TGS 2019: Death Stranding Briefing Trailer Left Me Still Confused But Intrigued

Square Enix has finally released the Death Stranding Briefing trailer in glorious HD after it was previously leaked several weeks ago. It’s still the exact same video, but at least, it’s much clearer now, with added subtitles provided for clarity.
We can see Sam meeting with Amelie and the masked individual Die Hardman in what seems to be the Oval Office in the White House. Their discussion indicates that the United States of America has fractured and broken apart in the gameâ€™s world for some as-of-yet unknown reason.
Amelie and Die Hardman want Sam to travel west and reconnect Chiral Network terminals scattered across the nation along the way to reconstruct country as part of the new United Cities of America. This is what probably what launches Sam on his journey and expedition through the open-world weâ€™ve seen in trailers so far.
This is in addition to saving the physical body of Amelie from the clutches of an evil organization called the Homo Demens, a militant separatist opposing faction. The Amelie thatâ€™s talking with Sam and Die Hardman in the trailer is some kind of astral projection or hologram.
Sam also mentions that heâ€™s not a â€˜Strandâ€™ anymore, thus refusing Amelie and Die Hardmanâ€™s request. It will be interesting to learn more about who the Strands are and what they do. It all frankly still sounds like incoherent nonsense at this point, but weâ€™ll likely know more when we finally get to play the game.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7wi7LX9F40&w=560&h=315]
Death StrandingÂ is slated to release exclusively for the PS4 on 8 November 2019. For more details and information onÂ Death StrandingÂ (and the collectorâ€™s edition contents),Â head on over here.


Overwatch Contenders Season 1 Play-Off Teams Confirmed

The competition for Overwatch Contenders Season 1 in both North America and EU are definitely heating up as the playoff portion of the tournament finally took shape following the last round of matches for the regular season last weekend.
As expected, favorites EnVyUs finished the season undefeated (7-0) with a 25-4 score. FaZe Clan (6-1) comes in at a close second, separated only due to their 3-1 loss to the Boys in Blue earlier in the season. Third and fourth ranked teams, Envision and FNRGFE complete the quartet with a 4-3 record, with Envision picking up the third spot due to better score record. The playoff pairings are as follows:

It was a similar case on the EU side of things as Misfits also finished the regular season undefeated (7-0) with an accumulated score of 27-2. With the likes of Zebbosai & TviQ in their roster, Misfits went unchallenged in Europe, mowing down their competition 4-0 in six out of seven of their matches, with the only blip coming in their 3-2 win against GamersOrigin. Full-Fin team Team Gigantti are runners-up at 6-1, followed by 123 (5-2) and Cloud9 (4-3) in fourth place. The playoff pairings for Contenders Season 1 EU are as follows:

The teams will play each other in a knock-out format come October 7th at Blizzard Arena in LA to determine overall winners for each region, who walk away with US$40,000 prize money.
Who do you think will win their respective regions? Our bet is on EnVyUs and Misfits but stranger things have happened before. We won’t be surprised if FaZe (in NA) and Cloud9 (EU) play spoilsport to ruin everyone’s predictions. Anyways comments section is down below – go crazy with your predictions!


First Tom And Jerry Movie Trailer Brings Iconic Rivalry To Life

Warner Bros has unveiled the first trailer for the upcoming Tom And Jerry movie, which blends a mix of 2D and 3D animation into a live-action setting.
Thankfully, both Tom and Jerry still look like themselves and not CGI monstrosities. Growing up with them as a kid, I’m happy that they still look a lot like their classic 2D versions from the cartoons.
The Tom And Jerry movie stars ChloÃ« Grace Moretz of Kick-Ass’ Hit-Girl fame, Michael PeÃ±a (Ant-Man), Rob Delaney (Deadpool 2), Colin Jost (How To Be Single), and Ken Jeong (The Hangover, Community).

It is directed by Tim Story, best known for directing 2005’s Fantastic Four and 2007’s Fantastic Four Rise Of The Silver Surfer.
The official synopsis reads:
One of the most beloved rivalries in history is reignited when Jerry moves into New York Cityâ€™s finest hotel on the eve of â€œthe wedding of the century,â€ forcing the eventâ€™s desperate planner to hire Tom to get rid of him, in director Tim Storyâ€™s â€œTom & Jerry.â€ The ensuing cat and mouse battle threatens to destroy her career, the wedding and possibly the hotel itself. But soon, an even bigger problem arises: a diabolically ambitious staffer conspiring against all three of them.
Tom And Jerry is slated to premiere sometime in 2021. In the meantime, check out the trailer below:


Final Fantasy 16 PC Version Will Arrive Later Than Expected

The PS5 version of Final Fantasy 16 will launch on 22 June 2023, but what about the PC version of the long-awaited JRPG? Well, it looks like players without a PS5 will have to wait a while before being able to play the game, as Final Fantasy 16 producer Naoki Yoshida has confirmed that it will not release six months after the PS5 release date.
Speaking with PlayStation Blog Japan, he said:
“I’ve caused a bit of a stir with my remarks the other day, but I’d like to touch on the PC version.
First of all, it is true that Final Fantasy 16 is a six-month limited-time exclusive on the PS5 platform. However, it is a completely different story that the PC version will be released in half a year. I will make it clear, but the PC version will not come out in half a year.
This is because we spent a lot of time and money optimising the PS5 platform to deliver the best gaming experience. Of course, I would like to release a PC version at some point so that everyone can play as many games as possible. However, even if we start optimising the PC version after the PS5 version comes out, we won’t be able to optimise it in half a year, so it won’t come out in a short span of half a year. I would like to release it eventually, and I think I will, but I am not at the stage where I can say when.”
First of all, I would be happy if you could play the PS5 version, which I made with the thought of being the best game in the world. If the PC version comes out in half a year, I can quit the company (laughs). Please don’t say, ‘I won’t buy the PS5 version because the PC version will be released in half a year’.”
If the PC version of Final Fantasy VII Remake was any indication, it will likely take at least one full year before Final Fantasy 16 launches on PC. Realistically, that’s the earliest possible timeframe.
For more on Final Fantasy 16, check out the gameplay video below and the rest of our coverage.


[Report] Apex Legends Is Getting NPCs & A Flamethrower

While we wait for Respawn to release the battle pass, we are served with another tantalizing leak.
Data miners have been toiling and have found a few points of interest in the game code which refers to what seems to be an Apex Legend NPC, and amongst other things, a flamethrower. Yes, a flamethrower.
Data miner RealApexLeaks found some files that indicated that a flamethrower-based weapon might be added into the game. Another interesting piece of data mined within the files is a deployable remote turret. All these leaks were followed up with a tweet about a leaked NPC code that contained actions such as disabling turrets, completing assaults, or using cover.

LEAK: More info on the Previously leaked NPCs. I’ll just tweet the pictures in parts. You can add comments if you want me to explain.
(Part 3/4)#Apex #ApexPartner #Apexlegends #ApexLegendsclips #ApexLegendsBattleRoyale #Apexlegendsclips #Apexlegendscommunity pic.twitter.com/E0EG4WKFJT
â€” Apex Legends – News & Leaks (@RealApexLeaks) March 8, 2019
The leaks imply that there might be a new layer of strategy involved in Apex LegendsÂ as the NPCs might be capable to perform complex actions, downright putting them within the lines of being a teammate.
It’s also speculated that these leaks might be part of a new game mode, or replace teammates who disconnect mid-match.

LEAK: Something about a flamethrower was found in the game files. I don’t exactly know what it does (I’m Dumb, Idk how a flamethrower works).
(via @AustinScriver) #ApexLegends #ApexLegendsBattleRoyale #ApexLegendsLeaks #Apex #ApexPartner #Apexlegendsclips #Apexlegendscommunity pic.twitter.com/iOv9SWSf3d
â€” Apex Legends – News & Leaks (@RealApexLeaks) March 8, 2019

LEAK: A Remote Turret was also found lol. @Respawn is defienetly saving some cool stuff for later. Who’s excited?
(via @AustinScriver) #ApexLegends #ApexLegendsBattleRoyale #ApexLegendsLeaks #Apex #ApexPartner #Apexlegendsclips #Apexlegendscommunity pic.twitter.com/u7WbMdNLw8
â€” Apex Legends – News & Leaks (@RealApexLeaks) March 8, 2019
These leaks might point to another game mode, as speculated before, bringing a whole new dimension to the game. Possibly even rivalling that of Fortnite with its Save The World mode.
Whatever it may be, we should wait for more confirmation as a leak is still a leak; something that should be taken with a grain of salt.


Doctor Strange 3: What To Expect In A Sequel To Multiverse Of Madness

I was a bit late to the game, but I finally watched Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness. I agree with Jon’s review; the movie is a rollercoaster ride from start to finish with a lot to unpack. For a more beat-by-beat breakdown explaining what happened in the movie, you can head on over here. In this article, I’ll be speculating on what will happen in Doctor Strange 3 or a sequel to Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness.
Beware of spoilers ahead:

An Incursion Will Happen Between Earth 616 And Another Earth

This is practically confirmed at this point, as Clea (played by Charlize Theron) appeared in the Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness post-credits scene and warns Doctor Strange that his actions (by using the Dream-Walking spell from the Darkhold) have triggered an Incursion, before both of them enters a portal into what seems to be the Dark Dimension (Dormammu’s realm).
What is an Incursion? As explained by the Illuminati, an Incursion is when two worlds from two different universe collide, destroying both universes in the process. In the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), it seems that an Incursion is triggered when someone uses spells from the Darkhold. However, not much is explained about the Incursions.
In the comics, the concept of Incursions began in Jonathan Hickman’s New Avengers and Avengers runs (the Time Runs Out story arc), which led to the 2015 crossover event, Secret Wars. In the comics, there’s a way to stop Incursions, if one of the earths is destroyed, then its universe also dies, but the other earth and its universe survives. If not, then both earths and their respective universes will die. Ultimately, the heroes failed to stop the incursions. Even the Infinity Gauntlet powered by the Infinity Gems/Stones could only stop one Incursion before getting destroyed.

It turns out that the reason for the Incursions were that it was all part of a grand experiment of a race of super power aliens called the Beyonders. They were detonating the Molecule Man of each universe to spark Incursions, because they wanted to bear witness to the death of the Multiverse. Doctor Doom intercepted the Beyonders’ plans and used it to steal their powers. He became God Emperor Doom and took all the surviving worlds, combining them into one earth, Battleworld (this starting the Secret Wars story arc).

Secret Wars Might BE The Next Major Event In The MCU

I explained above what happened in Secret Wars, but why would Marvel Studios adapt Secret Wars into the MCU? Well, in the comics, when Secret Wars ended, multiple earths, including the main 616 earth and the Ultimate universe earth, combined into one single prime earth. This allowed the comic book Marvel Universe to bring the Ultimate universe characters like Miles Morales Spider-Man into the main 616 universe.
That same idea could apply to the MCU. If Secret Wars does happen in the MCU, it could allow the Fantastic Four and X-Men (along with the concept of mutants) to be added into the MCU 616 earth with disturbing the established continuity or making this confusing.
So, yeah, moving forward, keep an eye on the concept of Incursions. It will likely be important as we continue Phase 4 of the MCU and beyond.
Doctor Strange’s Third Eye

During the events of the Incursions (in Time Runs Out) leading to Secret Wars, one of the ways Doctor Strange tried to prevent Incursions was to use dark magic, including using the Blu’dakorr or the Blood Bible (an evil book similar to the Darkhold). This gave him great power but also caused a third eye to manifest itself on his forehead.
In the MCU, Doctor Strange gets his third eye as a result of him using the Darkhold. It’s probably a sign of corruption just like in the comics, but we’ll have to wait and see if that’s true.

Clea Is Related To Dormmamu

You might have read somewhere that Clea is the wife of Doctor Strange in the comics, and that she’s the Sorcerer Supreme in the Dark Dimension.
However, you might not know that she’s actually a niece to Dormammu, which means that the might dread Dormammu is her uncle. They’re both from a race of powerful magical beings called the Faltine.
We Might Still Get A 616 Illuminati

the members of the Illuminati who died in Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness were all from earth 838. This means that we could still potentially get a 616 MCU version of them. With the threat of the Incursions coming, earth 616 might need their own Illuminati soon.
The 616 Mordo Is Still Out There

The Mordo featured in Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness is from earth 838. This means that the 616 MCU version is still running around somewhere and probably up trying to find ways to kill Doctor Strange. In Doctor Strange 3, Mordo might turn out to be one of the main villains. He was mad when Doctor Strange used the Time Stone and the Ancient One used dark magic. What would he feel like when he finds out Doctor Strange used the Darkhold and tampered with the Multiverse? Even more pissed, I would say, so keep on the lookout for this guy.
A Bunch Of Other Doctor Strange Villains Haven’t Been Featured In The MCU
It was a bit disappointing for me that Wanda AKA the Scarlet Witch turned out to be the main antagonist of Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness. Why? Because Doctor Strange has a bunch of his own iconic villains that could potentially appear in the MCU. These include:
Umar

With Clea now confirmed, surely Umar is close by. Why?
Umar is the sister of Dormammu, which means that yes, she’s the mother of Clea.
Imagine a family of Faltines like them. Doctor Strange and Clea versus Umar and Dormammu. That could potentially happen in Doctor Strange 3.
But we probably won’t see this dynamic between Umar and Dormammu:

THE EMPIRIKUL

A fairly recent addition even in the comics, the Empirikul are a race of interdimensional aliens on a crusade to purify all of reality from magic. They wish to vanquish every trace of magic and make a universe free of the unholy energy.
The Empirikul is an interesting candidate for becoming Doctor Strange villains. They want a world free of magic, more or less. In the comics, the Empirikul proceeded to wipe out magic by killing sorcerers and destroying magical artifacts, which is basically what Mordo is already doing.
It will be something unique to see Doctor Strange up against technology where magic won’t do much good.
SHUMA-GORATH

Yeah, yeah, I know Marvel bamboozled us with Gargantos in Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness. However, the real Shuma-Gorath could do more than just wreak havoc on a New York street. Inspired by the Lovecraftian Old Ones like Cthulhu, Shuma-Gorath is an interdimensional entity of untold power.
As the living embodiment of chaos itself, its power is beyond even that of Dormammu, Mephisto, or other demons. In terms of appearance, Shuma-Gorath basically looks like an eyeball with tentacles, but with the right design and CGI wizardry, it could be a sight to behold on screen.
MEPHISTO

Most people probably already know about Mephisto, thanks to the 2007 Ghost Rider movie starring Nicholas Cage. However, we never saw his true form or what he was really capable of in that movie.
In the comics, Mephisto is sometimes referred to as the Devil or Satan himself, and other times as a tempter and trickster. He first debuted in a Silver Surfer comic but has also been foes for Thor, Spider-Man and of course, Ghost Rider.
It will interesting to see Mephisto’s debut in the MCU, and whether they will make him an actual demon or just an ‘interdimensional alien’ of some sort. Now that Marvel has the rights to Ghost Rider, this won’t be a problem.
NIGHTMARE

Nightmare is another iconic foe of Doctor Strange’s. Just like Dormammu’s Dark Dimension, he has his own called the Dream Dimension, where he torments people in their dreams. That may just sound like Freddy Kreuger from Nightmare on Elm Street but trust me, Nightmare is a powerful magical being in his own right.


Here Are All of Symmetra’s Rework Coming Soon

Earlier today, Geoff Goodman from the Overwatch Development team revealed the reworks set to happen to our favorite support character, Symmetra. Discussing the changes on the Blizzard Forum, Goodman revealed several new features that will change how the character is played. We condensed everything in an easy-to-read format for your reading pleasure. Our thoughts about the new changes are in Italics, red.
Regarding Turret Placements
Geoff:
“…Weâ€™ve lowered the max number to 3 (both that she can hold and that can be deployed)”
“That said, we are playing with a new way her turrets deploy. Instead of having to stick them directly onto a wall herself, she can now fire an un-deployed version like a projectile, which sticks to walls/ceilings/etc. Once it sticks, it will unfold like it does on the wall currently when she builds them.”
“This helps for a bunch of reasons but one of the big ones is that it makes it a lot easier to play her on offense or just be able to preposition her turrets much more easily/quickly”
We imagine something akin to Pharah’s rockets that latches on to walls, transforming into turrets. It puts Symmetra in less precarious situations in setting up her turrets and while the number have been reduced from six to three, we anticipate a much faster cooldown allowing more unique placements of the turrets. As of now, it cannot be shot down by enemies while traveling.
Additional Info:
Health of Turrets: 30HP (vs 1HP)
Primary Fire
“…primary fire changed to no longer lock on but works as a straight beam that is fairly thick and has increased range. It still has the potential to gain extra damage by dealing damage like it does now, but instead ofÂ going 30/60/120 dps it is currently 65/130/195 dps. However, it now takes a combined 2 seconds of damage to â€˜level upâ€™ to the next tier of damage instead of 1 second. This means the weapon has significantly moreÂ potentialÂ but it is more difficult to get it to max power.”
This move increases the skill ceiling for Symmetra mains who now will have to aim to put out decent amount of damage. But good aim is rewarded with a destructive beam similar to Zarya’s laser or Moira’s Coalescence ult.
“Also, when hitting a barrier it currentlyÂ generatesÂ ammo instead of consuming it. This means not only is she good at taking down barriers themselves, but she is good at just generating charge off barriers and using that charge to take down enemies as well.”
This will change how barrier-heavy comps deal against Symmetra. Her ability to really affect barriers will make life more difficult for the likes of Reinhardt, Orisa, Winston and most recently, Brigette.
Alternate Fire
“Her alternate fire is still a charge-up large projectile, but it has a bunch of important changes as well. First off, it charges to max charge in 1 second, down from 2 seconds. Next, the projectile speed has increased significantly, currently it has changed from 10 m/s to 30 m/s. Lastly, instead of piercing enemies, it now impacts enemies/environments and explodes, dealing area damage around it. Weâ€™ve been heavily iterating on how much damage this ball deals now, but a direct shot has been hovering in the area of 130ish, with a large % of the damage coming from a direct impact (rather then the explosion).”
While classified as a Defense hero now, Symmetra can deal significant damage to clumped-up defenses if this rework does come to fruition. Her primary weapon destroys barriers while alternate fire deals splash damage does make her appear like a perfect pick to whittle down entrenched defenses such as on Anubis and Junkertown.
Teleporter Reworks
“Her teleporter is moving to her E ability and the Photon Barrier is moving to her ult, but these have massive changes as well.
The teleporter now works as follows: You place the exit like you normally do, except that you can place it up to 25 meters away, instead of only right in front of you. When you place the exit, the entrance automatically gets built right in front of you instead of at your spawn.
It lasts only a short time but allies can use it freely as they normally do, but there are some new things that can teleport as well. Weâ€™re experimenting with what works and what doesnâ€™t but currently you can teleport things such as Torbjorn turrets, D.Vaâ€™s exploding mech, Junkrat tire, etc.”
“The health has been lowered to 300 and the entrance is now attackable as well. If either die, the other is destroyed as well.”
Just imagine launching your Rip Tyre all the way from spawn for a surprise drop onto the enemies. Also, the fact that there will be a 25m distance between you and the teleporter placement allows near unlimited possibilities of its location and new ways to set up defenses.Â

More Defensive Ult
“Her Photon Barrier has moved to her ultimate and is now very different as well. Instead of placing a moving barrier, she places a static barrier wall that effectively is infinite in size and has 5000 health.”
We feel that this new rework is the main reason she’s placed into the Defense category. By putting up the Photon Barrier, she forces enemies to take the fight right at her doorstep instead of spamming from afar. How many Pharah rockets does it take to whittle down 5000 HP? Only way is to dive in. And we are pretty sure Symmetra & Co are more than ready for it.Â
And yes. Say bye bye to the Shield Generator.

So what do we think of the new rework? We feel it is a much needed change for the hero which has been so misunderstood since day one. Symmetra is a devastating hero in the right hands, yet the perceived low skill ceiling led to many unskilled players picking her up, thus ruining it for everyone else. The meta will definitely shift to accommodate these changes and we can’t wait to see how the pros use it in the Overwatch League – if ever.


Games Don’t Make You Violent, Oxford Research Says

The common idea that ‘games make you violent’ may take a violent turn when Professor Andrew Przybylski, Director of Research at the Oxford Internet Institute, reveals that there is no relationship between aggressive behaviour in teenagers and the amount of time spent playing violent video games.
Lead researcher Professor Andrew Przybylski said “the idea that violent video games drive real-world aggression is a popular one, but it hasnâ€™t tested very well over time”. He added that “Despite interest in the topic by parents and policy-makers, the research has not demonstrated that there is cause for concern.”

The study is touted to be one of the most definitive video game studies to date, using a combination of subjective and objective data to measure teen aggression and violence in games. Unlike previous research on the topic, which relied heavily on self-reported data from teenagers, the study used information from parents and carers to judge the level of aggressive behaviour in their children.
The content of the games was classified using the official Pan European Game Information (EU) and Entertainment Software Rating Board (US) rating system, rather than only playerâ€™s perceptions of the amount of violence in the game.
Przybylski highlighted that ‘the issue in technology research is that there are many ways to analyse the same data, which nets different results’. A cherry-picked result can add undue weight to the moral panic in regards to video games. Registered research such as this can safeguard against cherry-picking.
On The Flip Side…
While there is no correlation between video games and aggressive behaviour in teens, the researcher reminds that this does not mean that some mechanics and situations in gaming do not provoke angry feelings or reactions in players. “Anecdotally, you do see things such as trash-talking, competitiveness, and trolling in gaming communities that could qualify as antisocial behaviour,” says Przybylski.
The data was drawn from a nationally representative sample of British 14- and 15-year olds, and the same number of their carers (totalling 2,008 subjects). The teenagers completed questionnaires on their personality and gaming behaviour over the past month, while their Carers completed sets of questions in regards to their childâ€™s recent aggressive behaviours using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire.
The violent content in the games played was coded based on their rating in the official Pan European Game Information (PEGI; EU) and Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB; US) rating system, as well as playerâ€™s subjective rating. The researcher then tested whether the relations between regular violent video game play (coded by the researcher) and adolescentsâ€™ aggressive and helping behaviours (judged by parents) were positive, negative, linear, or parabolic.
The full paper on the study can be found here.


Blizzard Just Unveiled the Scariest Hero Skin to Date

As we head closer to the launch of Overwatch’s upcoming seasonal event ‘Retribution’, Blizzard today unveiled yet another skin set to be made available for a limited time through lootboxes – none other than the devil incarnate herself, Mei.

Overwatch Archives file locatedâ€¦
Subject identified: PAJAMEI
File content available for download in t-minus: 2 days pic.twitter.com/B7WosaoUHh
â€” Overwatch (@PlayOverwatch) April 8, 2018
The aptly named ‘Pajamei’ skin sees Mei clad in her pajamas as seen in the Overwatch Animated Short “Rise and Shine”. Wearing her summer games top and fluffy slippers, don’t think for a second this pure personification of evil will not take her time lining up for a headshot after freezing your ass in the battlefield. We aren’t so sure about the gloves/ gauntlets going along with the skin tho.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tjcm_kI0n0&w=560&h=315]
Part of the Overwatch Archives, Retribution drops tomorrow with a PvE mode focusing on the first ever mission of Blackwatch. Earlier this week, Blizzard also unveiled brand new skins for Hanzo, Sombra and Doomfist to join the will-be-made-available again seasonal skins from last year’s Uprising event.


The King Of Fighters ’98 Is Getting Rollback Netcode In New Update

SNK has announced that The King Of Fighters ’98 Ultimate Match Final Edition will finally be getting a highly-anticipated feature via a new major update. Something that online players will definitely appreciate.
Rollback netcode.
The King Of Fighters ’98 Ultimate Match Final Edition will receive a major Steam update this winter, adding major online features and interested players will be able to check out these new features in a Community Beta Test (CBT).
One of the most important features of online matches in modern fighting games is rollback netcode, making online matches more precise and circumventing delays caused by latency. The King Of Fighters ’98 Ultimate Match Final Editionâ€™s original, delay-based netcode will be swapped with the fan-acclaimed, state-of-the-art rollback netcode by Code Mystics.
The game will also receive online lobbies, offering more than just 1v1 matches. Players can host or join large rooms with multiple players for epic online battles. And if they simply want to observe and learn or cheer on their friends, they can join online battles via spectator mode.
Before the update goes live this winter, there will be a Community Beta Test, allowing SNK to collect player feedback. From 9am GMT+8 on 30 November to 9am GMT+8 on 4 December 2021, players will be able to check out the online lobbies and spectator features.
The King Of Fighters ’98 Ultimate Match Final Edition is currently available on Steam. It’s also on sale for only RM10.23 at 67 percent off from now until 2 December as part of the Steam Autumn Sale 2021.


PlayStation Acquires Savage Game Studios For New Mobile Division

PlayStation has announced that they have acquired Savage Game Studios, a Europe-based developer with many years of experience making some of the most popular mobile games enjoyed by players around the world.
According to PlayStation Blog, Savage Game Studios is joining a newly created PlayStation Studios Mobile Division, which will operate independently from PlayStation’s console development and focus on innovative, on-the-go experiences based on new and existing PlayStation IP. They’re already working on a new unannounced AAA mobile live service action game.
Led by CEO/Co-Founder Michail Katkoff and fellow Co-founders Nadjim Adjir and Michael McManus, Savage Game Studios was established in 2020. In a statement, Katkoff said:
“So why then,” you may be thinking to yourself, “would you join PlayStation Studios?” We made this deal because we believe that PlayStation Studios’ leadership respects our vision for how we can best operate and succeed, and because they too are not afraid to take chances. All of that, plus the ability to potentially tap into PlayStation’s amazing catalog of IP and the fact that we will benefit from the kind of support that only they can provide… The harder question to answer would be “why not?”


Borderlands The Handsome Collection Is Now Free On Epic Games Store

The Epic Games StoreÂ is on a roll. After giving outÂ Rockstar Gamesâ€™Â GTA VÂ for free and Sid Meier’s Civilization 6 last week, theyâ€™re now offering Borderlands: The Handsome Collection from now until 11pm on 4 June 2020. You can grab the game over on its officialÂ store page here.
Borderlands: The Handsome CollectionÂ containsÂ Borderlands 2Â and Telltaleâ€™s narrative adventureÂ Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel. With its over-the-top shooting and zany art style, this is definitely a treat for anyone who has never experienced the insanity and sheer fun of theÂ BorderlandsÂ franchise.
This is all part of the Epic Games Store’s Mega Sale. In addition to free games every week, people can expect discounts of up to 75 percent. However, this week’s deal probably won’t cause the Epic Games Store to crash. That happened several weeks ago, for several hours due to the overwhelming number of users trying to claim GTA V.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWGP4p8u3Ig&w=560&h=315]


Razer Confirms Layoffs, Razer Phone 3 Cancelled

Razer has been going on a restructuring process which would end the company’s phone division.

An anonymous tip was received by Droid-Life stating that Razer has laid off a huge amount of its employees in its mobile device and hardware engineering department as well as some in marketing. While there are some who are still working on Razer’s current phone, the Razer Phone 2, the successor to Razer’s second phone has been cancelled.
Droid-Life went to investigate the tip and reportedly reached to some of Razer’s engineers who left this month. Most of them worked on the original Razer Phone and Razer Phone 2.
Droid-Life then reached out to Razer for comments and received the following statements:

Razer has made changes to realign our organization and strengthen our path to growth. We will centralize our resources to focus on key projects and improve our profitability. As part of the realignment, we shut down several projects and unfortunately had to part ways with about 30 employees (about 2% of our total workforce).
Other employees of the affected projects will be moved to different parts of Razer to work on other key focus projects and initiatives which will continue to scale and hire.

The Razer Phone 2 will not be abandoned by Razer as it is slated to receive Android Pie on 27th February. Moreover, Razer has also released an official statement:

In our mobile division, there were some staff members who were let go, and others who were reassigned to other new projects. We see great opportunities in the mobile gaming space that we created with the Razer Phone and will continue to invest in this category through a combination of hardware and software initiatives.
We are working on new exciting mobile projects and will share the news when we are ready. The Razer Phone 2 will continue to be on sale and we are committed to supporting it with the latest updates and features.

While all is not lost for the Razer Phone and the Razer Phone 2, the same cannot be said for its future.


A Brief History Of Transformers & Humans Wanting To Bone Each Another

I saw Bumblebee last week; it was a pretty decent end-of-the-year show featuring some G1 Transformer goodness and a lot of coming-of-age teen-slash-human stuff. It also featured a lot of Hailee Steinfeld and Bumblebee hanging out and being kinda touchy-feely for each other, to the point where it’s unintentionally generating that “more than friends” vibe. The “Shape of Water” human and non-human kind of vibe but PG-rated; swear to god.
And that’s OK(?), because this is pretty much normal in the Transformers universe, at least in the G1 cartoons. Don’t believe me? Then I’ll take the (un)fortunate task of listing down the most significant Transformer/human romance in Transformers history.
Powerglide and Astoria (G1)

Probably the most famous Transformer and human love story in the G1 series.Â Powerglide the jet-transforming bot saves this tech CEO named Astoria Carlton-Ritz from Decepticon trio Ramjet, Thrust, and Dirge because Megatron wants her for some high tech stuff. Since he’s tasked with being her bodyguard, he gets to endure fun human activities like riding a merry-go-round with her.
He even gets saved by her thanks to a deus ex machina in a form of her dad’s necklace. And worked up the circuits to ask her out on a date. And then there’s the bit where he heads to a corner, opens his chest plate that shows a series of LEDs flashing in a form of a stylized heart. Jesus.
Seaspray and Alana (G1)

The beach bum of the Transformers series fell in love with rebellion leader Alana at first sight during a slave revolution incited by one Deceptitran (no it’s not a post-op bot). The two even get to experience each other’s life experiences via some Well of Transformation nonsense.
Seaspray temporarily transforms into blonde Conan the Barbarian and Alana becomes a female transformer; somehow this defeats the evil Deceptitran. Like most 80s cartoon romance, this is just a one-off thing for Seaspray to find true love.
Optimus Prime and Marissa Fairborn (Kiss Players, Which Is Kinda G1?)

This incredibly young and loli-fied commando was rescued by Optimus Prime back in 1996 during a mission gone bad. She formed a great kinship with Optimus Prime in her childhood, and perhaps has feelings for the Autobot leader.
She gets to show him how she feels by kissing his faceplate and then merge to become a Kiss Player bot, which is a Transformer-human hybrid. Think Dragon Ball fusion but without the foreplay.
Robots and the humans who kiss them to merge into a bigger & better robot. Makes for a great toyline and radio drama for Japan, eh?
Jazz and Marissa Fairborn (Dreamwave G1 Comics)

Marissa does get around in alternate universes, doesn’t she? In this G1-style continuity, she teams up with Jazz for EDC Night Force Unit missions. They both have a good rapport with each other that somehow seems to bloom into something more until Marissa’s boss chewed her out for a mission gone wrong.
Love can indeed bloom on the battlefield.
Bumblebee and GI Joe’s Scarlett (Transformers/GI Joe)

This isn’t so much a blooming romance as it is full-on flirting. After some Transformers-human WWII-era commando team-up, Bumblebee tells Scarlett that she can ride him any time.
He may be a runt in the Autobot top tier group but he can be stylin’ with the ladies, be it a GI Joe operative or an 18-year old Smiths-loving emo chick. Snake Eyes better watch out!
SideBurn and Kelly (Transformers: Robots In Disguise)

This one’s more comedic than romantic. Sideburn loves (to hump) sports cars. Kelly is the show’s comic relief who always gets her sports cars totalled or transforming into robots that eject her. Sideburn likes one of Kelly’s cars. Kelly’s luck with males is via Sideburn, who probably just wants to hump the car she’s in. Thus forms the basis of comedy in this not-so-hot Transformers anime.
Starscream and Alexis (Transformers Armada)

This one’s new. In this timeline, Starscream defects to the Autobots. Somehow, human sympathizer Alexis is smitten by the bot. Despite multiple rejections, she keeps trying to be her friend and even be something more. This version of Starscream is more lone-wolf-with-robot-heart-of-gold than conniving asshole, so he caves in, even bringing them back a souvenir from his expedition. She made a good luck charm out of it, a reminder of Starscream’s kindness.
This wouldn’t last since he ended up sacrificing himself for the greater good by halting Unicron and Galvatron’s plans. She grieves, of course, much like how a girlfriend does for her dead robot boyfriend.
Let’s also not forget that at this time of budding bot-human romancing, she’s 11. Kinda sucks out the tenderness of the whole scenario, doesn’t it?
Wheelie and Mikaela (Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen)

Another “comedic” moment featuring a horny robot. Thanks for continuing the human-robot romance tradition in really crude ways, Michael Bay. It’s a good thing we were spared from more Megan Fox and CGI-robot dog humpfests ever since she said those things about Michael Bay that one time, who happened to be best buds with Steven Spielberg.
I’m probably missing a few more, but these are the more prominent ones. I do hope this discovery has been helpful and enlightening for you. Now if you excuse me, I’m going to take a cold shower.


[Rumour] Breaking Bad’s Giancarlo Esposito Will Be In Far Cry 6

Yesterday, in an interview with Collider, Giancarlo Esposito (best known for his role as Gus Fring in critically-acclaimed TV series Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, as well as Moff Gideon in The Mandalorian) confirmed that he is starring in his first major video game role, though he couldn’t reveal what it was.
Today, a new report by GameReactor has revealed that Esposito will be playing a role in the upcoming Far Cry 6, which will reportedly be the next instalment in Ubisoft’s long-running open-world FPS franchise.
This isn’t a coincidence, considering that the Ubisoft Forward live stream will be taking place on 13 July at 3am GMT+8 in less than two weeks. That will be the best time for Ubisoft to reveal Far Cry 6Â and Esposito’s involvement in the game.
If this is true, it won’t be the actor’s first foray into video games, but as I mentioned above, Far Cry 6 will be his first major one. In the past, he previously played The Dentist in Payday 2 and Father in Destiny, both of which came out in 2014.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rOKmclX0zw&w=560&h=315]
In his interview, Esposito also mentioned that his role in the mysterious new game will utilize “a new style of acting”. He already accomplished a motion-capture performance in Payday 2, so it will be interesting to see what he ultimately meant by that.


Check Out These Sweet Custom Lego Borderlands Outrunners!

Borderlands 3 is not just about the loot and the guns. And the Vault Hunters, as well as cool NPCs and characters. It’s also about vehicles like the Technicals and the Outrunners. We get to see someone creative with bricks doing the latter in four different colours.

Created by HansenBricks, these Outrunners are fully-built with official LEGO pieces and connection methods. No jury-rigging here; it’s all done legit, at least the one in the 2nd picture.
We do wonder if there’s enough space for a glove compartment to store a pimentaco. Still, if these were official, I’d say they’re worth their weight in Eridium.


Microsoft’s E3 2019 Press Conference Slated For 9 June

Let’s face it: Xbox had a rough few years with no big-deal exclusives and its heavy reliance on its Game Pass. It’s not bad, but it needed more to combat juggernauts like PlayStation and Nintendo.
This may change, as Xbox and Microsoft’s E3 2019 press conference, which is slated for 10 June at 4am GMT+8 this year (9 June 4pm ET), will feature “exclusive announcements, game demos, interviews, giveaways, and more.” There’s no word on whether the company will tease its new machine (codenamed Scarlet)Â but here’s hoping.
You can tune into the upcoming livestream of the conference on YouTube, Twitch, Twitter, and Facebook. Personally, more game announcements on the existing platform and some info on its upcoming next-gen/new version of its consoles will help make the brand a tad more relevant.


Fear Street Part 2: 1978 Brings The Golden Days Of Summer Camp Slashers

If Fear Street Part 1: 1994 was trying to be Scream, then Fear Street Part 2: 1978 is clearly evoking the so-called golden age of slashers by emulating the setting of Friday The 13th. That’s no secret, considering that the second movie in this trilogy brings us back to the late 70s to an idyllic camp by a serene lake, or so we thought.
The first movie mostly took place in houses and buildings in the town of Shadyside (the fictional town where the entire trilogy takes place) itself. However, just like the Friday The 13th films, Fear Street Part 2: 1978Â takes place entirely in Camp Nightwing. That’s right, this time we’re spending two hours at a camp with horny camp counsellors and not-so-innocent teenage campers.
Sleepaway Camp
FEAR STREET PART 2: 1978 – Cr: Netflix Â© 2021
Surprisingly, despite being set mainly in one location for the entire duration of the movie, Fear Street Part 2: 1978Â is overall an improvement over the first, especially in regards to its characters. Remember when I said that the first movie feels like a 90s version of Stranger Things? Well, the second movie even features an actress from that TV series; namely Sadie Sink, who played Maxine “Max” Mayfield. In Fear Street Part 2: 1978, she plays the role of Ziggy Berman, one of the campers at Camp Nightwing.
While the first movie introduced the rivalry between the neighbouring towns of Shadyside and Sunnyvale, Fear Street Part 2: 1978Â finally explores that dynamic even further. How? Well, the counsellors and campers in Camp Nightwing are divided into those from Shadyside or Sunnyvale. Even at this camp, it’s clear that there’s a class divide of sorts between them, as those from Sunnyvale look down on those from Shadyside.
Sadie Sink’s Ziggy Berman is from Shadyside and she often gets bullied by Sunnyvale campers for her family problems. To make things worse, her sister, Emily Rudd’s Cindy Berman is a counsellor at the camp with problems of her own. When one of their own starts killing, all hell breaks loose. There’s just something about the classic camp setting that’s ripe for a horror movie, and that holds true for this movie as well.
Despite taking place in the past, there’s no jarring transition. Fear Street Part 2: 1978 immediately begins from the ending of the last movie. Just like the first movie, director Leighs Janiak tends to include music from the era in almost every scene to set the tone (Cherry Bomb by The Runaways, etc.), so if you’re bothered by them in the first movie, it’s the same situation here. You might feel differently about songs from the late 70s so it’s ultimately up to your preference.
Unfortunately, Fear Street Part 2: 1978Â also suffers from the same problem as the first. The kills and deaths are still boring and uninspired. They’re noticeably bloodier and gorier, with some decapitations here and there, but nothing memorable or unique. Longtime horror fans won’t find much (dead) meat here to chew on.
What Fear Street Part 2: 1978Â successfully does is add new dimensions and depths to existing characters from present-day 1994, since some of these characters are younger versions of characters from the first movie. One of the major twists of this movie actually relates to that, though you can probably see it coming a mile away. Trust me, it’s less shocking and more of an “obviously, duh!” moment.
Friday The 13th
FEAR STREET PART 2: 1978 – (L-R) EMILY RUDD as CINDY and SADIE SINK as ZIGGY. Cr: Netflix Â© 2021
All in all, Fear Street Part 2: 1978Â has the same great production value as the first and is a slightly better movie, albeit suffering from some of the same issues. Horror fans will still be able to appreciate the movie’s references and homages to classic horror movies (Stephen King’s Carrie is referenced several times), but nothing much impresses.
Once again, I won’t spoil anything, but rest assured that all the setup in this movie (and the first) does have a big payoff in the third and final film. If you’re a fan of classic slasher films or if you’re a long-time horror fan, you should still check this out. The last movie is already coming out next week, so you won’t even have to wait long.
FINAL SCORE: 70/100
We received an early access screener of Fear Street Part 2: 1978 courtesy of Netflix Malaysia. It is slated to premiere exclusively on Netflix on 9 July 2021.


Modders Have Remastered The First-Ever Star Wars FPS

After three years of effort, modders have remastered the first first-person shooter in the Star Wars franchise and predecessor to the Jedi Knight series, Star Wars: Dark Forces.
The game has been given a modern update through the use of the Force Engine, an open-source tool developed by luciusDXL, winterheart, and gilmorem560. The Force Engine is a reverse engineering of Dark Forces that allows players to experience the game with improved graphics and additional customization options such as mouse look and high-resolution support.
The developers have also indicated that the Force Engine will soon support Outlaws, a lesser-known game related to Dark Forces. Players can use the Force Engine to play Dark Forces with modern conveniences and at high resolution.
Dark Forces is not as well known as its sequels in the Jedi Knight series, in which Kyle becomes a Jedi and engages in highly acclaimed lightsaber combat. Outlaws, on the other hand, is a western-themed first-person shooter developed by Lucasarts that uses the same game engine as Dark Forces. The shared characteristics between the two games will allow Outlaws to be updated for the 21st century with minimal effort from the Force Engine team.

The first release of the Force Engine allows players to fully experience Dark Forces with a range of customizable features that improve the gameplay experience, such as mouse look and high-resolution support. The Force Engine also uses GPU rendering instead of the outdated software renderer used in the original game and includes a mod loader for user-created content. The developers of the Force Engine have announced that full support for “Outlaws” will be added in a future update, version 2.0 of the project.

Installing both the Force Engine and any desired mods is straightforward. However, players will need to purchase a copy of Dark Forces in order to use the Force Engine (it is not freely available like some other source ports). Dark Forces can be purchased on Steam or GOG for around US$6, although it may be on sale for a lower price at certain times. After obtaining a copy of the game and downloading the Force Engine, the executable will automatically detect the installation path for the game.

Users can easily add any custom maps or modifications to the mod directory of the Force Engine and can choose which ones to load from the startup screen of the Force Engine. The process of adding and running user-created content is quick and simple. The Force Engine also allows players to access and play a wide range of free levels in addition to the original game, similar to other source ports such as GZDoom and Aleph One. This allows players to easily and conveniently play the classic game with improved features and access to additional content.


MultiVersus Will Add In Black Adam And Gremlin’s Stripe; Still Not Out In Southeast Asia

MultiVersus will be making a reveal later in a couple of hours according to its director Tony Huynh. Unfortunately, that reveal may have been ahead of schedule.
According to a number of Xbox users (via Reddit), the latest banner of MultiVersus Season 1 has revealed two new characters added to the mix: DC Comics’ Black Adam and Gremlins’ antagonist Stripe, the evil Mogwai.

We’ll be updating this post when an official trailer pops up, because we’re curious to see how they play. If you’re living in Southeast Asia, you may have to wait god-knows-when for that privilege; MultiVersus is not available in Malaysia, Singapore, The Philippines, and other SEA countries.
If you’re outside of those restricted regions, you’d be pleased to know that MultiVersus Season 1 is a-go. Long story short: Arya Stark, Batman, LeBron James, and Steven Universe are your free characters, and Morty from Rick & Morty will be out on 23rd August.


Knight Rider’s K.I.T.T. Brings The Radical 80s Into Rocket League

One of the most iconic cars in pop culture has arrived in Psyonix’s Rocket League, as part of the developer’s 80s-themed Radical Summer event. You know what I’m talking about, K.I.T.T. from Knight Rider is now available in the game.
Rocket League‘s Knight Rider Car Pack contains the K.I.T.T. Battle-Car, K.I.T.T. Wheels, and the K.I.T.T. Gullwing steering wheel Topper. According to Psyonix Vice President of Publishing Jeremy Dunham (via PlayStation Blog), they have wanted to include K.I.T.T. in the game since the very beginning.

â€œWe were talking about bringing Knight Rider to Rocket League as early as our first few months of release.
We started talking to the Universal Games team about Back to the Futureâ€™s DeLorean Time Machine in the summer of 2015 to try to bring that vehicle to the game, and we sparked the conversation about K.I.T.T. at that same time.
The only problem was that our resources back then were much smaller than they are now.
Plus, our turnaround time on projects was very short, and we didnâ€™t know (yet) how successful a licensed DLC pack would be.
Once Rocket League became such a big hit, and the DeLorean Time Machine did so well, the list of famous cars that fans and partners wanted to see in the game really took off.â€

Adding K.I.T.T. into Rocket League meant that the developer had to customize the iconic car in order to make it playable in the game. They added a subtle color strip on the bottom of the car to signify a playerâ€™s team and an alternating, horizontal rocket booster that aligns with the famous flashing lights of the carâ€™s front end.
Check out K.I.T.T. in action in the trailer below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLwAv6BMl0Q&w=560&h=315]


Play For Honor for Free Starting Today

Ubisoft has announced that medieval action fighting game, For Honor, will be free to play from today til Sunday, May 6 on current-gen consoles and Windows PC. During this period, players will get access to the full game, including all multiplayer modes, a campaign playable solo or with a friend in online co-op, and the original roster of 12 unique heroes.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0citgSN6z90&w=560&h=315]
Also rewarding concurrent players,Â the For Honor team will also re-introduce the Warrior Training Program, an initiative that will reward existing and new players who work together, during the free weekend. Seasoned warriors who complete five matches while grouped with Free Weekend players (who do not own the game) will receive two weeks of revamped Champion Status, valued at 8,000 Steel, which will deliver even more XP boosts to players and their team as well as more loot following a match.

To celebrate the start of the Free Weekend event,Â players who tune-in to For Honorâ€™s Warriorâ€™s Den livestream on May 3rd at 9:00am PT/ 6:00pm CET on hereÂ are guaranteed 3 scavenger crates after an hour of watching the stream.Â Â As added incentive, every 10 minutes viewers will be entered for a chance to win 100,000 Steel.
Once the free-to-play period ends, those who want to continue their time on the battlefield can enjoy up to 75% off discounts on For Honor on all digital stores before May 15 and keep their progress from the free weekend.
For full details on this, head on over to their official website here.


Here’s Why Resident Evil Village Ditches The “8” In Its Title, & Why It’s In A Gothic Village

Resident Evil Village is shaping up to be not just an internet sensation, but a survival horror game title to bring in newbies and old-school fans alike thanks to its title.
According to RE Village director Morimasa Sato (via 4Gamer and Twitter), Capcom removed the number “8” in the title because it wants this game to be accessible to new fans. Capcom felt the number “8” will put up a high barrier of entry onto the series. Funnily enough, “Village” was the codename of the game when production began and was meant to be a placeholder for the title.
Apparently, it stuck with the team and they decided to roll with “Village” in the title. Capcom also mentioned that the word “Village” conveys a sense of fear and ominousness.
But how come the game’s latest location is in a European setting, in a village and castle? That’s because this allowed the team at Capcom to increase the amount of content over the last game. For those catching up, Resident Evil 7 was set in a giant house with a crazed hillbilly family. Plus, the gothic horror setting serves as a huge contrast to RE7’s modern conventions of horror.
Speaking of content, Capcom wanted Mercenaries in RE Village because it couldn’t add that game mode in RE7. Plus, it was the team’s first time figuring out how Mercenaries work in first-person view. Mercenaries was a staple in Resident Evil games, so it’s nice to see that make a return.

But Why Is Ethan Faceless?
If you’ve noticed the recent marketing materials of RE Village as of late, Ethan’s face is obscured and appears “faceless”. That’s because Capcom wants players to see the game as if they were in Ethan’s shoes. This is accentuated with the game’s first-person view.
Other tidbits in RE Village pointed out in the interview include:

The game’s shopkeeper, the Duke, being portrayed as a fat jolly man because he was designed to be lighthearted in response to those who found RE& too scary to play.
Lady Dimitrescu’s (ie: Tall Vampire Lady) height wasn’t really confirmed until media outlets in January asked Capcom how tall she was. They got the measurements after comparing her to other in-game assets.
The game was meant for PS5 and Xbox Series due to next-gen systems having reduced load times. This help keeps the game’s tension going on without long load times.
Capcom did want to bring RE Village for Xbox One and PS4, but held off the announcement because it wasn’t sure if the game could achieve satisfactory results.
RE Village was in development for 4 years. It didn’t help that COVID-19 stalled the process. At the very least, it gave the team a chance to reflect on the game and make improvements as soon as they got back to the offices to resume production.

Resident Evil Village will be out on 7th May. In the meantime, enjoy seeing the RE Village baddies as puppets in this latest Japan-only trailer.Â


Vehicular Combat Game KEO Comes To Steam Early Access Later This Month

Digital Matters Publishing and developer Redcatpig have announced that their upcoming team-based online multiplayer vehicle combat game KEOÂ will be launching intoÂ Steam Early Access on 23 September 2021 for $19.99 (USD), following a series of open beta tests earlier this summer.
KEO is an explosive vehicle combat game that will see players face off against each other in two different 3v3 game modes, designed to test their skills in a post-apocalyptic wasteland.

Deathmatch mode tasks drivers with scoring the most points through taking down opponents, while Domination sees players battle to claim outposts across the map. Players will be able to unlock one of six vehicles, with more available to unlock using Scraps in-game, and they can pick from 24 weapons to bolster their arsenal.
New players will be taken through a tutorial designed to get them combat-ready, and the game will support PlayStation, Xbox, and PC controllers as well as keyboard and mouse so players can choose to play whichever way suits them best.

During early access, KEOÂ will see regular additions to its content including maps, vehicles, weapons, and an extra game mode, as well as features like ranking and spectator mode. The game will also be optimised for ultra-widescreen before its full launch next year.

Key features ofÂ KEO:

Heart-pumping vehicle-to-vehicle combat:Â Put the pedal to the metal to blast through opponents and secure victory in 3v3 matches, whether youâ€™re a casual cruiser or a hardened gamer.
Two fierce game modes:Â Deathmatch and Domination await those who are brave enough to enter the battlefield, with an extra mode to come.
Expand and upgrade:Â From weapons to cosmetics, each vehicle can be personalised and upgraded to deliver flair and ferocity.
Multiple vehicles:Â There are many war machines of all shapes and sizes to utilise on the battlefield, varying in abilities, speed, and armour, and more vehicles to come.

KEO is available to wishlist now viaÂ Steam and will be released in Early Access on 23 September 2021 for US$19.99.


Cooking Mama Creators Pursuing Legal Action Against Publishers

Something juicy this way comes for you Cooking Mama fans out there.
Office Create, the creator & license holders of the Cooking Mama games recently pulled the plug on the latest game, Cooking Mama: Cookstar, due to quality concerns. Despite this, the publisher released the game. Keep in mind that developer 1st Playable are responsible for making Cookstar; the game has received a number of negative reviews for being “tedious” and “not doing its gameplay right”.
Initially, the game was on sale on the Nintendo Switch eShop at the end of March. It then vanished a couple of hours later according to IGN.Â Office Create said Cookstar was an “unauthorized” release.

“As many of you know, Planet Entertainment LLC (Headquarters: Connecticut, USA; â€˜Planetâ€™) recently released â€˜Cooking Mama: Cookstarâ€™ for sale in the U.S., Europe and Australia. This was an unauthorized release in breach of Planetâ€™s contract with Office Create.”

The company will be “evaluating all legal action against Planet to protect our customers, intellectual property rights and the Cooking Mama series”. Also, they mentioned that an upcoming PS4 version of the game was not part of the agreement. Cooking Mama games have only appeared on Nintendo platforms and smartphones.
But wait, it gets worst…
A developer recently shed news on why and how this happened on a Screen Rant report.

“There is a legal battle between the publisher, Planet Entertainment and the IP holder, Office Create. Planet Entertainment released the game against a request by Office Create to keep polishing the game, or perhaps even canceling it.”

Once the game was released, Office Create requested Nintendo to pull the game from the eShop and halt physical copies of the game from being produced. 1st Playable countered on Twitter that this was a “dev spoof”.

The screenrant ‘article’ is a dev spoof and has no accurate dev information. To point out an obvious one, everyone on the team knew the release date, like any professional developer would. We can’t speak to who this person is or where they got their information. Not anyone here
— 1st Playable (@1stPlayable) April 7, 2020

There was also a rumour that Cooking Mama Cookstar was going to be one of the first few games to integrate blockchain technology by launching a new cryptocurrency called Rocket Tokens. Players can buy them for US$1 apiece to fund Planet Entertainment’s games and get dividends back based on profits from game sales. Unfortunately for cryptohounds, that isn’t the case.

As the developers we can say with certainty there is no cryptocurrency or data collection or blockchain or anything else shady in the code.  The Nintendo Switch is a very safe platform, with none of the data and privacy issues associated with some mobile and PC games.
— 1st Playable (@1stPlayable) April 5, 2020

The internet is alive with rumors that Cooking Mama: Cookstar contains hidden cryptocurrency/blockchain capabilities that are causing the Switch to overheat. This is absolutely incorrect.
At Planet Entertainment, we explored both blockchain technology and cryptocurrency tokens.
— Mama Cookstar (@CookstarMama) April 6, 2020


Spider-Man PS5 Remaster Won’t Work With PS4 Save Files

If you purchase Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales Ultimate Edition, you will also receive Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered and this version will be exclusive to the PS5. Insomniac Games have confirmed that players won’t be able to transfer their save data from the PS4 version of the game to the PS5 remaster.
The developer revealed the news onÂ TwitterÂ via a reply.

Saves won’t transfer from the original game to the Remaster— Insomniac Games (@insomniacgames) September 20, 2020

Insomniac Games also confirmed that Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered will offer aÂ separate trophy list, which is great news for players who are Platinum hunters.

It is a separate trophy list— Insomniac Games (@insomniacgames) September 21, 2020

Last but not least, there won’t be a standalone physical version of Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered, as it will only be available as aÂ download voucher or a digital download depending on which version (physical or digital) of the Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales Ultimate Edition that you own.

For all physical copies of Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales, the game is on a disc.For the Ultimate Edition on PS5, an additional voucher is included to download Marvel's Spider-Man Remastered.— Insomniac Games (@insomniacgames) September 21, 2020

Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales is slated to release for the PS4 and PS5 on 12 November 2020. In other related news, Insomniac Games also recently revealed that the upcoming game will take up a whopping massive chunk of your PS4 hard drive or PS5 SSD.
In the meantime, check out the awesome gameplay trailer below:


Here’s Where You Can Catch Gemini Man In HFR 3D+ In Malaysia

Will Smith’s next major blockbuster is Gemini Man, which is slated to release on 10 October 2019 in Malaysian cinemas. While the movie wasted its ‘Old Man Smith V Fresh Prince’ premise and potential (check out my full review here), it’s undeniable that the movie marks a significant advancement in cinematic technology.
Gemini Man is one of only several movies to have been shot entirely at high frame rates (HFR), specifically in 120fps. In comparison, the normal frame rate is just usually 24fps. High frame rates are more common in games and TV but are new to the world of cinema.
That’s because HFR movies tend to lose their cinematic and theatrical sheen most viewers are used to. Instead, every motion and detail can now be clearly observed, which (for some) would break the immersion as the movie would look fake, made-up and like it was filmed right in front of them.
HFR 3D+ makes for a completely different experience, one that movie lovers should try at least once. The problem is that not every cinema can project a movie in HFR 3D+, which is why Paramount is distributing Gemini Man in versions ranging from 2D 24fps to 3D 2K 60fps and 3D 4K 120fps.
In Malaysia, the best version we’re receiving is the 3D 2K 60fps (courtesy of United International Pictures Malaysia), which in turn can only be experienced in specific cinemas. Normal cinemas will likely just show the 2D 24fps version instead.
That’s why we’re making it easier for those who want to watch the HFR 3D+ version of Gemini Man. Below are lists of all HFR 3D+ Gemini Man showings in different cinema chains across Malaysia:
GSC Cinemas

TGV Cinemas

MBO Cinemas

Bona Cinemas

King’s Trioplex


Wonder Woman 1984 Delayed To Christmas 2020

Warner Bros. has announced that Wonder Woman 1984 will now be releasing on 25 December 2020, instead of the previously-announced 2 October 2020.
This will be Wonder Woman 1984‘s umpteenth release date delay. Speaking with Variety, Wonder Woman 1984 director Patty Jenkins said:
â€œFirst and foremost let me say how much Gal and I love all our devoted Wonder Woman fans around the world, and your excitement for â€˜WW84â€™ couldnâ€™t make us happier or more eager for you to see the movie. Because I know how important it is to bring this movie to you on a big screen when all of us can share the experience together, Iâ€™m hopeful you wonâ€™t mind waiting just a little bit longer. With the new date on Christmas Day, we canâ€™t wait to spend the holidays with you!â€
This announcement was not totally unexpected, in light of Tenet‘s poor box office showing in the United States (US$20.2 million since premiering on 3 September 2020), considering that most cinemas in New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco have yet to reopen from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Last month, we received our first look at Wonder Woman 1984 antagonist Cheetah in all her glory in the latest trailer unveiled at the first day of DC Fandome. Check it out below:


Local Comic Magazine Gempak KGS Is Shutting Down

Many Malaysians grew up with the local comic magazine Gempak, since it was started getting published in 1998. It was the first Malaysian info-comic magazine, offering news and articles about the ACG (Animation, Comics & Games) world in and outside of the country.
I myself collected Gempak magazines when I was a kid, especially when Internet services weren’t as widespread and easily accessible as they are now. In the past few years, Gempak has stopped publishing physical magazines and moved to an online digital portal called Gempak KGS.
Today, they announced that Gempak KGS is effectively shutting down on 30 November 2020, bringing an end to over two decades of publishing local and global ACG news.
However, their official YouTube channel Gempak 360 will still be operating as usual, so at least Gempak fans will still have content to look forward to.


The Commonwealth Games Might Feature Esports In 2030

It looks like esports will be part of the 2030 Commonwealth Games. That is, if the town of Hamilton in Canada wins the bid to host the upcoming games in eight years. 2030 will also mark the Commonwealth Games’ 100th anniversary, as the very first Commonwealth Games took place in Hamilton, Canada, all the way back in 1930.
Speaking with the BBC, Commonwealth Games Federation chief Katie Sadleir said that esports could be a full part of the programme in the future. However, she added that the programme for the 2026 Victoria Commonwealth Games had not yet been confirmed.
She said:
“What we are interested in, in terms of the Commonwealth Games is providing opportunities for young people to achieve their potential and we think that the huge growth in esports is really exciting.
The long term future of esports and collaboration – that’s why this pilot programme is so important to us.
We think it’s a good opportunity to learn from each other, to align ourselves with something that’s growing at such phenomenal rates for young people and the way that they’re looking at innovating themselves in terms of active esports opportunities.”
The next event will be the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, UK, where they will pilot esports for the first time. The Commonwealth Esports Championship, running alongside Birmingham 2022, will have separate branding, medals and organisation.
Esports is fast becoming officially recognised at major sporting events, like the SEA Games and the Asian Games. The upcoming 2022 Asian Games in Huangzhou, China, will feature eight medal games, including Arena of Valor (Asian Games Version), DOTA 2, Dream Three Kingdoms 2, EA SPORTS FIFA branded soccer games, Hearthstone, League of Legends, PUBG Mobile (Asian Games Version) and Street Fighter V.


Superman & Lois Reveals First Look At New Man Of Steel Costume

We initially reported during DC FamDome 2020 that the CW’s Superman will be getting a new suit. Well, they have finally unveiled the first full-length look atÂ Tyler HoechlinÂ in his full glory for the upcoming seriesÂ Superman & Lois.
Speaking with Deadline, Hoechlin said:
â€œI find that the new suit is representative of the show. Just as this suit is unique and set apart from the ones that preceded it, the story weâ€™re telling about Clark/Superman at this point in his life is unique and something weâ€™ve never seen before.But itâ€™s always interesting when Iâ€™m asked how I feel about â€˜my new suit,’ because Iâ€™ve always felt that the suit doesnâ€™t belong to me; it belongs to everyone that finds some kind of meaning in that suit, in the symbol on the chest. I just happen to be the one wearing it. I come from the world of baseball and a line of coaches that always preached that the name on the front of the jersey is more important than the one on the back. Because when you wear that jersey, it represents not only you, but your entire team, and everyone that has ever worn that jersey that came before you. So when I wear the suit, thatâ€™s what it means to me. It represents everything that Superman stands for and has stood for, for almost a century now.And I look forward to carrying on that tradition.â€
Designed by Laura Jean Shannon and built by her LA-based Supersuits team in conjunction with Creative Character Engineering, the new costume is described as having â€œa classic, timeless vibe that both harkens back to the Superman we all grew up with while grounding him and elevating the suit in a modern arena with updated techniques and applications.â€
A new two-shot photo of Clark Kent and Lois Lane will be unveiled later this week.
Superman & LoisÂ Season 1 will premiere on 23 February 2020.


E3 2019: What You Need To Know About Chivalry 2

Remember Chivalry, the first-person medieval brawler that lets you duel knights online and dismember them? Well, it’s getting a sequel because it sure as heck shouldn’t be upstaged by the likes of Mordhau.
Shown at the E3 PC Gaming Show 2019, Chivalry 2 will be a tremendous improvement over its predecessor. Why? We’ll show you a few reasons why.

It Will Feature Player Counts Up To 64
Chivalry 2 plans to be the biggest multiplayer battle game ever, with a reworked combat system, and a lot of fixes and exploits removal from the first game.
It Will Have More Epic Battlefields
According to a PC Gamer interview with developer Torn Banner Studios’ president Stev Piggott, the game is a “significant re-imagining of how best to bring fans the ultimate medieval battlefield experience”. The best way to do that? Make sure the battlefields are designed well.
“Think Battle of the Bastards from Game of Thrones,” Piggott says. “We’ve built Chivalry 2 from the ground up entirely around the epic sense of chaos and intensity of full-scale medieval war that this scene showcases so well.”
It Will Be A Lot More Focused
Piggott and his team want to make sure Chivalry 2 captures the chaos and intensity of full-scale medieval warfare not just through battlefields and a huge player count for online play.
It wants to do so with a more thorough and focused Team Objective mode, where cinematic battle story maps tell a story and changes objectives based on the game’s current story path. You’ll get to upgrade from squire to knight, while also assisting your knight order in ransacking enemy towns and castles.
It Will Make Combat Less Buggy & More Animated
Speaking of combat fixes, Chivalry 2’s new system will address fighting and duel complaints. “Fans will recognize the basics of the combat mechanics, while also enjoying a new flow that provides a much more natural, fluid and varied experience,” said Piggott. The game’s movement system will be “visually understandable”. Knights and warriors will also get an enhanced moveset for newbies and Chivalry fans more options to fight and/or flee. Not only that, but they also can have their voice-lines changed up so they can quote Shakespeare while stabbing fools.
It Has Horses. Finally
Because Mordhau has horses, a 64-army game like Chivalry 2 should have riders and cavalry helping your team out for glory. Having a horse in a medieval first-person action game is pretty self-explanatory; it gets you to places fast and also makes you a formidable opponent until you get yourself cornered.
The Devs Are Aware Of Mordhau
Yes, we’ve been mentioning that other medieval combat game a lot, but the comparisons are unavoidable. Piggott said he welcomes the competition but throws some shade saying that Chivalry 2 is “just far more ambitious than what others have done or are doing now.”
“We are confident that it’s a game built around what our biggest fans loved about the original: The best sword fighting combat there is, the sense of epic scale, the combat stories that play out organically, the emotions of swarming into battle, and the untouchable Chivalry personality and humour. All of that advanced to the best new heights possibleâ€”and with tons of new features thrown into the mix we haven’t touched on yet.”
Chivalry 2 will be out 2020 exclusively for PC via Epic Games Store.


Street Fighter 6: Guile Move List & Guide

Street Fighter 6 is coming out on 2nd June, which is just less than a month away. As such, the game’s roster for its launch is set with 18 characters, each with their various playstyles.
In this entry, we’ll be focusing on Guile, the US Marine soldier with the Sonic Booms, Flash Kicks, and gravity-defying haircut.
Note: This guide is still in development.
All inputs are in numpad notations. For example, Hadouken from player 1’s starting side is 236P.
Attack buttons are as follows: LP, MP, HP are light punch, medium punch, and heavy punch respectively. LK, MK, and HK are light kick, medium kick, and heavy kick respectively. None of this Fierce or Roundhouse bulls*** in Asia.
Info & video credits: Capcom

Street Fighter 6 Guile Overview

Everybody’s favourite fighting game turtler/machi with the two iconic moves since Street Fighter 2 is back and older than ever. Guile’s gameplan is still the same: wait for your opponent to do something stupid, then punish them with his Flash Kick. Then just keep pelting them from afar with Sonic Booms until they come in.
Guile has tons of spacing and footsie tools that hit pretty hard, though they do have not as much combo potential when compared to someone like Juri and Jamie. Still, if you prefer to stay on the defensive, you can’t go wrong with this family man.
Play If: You love turtling & playing incredibly defensive, love to win by time outs, and occasionally going in when you have your install ready.
Avoid If: You prefer playing risky, don’t like charge moves & inputs, prefer rushdown and fast buttons.

Street Fighter 6 Guile Move List

Special Attacks
Sonic Boom: [4]6P. Press 6 + an attack button simultaneously to change effect. Cross your arms with such speed that you fire a rotating aerial slash. Useful for checking distant opponents or as a way to start offensive pressure.
Somersault Kick: [2]8K. Press 8 + an attack button simultaneously to change effect. Perform a backwards somersault while unleashing a devastating kick. It is invincible against jumping attacks, making it useful as an anti-air technique.
Sonic Blade: 214P. Place a stationary, vertically rotating aerial slash in front of you. Become a two-hit aerial slash if combined with a Sonic Boom. Same move from Street Fighter 5, but now a normal move instead of a V-Skill.

Sonic Cross: 6P. During Sonic Blade. Press 6 + an attack button simultaneously to change effect. Combine Sonic Blade with another aerial slash and fire it as a projectile.

Sonic Break: P+P. During Solid Puncher. Used to fire aerial slashes while Solid Puncher is active. The speed of the projectile can be modified with directional inputs.

Sonic Break: P. During Solid Puncher. During Sonic Boom or Sonic Break. Used to fire aerial slashes while Solid Puncher is active. Can be repeated up to 4 times, and can also be input following a Sonic Boom for additional attacks.

Super Arts
Sonic Hurricane (Level 1 Super Art): [4]646P. Fire a massive aerial slash directly ahead. An extremely versatile move that can be used in combos, to counter projectile, or as a way to turn the tables when being pressured. The angle of the attack can be changed depending on the command input.
Solid Puncher (Level 2 Super Art): 214214P. Install that lets you use Sonic Break. Former V-Trigger in SF5; pretty useful for comebacks and combos when you want Guile to go on the offensive.
Crossfire Somersault (Level 3 Super Art): [4]646K. Launch your opponent into the air and follow up with a mighty somersault kick. It has invincibility at the beginning, making it useful as an anti-air attack or as a way to turn the tables on your opponent.
Unique Attacks
Full Bullet Magnum: 6MP. An overhead attack that cannot be blocked while crouching.
Bruning Straight: 4HP. A quick strike that can be cancelled into special moves.
Spinning Back Knuckle: 6HP. Move forward while striking with the back of your fist. Allows you to move before your opponent even if blocked.
Knee Bazooka: 4LK. A forward-moving knew strike that’s quick and difficult to counterattack. Can be performed while maintaining your backward charge.
Rolling Sobat: 4MP/6MP. A quick hop kick that’s difficult to counterattack. Depending on what direction you hold, you can move either forward or backward while performing it.
Reverse Spin Kick: 6HK. An attack with long reach that is useful against an opponent’s sweeps.
Guile High Kick: 3HK. A high kick that is useful against jumping opponents. Can be performed while maintaining your downward charge.
Recoil Cannon: MP>4HP. A combination attack that sends an opponent flying.
Double Shot: 2MP>2MP. A quick series of attacks that can be cancelled into special moves.
Drake Fang: 2MK>2MP. A low attack followed by an overhead attack.
Phantom Cutter: 2HK>3HK. A low attack into a high kick that launches an opponent into the air. These two hits form a combo if done as a Punish Counter.


The Dark Pictures Anthology The Devil In Me Trailer Introduces The Characters

With just a few weeks left to wait for The Dark Pictures Anthology The Devil In Me, a new trailer introduces the five crew members of Lonnit Entertainment — all caught in a deadly game of cat and mouse with a less than hospitable host.
The Lonnit Entertainment TV crew receive a pressing and mysterious phone call from a man called Granthem Du’Met, with a promise of a tour around a faithful recreation of the H. H. Holmes murder castle, an idea that Lonnit Entertainment founder Charlie Lonnit believes might just save his show.
Oscar nominee Jessie Buckley stars as a member of this ill-fated crew that visits this strange hotel location, a place that quickly turns into a deadly trap made by their disturbed host Granthem Du’Met. Observed, isolated, and manipulated like rats in a maze, it soon becomes clear that the crew’s checkout is compromised, and they will have to make some impossible choices that they might live to regret or just not live at all!
The Dark Pictures Anthology The Devil In Me releases on 18 November 2022 for PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One and PC via Steam.
The Dark Pictures Anthology is a series of stand-alone, branching cinematic horror games, designed to present a new terrifying experience on a regular basis. Each game is unconnected and will feature a brand-new story, setting and a new cast of characters.
Will they be able to check out of the Murder Hotel? Or will their stay turn into a more permanent one?
Check out the trailer below:


Here’s Why Claptrap Sounds A Little Different In Borderlands 3

If you watched the Borderlands 3 gameplay premiere a few days ago, you notice that Borderlands robot mascot Claptrap sounds a little different. That’s because he’s played by a different actor; specifically a guy named Jim Foronda.
The original voice actor for the bot, David Eddings, was replaced due to a pay dispute.

No. For the first time, I insisted on getting paid for my performance and all of a sudden they couldn't afford me. Now I'm not telling them how to run their business but maybe next time they should put the $12M payment from 2K in the Gearbox bank account instead. Just sayin'…
— David Eddings (@davideddings) May 2, 2019

So why wasn’t he paid for his massive contribution? Well, David was a Gearbox executive, having been a licensing, business and PR guy for the company for projects like Brothers in Arms and Duke Nukem Forever. He did the VO role without additional pay.
He left Gearbox in March 2017 to become head of gaming publishing at Rooster Teeth. Gearbox officially confirmed to IGN that the both of them couldn’t reach to an agreement rates-wise, so they went with Jim Foronda instead.
Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford said online that the company offered a generous rate for David, but was turned down.

Mr. Eddings was paid very handsomely during his employment. After his employment he was made a relatively generous offer to reprise the role. Unfortunately, he turned that opportunity down.
— Randy Pitchford (@DuvalMagic) May 3, 2019

Long story short, it’s just business, but keep in mind that voicework for video games have lower pay than most other gigs in the industry; it’s on par with the lowliest of QA positions. That’s why most of them like Troy Baker end up doing non-gaming work and other projects for extra income; relying on just video game VO is not viable in the short and long run.


Google Is Setting Aside Stadia & Rebranding It As Something Else

A Bloomberg report stated that Google will be quietly deprioritizing Google Stadia, its livestream gaming service that flopped pretty hard since its release in 2019 in places that aren’t Southeast Asia.
Since announcing the closure of Google Stadia’s internal studios last year, the company has “shifted the focus of its Stadia division largely to securing white-label deals with partners that include Peloton, Capcom, and Bungie, according to people familiar with the planâ€.
“(Phil) Harrison and other executives set a goal to reach 1 million monthly active users by the end of 2020, which they missed by about 25%, according to a person familiar with the conversations.”
The company will have a reduced interest in negotiating blockbuster third-party titles. As such, the rebranding will label the service Google Stream instead, with the company planning to “salvage” the technology to stream games with low latency.
The big problem Google is worried about in the gaming space right now, apart from Google Stadia and its key members like Jade Raymond leaving the sinking ship? It’s apparently the company buyouts as of late involving Activision Blizzard and Bethesda.
“When Microsoft announced in 2020 that it would acquire the Elder Scrolls studio Bethesda, it â€˜scared the crap out of Google executives,â€™ a former employee close to those conversations said.”
Let’s hope the rebranding works, because Google Stadia could be the big G’s big L. For a clear idea on how out of touch the Google Stadia inner workings can get, here’s a quote from one of its leads about video game streamers who are beneficial in giving games free PR. It didn’t go so well.


Indie Shoot-Em-Up Nuclear Throne Is Only RM2 On Steam Right Now

Indie developer Vlambeer‘s top-down shooter roguelike game Nuclear Throne is currently selling with a discount of a whopping 90 percent on Steam. For the price of only RM2.80, the game is currently cheaper than the price of your next lunch.
Why should you get Nuclear Throne? It’s a delightful post-apocalyptic setting and chaotic gameplay makes for a fun time, especially now that we all have around two weeks of time staying at home due to the government’s Restricted Movement order.
Check out what to expect from the Nuclear Throne trailer below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7LSs1bj41P4&w=560&h=315]


CoD Modern Warfare & Warzone Players Can Get Double Everything This Weekend

The latest Call of Duty Warzone update is going to help gamers complete their Battle Pass before the start of Season 4, as Call of Duty Season 3 is expected to end next week on 2 June 2020.
Players can look forward to the Call of Duty Modern Warfare and Call Of Duty Warzone Double XP event this weekend, granting them one last opportunity to complete their Battle Pass and tiers before the season ends.
It will officially begin on Friday, 29 May 2020 at 10am PT (or 1am GMT+8 on Saturday. 30 May 2020), and will last until Monday, 1 June 2020. For the entire weekend, all players can earn double XP, double weapon XP and double Battle Pass tier progression.
The Plunder Pack has also been made available in Call Of Duty Warzone for anyone who is interested in customising their vehicles in the game. It’s essentially an aesthetics pack offering special gold-and-black skins “for every drivable vehicle, accessible across the Warzone, Multiplayer and Special Ops modes”.
It is now the featured playlist in Call Of Duty Warzone, replacing BR Trios Classic, but BR Trios, Solos and Quads remain.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjUj6sl6vxw&w=560&h=315]

So, we heard you like vehicle skinsâ€¦
The Plunder Pack returns to the #ModernWarfare and #Warzone store this week. pic.twitter.com/rKoQClVqdZ
â€” Call of Duty (@CallofDuty) May 26, 2020
In addition, Infinity Ward also added a dedicated 24/7 Shipment playlist and Gun Game can now be played on Gunfight maps, as well as the return of Deathmatch Domination and Drop Zone modes, not to mention the new Spec Ops, which is a modified version of Brimstone with a special reward.

ðŸ“¢Playlist Update!
– Removing: Realism Mosh Pit, Hardhat 24/7, Clean Up on Aisle 9, Reinfected Ground War, BR Trios Classic, Blood Money Trios
– Adding: Deathmatch Domination, Drop Zone, Shipment 24/7, Shoot House 24/7, Gun Game on Gunfight Maps, and Plunder Quads! pic.twitter.com/fH3Gz4r6cy
â€” Infinity Ward (@InfinityWard) May 26, 2020


[Rumour] Namco Museum Archives Vol. 1 and Vol. 1 Announced

Retro games are not going out of style anytime soon, and if this Microsoft Store leak is of any indication, we may be knee-deep in a lot of classic titles.
The Microsoft Store has listed unannounced Namco classic games collections dubbed Namco Museum Archives Vol. 1 and Namco Museum Archives Vol. 2.
Namco Museum Archives Vol. 1 will feature the following titles, including a new 8-bit demastered version of Pac-Man Championship Edition.

Dig Dug
Dragon Buster
Dragon Spirit: The New Legend
Galaxian
Mappy
Pac-Man
Splatterhouse: Wanpaku Graffiti
Sky Kid
The Tower of Druaga
Xevious

Namco Museum Archives Vol. 2 will feature these classics, including an 8-bit consolized version of Gaplus.

Battle City
Dig Dug II
Dragon Buster II
Galaga
Gaplus
Legacy of the Wizard
Mappy-Land
Mendel Palace
Pac-Land
Rolling Thunder
Super Xevious

These collections will feature a “save function” and the “replay function”; basically streamlined versions of the save state option on your emulators. It’s safe to assume that these collections will also be out for PS4, PC, and Nintendo Switch. Basically these collections are worth looking out for if you haven’t bought them for the umpteenth time for your PS1s and PS2s, or past generation consoles.


The Lord Of The Rings: Gollum Is Delayed For A Few Months

You may have to wait a little while longer for the next Lord of the Rings game from developer Daedalic Entertainment.
Publisher Nacon and Daedalic are delaying The Lord of the Rings: Gollum from its previously-planned 1st September release date for PC and consoles (Xbox One, Xbox Series, PS4, PS5) to “a few months”. A new release date will be announced in the future. The reason for the delay is quality assurance and control.
“First of all, we would like to thank all of you for your patience and support so far. Over the last years, our team has been working hard to bring you a remarkable story in a breathtaking world, filled with magic and wonder.
We are dedicated to meeting our community’s expectations and uncovering the untold story of Gollum in a way that honours the vision of J. R. R. Tolkien.
That being said, in order to deliver the best possible experience, we have decided to push the release of The Lord of the Rings: Gollum by a few months. We will update you with an exact timing in the near future.
We are grateful for our passionate community and we cannot wait to share this unique adventure with you soon!”
The delay may have a lot to do with the game’s aesthetics, animation and overall look, which is to say it’s not polished to be a full-scale title. Just check out the comments on the video below and it’s clear as day that the game may need those extra precious moments of polishing. Here’s hoping those few months of work can make for a promising LOTR take.


The Team Behind A PS5 Indie Darling Has Issues

Scavengers Studio is the developer of 2020’s Darwin Project and the upcoming PS5 game, Season. They have been accused of alleged sexual and verbal harassment as well as a pervading toxic culture at the company.
According to a report by GamesIndustry.biz, Scavengers Studio co-founder and former CEO Simon Darveau has been called out for abusing his female employees and perpetuating a sexist work environment that favours a select few for the past several years. The allegations include groping staff members while drunk at a party andÂ instances of inappropriate comments and aggressive behaviour towards his employees.
It is also alleged that Darveau’s toxic behaviour was enabled by fellow co-founder AmÃ©lie Lamarche, both of whom have a romantic history.Â  Due to the studio being a small indie company, it doesn’t have an official HR department, which means that Lamarche has to fulfil the responsibilities of HR. This is regarded by the studio’s employees as a conflict of interest, and it’s no question why.
However, most worrying of all is the report that Darveau has forcibly changed the scope and focus of upcoming PS5 game Season. He had apparently promised a number of features to Sony, such as a larger world, quests, and objective markers. These weren’t planned, so the employees have had to add these to the game despite not being in line with the main theme.
Scavengers Studio has since issued the following statement to GamesIndustry.biz in response, outlining a series of measures to prevent harassment and improve its HR practices:
“Scavengers Studio appreciates that there have been situations during its rapid growth and takes the position that any type of harassment is unwelcomed and unacceptable and takes any complaints in this respect very seriously.
You should note that Scavengers Studio has taken positive steps to look into its culture to see what aspects need to be adjusted. In early 2019, Simon Darveau was replaced as CEO by Lamarche who took full control of the company.
As a new female CEO, Lamarche started to build a mid-management team composed of competent team members to continue to lead the company in its mission of creating new gaming experiences with very strong and innovative empathetic twists.
The new management team has since then recreated a sense of calm and happiness in the workplace where talents are gathered around interesting and dynamic projects and where differences are embraced.”
We even put Season in our list of most anticipated games for 2021 earlier this year.


Square Enix Teases Mysterious New IP Outriders For E3 2019

Square Enix has announced Outriders, a mysterious new IP less than a week from its upcoming E3 2019 press conference on 10 June 2019.
The brief 15-second-long teaser trailer doesn’t reveal much, besides a person (or alien) awakening from cryosleep inside a cryostasis chamber. ItÂ also comes with a tagline that reads: “Initialize Cryostasis wake-up procedure.”
Source code from the game’s page contains the keyword Square Enix External Studios, which means that it will likely be from one of the Japanese company’s external studios. The list includes Bulletstorm developer People Can Fly or Life Is Strange: Before The Storm‘s Deck Nine Games.
The trademark for Outriders was actually filed by Square Enix back in 2018, and it might turn out to be the People Can Fly AAA project that has been in development since 2017. All will be revealed during Square Enix’s E3 2019 press conference at 6pm on 10 June 2019 (9am on 11 June 2019 GMT+8).
In the meantime, check out the trailer below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJClMAeL0YU&w=560&h=315]


Dying Light 2 Is Getting More Fixes

Dying Light 2 is out right now, and it’s a pretty fun game despite the bugs. And there are many.
Luckily, Techland is on the case and are continuing to add more fixes in the coming days. The company pushed a few hotfixes live over the weekend which includes the following:

Fixed the Broadcast infinite respawn story block
Fix for dialogues that block story progression
Re-signing to the co-op session doesnâ€™t fail in case the user is logged in
Fixed crash when handing electrical parts to Carlos in Bazaar
Fixed problems with temporarily lowering the difficulty level â€“ improved adaptive difficulty for AIs
Fixed crash caused by background renderer during the transition between menu and loading screens
Increased Wwise overall memory limit â€“ fix for missing sounds and voice-over
Resolved problems with objects and AI sinking into the ground on a flat surface.
Fix for AI sometimes freezing/becoming immortal when the owner changes during death
Added protection against potential crashes.
Updates for ES, CH; DE intro.
Added missing game actions fixing occasional unresponsiveness.
Fixed Streamer Mode option which was not working properly.
Fixed crash on opening the secondary screen.
Fixed disconnecting co-op sessions after a certain amount of time.
DLSS enabled. Improved default DLSS sharpness. [PC version]
Fixed the gamepad not being detected by the game before any movement or action is conducted using a keyboard or mouse. [PC version]

Techland’s next goal is to work on mouse key binding issues and support for custom mouse buttons, additional video settings, and backup saves. Other fixes include story blocks, blocks ending in a death loop, and visual bugs that appear during the Markers of Plague quest. In any case, Techland is still busy post-launch, but at least it’s a game that’s worthy of everybody’s time. Especially the free-roaming parkour and dropkicking bits.
For more on Dying Light 2, check out our guide and review.


SteamWorld Franchise Goes Full 3D In This New Game Reveal

Developer Image & Form’s famous SteamWorld series (SteamWorld Dig, SteamWorld Heist, SteamWorld Quest) is heading to a new frontier.
The company and its publisher Thunderful Games have revealed SteamWorld Headhunter, a new upcoming third-person co-op action-adventure game. The game’s story takes place directly after the events of SteamWorld Dig 2.Â
Check out the teaser below, which features duelling robot cowboys and a surprise twist ending.

As far as Western steampunk mecha-filled games go, Image & Form are ahead of the curve.


Asus ROG Phone 5 Ultimate Is The World’s First Phone With 18GB RAM

The ASUS ROG Phone 5 has been officially announced.
It is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888.

The CPU is in the middle of the phone, which optimizes cooling.

It comes with a 6.78-inch 144Hz Samsung AMOLED display with HDR10+ support.

It has a 3.5mm headphone jack.

It is powered by a 6000mAH dual battery.

It comes with a 64MP + 13MP + 5MP triple camera on the back and a 24MP front camera.

Both the ROG Phone 5 Pro and Ultimate feature ROG Vision rear matrix display with pre-loaded animations.

They also have a strategic partnership with different game developers and publishers for special theme packs.

The ROG Phone 5 Ultimate has the following specs; first gaming phone with 18GB of RAM.

The ASUS ROG Phone 5 will launch in Malaysia sometime in April 2021, while the Pro and Ultimate variants will be available in May 2021.
Check out the prices below:
Asus ROG Phone 5

8GB RAM and 128GB ROM storage space – RM2999 (Phantom Black or Storm White)
16GB RAM and 256GB ROM storage space – RM3799Â (Phantom Black or Storm White)

Asus ROG Phone 5 Pro

16GB RAM and 512GB ROM storage space – RM4499 (Phantom Black)

Asus ROG Phone 5 Ultimate (Limited Edition)

18GB RAM and 512GB ROM storage space – RM4999 (Storm White Matte and comes with an exclusive Fan Gift Collection)

You can watch the entire Asus ROG Phone 5 live stream and showmatch below (which is still ongoing at the time of writing):