regarded as â€˜godsâ€™. Some of these Eternals are actually based on and inspired by existing mythologies like Greek and Mesopotamian, so you might recognize several of their names, like Gilgamesh and Thena (based on Athena).
Simply put, The Eternals are a god-like superhuman race who were created by the Celestials (who are actually space gods). They were genetically engineered by the Celestials and were put on Earth to fight the Deviants and protect humanity since the beginning of the human race. At least, that’s how it was at the very start. The Deviants were actually also created by the Celestials. While the Eternals look like ideal humans, the Deviants mostly looked deformed or monstrous in appearance.
Each Eternal possesses a range of superpowers. Some are super strong, some are super fast, some are super smart, some can shoot lasers out of their eyes, you get the gist. The Eternals also have the unique ability to combine their powers and minds with the Uni-Mind, can combine to wield powers that they otherwise canâ€™t; they can merge their physical and mental states into a psychic being or state known as the Uni-Mind. Think of it as similar to that of the Avatar State in Avatar The Last Airbender, but requiring the combined powers of several Eternals.
The Eternals comics also established that the Eternals fought not only against Deviants, but also amongst themselves. This civil war resulted in some of the Eternals going into space. The leader of the losing faction, A’lars, went to Titan (a moon of Saturn) and settled there. He later went by the name Mentor and married a woman named Sui-San. They later had two children, Eros AKA Star-Fox and Thanos (yes, that Thanos). That’s how Thanos is related to the Eternals. Despite being an Eternal, Thanos is a mutant with Deviant genes, which explains his more alien and less human appearance.
There hasn’t actually been many comics featuring the Eternals over the years. Most of them have been short-lived, which is the reason why they’re so obscure. They are also rarely involved in big epic crossovers like Civil War, Secret Wars, Secret Invasion, and others.
In a recent storyline in the Avengers run by Jason Aaron, Paco Medina and Ed McGuinness in 2018, the origins of the Eternals were retconned. It turns out that they were never meant to have a glorious purpose of any kind. They were just there to help humanity grow as a potential anti-body against a Celestial-killing virus named the Horde.

What We Know About The Eternals In The MCU

From the trailers, we already know that the events of the movie take place post-Avengers Endgame.
In the trailer, Ajak (Salma Hayek) said:
â€œFive years ago, Thanos erased half of the population of the universe. But the people of this planet brought everyone back with a snap of a finger.â€
However, the events have caused an unexpected conflict for them, as â€œthe sudden return of the population provided the necessary energy for the Emergence to begin.â€
What is the Emergence? We still don’t know.
Besides that, we also know that the Eternals were instructed by the Celestials not to interfere in human matters, which is why they didn’t help fight Thanos. The return of the Deviants is what causes the Eternals to reunite, even though they haven’t seen each other for centuries.
Meet The Eternals & Other Characters In The Movie
Thena (Angelina Jolie)

A fierce warriorÂ Eternal who can form any weapon out of cosmic energy, and develops a close bond with Gilgamesh over the centuries.
In the comics, Thena is also a former lover of the Deviant leader named Kro. Perhaps that will also be the case in the MCU version as well.
Ikaris (Richard Madden)

The tactical leader of the Eternals who can fly, project cosmic energy beams from his eyes, and has superhuman strength. He’s basically the physical powerhouse of the Eternals, and kind of like a Superman archetype in a way. He will have a romance with Sersi (see below).
Sersi (Gemma Chan)

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.
In the comics, she is one of two Eternals who have been an Avenger (the other is Gilgamesh).
Kingo (Kumail Nanjiani)

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.
Makkari (Lauren Ridloff)

An Eternal who uses her cosmically powered super-speed to scout planets. She is the first deaf superhero in an MCU film and, as such, she is not affected by the sonic booms she creates.
Phastos (Brian Tyree Henry)

An Eternal and an intelligent cosmic-powered inventor who secretly helps humanity progress technologically.
Ajak (Salma Hayek)
Ajak (Salma Hayek
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 is the one who communicates with Celestials.
Sprite (Lia McHugh)

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.
Gilgamesh (Don Lee)

The strongest Eternal who can project an exoskeleton of cosmic energy. He becomes Thenaâ€™s partner in their exile from the other Eternals.
He is only other Eternal (besides Sersi) who have been Avengers in the comics.
Druig (Barry Keoghan)

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.
Dane Whitman AKA The Black Knight

A human warrior who wields a mystical sword, who will later become the Black Knight. In the comics, the Black Knight is also one of the Avengers, so we might see him wielding the Ebony Blade soon.
What makes the Black Knight different is that his powers are more of a curse than a gift. The Ebony Blade gives its wielders great power but it also corrupts them and makes them susceptible to the darkness.

Arishem The Judge

Arishem The Judge is pretty much the leader of the group of Celestials who experimented on the human race and created the Eternals/Deviants.
Will he be a villain? We’ll have to wait and see.
Kro (Leader Of The Deviants)
Kro facing down Thena (Angelina Jolie).
Kro is the leader of the Deviants. The comic book version is more of a tactician and military commander than a fighter like Thanos, but it looks like the MCU version might be more powerful and be able to go toe to toe against the Eternals. In the comics, Kro is also a former lover of Thena with a shared history. That might also be true here since we see him in a scene with Angelina Jolie’s Thena in the trailer.
Stay tuned for our review of the movie soon!


HBO GO Celebrates The Jolly Season With 8-Bit Christmas & Other Festive Releases

It’s that time of year again. Christmas 2021 is almost here and HBO GO is celebrating the festive season with some great content.
You can get into the Christmas spirit and have your fill of seasonal holiday cheer with a trip down memory lane in 8-bit Christmas,Â brand-new animated seriesÂ Santa Inc.Â andÂ enjoy a musical evening withÂ My Gift: A Christmas Special from Carrie UnderwoodÂ onÂ HBO GO as well as curated programming stunts on Warner TV, Cartoon Network and Boomerang.
8-Bit Christmas

Right now, itâ€™s a common problem for gamers to complain about how hard it is to get their hands on a PS5. Well, almost four decades ago, gamers in the 80s experienced the same problem, but with the iconic console that was the NES (Nintendo Entertainment System) or Famicom (to those who lived in Japan or Asia).
This new original HBO Max movie is about a kidâ€™s epic quest to get an NES of his own. Set in suburban Chicago in the late 1980s, the story centres on ten-year-old Jake Doyleâ€™s herculean quest to get the latest and greatest video game system for Christmas.
The film stars Neil Patrick Harris (ofÂ How I Met Your MotherÂ fame) and Winslow Fegley (â€œCome Play,â€ â€œFast Layneâ€) as the adult and young Jake, respectively, June Diane Raphael (â€œLong Shot,â€ â€œGrace and Frankieâ€), with David Cross (â€œPitch Perfect 2,â€ the â€œKung Fu Pandaâ€ films), and Steve Zahn (â€œThe White Lotusâ€).
Michael Dowse (â€œCoffee & Kareemâ€) directed the film from a screenplay by Kevin Jakubowski, based on his book of the same name.
It is now streaming on HBO GO.

Santa Inc.

In this new stop-motion animated series, a female elf working in Santa’s Workshop dreams of becoming Santa Claus someday. However, this is not your usual festive tale as it reveals the complex interplay of power struggles, manipulation and gender disparity in the North Pole. Definitely for mature viewers! Stars Seth Rogen, Sarah Silverman, Leslie Grossman and Gabourey Sidibe.
However, keep in mind that this movie is R-rated and not for kids. It’s practically a Christmas version of Sausage Party.
It premieres Thursday, December 2 on HBO GO.

My Gift: A Christmas Special from Carrie Underwood

Carrie Underwood celebrates the joy and hopefulness of the season, performing beloved traditional favourites as well as new original material from her first-ever full-length Christmas album. Featuring guests such as John Legend, with a live orchestra and choir conducted by Underwoodâ€™s long-time friend, Emmy Award winning musical director Rickey Minor, viewers will also get to witness the recording of â€œLittle Drummer Boyâ€ with her son Isaiah.
It premieres Thursday, December 16 on HBO GO.

Double Movies Nightly on Warner TV (Astro Channel 712 / UnifiTV Channel 451)

Immerse yourself in back-to-back movies, from feel-good comediesÂ Fighting with My Family,Â Four Christmases, andÂ Life As We Know ItÂ to the iconic heist moviesÂ Oceanâ€™s Eleven,Â Oceanâ€™s Twelve, andÂ Oceanâ€™s Thirteen, plus a good dose of action withÂ Aquaman,Â Shazam!Â andÂ PokÃ©mon Detective Pikachu!Â Also, donâ€™t miss the final threeÂ Harry PotterÂ movies, together withÂ Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find ThemÂ andÂ Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald.
This will take place from 24 to 28 December 2021 and from 29 December 2021 to 2 January 2022.
So Much Xmas Magic on Cartoon Network (Astro Channel 615)

Enjoy the magic of friendship with curated favourites that includeÂ Looney Tunes Cartoons,Â We Bare Bears, We Baby Bears,Â Teen Titans Go,Â andÂ DC Superhero GirlsÂ plus the premiere of the brand-new series Tom & Jerry in New York!Â T
his brand-new series picks up immediately after theÂ Tom and JerryÂ movie, with hilarious antics as Tom and Jerry enjoy life in a fancy hotel in Manhattan. However, their mayhem doesnâ€™t stop at the hotel lobby – they continue their chase through Central Park, giant museums, department stores, subway cars and more.


Gabe Newell Is Hand Delivering Steam Decks In New Promo Video

There were rumours swirling around several days ago that Valve founder Gabe Newell is going around personally delivering the newly-released Steam Deck consoles to people in Seattle. It turns out that the rumours were true, and Valve themselves confirmed the news by posting a video showing exactly that.
It’s amusing to see the reactions of the people receiving the Steam Decks from Gabe Newell himself. If it was me, I would probably be so shocked that I’d be speechless.
The Steam Deck launched on 25 February 2022, and it’s the company’s first-ever portable PC console.
Check out the video with Gabe Newell below:


PUBG Mobile Releases New 4v4 Game Mode: Ultimate Arena

PUBG Mobile has come out and announced a new 4v4 game mode dubbed Ultimate Arena. Living up to its name, the new mode promises the ultimate gameplay experience with the map changes for each round, allowing players to flex their skills in various terrains types and conditions.

Launched as a 4v4 game mode, all PUBG Mobile players in Ultimate Arena must battle it out in multiple rounds to conquer various battlegrounds and ultimately defeat all enemies. Each match lasts a maximum of 7 rounds and the first team to win 4 rounds takes it all as the final victor of the match.
Having already received positive reviews from its beta testers, the Ultimate Arena is highly anticipated by PUBG Mobile fans. Its most exciting feature is the change in maps for each round where PUBG Mobile players will have to strategise their gameplay accordingly. From choosing the right weapons right down to the tactics for all map types including close and long-range combat as well as maps with maximum or minimum terrain, Ultimate Arena is designed for players who love a quick and action-packed battleground experience.
Through eliminating enemies and winning as many rounds as possible, players in Ultimate Arena will earn coins to upgrade their weapon loadouts in preparation for the next map layout. In addition to the usual PUBG Mobile weapons, players can also equip themselves with a special Riot Shield, to protect teammates from gunfire.
In the latest PUBG Mobile game mode, a full 7-round match lasts an average of 10 minutes. This makes Ultimate Arena the perfect game mode for PUBG Mobile players looking for a quick stress reliever during their lunch break at work or in between their study routines.


Dota 2 ESL Clash Of Nations Happening In Bangkok This October

ESL Asia, in collaboration with Mercedes-Benz Thailand, has announced that the ESL Clash Of Nations esports tournament will be taking place at the Royal Paragon Hall in Bangkok, Thailand from 25 to 27 October 2019. It will be part of the Thailand Game Show, pitting eight of the best Dota 2 teams in the Asia Pacific region against each other.

Here are the teams that will be fighting for a lion’s share of the US$50,000 prize pool, which includes the respective winners of the National Championship series across Southeast Asia and the top two teams from the Play-In:

ESL Thailand Championship Season 2 Winner
ESL Vietnam Championship Season 2 Winner
ESL Indonesia Championship Season 2 Winner
ESL MYSG Championship Season 2 Winner
Play-In Seed #1
Play-In Seed #2

The Play-In phase will be played off-stage on 24 October 2019, with 4 teams set to compete using a GSL format in order to determine the top two teams that will advance to the main event:

ESL AUNZ Championship Season 1 Winner
ESL AUNZ Championship Season 2 Winner
India Representative
Philippines Representative

Mercedes-Benz Thailand General Manager of Marketing Communications Andreas Marjanovic said:

â€œThe ESL Clash of Nations Bangkok 2019 is a great opportunity to show the world and Thailand Mercedes-Benz’s commitment to empowering esports players.
We are proud to work with ESL to build up grassroots esports in the region and paving a true zero-to-hero story for all aspiring players.
Mercedes-Benz wants to provide more opportunities for the local players to reach new heights and we believe that the ESL Clash of Nations is a step in the right direction.â€

The Dota 2 ESL Clash Of Nations matches will be streamed live in 4 different languages (English, Thai, Vietnamese and Indonesian) in each country’s respective local official ESL YouTube channels.
In the meantime, check out the trailer for the ESL Clash Of Nations below.
[wpvideo l3zVfbS7]


SEA Gamer Mall CEO & CPO Charged With Hacking Scam By US DoJ

SEA Gamer Mall has confirmed that they are looking into the indictment papers issued by the US Department of Justice; a case in which two of its most prominent staff members have been charged with being involved in an international hacking group.
SEA Gamer Mall is an online store that sells reloads for games and digital services based in Malaysia.
In a Twitter post earlier today, they released a statement; that they have been â€œmade aware of the American allegations against two employees of the company recentlyâ€.
The statement also confirmed that CEO Wong Ong Hua and CPO (Chief Product Officer) Ling Yang Ching are on temporary leave while investigations are pending.

https://twitter.com/SEAGM/status/1306490419161620480

The US Department Of Justice charged 46-year-old Wong and 32-year-old Ling with over 23 counts of racketeering, conspiracy, identity theft, aggravated identity theft, access device fraud, money laundering, violations of the CFAA (Computer Fraud And Abuse Act), and falsely registering domain names.
In a statement (via South China Morning Post), US Deputy Attorney General Jeffrey A Rosen said:
â€œFirst, as the core of APT-41â€™s computer hacking, the Chinese defendants targeted well over 100 victims worldwide in a variety of industries and sectors that are, sadly, part of the standard target list for Chinese hackers.These criminal acts were turbocharged by a sophisticated technique referred to as a â€˜supply chain attackâ€™, in which the Chinese hackers compromised software providers around the world, and modified the providersâ€™ code to install back doors that enabled further hacks against the software providersâ€™ customers. Second, and as an additional method of making money, several of the Chinese defendants compromised the networks of video game companies worldwide (a billion-dollar industry) and defrauded them of in-game resources.Two of the Chinese defendants stand accused, with two Malaysian defendants, of selling those resources on the black market, through their illicit website.â€
However, it’s currently unclear what these “resources” seem to be, which could potentially be in-game currency for purchasing DLC or virtual cosmetics.
Gaming analytics company Newzoo previously reported that 20.1 million gamers in Malaysia spent US$673 million on games in 2019, which makes it one of the biggest gaming markets in Southeast Asia. Most of that comes from microtransactions and paid DLC, which SEA Gamer Mall is in the business of.
Both Wong and Ling were arrested on 14 September 2020 through cooperation with local Malaysian authorities and are now facing extradition proceedings. Despite all that, business is currently going on as usual, as evident from its official website.


Our Favourite Sports Figure Appearances In Non-Sports Games

A recent PUBG Mobile announcement involving the World Cup just came out: football superstar Lionel Messi will have his likeness and themed gear appearing in PUBG Mobile.
Yes, it’ sounds pretty silly, but star athletes and sports icons appearing in video games that aren’t in the sports genre, or even headlining their own non-sports game, has always been the norm in video games. Here’s a list of the noteworthy ones, starting with the PUBG Mobile one:
Lionel Messi In PUBG Mobile

The one that jumpstarted this nonsense feature. One of the world’s top football players will have themed items based on his name and likeness as collectable gear in PUBG Mobile. Here’s the presser:
Players will be able to become legends themselves in a number of Captain Messi outfits, as well as accessories with new ornaments, parachutes, pans and more. The Messi Football Icon range includes a new themed set, cover, backpack, helmet, pan, PP-19 Bizon, Mini14, MK47, AKM, ornament and grenade. Next comes the Messi Super Legend items including a set, hat, mask and parachute. Finally the Messi Collaboration items include a set, plane finish, hoverboard, dacia and ornament.
Whatever he needs to fund his next sports car, we guess.
Lionel Messi, Paul Pogba, and Neymar as Call Of Duty Operators

.@paulpogba, @neymarjr, and Messi are suiting up for a new type of game ?? ? ?#Warzone2 #ModernWarfare2 #CODMobile pic.twitter.com/ANh2pgUpSk
— Call of Duty (@CallofDuty) November 4, 2022

If you rather have your football stars commit digital military murder and warfare, there’s no better place than in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II. The three aforementioned football stars will be appearing as operators in the flavour of the next few months shooter. Nothing beats having an all-ages football icon be an inspiration for the Call of Duty franchise’s audience, half of which are teens who scream insults and slurs at you through their microphones.
Danica Patrick In Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed

The ex-NASCAR Racing queen and entrepreneur at one point made an appearance as a playable character in a Sonic game, of all things. In fact, her racing skills are put to good use in a Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed special guest spot.
Yes, it’s rather surprising to see a real-life character race alongside Sonic and Billy Hatcher. And also tormenting Ai from Super Monkey Ball for promo purposes.

Michael Jordan In His Own 2D Platformer On SNES

Yes, the basketball icon is the face of his own 2D platformer called Michael Jordan: Chaos In The Windy City. His Airness has to fight against mad scientist Maximus Cranium using different elemental basketballs to solve environmental puzzles and dealing with typical 2D platformer bad guys.

Shaquille O’Neal In His Own Fighting Game & Beat-Em-Up

There was a time when Los Angeles Lakers ex-basketball pro Shaquille O’Neal was a growing icon that’s arguably as hot as Michael Jordan, even going so far as to star in a number of films. He also had his face and input in not one but TWO video games: the 2D fighting game Shaq Fu in 1994 and the 2D beat-em-up of the same name, subtitled A Legend Reborn, in 2018.
Both were terrible games in their own genre and right.
Charles Barkley In His Own Role-Playing Game

Yes, this game is real: a JRPG focused on the adventures of ex-Phoenix Suns/Houston Rockets top player Charles Barkley titled Barkley, Shut Up and Jam: Gaiden. Billed as an “official sequel” to Space Jam and Barkley: Shut Up And Jam!, this free JRPG features traditional battles and dungeons for the famous basketball player to jump in.

It’s surprisingly fun and in-depth even if the novelty of playing an NBA superstar in a JRPG world runs its course.
Fortnite & Its Extensive Roster of Athletes

Of course, we can’t forget about Fortnite which has an extensive plethora of Athletes you can play as in-game. From tennis star, Naomi Osaka to Harry Kane to LeBron James, the renowned battle royale game has featured a multitude of different athletes from different sports.
Fortnite’s list of athletes currently includes:

Harry Kane – Football
Marco Reus – Football
LeBron James – Basketball
Neymar Jr. – Football
Chloe Kim – Snowboarding
Naomi Osaka – Tennis
Partick Mahomes – American Football

I guess you can count Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as well as he was a professional wrestler before he became one of the highest-paid actors in the world.


E3 2019: The Breath Of The Wild 2 Team Is Inspired By This Open-World Game

The (arguably) most shocking announcement of E3 2019 so far has been that a The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild sequel is currently in development over at Nintendo. Details are scarce for now but now we know what recent open-world game is serving as the inspiration for the team working on the game.
In an interview with IGN, Zelda producer Eiji Aonuma said that the younger staff of the team developing The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild 2 (unofficial title) is playing (and being inspired by) none other than Rockstar Games’ recent massive hit from last year, Red Dead Redemption 2.

Aonuma also revealed that back when he was working on 2017’s The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild, he was playing Bethesda’s The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, which also indirectly inspired the entire development team as well.
Nowadays, Aonuma has a lot of Zelda on his plate, so he’s currently playing the upcoming soon-to-be-released Cadence Of Hyrule game while working on The Legend Of Zelda: Link’s Awakening.
Nintendo has yet revealed anything much about The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild sequel, but rest assured it’s now one of the most highly-anticipated games. In the meantime, re-watch the trailer below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3fr1Z07AV00&w=560&h=315]


Cyberpunk 2077 Lead Game Designer Leaves CD Projekt Red

Andrzej Zawadzki, better known as the lead gameplay designer who has been working on Cyberpunk 2077 since 2013, will be leaving CD Projekt Red after serving nearly 8 years for the studio.
He started his gig as a QA tester for The Witcher 3 back in 2013, then became a junior gameplay designer for Cyberpunk 2077 in 2016. He was renowned for being vocal about people sending death threats during Cyberpunk 2077’s development cycle and many, many delays.
The reason for his departure? He’s taking a break and “long holidays”. It’s not an official reason, but the fact that he put in the work to make Cyberpunk 2077 work must have been an arduous task.
“After almost 8 years, my time at CDPR has come to an end. It’s time for the new adventure. To every person I’ve met on the way â€“ thank you 🙂 It was an honor and pleasure. See you around :)”

After almost 8 years, my time at CDPR has come to an end. It's time for the new adventure.To every person I've met on the way – thank you 🙂 It was an honor and pleasure.See you around 🙂 pic.twitter.com/Hts3TE9VzW
— Andrzej Zawadzki (@ZawAndy) March 22, 2021

For more Cyberpunk 2077 news & recaps, check out our features.


Oddyssey: Your Space Your Way Enters Steam Early Access

Do you ever dream of being in charge of your own space adventure? Well, now you can with the launch of Oddyssey: Your Space Your Way on Steam Early Access today!
This exciting game, developed by Weird Fish and published by 505 Games, allows you to build, explore, and manage your very own team as you gather resources for your journey to a new, habitable planetary system. And, if that’s not enough to get you excited, you can even play a part in the game’s development while saving the lives of nearly two million souls!

The future of humanity depends on your success, so get ready to jump into action. You can purchase Oddyssey: Your Space Your Way for SG$26 / VND 280,000 / PHP 587.95 / Rp180,000 / RM50 / THB 389.
You’ll take on the role of one of four crew members who have been thawed out to lead the emergency mission. With the ship off course and low on fuel, it’s up to you to crew the ‘Oddyssey’ resource vessel, mine asteroids for resources, and find the next source of fuel. No pressure or anything, but the other 1,999,996 passengers are counting on you!
We’re constantly working on making the game even better, so stay tuned for updates. And, for all our international players, we’re also adding localization options. Get ready to embark on the ultimate space adventure!


Idris Elba Is A Commodore 64 Gamer For Life

It’s official: tough guy actor Idris Elba is a gamer, according to a new New York Times article.
According to the piece, he was keen on joining Sonic The Hedgehog 2 as the antagonist Knuckles. He mentioned that he owned every console since the Sega Genesis and is into “FIFA and driving games” these days.
I’m a grown man now, but I still play FIFA and driving games.
He got his start on a Commodore 64 home computer since he was nine years old back in 1982. Basically the Commodore 64’s heyday, which makes him a PC gamer from the get-go.
The interview stated that during the time, he never ever pirated games for the system, despite how easy it was to do so.
“I remember you could take a blank tape and dub a game onto it. And you had to take the tabs off the cassette so you didn’t record over it. [Exaggeratedly serious voice] But of course, all my games were authorized purchases, I bought them all.”
On a related gaming note, he also talked about the different voices he tried for Knuckles for the Sonic 2 movie. He tried to play a squeaky voice because he thought it might be funny, but was shut down by the studio. Maybe that might end up in a director’s cut in the eventual digital release? In any case, it’s good to know that Idris Elba is part of the PC master race, even on a technicality. And that he’s a saint for not pirating PC games, but we’ll have to take his word for it.


NieR: Automata Surpasses 7.5 Million In Shipments & Digital Sales

Square Enix just announced that the game’s total worldwide shipments and digital sales have exceeded a whopping 7.5 million units! That’s a lot of people who love this game! It’s worth noting that just last November, the game was reported to have reached seven million units, so it’s still selling like hotcakes.

#???????? ???????????????????????750?????????????
????????????????????? #??? ?????????????????? pic.twitter.com/TVdSi9BnMi
— NieR??PR????? (@NieR_JPN) April 23, 2023

For those who are unfamiliar with NieR: Automata, it first launched back in 2017 for PlayStation 4 in Japan. It then made its way to North America and Europe a few weeks later. A year later, it became available for Xbox One worldwide. If you’re a PC gamer, you didn’t have to wait long, as it was available on Steam worldwide in March of that same year. Since then, there have been a couple of special editions released, including the “Game of the YoRHa Edition” in 2019 and “The End of YoRHa Edition” for Switch in October of last year.


[Rumour] The Division 2 Will Get New Story Missions & Endless Game Mode

A few days ago, Ubisoft launched a public test server for its loot-and-shoot third-person action game The Division 2 to showcase some updates for the community. Turns out one of them poked a little too deep, revealing some juicy upcoming tidbits for the shooter.
Reddit user definiteylanalt16 dug into the PTS build and found a number of audio files that may reveal Ubisoft’s future Division 2 plans and beyond, including a new game mode. We’ll just put the spoiler tag here in case you’re one of the many who are looking forward to more Tom Clancy narrative in their loot-and-shoot titles.

Players will be fighting new targets in Manhunt season 2. For those who don’t know what Manhunt is, it’s a multi-part event where you kill five rogue agents – four lieutenants and one “Prime Target”.
The target for season 2 is Hornet. He was a boss in the first Division whom you “killed”; guess he’s back again and you’re given the honour of cleaning up that mess again. Manhunt season 3’s prime target will be Bardon Schaeffer, the Black Tusk Specialist Unit Leader. Season 4’s prime target is Faye Lau.
There also might be a new replayable mode where players need to secure a skyscraper floor by floor; a sort of procedural generated endless level mode filled with lots of enemies and even more loot.
This sounds all exciting for The Division 2 players, assuming these audio leaks are true. Stay tuned to Kakuchopurei for more Division 2 news.


E3 2019: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Sees The Return Of A Classic Mode

Infinity Ward, the developers of Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare, has provided a sneak peek at the latest title’s multiplayer mode by revealing a couple of screenshots from the game.
These screenshots are taken in-game with the new engine Infinity Ward created for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. The new engine features proper dynamic cloth physics, meaning when the person donning the camouflage moves, the rest of the suit moves realistically.

The ghillie suit and suppressed sniper rifle imply that the game will employ a more strategic and tactical approach to multiplayer, rather than going guns blazing and quick scoping enemies.

The Juggernaut suit also makes a return from the original Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare.
It was confirmed during the E3 Coliseum event that the Spec Ops co-op mode from previous Modern Warfare games will make a reappearance in the new game. No details nor gameplay footage has been revealed yet though.
The developers also shared some insight into the game’s campaign. You’ll be experiencing the story from multiple perspectives, not unlike the original title. Captain Price will also be present in the game, although he is voiced by Barry Sloane rather than Billy Murray in the original one.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bH1lHCirCGI]
The confusing nomenclature for the latest Call of Duty instalment has fans going up in flames. Plus, with no gameplay seen despite its launch being less than 4 months away, the game is touted to be sketchy given that the previous games;Â Infinite Warfare and Black Ops 4 was said to be unfinished at release.
Infinity Ward responded by saying:

“There is more to come on this stuff, please be patient. We want this to be perfect before we show it off”.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare will be released on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC, on 25 October and will feature full cross-play across all platforms.


Remedy Entertainment Announces Control 2, Reveals Concept Artwork

Remedy Entertainment has announced that they have signed an agreement with 505 Games to co-develop and co-publish Control 2, a sequel to 2019’s Control, for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.
Previously known as “Codename Heron,” Control 2 will be built on Remedy’s proprietary Northlight engine and tools, and is currently in the concept stages. Remedy Entertainment will publish the PC version, while 505 Games will publish the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S.
In a statement, 505 Games co-CEOS Rami and Raffi Galante said:
“We are excited to deepen our cooperation with Remedy and continue the success story of Control together. Since its launch in 2019, Control has sold over three million copies. Control is the biggest investment 505 Games has ever made, so it has a special place in our hearts. We are grateful to the whole player community that has made Control such a long-lasting and loved game, and are even more excited to bring out Control 2.”
Check out the newly-revealed Control 2 concept art:

There is no release date for Control 2.
Control originally launched for PS4, Xbox One, and PC via the Epic Games Store in August 2019, followed by PC via Steam in August 2020. We named Control one of the best games of 2019. You can also check out our review of the game here.


Get To The Orange Door Combines Fast Shooting, Parkour, And Neon Lights

Sometimes a game doesn’t have to be complicated. It doesn’t need an intricate story that has 10 chapters set in a wide-open world with hundreds of branching sidequests. Sometimes, you just want to run really fast, shoot stuff, and have electronic house music blasting in your ears.
Get To The Orange Door is just that.
Apparently, the game is developed by just one man named Andrew Smith and is published by Hitcents. The game is currently on early access so don’t expect it to run perfectly smooth but there’s a free demo you can try and it’s enough to give you a taste of the game.
Your objective is simple. It’s already there in the game’s title. You beat a level by getting to an orange door. On your way there, you’ll have to go against no-faced enemies who’ll come at you with guns and katanas.

The game’s aesthetic seems to have been inspired from the neon-and-chrome look of the ’80s and it reminds me a lot of Tron actually. Coupled with a synth-heavy electro-funk soundtrack, this game is a treat to your eyes and the ears.
If you’ve played Titanfall then you’ll feel right at home. Your default movement speed is basically a sprint. Your double jumps propel you like you’ve got springs in your legs. Pressing crouch while moving puts you into a slide and jumping towards walls allows you to wall run. The philosophy is simple: keep moving and keep shooting.

The gunplay is nothing to write home about but it works and it’s satisfying enough. There’s quite a variety of weapons which include the usuals like an assault rifle, a shotgun, an SMG, and then there’s the cooler stuff like a black hole shuriken which will pull your enemies towards its epicenter when thrown.
All in all the game is enjoyable enough and if you’re a big fan of fast-paced shooters, I definitely recommend trying it out. You can download the free demo at the game’s Steam store page.


Valorant Champions Tour 2023: EMEA League – Offseason Roster Changes

2023 will see the introduction of the new league format in Valorant’s esports ecosystem and with this many big-name organisations have announced that they are stepping away from Valorant as a result of not being partnered with Riot Games. This also means that many rosters have imploded, leaving some star players up for grabs.
For the casual viewer, all these moves can be hard to track, especially across all three regions. So this will be an ongoing and updated list that will help you guys know who plays for who.
In this piece, I will cover just the EMEA League. If you are interested to know the rosters of the other regions then be sure to check the other regions down below.

AMERICAS LEAGUE

PACIFIC LEAGUE

Bold – Staying
* – Unconfirmed

Fnatic

CURRENT

Boaster

Derke

Alfajer

Leo

Chronicle

mini (Head Coach)

IN
OUT

Leo
Enzo

Chronicle
Mistic

Team Liquid

CURRENT

soulcas

Jamppi

Redgar

nAts

Sayf

dimasick (Sub)

eMIL (Head Coach)

7Teen (Performance Coach)

Bacon9 (Strategic Coach)

IN
OUT

Redgar
ScreaM

nAts
Nivera

Sayf
qpert (Analyst)

Team Vitality

CURRENT

ceNder

BONECOLD

MOLSI

Destrian

Twisten

Salah (Head Coach)

Gorilla (Assistant Coach)

Strong (Positional Coach)

IN
OUT

MOLSI
baddyG

Destrian
H1ber

Twisten
nataNk

Salah (Head Coach)
Tanizhq (Head Coach)

Strong (Positional Coach)

Karmine Corp

CURRENT

Shin

Newzera

ScreaM

Nivera

xms

pm (Head Coach)

ZE1SH (Assistant Coach)

IN
OUT

ScreaM
TakaS

Nivera
mikee

xms
Amilwa

Team Heretics

CURRENT

keloqz

mixwell

zeek

Boo

AvovA

neilzinho (Head Coach)

weber (Assistant Coach)

IN
OUT

mixwell
lowel

zeek
pAura

Boo
mertz

AvovA
GRUBINHO

neilzinho (Head Coach)
snikk

weber (Assistant Coach)
PoPiFresH

Linepro (Strategic Coach)

Noel (Assistant Coach)

Giants

CURRENT

Fit1nho

hoody

nukkye

rhyme

Cloud

pipsoN (Head Coach)

IN
OUT

hoody
russ

nukkye
ShadoW

rhyme
Jesse

Cloud
Kiles

pipsoN (Head Coach)
LATEKS (Head Coach)

Vlad (Strategic Coach)

Team Secret

CURRENT

ANGE1

Shao

Zyppan

SUYGETSU

cNed

d00mbr0s (Head Coach)

LATEKS (Assistant Coach)

IN
OUT

ANGE1
Cloud

Shao
7ssk7

Zyppan
dinkzj

SUYGETSU
Duno

cNed
zeddy

d00mbr0s (Head Coach)
SmartSeven (Head Coach)

LATEKS (Assistant Coach)

FUT Esports

CURRENT

mojj

qRaxs

qw1

MrFaliN

ATA KAPTAN

Muj

GAIS (Head Coach)

IN
OUT

ATA KAPTAN

Muj

BBL Esports

CURRENT

AsLanM4shadoW

QutionerX

Turko

Brave

Elite

Vlad (Head Coach)

IN
OUT

Brave
Muj

Elite
aimDLL

Vlad (Head Coach)
Fabre (Head Coach)

KOI

CURRENT

ThoR (Sub)*

IN
OUT

Famsii

PHYRN

Sacake

neptuNo

Magnum

starkk

Aska (Head Coach)

Sikak0 (Assistant Coach)


Mamoru Hosoda’s Belle Is Out Now On Netflix

Amidst the many March highlights on Netflix, one of our favourite anime films of 2022 also makes an appearance.
Belle, the Mamoru Hosoda film about a socially-inept girl who has a popular online persona who loves to sing, is now available on Netflix.
Belle has garnered a standing ovation at last year’s Cannes Film Festival for its art direction and story. Both critics and audiences have praised the film for its dazzling animation, remarkable story, and beautiful song numbers, both in Japanese and in English.

For more on Belle, check out our glowing review.Â


Sony Is Getting Sued Over Alleged PS5 DualSense Controller Drift Issue

For every few steps forward Sony takes with its PlayStation brand, it does take a couple more back.
Sony is being given a class action lawsuit by Chimicles Schwartz Kriner & Donaldson-Smith LLP for an alleged PS5 DualSense controller drifting problem (via IGN). See, there has been online forum reports about the DualSense controller’s analog stick mysteriously causing your controlled character to drift aimlessly off-course even when the controller is left idle.

Heck, even Sony’s own pre-release testers have stated this, and it was apparently given the green light by the company despite that red flag. The lawsuit’s case documentation notes “significantly interferes with gameplay and thus compromises the DualSense controllerâ€™s core functionality”, as well as claiming Sony’s actions to be “fraudulent, deceptive, unlawful, and unfair” when also considering the limited repair options available for the issue.

I have a brand new PS5 controller that hasn’t been played with much, but I’m still getting the joystick drift. Smh ?????
— Nyarial ?? (@NyoakNyarial) February 6, 2021

I have issues with my Joy Cons, both sets, and same drift even with the Pro Controller. Within 1 month with my PS5 and Dualsense, I had drift and replaced it. Smh.
— martshmallow (@Martshmallow) January 22, 2021

Since this is a class-action lawsuit, any US citizen who also has PS5 DualSense drifting problems can add their own evidence to the claim. If Sony is found to be at fault, the case and payout will go to the prosecution and the citizens involved. Let’s hope the matter gets resolved; this may not be a good look for Sony and the PlayStation brand worldwide.


The Last Case Of Benedict Fox Launches This April

Stylish-looking metroidvania title The Last Case of Benedict Fox surprised a number of action game fans and genre enthusiasts during last year’s Xbox showcase. So it’s a good thing the game is coming out pretty soon.
The Last Case of Benedict Fox will be out on 27 April for Xbox and PC. The game will also be out on Xbox Game Pass, and will probably be a hit thanks to the slick art style and presentation.
Check out the game’s features and trailer below. Stay tuned for a review on Kakuchopurei soon in the next few months.
Key Features

Descend into Limbo – Benedict’s bond with his demon companion allows him to descend into the consciousness of a deceased person, the world of Limbo. However the mind can be a dangerous place, with emotions and painful memories. As Benedict discovers more clues, Limbo will shift and more danger awaits.
Freeform Combat System – You will encounter ruthless and extremely dangerous enemies in your journey, luckily you can use a combination of various objects, environmental surroundings, weapons, and traversal abilities to overcome all foes in your path.
Uncover a Grim Mystery – A rich and tragic story will unfold during Benedict’s time in this colonial manor. Benedict will explore the intimate and disturbing story of the former residents and experience shifting and changing environments as the story unravels.


PC Building Simulator 2 Gets New Major Update 1.2

PC Building Simulator 2 is the best way for those interested in the world of computers to delve into it further without having to cry about spending quite a bit buying them in real life. Today, Spiral House launches the next major update for avid fans. Last December, they launched their first major update bringing about the latest AMD processors, the fastest NVIDIA GPUs and Intel’s newest desktop processor.
The new major update brings in two new partnership deals, which will bring in brand-new parts for fans to play around with.
NEW PARTNER: PNY

PNY Technologies, which is more commonly known as just PNY, is an American manufacturer based in New Jersey. PNY has a rich history of working with memory and as an NVIDIA GPU board partner. This update will introduce the 40 series and 30 series graphic cards among some performance memory and high-speed SSDs.
NEW PARTNER: Steiger Dynamics

Steiger Dynamics is the industry-leading manufacturer of high-end Home Theater PC (HTPC). Their entry into PC Building Simulator 2 comes with a whole lot of new ways to create custom computers.
NEW FEATURE: Custom Cables Shop
The update also comes with a brand-new feature for fans to customize. Fans can now have a more flashy loadout with the new custom cables, bringing about their own flair to their high-end builds. They will be able to customize each cable sleeve’s colour and material as with popular real-world options. (YAY for more customization!)
BRAND NEW COMPONENTS
And of course, the update brings about over 20 brand-new components which include DDR5 RAM, new motherboards, and GPUs. Below is a full list compiled of all the brand-new components coming in with the update.
Cases :

Steiger Dynamics LEET
Steiger Dynamics MAVEN
Endorfy Regnum

GPUs :

AMD Radeon™ RX 7900 XT
AMD Radeon™ RX 7900 XTX
NVIDIA RTX™ 4080 16GB Founders Edition
PNY GeForce RTX™ 3050 8GB XLR8 Gaming REVEL
PNY GeForce RTX™ 3070 Ti 8GB XLR8 Gaming REVEL
PNY GeForce RTX™ 3080 Ti 12GB XLR8 Gaming REVEL
PNY GeForce RTX™ 4080 16GB XLR8 Gaming VERTO

Motherboards :

ASRock Z690 PG Riptide
GIGABYTE Z690I ULTRA PLUS DDR4

Memory :

CORSAIR Vengeance DDR5 Black
CORSAIR Vengeance DDR5 White
G.SKILL Flare X5 DDR5
G.SKILL Trident Z5 Neo DDR5 RGB
Patriot Viper Venom DDR5
PNY XLR8 DDR4 Black
PNY XLR8 DDR4 White
PNY XLR8 Gaming MAKO DDR5

Storage :

PNY CS3040 XLR8 M.2 NVMe SSD
PNY CS3140 XLR8 M.2 NVMe SSD

The update also comes with a lot of bug fixes so be sure to stay up to date!


PS5 Patent Hints At PS1, PS2 & PS3 Emulation Via Streaming

Sony has been pretty vague and unclear about what backwards compatibility really means for the PlayStation 5. However, a newly-discovered patent may have revealed the company’s plans for backwards-compatibility on the PS5.
We already know that the upcoming next-gen console will feature PS4 game support (apparently thousands of PS4 games will be playable at launch) but that won’t be the case for previous console generations like the PS1, PS2, and PS3. That could potentially change by the looks of this new PS5 patent.
According to the patent, it looks like PS1, PS2 and PS3 games could be emulated onto a separate screen via cloud gaming or streaming tech.

PATENT #PS5 PS4 PS3 PS2 PS1
â€œlarge number of game titles across PS1/PS2/PS3 & various generations of game consoles can be stored and used via the cloud gaming library.â€
â€œgames can be run on a virtual machine that mimics the operating system associated with each game consoleâ€ pic.twitter.com/1DQzxwfghF
â€” PS5 Only (@PS5only) July 8, 2020
The patent reads;

â€œA large number of game titles across PS1/PS2/PS3 and various generations of game consoles can be stored and used via the cloud gaming library.
These games can be run on a virtual machine that mimics the operating system associated with each game console.â€

In short, Sony could implement a greater number of backwards compatible titles through PlayStation Now. A similar type of technology could be used on the PS5, resulting in PS1, PS2 and PS3 games to be playable on the next-gen console, albeit through emulation and streaming, not natively.
The best-case scenario is allowing users to download these PS1, PS2 or PS3 games and emulate them locally. PlayStation Now remains in limited markets and streaming is unreliable to play games on (look how ‘successful’ Google Stadia has been).
It’s worth pointing out that most of these patents never actually make it into reality.Â  We’ll never know if Sony decided to implement this patent until they fully reveal the PS5, whenever that may be.
In the meantime,Â head on over here to check out all our other PS5-related news and feature articles.


Knives Out Is The Best Whodunnit Film Done In A Long Time

Do you hate watching slow-burning murder mystery films that take their sweet time to their payoff that usually never ends in a satisfying manner? Director Rian Johnson probably has seen too many of those back in the 80s and 90s, and actually thought of a great solution when making his own black comedy murder mystery film and possible Clue tribute Knives Out.
Just get the crux of it out halfway in the film and then follow it up with even more mysteries that unfold from the supposed reveal. Don’t act too shocked if this caper ends up being in a lot of people’s Best of 2019 list.
Get A Clue

The premise is such: the patriarch of the Thrombey family (Christopher Plummer), a man who made his millions making murder mystery stories, ends up dead, so it’s up to law enforcement (led by Lakeith Stanfield’s Detective Lieutenant Elliot) and detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) to find out who killed him and why. Adding to the complications are the family members, the caretaker Marta Cabrera (Ana de Armas), and the underlying notion that not all is well within the Thrombey family and extended members.
To say more would be veering into spoiler territory because these films rely on its many plot twists and revelations. Is it worth sticking around for? Yes, it is, but it’s also the performances of its A-list ensemble that elevates this beyond its contemporary peers.
Everyone from Jamie Lee Curtis’ Linda Drysdale to Michael Shannon’s Walt Thrombey is bringing their A-game acting to portraying their seemingly-loving personas with malicious intents, whether it’s on-the-nose or hidden. Personally, the standouts are Daniel Craig’s Southern-style detective Blanc, Chris Evan’s petulant rebel Ransom, and Ana’s naive and too-nice-for-her-own-good Marta.

From start to finish, you are enamoured by Blanc’s accent, mannerisms, his code of justice, and his methodology. You wonder if he’s going to do the right thing or keep to the law, but you just cannot take your eyes off of him.

I’d be very disappointed in humanity if he doesn’t get at least an Oscar or Academy nomination for his transformative role here.

Then again, this is the guy who nailed it as an idiot savant hick in Lucky Logan, so it’s no surprise he blows this new role out of the water.
It’s not surprising to see Chris Evans plays his roles authentically, but it’s been a while to see him as a charismatic douche like in his Scott Pilgrim vs. The World days. You can definitely see where his character Ransom comes from and why he’s like that through the course of the plot, but at the end of the day, he’s also a hoot to watch as the Thrombey family’s black sheep.
On the other end of the spectrum is Marta, who acts as the show’s other main lead and moral centre.  She brings out the best and worst of the not-quite-right Thrombey family through no fault of her own.
Murder He Wrote

The best kinds of murder-mystery films will keep you guessing until the very end. Even if you find out what happened, the best ones are so well-crafted that you have to watch it, again and again, to pick up the nuances and telltale signs on how the mystery was set up in the first place.
Knives Out not only reveals its hand after the first 40 minutes or so for a sleight of hand but subverts its audience’s expectations with a couple of trump cards they’ve hidden in plain sight for the ultimate “gotcha” moment. My only gripes are that some characters are just there as one-note punchlines, like a certain kid on a handphone, and that the film needed more claustrophobic “family time gathering” moments to balance out the comedy more.
But beyond that, the fact that I’m making a lot of vague criticisms here proves that you need to head into this film without any prior knowledge. Knives Out is the best kind of murder mystery that requires you to go in blind for the full sublime experience.
No hyperbole here; this one’s at sharp as they come.
FINAL RATING: 100/100


[Rumour] Control Developer Is Working On A PlayStation Exclusive

Remedy Entertainment recently confirmed that they have a total of five games in development and one of these might even be a PlayStation exclusive.
The rumour started when PlayStation global external producer Claire Bromley has recently been sharing links for job ads at Remedy from the studioâ€™s employees on her LinkedIn profile. She has also been sharing posts from Remedy Entertainment COO Christopher Schmitz, Remedy Entertainment communications director Thomas Puha, and Remedy Entertainment audio designer Sam Hughes.
In addition, video game industry insider Shpeshal Ed has also been claiming on his Twitter account that the rumours are real and that it will be a full PlayStation exclusive title.

Not 100% sure but I think this one might be full.
— Nick ? (@Shpeshal_Nick) April 5, 2021

In the past, Ed has been a credible source of leaks and rumours in the past, even most recently leaking that Final Fantasy VII Remake would be a free PlayStation Plus game in March 2021 before it was even officially announced. That said, we should take all of this with a grain of salt for now, and wait for something more official from either Sony or Remedy Entertainment.
Control originally launched for PS4, Xbox One, and PC via the Epic Games Store in August 2019, followed by PC via Steam in August 2020. We namedÂ ControlÂ one of the best games of 2019. You can also check outÂ our review of the game here.


Pokémon Launches New Youtube Show Series

A new YouTube show, Beyond The Pokédex, offers fans an inside look at classic and new Pokémon from The Pokémon Company.
Spruce and Maple will host each episode, which focuses on a single Pokémon, from Bulbasaur to the latest in Scarlet and Violet. Pokémon fans can now explore the franchise’s lore and learn new information on what makes each Pokémon unique – from animes, video games, trading cards, battle strategy, and much more. A new episode will be released every month, covering entries 001 to #1000 in the Pokedex.

For its debut episode, the new Pokémon YouTube series begins with a look at Sobble, the Water-type starter from Pokémon Sword and Shield. The hosts explained Sobble’s characteristics, strengths, weaknesses, appearance in the Pokémon manga, anime series, and even its debut in the Pokémon Trading Card Game (TCG) Tournament. Fans and players alike would not miss a single thing when it comes to their favourite Pokémon in this new series.
The first episode of the Beyond the Pokédex YouTube series comment section has been flooded with positive feedback, calling it a “cool concept for a series” and even a few requested for the hosts to include the origins, inspirations, and behind-the-scenes design of them.
The Pokémon Company announced new Pokémon games and anime series regularly, such as the remake of 2010’s Pokémon Black and White and the recently announced Pokemon Concierge stop-motion animation series for Netflix.
Beyond The Pokédex series airs every month via The Official Pokémon Youtube Channel.


Skybound’s Wrestlequest Set for August 8th Release

Skybound Games and Mega Cat Studios’ RPG Wrestlequest is revealed to have an 8th August release date. The game will be on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC (via Steam) and iOS and Android (via Netflix).
In a nutshell, the game has you controlling wrestlers as they piledrive and suplex their way to be the champ in the ring, all through RPG combat with the numbers and the turn-based gameplay. Skybound Games gave a brief overview of the upcoming game:
“In WrestleQuest, players assume the role of a young wrestling hopeful, on their quest to become one of the all-time greats by powerbombing, slamming, and suplexing their way to the top.
Players will evolve from an aspiring rookie to world champ by training, learning, glamming, and slamming to the top of the pro wrestling food chain, while selecting the right moves, style, taunts and entrance to ensure they’re the cream of the crop. But success in the wrestling world requires allies, so forming the ultimate party will be vital, as you work together to crush the competition and tag team your way to triumph.
The road to the world championship has been paved by the legends who came before—all who make an appearance in one way or another. As our hero progresses through their quest, they’ll note homages to “Macho Man” Randy Savage, Booker T, Andre The Giant, Jake “The Snake” Roberts, Diamond Dallas Page, Jeff Jarrett, and many more.
Wild realms, exotic monsters, action figure fighters, and spandexed allies await as this fantasy goes beyond the ring. With tons of side missions, bonus content, and much more, this is the ultimate main event that you won’t want to miss.”
Mega Cat has been working alongside Jeff Jarrett, Diamond Dallas Page and Al Snow to help bring the squared-circle environment to life in the game, tributing the past, present and future of wrestling itself. The game includes heartfelt storylines and adventurous environments, all to fit the larger-than-life legends that feature in the game.
Watch the newly released trailer below!


Microsoft Claims Sony Will Launch PS5 Slim & PS5 Pro Later This Year

It seems that Microsoft may have spilled the beans on Sony’s future plans. According to court documents from the recent Microsoft Xbox Activision FTC trial, Microsoft reveals that Sony is set to launch new PS5 Slim and PS5 Pro consoles later in 2023.
The PS5 Slim will allegedly be the same price as the current PS5 Digital Edition, which is US$399 or RM2069.
The statement by Microsoft reads:
“PlayStation likewise sells a less expensive Digital Edition for $399.99, and is expected to release a PlayStation 5 Slim later this year at the same reduced price point.
PlayStation, meanwhile, currently offers two different versions of the PlayStation 5, one with a Blu-Ray player for physical media (Standard) and one without (Digital), and is anticipated to release further differentiated Pro and Slim models in the near future.
Sony is also anticipated to release a handheld version of PlayStation 5 later this year for under US$300.”
The handheld version of PS5 probably refers to the recently-announced Project Q.
Project Q is a dedicated device that enables players to stream any game from their PS5 console using Remote Play over Wi-Fi. It has an 8-inch HD screen and all of the buttons and features of the DualSense wireless controller. It can run games at up to 1080p and 60fps over Wi-Fi and will feature both the adaptive triggers and haptic feedback of the DualSense. However, games you play on the Project Q must first be installed on a PS5 console itself.
The PS5 was originally launched in November 2020, which means that the console is almost three years old at this point in time.
At the time of writing, Sony has yet to officially respond to Microsoft’s allegations.
In other related news to come out of the Xbox FTC trial, it was revealed that the upcoming Bethesda MachineGames Indiana Jones game will be an Xbox exclusive and that Starfield was originally planned for the PS5 before Microsoft purchased Bethesda. Microsoft also expects that the next-gen consoles will arrive in 2028.


Kuala Lumpur Hosts First Ever eRacing Grand Prix SEA

Kuala Lumpur is set to become the inaugural host for the eRacing Grand Prix SEA this June. The eRacing Grand Prix SEA aims to help virtual racers develop their potential and become stars in motor racing, not unlike the Nissan GT Academy back in Gran Turismo 6.

eRacing made its Grand Prix debut in Hong Kong last year, and it inspired our national driver Alex Yoong to bring virtual racing into this region and develop a programme around it. The programme is designed to transform virtual racers into actual motorsports champions. Imagine if you will, one moment you’re on top of the Gran Turismo Sport leaderboard, the next you’re training to race on an actual race track. Pretty cool, eh?
Alex Yoong, the founder of Axle Motorsports, said, “eRacing Grand Prix SEA is the best platform for virtual racers to prove that gamers can establish themselves in real-life motorsports successfully.”

Yoong pointed out that racing is one of the only esports in which the skills can transition seamlessly between the two worlds; esports and actual motorsports. He said that it’s very different from other esports titles such as FIFA as being good in the game doesn’t mean the player is good in the field, but in racing, you can transfer your racing sim skills and apply it in real life.

“The two worlds are converging, and this is the starting line.”

PlayStation players can develop their skills by playing Gran Turismo Sport on the console. The game is lauded to be one of the most realistic driving sims in the world, even Yoong agreed to that fact. The top 40 contestants will have professional drivers as coaches and will be groomed to become real racing drivers.
Axle Motorsports will also provide strategic partnership in Southeast Asian motorsports to help the eRacing industry flourish by providing exposure such as career progression from gaming to tangible motorsports. This initiative is also a region-wide effort in which it supports the drivers’ and fresh talents to become the faces of the motorsports industry.

The Grand Prix will start in Malaysia, and will then head to the Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore, Vietnam and the final stop will be Thailand. The winner of each country stop will be trained and offered a spot in the Formula 4 South East Asia Championship (F4SEA), before heading in the bigger leagues. If you’re wondering, yes, the F4SEA is an actual race on an actual track, where you drive an actual race car.
This initiative is a gigantic effort from all the stakeholders, such as Axle Motorsports, the Ministry of Youth and Sports as well as all the passionate gamers from around the nation. As an esports and motorsports enthusiast, I am truly interested to see this programme take off and become as equal as, or more than, the likes of Nissan’s GT Academy.


E3 2019: Elden Ring Officially Announced With First Trailer

Though it was already leaked several days ago, From Software and George R.R. Martin‘s new game, Elden Ring, has finally been officially announced during Microsoft’s Xbox E3 2019 press conference, with the world premiere of a new cinematic trailer to boot.
While the cinematic trailer for Elden Ring doesn’t actually reveal any gameplay footage, it does vaguely explain the game’s basic lore. A character speaks of an artifact called the Elden Ring, described as “that which commanded the stars, giving life its fullest brilliance”, which was said to be broken by “someone or something”.
Besides that, the trailer does feature many characters with dark fantasy designs, reminiscent of the Dark Souls franchise, albeit looking more Lord of The Rings-like. I’m sure that ‘One Ring’ vibe emanating throughout the trailer was done on purpose (it’s probably going to be George R.R. Martin’s LOTR fan fiction).
It’s safe to assume that Elden Ring will likely feature third-person hack-and-slash Soulsborne action similar to that of other From Software titles. The biggest question right now is what gameplay mechanics will distinguish the upcoming game from Dark Souls, Bloodborne, and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice.
With George R.R. Martin on writing duty, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that Elden Ring will be the most narrative-driven From Software game to date. No release date (or release window) was revealed in the Elden Ring trailer, but it is slated to release for the PS4, Xbox One, and PC.
Check out the Elden Ring announcement trailer below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4euIi1JfMqs&w=560&h=315]


The Mageseeker: A League of Legends Story Combat Tips

The Mageseeker: A League of Legends Story is out right now for PC and consoles. If you love 2D action RPGs with emphasis on the action, you’ll dig this game.
You play as Sylas as he leads a rebellion against the magic-hating kingdom of Demacia, and he’s got a special trick up his sleeve: the ability to steal magic from others using his chains. Here are some tips we can impart to make your 2D journey a bit smoother.
Note: all inputs are using the Xbox controller.
The Mageseeker: A League of Legends Story Combat Guide

Keep Track of Elemental Weaknesses
Just remember the following when stealing magic and using it on others, or using your own:
Fire <-> Ice, Wind <-> Nature, and Mystic <->Lightning
One of the corresponding elements deals massive damage to the other. For example, if you take a Fire mage’s spell, you can use it on an Ice mage to outright kill them (or heavily damage them). Bosses in the game require you to steal magic from them when they’re in their corresponding element, so use that to your advantage as it’s a free way to stun them.

You Can “Equip” Up To Two Elemental Lieutenants
Before each mission, you get to recruit two rebel lieutenants to your team. There will be one lieutenant for each element, each with their own benefits and exclusive attack for Sylas.
For example, the Ice lieutenant lets you do a X->X->X->Y combo that finishes with an Ice AoE attack in the front. Plus, he buffs your ice spells. Recruiting more followers for him means more bonuses, like a better special move and even an upgrade for the base.

Collect Loot For Upgrades
The only currency that’s available is Loot, which is found in treasure chests and completing on-map Lieutenant missions. Use this to upgrade Sylas’ spell selection and his passive skills. Later on, you can recruit more followers who can open up new passive skill trees and potion-buffing options. In fact, the game’s sole potion guy has an upgrade that basically gives you an extra life per mission, so you can die twice instead of once if things get tough.

First Stats To Upgrade? Your Physical Attack and Mana Capacity
Half the time, you will be using your chains to deal fast Light attacks to weaken foes. The first few stats you can upgrade at the first hour of the game are your Physical and Magical attacks. We suggest you upgrade your Physical Attack and your Mana Capacity first (via Leliani’s spellcraft option). Physical attacks will be your crux when you’re closing the distance, while Mana Capacity means more mana bars to cast bigger spells you can eventually craft for your own. Plus, your 1-mana spells can be used multiple times with more capacity.
Protip: your special attacks bestowed by your Lieutenants do not cost mana at all, and does count as Physical Damage, so upgrading your chains are important in the long run.

Dash. A Lot.
Like in the roguelike game Hades, Sylas has a dash that has little to no cooldown. Use this as many times as you like to traverse fast and evade enemy attacks. You cannot block in the game, so dashing is your only defensive option to avoid taking damage.

Keep An Eye Out For The “Pull” Prompt
Some flying enemies and magic towers require you to use your chain to pull them down; press RB to yank them down to the ground and whack them. In fact, some bosses in the game require you to yank them before they unleash a one-hit kill attack. Pay attention, watch for circle icons with the chain symbol, then press-and-hold RB when needed.

Mageseeker Boss Battle Walkthrough


Lost Ark Bans Millions Of Players For Using Bots

Current hot stuff MMORPG Lost Ark seems to have a ton of bots playing the game, so it’s only natural for developer Smilegate and publisher Amazon to start waving the banhammers.
A month after its launch, Lost Ark has deployed a significantly large ban wave, removing “over a million” accounts for botting in a single day. Given the game’s 1,324,761 peak concurrent players, it’s only fair for its publishers to check if the numbers seem legit on their end.
With these accounts deleted, we may see a dip in Lost Ark numbers. The game is currently clocking around 528,250 players (an hour ago at this point in writing) according to Steam Charts.

Our team has been hard at work on crafting tools and methods to identify and remove bots from the game. Today (3/4) we will be removing over a million illegitimate accounts that have been determined to be running bots.
Complete details below!https://t.co/SQktz7IM56
— Lost Ark (@playlostark) March 4, 2022

For more on Lost Ark, check out how you can play the game if you’re in Southeast Asia.


Star Wars Andor Episode 10 Breakdown & Easter Eggs

The tenth episode of Star Wars Andor is now streaming on Disney+ Hotstar Malaysia. I’ll be discussing heavy spoilers so if you haven’t seen it or want to avoid spoilers, now’s your chance to stop reading.
Check out my spoiler-free review of Andor here.
The Andor series will explore a new perspective from the Star Wars galaxy, focusing on Cassian Andor’s journey to discover the difference he can make. The series brings forward the tale of the burgeoning rebellion against the Empire and how people and planets became involved. It’s an era filled with danger, deception and intrigue where Cassian will embark on the path that is destined to turn him into a rebel hero.
Diego Luna returns as Cassian Andor and is joined by cast members Genevieve O’Reilly (who will portray a young Mon Mothma), Stellan Skarsgård, Adria Arjona, Denise Gough and Kyle Soller. The executive producers are Kathleen Kennedy, Sanne Wohlenberg, Diego Luna and Michelle Rejwan. Tony Gilroy is the creator and showrunner.
In the meantime, check out my interview with Andor actors Kyle Soller and Denise Gough by heading over here for the written article, or you can watch the entire interview below:

Check out my breakdown of the first three episodes of Andor, Episode 4, Episode 5, Episode 6, Episode 7, Episode 8 and Episode 9 here.
Check out my breakdown of Obi-Wan Kenobi Episode 1 and 2, Episode 3, Episode 4 and Episode 5 here.
You can check out my previous breakdowns of The Book Of Boba Fett Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 3, Episode 4, Episode 5, Episode 6 and Episode 7 here.

Prison Break

Andor finally stages a prison break from Narkina 5.
The Narkina 5 Facility Is In The Shape Of The Imperial Insignia

Compare that with this…

The Episode Ends With Andor And Melshi Escaping Together

Yeah, that’s Andor and Melshi escaping from Narkina 5 together.
Who’s Melshi?
Melshi (full name: Ruescott Melshi) originally appeared in 2016’s Rogue One A Star Wars Story as a close friend of Andor and ultimately joins the Rogue One group who sacrificed themselves to obtain the Death Star plans at the end of the movie.

Until next episode, excelsior!
Only two episodes.


Now You Can Play Your PS4 Games On Your iPhone And iPad

The latest PS4 firmware system update 6.50 finally brought two highly-requested and long-awaited features to all users: PS4 Remote Play functionality for iOS devices, and the ability to re-assign the default ‘Enter’ button from the circle button (O) to the cross button (X).
PS4 Remote Play iOS
PS4 Remote Play was originally launched in 2013, allowing players to stream games from their PS4 console on the PlayStation Vita. It was later made available for the PC and Mac, before being exclusively released for Sony Xperia Android phones. Now it has finally arrived for PS4 players who own iOS devices.
Keep in mind that there are several limitations to PS4 Remote Play. Your PS4 console and device must be connected on the same Wi-Fi network in order for PS4 Remote Play to work, which essentially means that you can’t stream games from another location.
Users will also need at least an iPhone 7, sixth-generation iPad, second-generation iPad Pro, or iOS 12.1 to use PS4 Remote Play functionality on their device. Head on over to this link to start downloading the PS4 Remote Play iOS app on the App Store.
Reassign ‘Enter’ Button From O to X
This new feature may not seem like much, but PS4 users in several regions outside the U.S. have actually been waiting a long time for this. It’s due to the fact that the default ‘Enter’ button for Japanese and Asian PS4 consoles have traditionally been the cross button (X).
This is a problem for some gamers who will have to awkwardly get used to alternately switching between using the circle button (O) and the cross button (X). This happens when the system’s ‘Enter’ button is the circle button (O) but it’s the cross button (X) in the game they’re playing.
For those looking to reassign their ‘Enter’ button, head to the Settings and select System, where there’s now an optional checkbox in the list of options. Just make sure it’s ticked and voila, your ‘Enter’ button is now the cross button (X).


Good Game Asia – Episode 4 Recap

Alright folks, it’s that time of the week, the fourth episode of Yup.gg’s Good Game Asia has aired and I’m back to walk you through what happened this episode.
For whatever reason you randomly clicked on this article and have no clue what Good Game Asia is let me sum it up for you. Produced by Yup.gg, Good Game Asia is the first gaming reality show which airs every Friday on Warner TV at 7:35 PM (GMT+8). 15 streamers and gaming personalities go head-to-head with a chance to win a grand prize of US$200,000.
BE SURE TO CHECK OUT LAST WEEK’s EPISODE RECAP

As usual, we start off the episode with a short recap as the contestants discuss about the eliminations of MakNooN, Hades and A.N.G. last episode. Melan states that we wasn’t that surprised that she was in the top five but is now motivated work even harder to make it to the top five. We also hear from Shin that in her last interaction with MakNooN he told her to reach the top five too. The contestants then get a message on Discord to board the buses waiting for them at the lobby which will bring them to their next challenge location.
CHALLENGE – GET REAL: Quiz show
When the contestants reach the venue, it is then revealed that this week’s Get Real challenge will be a quiz show. The group is then divided into teams of two, with Maser and Rudeism as captains. From there, the two captains will pick their teams one by one. Before each question is read out loud, the captain of each team will have to select a member of their team to answer the question. Once selected the category of the question will be unveiled followed by the question.

Team Maser starts off strong as they gain a 2–0 lead, but this is quickly shut down as Team Rudeism quickly catches up and ties the score 2–2. After a back and forth of getting answers wrong, it comes down to a tiebreaker where a member of each team to act out a certain game character given by Sezairi. Ngyelling is chosen for Team Maser, and Kelvin is picked for Team Rudeism.
CHALLENGE – on air
This week’s On Air segment will require the contestants to stream Warzone. Alongside this, they were also tasked with producing more variety in the clips they submitted. The judges also remind the contestants that there will be eliminations this week. Next we are shown clips from throughout the week as contestants do a lot more IRL content to bring more variety into their streams. Rudeism was back at it again with his custom controllers. This time around he recorded Reby meowing and sampled those into a kid’s toy keyboard, then coded it to movement and shooting commands for Warzone.

Throughout this segment we saw a lot more of V3nom and Kelvin’s content and streams. Having been there for around four weeks at the time of recording, it’s about time they started to get comfortable and begin to really show their personalities.
Challenge – The Box: WARZONE
Having streamed Warzone all week, now was their time to showoff their skills in The Box. This week’s The Box segment was a lot longer than usual but it is expected if you have played and know Warzone. We bounce between different contestants as they walk us through their strategies. Some disclosed that they were going to camp for the majority of the game, others wanted to go in all-guns-blazing.

One of the highlight moments is Kelvin not even managing to land properly and get’s sent directly into the Gulag straight off the bat. Luckily he wins himself a second chance.
Nothing note worthy really happens until the Top 5. The last three standing from the contestants are Fl0w3R, Shin and Panda. Shin tries to go after Fl0w3R but is quickly eliminated. Then Fl0w3R gets eliminated by a random player. Leaving Panda in a 1v1 with said random player who ends up eliminating himself. Making Panda the champion with zero kills.
WEEK 4 LEADERBOARD
So to round out the week, the judges unveil the middle of the pack followed by the Top 3. This week’s Top 3 consists of Fl0w3R in third, Estelle in second, and Panda in first. It is also revealed that Fl0w3R is also this week’s MVP, meaning he get’s an addition 1,500 Yup points to spend in the Swag Store.

As for eliminations this week, we find out that there will be two contestants eliminated. They get the bottom three to stand, which is Cherzinga, V3nom and Ngyelling. The judges then bait us by making us believe that V3nom is eliminated but is actually not and is the one that is stay. Meaning that Both Cherzinga and Ngyelling are this week’s eliminations.
We’re then met with their outro monologues. Ngyelling saying that he will miss everyone here and the environment encouraging him to try new things. He elaborates by saying that this is only the start of his career. Cherzinga on the other hand, although disappointed seemed in good hopes and she’s grateful for the opportunity provided by Yup.gg and the people she managed to meet along the way.

Critical Take
Honestly, Episode 4 was expected to be lacklustre due to how last week’s episode peaked so high with good quality content. So I am not all that surprised by this episode being kind of a snooze-fest. We got to see a lot more of the contestants that we may not have gotten to connect with prior with the likes of V3nom and Kelvin. Hopefully this week’s elimination scare will help V3nom get his head on straight in preparation for the coming weeks.
I’m beginning to worry for Fl0w3R as he’s managed to do really well in the leaderboard based off of gaming skills alone. We’re still yet to see Fl0w3R really embrace his personality on his own streams instead of being the highlights of others’.
As for the eliminations, Ngyelling just made sense. He seemed a little too out of his element when on stream and I just believed that he just wasn’t ready to proceed any further. Cherzinga on the other hand, I have mixed feelings about. She looks and talks the part but just fails to have the same warmth that Reby and Estelle have. Hopefully she can learn from this experience and develop on her own personal brand.

Other than that there really isn’t too much to talk about as this week’s episode just didn’t feel as engaging as usual. I must say I am looking forward to seeing Panda’s development as he’s becoming more and more innovative with his creative ideas. I thoroughly believe that he is one of the favourites to take it all.

TAKE A LOOK at the other episodes we have recapped so far

Good Game Asia – Episode 1 Recap
Good Game Asia – Episode 2 Recap
Good Game Asia – Episode 3 Recap
Good Game Asia – Episode 5 Recap
Good Game Asia – Episode 6 Recap


Star Wars Jedi Survivor: Everything You Need To Know Before Launch

One of the best Star Wars games in recent years, 2019’s Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order, will be getting a sequel soon, Star Wars Jedi Survivor. Cal’s thrilling adventures are set to continue soon – and there’s not much longer to wait.
Fans of the franchise have been patiently waiting for an excuse to return to the famous galaxy far, far away since they rolled credits on 2019’s Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. Fallen Order was a major success, having sold more than 10 million units worldwide. Developer Respawn is set to continue the success of Fallen Order with an improved “Cal 2.0”, side quests, in-depth character customization, and many more. With that being said, here’s everything you need to know about Star Wars Jedi: Survivor before the official launch.
WHAT IS STAR WARS JEDI SURVIVOR?

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is a third-person, narrative-driven action-adventure game from developer Respawn Entertainment, developed in collaboration with Lucasfilm Games. As the story unfolds five years after Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, players find themselves once more reunited with Jedi Cal Kestis and his droid companion, BD-1. A Jedi survivor of Palpatine’s Order 66, Cal is still trying to conceal his past and Force abilities from the Imperial Inquisition.
His new tale is even darker than before. No longer a Padawan, Cal is now older and hardened Jedi Knight whose campaign against the increasingly powerful Empire has only grown more desperate. Whisked away to far-off worlds at the edge of the galaxy, Cal will meet up with allies and enemies both old and new as he attempts to gain a measure of justice for the murder of his Jedi brethren.
Cal, one of the last Jedi Knights left in the galaxy, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor will explore how far he is willing to “protect himself, his crew, and the legacy of the Jedi Order”.
STAR WARS JEDI SURVIVOR GAMEPLAY

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor formula will remain largely the same as that of its predecessor, bringing players the sense of being a true Jedi through third-person action combat and exploration. The exploration system has been expanded to include many new options, as well as a series of new combat options that will finally allow Cal to carve up pesky Stormtroopers and other human enemies, unlocking new force powers and gaining new abilities that will let players reach areas that were previously inaccessible.
Five combat stances can be unlocked in Jedi Survivor and equipped as primary and secondary fighting styles. Players have the option to wield single, double-bladed, dual-wield, and crossguard lightsabers along with blasters. The crossguard lightsaber option is powerful but slow, dealing massive damage to enemies. Dual wielding allows for quick and precise strikes while staying mobile. A mix of the blaster with the lightsaber can perform unique combos.

One of the many Force abilities confirmed is the ability to stop blaster fire midair (à la Kylo Ren in The Force Awakens), and the option to grab an enemy and manipulate them to fight on your behalf. The game will feature flying mounts and fast-travel options for players to easily traverse the massive expanses of Star Wars Jedi: Survivor.

Not to forget, the game also introduces Jedi Chamber Room puzzles and also supports open-world exploration for its side quests. At least seven large planets are confirmed in the game with the new expanded map. Whereas, the cosmetic rewards are much more substantial, with entirely different outfits being awarded to players. Players can change the appearance of the protagonist such as his hairstyle, facial hair, and clothing, and this customization extends to Cal’s lightsaber and droid BD-1.

Other activities that are confirmed are players can engage in its town-building mechanics and the option to help other characters in the game which may end up aiding Cal in his adventures. Respawn Entertainment’s second bite at the Star Wars apple is better in every way than its first.
HOW MANY EDITIONS ARE AVAILABLE FOR STAR WARS JEDI SURVIVOR?

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor will be available in three different editions at launch. The Standard Edition is available for US$69.99 or RM239.00, and includes a copy of the game and the ‘Hermit’ cosmic set which allows Cal to adorn Obi-Wan Kenobi’s outfit from the Obi-Wan Kenobi series along with his lightsaber from Star Wars Episodes I and II and the Combustion Blaster Set.

The Star Wars Jedi: Survivor Deluxe Edition is available for $89.99/€89.99/MYR329.00 and provides a copy of the game and the same pre-order bonuses of the Standard Edition as well as the Galactic Hero Cosmetic Pack and the New Hero Cosmetic Pack, donning two new outfits, Han Solo’s DL-44 blaster, new skins for BD-1 and lightsaber skins, respectively.

For hardcore fans of the Star Wars franchise can opt for the Star Wars Jedi: Survivor Collector’s Edition, which costs a whopping US$299.99 or RM1,319.51. The Collector’s Edition is available for all three platforms – Xbox Series X/S, PS5, and PC (digital). It is a physical edition made in a very limited quantity by Limited Run Games.
This ultimate collectors edition comes with the full-size functional Cal Kestis replica Lightsaber Hilt, a premium magnetic box that holds the replica lightsaber, a certificate of authenticity, an official steel book, and one physical copy of Star Wars Jedi: Survivor Deluxe Edition on either Xbox Series X/S (also available in digital format for PC). You can pre-order it here.
WHAT ARE THE MINIMUM & RECOMMENDED PC SPECS FOR JEDI SURVIVOR?
The Star Wars Jedi: Survivor boasts a vast array of massive, nonlinear environments along with a smorgasbord of highly detailed character models and an impressive sci-fi spectacle, so it takes a fairly capable PC rig to get the most out of its retina-searing visual presentation. Check out the Star Wars Jedi: Survivor minimum and recommended specifications below to get ready for your space adventure.
MINIMUM PC SPECIFICATION

Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
OS: Windows 10 64-bit
Processor: 4 core / 8 threads | Intel Core i7-7700 | Ryzen 5 1400
Memory: 8 GB RAM
Graphics: 8GB VRAM | GTX 1070 | Radeon RX 580
DirectX: Version 12
Network: Broadband Internet connection
Storage: 130 GB available space
Additional Notes: Internet required for non-optional patching, no online play.

RECOMMENDED PC SPECIFICATION

Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
OS: Windows 10 64-bit
Processor: 4 core / 8 threads | Intel Core i5 11600K | Ryzen 5 5600X
Memory: 16 GB RAM
Graphics: 8GB VRAM | RTX2070 | RX 6700 XT
DirectX: Version 12
Network: Broadband Internet connection
Storage: 130 GB available space
Additional Notes: Internet required for non-optional patching, no online play.

WHEN WILL JEDI SURVIVOR BE RELEASED AND ON WHICH PLATFORMS?
Respawn Entertainment and EA have announced that Star Wars Jedi: Survivor will be released on 28 April 2023 on PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC via Steam, Epic Games Store, and EA’s Origin store. Unlike Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, Jedi Survivor will not be launched on the PS4 and Xbox One.
We’ll make sure to be keeping an eye out on Star Wars Jedi: Survivor in the coming weeks. In case you’re wondering about trying Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, check out our review. You might also be interested that Respawn addresses one major problem from the first game in Jedi Survivor.