The Book Of Boba Fett Episode 6 Breakdown & Easter Eggs Explained

The sixth episode of The Book Of Boba FettÂ Season 1 is now streaming on Disney+ Hotstar Malaysia. Iâ€™ll be discussing heavy spoilers so if you havenâ€™t seen it or want to avoid spoilers, nowâ€™s your chance to stop reading.
The Book Of Boba FettÂ finds legendary bounty hunter Boba Fett and mercenary Fennec Shand navigating the galaxyâ€™s underworld when they return to the sands of Tatooine to stake their claim on the territory once ruled by Jabba the Hutt and his crime syndicate.
It stars Temuera Morrison and Ming-Na Wen. Jon Favreau, Dave Filoni, Robert Rodriguez, Kathleen Kennedy and Colin Wilson are the executive producers. Karen Gilchrist and Carrie Beck serve as co-executive producers, with John Bartnicki producing and John Hampian as co-producer. There will be seven episodes in the first season.
You can check out my previous breakdowns ofÂ The Book Of Boba FettÂ Episode 1,Â Episode 2,Â Episode 3,Â Episode 4 here. and Episode 5 here.
In addition, you can check out my previous breakdowns ofÂ Marvelâ€™s What Ifâ€¦? Episode 1,Â Episode 2,Â Episode 3,Â Episode 4,Â Episode 5,Â Episode 6,Â Episode 7,Â Episode 8Â andÂ Episode 9 here.
If you havenâ€™t, you can check out my previous breakdowns and easter egg articles forÂ WandaVisionÂ Episode 1 and 2,Â Episode 3,Â Episode 4,Â Episode 5,Â Episode 6,Â Episode 7,Â Episode 8Â andÂ Episode 9.
ForÂ The Falcon And The Winter Soldier, you can check out my previous breakdowns forÂ Episode 1,Â Episode 2Â andÂ Episode 3,Â Episode 4,Â Episode 5Â andÂ Episode 6.
For previous breakdowns ofÂ LokiÂ episodes, check outÂ Episode 1 here,Â Episode 2 here,Â Episode 3 here,Â Episode 4 here,Â Episode 5 hereÂ andÂ Episode 6 here.

Cobb Vanth Returns

Cobb Vanth is the sheriff and mayor of Mos Pelgo. He originally appeared in The Mandalorian Season 2 Episode 1 ‘The Marshal’. He was the one who gave Boba Fett’s armour to Din Djarin.
It’s R2-D2, Mark Hamill As Luke Skywalker & Grogu AKA Baby Yoda

Din Djarin goes to a planet to visit Grogu, who’s still training with Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), and R2-D2 is there too.

Luke Remembers A Yoda Saying From Star Wars Episode V The Empire Strikes Back

Luke tells Grogu all about Master Yoda, and he even remembers a saying from the late Master Jedi. Master Yoda originally said, “Size matters not. Look at me, judge me by my size, do you?” in Star Wars Episode V The Empire Strikes Back.

Grogu Experienced The Great Jedi Purge, Which Took Place In Star Wars Episode III Revenge Of The Sith

Luke helps Grogu remember his past, and he remembers witnessing the atrocities of the Great Jedi Purge in Star Wars Episode III Revenge Of The Sith.
Ahsoka Tano Is Here Too

This episode is just chock full of cameos, isn’t it? Ahsoka Tano (Rosario Dawson) is here too.
Another Master Yoda Saying Referenced

Luke references another saying of Master Yoda when he says, “Don’t try. Do.”
In Star Wars Episode V The Empire Strikes Back, Master Yoda originally taught Luke: “Do or do not. There is no try.”

The Training Remote

The Marksman-H training remote droid has been used by Jedi to train Padawans throughout Star Wars history. Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ben Kenobi) also trained Luke using the same thing back in Star Wars Episode IV A New Hope.

Ahsoka Tano Says Luke Is So Much Like His Father

This scene actually made me tear up. I’m sure many fans of the Star Wars The Clone Wars animated series will be feeling emotional as well. Ahsoka Tano was Anakin Skywalker’s Padawan, and as such, has a relationship and history with Anakin that no one else has.
I’m sure this scene will make fans happy, knowing that Ahsoka Tano has met Luke Skywalker in Star Wars canon.
IT’S THE LIVE-ACTION DEBUT OF CAD BANE

Oh my God, Star Wars The Clone Wars fans are eating well this episode.
Cad Bane is a bounty hunter in the galaxy, who made his debut in the Star Wars The Clone Wars animated series. He was considered the best and one of the most experienced bounty hunters in the galaxy during the Clone Wars. We last saw him in Star Wars The Bad Batch.
The live-action version is still voiced by Corey Burton.

He’s working for the Pyke Syndicate now and he threatens Cobb Vanth before eventually killing him. This is a HUGE deal, especially because this character is a fan-favourite from the Star Wars The Clone Wars animated series. Dave Filoni is certainly pulling out all the stops.

Luke Gives Master Yoda’s Green Lightsaber To Grogu

Luke offers Master Yoda’s green lightsaber to Grogu, but gives him an ultimatum. Grogu can only choose one: to take Master Yoda’s lightsaber and train to be a Jedi, or take Din Djarin’s beskar armour thing and be a Mandalorian Foundling. However, the episode stops just as Grogu is about to choose, so we’ll have to wait for the season 1 finale next week.
Dave Filoni Directed And Wrote This Episode

When you see this name, you know you’re in for a good time.
Dave Filoni is the current-gen George Lucas. He is the master of Star Wars. He created Star Wars The Clone Wars and he’s now the Executive Creative Director of the entire franchise. No wonder Cad Bane and Ahsoka Tano is in this episode. All hail Filoni, in Filoni we trust.
We only have the season 1 finale left for The Book Of Boba Fett, so until next time, excelsior!


Netflix Shares First Look At Lupin Part 2

Just when we thought Assane Diopâ€™s life would take a turn for the better, the last episode of Lupin Part 1 proved us oh-so-wrong.Â Now in Lupin Part 2, this isnâ€™t a game anymore. Assaneâ€™s quest for revenge against Hubert Pelligrini has torn his family to pieces. With his back to the wall, he now has to think of a new plan, even if it means putting himself in danger.
About Lupin Part 2

Casting: Omar Sy, HervÃ© Pierre, Nicole Garcia, Clotilde Hesme, Ludivine Sagnier, Antoine Gouy, Shirine Boutella, Soufiane Guerrab.
Created by George Kay in collaboration with FranÃ§ois Uzan.
Directed by Ludovic Bernard (episodes 6 &7), Hugo GÃ©lin (episodes 8,9 & 10).
Produced by Gaumont TÃ©lÃ©vision (Isabelle Degeorges, Nathan Franck).
The second part will be composed of 5 episodes.

Lupin Part 2 is slated to arrive sometime in mid- 2021.


Star Wars Battlefront II’s Geonosis Update Is Available This Wednesday

Now that Star Wars Battlefront II’s loot box fiasco is out of the way a year later, it’s safe for EA to start bringing the game to the limelight and start making more improvements. The game’s Battle of Geonosis update is coming out sooner than you think, assuming you’re still into the Star Wars mass multiplayer shooting fiesta.
The update will be available on 28 November and features the following:

Young Obi-Wan Kenobi as a Battlefront hero. He can slash you with his trademark blue lightsaber, reflect projectiles, blocks attacks like a champ, and has great stamina and defence.
Geonosis as a new map, duh. The map here makes you feel like you’re in big-scale war like in the CGI-heavy prequels.
Three new vehicles to pilot in: the heavily-armoured AT-TE, the lightweight STAP, and the BARC speeder. Yeah, you’re going to be one of those a-holes who will beeline towards the AT-TE, will you?

Check out the trailer below. Even if Battlefield 5 is out, we’re sure that some other gaming folks will want to jump aboard the Battlefront II train since it’s cheaper right now. Are you thinking of doing that?


Bethesda Parent Company ZeniMax Media CEO Robert Altman Dies At 73

ZeniMax Media co-founder and CEO Robert A. Altman has died at the age of 73. The news was announced via the official Bethesda Twitter account.
As the parent of Bethesda Softworks and several other development studios, Altmanâ€™s company grew into one of the biggest game publishers since it was founded in 1999 and have reputable franchises such as Doom, The Elder Scrolls, and Fallout.
Bethesda’s tweet described the late figure:
â€œHe was a true visionary, friend, and believer in the spirit of people and the power of what they could accomplish together. He was an extraordinary leader, and an even better human being.”

We'd like to share this letter from James Altman on the passing of his father, Robert. https://t.co/QUDDJikuKE
— Bethesda (@bethesda) February 4, 2021

ZeniMax Online (The Elder Scrolls Online developer) creative director Ben Jones gave his condolences:

I'm am stunned by this profound loss. Robert was a shining example of how to lead one’s life: Driven by passion, filled with ambition, conscious of & caring for those around you. He determined to rise all boats in swelling tides / shelter them in unsteady waters. Forever a legend https://t.co/nsadokqEnu
— Ben Jones (@Bagelbeard) February 4, 2021

Altman, 73, is survived by his wife,Â Lynda Carter, best known for her television portrayal of Wonder Woman in the late 1970s, and she also made a cameo in 2020’s Wonder Woman 1984. Carter has also cameoed in five The Elder Scrolls games (as the deity Azura and others) and in Fallout 4.
Last year, Microsoft acquired Zenimax Media for a whopping US$7.5 billion. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and Xbox head Phil Spencer also both gave their condolences:

A sad moment for the games industry. Robert Altman built ZeniMax into what it is today. My heart goes out to his family, loved ones, and colleagues. https://t.co/uOgSqKsGWH
— Satya Nadella (@satyanadella) February 4, 2021

EA also gave their condolences:

https://t.co/mhIhPf9vLG pic.twitter.com/D6EQHL76uZ
— Electronic Arts (@EA) February 4, 2021


Shang-Chi Raises The Bar On Fighting & Action Scenes In The MCU

It’s been a while since the Marvel Cinematic Universe has released a movie that introduces a brand new hero and his/her/their origins. The last was 2019’s Captain Marvel. All of the rest since then has focused on existing characters, especially in the lead-up to 2019’s Avengers Endgame and the immediate aftermath. How is the first time foray of Marvel’s iconic Master Of Kung Fu?
Everybody Was Kung Fu Fighting

It can’t be understated how important Shang-Chi is as the first MCU movie with an Asian lead. Simu Liu is great as Shang-Chi and the rest of the cast (most of whom are also Asian) perform well. The highlight is unsurprisingly the legendary Tony Leung as Wenwu AKA the true Mandarin we’ve been waiting for since 2013’s Iron Man 3.
The relationship between Shang-Chi and Wenwu forms the crux of the emotional core in the movie. The focus is rightly on them throughout the movie, as we explore not only the origins of Shang-Chi, but his father, Wenwu, as well. In fact, I believe Wenwu might be one of the best villains in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
He’s not one-dimensional, and is similar to the likes of Tom Hiddleston’s Loki or Michael B. Jordan’s Erik Killmonger in that he’s a sympathetic and complex antagonist. Not only can Tony Leung fight well, but he is easily the most standout performance of the film.

At its heart, the story of Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings centres around grief (love persevering) and how different people handle it and are changed by it for better or worst. With the movie set in a post-Blip (Thanos’ Snap) world, grief is a common and recurring theme in many of the MCU’s recent movies or Disney+ TV series.
The fighting choreography in Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings distinguishes it from all other movies in the MCU thus far, featuring the franchise’s best action scenes to date.
There’s a little bit of flavour and inspiration from Jackie Chan, Donnie Yen and Chinese wushu movies in the way that the characters fight. If anything, Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings is worth watching for its fighting sequences alone, especially if you’re a martial arts or action movie buff.

These action scenes are often thrilling, exhilarating and sometimes even shot in a dynamic way. This movie definitely delivers what we’ve always wanted to see in the MCU ever since the disappointing Netflix’s Iron Fist TV series failed to fulfil its own potential in that regard. The MCU’s first Asian hero can certainly kick ass with the best of them, and it’s wonderful to see.
Most of the movie’s plot is formulaic and predictable, with several flashbacks to Shang-Chi and Wenwu’s past. The movie is burdened with having to a lot of exposition toward establishing the true Ten Rings organization and other the background of several major characters, which is why certain supporting characters like Michelle Yeoh’s Ying Nan and even Shang-Chi’s sister, Xi Xialing (Meng’er Zhang) get the short stick in terms of development.

Several characters like Awkwafina’s Katy, Ben Kingsley’s Trevor Slattery and even Benedict Wong’s Wong are mostly there to do most of the heavy lifting on comic relief and humour. Thankfully, they do a good job, especially Kingsley’s Trevor Slattery. Kudos to Marvel for turning a characters fan love to hate into a funny and somewhat likeable buffoon.
Unfortunately, the third act of this movie suffers from many of the same problems as other MCU movies. It’s a messy and flashy CGI-fest as we’ve come to expect from most superhero movies. However, there are great moments of fighting choreography to be enjoyed here, especially in the climactic confrontation between Shang-Chi and Wenwu.
A New Hero Is In Town

Without going into spoilers, Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings is self-contained and mostly carves its own space in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, thereby opening and expanding the MCU even further. Don’t worry, the movie definitely explains away the fake ‘Mandarin’ from 2013’s Iron Man 3, and sets up even more future lore to chew into.
Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings is a welcome addition to the MCU, and I’m sure many fans won’t want to miss the debut of its latest hero. The fighting scenes alone are definitely worth the price of heading out in the new normal we’re facing today.
P.S.: Don’t forget to stay until the very end for the movie’s TWO post-credits scenes.
FINAL SCORE: 80/100
We attended a press screener of Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings courtesy of The Walt Disney Company Malaysia.
Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings is slated to premiere on 30 September 2021 in Malaysian cinemas.


Overwatch League: Another Official Team Name Announced – And a Matching Hero To Go With It

One of the two teams representing Los Angeles for the upcoming Overwatch League will be called Los Angeles ValiantÂ and the team will adorn the colors of green and gold with Mercy being their hero of choice. City of Angels. Our token Guardian Angel as their mascot. It’s a no brainer, really.

While no official news yet on the team’s roster, it is known that a bulk of theÂ squad will consist of the crew who were Champions of Overwatch Contenders Zero: North America, Immortals.

â€œWe knew since day one that we were gonna need to pick and develop a newÂ OverwatchÂ League specific brand,â€ says Immortals CEO and L.A. Valiant owner Noah Whinston. â€œI think for us it was crucial to pick one that wasn’t just a nice sounding name and wasn’t just a nice looking logo, but was also something that was able to carry forward the same brand ideals that have been core to what we have done in esports over the last two years. I’m really happy that we ended up where we did with Valiant because I do think both from an aesthetic, and in an organizational identity perspective, we’ve ended up in a place that’s really in line with where we were already at.â€
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D718NdrEAFo&w=560&h=315]
This reveal follows several earlier reveals of official Overwatch League team names including:
Shanghai Dragons
Dallas Fuel (EnVyUs)
San Francisco Shock (NRG)
Los Angeles Valiant (Immortals)
Along with these teams are several others who are yet to reveal their official Overwatch League name although a recent trademark filing by owners of the Team Seoul slot, KSV esports suggests that they will be called Seoul Dynasty.
We will be bringing you all the updates on Overwatch League as we head closer to the registration deadline which is less than a week to go so stay tuned.


The Way Of The Househusband Anime Gets Hilarious First Trailer

The Way Of The Househusband anime adaptation was originally announced in 2020, but the long-awaited adaptation of the hit manga has finally received a trailer and a release date from Netflix.
The Way Of The Househusband is based on the cosy gangster comedy manga about â€œThe Immortal Dragon,â€ a former yakuza member whose incredible feats are still talked about in the underworld, spending his daily life as a househusband.
It is slated to premiere on Netflix on 8 April 2021.

In the meantime, check out the trailer below:


AniManGaki 2022: Lineup & Highlights

In May 2022, AniManGaki announced that they were returning this year with a live event for the first time since 2019. It’s slated to take place from 27 to 28 August 2022 at Mines International Exhibition & Convention Centre.
Activities include artist alley, cosplay alley, a Vtuber showcase, game tournaments, stage performance, exhibitors, carnival games, live stage performances, special guests, cosplay competition, AniManGaki idol, art competition and more.
How does the 2022 edition compare with the 2019 edition (which had a visiting Yoko Taro, among others)? You can buy the tickets by heading over here.

Check out the highlights below:
AniManGaki 2022 Floor Plan & Exhibitor List
Check out the full AniManGaki floor plan and exhibitor list below:
P.S.: We’re (the Kakuchopurei team) going to be there too!

Special Guests
According to the official AniManGaki Facebook page, there will be a total of four special guests at this year’s event. However, only two have been revealed so far, but we’ll update this article when they’re announced.
Emirichu

An American Youtuber with over 3 million followers on her channel, Emirichu features videos where she illustrates conversations with friends and stories about her personal life.
AniManGaki attendees will be able to meet her in person during her panel session.
In a statement, she said:
“I don’t really know anything about Malaysian food but I definitely want to try pisang goreng, curry puffs, murtabak, and nasi lemak!”
MindaRyn

An Anisong singer with over one million followers on her YouTube channel and currently signed under Lantis, Mindaryn also speaks three languages.
She will be performing a live concert on 27 August 2022 at AniManGaki 2022.
Randowis

RandoWis is a creator who has authored comics, illustrations, animations, and videos on the internet that are viewable for free on his main website and social media platforms. Starting out as a series of short comics that he made for his classmates back in 2011, he has since published works for all to see and enjoy for the past 10 years.
Shirahama

Shirahama debuted as a mangaka artist with the Beam Comics serialized manga; “Eniale & Dewiela”. Her works include creating cover illustrations and art for names such as Marvel, DC, Star Wars and more. Serialization of her latest manga “Witch Hat Atelier” began in 2016, garnering popularity from not only within Japan, but across the globe starting with France’s “Japan Expo Awards” while winning an award from there and beyond.
Biggest Gathering Of Malaysian VTubers

80 Malaysian VTubers will be gathering at Animangaki 2022 and they will all be available at the Upper Mezzanine floor of the event.

AniManGaKi 2022 Artist Alley Directory
This year’s edition will see the largest artist (doujin) alley in AniManGaki history.
Check out the whole directory below:

Idol Competition Judges

The judges for the Idol Competition will be Fate Feather ???? · ????, Jasmine Minori & Kazuki Tai. However, registration for the Idol Competition has already closed.
Cosplay Competition Judges

The judges for the Cosplay Competition will be Rikka Blurhound, Shinku_?? and Y.Hoong Cosplay. However, registration for the Cosplay Competition has already closed.
Art Competition

The Art Competition comes with an RM2,750+ prize pool. You can submit your entries by heading over here, but the submission window will close on 14 August 2022.
PUBG Mobile Exhibition

This will be PUBG Mobile’s first solo exhibition at a Malaysian ACG convention officially by Tencent Games. They’re teasing the next anime collaboration for the game.
Genshin Impact

This will be Genshin Impact’s first Malaysian ACG convention appearance officially by HoYoverse.
Kakuchopurei Arcade Challenge
Try out our custom arcade sticks, and play TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge with pals to get a high score. The top-scoring teams will get a Long Party Box coupon from Pizza Hut worth RM99!
https://www.facebook.com/kakuchopurei/posts/pfbid0x3S6JzGF9L4GbMuUnwAJxKAF1JM78MxitZaiXEpxt8PC4RzQKorYaboUTuodBnS9l?__tn__=%2CO*F


Apex Legends Is Getting A New Limited Time Game Mode

Back in August at the launch of the Iron Crown Collection event, Respawn Entertainment gave us a taste of what it feels like to play solo in Apex Legends. Up next, we’re getting a limited time duos mode.

Starting next week, for a limited time, it takes ?.
Dive in to Duos 11/5. pic.twitter.com/uJkk7txcNE
— Apex Legends (@PlayApex) October 30, 2019

Respawn didn’t specify how long the new game mode will be playable for but you can start playing duos on 5 November 2019. Instead of the usual three-player team, you can only team up with one other squadmate. Expect to get third and fourth-partied more frequently.
As most gamers would know, this isn’t a fresh idea in the battle royale genre. Both Fortnite and PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG) have had a duos mode for a while now. Apex Legend is unique in the sense that the regular game mode will always require you to form a three-player squad.
It’s an understandable move employed by Respawn entertainment to occasionally revive attention and excitement towards the game but I’m sincerely hoping that they’ll integrate solos and duos as permanent game modes in the future. It’ll definitely introduce some much needed variety.


How Long Will The Final Fantasy VII Remake Be A PS4 Exclusive For?

Square Enix recently confirmed what everyone has suspected all this while; the Final Fantasy VII Remake will be a PS4 timed exclusive. At least according to the fine print on the official box art.

So how long is this going to last? Until 3rd March 2021, a year after the game’s PS4 launch date. While timed exclusives aren’t exactly new in gaming, at least it gives players an option to either:

Get a PS4 now for Christmas just for this remake, which is a good choice if you haven’t. Or…
Wait an extra year after 3rd March 2020 if they want to see it on PC or Xbox One. By the by, Square Enix hasn’t confirmed which other platforms this remake will be on, but these two platforms are a shoe-in for this game.

If you’re planning on option #1, you should also check out our PlayStation 4 buyer’s guide in a form of this feature.Â


SoundScape: The Best Mega Man Tracks To Start Off With

So Mega Man 11’s music isn’t exactly lighting the Mega-world on fire. A shame too, because the Mega Man games boast one of the catchiest 8-bit (and more) soundtracks for a 2D action platformer game filled with theme park setpieces as actual boss levels. Dozens of metal artists and cover bands will always find a way to play tracks like Mega Man 2’s Wily Stage 1 theme in exciting and breathtaking ways.
The OSTs are so monumental there are even concept bands who name themselves after Mega Man’s brother, singing awesome rock ballads about the future robot wars.

Unfortunately, there wouldn’t be a SoundScape video for this yet due to time constraints, so I’ll do the next best thing: write about the best tracks in the OG Mega Man games and why they make an impact in every retro gamer’s lives and earbuds.
“Dr Wily Stage 1” from Mega Man 2

The Mega Man games were never creative with their naming conventions, but the impact of this tune to many young gamers in the late 80s is profound. The high BPM, the catchy jingle, the sense of dread from how “final” this tune sounds when you’re storming the Wily Castle; it’s pure 8-bit synth bliss.
“Flash Man” from Mega Man 2

Among all the Robot Master’s themes, this one is pretty catchy due to the main verse and the very similar-sounding chorus that came out of Metallica’s Seek & Destroy. No, really!
“Wood Man” from Mega Man 2

After the intro, the main beat just brings you to a thub-thumping jungle vibe. Gosh, there are just too many memorable Mega Man 2 tracks to choose from.
“Wily Stage 1” from Mega Man 3

Again with the penultimate stages’ music. This one has a more “jazz-like” and “peppy” vibe to it, but still retains the high octane thrill and dread you get when barging into a big boss’ fortress unannounced.
“Snake Man” from Mega Man 3

Who knew a theme about a wriggly level filled with towers, green snakes, and clouds can house such a memorable melody?
“Shadow Man” from Mega Man 3

I was not expecting a theme for a space ninja to turn out this funky.
“Ending” from Mega Man 3

Holy effin’ tearjerker, Batman. This theme brings in the feels. Back when no one knew what to expect from a Mega Man game, part 3 brings in an epic tale unlike any other, complete with the iconic twist that Mega Man has a long-lost robot brother.
“Dr Cossack Stage 2” from Mega Man 4

Back when there was no internet, no one knew if Dr. Cossack was going to be the big bad of Mega Man 4 or not. This made the last few Cossack stages a lot tenser especially when this music came in.
“Gravity Man” from Mega Man 5

The sci-fi melody of this flip-flopping stage is arguably the only merit this Mega Man sequel has, music-wise. Everything else is rather forgettable.
“Tomahawk Man”, “Knight Man” from Mega Man 6

The Western and medieval leit motifs of both these stages showcase the world tour vibe this Mega Man sequel has.
“Tengu Man (PlayStation version)” from Mega Man 8

This track captures the joys of flying in the sky and being in a sky-based theme stage, clouds and all. There’s a carefree vibe here that warrants multiple listens.
“Frost Man” from Mega Man 8

The duality of this stage astounds many fans. On one hand, it introduces the worst aspects of an auto-scroll Mega Man stage. But on the other, the winterland music sped up to a high tempo coupled by sick bass licks adds a lot of mystique to this sleek and svelte track.
“Pirate Man (Super Famicom version)” from Mega Man & Bass
Maritime level music always has the reverb effect turned on like mad, but what about on 16-bit sound chips? Somehow or other the music makers (Toshihiko Horiyama, Naoshi Mizuta,Â Akari Kaida)Â made it work with its kinda-warbly effects and beautiful sombre melody.

Trivia: The “boop” beats during verse after the 30-second mark alternates between the left and right channels of your headphones. That’s pretty amazing sound detailing there.
“Ground Man (Super Famicom version)” from Mega Man & Bass

I never expected a stage in Giza to have such jazzy music. This theme is sure to get your head-bopping, because it’s a rare instance that a Mega Man game that isn’t X has such good music on the SNES.
“We’re The Robots ~Wily Stage 2” & “Galaxy Man” from Mega Man 9

Both Mega Man 9 and Mega Man 10 have great NES-synth soundtracks that happen to have extra layers not possible back in the day. But if we had to pick one or two tracks that exemplify these neo-retro titles, we’ll go with the cyber-anthem theme in Mega Man 9’s final few stages…

…and this space sentai-influenced theme from Galaxy Man’s stage…

…and this sky-high inspirational ditty from Tornado Man’s stage. There’s just too many tracks to pick here, goddammit!
“Nitro Man” and “Solar Man” from Mega Man 10

Fun fact: Mega Man 10’s Robot Master stage tunes were composed by former composers from Mega Man’s musical past. Almost every songwriter had a hand in the OST to create a series progression of music to culminate the series.

And this proves that musicians like Manami Matsumae and Yasuaki “Bun Bun” Fujita are the cream of the crop for Mega Man tunes. Their respective contributions are the adrenaline-laced “Nitro Man” theme and danger-filled “Solar Man” theme.
So far, these are the best Mega Man tracks I know and love listening to repeatedly on a rainy day. What is your choice picks? Let us know!


Here’s What AMD Showcased During CES 2023

AMD had quite a lot to show off during this year’s CES 2023. The company’s own CEO Dr. Lisa Su offered this year’s keynote and announced new Radeon GPUs and CPUs for laptops, brand new 32D V-Cache desktop processors, and a giant-as-hell GPU with a lot of CPU inside which is sure to make a hardware geek grow a boner instantaneously.
Here’s a round-up on what’s announced:

AMD Ryzen 7045HX Series Processors for Mobile: Powered by up to 16 powerful “Zen 4” cores and 32 threads, the Ryzen 7045HX mobile processors are built on advanced 5nm process technology and feature the potent combination of the most processing threads currently found on a mobile processor and advanced DDR5 memory support.
AMD Ryzen 7040 Series Processors for Mobile: With up to eight “Zen 4” cores, integrated AMD RDNA 3 graphics architecture, and delivering leading performance for ultrathin PC laptops, the Ryzen 7040 Series Mobile processors offer massive horsepower in the thinnest, lightest systems.
Ryzen AI Technology: As part of the new Ryzen 7040 Series Mobile processors, AMD also unveiled Ryzen AI Technology – the first dedicated artificial intelligence hardware in an X86 processor, bringing AMD XDNA adaptive AI architecture to laptop computing to deliver more performance for real-time AI experiences.
AMD Radeon RX 7000 Series Graphics for Laptops: AMD Radeon RX 7000 Series Graphics for laptop PCs, built on the ground-breaking AMD RDNA 3 architecture, are designed to deliver exceptional energy efficiency and performance to power 1080p gaming at ultra-settings and advanced content creation applications on next-generation premium laptops.
AMD Advantage Laptops and AMD Smart Technologies: Several leading OEMs, including Alienware, ASUS, Emdoor and IP3, announced plans to deliver AMD Advantage Edition laptops beginning in the first half of 2023, powered by the new AMD Radeon RX 7000 Series Graphics and AMD Ryzen 7000 Series processors. New AMD SmartShift RSR technology, expected to be available in the first half of 2023, intelligently distributes rendering, upscaling, and presentation demands between APU and GPU resources to help deliver the best possible performance.
AMD Ryzen 7000 Series X3D Desktop Processors: AMD is bringing the power of 3D V-Cache technology to the Ryzen 7000 Series desktop lineup with the addition of three new X3D processors. Equipped with up to 144MB of cache and sporting up to 16 cores and 32 threads, AMD now offers 3D V-Cache technology on new Ryzen 7000 series processors without compromises.
AMD Ryzen 7000 Series 65W Desktop Processors: Built on the “Zen 4” architecture and featuring a 65W TDP, this new lineup of Ryzen 7000 Series processors is optimized for both efficiency and performance.

AMD Instinct MI300: As the world’s first integrated data center APU, the AMD Instinct MI300 is designed for power-efficient AI training performance and HPC workloads. MI300 accelerators leverage a 3D chiplet design combining AMD CDNA 3 GPU, “Zen 4” CPU and HBM chiplets. If you want to see a mammoth-sized chip, look no further than this killer instinct.

Alveo V70 AI Accelerator Preview: AMD is previewing the world’s most energy-efficient video analytics AI accelerator – the AMD Alveo V70, a new high-performance, energy-efficient AI inference accelerator for data center and cloud deployments. Based on AMD XDNA with AI Engine architecture, the Alveo V70 extends pervasive AI from edge to cloud and delivers industry-leading compute efficiency for the most demanding workloads.
For more on CES 2023, check out our previous coverage.


Russell Crowe Fights Demons In New The Pope’s Exorcist Trailer

Sony Pictures Malaysia has unveiled the first spooky trailer for The Pope’s Exorcist, a new horror movie starring Russell Crowe as Father Gabriele Amorth, the titular chief exorcist of the Vatican.
The movie is allegedly adapted from the actual writings of Father Gabriele Amorth, who founded the International Association Of Exorcists and claimed to perform tens of thousands of exorcisms over the course of his life.

The synopsis reads:
Inspired by the actual files of Father Gabriele Amorth, Chief Exorcist of the Vatican (Academy Award®-winner Russell Crowe), The Pope’s Exorcist follows Amorth as he investigates a young boy’s terrifying possession and ends up uncovering a centuries-old conspiracy the Vatican has desperately tried to keep hidden.
The Pope’s Exorcist premieres in cinemas in April 2023.
Check out the trailer below:


The King Of Fighters Orochi Shermie Gets The 1/6th Statue Treatment

While there aren’t any standout The King of Fighters XV figures and statues up for pre-order right now, company Flying Fish has the next best thing.
The statue and figure-making company just announced pre-orders for The King of Fighters ’97 Orochi Shermie, the Orochi version of sexy wrestler fighter and fan of eye-covering long bangs Shermie from the New Blood/Orochi Team in the most recent KOF. For those who don’t know, Orochi Shermie has a bunch of new moves that sets her apart from her regular counterpart, using the power of lightning cribbed from KOF Hero team alumni Benimaru.

You can expect to fork out over RM1,979/US$509 or more for this bad girl. She is 1/6th in scale and her measurements are 32cm x 21cm x 23cm (HxWxL). Don’t ask about her other measurements or else…

There are only 299 pieces of this statue up for pre-ordering; you will need to put in a 45% deposit to secure your order. Orochi Shermie will be out in Quarter 3 2022. You can do so now on the following links:
Specfiction Shop
Hobby Fan Club
Carousell


Where The Heart Leads Is An Unflinching Look At Life’s Choices

Platform(s): PS4, PS5
Genre: Adventure, Narrative Consequence, Story Choice, Single-Player
Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol is probably one of the most adapted works in fiction, either directly or indirectly. I specifically refer to the concept of the spirits of Christmas Past, Present and Yet To Come (or Future). The idea of bearing witness to your own past, present and future is a powerful one; and one that can change any person for the better.
Combine a bit of that with a sprinkling of the butterfly effect concept and an unflinching look at the development of a realistic family through various generations, and you’ll have Armature Studio’s Where The Heart Leads.
Truth Is Stranger Than Fiction

Where The Heart Leads is a narrative-driven adventure game about relationships spanning a lifetime of interactions where players make choices that change not only themselves and their family members but also the small town that the game takes place in; Carthage. Assuming the role of Whit Anderson, players will guide him through his past, present, and future as he reflects on his life and an entire lifetime of pivotal moments along the way.
If you’ve played other narrative-driven adventure games like Telltale’s The Walking Dead (or any title from them), Dontnod’s Life Is Strange, Quantic Dream’s Detroit Become Human or Supermassive Games’ Until Dawn, Where The Heart Leads is similar in that there is no conventional combat gameplay. Instead, it is an interactive and cinematic game where characters interact via dialogue choices and choosing their next action to progress through the story.
While the core narrative of Where The Heart Leads is heavily inspired by A Christmas Carol (where you experience the past, present and future of protagonist Whit Anderson), the core mechanic of the game relies on the butterfly effect (this exact term is even mentioned in the game). What makes this game different from other similar games with bigger budgets is that even the littlest and seemingly most inconsequential dialogue choice or action can change the outcome of what happens next in the narrative VERY drastically.
The best aspect of Where The Heart Leads is its brilliant writing. In all my years of playing video games, these are some of the most complex and realistic characters I’ve seen. The cast of characters who consists of Whit’s family members and friends/acquaintances are all complicated and layered. They feel love, fear, calm and anxiety, especially as Whit has to grapple with difficult decisions that affect them. Your life choices and actions can have vastly positive or negative effects on theirs as well, just like in real life.

What impressed me most was how the relationships and dynamics of a realistic family are depicted in the game. They’re not simply dysfunctional just for the sake of it, but quite true to life, which I can attest to.
Some of the writing and characters in this game can make me uncomfortable and disturbed, albeit in a good way. It reflects certain aspects of my own life as well as those of my family members, and I’m certain, for many of those who are reading this too.
These elements can hit much closer to home than I would like in a game, but so would a movie or TV show with the same quality of writing.
I would also like to add that Where The Heart Leads is a lot more grounded than other games in the same genre. There’s no gimmicky time-reversing mechanic like in Life In Strange, nor is there much of a farfetched fantasy, sci-fi or horror element at play like Telltale’s The Walking Dead, Detroit Become Human or Until Dawn. At its heart, Where the Heart Leads is a family drama. Despite the past, present and future themes at play, they’re mostly linear in nature, so don’t expect actual time-travelling mechanics.
Where The Heart Leads also features collectibles with details that develop the game’s characters and world even further. these include journal entries, sentimental items, and other artifacts from Whitâ€™s past. These are optional for players to pick up and read, but they often feature unique art that usually affects the narrative in some way.
The game boasts over 600,000 words of dialogue, which means that there are so many different branching narrative paths in the game. That said, a single playthrough of the game can take anywhere from seven to ten hours (it took me seven hours) to complete, which means that Where The Heart Leads is not a game where you can easily play subsequent playthroughs in succession without getting hit by fatigue. By the end of my first playthrough, I was too tired to immediately try out another playthrough just for the sake of getting different outcomes.
Shades Of Grey

Still, that’s a lot of content for what is supposed to be an indie title. That length had to be balanced out by something else. In this case, the biggest weakness or disadvantage of Where The Heart Leads is the lack of voice acting and facial expressions. Unlike the games that I mentioned above as being the most similar to Where The Heart Leads (such as Telltale’s The Walking Dead, Dontnod’s Life Is Strange, Quantic Dream’s Detroit Become Human or Night School Studio’s Oxenfree), Aramature’s game doesn’t have voice acting or facial expressions.
All the atmosphere and emotional impact of the game is conveyed through its instrumental music and written words alone. While the music can be excellent at doing that, the game admittedly does suffer as a result. The game also boasts a beautiful watercolour-like aesthetic and visuals, but one aspect of the game bugged me. All of the other characters in the game don’t feature any details; they’re just blank silhouettes or shades with no faces.

For instance, not even the game’s great writing could stir up much emotion from me as I realise that I’m interacting with faceless figures with no voices. One could argue that a good book doesn’t need either voices or visualization to stir up emotion, but Where The Heart Leads is a video game, which is a different medium. Come on, even Japanese visual novels usually have striking and emotive facial expressions and/or art to make up for the lack of voices. Where The Heart Leads has neither.
The other characters being just blank silhouettes also adds more issues in itself. While the figures are usually different enough between each character, I always had to go really close to them and see their names pop up before I can discern who that particular character is. This becomes a frustrating problem in bigger areas of the game. I’ve wasted time just wandering around just looking for that one specific character to progress the narrative. A blank silhouette can be hard to spot when it’s on top of a freaking building or somewhere inconspicuous.
Ghosts Of Past, Present And Future

Where The Heart Leads is a gut-wrenching and relentless look at how life’s littlest decisions and actions can have the biggest impact on one’s past, present and future. The game may suffer from its lack of voices and facial expressions, but it makes up for those with good music to set the tone and vibrant visuals. This is a praise-worthy original title from the folks at Armature Studio.
Pros

Beautiful and picturesque watercolour-style visuals.
Brilliant writing with some of the most complex and realistic characters I’ve ever seen in a game.
An unflinching look at family dynamics and relationships.
Every line of dialogue or action can have drastic and major changes on the narrative and world in the game.
Good instrumental music to set the tone.

Cons

No voice acting to speak of.
All characters (besides the protagonist) are blank silhouettes with no faces or facial expressions.
Repetitive music several hours in.

Final Score: 70/100
Review copy provided by Armature Studios. Played on PS5. It is slated to release for the PS4 and PS5 on 13 July 2021.
[videopress ryyOxFYR]


King’s Bounty 2 Could Be The Witcher 3 Of Turn-Based Tactical Strategy RPGs

Platform(s): PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Nintendo Switch
Genre: Turn-Based Tactical Strategy, RPG, Strategy
The original King’s Bounty was released way back in 1990. Yes, there have been several spinoffs and spiritual reboots like the Heroes Of Might And Magic franchise and 2008’s King’s Bounty The Legend. However, developer 1C Entertainment is finally following up the legendary turn-based tactical strategy game that started it all with a proper sequel decades later, and that’s what King’s Bounty 2 is supposed to be.
First off, let me just clarify that King’s Bounty 2Â is my first game in the franchise, and I reckon that that will be the case for many out there as well. Still, I am a fan of turn-based tactical strategy games, especially those like XCOM, Fire Emblem and more. After sinking many hours into the preview, I can say that if you’re a fan of those games, you’ll likely love what King’s Bounty 2Â is offering.
And no, the appeal of this game isn’t just limited to fans of the turn-based tactical strategy genre either. The developer has combined the best aspects of iconic modern RPGs like BioWare’s Dragon Age/Mass Effect franchise and CD Projekt Red’s The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt. Just like those games, you’ll be controlling a character via a third-person perspective throughout the game’s semi-open-world (think cities/towns/hubs with pathways to other places, similar to that like in Dragon Age/Mass Effect).
Kingdom Come

The similarities don’t end there, as the developer has also made sure that King’s Bounty 2 features pretty good cinematic cutscenes and animations, especially considering that 1C Entertainment isn’t exactly a massive AAA company with resources like BioWare or CD Projekt Red. It’s closer in line and production value to that of the recent underrated RPG game, GreedFall by Spiders (check out my review of that game here). The facial animations and environments look commendable and immersive enough, just don’t expect something like the heights of The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt.
What adds to the overall sense of immersion is that this giant, fully 3D world also plays into the combat. When one of the many turn-based battles starts, it starts at that location. The place in the world is divided into hexes, and all the landmarks that were around you are part of the battlefield. Further elements like high ground and line of sight are incorporated into this, and so too is the environment itself. If youâ€™re fighting in a wide-open field then you can expect the battleground to be quite large, suggesting you might want lighter, quicker units than if youâ€™re fighting in the close confines of a dungeon.
As for the combat? If you’ve played XCOM or Fire Emblem, you’ll be familiar with how King’s Bounty 2Â plays. Unlike those games though, King’s Bounty 2Â features much smaller battlefields and fewer grids overall. You’re much closer to the action, which results in battles usually being more intense and decisive in just several turns.
A Game Of Thrones

At the beginning of the game, players can choose one of three characters, each essentially representing a class, and the story for each will take you on a different route through the world. However, since this is a turn-based tactical strategy game, you don’t actually control that character in actual combat; instead, you’ll be controlling units consisting of many individuals.
Units belong to several races/types/classes, like humans, the undead, dwarves, beasts and more. You can bring up to five different units in a single battle, and keep the other extra units you have in reserve. However, you can’t just make up a team with one of each without any drawbacks. The morality system, or Ideals, dictates what types of units suit your playstyle. This is where a bit of BioWare blood comes into play.
There are four Ideals: Order, Anarchy, Power, and Finesse. Order and Anarchy are basically Paragon and Renegade from Mass Effect, while Power and Finesse are basically whether you want to focus on pure strength (Power) or magical abilities (Finesse). Each of these has its own talent tree, but more importantly, each is also tied to how you finish quests and how your character develops. Just like its inspirations, quests in the game feature multiple choices and therefore multiple outcomes, each of which corresponds to a different Ideal.

For example, while dealing with a group of bandits, if I side with the villagers and defeat the bandits in battle, that’s considered according to Order. What this means then is that I’ll obtain talent points to spend in the Order skill tree, which comes with its own advantages. On the other hand, if I side with the bandits, I’ll obtain Anarchy talent points instead. The same applies to Power and Finesse. This isn’t an easy game (and there are no difficulty levels), so you’ll have to plan your Ideal carefully.
Combine all this with the variety of units that you can recruit, the ability combinations and magical spells, as well as the three different characters you can choose from to start with, there is actually tons of potential for unique playthroughs and replayability. I also appreciate certain quality-of-life mechanics, like the fact that I could retreat from battles if I’m under-levelled and the enemies are too strong. Unlike other RPGs, the game doesn’t force you to fight a battle if you know you will lose, so you can just come back later instead of having to reload an earlier save.
The game crashed only once while I was playing the preview version of the game, and that’s essentially the only bug/issue I encountered in hours of gameplay. If the preview version is polished and almost bug-free, the full version will likely be even better, with the developer promising fewer load times and more at launch.
That should be considered impressive enough for a game like this, seeing as even a huge developer like CD Projekt Red could release a game filled with bugs and issues. I’m really looking forward to the full version of the game when it launches on 24 August 2021.
Preview copy provided by Koch Media. Played on PC via Steam (Acer Predator Triton 500).


Xbox Isn’t Going To Raise Its Console Prices For Now

A lot of people are worried about whether other game companies will raise video game console prices, as well as games for that matter. PlayStation has done that so far with the PlayStation 5 and its triple-A games.
Xbox? Well, they have one idea: don’t disrupt the status quo. Xbox brand head Phil Spencer said that it’s not right in these economic times to raise prices on Xbox consoles during a CNBC interview.
“I can never say that we ever won’t do something, but… I can definitely say today we have no plans to raise the price of our consoles. We think in a time where our customers are more economically challenged than ever, we don’t think that would be the right move.”
He also said that Xbox wants to bring the Call of Duty franchise to more platforms, expanding the places for all of their games going forward. For context, Xbox is in the midst of buying Activision Blizzard, the company that runs the Call of Duty franchise.
 “Exclusivity has been the backbone of our industry but we’ve built out the model for more access to our games. You can play our games on Console, PC and web browser to reach more gamers [via Xbox Game Pass].
Competition is about driving competitors to innovate.”
Keep in mind that PlayStation is currently creating exclusive content for PS4/PS5 versions of multiplatform games, such as Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II’s Oni Operator and Weapon Blueprint, and Hogwarts Legacy’s exclusive PlayStation quest. Check out the CNBC segment below:


Diablo 4 Open Beta PC Specs Revealed; Looks Pretty Lightweight

Action RPG Diablo 4 is getting an open beta session playable for early adopters and the public later this March, so it’s only fit to tell PC gamers what hardware they need to run the game.
This being a 2023 title and how mainstream the action RPG series is, we weren’t surprised at the specs being in the middle and low side of things, especially if you’ve upgraded your computer last year. It is a far cry from Diablo 3’s specs which catered towards all sorts of PCs low and high in the 2012 era of gaming.
Here they are.
Diablo 4 Open Beta Minimum PC Specs
Settings to run the Diablo IV Open Beta at 1080p native resolution / 720p render resolution, low graphics settings, 30 fps.

Operating System: 64-bit Windows 10
Processor: Intel Core i5-2500K or AMD FX-8100
Memory: 8 GB RAM
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660 or AMD Radeon R9 280
DirectX: Version 12
Storage: SSD with 45 GB available space
Internet: Broadband Connection

Diablo 4 Open Beta Recommended PC Specs

Operating System: 64-bit Windows 10
Processor: Intel Core i5-4670K or AMD R3-1300X
Memory: 16 GB RAM
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 or AMD Radeon RX 470
DirectX: Version 12
Storage: SSD with 45 GB available space
Internet: Broadband Connection

The SSD-requirement may be off-putting to some, but you can still run the game on an HDD drive, albeit with longer load times. Still, it’s looking like Diablo 4 is going to be for all sorts of gamers from potato rigs to high-end powerhouses. For more on Diablo 4, check out our open beta feature.


Riot Games To Pay US$100 Million As Settlement For Gender Discrimination Lawsuit

Riot Games, best known for League Of Legends and Valorant, has announced that they will pay out a total of US$100 million after reaching a global settlement agreement with the California Department Of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH), California Division Of Labor Standards Enforcement (DLSE), and several private Plaintiffs to resolve its gender discrimination lawsuit from 2018.
The total sum includes a US$80 million settlement and US$20 million in fees and expenses. According to the agreement, Riot will pay US$80 million to all current and former full-time employees and temporary agency contractors in California who identify as women and worked at the company from November 2014 to the present day.
That’s not all, as Riot Games has alsoÂ agreed to have its internal reporting and pay equity processes to be monitored and examined by a third-party company that is approved by both Riot and the DFEH for a period of three years. However, all of this is still pending final approval from the court and will be taking place in the following months.
This settlement is for a gender discrimination lawsuit that was originally filed in 2018 following a report from Kotaku that exposed the problems and issues at Riot Games.
Speaking with The Washington Post, a Riot Games spokesperson said:
Final approval of this settlement by the court is currently pending, and a hearing is expected to take place within “the coming months.”
â€œThree years ago, Riot was at the heart of what became a reckoning in our industry. We had to face the fact that despite our best intentions, we hadnâ€™t always lived up to our values. As a company we stood at a crossroads; we could deny the shortcomings of our culture, or we could apologize, correct course, and build a better Riot.
We chose the latter. â€¦ While weâ€™re proud of how far weâ€™ve come since 2018, we must also take responsibility for the past. We hope that this settlement properly acknowledges those who had negative experiences at Riot.â€
In this case, Riot Games is represented by Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP, while the plaintiffs in the class are represented by Genie Harrison Law APC and JML Law APLC.
The plaintiffsâ€™ counsel, the employment and sexual harassment lawyer Genie Harrison, said:
“This is a great day for the women of Riot Games â€” and for women at all video game and tech companies â€” who deserve a workplace that is free of harassment and discrimination.
We appreciate Riotâ€™s introspection and work since 2018 toward becoming a more diverse and inclusive company, its willingness to take responsibility for its past, and its commitment to continued fairness and equality in the future.â€
There remains a lot of scrutiny in the games industry, with ongoing problems at other companies like Activision Blizzard and Quantic Dream. Let’s hope that things continue to improve for all those working in the games industry, as we move into 2022 and beyond.


Min Min From Arms Will Be Super Smash Bros. Ultimate’s Next New Character

Fighting game fans are in for a treat, as Super Smash Bros. Ultimate will be getting a new character in its roster. Unfortunately, it’s not someone you may be clamouring for.
Instead of characters like Travis Touchdown, you’re getting that Asian caricature from Nintendo’s other fighting game Arms. That’s right: Min Min will be in the game later this month.
Basically, Min Min is your footsie/zoning archetype but with a twist: she can control how her arms bends when she launches her fists; the A and B buttons are each bound to a separate arm. She’s effective against heavier fighters like Bowser and Donkey Kong, but terrible against lighter fighters and combatants who excel in the air. Her Final Smash makes her call her rivals to deliver an ultimate beatdown.

If you’re interested in playing as Arms’ Ramen Girl, you can either buy the US$29.99 Fighters Pass Vol. 2 to get her and upcoming fighters, or the US$5.99 standalone Min Min Challenger Pack. Buying either of these will net you 18 tracks from the Arms OST into your SSBU collection, as well as the Spring Stadium stage.
As a bonus, you can also get new Mii Fighters costumes for US$0.75: Arms’ Ninjara, Fallout’s Vault Boy, Tekken’s Heihachi, and Splatoon’s Callie and Marie.

All this will be out 29th June. That’s good for SSBU fans who want more out of their game, but we’re hoping that the better stuff will be out later in 2020.


Roguelite Side-Scroller Summum Aeterna Launches On Consoles & PC This September

Great news for fans of the Aeterna universe! Publisher and developer Aeternum Game Studios finally has a window release date for the long-awaiting indie titled Summum Aeterna.
The game was first launched in Early Access for PC last Summer on Steam and will be leaving this September. Why the long period for Early Access? Well, the studio stated by receiving “feedback from the players, and the direct communication with the community, help us to achieve a perfect gaming experience”.
Players can still provide their suggestions for the game through various channels, especially on Discord and Reddit. Even after the game has launched, updates through patch notes will still be made and the team will point out what changes are based on the choice of the gaming community. Simply put, your voice matters in improving Summum Aeterna’s experience.

Summum Aeterna is a roguelite, side-scrolling platformer that combines fast-paced combat with dungeon crawler mechanics in a unique 2D art style. Players assumed the role of the King of Darkness, condemned to eternal life, exploring uncharted dungeons populated with treasures, traps, hordes of enemies, and powerful bosses.

What makes the game interesting is the “seed mechanic”, a tool that allows players to set up runs on demand by adding and removing genes. Each new adventure is different from the previous one, causing the enemy’s behaviour, map size, setting and many other factors to be different with each new run. The title takes this customization further with the inclusion of influences, an even more radical mechanic that makes each new run even more chaotic and unique than the last.
The launch version of Summum Aeterna promises a new world and a new final boss of the game, which according to the creator, is the toughest of all those existing in the Aeterna Universe. Furthermore, a cross-platform leaderboard will be available for players to compete with friends online.
The Aeterna Noctis prequel will launch for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Epic Game Store and Steam on 14 September 2023.
Did you know that Aeternum Game Studios recently announced a brand-new IP? Check out Eden Genesis for a new cyberpunk adventure indie game!


Activision Announces First Five Call Of Duty League Esports Teams

Move over, Overwatch League, a new esports league is coming. Activision has announced the first five teams for the upcoming Call of Duty league, which follows a similar structure to the Overwatch League with its city-based team franchises and structure.
Here are the cities that the five teams will represent:

Atlanta – Atlanta Esports Ventures
Dallas – Envy Gaming
New York – Sterling.VC
Paris – c0ntact Gaming
Toronto – OverActive Media

However, since the Call of Duty league is slated to begin in 2020, the Call of Duty game which will be used in the league has not been confirmed. It might turn out to be the rumored new Call of Duty Modern Warfare 4 game (check out the full story here).
In a press release (via IGN), Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick said:

â€œIn each of the five founding franchises announced today, we are partnering with existing Overwatch League team owners who have first-hand experience of our esports vision and capabilities and recognize the scale of the opportunity for a global, city-based Call of Duty league.
We look forward to announcing more details around these cities and other team sales in the coming months.â€

The next Call of Duty game will probably be announced near E3 2019. Stay tuned on Kakuchopurei for the latest news.


Shenmue III’s Battle Rally DLC Has Arrived

The dust has settled. Shenmue III is pretty much a disappointment except according to only its strongest fans. Developer Ys Net isn’t giving up on the game just yet. Two months following the game’s release, its first DLC has just dropped.

Shenmue III‘s Battle Rally DLC is now available for purchase on the PlayStation Store and the Epic Games Store. As of writing this, the PS Store version is being sold for RM32 while the PC version is priced at US$6.99 which is roughly the same amount.
The DLC introduces a “battle race” into the game. You’ll go up against two opponents in the race, treasure seeker Wuying Ren and Ryo Hazuki’s sparring partner Wei Zhen. This marks Wei Zhen’s first appearance in the game.

If you manage to get first place in the race, you’ll be rewarded with “awesome items”. To access the DLC content, you’ll have to play the game up to Niaowu or have save data on which the game has been cleared to play.
It’s safe to say that the content this DLC adds is definitely not enough to redeem the game or make it appealing to those who dislike it. Still, I’m pretty sure everyone who’s obsessed about Shenmue will appreciate it.


Here Are Your Darksiders Genesis PC Specs

The Darksiders franchise has been given a new lease of life due to the rise of THQ Nordic in recent years, with 2018’s Darksiders 3 and now a new spinoff prequel in the form of Darksiders Genesis, which is slated to release for PC and Google Stadia in December 2019, and on PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch sometime in February 2019.
Instead of the franchise’s usual third-person hack-and-slash action RPG, Darksiders Genesis is going more for a top-down hack-and-slash action RPG ala Blizzard’s Diablo. Developed by American studio Airship Syndicate, it will also introduce the fourth horseman of the Apocalypse, Strife, as the game’s one of two protagonists, alongside War.
Check out the PC spec requirements for Darksiders Genesis below:
MINIMUM:
Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
OS: Windows 7, 8, Windows 10 (64 bit)
Processor: AMD FX-8320 (3.5 GHz) / Intel i5-4690K (3.5 GHz) or better
Memory: 4 GB RAM
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960
DirectX: Version 11
Storage: 15 GB available space
Additional Notes: Preliminary System requirements
RECOMMENDED:
Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
OS: Windows 7, 8, Windows 10 (64 bit)
Processor: Intel Core i7-3930K (3.2 GHz)/AMD Ryzen 5 1600 (3.2 GHz) or better
Memory: 8 GB RAM
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060
DirectX: Version 11
Storage: 15 GB available space
Additional Notes: Preliminary System requirements
Expectedly, the game doesn’t seem to be too demanding in terms of specs, probably because it’s a spinoff and not a mainline entry in the franchise. In the meantime, check out some new gameplay footage from Darksiders Genesis below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQQAvfkAYK0&w=560&h=315]


Is M. Night Shyamalan’s Glass The Unbreakable/Split Ending We Need?

For all of M.Night Shyamalan’s flaws in his previous work sans The Sixth Sense and Unbreakable, I have to admire the guy. He’s one of those auteurs who relishes in what he does when stamping his trademarks on his directed films, even if it means derision and picking apart from critics.
At the very least, his recent works The Visit and Split are considered decent and entertaining fares while keeping true to the director and writer’s methodology.
So does this mean that Glass, his latest film that centres around the psychological aspects of people being superheroes and the institute that tries to wear them down, is worth the watch? Truth be told, my opinion is split in the middle. It showcases the best and worst of Shyamalan’s writing and directing in one fell swoop.
Hidden Cracks

Glass, the final instalment of the Eastrail 177 Trilogy (named after the derailed train in Unbreakable), brings the story of Unbreakable and Split to a close. Our protagonists -security guy David Dunn (Bruce Willis), schizo-serial-killer Kevin Wendell Crumb (James McAvoy), and brittle-boned super-genius Elijah “Mr. Glass” Price (Samuel L. Jackson) are all detained in an institute that tries to fix people of their delusions of being superhumans. The main person in the latter place? Dr. Ellie Staple (Sarah Paulson) as the psychiatrist in charge.
This being a Shyamalan film, there is way more to this than meets the eye. The supporting cast includes David’s son Joseph (Spencer Treat Clark), Kevin’s surviving victim Casey Cooke (Anya Taylor-Joy), and Elijah’s mom Mrs. Price (Charlayne Woodard).
I’ll say this: the main cast delivers and its plot ambitious. The trio of Willis, McAvoy, and Jackson do their damnest in letting their exaggerated personae run wild while Paulson’s psychiatrist attempts to ground them, with ulterior motives unfolding piece by piece at the end. I also enjoyed the unravelling of Mr. Glass’ machinations and how the concept of superheroes and possible comics-fuelled delusions cross in tandem in Shyamalan’s trilogy universe in a broad scope.
The narrative starts out grounded; it’s when we get to the second half where the movie sways between over-the-top and serious, unsure of what it’s trying to nail even though we know deep down it’s attempting to end it with a bang. You’d be surprised that the film can be both patronizing and philosophical at the same time, especially when your many “nudge, nudge, wink, wink” scenes for Unbreakable and Split fans (or movie buffs in general) are followed up with scenes in a comic book shop where a vendor explains the intricacies of that famous 1938 Action Comics debut of Superman.
7 Years Bad Luck?

Did I hate it? Not at all, but I can’t say this the best way to end Shyamalan’s grandiose project. I can appreciate Shyamalan’s storytelling and myth-making in the broadest scope, especially the origin story flashes for David and Price’s backstories. Just like how the Incredibles film has Brad Bird addressing America’s superhero obsession, Shyamalan’s trio of films view these heroes as “sheltered” entities who are in fact breaking out of their reality in the world they’re in.
All in all, Glass has an interesting and fleshed-out setup its first half but fails to stick the landing at the end. While it approached its logical conclusion in this gritty Eastrail 177 universe, it still needs more polish in the editing, narrative, and framing department.
It’s like as if Shyamalan wants to make the finality of the series sink in but just wants to pull off all the stops with his remaining budget and energy, consistency be damned. And then there’s the obvious problem where filmgoers who aren’t in tune with Unbreakable and Split will get lost. Just like the Marvel movies, do your research and homework before paying for your ticket online, guys and gals.
Perhaps Glass needed to take some cues from Unbreakable for its climax, which was a simple tale of a guy who comes to terms with his place in the universe. The theatrics and twists are fine but needed to tune themselves down to second gear in retrospect.
FINAL RATING: 5/10


Nintendo & Cygames Announces New F2P JRPG For Mobile Phones; Features Dragons

Nintendo and Cygames, the folks who made Gran Blue Fantasia and Hearthstone for Weebs Shadowverse, are teaming up to create a new mobile JRPG that’s free-to-play. It’s called Dragalia Lost, and yes you heard right, it’s a completely new IP.
This is not a new Mario or Fire Emblem game, or even any existing Nintendo property. It’s a brand new world with stock JRPG characters and anime tropes presented in tiny chibi models, and also a bunch of dragons. The game itself is an action RPG where you control the Dragonblood Prince who is on a quest to protect his kingdom from interlopers by fighting them and forming pacts with dragons to become more powerful.

It’s not the most original idea and narrative, but you’re playing Dragalia Lost for the action RPG loot-hoarding goodness. You use the touchscreen to swipe on enemies and even summon dragons to attack your foes. You can even transform into dragons and unleash better attacks. Sounds like a lovely 5-minute instance-based timewaster!
And like other JRPG action games like White Cat Chronicles and Dragon Project, you get to team up with three other players to take on online event quests together. Yes, this is going to be Nintendo and Cygames’ take on the popular mobile game genre filled with gachas and random lootbox-style prizes. There’s going to be 60+ dragons and other weapons and exclusive stuff for you to grind for. Fun!

How does the free-to-play system work? Well, you can earn in-game money by doing quests; these unlock characters and dragons. There is also another currency called Diamantium which uses real money. We’re not told what this will be used for though.
The game will be out on 27th September for US regions on the iOS App Store and Google Play store. There’s no word on whether this will be out in Southeast Asian Apple App Stores or Google Play stores, but if it’s anything like our experiences with Super Mario Run and Fire Emblem Heroes, we may want to break out the Qoo App.


Free Fire One-Punch Man Event Kicks Off This Weekend

Garena has announced the full details of its Free Fire One-Punch Man crossover event â€“ â€œThe Hero Trialâ€.
Starting from 10 January 2021, the event will offer plenty of One-Punch Man in-game content, including new reskins, costumes, and even a special event interface.Â
Experience One-Punch Man throughout Free FireÂ

Players will experience the â€œThe Hero Trialâ€ event immediately upon entering the game. The main interface will undergo a special transformation on 15 January 2021 to reflect iconic One-Punch Man elements.
The One-Punch Man experience will continue throughout the game, with easter eggs on spawn island and reskins of popular in-game elements such as the airdrops and airships.Â
Battle in style with exclusive One-Punch Man fashion itemsÂ

Players will have access to a variety of One-Punch Man fashion items inspired by the series â€“ to enable them to battle in style. These will include Saitama and Genos character costumes, backpack and Gloo Wall skins, as well as an â€œIâ€™m Saitamaâ€ emote!
Players will also have access to two new weapon skins â€“ the Megapunch M1887 and M4A1.Â

Whatâ€™s more, players who log in on 23 January 2021 will get a free Saitama Loot Box.
Exchange One-Punch Man Tickets to undergo Saitamaâ€™s training for exciting rewards
From 15 January 2021, Saitama will be holding special training sessions that will offer players the chance to earn exciting rewards.
Each training session will task players to defeat monsters; they will drop boxes in three tiers of rarity once they have been vanquished. The higher the tier of rarity, the higher the rarity of the item.
But not just anyone can be a disciple of Saitama. Players will need to earn the right by collecting One-Punch Man Tickets from in-game map drops and by completing the daily missions. Only then will they be worthy to be trained by the strongest hero himself.
Earn additional rewards in the Path to Hero web eventÂ

The Path to Hero web event will offer players even more opportunities to earn cool rewards. Taking place from 16 January to 26 January 2021, the web event will send players down the hero path filled with both monsters and treasure boxes.
Each treasure box will give players tokens that can be exchanged for exciting rewards in the redemption store. Players will need to earn exploration tokens by completing daily missions.

You can download Free Fire below:
â— Apple iOS App Store:

https://apps.apple.com/US/app/id1300146617?mt=8

â— Google Play Store:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.dts.freefireth&hl=en_US


[Report] Rocksteady Is Making A Superman Game

The same folks who did the awesome Batman Arkham games are going to stick around the DC Universe a little longer. What do we mean by that? Allegedly the team will be working on a new Superman game.
According to a tip-off from 4chan:

We are getting an open-world game set in Metropolis, which is about 3 times the size of Arkham Knight and comes with a lot more buildings. The environments will be semi-destructible.
The main villain is Brainiac. So maybe we can expect giant flying BraniacÂ tentacle ship head things as things Superman can punch.
You will be using a nerfed Superman, ala The Animated Series style where he’s getting the hang of his powers and isn’t that godly like in the recent comics.
We will be getting a combat system that integrates the flight aspects of The Man of Steel. We might be getting a revved-up Rocksteady version of a Dragon Ball Xenoverse fighting system.
The game will be running on Unreal Engine 4.
The game will be set within the Arkhamverse so there will be nods to story bits and easter eggs related tot he Batman Arkham franchise. If you’re a big Superman buff, you’ll find a lot of easter eggs to the Superman lore.

Rocksteady and WB Montreal are also working on a joint multiplayer game for a Justice League game down the line. Of course, a Superman game needs to happen first. Hopefully, the team will not do a mistake of catastrophic proportions similar to the DC Cinematic Universe.
We can expect a trailer coming out a few weeks before E3 2018. Honestly, we’re pretty stoked; this could be the game that will break the shitty Superman games curse.


HBO Max’s Green Lantern Series Casts Its Guy Gardner

Green Lantern,Â the upcoming HBO Max series that will bring the full breadth of the Green Lantern Corps to the small screen for the first time, has found its first recruit. This was originally announced back in October 2020.
Two-time Emmy nomineeÂ Finn Wittrock has been cast in the role of Guy Gardner. According to the showâ€™s official character description (via DC Comics), Guy is a hulking mass of masculinity, and, as rendered in the comics, an embodiment of 1980s hyper-patriotism.
Guy has a long and storied history as a member of the Green Lantern Corps as well as a DC comic book character. He was technically the third human Green Lantern to be introduced and he was originally intended to be the second choice by Abin Surâ€™s ring after his death. Rough and hot-tempered, but loyal and ultimately heroic, Guy can be seen as the Green Lantern Corpsâ€™ resident tough guy.

Worth noting is that while Guy Gardner may be the first Green Lantern introduced for the HBO Max series, he wonâ€™t be the last. HBO Max’s Green Lantern series will also feature a number of well-known Lanterns, including Alan Scott, Simon Baz, Jessica Cruz, Kilowog and more.
According to the showâ€™s official logline: Green LanternÂ reinvents the classic DC property through a story spanning decades and galaxies, beginning on Earth in 1941 with the very first Green Lantern, secretly gay FBI agent Alan Scott, and 1984, with cocky alpha male Guy Gardner (Wittrock) and half-alien Bree Jarta. Theyâ€™ll be joined by a multitude of other Lanterns; from comic book favourites to never-before-seen heroes.
As for Wittrock, the actor is known best for his Emmy nominated roles inÂ American Horror StoryÂ andÂ The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story,Â though he also made a memorable appearance last year in the Netflix seriesÂ Ratched.Â His role in Green LanternÂ will also mark the first time Wittrock will be playing a comic book character.


Command & Conquer Remastered Collection Will Invade PCs This June

The wait is over, Command & Conquer fans who want to replay their classic real-time strategy games in 4K high res glory & reworked assets. We’ll be getting this collection, which includes Command & Conquer: Tiberian Dawn, Command & Conquer: Red Alert, and their three respective expansion packs, this 5th June.

To recap, the remastered collection comes with the following:

Redone assets in lush 4K and UI overhauls (alongside the option to use the old one), courtesy of Petroglyph Studios and Lemon Sky Studios; #MalaysiaBoleh for the latter!
Over 100 campaign missions, including the Covert Ops stuff from the console ports back then and other secret levels.
Online multiplayer, including leaderboards and custom game options.

Come to think of it, we actually live in a world where EA’s remastered effort is looking better and more promising than Blizzard’s Warcraft III: Reforged mess. It’s still a few months more: I’m sure EA will find a way to destroy our goodwill somehow.
You can get the collection online (via Steam or EA Origin), but if you’re one of those who want limited edition physical swag, you can order these from Limited Run Games. The 25th Anniversary Edition will set you back US$149.99…

…while the Special Edition will cost you US$59.99.

Hot damn those Tesla Coil/Mammoth Tank replicas and the Tiberium Crystal USB device make these worth getting.
On a side note, C&C’s music is industrial techno goodness. We did a feature on its composer Frank Klepacki; do check out how he went from D&D to this.


Radwimps To Host Shin Sekai “Nowhere” Virtual Concert This July

Japanese rock group Radwimps, known for their kick-ass anime songs for the movie Your Name and Weathering With You, will be hosting a virtual concert titled Shin Sekai “Nowhere” next month.

Billed as the world’s first role-playing musical experience that “travels between the real and virtual worlds through cutting-edge technology”, fans and music listeners lets users head to the band’s virtual park system VARP to experience the Shin Sekai “nowhere” virtual music experience. You can even use these special avatars to represent yourselves.

The virtual concert will take place from 16th to 18th July; you can start downloading the official app and buy the tickets to the concert right now. Ticket prices are listed below in Japanese yen.

3-Day Passï½œEarly Bird: 2,820 JPY / Regular: 3,060 JPY
3-Day Pass with Bokunchi Membership Beneï¬tsï½œEarly Bird: 2,820 JPY / Regular: 3,060 JPY
3-Day Pass + Prologue Live Archiveï½œEarly Bird: 3,300 JPY / Regular: 3,540 JPY
3-Day Pass with Bokunchi Membership Beneï¬ts + Prologue Live Archiveï½œEarly Bird: 3,300 JPY / Regular: 3,540 JPY
Prologue Live Archiveï½œ490 JPY


Watch Anamanaguchi Rock Hard In This Scott Pilgrim VS The World: The Game Live Concert

Scott Pilgrim VS The World: The Game was a fun beat-em-up back in 2010, and its Complete Edition that literally came out today is a nice trip back to memory lane. From its River City Ransom-esque gameplay to its gorgeous Paul Robertson-crafted pixel artwork, it’s a treat for video game fans who love the antics of Scott Pilgrim and his band of misfits.
Of course, the game wouldn’t mean jack without its chiptune soundtrack from Anamanaguchi. After 10 years since they composed the music for the game, the band are back again in 2021 to play Scott Pilgrim’s brand of music on a recent Ubisoft Twitch stream celebrating the launch of the remastered game. Check out the music below; it’s just as good as you remember it from “Another Winter” to “Leave The Past Behind”.

There’s also a post-concert interview conducted by Ubisoft Communications Specialist Chris Watters (whom you may remember from GameSpot back in the 2010s). There’s a ton of lovely behind-the-scenes talk from Anamanaguchi, especially when they showcased their chiptune equipment at the 15:30 mark.


The Crew 2 Free Weekend Starts Next Week

Today, Ubisoft announced that The Crew 2, Ubisoftâ€™s open-world motorsports game, will be available to play for free from 8 July to 12 July 2021 on PS4, PS5, and PC via Epic Games Store and Ubisoft Store.
Players will have access to the full game including the most recent update, Season 3 Episode 1: US Speed Tour East, which will be available on 7 July 2021. Experience the US Speed Tour East, and hundreds of other challenges. Race and explore freely across the United States, from coast to coast and behind the wheel of dream vehicles, in solo or in four-player co-op.
The Free Weekend will also mark a change in The Crew 2 Editions. The Crew 2 â€“ SPECIAL EDITION will replace the current DELUXE EDITION. It features the Digital Special Pack and includes the Dodge Challenger SRT Demon Interception Unit as well as the Porsche 911 Speedster. In addition, the Digital Special Pack will be added to The Crew 2 â€“ GOLD EDITION.
Players who want to continue their journey in the open world of The Crew 2 will not only keep their game progression but also enjoy discounts of 80 percent off on the game and Season Pass.
In the meantime, check out the trailer below:


Animangaki 2023 Tickets Are Now On Sale

One of Malaysia’s biggest anime, comics and games conventions returns and fans can now purchase tickets via their official website. Tickets are offered in three options, starting with a single day ticket, a 3-Day Event Ticket Set and the Super Gaki Pack. However, only the 3-Day Event Set and the Super Gaki Pack are sold online.
Animangaki 2023 3-Day Event Ticket Set is RM120 for 3 tickets – one (1) wristband for Day 1 (Friday), one (1) wristband for Day 2 (Saturday), and one (1) wristband for Day 3 (Sunday). The set also includes one grand ruffle lucky draw ticket, one carnival game play coupon, one Animangaki 2023 event coaster, and a hall pass to skip the long entry queue to the convention.
Early birds can get a RM10 discount using the code [AMG2023] during check out and only applies to the first 3,000 attendees. This set offers a self-collect option at their physical roadshows, Cardinals Hobby Store, or at the ticket counter during the event day itself. Head over here to purchase.
If you wish to attend the convention for one day, tickets are only available for offline purchase at The Mines Convention Centre. Single day tickets cost RM45 per day. You can choose either day of the Animangaki 2023 convention. Expect to queue in a line of thousands of people and missed out on performances, workshops, or panels. Once the offline ticket cap reaches 15,000, the ticket counter will be closed.
The Super Gaki Pack offers everything in the 3-Day Event Ticket Set, including one official event lanyard, one event T-shirt, one Super Gaki Pass, and one event exclusive box sleeve. In contrast to the day ticket pass, the Super Gaki Pass can only be used up to three times to skip queues at selected autograph sessions, panels, and workshops. Head here to purchase.

Special category attendees – senior citizens (above 60 years old), children (below 11 years old) and the less abled (OKU) must purchase tickets offline during the event day at a dedicated express lane. The tickets cost only RM20 per day.

Tickets bought online can only be expected to be delivered on 1 July 2023. We recommend purchasing any of the online tickets early to be included in the first ticket delivery batch.
Animangaki will celebrate its 15th Anniversary this year at The Mines International Exhibition & Convention Centre (MIECC) from 25 to 27 August 2023. No other specifics have been announced yet but we do know that this year’s theme is “Astronomical”. More details and information will be released closer to the event itself.
In the meantime, stay tuned on Kakuchopurei for more updates or follow Animangaki’s official Facebook page.


Guess What Game Is Free On Epic Games Store This Week & The Next?

Epic Games Store is on a roll with its data-mining free game offers as of late. If you’re into party games and versus titles, you may want to pay attention to what’s next on tap.
The company just announced that its latest free game is Overcooked! in case you’re too cheap to buy the sequel. If you like couch co-op games with a ton of chaos, you should serve yourself a hefty dose of this freebie.
So what’s on tap next week? It’s going to beÂ Samurai Shodown Neogeo Collection. This retro gaming compilation will have the first five games, Samurai Shodown V Special and the never-before-released Samurai Shodown V Perfect. The latter features new story elements and endings while retaining the tournament-standard gameplay and balances.
Yes, we are aware that the SamSho Neogeo Collection freebie news was announced last week, but I’m just excited that SNK is offering it on PC for free like that. Probably it’s some form of reparations for all the SamSho collections I bought during the PS2 days. And also for Samurai Shodown VI; that game was a mess.


Valorant, League of Legends, & Discord Experiencing Server Outage (Updated)

(Update 18 July 2020):
According to web infrastructure company Cloudflare, the outage of those services were from their end, and they are actively working on fixing it. At the time of writing, Discord and Valorant are already up and running again.
It’s probably just a matter of time before the rest of the services return to normal as well.

Cloudflare: no attack, our bad, things coming back online https://t.co/opM4QKMkjy pic.twitter.com/p39FD5QzE7
â€” Rod Breslau (@Slasher) July 17, 2020

This just in: dozens of online gaming services have suddenly crashed at the same time today, booting players from games, chat services, and even from websites entirely. Specifically, all services using CloudFlare internet services.
The following games and services are affected so far:

Valorant
League of Legends
Discord
StreamLabs
FIFA 19

There are some major internet issues happening globally at the moment leading to disconnects and game issues in VALORANT (and other games). We're working with our partners to get the issue resolved as fast as possible.
— Ziegler (@RiotZiegler) July 17, 2020

Non-gaming services that are affected include:

DoorDash
Postmates
Patreon

So far, the cause of the outage may be a DDoS (denial of service) attack on CloudFlare servers. Other possible causes include a botnet attack from China to the US according to a real-time Kaspersky Cyberthreat map (via Rod Breslau).
https://twitter.com/Slasher/status/1284244325271035904
https://twitter.com/Slasher/status/1284244325271035904
Did someone from the company piss off the entirety of 4chan or something? Or is there something more insidious and global at play here? We’ll be sure to update this news with the real reason later, as it’s still developing.


Will There Be DLC For Hogwarts Legacy?

Hogwarts Legacy is a huge hit according to reviews from critics and players everywhere, be it console or PC. Despite this, however, fans shouldn’t be holding their breaths for DLC.
According to an IGN excerpt, game director Alan Tew said that Avalanche Software does not have any plans for DLC right now.
“We’ve been really heads down bringing [Hogwarts Legacy] to life, so at the moment there are no current plans for DLC.”
This isn’t the end of Hogwarts Legacy, given how open-ended the statement is. Perhaps we can look forward to news about this later in 2023, since the game is still very fresh in people’s minds and gaming backlog right now. Despite the controversies about the Wizarding World creator J.K Rowling, the game is currently in third place on Steam’s Top 100 Most-Played Games.
For more Hogwarts Legacy content, check out our guides.


Korean VALORANT Team On Sla2ers Rebrands & Announce New Roster

On Sla2ers recently revealed their new roster and underwent a rebranding initiative, adding ‘Incheon’ to their name.
Last season, On Sla2ers (pronounced On Slayers), had an impressive run, even securing two runners-up titles at VCT Korea Stage 1 Challengers and VCT East Asia Last Chance Qualifier. Unfortunately, they were forced to disband due to the lack of a partnership in the 2023 VCT Pacific league.
However, they didn’t let that stop them and have since rebuilt their team for VCT 2023. They promoted their academy roster, ‘All Ways Incheon,’ but unfortunately, didn’t do well in the open qualifier stage of VCL Korea Split 1.
Determined to make a comeback, On Sla2ers underwent a second rebuild with a lineup that looked promising. But, they struggled to make it to the main event, leading to another roster drop.
Despite setbacks, On Sla2ers managed to acquire one of the unsigned main event teams, Never Give Up, which allowed them to compete at the top level once again. To return to the forefront of the larger-APAC circuit, they left no stone unturned, undergoing a rebranding initiative and revamping their talent pool.
Their squad is led by three former OQ Academy players who won the ESL Clash of Nations KR/JP tournament last year. They are joined by Kim “BeomJun” Beom-jun, a Korean prospect who T1 initially picked up as their sixth man. They also have JaebiN, a wild card player who has only played Jett but has an impressive average combat score of 226.
Finally, rounding out their seven-man roster are two players from their previous lineup: Ha “Ash” Hyun-cheol and Yoo “Manggong” Seung-beom. On Sla2ers, or rather, Incheon On Sla2ers, is ready to compete and make a name for themselves once again.

Roster

Ha “Ash” Hyun-cheol
Yoo “Manggong” Seung-beom
Kim “BeomJun” Beom-jun
Lee “Hate” Ye-hun
Kim “NakJi” Sang-hyeop
Kim “WIX” Doo-heon
JaebiN

MungHoon (Coach)


Mortal Kombat Movie Reboot To Be R-Rated, Feature Fatalities

The Mortal Kombat movie reboot sounds like it could be shaping up rather nicely, especially now that it’s been confirmed that it won’t be a watered-down video game movie.
According to Mortal Kombat movie reboot screenwriter Greg Russo, the upcoming movie will be R-rated and feature fatalities for the first time ever in the history of the franchise’s live-action adaptations.

Since it’s already been stated by other members of the team, I’m gonna put this one to bed. MK WILL be R-Rated and for the first time EVER, FATALITIES will FINALLY be on the big screen (and no I’m not gonna say which ones) You’ll just have to wait for the movie & see!!! 😉 pic.twitter.com/aVTewH4t28
â€” Greg Russo (@WriterRusso) July 12, 2019
He won’t reveal which of the many fatalities we’ve seen in various Mortal Kombat games throughout the years that we’ll be seeing in the Mortal Kombat movie reboot. However, it’ll be interesting for fans to speculate which of their favorite all-time fatalities will be making their way into the upcoming movie.

We already know that Sub-Zero is going to be in the Mortal Kombat movie reboot, played by Indonesian actor and martial artist Joe Taslim. Perhaps we’ll see one of these Sub-Zero fatalities (as seen in the video below).
His (arguably) most common fatality is pulling out the spine of his enemies (along with their heads) with his bare hands, which would be a gruesome sight in live-action.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9V0k1RkBCl8&w=560&h=315]


Best Bits From Dallas Fuel’s Team Owner Reddit AMA

Following recent turmoil surrounding his Overwatch League team, Dallas Fuel’s team owner, Mike ‘hastr0‘ Rufail took it to Reddit earlier today to address the questions and share his side of the story. Here are some of the biggest takeaways from the AMA session. Note some questions were edited to accomodate space, emphasize context and provide clarity without affecting their tone.
General State of the Team
ByÂ IsThisTheInterwebs
Watching DF players on social media they seem really tired and the team happiness is at the bottom.

Seagull wanted to leaveÂ [1]
Effect wants to leaveÂ [2]
Harryhook commenting with ðŸ‘Œ on Effects “I want to win or leave” tweetÂ [3]
Taimou very unhappy and sees no place in DFÂ [4]

Now my question: What do you want to do to help your team? I know you hired a mental-guru kind of guy and the oppurtunity to vistit him monthly(?) was given but no one took itÂ [5].Â So what’s your plan to make your players happy again?
Mike:Â I won’t really confirm all of the things you mentioned above, because I think a few were taken out of context. However, in regard to what we are doing to make our players happy, we have really made a huge effort to have more group discussion on major team decisions. This was our biggest mistake as an organization this season in my opinion. Not one time in our 10 year history have we ever made major team decisions (player, coaching or support staff personnel) without consulting with our players.
To be honest, I don’t really know why we began to make decisions without including the players, but that was clearly a mistake and something that added to the frustration of the players on top of the situations they were putting themselves and their teammates into. We’ve changed that. Every player on our team will be involved in group and individual discussion leading up to any major change. Something that has already occurred in recent decisions that you’ve seen.
By TakeTeen
When you mentioned handing over all decision-making to KyKy, what powers did he not have beforehand that he gained from your decision?
Mike: First, I want to be clear that Kyle had nearly all of the control over the team from the beginning. I did interfere once with a roster decision. That was to play xQc vs LA Gladiators and Shanghai in Week 1 of Stage 2.
I wanted Felix to get his shot. That resulted in a 2-0 week, but it was absolutely not right because it caused Kyle to question what control he did have. I also want to be clear that not one roster addition or player transaction occurred without me consulting heavily with Kyle or our GM Mat Taylor. As mentioned above, the players should have been more involved in those decisions and we have already corrected that.
ByÂ nickel_pickel
How do the Dallas Fuel choose their starting lineup for scrims and matches?
Mike: This is 100% decided by our coaches and/or players leading up to each match. The only case of myself or our management getting involved was in Week 1 of Stage 2 where we asked our head coach to give xQc a shot in the starting main tank position.
ByÂ calibrono

1) What’s up with Cocco? Any details? What did he do to warrant running Taimou as an MT?
Mike:Â Cocco is still on our roster and everyone in the organization still loves him. Coming into the season, we all knew that Cocco still had some work to do on his Winston play and that’s why we signed xQc to the team to fill that gap. xQc just did not pan out on the team so it put Cocco in a position where he really had to catch up.
The decision to play Taimou instead of Cocco on main tank was not made by me nor did I have influence on that decision. That was purely a coach’s decision. We’re working with him to find out what is best for his future whether that be remaining with us or having him available for another team. Sorry I don’t have more for you on that at the moment.
2) What were you thinking signing OGE and knowing Effect / Rascal would hate him since he’s a booster? I’m not condemning him, he probably needed money, he apologized and was penalized. But seeing Effect not even looking at him makes me think they can’t form a great team.
Edit: apparently it wasn’t known he was a booster before Fuel signed him. The question then is: what did the org do to remedy that fact? To make Effect and OGE real teammates?
Mike:Â Before we signed OGE, we had absolutely no idea he had participated in boosting. The league completed the standard investigation in his approval process. There was just no way for anyone to know he had done that without some really detailed knowledge. When we found out, OGE was very forthcoming about his minor involvement which the league addressed with a suspension and we addressed with OGE.
He is really a great person who made a mistake that we find to be forgiveable and hope the fans do too. At this point, we think both Effect and OGE are true teammates
ByÂ martinx09
Why release Kyky now that the team is finally performing better? Was this really the best moment?
Mike:Â This wasn’t a decision made on whether or not this was Kyle’s best moment, but instead a decision made to help the team make progress as a whole.
ByÂ Roothanati
Any reasoning behind choosing individual apartments for players instead of a team house? Imo a team house improves chemistry among teammates.
Mike:Â We were actually the first Overwatch organization in North America (maybe the world) to provide our players with a team house. While it is an excellent tool in building the short-term chemistry within a team, we determined that the best route in the long run is with the privacy that apartments provide.

The Rascal Situation
ByÂ ScienceBeard
Can you give some insight on Rascal’s situation? From public releases many have come to the conclusion that he didn’t have someone to translate for him? Is it true that there was insufficient translators for the Korean members of Fuel?
Mike:Â Kim “viOLet” Dong Hwan is a full time player manager for the Dallas Fuel. As a native Korean, former professional Starcraft 2 pro and one of the first Korean professional gamers to move full time to the US, he is available to assist our Korean players with their assimilation into the team and translation with coaches and other players.
In addition, we have made English tutoring available to our players. We are adding another translator to our team moving forward which obviously doesn’t help Rascal now. Maybe it was something we could have done better, but certainly not a situation where no communication was happening because translation was available to him.
ByÂ jonas691
Why not just bench Rascal instead of releasing him after the trading period?
Mike: After a full team discussion, it was a necessity to remove Rascal from the team. I know our coaches continually tried to include Rascal into the team as evident by his appearance in the last map of our series vs LA Valiant in Stage 3.
It is so unfortunate that this happened after the roster lock period, but because of the situation there was no other way for our team to move forward.
ByÂ AstronomicUK
…what was your reasonings behind choosing to sign Rascal? Rumours flying round are saying he wasn’t cheap, and with the recent signing of AKM, you had just filled a dps slot, and it was clear EFFECT wouldn’t be going anywhere. On the other hand you had potential language barriers to face. So just curious what the reason was? Hero pool, calibre of talent, or something else?
Mike: It simply came down to the fact that we think Rascal is extremely talented and versatile with his Hero pool. In hindsight, our coaching staff should not have agreed to bring him into the roster because of the situation that resulted from it, but I think their willingness to do that was a result of factors I mentioned previously in the AMA.

Addressing the Bird
ByÂ Phantomskyler
With Rascal gone what are Seagull’s play prospects since Fuel has a more solid tank line with OGE and Mickie?
Mike: This is a decision I am leaving to our current coaches and the team, but I think it is safe to say that you will see a lot more of The Bird.
Â ByÂ Fangthorn
Seagull has been outspoken on his competitive drive and chasing a top spot in the OWL, sacrificing lucrative streaming options to pursue it with Dallas. But it does not appear that he has been given serious chance at the main roster (noting the reported lack of scrim time, appearing only for role swaps/subs, and subsequent signings in his original role), despite solid performances and a top “win rate” on the team.

Can you give an update on Seagull’s role with the team, and what fans can expect going forward?
And does Dallas realize that signing a fan favorite like Seagull (knowing the context I provided), and not giving him a serious â€œshotâ€ will only create animosity?

Mike:Â I answered a similar question previously in the AMA, but Seagull’s appearances for the team have been coaching decisions that neither I or our organizational management team have interfered with. We absolutely want to see Brandon in the lineup more and believe that will be the case moving forward.

However it wasn’t all doom and gloom though …
By Rakatok

What would you rather bench, one Seagull sized Cocco or 100 Cocco sized Seagulls?
Mike:
I would definitely rather have to bench press one Seagull sized Cocco than 100 Cocco sized Seagulls. 🙂

Full transcript of these exchanges can be read here.