EnVyUs Reveals New Name for Overwatch League

Team EnVyUs who are representing Dallas in the Overwatch League will henceforth be known as Dallas Fuel. Announced earlier today, the team which recently drafted former NRG DPS Seagull will carry their signature color blue they are synonymous for when playing under the EnVyUs banner.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvd103SgGNc&w=560&h=315]
The most successful Overwatch team in North America, they were champions of multiple top-tier tourneys including Major League Vegas 2016 and Overwatch APEX Season 1 and has since formed an aura of invincibility around them with the acquisition of one of the most versatile player in North America, Seagull. They recently finished the Regular Season for Overwatch Contenders Season 1 undefeated with a 7-0 record, and are on course to roll over their opponents once the play-offs kicks off this weekend.
The current roster for Dallas Fuel are as follows:

A compact, fully efficient team with equally competent players in each role, adaptability has always been their strongest suit and we discussed about how Seagull could integrate into such a tight-knit squad here. We feel that Dallas Fuel will carry the best chance of us seeing a North American team break the potential monopoly of Korean teams at the upcoming Overwatch League. This weekend will be a good preview of that so stick around Kakuchopurei as we will bring you all the updates and scores as we go along.
A preview of the matches can also be found here.


EA Officially Announces UFC 5

EA has announced UFC 5, the next entry in the fighting game franchise based on the real-life MMA series.
No other details were revealed, but EA promises a full reveal for the game sometime in September 2023. The game will likely be released for current-gen consoles such as the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. UFC 4 was originally launched for the PS4 and Xbox One in August 2020.

Coming soon #UFC5Full reveal September 2023Sign up for more news ??https://t.co/ReRhjdZTx4 pic.twitter.com/d2ZK1MnI2d
— EA SPORTS (@EASPORTS) July 8, 2023

Check out our review of UFC 4 by heading over here.


A Quick List Of Our Favorite & Important Marvel Vampires

With Sony’s anti-hero vampire flick Morbius coming out this week on 31st March and a reboot of half-vampire ass-kicker Blade coming out, it’s high time we talk about vampires. Specifically the ones in the Marvel Comics universe.
Simply put, there’s quite a number of them in Marvel’s comic book universe. The concept itself has been depicted tons of times from the company adapting Bram Stoker’s favourite misunderstood bloodsucker to even making some X-Men mutants grow fangs and feed on other mutants. Here’s a quick list of important ones to keep note, because you’ll never know when a movie production house like Sony or Disney would tap the bloodsucker well in 2023 or even beyond.
We will start with the obvious picks before we delve into the deeper Marvel lore, so here are the top two on every pop culture aficionado’s mind:
Blade

The most popular half-vampire warrior who wields katanas and a rocking trenchcoat, Eric “Blade” Brooks is a dhampir who has a terrible childhood but makes the most of it by being a hero who works at night. The first two Blade films told its story very well thanks to great action, writing, and Wesley Snipes as a badass lead. The fact that he’s one of the few superheroes of colour back in the day also helps him gain cult status among movie and comic book fans.
He isn’t as strong as half the vampires on this list, but he makes it up with his peerless fighting skills, martial arts knowledge, and healing factor. His only known weaknesses are his need to consume blood (solved by his serum injections), red sunlight, and his moral code. Then again, the latter is only viewed as a bad thing to the antagonists he faces.
On the MCU side of things, he’ll be portrayed by Mahershala Ali in a future Blade series. Long story short, Blade’s status as a relevant hero in comic book fandom is fine and pretty much untouchable at this point.
Morbius

We did an extensive feature on Michael Morbius, the bloodsucker vampire who is a scientist and anti-hero kinda guy who fills the “comic book vampire” role for the 70s, 80s, and 90s. Dubbed the living vampire, he was a scientist with a rare life-threatening blood disease. He found a cure for it from bat DNA, but he ends up being the title vampire as that’s the side effect of him using the “cure”. He’s super-strong, can fly, has sonar powers, and doesn’t succumb to vampire weaknesses like sunlight and holy water unlike Marvel’s Dracula.
His whole schtick of saving lives but also thirsting for human blood (otherwise he gets depowered) is what makes him a fan favourite among comic book readers. That, and his smarts and eloquent behaviour, as well as his callback black-and-red ensemble. Hopefully actor Jared Leto does his live-action version justice.
Marvel’s Dracula

Remember when we mentioned that Dracula was integrated into the Marvel universe? Welp, Vlad Dracula here is that guy.
He is the de facto leader of the vampires, rules Castle Dracula, is S.H.I.E.L.D’s top bad guy to hunt down, and has already set up the Vampire Nation where he rules a country with nobody but vampires. He’s clearly evil, but dedicated to his kind and is pretty good at ruling and leading. The 616 version of Dracula is basically immortal, is pretty damn strong as a swordsman and magician, and can go toe-to-toe with villains like Thanos, Dr. Doom, and Magneto. The only things holding him back are his vampire weaknesses: sunlight, religious icons, holy water, and the need to drink blood lest he gets severely weakened.
Baron Blood

Back in the 60s and 70s, Captain America has fought a ton of goofy villains that happen to get pretty sweet makeovers for current times. Baron Blood is one such villain, who also happens to be a vampire.
A veteran of both World Wars, John Falsworth turned into Baron Blood thanks to Vlad Dracula and ends up fighting against England through subterfuge and helping out the Nazis/Hydra factions. In current times, Baron Blood is at war against the new Captain America Sam “Falcon” Wilson. He does defect over to the good side, but only to preserve his kind. He still hates humans.
We’re guessing it’ll be a while until Baron Blood makes his MCU debut; perhaps as a Dr. Strange film cameo or even a new Captain America movie/series villain?
Count Vicaro

We’ll need to include the first-ever Marvel Comics vampire in this feature if we need to make this an essential tier list. This vampire made his appearance in Marvel Myster Comics #35 way back in July 1942. Rather than use Bram Stoker’s Dracula and the license, the Marvel writers just made up their own in the form of Count Vicaro.
To recap, this count ruled some kingdom over 400 years ago. He became a vampire and kept himself alive by kidnapping villagers and draining their blood. His evil deeds were eventually found and put to an end by a hero named Angel (Thomas Halloway), who is basically a 40s vigilante with guns, a cape, and some flight ability via the Cape of Mercury, before Marvel decided to just give Dr Strange that same cape but called it the Cape of Levitation.
If the MCU plans on going the vampire infection and war route, it can only add the story of Count Vicaro and Angel as a flashback of sorts to help out some grander story they would have planned.
Bloodstorm

We all know Storm/Ororo Munroe, benevolent X-Men lead who can fly and control the weather to her liking? What if we told you there as an alternate universe version of her who ended up killing a few X-Men and tried going on a road to redemption?
Enter Bloodstorm, the Earth-21710 (and Earth-1298) versions of Storm. Her backstory is about the same, except she gets kidnapped by Dracula and turned into a vampire. She has the same weather-controlling and lightning powers as her 616 counterpart, but she can also shapeshift into mist and a flock of bats, as well as use hypnosis to get people to do her bidding. Fitting, since she is leadership material.

She also sees everything in shades of red and sports a rocking uniform ensemble with the top, the jacket, and her ponytail. Oh, and the piercings; can’t forget about the piercings and earrings. Honestly, having an X-Men leader with moral shades of grey long before the Wolverine vs Cyclops schism thing happen, and sporting vampire powers to boot, just makes Bloodstorm all the more badass and cool.
Jubilee

You heard us right. The same X-Men teenager in the 90s cartoon became a vampire at one point in her career, and it was a pretty long run. This started in the 2010 X-Men run “Curse of the Mutants” where she turned thanks to a combination of infected blood spilled on her via a vampire suicide bomber and a bite from the son of Dracula named Xarus (comics, right?).
Despite this setback, she managed to do a lot more than just whine and mope in her contained cell under the X-Men’s care. She formed a strong friendship with X-23 (mini girl Wolverine), controlled her vampirism by getting help from the Forgiven, and teamed up with the X-Men as field leader for some missions, as well as becoming a mom by adopting a lone baby boy she found in Budapest. The latter is probably her way of paying it forward since X-Men like Wolverine have taken care of her when her parents couldn’t.
She isn’t a vampire anymore thanks to powers from the Phoenix Force in a 2017-20188 Generation X run, but at the very least, it made some folks pay attention to the previous X-Men brat who goes through major growth. Thanks to getting bit by Dracula’s son, so thanks?
If the MCU plans on bringing this and the Bloodstorm story bits, the powers that be need to bring in the X-Men into the cinematic world first and foremost.
Hellcow

A vampire cow who is friends with Deadpool and the enemy of Howard the Duck. Perhaps Bessie can guest-star alongside Ryan Reynolds’ Wade Wilson in the third Deadpool movie down the line?
Know any other vampires in the Marvel Comics universe we should add? Let us know!


River City Girls Zero Physical Edition Pre-Orders Start This January

If you really love Kunio-kun games and need a new collection fix, this one will sort you out.
Limited Run Games will open pre-orders for the physical edition of River City Girls Zero (the updated port of Shin Nekketsu Koha: Kuniio-tachi no Banka for the SNES), slated for PS5, PS4, and Nintendo Switch. They start on 28 January.

The Limited Classic Edition will cost you US$64.99 and features the following:

The physical edition of River City Girls Zero for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, or Switch,
Retro-style box,
18 inches by 24 inches reversible poster,
Original soundtrack.

The bigger-and-better Limited Ultimate Edition will cost you US$149.99 and features the following:

The physical edition of River City Girls Zero for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, or Switch,
Digital edition ofÂ River City Girls Zero for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, or Switch,
Kyoko and Misako poseableÂ action figures,
Retro cartridge key chain,
Retro-style box,
18 inches by 24 inches reversible poster,
Original soundtrack.

The game will be out in early 2022.


A Super Mario RPG Remake Launches This November

During Nintendo Direct June 2023, Nintendo announced Super Mario RPG, a remake of the 1996 SNES game of the same name, Super Mario RPG Legend Of The Seven Stars.
Not much was revealed about the game, but the description only reads:
Join Mario, Bowser, Peach, and original characters Mallow and Geno, in an RPG filled with twists and turns.
However, it looks like it will still feature traditional turn-based gameplay. The game will also have remixed and arranged music  courtesy of the game’s original composer Yoko Shimomura.
“I am in charge of the music for the remake version of Super Mario RPG announced at the Nintendo Direct today.”

???Nintendo Direct??????????????????????RPG????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????!?????????  #NintendoDirectJP #?????????? https://t.co/W05S5MMsQR
— Yoko Shimomura????? (@midiplex) June 21, 2023

Super Mario RPG will launch for the Nintendo Switch on 17 November 2023.
Check out the trailer below:


Paris Games Week 2020 Is Cancelled

Yet another video game event has been cancelled due to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic and this time it’s the Paris Games Week 2020. It was originally scheduled to run from 23 to 27 October 2020.
It’s worth pointing out that this is the first major event in October 2020 to be officially cancelled. Now, Paris Games Week 2020 organizers S.E.L.L. (Syndicat des Editeurs de Logiciels de Loisirs) are instead planning and putting their efforts towards next year’s Paris Games Week 2021.
The Paris Games Week teamâ€™s full statement from the official website reads:

Dear players,
It is with great emotion that we have made the difficult decision to cancel Paris Games Week, initially scheduled from 23rd to 27th October and which would have marked our 10th anniversary.
The current context and the necessary anticipation of both the technical and logistical complexities of an event such as Paris Games Week have led us to cancel this edition.
This year should have been special, with a line-up full of new releases, and an anniversary edition which we were thrilled to celebrate with you.
We are going to work with all the industry players to enable us all to live our passion.
We are already preparing next yearâ€™s edition and are looking forward to seeing you again.

Other game events that have also been cancelled, postponed, or turned into digital events due to COVID-19 include E3 2020, Gamescom 2020, EVO 2020, QuakeCon 2020, and Taipei Game Show 2020.


She-Ra Season 5 Trailer Teases An Epic & Dark Series Finale

Netflix debuted the new She-Ra And The Princesses of Power animated series only two years ago in 2018, and itâ€™s already about to receive its fifth and final season. The official trailer has finally arrived ahead of its upcoming 15 May 2020 premiere on Netflix.
Signs are pointing towards an emotional and dramatic series finale for fans, especially if that melancholic cover of the show’s opening theme featured in the trailer is any indication. Speaking with EW, showrunner Noelle Stevenson teases the darkest season of She-Ra And The Princesses of Power yet.
She said:

“Horde Prime has no space in his empire for individuality; everything needs to be a reflection of his own ego.
Characters like Glimmer and Catra, who have been striving for self-individuation this whole time, to be told that ‘youâ€™re both cogs in this machine and will be used to flatten the universe and make everything uniform,’
I think that’s the most horrifying thing theyâ€™ve been confronted with.”

Speaking of that haunting rendition of the She-Ra theme song ‘Warriors’, it’s performed by none other than AJ Michalka herself, who voices Catra in the show. That song will be available to stream on Spotify as part of the series soundtrack that will become available on 8 May 2020.
She-Ra And The Princesses of Power is currently one of the best animated or non-animated show on Netflix, so itâ€™s a shame to see it ending so soon. Still, all good things come to an end. Let’s hope that it’s a good one.
In the meantime, check out the trailer below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACsi-7bndYU&w=560&h=315]


Japan’s Newest Top 100 Games Poll May Not Shock You

Japanese TV network TV Asahi aired a special video game-centric program where it gathers 50,000 user votes for the best 100 games ever.
Here’s the full list. Number 1 may not shock you. Heck, the amount of JRPGs should not surprise you given the country’s affinity for the genre.
100. Persona 3
99. Pokemon Platinum Version
98. Persona 4
97. Super Mario World
96. Romance of the Three Kingdoms
95. MOTHER
94. Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War
93. Persona 5 Royal
92. Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate
91. Street Fighter II
90. Final Fantasy VIII
89. Super Mario Galaxy 2
88. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
87. Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate
86. Monster Hunter
85. Dragon Quest VI: Realms of Revelation
84. Final Fantasy XI
83. Dragon Quest VII: Fragments of the Forgotten Past
82. Legend of Mana
81. Dragon Quest Builders 2
80. The Legend of Zelda: Majoraâ€™s Mask

79. Metal Gear Solid
78. Nobunagaâ€™s Ambition: Zenkokuban
77. Mario Kart Wii
76. Kirby Air Ride
75. Animal Crossing: Wild World
74. Super Smash Bros. Brawl
73. Gran Turismo 4
72. Kirby Super Star
71. Dr. Mario
70. Monster Hunter: World
69. Super Mario RPG
68. Pokemon X / Y
67. Bloodborne

66. Ghost of Tsushima
65. Suikoden
64. Pokemon Heart Gold / Soul Silver
63. Final Fantasy III
62. Xevious
61. Super Smash Bros.
60. Pokemon Black 2 / White 2
59. Dead by Daylight
58. Animal Crossing
57. Super Donkey Kong
56. Super Mario Galaxy
55. Yo-kai Watch 2: Bony Spirits / Fleshy Souls / Psychic Specters
54. Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King
53. Tales of the Abyss
52. The Legend of Zelda
51. Final Fantasy IV
50. Pokemon Ruby / Sapphire
49. Kingdom Hearts
48. NieR: Automata
47. Final Fantasy XIV
46. Dragon Quest II: Luminaries of the Legendary Line
45. Kirbyâ€™s Return to Dream Land
44. Dragon Quest X: Rise of the Five Tribes Online
43. Xenoblade

42. Persona 5
41. Momotaro Dentetsu: Showa Heisei Reiwa mo Teiban!
40. Xenogears
39. Dark Souls III
38. Puyo Puyo
37. Final Fantasy IX
36. Pokemon Gold / Silver
35. Xenoblade 2
34. Final Fantasy V
33. Final Fantasy VI
32. Biohazard
31. Tactics Ogre
30. Apex Legends
29. Okami
28. MOTHER 2
27. Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age
26. Pokemon Black / White
25. Tetris
24. Pokemon Red / Green / Blue

23. Fire Emblem: Three Houses
22. Animal Crossing: New Leaf
21. Splatoon
20. Minecraft
19. Suikoden II
18. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
17. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
16. Kingdom Hearts II
15. Dragon Quest IV: Chapters of the Chosen
14. Pokemon Sword / Shield
13. UNDERTALE
12. Super Mario Kart
11. Pokemon Diamond / Pearl

10. Super Mario Bros. 3
9. Final Fantasy X
8. Chrono Trigger
7. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate
6. Dragon Quest III: The Seeds of Salvation
5. Splatoon 2
4. Animal Crossing: New Horizons
3. Final Fantasy VII
2. Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride
1. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Yep, a recent Zelda game made it to the top spot. People really love their Skyrim without saying it’s Skyrim.


7 Things About Ace Combat 7 That Gave Me Mixed Feelings

I’ll be upfront: Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown is a beautifully-rendered game coupled with brilliant flight and gameplay mechanics but bogged down with shoddy level design. Think of a superbly performing sportscar but with questionable quality of life decisions.
Yes, I love that turbo and the number of horses under the hood but if only the designers put a bit more thought on that cup holder….
While the game doesn’t leave you with buyers’ remorse, it does make you wonder if this game would have achieved greater heights if the makers put just a little extra effort in several places.
In AC7, players get to live their Top Gun fantasies with state-of-the-art, real-life jet fighters as they run recon ops, bombing runs and the most fun of it all, dog-fighting a few thousand feet up in the air. It’s exhilarating, fun and even for non-Ace Combat fans, covers the price of admission. However, we cannot help but feel disappointed for several portions of the game which causes it to fall just a step below greatness.
Now we don’t want you to misinterpret this as us hating on the game. It’s quite the contrary, really. In our official review of the game, our designated reviewer Alleef used the term ‘Jet Porn’ to describe Ace Combat 7 – a term which I agree a hundred percent.
Let’s start with my favourite bits of the game.
The Good
Flight control mechanics
Regardless of which control scheme you choose to fly your aircraft, Ace Combat 7 makes you feel like the most badass pilot in the skies. Be it the simplistic normal control or the tricky yet satisfying expert configuration, both equally give you that sense of invulnerability as you take on the skies, preying on other inferior pilots and drones around you. Just make sure to stay alert of any missile warning.
Perfectly straddling between being intuitive yet not overtly simplistic, the controls allow newcomers to easily acquaint themselves in the game, while for returning veterans, enough challenge when attempting those death-defying maneuvers.
Graphics
Did we mention that it’s a pretty game?
We can’t emphasize enough that these gameplay clips don’t do the game justice. It’s one of those games where it gets prettier when you’re actually the one controlling it.
[wpvideo ZPsCuxb3]
Realism
We ain’t fighter pilots but the game sure makes us feel like one. Shooting down enemies while aided by the target tracking system, doesn’t guarantee a hit as you will still have to not only close down on your target, but also angle your craft to allow an optimum trajectory of your missiles.
Players will have to take into consideration their missile flight path as well as the speed they are at to increase their chances of hitting their targets. The same goes to dodging enemies which leads to an endless yet satisfying cat-and-mouse game of trying to outwit opponents.
Lots of different planes
You don’t need to be a military nut to appreciate the fighter planes featured in Ace Combat 7. In fact, the game may convert you into one thanks to its detailed depiction of these modern fighter planes.
My favourite fighter plane growing up has always been the F-14D Super Tomcat thanks to its variable-geometry wings and it didn’t take me long before plonking all the MRP I accumulated early in the game for this bad boy. As you progress further into the game and gain more MRPs, you’ll be able to purchase more modern fighters such as the F-35 Lightning II or the F-22 Raptor.

But what if you’re more of a fan of Russian-made crafts? Then you’d want to look into the other aircraft tree featuring MiGs and Sukhois – from the classic MiG-21 to the state of the art SU-57.
Bad:
Team A.I & Team Chat
I do enjoy the occasional banter and chatter in the comms in my games but I’ve never come across anything as annoying and nonsensical like the one found in Ace Combat 7. Throughout the 20 story missions, you will come across a number of friendly pilots in your squadron who speak more than they fight.
Time and time again you hear them commenting on your feats in the battlefield – which isn’t hard to achieve considering you’re THE ONLY ONE doing actual work. In another scenario, a team member continuously chided me for being a ‘murderer’ smack dab in the middle of a mission which required us to shoot down enemy bomber planes.
I know they wanted to make the comms chatter sound as organic as possible but it seemed like they hired the same team who worked on Rainbow Six: Siege‘s E3 presentation. It felt forced, was bland and worst of all, annoying.
Thankfully though, the enemy A.I are a joy to play against as they constantly pull a fast one over you – even on lower difficulty settings.
Story
You know those pointless, idealistic drivel so commonly associated with Hideo Kojima games? I’m looking at you, Metal Gear Solid V.
The sort that speaks about philosophies of war, humanity and having characters doing the exact opposite of what they just preached a few cut-scenes earlier? They come in spades here.
To sum it up, there’s a superweapon that’s gonna change the course of civilization forever. The story told in Ace Combat 7 is essentially another Metal Gear script reinterpreted in the presence of fighter jets.
Long story short: it’s boring. No one cares. Just tell me what you want to be blown up!
The Ugly
Level Design
Let me point out that there are several really good set-pieces and missions in the game where you will find yourself returning to several times over in the Free Play mode. Sadly though, the good does come with equally bad set pieces and missions which may induce rage-quitting.
My frustration is directed at several missions that seem totally out of place in an otherwise stellar game. People pick up Ace Combat games to shoot down planes in dog-fights. Not hunt tanker trucks in sandstorms!
People pick up Ace Combat looking forward to lock-on to enemy planes while at three thousand feet up in the air – not lock into missile silos for other bombers to target.
I prefer shooting down MiGs, Sukhois and Gripens – not chase down an ICBM which isn’t firing back. And bloody hell, they just had to include an escort mission.
Remember that cup holder analogy I mentioned earlier? These are the four cup holders which are badly-placed and can only accommodate small cups.

In all, Ace Combat 7 is a good game short of greatness due to several areas which weren’t given equal thought during development. I had a great time playing the game but we have to say that the meat is definitely the multiplayer mode which can be delved into at any time.


[Updated] Call Of Duty: Mobile World Championship 2022 – Everything You Need To Know

The first ever in-person international Call of Duty: Mobile tournament is upon us as teams from across the globe come together to finally find out who the best in the world is. We’ve been waiting for this moment since the game launched three years ago and after what feels like an eternity, it’s finally happening.
Who will lift the crown and become the best Call of Duty: Mobile team in the world? Which region will reign supreme? We’ll find out this weekend, but it can be a bit hard to track, so here you’ll find everything you need to know regarding the event as well as updated results.

DATE & VENUE

Date: 15–30 October
Venue: Raleigh Convention Center, 500 S Salisbury St, Raleigh, NC 27601, United States
Prize Pool: US$1,700,000
SCHEDULE

GROUP STAGE

Date: 15 – 16 December
Start Time: 10:00 PM (UTC+8)

PLAYOFFS

Date: 16 – 18 December
Start Time: 4:30 AM (UTC+8)

RESULTS

Place
$ USD
Participant

1
$700,000
Tribe Gaming

2
$280,000
Luminosity Gaming

3
$150,000
iNCO Gaming

4
$110,000
Wolves

5-6

$80,000

SKADE

Smart Omega

7-8

$60,000

SCARZ

STMN Esports

9-12

$30,000

NYSL Mayhem

Team Vitality

Qing Jiu Club

ALMGHTY

13-16

$15,000

GodLike

STRUT esports

INFLUENCE CHEMIN

Nova Esports

TEAMS

ALMGHTY – Garena (Southeast Asia)
Smart Omega – Garena (Southeast Asia)
Wolves – China
Qing Jiu Club – China
Royal Never Give Up – China
GodLike – India
Team Vitality – India
iNCO Gaming – South America
SKADE – South America
INFLUENCE CHEMIN – South America
SCARZ – Japan
STMN Esports – Europe
Nova Esports – Europe
STRUT esports – Europe
Tribe Gaming – North America
Luminosity Gaming – North America
NYSL Mayhem – North America

GROUPS

Group A

1
Smart Omega
2-0

2
STMN Esports
2-1

3
NYSL Mayhem
1-2

4
GodLike
0-2

Group B

1
iNCO Gaming
2-0

2
Wolves
2-1

3
Team Vitality
1-2

4
STRUT esports
0-2

Group C

1
Tribe Gaming
2-0

2
SCARZ
2-1

3
Qing Jiu Club
1-2

4
INFLUENCE CHEMIN
0-2

Group D

1
Luminosity Gaming
2-0

2
SKADE
2-1

3
ALMGHTY
1-2

4
Nova Esports
0-2

MATCHES
DAY 1

Group Stage
15 Dec, 10:00 PM (UTC+8) – GodLike [0] vs [3] NYSL Mayhem (Group A)
15 Dec, 10:00 PM (UTC+8) – Wolves [3] vs [1] STRUT esports (Group B)
15 Dec, 10:00 PM (UTC+8) – SCARZ [3] vs [0] INFLUENCE CHEMIN (Group C)
15 Dec, 10:00 PM (UTC+8) – ALMGHTY [2] vs [3] SKADE (Group D)
15 Dec, 11:15 PM (UTC+8) – STMN Esports [0] vs [3] Smart Omega (Group A)
15 Dec, 11:15 PM (UTC+8) – iNCO Gaming [3] vs [0] Team Vitality (Group B)
15 Dec, 11:15 PM (UTC+8) – Tribe Gaming [3] vs [1] Qing Jiu Club (Group C)
15 Dec, 11:15 PM (UTC+8) – Luminosity Gaming [3] vs [0] Nova Esports (Group D)
16 Dec, 12:30 AM (UTC+8) – NYSL Mayhem [0] vs [3] Smart Omega (Group A)
16 Dec, 12:30 AM (UTC+8) – Wolves [1] vs [3] iNCO Gaming (Group B)
16 Dec, 12:30 AM (UTC+8) – SCARZ [0] vs [3] Tribe Gaming (Group C)
16 Dec, 12:30 AM (UTC+8) – SKADE [1] vs [3] Luminosity Gaming (Group D)
16 Dec, 1:45 AM (UTC+8) – GodLike [0] vs [3] STMN Esports (Group A)
16 Dec, 1:45 AM (UTC+8) – STRUT esports [2] vs [3] Team Vitality (Group B)
16 Dec, 1:45 AM (UTC+8) – INFLUENCE CHEMIN [0] vs [3] Qing Jiu Club (Group C)
16 Dec, 1:45 AM (UTC+8) – ALMGHTY [3] vs [0] Nova Esports (Group D)
16 Dec, 3:00 AM (UTC+8) – NYSL Mayhem [1] vs [3] STMN Esports (Group A)
16 Dec, 3:00 AM (UTC+8) – Wolves [3] vs [0] Team Vitality (Group B)
16 Dec, 3:00 AM (UTC+8) – SCARZ [3] vs [1] Qing Jiu Club (Group C)
16 Dec, 3:00 AM (UTC+8) – SKADE [3] vs [2] ALMGHTY (Group D)
Playoffs
17 Dec, 10:00 PM (UTC+8) – Smart Omega [3] vs [1] SKADE (Upper Bracket Quaterfinal)
17 Dec, 10:00 PM (UTC+8) – Luminosity Gaming [3] vs [0] STMN Esports (Upper Bracket Quaterfinal)
17 Dec, 11:30 PM (UTC+8) – iNCO Gaming [3] vs [0] SCARZ (Upper Bracket Quaterfinal)
17 Dec, 11:30 PM (UTC+8) – Tribe Gaming [2] vs [3] Wolves (Upper Bracket Quaterfinal)
DAY 2

18 Dec, 1:00 AM (UTC+8) – SKADE [3] vs [0] SCARZ (Lower Bracket Round 1)
18 Dec, 1:00 AM (UTC+8) – Tribe Gaming [3] vs [0] STMN Esports (Lower Bracket Round 1)
18 Dec, 2:30 AM (UTC+8) – Smart Omega [0] vs [3] iNCO Gaming (Upper Bracket Semifinal)
18 Dec, 2:30 AM (UTC+8) – Wolves [1] vs [3] Luminosity Gaming (Upper Bracket Semifinal)
18 Dec, 4:00 AM (UTC+8) – Wolves [3] vs [2] SKADE (Lower Bracket Quaterfinal)
18 Dec, 4:00 AM (UTC+8) – Smart Omega [0] vs [3] Tribe Gaming (Lower Bracket Quaterfinal)
18 Dec, 5:30 AM (UTC+8) – Wolves [1] vs [3] Tribe Gaming (Lower Bracket Semifinal)
DAY 3

18 Dec, 10:00 PM (UTC+8) – iNCO Gaming [1] vs [3] Luminosity Gaming (Upper Bracket Final)
18 Dec, 11:30 PM (UTC+8) – iNCO Gaming [0] vs [3] Tribe Gaming (Lower Bracket Final)
19 Dec, 1:00 AM (UTC+8) – Luminosity Gaming [3] vs [4] Tribe Gaming (Grand Final)
Where To Watch?
YouTube


Far Cry 6 Starter Tips: How To Arm Yourself For Libertad

Far Cry 6 is out this week. And if you love yourself some high-polished Ubisoft open-world shooter gameplay, this one will impress.
Here are some quick tips when you’re starting out in Ubisoft’s guerilla warfare gaming against Giancarlo Esposito villain archetype’s army..
You Don’t Really Need Soft Round Bullets Later On
When you’re gallivanting in the first “tutorial” island, Isla Santuario, the game teaches you about enemy bullet weaknesses and resistances. For the most part, you’ll need to rely on Soft-Target rounds (for non-armoured enemies) and Armour Piercing rounds (for armoured enemies) to deal with Anton Castillo’s army.
Later on in the game and on the mainland, once you get enough resources to craft other bullet types and unique items from FND crates, you’ll soon realize that Flame, Poison, and Blast rounds will deal with unarmoured enemies better than Soft-Target rounds. Our default loadout after the first 10 hours of the game includes one Assault Rifle with Armour-Piercing rounds, one gun of your choice that deals Blast/Incendiary rounds, and a pure Blast weapon like a grenade launcher.

With guile and hit-and-run tactics, you should be able to deal with most of the enemies with that setup. Also, even with enemy bullet resistances, headshots still deal a good amount of damage.
There’s Partial Reloading & Full Reloading To Keep In Mind
Yes, Far Cry 6 has two kinds of reloading animations: one where you fill up your half-empty mag and one where your mag’s all empty. Depending on what kind of gun you’re using, its half reload may be slower than a full reload.
Just experiment and test the new guns you have before you go into guerilla warfare. It really sucks to die mid-combat while you’re slowly reloading your assault rifle partially, one bullet at a time, when you realize its full reload sequence is faster.
Start With Madrugada & The Monteros First

The giant island state of Yara is divided into three sections: Madrugada, Valle De Oro, and El Este.
If you want a nice slow time and a decent difficulty curve, start off with the west part of Yara, Madrugada first once you’re done with Isla Santuario. Madrugada is also the first region to also let you recruit the cute-yet-useful stealth distracting Amigo named Chorizo.
If you’re feeling up for a nice action-packed challenge, go with El Este first.
You Can Swap Out Guns Even Out Of The Workbench

Just a handy tip in case you need to change your LMG to a shotgun before a firefight; case in point in a level full of corridors & close-ranged combat opportunities. You can switch your weapons out anytime, anywhere.
You still need to craft new mods and buffs at the workbench though.
You Can Buy Fast Travel Locations Without Discovering Them
All you have to do is get access to the Construction Desk (via the game’s story mode when you reach the big Yara island). Talk to the Foreman in a Guerilla Camp once you have enough resources -which you’ll get from scrounging areas in the game. Get him to build a Hideout Network.
Once that’s done, talk to the Chief Scout and use up your Yara coins to buy guerilla hideout maps. Boom: instant fast travel spots in unexplored areas to cut down on walking time!
Different Supremos Bestow Different Abilities
Your Supremos/Ultis don’t just give you a fancy super attack; they can also give you extra abilities. For example, the Furioso Supremo gives you a mid-air dash that’s useful for covering short platforming distances.

The downside? Anything behind you will catch fire from the Furiouso Supremo’s flames.
Experiment with different Supremos and see which ones cater to your playstyle. We just went with the one that gives us air mobility, but other players may prefer buffing people with one Supremo or just disabling cars & helicopters mid-flight with the EMP-focused Supremo.
Search High & Low For FND Caches
If you see that FND box icon on your minimap, stop what you’re doing and just open that damn box. Chances are you’ll find some pieces of armour, a nice free weapon, or a Supremo/Resolver resource to power up the game’s Ultis: they’re all useful and worthy of your time.
Your Far Cry 6 guerilla life will be made easier if you can find these weapon and resource caches every chance you get.
Use The Avispa Buzzer
This unique hover vehicle is the Far Cry 6 equivalent of the gyrocopter. It flies, it hovers on water, and it also works on roads and terrain. It’s also pretty agile and less cumbersome than most of the planes and helicopters in the game. Best of all, it doesn’t crash when you land it on the ground or water abruptly.
You can summon it either from the water vehicle or helicopter-summoning spots.
Get Oluso
Among all the awesome animal Amigos you get, we personally feel that Oluso the Black Jaguar has the most to offer, at least in the second half of the game. To get him, you need to return three Triada relics to the Oluwa cave in the Ventura Summit. Each of these relics are Treasure Hunt quests located in Madrugada, Valle De Oro, and El Este.

You Can Turn On Enemy Outline In The Game’s Options

If you’re having a tough time spotting enemies through the lush foliage and canopies of Yara, you can “cheat” and turn on Enemy Outline in the game’s HUD menu. When enabled, this option outlines enemies with a yellow colour to increase visibility. You can change it to any colour in the Colours tab of the HUD menu.
Far Cry 6’s enemies really hit hard and are great shots, and you start off with only one piece of healing kit by default. So turning this on may put the odds slightly in your favour in the first 10 hours.
Take Your Time Exploring Yara
You’re not reviewing Far Cry 6 on a deadline, so don’t go rushing through the game. Take your time to enjoy Yara’s sights and sounds. Drive around while listening to copyrighted Latin songs that may eff up your livestream unless you shut off the radio in the options.
While you’re on a main mission, go ahead and deviate from the straight path and go raid that military base or uncover all the FND stashes along the way. You may have a revolution to take care of, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy what’s on tap.
There Is No Tier List For Cockfighting

Sorry, fighting game fans. All the cocks here play the same, regardless of how they look. You have to use either the Jump attack, fast Light attack, or Heavy attack to counter whatever your opponent is throwing at you. Also, react with dodges when your opponent’s cock has Super.


Post-Apocalyptic Anime Synduality Noir Premieres Next Month On Disney+ Hotstar

This summer, watch along as humans flee their underground city in a desperate attempt to reclaim their lives on the surface in SYNDUALITY Noir, a new Japanese anime series coming exclusively to Disney+ Hotstar on 11 July 2023.
Set in the year 2242 SYNDUALITY Noir follows a group of humans forced deep underground in the wake of a terrible catastrophe known as the “Tears of the New Moon” incident. After life in their underground city begins to collapse, humans are once again pushed to the surface, where a threat known as the Enders roam, looking to kill any humans they discover. With their lives at risk, groups of people have come together to create tight-knit settlements in various locations on the surface, relying on unique energy sources to power them and keep them safe. But with resources ever-dwindling, a group of brave individuals known as Drifters venture out into the open, battling the Enders and mining energy sources.

The voice cast includes Takeo Otsuka as Kanata; Aoi Koga as Noir; Nagisa Aoyama as Ciel; Yusuke Kobayashi as Tokio; Fuminori Komatsu as Mouton; Konomi Inagaki as Ellie; Ayaka Ohashi as Ange; Taito Ban as Black Mask and M.A.O as Schnee; SYNDUALITY Noir is directed by Yusuke Yamamoto and is animated and produced by Eight Bit.
SYNDUALITY Noir is an anime from the large-scale science fiction project “SYNDUALITY”, presented by the Bandai Namco Group.
Fans of Japanese anime can sign up to Disney+ Hotstar today to enjoy access to other exciting titles including: Tokyo Revengers: Christmas Showdown Arc about a reformed bad boy who uses his newly acquired powers to time travel back and save his high school girlfriend from being murdered; Summer Time Rendering about a suspicious death on a tranquil island; Tatami Time Machine Blues, a funny six-part series about a college student who uses a time machine for a mundane purpose; as well as unlimited access to a library full of unmissable APAC content and global tentpole titles.
Check out the trailer below:


Doctor Sleep Star Prefers King’s The Shining Over Kubrick’s Classic

Ewan McGregor plays the adult version of Danny Torrance from The Shining in the latest Stephen King movie adaptation, Doctor Sleep. In an interview with IGN, McGregor revealed that he prefers the original book version of The Shining, and even dislikes Stanley Kubrick’s interpretation in his legendary horror classic.
He discussed how Danny Torrance is still haunted by the abusive violence and bouts of alcoholism from his late father, even after all these years. McGregor said:

“I think thatâ€™s what Stephen Kingâ€™s writing about.
In The Shining, [King] is writing about alcoholism and addiction.
From the point of view of the father, whoâ€™s the alcoholic, or the son, whoâ€™s the victim of having an alcoholic parent.
And heâ€™s writing about recovery and sobriety.
I find that to be fascinating.â€

It’s widely known that Stephen King himself wasn’t fond of Stanley Kubrick’s adaptation due to the fact that the movie didn’t explore several key themes from the book, including alcoholism suffered by Jack Torrance and him abusing his family because of it.
It turns out that McGregor agrees with King, and feels like the movie just wasn’t a very faithful adaptation of the book. He said:

“[Kingâ€™s] novel was about an alcoholic living in a place [the Overlook Hotel] where he couldnâ€™t drink.
And it felt like the film didnâ€™t reflect enough of that.
My character ends up becoming an alcoholic himself, not being able to deal with life and just tries to drink it away.â€

There you have it, folks. It seems like not everyone loves Kubrick’s iconic horror classic. Speaking of Doctor Sleep, I personally didn’t like it for being overly-long and devoid of any authentic atmosphere of its own, but you can check out our review of the movie from Mr Toffee here.
Doctor Sleep is slated to premiere in Malaysian cinemas on 7 November 2019.
(Image Credits: Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP)


Holocure Update 0.5 Releases Next Month

Holocure update 0.5 will launch on 10 February 2023.
It looks like the new update adds new weapons, attacks and abilities for the playable characters of the game.
You can download Holocure and its latest update from the official website.
Check out the trailer below:


Returnal DLC Potentially Teased By Housemarque

Returnal launched exclusively for the PS5 in April 2021, but it seems like we might be getting new DLC content soon. Last week, developer Housemarque posted an image of some monster on their official Twitter account.
The post simply states; “Atropos…?” For those unfamiliar, that’s the name of the alien planet that the game is set on. What makes the tease even bigger in potential is Housemarque senior narrative designer Eevi Korhonen, who retweeted the studio’s teaser and said:
“We filmed something really amazing today. Hope we get to share more soon!”

We filmed something really amazing today. Hope we get to share more soon! https://t.co/BQVsCGMKFN
— Your On Vacation Eevil (@silliet) November 26, 2021

The Game Awards 2021 is taking place on 9 December 2021. Perhaps we’ll get a first glimpse at the Returnal DLC then?
Returnal‘s latest 2.0 update came out in November 2021 and added the ability for players to suspend their progress when closing the game and shutting down their PlayStation 5 system. Housemarque is also now part of the PlayStation Studios family after Sony acquired the developer back in June 2021.
In the meantime, you can check outÂ my review ofÂ ReturnalÂ here, orÂ head on over hereÂ for a guide to surviving the game.


KKP Best Of 2020: Game #13

For more 2020 best game pickings & musings, head here.
#13. Carrion (PC, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch)

In Carrion, you get to relive your dreams of being an 80s sci-fi monster taking down those pesky humans trying to contain your existence. For 5 hours or so, you control the ever-growing biomass as it kills its way to freedom out of the underground lab it’s locked in.
There’s really not much of a story here, but that’s the whole point: you’re just playing a power fantasy, and it’s a damn good one at that. Carrion stands out as one of this year’s indie gems for being moody and atmospheric, bloody, and challenging when it comes to navigating the map and controlling your ever-evolving pustulating mass of terror.
As an addition, we should give props to the team for making said creature move, wriggle, sneak, and creep so horrifyingly vivid, with so many frames of smooth animation dedicated to its fleshy exterior, maws, and tendrils. It’s enough to make most people’s skin crawl.


San Diego Comic-Con 2022 Schedule: Our Picks & Highlights

For the first time in three years since 2019, San Diego Comic-Con has returned in its full glory with a live event at the San Diego Convention Center from 21 July to 24 July 2022 (22 July to 25 July 2022 in Malaysian time).
Stay tuned for our coverage in the coming days.
Check out the schedule below for timings of selected panels and highlights we’ve picked:
Friday, 22 JULY 2022
1.45am GMT+8 – Nathan Fillion and Niecy Nash-Betts Present ABC’s The Rookie and Rookie: Feds
Panelists: Stars Nathan Fillion (Castle, Firefly) and Niecy Nash-Betts (Claws, Reno 9-1-1), executive producers Alexi Hawley and Terence Paul Winter. ABC. Ballroom 20
3am GMT+8 – Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves
Panelists: TBA discuss next year’s Paramount epic title based on the famed role-playing game. Hall H
4am GMT+8 – Ghosts
Panelists: Cast Rose McIver, Utkarsh Ambudkar, Brandon Scott Jones, Richie Moriarty, Danielle Pinnock, Asher Grodman, Román Zaragoza, Sheila Carrasco, Rebecca Wisocky and Devan Chandler Long, EPs Joe Port and Joe Wiseman. CBS. Ballroom 20.
4am GMT+8 – Rugrats: The Babies Are Back!
Panelists: Cast EG Daily (Tommy), Cheryl Chase (Angelica) and Charlet Chung (Kimi), executive producer Eryk Casemiro. Paramount+. Room 6BCF
4.30am GMT+8 – Abbott Elementary – Class In Session
Panelists: Star/executive producer Quinta Brunson, cast Tyler James Williams, Janelle James, Chris Perfetti, Lisa Ann Walter, William Stanford Davis and Sheryl Lee Ralph, EPs Justin Halpern and Patrick Schumacker in a live virtual panel. ABC. Indigo Ballroom.
4.30am GMT+8 — Teen Wolf: The Movie
Panelists: Creator/showrunner Jeff Davis, cast Tyler Posey, Tyler Hoechlin and surprise guest. Paramount+. Hall H.
5.15am GMT+8 – National Treasure: Edge of History
Panelists: Cast Lisette Olivera, Jake Austin Walker, Antonio Cipriano, Jordan Rodrigues, Zuri Reed and Lyndon Smith, executive producers Cormac and Marianne Wibberley. Disney+. Ballroom 20.
5.15am GMT+8 – Marvel’s Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur – Moon Girl Magic!
Panelists: Cast Diamond White (The Bold and the Beautiful), Libe Barer (Sneaky Pete), Fred Tatasciore (Marvel’s Hit-Monkey), executive producer Steve Loter (Kim Possible), supervising producer Rodney Clouden (Futurama), producer Pilar Flynn (Elena of Avalor). Disney+. Room 6BCF
6.30am GMT+8 – Severance
Panelists: Executive producer/director Ben Stiller, creator/executive producer Dan Erickson, cast Adam Scott, Britt Lower, Tramell Tillman, Dichen Lachman and Jen Tullock. Apple TV+. Ballroom 20.
6.30am GMT+8 – SpongeBob SquarePants: Dive into SpongeBob Universe!
Panelists: Cast Tom Kenny (SpongeBob), Bill Fagerbakke (Patrick), Jill Talley (Karen, Squidina), Kate Higgins (Narlene), and Carlos Alazraqui (Nobby), executive producers Marc Ceccarelli and Vincent Waller. Nickelodeon/Paramount+. Room 6BCF
7.15am GMT+8 – The Wheel of Time: Origins
Panelists: The creators behind the animated digital short companion series to the streamer’s fantasy epic The Wheel of Time on Prime Video. Amazon Studios. Room 6A.
7.45am GMT+8 – Beavis and Butt-Head Do Comic-Con
Panelists: Creator Mike Judge will discuss the upcoming original series and the Beavis and Butt-Head Do the Universe movie. Ballroom 20.
9am GMT+8 – Koala Man
Panelists: Creator/executive producer Michael Cusack, executive producers Justin Roiland, Dan Hernandez and Benji Samit. Hulu. Room 6BCF
10.15am GMT+8 – Solar Opposites
Panelists: Co-creators/executive producers Justin Roiland and Mike McMahan, EP Josh Bycel, cast Thomas Middleditch, Sean Giambrone and Mary Mack. Hulu. Room 6BCF
Saturday, 23 JULY 2022
1am GMT+8 – Looney Tunes for Everyone!
Panelists: Alex Kirwan (supervising producer, Looney Tunes Cartoons), EricBauza (voice of Bugs Bunny, Tweety, Daffy Duck, and more) moderates a talk with Alex Kirwan (supervising producer), Abe Audish (supervising producer, Bugs Bunny Builders), Nate Cash and Erin Gibson (co-executive producers of Tiny Toons Looniversity). HBO Max. Hilton Bayfront, Indigo Ballroom.
1.30am GMT+8 – The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power
Panelists: Castmembers Morfydd Clark, Charles Edwards, Rob Aramayo, Ben Walker, Ismael Cruz Córdova, Charlie Vickers, Nazanin Boniadi, Tyroe Muhafindin, Daniel Weyman, Cynthia Addai-Robinson, Trystan Gravelle, Maxin Baldry, Ema Horvath, Lloyd Owen, Leon Wadham, Markella Kavenagh, Megan Richards, Dylan Smith, Sara Zwangobani, Sophia Nomvete, and Owain Arthur and showrunners J.D. Payne & Patrick McKay, and TBA. Prime Video. Hall H
2am GMT+8 – Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai
Panelists: Executive producers Tze Chun and Brendan Hay, art director Tara Rueping, Izaac Wang (voice of Sam), AJ LoCascio (voice of Gizmo), Gabrielle Neveah Green (voice of Elle) and surprise guests. HBO Max. Indigo Ballroom, Hilton Bayfront.
2.45am GMT+8 – Marvel Studios Animation
Panelists: Marvel Studios head of streaming, television and animation Brad Winderbaum; head of visual development Ryan Meinerding; and special guests dive into all things animation with exclusive looks at X-Men 97, Marvel Zombies, What If…? season 2, and more. Ballroom 20.
3.30am GMT+8 – Tales of the Walking Dead
Panelists: Creators and cast from the new AMC series. Hall H.
4am GMT+8 – Genndy Tartakovsky’s Primal Season Two Discussion and Q&A
Panelists: Genndy Tartakovsky (Dexter’s Laboratory, Samurai Jack, Star Wars: Clone Wars), art director Scott Wills (The Ren & Stimpy Show, Samurai Jack). Adult Swim. Hilton Bayfront, Indigo Ballroom.
4.30am GMT+8 – Paper Girls
Panelists: Cast, creators and executive producers TBA. Prime Video. Ballroom 20
4.30am GMT+8 — The Walking Dead
Panelists: Cast and creatives discuss the final upcoming episodes and give a tease. Hall H.
5am GMT+8 – Rick and Morty: The Vindicators Screening and Q&A
Panelists: Executive producer Sarah Carbiener, Rick and Morty producer Nick Rutherford. Adult Swim. Hilton Bayfront, Indigo Ballroom.
5.15am GMT+8 – Transformers: Earthspark! Autobots, Roll Out!
Panelists: Cast Danny Pudi (Bumblebee), Kat Khavari (Twitch) and Zeno Robinson (Thrash), co-executive producer Dale Malinowski, executive producer Ant Ward. Paramount+. Room 6.
5.45am GMT+8 – The Alternate World of For All Mankind
Panelists: Creators/executive producers Ronald D. Moore, Matt Wolpert and Ben Nedivi, executive producer Maril Davis, cast Joel Kinnaman, Shantel VanSanten, Jodi Balfour, Sonya Walger, Krys Marshall, Cynthy Wu, Casey Johnson, Coral Peña and Wrenn Schmidt. Apple TV+. Ballroom 20.
6am GMT+8 – Bob’s Burgers
Panelists: Creator/executive producer Loren Bouchard, executive producer Nora Smith, director/producer Bernard Derriman, cast H. Jon Benjamin, John Roberts, Kristen Schaal, Eugene Mirman, Dan Mintz and Larry Murphy. Fox. Hilton Bayfront, Indigo Ballroom.
6am GMT+8 – Keanu Reeves BRZRKR The Immortal Saga Continues
Panelists: Since its record-breaking debut in 2021, the BRZRKR comic has been thrilling readers with its story of the half-mortal, half-god warrior as he battles through the ages, seeking answers to the mystery of his endless blood-soaked existence, and how to end it. Keanu Reeves joins series co-writer Matt Kindt, and screenwriter on the BRZRKR film Mattson Tomlin, Matt Gagnon (editor-in-chief, BOOM! Studios), Eric Harburn (executive editor, BOOM! Studios), and Stephen Christy (president, development, BOOM! Studios) for an exclusive look at the final issues of the series, along with details on where the saga will go next. Hall H.
7am GMT+8 – FX’s Little Demon: Exclusive Pre-Series Premiere Sneak-Peek Screening and Q&A
Panelists: Cast Danny DeVito, Aubrey Plaza and Lucy DeVito, creators Darcy Fowler, Seth Kirschner and Kieran Valla, executive producer Dan Harmon. FXX. Hilton Bayfront, Indigo Ballroom.
7.30am GMT+8 – Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero
Panelists: Just one month prior to the theatrical release of Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero, members of the cast and crew offer stories and insights from the film and an exclusive look at the first 20 minutes. Hall H.
8am GMT+8 – FX’s Archer: Exclusive Season 13 Screening and Q&A
Panelists: Cast H. Jon Benjamin, Aisha Tyler, Chris Parnell, Judy Greer, Amber Nash and Lucky Yates, executive producers Matt Thompson and Casey Willis. Hilton Bayfront, Indigo Ballroom.
10am GMT+8 – The Great North
Panelists: Creators and executive producers Wendy Molyneux and Lizzie Molyneux-Logelin, executive producer Loren Bouchard, cast Nick Offerman, Dulcé Sloan, Paul Rust, Aparna Nancherla and Ron Funches, special appearance from star Jenny Slate. Fox. Room 6BCF.
Sunday, 24 JULY 2022
1am GMT+8 – Evil Exclusive Screening and Panel
Panelists: Cast Katja Herbers, Mike Colter, Aasif Mandvi, Christine Lahti and Kurt Fuller. Paramount+ Ballroom 20
1am GMT+8 – Cartoon Network panel
Panelists: Multi-show panel will be something of a quiz show on the network’s fave seris with the casts and crew of Craig of the Creek (Philip Solomon, the voice of Craig; Najja Porter, supervising director; Dashawn Mahone, supervising director), Teen Titans Go! (Pete Michail, executive producer; Tara Strong, the voice of Raven; Khary Payton, the voice of Cyborg), and We Baby Bears (Calvin Wong, showrunner; Connor Andrade, the voice of Grizz; Amari McCoy, the voice of Panda; Max Mitchell, the voice of Ice Bear). Hilton Bayfront, Indigo Ballroom.
1am GMT+8 – The Ghost and Molly McGee
Panelists: Creators/executive producers Bill Motz and Bob Roth, executive producer Steve Loter, cast and crew TBA. Disney Channel. Room 6A
1.15am GMT+8 – Warner Bros. theatrical session with Black Adam and Shazam: Fury of the Gods. Panelists: Star Dwayne Johnson, Black Adam director Jaume Collet-Serra, Zachary Levi and more. New Line Cinema. Hall H.
2.30am GMT+8 – The Simpsons
Panelists: Writers, animators TBA; special guest moderator “Gravity Falls” creator Alex Hirsch. Fox. Ballroom 20.
2.30am GMT+8 – House of the Dragon
Panelists: Based on George R. R. Martin’s Fire & Blood, the HBO original series is set 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones and tells the story of House Targaryen. The series debut’s August 21 on HBO and HBO Max. Panelists include co-creator/executive producer George R. R. Martin, co-creator/co-showrunner/executive producer/writer Ryan Condal, co-showrunner/executive producer/director Miguel Sapochnik, and Paddy Considine (King Viserys Targaryen), Matt Smith (Prince Daemon Targaryen), Olivia Cooke (Alicent Hightower), Emma D’Arcy (Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen), Steve Toussaint (Lord Corlys Velaryon), Eve Best (Princess Rhaenys Targaryen), Fabien Frankel (Ser Criston Cole), Graham McTavish (Ser Harrold Westerling), Milly Alcock (Young Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen), and Emily Carey (Young Alicent Hightower). Hall H
3.30am GMT+8 – American Dad and Family Guy
Panelists: Cast Scott Grimes (Steve), Dee Bradley Baker (Klaus) and Jeff Fischer (Jeff Fischer), executive producer/co-creator Matt Weitzman, executive producer Joe Chandler, co-executive producer Nicole Shabtai of American Dad; followed by Season 21 premiere episode of Family Guy. TBS, Fox. Ballroom 20.
3.30am GMT+8 – Storytellers of Apple TV+
Panelists: For All Mankind executive producer/creator Ronald D. Moore, Invasion co-creator/showrunner/executive producer Simon Kinberg, See executive producer/showrunner Jonathan Tropper, Mythic Quest co-creator Megan Ganz. David S. Goyer will join from the set of Foundation with sneak peek at upcoming second season. Apple TV+. Room 6A.
3.45am GMT+8 – Star Trek Universe Panel
Panelists: Cast Patrick Stewart and Gates McFadden, executive producers Alex Kurtzman and Rod Roddenberry (Picard); cast Jack Quaid, Tawny Newsome, Noël Wells and Dawnn Lewis, creator/executive producer Mike McMahan, Kurtzman and Roddenberry (Lower Decks); cast Anson Mount, Ethan Peck, Christina Chong, Celia Rose Gooding and Paul Wesley, executive producers Henry Alonso Myers, Kurtzman and Roddenberry (Strange New Worlds). Moderated by Lea Thompson. Paramount+. Hall H
4am GMT+8 – Conversation with J. Michael Straczynski
Panelists: The Hugo and Eisner Award–winning creator of Babylon 5 and Crusade, co-creator/writer/producer for Sense8, comics writer for Marvel, DC, and Image, and writer for such films as Changeling, Thor, WWZ and others, J. Michael Straczynski discusses the next chapters in his career: writing a host of new comics for AWA, two new feature films, his next novel, two new audio dramas, and a return to Marvel Comics. Plus: an exclusive briefing on the status of the Babylon 5 revival for The CW. Room 7AB.
5am GMT+8 – Anne Rice’s Interview With the Vampire
Panelists: Cast and EPs of the upcoming AMC and AMC+ series with a look at the official trailer. Ballroom 20.
5.30am GMT+8 – The Sandman Special Video Presentation and Q&A
Panelists: Cast and producers from the upcoming Warner Bros. TV/DC/Netflix series. Hall H.
5.45am GMT+8 – Fox’s Krapopolis
Panelists: Creator Dan Harmon (Rick and Morty), EP Jordan Young, supervising director Pete Michels, and voice actors Matt Berry (What We Do in the Shadows), Pam Murphy (Mapleworth Murders), and Duncan Trussell. Room 6BCF.
6am GMT+8 – The Orville: New Horizons
Panelists: Cast Penny Johnson Jerald, Scott Grimes, Peter Macon, Jessica Szohr, J Lee, Anne Winters, Mark Jackson and Chad L. Coleman, executive producers David A. Goodman and Brannon Braga, co-producer Tom Costantino. Hulu. Ballroom 20.
7am GMT+8 – The Players of Mythic Quest
Panelists: Creator/executive producer Megan Ganz, executive producer/star David Hornsby, cast Rob McElhenney, Charlotte Nicdao, Danny Pudi, Imani Hakim, Jessie Ennis and Ashly Burch. Apple TV+. Ballroom 20.
7.15am GMT+8 – SYFY’s Resident Alien
Panelists: Alan Tudyk, Sara Tomko, Corey Reynolds, Alice Wetterlund, Levi Fiehler, Elizabeth Bowen, and Judah Prehn, and executive producer/showrunner Chris Sheridan.
8am GMT+8 Marvel Cinematic Universe mega-panel.
Panelist: Marvel President Kevin Feige unveils what’s next in MCU series and films. Hall H
8.30am GMT+8 – World Premiere of Peacock and UCP’s The Resort
Panelists: Creator Andy Siara, cast William Jackson Harper, Cristin Milioti, Nina Bloomgarden and Luis Gerardo Méndez join for special screening and conversation. Peacock. Hilton Bayfront, Indigo Ballroom.
9.30am GMT+8 – A Panel with Kevin Smith!
Panelists: The not-so-Silent Bob returns to the Hall H stage with the cast of his first feature Clerks as they world premiere the opening 5 minutes of Lionsgate’s Clerks III!
9.45am GMT+8 – Chucky
Panelists: Creator/EP Don Mancini joins the voice of the iconic killer doll, Brad Dourif for the USA/Syfy series.
Monday, 25 JULY 2022
2am GMT+8 – Netflix movie The School for Good and Evil
Panelists: Author and EP Soman Chainani gives exclusive behind the scenes look at project which starss Charlize Theron, Kerry Washington, Laurence Fishburne, and Michelle Yeoh.
3am GMT+8 – FX’s Mayans M.C. Screening And Q&A
Panelists: Elgin James (co-creator/executive producer/director/writer) and cast JD Pardo (EZ Reyes), Clayton Cardenas (Angel Reyes), Danny Pino (Miguel Galindo), Sarah Bolger (Emily Thomas), Emilio Rivera (Marcus Alvarez), Michael Irby (Obispo “Bishop” Losa), Raoul Max Trujillo (Che “Taza” Romero), Frankie Loyal (Hank “Tranq” Loza), Joseph Lucero (Neron “Creeper” Vargas), Vincent Vargas (Gilberto “Gilly” Lopez), Gino Vento (Nestor Oceteva), JR Bourne (Isaac Packer), Emily Tosta (Letty) and Vanessa Giselle (Hope). Hall H
4.15am GMT+8 – FX’s What We Do in the Shadows
Panelists: Stars Kayvan Novak (Nandor), Matt Berry (Laszlo), Natasia Demetriou (Nadja), Harvey Guillén (Guillermo), Mark Proksch (Colin Robinson) and Kristen Schaal (The Guide) as well as Paul Simms (EP/writer), Stefani Robinson (EP/writer), Yana Gorskaya (co-EP/director/editor) and Kyle Newacheck (co-EP/director). Hall H


Halo Infinite’s Battle Pass Sucks; Devs Are Doing Something About It [Update]

Update [19/11/2021]: Halo Infinite’s Battle Pass will now grant you XP for completing a match. 343 Industries has clearly been listening, saying “players can now earn XP by completing matchmade games” and updating challenges to “better serve players of all skill levels”.
Original story [17/11/2021]
Halo Infinite is out right now in multiplayer F2P beta form, and it’s a hoot to play. We’re not the only ones who felt that way since the surprise launch, but one thing’s for sure: the game’s Battle Pass needs work.
For those not in the know, a Battle Pass in an online game lets you earn free exclusive limited-time rewards by doing activities ranging from multiplayer kills to even winning games. If you pay money, the rewards get bumped up in value and features exclusive cosmetics you cannot get anywhere else, even on a cosmetic merchandise store. Of course, there needs to be a balance as to how long it’ll take to farm wins and achievements for the rewards.
343 Industries kind of suck at doing this because progress on Halo Infinite’s Battle Pass is very, very slow. Rather than granting XP at the end of matches like every Battle Pass does (more XP for wins, less XP for losses or just completing a match), the devs thought it would be “creative” by making playing only earn it for completing battle pass challenges.
Unlike other games with similar systems, Halo Infinite doesn’t offer a flat XP gain for anything; basic dailies only give out 100xp for a game. Coupled with the fact that it takes 1000xp to reach rank one, and you can see why people are complaining about it. Also, some of the checkboxes in the first weekly challenges require you to do specific game modes, which sucks since you can’t really choose your game mode at the moment.
 I work full time, I don’t wanna game full time to get through a single battlepass. from      halo

Thankfully, 343 Industries is doing something about it. Community manager Brian Jarrard said that the team is looking at the Battle Pass progression and will share updates after sorting out the feedback.

Thank you to everyone who has jumped into the #HaloInfintie beta so far! FYI the team is looking at Battle Pass progression and gathering data from yesterday's sessions and we'll share updates as we have them. Please continue to share feedback and raise flags as you see them. 1/3
— Brian Jarrard (@ske7ch) November 16, 2021

Let’s hope these changes are implemented soon, because it’ll be a shame for people to tune out from what could be the series’ best multiplayer offering to date. And it’s free too!


There Won’t Be A Second Season Of The Watchmen TV Series

The recent Watchmen TV series was received positively by a number of folks because of its politically relevant drama about race and the criminal justice system. Just don’t expect a follow-up to the HBO limited series though.
HBO programming chief Casey Bloys told USA Today that showrunner Damon Lindelof will not be doing a second season of the show because he wasn’t interested in doing so.

“It’s really in Damonâ€™s thinking about what he wants to do. If there’s an idea that excited him about another season, another installment, maybe like a ‘Fargo,’ ‘True Detective’ (anthology) take on it, or if he wants to do something different altogether. Weâ€™re very proud of ‘Watchmen,’ but what Iâ€™m most interested in what Damon wants to do.
It would be hard to imagine doing it without Damon involved in some way.”

Lindelof said that he already has told the story he wanted to tell, though he has given his blessing to HBO to pursue a new instalment with another writer-slash-producer.
The Watchmen track record so far has been one movie adaptation, prequel comic books, and a crossover to clean up the DC Comics Universe’s messy timeline once again. Depending on whether there’s bank to be made from HBO’s perspective, never say never.


1917 Takes You On A Painfully Beautiful One-Take Ride

I’m not a fan of war movies.
I mean that in the sense that I’ve not watched a lot of war movies. The last war movie I watched was probably Fury, that movie with Brad Pitt, Shia LaBeouf, and a tank.
With that said, I thoroughly enjoyed 1917. It’s a war film that takes the buzzword “personal” to an entirely new level. Director Sam Mendes has been promoting the one-take filming technique of the movie and I can say with satisfaction that he nailed it.
War, Condensed Into A Day

As one would figure out from a glance, the film is set during World War I. It takes the viewer on a journey with two British soldiers tasked with relaying a vital message. Failure would mean more than 1,600 of their comrades being killed.
You don’t have to be a history buff to enjoy this film. Merely knowing which countries fought in World War I is more than enough.

If you’re one of those people who love watching realistic portrayals of trench warfare, 1917 will undoubtedly please you.

One-Take Wonder

The camera often orbits around the two central characters similar to most third-person shooters. I felt as if I was walking along with the soldiers as they trudged through their painful quest. Every bullet shot felt visceral, every artillery blast felt like it could blow me to smithereens.
Granting the viewers this level of intimacy with the characters gave life to every expression the characters made. The dialogue isn’t memorable but it doesn’t need to be. Viewers will go home remembering each gasp and groan the soldiers make.
Most of the time, you’ll be looking at the backs of the main characters. Despite that, I still found the movie to be breathtakingly beautiful.

There’s one particular nighttime scene where flares become the only source of light and the brilliant mix of lighting and movement had my jaw on the floor. It’s cinematography at its finest!

A Great Start For 2020

There’s not much to complain here. Chinks in the one-take armour do appear here and there, but not to the point that it ruins anything. If you’re attentive enough, you’ll spot the shortcuts but they’re still forgivable.
Whether you’re a fan of war drama films or not, I strongly recommend giving 1917 a watch. It’s a heavy film but it doesn’t require any in-depth knowledge of history or warfare. Essentially, it’s drama done right.
FINAL SCORE: 100/100
We received a preview screening courtesy of United International Pictures Malaysia. 1917 premieres in Malaysian cinemas on 16 January 2020.


Ubisoft Officially Announces Splinter Cell Remake

Calling all Splinter Cell fans, rejoice! Ubisoft has finally confirmed that an officialÂ Splinter Cell remake is in development at Ubisoft Toronto.
According to the official announcement, the Splinter Cell remake will be rebuilt from the ground up using Ubisoftâ€™s own Snowdrop engine, the same engine being used to develop the upcoming Avatar Frontiers Of Pandora, and Ubisoft’s new untitled Star Wars game.
The game will apparently deliver new-generation visuals and gameplay, as well as dynamic lighting and shadows. However, no platforms or release dates were announced. Looking at the announcement and the fact that the developer is still hiring people to work on the project, it will probably be years before we even get our glimpse at the game.
Rumours of a new Splinter Cell has been floating around since October 2021 from anonymous sources. The last mainline game in the franchise was 2013’s Splinter Cell Blacklist, which was almost 10 years ago on platforms two generations ago (the PS3 and Xbox 360 era).
In the meantime, check out the special showcase video below:


An Open-World Survival Terminator Game Is In The Works

During Nacon Connect 2022, Nacon and Nacon Milan announced that the Terminator Survival Project (not the official title) is in development. Nacon Milan is developing the first survival game set in the Terminator universe with an original story building on the events from the films.
Players will have to fight to survive in a post-apocalyptic open world where the last vestiges of humanity are hounded by terrifying machines. However, no other details were revealed.
It is slated for PC and unspecified consoles in the “distant future”.
Check out the trailer below:


Ant-Man 3 Casts Lovecraft Country Star As Kang The Conqueror

The Marvel Cinematic Universe may have found its Kang The Conqueror.
According to Deadline, Lovecraft Country star Johnathan Majors has joined Ant-Man 3, possibly as the iconic time-travelling supervillain from Marvel Comics.
The report states that Majors will play a lead role in the film, and the sources strongly indicate that he is “likely” to appear as Kang The Conqueror. Additionally, his Ant-Man 3 appearance will potentially build the character up to be the next main antagonist in the franchise, sort of like 2012’s The Avengers did for Thanos.
Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in 1964’s The Avengers #8, the man named Nathaniel Richards is best known as Kang The Conqueror. Hailing from the 30th century, Kang jumped back and forth through time, battling the likes of the Avengers and Fantastic Four.
Several of his most iconic storylines include the Avengers Forever miniseries (by Kurt Busiek and Carlos Pacheco) and Kurt Busiek’s Kang Dynasty crossover, along with his involvement in the Young Avengers and Uncanny Avengers.
Avengers Forever.
Kang Dynasty
He is a complicated character, as different versions of him exists as different characters altogether. His future self is also a supervillain who goes by the name of Immortus, while his younger self is actually a superhero who joins the Young Avengers as Iron Lad.
Kang The Conquerer.
Immortus.
Iron Lad.
In addition to Lovecraft Country, Majors has starred in The Last Black Man in San Francisco, White Boy Rick and When We Rise. His previous credits also include Jungleland, Captive State, Much Ado About Nothing and Da 5 Bloods with the late Chadwick Boseman.
Directed by Peyton Reed and written by Jeff Loveness, Ant-Man 3 stars Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly and Michael Douglas. The film has yet to receive an official release date. Stay tuned on Kakuchopurei for more news and updates.


Overwatch 2 Halloween Event Is Live Now

It’s time to celebrate another year of fear: Halloween Terror is returning in Overwatch 2. Get ready for a shock, because this event introduces the next chapter in the saga of the devious Dr Junkenstein through our all-new, limited-time co-op mission, Junkenstein’s Revenge: Wrath of the Bride.
Return to Adlersbrunn alongside four fresh faces to experience an all-new story as the Bride of Junkenstein seeks vengeance upon those responsible for the death of her creator. As we near the anniversary of the mad doctor’s revenge, learn more about this year’s event directly from the desk of the Lord of Adlersbrunn.
Complete challenges to unlock special rewards like the Nightfall Over Adlersbrunn Name Card, the Jack-o’-Lantern Weapon Charm, Battle Pass XP, and other spine-tingling rewards. Dr Junkenstein himself will also be making a grand reappearance in the original Junkenstein’s Revenge co-op Brawl, returning for a limited time to Halloween Terror 2022.
From now until 9 November, join your fellow heroes to confront a host of haunting horrors as you seek to safeguard Eichenwalde—or fall to the Bride’s retribution.

No tricks, only treats
Unlock even more spooky rewards during Halloween Terror by watching your favourite streamers on Twitch. Starting now through 2 November at 2:00 AM (GMT+8), all channels streaming under the Overwatch 2 category will have terrifically terrifying Twitch drops.
Viewers can earn the following rewards at:

2 hours watched: Werewolf Winston Spay
4 hours watched: Werewolf Winston Legendary Skin

Don’t forget to connect your Twitch account through Battle.net to earn your rewards. Players who changed their password since the last campaign need to sign into their account again to claim future Twitch drops. The Halloween Terror Twitch drops are also available on all platforms, and participating regions include North America, Europe, Latin America, Australia/New Zealand, Taiwan, Korea, and Southeast Asia.


Here’s Why AMD Radeon Graphic Cards Are The Right Choice For An Upgrade

With upcoming PC games like Dead Space or even the recently-released Forspoken, PC games are getting more and more demanding. We’re sure many PC gamers are looking to upgrade to prepare for the year of extensive gaming ahead.
Here are several reasons why you should upgrade to AMD Radeon RX Series Graphics:
The Most Powerful Radeon Graphics Lineup In Years
Check out the average performance of the cards across six games:

This 2023 GPU lineup starts with the AMD Radeon RX 6000 Series graphics, which delivers incredible performance in the latest titles with graphics cards fit for resolutions from 1080p to 4K, while the AMD Radeon™ RX 7900 Series GPUs provide up to 4K or 1440p Resolutions.
Great Software
Gamers last year saw an improved performance of up to 30 percent on the Radeon RX 6950XT graphics card, in DirectX 11 titles such as Assassin’s Creed Odyssey and improved performance in OpenGL – with up to 89 percent performance boost in Minecraft.

Head on over here for where you can find the nearest location to buy new AMD Radeon cards.


This Avengers Endgame Lego Set Is Loosely Based On Climactic Final Battle

We’re less than a month away from San Diego Comic-Con International 2019, and some goodies are already coming out of the work. Lego has announced (via CBR) a new exclusive Avengers Endgame Lego set that will be making its debut at the event.
The Avengers Hulk Helicopter Drop Lego set very (very) loosely adapts the events of the climactic final battle in Avengers Endgame when our heroes face off against Thanos and his Chitauri army. However, it features several weird choices, including Black Widow in her Time Heist suit (even though she was already dead by then).
There’s also no Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, or Thanos himself. Instead, you’ll be getting two Chitauri with their gliders, Pepper Potts in her Rescue armor, and Hulk in his Time Heist suit wielding the Infinity Gauntlet (who also wasn’t in the final battle in that exact form).
The set contains 482 individual pieces and will be sold for US$59.99. However, while it’s debuting at SDCC, it won’t be available for purchase until 25 November 2019.
Check out the Avengers Hulk Helicopter Drop Lego set below.


Overwatch Has Reached 1.5 Million Concurrent Views On Twitch; Highest Day Ever

Blizzard has announcecd that its multiplayer shooter Overwatch has reached a Twitch viewership milestone.
Overwatch has reached over 1.5 million concurrent views, the highest day ever for the series on Twitch. This is due to the recent release of the Overwatch 2 beta PvP, not to mention the many people watching other influencers and pro players stream the game, hoping to score a free beta key. For four hours straight.

About to get real!
Together we reached over 1.5M concurrent views, the highest day ever for Overwatch on Twitch. Let’s go! pic.twitter.com/bblWCahUYI
— Overwatch (@PlayOverwatch) April 28, 2022

Here are the list of other games with the highest concurrent peaks on the game-centric streaming platform (via Twitch Tracker):

League of Legends : 3.08M
Fornite : 2.28M
Minecraft : 1.93M
Counter-Strike Global Offensive : 1.91M
VALORANT : 1.73M
Dota 2 : 1.71M
Call of Duty Warzone : 1.61M
Rust : 1.37M
Lost Ark : 1.27M
Cyberpunk 2077 : 1.14M
GTAV : 1.14M
World of Warcraft : 1.14M
New World : 977k
Roblox : 967k

Basically Overwatch will be in-between Call of Duty Warzone and Rust for the all-time list. For more on Overwatch 2, check out our hands-on session with the title and our character rework guide.


Here Are The Latest Xbox Game Pass Titles This Month

Another new month means another fresh batch of games for Xbox Game Pass (and PC too).
Right now, you can play Coffee Talk on Xbox and PC Game Pass for free. It’s the lovely visual novel title where you make coffee for the suburban fantasy denizens of Seattle. You can read our review here.
On 23 August, you’ll get to play upcoming 3D brawler Midnight Fight Express, a Humble Games-published title mostly made by one person who REALLY loves beat-em-ups. Check out the full list of titles below:
23 August
Midnight Fight Express – A former member of the criminal underworld is lured back into “the life” by a mysterious drone claiming they only have until sunrise to prevent a citywide criminal takeover. Engage in a brutal and hyper-kinetic brawling ballet, using every environmental tool and street fighting technique at your disposal. Level up your abilities to take down the mounting onslaught of bozos, cronies, and crime lords.
25 August
Exapunks – The year is 1997. You used to be a hacker, but now you have the phage. You made a deal: one hack, one dose. There’s nothing left to lose… except your life. Exapunks is the latest open-ended puzzle game from Zachtronics, the creators of Opus Magnum, Shenzhen I/O, TIS-100, and more.
Opus: echo of Starsong – Full  Bloom Edition – Opus: Echo of Starsong – Full Bloom Edition is the definitive edition of the critically acclaimed visual novel-style adventure game, now with all-new voice acting. Dive in and enjoy an intergalactic journey that transcends time through love.
30 August
Commandos 3 – HD Remaster – Commandos 3 – HD Remaster sends you to the relentless and unforgiving battlefields of Europe. Remastered in high definition including reworked 3D models and textures, improved controls, and refined UI.
Immortality – Marissa Marcel would have been a star. She made three movies, but none of them was ever released… and then Marissa Marcel disappeared. Explore lost footage, cut your own path into the mystery, and discover what happened to Marissa Marcel in the newest interactive game from Sam Barlow, creator of Her Story.
Immortals Fenyx Rising – Immortals Fenyx Rising brings grand mythological adventure to life. Play as Fenyx, a new winged demigod on a quest to save the Greek gods. The fate of the world is at stake – you are the gods’ last hope.
Tinykin – Milo arrives on Earth to find that he’s way too small, everybody’s gone, and a day hasn’t passed since 1991! Team up with the mysterious tinykin and use their unique powers to create ladders, bridges, explosions, and a lot more! Find a way home through a sprawling ant-sized metropolis and unravel Earth’s biggest mystery!

What Games Are Leaving Game Pass?
Unfortunately, Hades is one of them. So long, Supergiant Games’ top roguelite.

Elite Dangerous
Hades
Myst
NBA 2K22
Signs of the Sojourner
Spiritfarer
Twelve Minutes
Two Point Hospital
What Remains of Edith Finch
World War Z


The Age of Empire 2 Remaster Makes A Classic RTS Even More Timeless

Platform: PC
Genre: Sid Meier’s Civ + Command & Conquer + 2019 spit & shine = this
The second Age of Empire is being repackaged once again, but at least there’s a few new things added to make its price justifiable.
The Definitive Edition straddles between being a remaster and a remake. Its art and AI has been polished and revved up, while gameplay-wise it has three new campaigns and four more civilizations for hardcore history-savvy strategy fans to play around with.
The Mother Of All Crusades
For those not in the know, the Age of Empire series attempt to meld real-time strategy and city-building-slash-Sid-Meier’s-Civilization-management gameplay. While the first game was alright, Age of Empire 2 was simply the better and richer game.
Hence the main reason why the Definitive Edition made its logical updates and changes: to enlighten newer players why this was the “hot s***” 20 years ago. This version of Age of Empires 2 introduces some much-needed quality-of-life and AI changes, like villagers automatically reseeding farms and subsequently cutting out needless micromanagement. Large armies this time are easier to manage thanks to formations and improved pathfinding. The new campaigns, The Last Khans, are a joy for veterans to get the hang of the new factions while still reusing old Age of Empires 2 tactics in different ways.
Just don’t expect a huge overhaul of the game’s tried-and-true attrition-heavy and strategic-laden battle system. Instead, enjoy the meaningful changes, be it the flashy 4K art to the reworked UI and controls.
Khan You Dig It?
This definitive edition is one for the ages and will remind you why the 1999 classic was heralded as one the best history-based RTSs of all time. It takes a few extra steps in making itself more relevant than the HD version did, though it won’t change the minds of players already knee-deep in the nuances and updates of RTSs like StarCraft II.
Still, it’s the best Age of Empires game to come out in a long while; lord knows how part 4 will turn out. So best you enjoy this version to the fullest for your historical bloodletting.
Final Score: 70/100


Hereâ€™s Why Carole and Tuesday is 2019â€™s Potential Anime of the Year

50 years into the future, the worldâ€™s songs are generated almost entirely by artificial intelligence. Humanity has long since set out for new frontiers, both settling and prospering on the planet Mars. High-rise buildings and mixed cultures spread out not unlike the Earth that we know, and it is here where a humble story of two aspiring artists begin.
A Day In The Life

Carole and Tuesday is the story of, as you might probably guess, a couple of girls named Carole and Tuesday.
Tuesday is a sheltered rich girl who, one day, fed up with her life in isolation, escapes from her home to the big city of Alba. With nothing but a Gibson guitar at her side, she meets Carole, an orphan who has struggled to keep her many different jobs, yet continues to try and touch people with her passionate singing on the streets. Through this fateful encounter, the two begin their journey as musicians in a daunting and changing industry.
Itâ€™s a musical anime by the legendary director Shinichiro Watanabe, who has worked on classics such as Samurai Champloo, Cowboy Bebop, and Macross Plus. Though Watanabeâ€™s recent works on Space Dandy and Zankyou no Terror were lukewarm entries, Carole and Tuesday may finally be the great return that fans have been waiting for.
Seeing as this is a two-cour series (24 episodes), thereâ€™s a long way until we see the show wrap up. The first quarter of the show takes us through Carole and Tuesdayâ€™s initial attempts at performing music together but their results are often mixed.
While the songs they write and jam to are consistently awesome, it turns out that you canâ€™t become a star overnight. The girls face their fair share of troubles in convincing both executives and audiences that theyâ€™re worth something.
But Carole and Tuesday isnâ€™t that doom and gloom sort of story. Far from it, in fact. Where the girls face trouble, they bounce back with sparkling enthusiasm (and often a charming song). Supporting them is Gus, their alcoholic and self-proclaimed manager, and Roddy, a young music AI operator that finds himself smitten by their music.
The cast is colourful, with personalities that make for fun comedy as the girls give it their all to make it big. They perform in clubs, make their own music videos, and even go viral on social media.

It’s good fun, all-in-all, and you can’t help but cheer for them even with their occasional failures.

Space Oddity

The setting itself is an intriguing one thatâ€™s seemingly inspired by New York City, a place known for its melting pot of different cultures and ethnicities. Even within the first episode, youâ€™ll find subtle nods at the communityâ€™s diverse people, such as Carole who is dark-skinned herself, as well as her Chinese landlord, an elderly man that spends his long days by the street.
Racial diversity is a rare trait to find in Japanese anime, what with their long history as a homogeneous society, so the vibe here comes off as unique compared to the many other shows out there.
Similarly, the inclusion of sci-fi elements frames an interesting picture on an otherwise classic story about rookies getting into showbiz. Most of the hit songs in this world are generated from artificial intelligence, as their ability to process algorithms about what people prefer far trumps the capabilities of normal songwriters.

Robotic pets and digital restaurant menus are trendy now. Heck, everyoneâ€™s living on a terraformed planet Mars, and the cast even experiences the planetâ€™s intense wind speeds on one occasion.

Considering that Watanabeâ€™s legacy with Cowboy Bebop and Macross Plus showcased a strong affinity for science fiction, itâ€™ll be interesting to see if the show has any other interesting things to bring to the table.
Your Song

Perhaps the most intriguing part about Carole and Tuesday is its massive focus on music. Each episode is titled aptly to the theme of its story but uses the titles of classic songs such as “Every Breath You Take”, “Born to Run”, and more. It references pop culture with things such as a small segment dedicated to Vogueâ€™s “73 Questions” interview format, a dancing zombie concept reminiscent of Michael Jacksonâ€™s Thriller, and a call back to the hand-drawn shenanigans of a-haâ€™s Take on Me.
For anyone who has had an eye on music in the last several decades, the show is chock-full of allusions, from modern genres such as EDM to timeless musicals like The Sound of Music. References come blow after blow, and yet the show paces itself well enough that you arenâ€™t required to have any of this knowledge beforehand.
The care thatâ€™s been put into crafting these details, however, is only a small piece of a larger idea at play when it comes to Carole and Tuesday. The show celebrates music culture across the years and doesnâ€™t just do so with symbols and callouts of your favourite songs.
At various points in an episode, the girls will often break into song, jamming to their own original tunes. Carole and Tuesday themselves have established musicians behind their various acoustics and ballads (performed by Nai Br.XX and Celeina Ann), and theyâ€™re a treat to listen to. Though our titular characters have the bulk of the spotlight, various other artists also join in with their own stylistic take on music.
The show is a fusion of different music genres, and youâ€™ll see this best when you study the hefty number of musical collaborators bringing their sound to the anime.
A Change Is Gonna Come

Overall, the art and music of this Carole and Tuesday are outstanding. Though the animation quality in some parts can appear ample as most Netflix animations do, theyâ€™re offset by a unique identity and understanding of the medium theyâ€™re trying to portray. Even if you arenâ€™t that taken by the aesthetic, Carole and Tuesday is a tale about two girls that form a strong bond and kick it off to achieve something great.
Set in a society that has grown increasingly unaccommodating for people like them due to technological advancements, you’ll surely find some harrowing similarities with the world we live in today. But if there’s anything that Carole and Tuesday assures us so far, it’s that even with the rise of robots and AI, a human voice still has immense value.
The show is currently available on Netflix Japan, but wonâ€™t be touching down in other regions until all 24 episodes have run their course.


We Talk To An Actual Lawyer About Esports Law

With Dota 2 International season being the highlight this week, we’re very sure that other new esports teams will want to jump in on this for next year’s grand Dota 2 tournament, or even on any other esports-worthy game.
But where should you start? What are the legal knowhows you need to know before forming a team so that you don’t sign the wrong kind of contract? Also, what are the laws regarding streaming a publisher’s game for your own profit and gain?
We managed to rope in Richard Wee from law firm Mah Weng Kwai & Associates to help us out. He has genuinely shown a huge interest in esports and its many laws since he himself is a sports law expert. He was gracious enough with hosting a short roundtable on esports law during a huge esports seminar a while back.

Here are the answers to our burning questions. Thanks, Richard!
What are the major differences between sports and esports from a lawyerâ€™s perspective?
Obviously, esports differs greatly from the other sports, but from a lawyerâ€™s
perspective, both areas of activities require similar legal attention. Personally, I feel
the major difference is the approach of sports lawyers towards the respective
activities.
While sports have been long established with the entrenched system, rules
and norms; esports, on the other hand, is still developing its legal characteristics.
Much grey area exists in esports law, particularly in issues of governance, doping
and integrity (like match-fixing).
What are the key things a player should watch out for when reading a sponsorship contract or any legal contract involving playing under a team
banner?
My attention is focused on the clauses imposing obligations on a player. That is
usually my first focus. I will then also focus on clauses relevant to the termination of
that agreement and other terms and conditions which may affect the playerâ€™s other
contracts and obligations.
Esports betting falls under the same laws and restrictions as sports betting. True or false?
I am inclined to say that it is true though I suspect most jurisdictions around the world
may not have relevant or sufficient laws to tackle esports specifically. Nonetheless,
in my view, while sports betting is a norm but if the betting activity encroaches into
the integrity of the game then that bet would definitely invite investigations.
However, there are particular elements in esports which in nature has betting
“characteristics”. One such thing is called “lootboxes”. A “lootbox” can be named in
several ways, it usually depends on the type of game that it appears in.
Generally, lootboxes are digital grab bags which requires players to use real money for; the players can never know what is inside. In the case of lootboxes, many gamers equate them to gambling. Players who open up a box may or may not get the items that they want, or the items might be worthless.
Therefore, the players may have to invest a lot of money in multiple lootboxes in
order to get the items that they desire for.
Some countries like the Netherlands and Belgium had declared that “lootboxes” has
gambling elements and therefore illegal. In recent news, the Belgian Gaming Commission has determined that randomized lootboxes in at least three games count as a “game of chance”, and publishers can be subject to fines and prison sentences under the countryâ€™s gaming legislation.
What are the key things an organizer needs to be aware of from a legal standpoint when setting up esports events?
There are many things which we usually advise organisers about. From acquiring
protection from insurance to seeking relevant licenses or permit from relevant
authorities; these are amongst the items in our checklist of advice to most sports or esports organisers.
In Malaysia for example, the relevant permit and/or consent may be
required from local authorities or Malaysian Communications and Multimedia
Commission (MCMC).
Online streaming rights for games: what is your stance on it? From a legalÂ perspective, should streamers on Twitch earn money streaming and playingÂ games owned by publishers?
Perhaps we can take a step back and view the legal relationship between
publishers and streamers and/or Content Creators.
The relationship between publishers and streamers viz-a-viz streaming rights
This relationship is one between a licensor and licensee. In other words, the
relationship between the Publishers and Streamers is one of a contractual
relationship governed by the End User License Agreement (“EULA”). Some games
require you to click the “I Accept” button during installation or to download the
installer while others stipulate that the mere usage of the software and/or website is
an implied agreement of the EULA.
Purely as an example, I make reference to League of Legend’s EULA
(https://oce.leagueoflegends.com/en/legal/eula).
Section 1â€‹ reads:
“Subject to the terms and conditions of this License Agreement and
your agreement therewith, Riot Games hereby grants to you and you hereby
accept a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable license, for such time until
either you or Riot Games terminates this License Agreement, to internally
install and execute solely as a component of the Game (i) the Software and
related explanatory materials (â€œDocumentationâ€); and (ii) any Software
upgrades, patches, subsequent versions, and updates (collectively,
â€œUpdatesâ€) licensed to you by Riot Games. The Software and the Game are
provided for your individual, non-commercial, entertainment purposes only
and may not be used for any other purpose or in any other way. Except as
may be expressly permitted by Riot Games, you may not sell, copy, exchange,
transfer, publish, assign or otherwise distribute anything you copy or derive
from the Software or the Game. The license granted to you herein shall be
royalty-free, except that the right to license certain Game Assets (as defined in
the Terms of Use) may be obtained only by acquiring and redeeming Riot
Points.â€
Section 3 â€‹contains the following:
“The limited license granted to you in Section I is subject to the
additional limitations set forth below in this Section III. Any use of the
Software in violation of the license limitations set forth below is an
unauthorized use of the Software outside of the license granted to you in
Section I, and will be regarded as an infringement of the license terms and
copyrights Riot Games or its licensors holds in and to the Software and the
Game. You agree that you will not, under any circumstances:
…
D. Make use of, or cause any other person or entity to make use of, the
Software or the Game for any commercial purpose, including but not limited to
(i) participating in the Game in exchange for payment (e.g. â€œlevelingâ€ services);
or (ii) selling in-Game items outside of the Game, or selling Game Accounts,
except such transactions as may be authorized by Riot Games and conducted
via services provided by Riot Games; […]”
Legal issues pertaining to streaming games
As such perusing the EULA above, the legality of streaming League of Legends
would then boil down to the interpretation of the clauses.
Streaming can be lucrative. It is undeniable that streamers and content creators use
these games as their content and/or the basis of their content to gain monetary
benefits, be it in the form of subscription percentages, donations or even
sponsorship agreements. This is one unique thing about esports and esports law.
The question is this: are these streams that bring in subscriptions, donations and
sponsorship a “commercial purpose” as defined in the EULA? If so, does this also
fall foul of Section 1 of the EULA in that the usage of the game should be for
non-commercial, entertainment purposes only?
But herein lies the conundrum. For publishers, this is a free form of marketing.
Streamers such as Ninja and Faker can draw in tens of thousands of viewers and
therefore allowing streamers to broadcast the game is to the Publishers’ advantage –
it being in effect a zero-cost marketing as these viewership numbers can easily
translate into the sale of games or in-game items.
An example which shows a Publisher’s stand with regards to streaming can be seen in Valve’s statement that was given after the ESL One Genting 2018, in which the statement reads:
“The first issue weâ€™ve been seeing discussed is regarding DMCA notices. This
one is very simple: No one besides Valve is allowed to send DMCA notices for
games streamed off of DotaTV that arenâ€™t using the broadcastersâ€™ unique content
(camera movements, voice, etc).
The second issue is regarding who is permitted to cast off of DotaTV. We
designed the DotaTV guidelines to be flexible in order to allow for up and coming
casters, or community figures like BSJ or Bulldog that occasionally watch
tournament games on their channel, to be able to stream off of DotaTV. It is not to
allow commercial organizations like BTS to compete with the primary stream. Itâ€™ll be
our judgment alone on who violates this guideline and not any other third partyâ€™s.”
A number of things can be taken from this statement. Firstly, Valve has made it clear
that the proprietary rights to the game belongs to them only.
Secondly, Valve allows streamers to stream the game and even tournaments despite some having an exclusive broadcasting agreement signed with a streaming platform (as was the issue in ESL One Genting 2018). Thirdly, streamers will always be at the mercy of the Publishers. As Valve puts it, “Itâ€™ll be our judgment alone on who violates this guideline and not any other third partyâ€™s.”
Therefore, in the absence of express licensing agreements between the Publishers and streamers, while the Publishers seem to allow streaming of their games, streamers and content creators will be subjected to the Publishers in that the Publishers can at any time issue a DMCA notice or may even initiate a suit for breach of copyright or intellectual property rights.


Evil Dead Rise Is Full Of Groovy Gore Goodness

It’s hard to believe that Sam Raimi’s Evil Dead franchise is over four decades old. Despite that, it’s only had four instalments, which is much less than other long-running iconic horror franchises. A whopping ten years after Fede Álvarez’s Evil Dead remake comes Lee Cronin’s Evil Dead Rise, the fifth entry in the franchise.
Groovy

Evil Dead Rise is not a remake, but it’s more of a ‘requel’, similar to 2022’s Scream. It’s set in the same universe as the original Evil Dead films by Sam Raimi with easter eggs and references, but it can also be a standalone movie for newcomers out there. While Evil Dead Rise takes place in an apartment in the middle of the city, it’s very much still an Evil Dead film, even if there’s no Ash Williams (Bruce Campbell) or a cabin in the woods setting anymore.
It’s pretty much a family affair this time around, as it involves a touring guitar technician Beth (Lily Sullivan), her sister Ellie (Alyssa Sutherland), and her three nieces/nephews, Danny (Morgan Davies), Bridget (Gabrielle Echols), and young Kassie (Nell Fisher). Without spoiling anything specific, as usual, the chaos begins because of the Necronomicon (Naturom Demonto or The Book Of The Dead), but as a long-time fan, Evil Dead Rise adds to the franchise lore in a way that expands the universe and also sets up future movies.

It’s clear that director Lee Cronin injected as much blood and visceral gore as possible into Evil Dead Rise. There are elements of body horror as well as the expected mutilations, decapitations and gallons of blood. Body parts get stabbed, snapped and cut using everyday items such as scissors and a cheese grater of all things. It’s also worth pointing out that almost all of these violent and bloody scenes passed through Malaysian censors unscathed, with the sole exception of a kill that lasts several seconds.
Veteran Evil Dead fans will also be happy to learn that while Evil Dead Rise is nowhere as funny as Evil Dead 2 or Army Of Darkness, Lee Cronin did inject a few moments of levity and black comedy into certain scenes. It’s not a laugh-out-loud comedy, of course, but it’s more than the overly-serious 2013 remake ever had. For instance, one scene had a Deadite biting the eye out of a person’s socket and spitting that eye out into the mouth of another person, who then proceeds to choke on that eyeball. It’s the kind of humour that Sam Raimi would have done. While these parts are extremely rare in Evil Dead Rise, it’s appreciated that they’re included.

That’s not to say that the movie isn’t without its flaws. The pacing in the first act might feel a bit slow, especially when compared to previous Evil Dead films. It takes a while for the blood and gore to kick off, but that’s probably to set up the characters and their family dynamic. My other qualm with the movie is that Evil Dead Rise still doesn’t have the same legendary Sam Raimi style and flair that fans want. That may be a bit unfair since only Sam Raimi himself returning would be able to satisfy that.
Get That Boomstick

Evil Dead Rise is better than the 2013 remake, and it’s one that fans will probably be able to embrace. It’s a movie that both newcomers and hardcore fans can enjoy. It also opens up the franchise for more instalments in the future, so there’s still hope for the return of both Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell (though they are the executive producers of Evil Dead Rise, so it’s not like they completely left the franchise). It’s safe to say that there’s life yet in the Evil Dead franchise.
FINAL SCORE: 80/100
We attended an early screener of Evil Dead Rise courtesy of Warner Bros. Malaysia. Evil Dead Rise is slated to premiere in Malaysian cinemas on 20 April 2023.