Legends Of Runeterra Call Of The Mountain Expansion Drops Later This Month

The Legends Of Runeterra Call of the Mountain expansion is slated to drop on 26 August 2020, kicking off a whole new structure for card releases. Starting with Call of the Mountain, Riot Games will release new cards roughly every two months.
Each three-expansion set will focus on a new region (in this case, Targon). The first expansion in a set will be larger (for Call of the Mountain, youâ€™re looking at 89 collectible cards with 7 champions), containing all the cards needed to introduce the new
regionâ€™s major themes and multiple viable decks featuring that region.

Seven new champion cards, 82 non-champion cards
Part of three-expansion set: Expansion 2 in October, Expansion 3 in December

13 new champions, 156 new non-champion cards total

New region: Targon
Ladder reset with Call of the Mountain launch

However, the second and third expansions will each be about half that size (for Call Of The Mountain, thatâ€™s 40 cards with 3 champs in both the October and December expansions). These expansions will have a mix of new themes, new mechanics, and evolutions of strategies.
Going forward, every set will add a new champion to each region, and every expansion
will contain new cards for each region. By the time the third expansion is
released and the set is complete, all regions will have an equal share of champions and
near-equal share of other cards.
[wpvideo NVkTEElf]


Slapstick Roguelite Platformer Mr. Sun’s Hatbox Launches This April 2023

Developer Kenny Sun and publisher Raw Fury have announced that the upcoming indie roguelite platformer Mr. Sun’s Hatbox will be arriving on Nintendo Switch and PC on 21 April 2023.

Mr Sun’s Hatbox throws you into a world where you need to embark on dangerous, ridiculous missions to gather as many hats as you can. It’s an intricate mission, one that you need to build your own base for and create an entire organisation to become the ultimate heist team. The story of the game tells that a package for Mr. Sun has been captured by none other, Mr Moon and his minions. As the fate of an apparel business is in your hands, you will have to build a team, stage a series of heists, and retrieve the ultimate package.
The game also promises solo and couch co-op (controllers required) or Steam remote play together. As you progress to each level, you’ll curate a closetful of stylish headgear, recruit a bumbling bunch of brainwashed bandits, and collect an assortment of weapons, ranging from the practical to the powerful ones. Upgrade your base, your team, and your tools so you can take on the more dangerous Hat Heists, and with every successful return, you’ll get one step closer to returning Mr. Sun’s package that started it all to its rightful place.
Put on your safety helmet and try out Mr. Sun’s Hatbox demo now on Steam.


Chinese Publisher NetEase Games Buys Grasshopper Manufacture

The folks behind Killer 7 and the No More Heroes series is now joining one of the world’s biggest Chinese gaming conglomerates.
That company is NetEase Games, who bought Grasshopper Manufacture from GungHo Online Entertainment for an undisclosed amount of money. The transfer was signed on 31st May. For those who are worried whether the Chinese company will be lording over the radical game development company, rest assured that it will not. Here’s an excerpt from Grasshopper CEO Goichi “Suda51” Suda.
“NetEase Games understands the strengths of Grasshopper Manufacture Inc. and is willing to support us, and is an extremely reliable partner. NetEase Games will be mainly responsible for advising on our business planning activities and providing sufficient funding for game development. We will be responsible for the creativity and production of games to ensure that we are able to continue to maintain the consistent â€œGrasshopper Manufacture flavorâ€ and game quality for which we are known.
In addition, we will also receive strong support from the NetEase team composed of thousands of artists and technical experts in terms of game art and quality assurance. We will make the most of this support and strive to offer three even higher-quality â€œGrasshopper Manufacture Gamesâ€ to all gamers in the next ten years.”
We’ll believe it when we see it.Â The full presser from NetEase is below.
“NetEase Games is a company of passionate gamers, and many of them are fans of Grasshopper Manufacture Inc. Mr. Sudaâ€™s games have unique characteristics. They manifest his design philosophy and artistic pursuit in every aspectâ€”from concept to content. Grasshopper Manufacture Inc. has also integrated styles and elements from various media formats, such as film noir, detective fiction, punk rock, psychedelic electronica, cyberpunk, and so on. Additionally, Grasshopper Manufacture Inc. is one of a kind in terms of mood setting, movement design, and narrative rhythm design. Their strong passion for creativity, which has continued for decades, is extremely admirable. NetEase is honored to be the companion of Mr. Suda and Grasshopper Manufacture Inc. on this new journey into the future. We hope to give the studio creative freedom and sufficient resource support in order to empower said studio to create even more sensational works for gamers worldwide.
NetEase would like to extend its invitation to brilliant game creators in Japan and around the world. NetEase Games has been committed to the concepts of â€œUnleash the potential of creatorsâ€ and â€œBring quality interactive entertainment experiences.â€ We hope to empower more outstanding creators and continuously create good games.
NetEase Games itself is a big developer community of tens of thousands of developers. In the past few years, NetEase has built connections with top game studios in Japan, the United States, Europe, and other regions through investment, joint ventures, co-development, etc.
Additionally, NetEase will provide funding, technology, resources, and other support, and organize communication and sharing sessions among top creators around the world, so that creators can inspire each other and fully release their creative potential.”


Overwatch To Change The Name Of Hero McCree

Activision Blizzard has announced that they will officially change the name of playable hero McCree.
The reason for the change is because McCree was originally named after former game designer Jesse McCree, who is no longer working at the company in the wake of the slew of sexual harassment and gender discrimination lawsuits and cases against them.
In a statement posted to Twitter, Blizzardâ€™s Overwatch team announced the McCree name change.
The full statement reads:
â€œWe believe itâ€™s necessary to change the name of the hero currently known as McCree to something that better represents what Overwatch stands for.
We realize that any change to such a well-loved and central hero in the gameâ€™s fiction will take time to roll out correctly, and weâ€™ll share updates as this work progresses.
In the near term, we had planned to kick off a narrative arc in September supported with new story and game content, of which McCree was a key part.
Since we want to integrate this change into that story arc, we will be delaying the new arc until later this year and instead launch a new FFA map this September.
Going forward, in-game characters will no longer be named after real employees and we will be more thoughtful and discerning about adding real-world references in future Overwatch content.â€

A message from the Overwatch team. pic.twitter.com/2W3AV7Pv6X
— Overwatch (@PlayOverwatch) August 26, 2021

A new in-game story event was previously scheduled for September featuring McCree, but that has now been delayed. In its place, Blizzard will release a new FFA map in September.
However, at the time of writing, the new name for McCree has yet to be officially revealed. Stay tuned.


Dragon Quest Your Story Is Coming To Netflix Next Month

Netflix has announced that the animated movie Dragon Quest Your Story will be launching on the streaming service next month on 13 February 2020. It originally premiered in Japan back in August 2019.
Loosely based on 1992’s Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride, Dragon Quest Your Story was produced by Shirogumi and Robot Communications. The official synopsis of the movie on Netflix states:

“Luca follows in his father’s footsteps to rescue his mother from evil Ladja.
Finding the heavenly hero who wields the Zenithian sword is his only hope.”

Dragon Quest Your Story isn’t the only recent Japanese animated movie to be released on Netflix. Just yesterday the Ni No Kuni movie premiered on the streaming service as well, merely several months after its release in Japan.
Dragon Quest Your Story garnered a total of US$11,114,288 in Japan during its theatrical release, but many fans and viewers were not happy about the plot twist ending, which you can read about here.


Star Wars Squadrons Best Builds, Tips, & Tricks

Star Wars Squadrons is a great flight simulator game that’s perfect for fans of the franchise. However, it’s not the easiest game to pick up and play due to its niche genre, and that may deter many gamers from playing what is perhaps the best (and only) modern Star Wars flight simulator game that we have.
I’m here to help, as I’ve been playing a lot of Star Wars Squadrons, raking up trophies and kills in the game. Don’t believe me, I’ve accomplished 15 kills in a single Dogfight match and won more than 10 Ranked Fleet Battles using the Empire alone.

Here are some tips and tricks for Star Wars Squadrons:
Before Diving Into Multiplayer, Finish The Singleplayer Story Campaign

This is easily the most important tip I can share. While some of you might be tempted to jump straight into multiplayer, I can guarantee that you’ll be obliterated into smithereens. I recommend that you finish the eight-hour singleplayer story campaign. Despite featuring a bland plot and uninspired missions, it works as a sort of glorified tutorial.
It will help you learn the basics of flight and combat in Star Wars Squadrons, giving you time to familiarize yourself with what each ship can do. It’s pretty much essential, so spend at least some time in the story campaign. If you’re a Star Wars fan, at least you” appreciate all the easter eggs and references.
Always Have A Repair Auxiliary Component Equipped On Your Ship

There are a variety of different ways you could customize your ship. I even have some recommendations below, as well as ones recommended by the developers themselves. However, I have one vital tip that will keep you alive longer in matches.
That tip is to always keep a repair auxiliary component attached to your ship (with the exception of perhaps bombers, who are the most durable). They’re the only way you can recover some health in the middle of battle (unless your Support-class allies heal you, or if you return to you Capital ship).
As for countermeasures, you can’t go wrong with equipping Seeker Warheads components, as it’s probably the most reliable way to avoid getting hit by missiles in Star Wars Squadrons.
Always Keep Moving Or Slow Down When You Have To & Master Power Management

The biggest unique gameplay mechanic in Star Wars Squadrons is that with a click of a button (directional buttons on the PS4â€™s Dualshock 4), you can divert the shipâ€™s power at an instant to prioritize one of three aspects; speed (engine), damage (weapons), or defence (shields).
It’s a bad idea not to make the most of this gameplay mechanic. When you master power management and when to diver power in your most critical moments, that’s when you’ll find that you’re performing so much better. In my case, I tend to favour maxing my weapons and diverting my power there most of the time.
I never really play in balanced power mode, though I’ll divert power to my engine for a speed boost when I need to make a hasty retreat or give chase to an enemy. Utilizing power management in battle is critical to improving your gameplay. It’s easy to overlook when you’re in the heat of a chaotic battle.
In addition, it’s advisable that players always be on the move and never stop. However, that doesn’t mean that you have to be at full speed ahead all of the time. Sometimes, you need to slow down just to aim better or take a better look at your immediate surroundings.
I’ve noticed that players playing Bomber-class or Support-class ships tend to slow down almost to a crawl and lie in wait while the faster Fighter-class and Interceptor-class ships dogfight with each other. I usually take advantage of this and hit them while they’re in this vulnerable situation, though it almost always means that you’ll be vulnerable as well as you’ll have to slow down to be able to shoot these near-stationary enemies.
Star Wars Squadrons Best Loadouts

Each faction (New Republic and Empire) has four ships available (so far); a classic fighter (X-Wing/Tie Fighter), a speedy interceptor (A-Wing/Tie Interceptor), a powerful bomber (Y-Wing/Tie Bomber), and a support starfighter (U-Wing/Tie Reaper). While eight ships donâ€™t sound like much variety, youâ€™d be surprised at how different they all are.
Most of them share the same 50 or so ship components from the same pool. To clarify, it’s not really possible to min or max your ship’s stats in Star Wars Squadrons. It’s important to understand that these ship components help give your ship a boost in specific areas while also negatively affecting other stats at the same time.
For instance, a particular component might increase your ship’s hull integrity, basically giving your ship more health. However, that same component may decrease your shield’s strength or lower your maneuverability. It’s a give and take situation, so it’s impossible to create the fastest or most powerful overpowered ship to cheese your opponents.
What you can do is take your playstyle into account and either make up for your weakness or bolster your advantages. If you’re mainly a Fighter-class or Interceptor-class, you might want to focus on offensive components that give you an edge in intense dogfights. If you’re a Bomber-class, you might want to make sure you last long enough to drop those powerful missiles and bombs on your enemy’s capital ships.
It all depends on your playstyle, but I’ll still share the best loadouts I know of below so that you can go from there and customize your own ships to your hearts’ desires. There are seven different parts of a ship’s loadout: primary weapons, (left and right) auxiliary components, countermeasures, hulls, shields, and engines.
T-65B X-Wing Fighter

The X-Wing is one of the most iconic starfighters in all of Star Wars, and it’s a conventional Fighter-class in Star Wars Squadrons. It’s not the best at anything, but it’s a good all-rounder, especially for anyone who isn’t ready to specialize in any specific class yet.
Our Recommendation:Primary Weapon: Taim & Bak KX8 Laser CannonLeft Auxiliary: Kyrotech Emergency Astromech RepairRight Auxiliary: Krupx MG5 Concussion MissileCountermeasures: ArMek H/M Seeker WarheadsHull: Slipstream Light HullShields: Loronar Ray ShieldEngine: Incom SLAM EngineEA-Recommended:Primary Weapon: Krupx JR-89 Ion CannonLeft Auxiliary: Astromech Repair DroidCountermeasure: ArMek Barrage RocketsHull: Incom Ferroceramic HullShield: Sirplex Nimble DeflectorEngine: Koensayr Microthrus Engine
TIE/LN Fighter

The TIE Fighter is another classic Fighter-class starfighter. Just like the X-Wing, It’s not the best at anything, but it’s a good all-rounder, especially for anyone who isn’t ready to specialize in any specific class yet.
Our Recommendation:Primary Weapon: Sienar L-s1 Laser CannonLeft Auxiliary: Sienar Emergency Repair SystemRight Auxiliary: Sienar I-7 Ion MissileCountermeasure: Sienar XX-5 Seeker WarheadsHull: Sienar Agile HullEngine: Twin Microthrust EngineEA-Recommended:Primary Weapon: Sienar Burst CannonLeft Auxiliary: Sienar KB-D28 Proton TorpedoRight Auxiliary: Sienar Ion TorpedoCountermeasure: Sienar Sensor JammerHull: Sienar Dampener HullEngine: Twin SLAM Engine
BTL-A4 Y-Wing Bomber

The Y-Wing is a Bomber-class, which means that it’s meant to specialize in dishing out massive damage and is the heaviest hitter. This starfighter is most probably the most important class for Ranked Fleet Battles, where the objective is to destroy the enemy’s Capital Ships.
For bombers, it’s best to focus on either being able to deal the most amount of damage, or making sure that you survive long enough to be able to drop those bombs and missiles. Getting close to enemy Capital Ships means getting hit with a lot of firepower, so keep that in mind.
Our Recommendation:Primary Weapon: Krupx Heavy Rotary CannonLeft Auxiliary: ArMek Automatic Ion CannonRight Auxiliary: Chepat Emergency Assault ShieldCountermeasure: ArMek H/M Seeker WarheadsHull: Fabritech Dampener HullShield: Loronar Ray ShieldEngine: Quadex Jet EngineEA-Recommended:Primary Weapon: Krupx JR-89 Ion CannonLeft Auxiliary: Taim & Bak Ion BombRight Auxiliary: Arakyd PW-16 Proton BombCountermeasure: ArMek H/M Seeker WarheadsHull: Fabritech Dampener HullShield: Krupx Conversion ShieldEngine: Income SLAM Engine
TIE/SA Bomber

Just like the Y-Wing, the Tie Bomber is meant to specialize in dishing out massive damage and is the heaviest hitter. This starfighter is most probably the most important class for Ranked Fleet Battles, where the objective is to destroy the enemy’s Capital Ships.
For bombers, it’s best to focus on either being able to deal the most amount of damage, or making sure that you survive long enough to be able to drop those bombs and missiles. Getting close to enemy Capital Ships means getting hit with a lot of firepower, so keep that in mind.
Our Recommendation:Primary Weapon: Sienar Rotary CannonLeft Auxiliary: Sienar Seeker MineRight Auxiliary: Sienar RD-77 Assault ShieldCountermeasure: Sienar XX-5 Seeker WarheadsHull: Sienar Dampener HullEngine: Twin Ion EngineEA-Recommended:Primary Weapon: Sienar Rotary CannonLeft Auxiliary: Sienar R/D-77 Assault ShieldRight Auxiliary: Sienar Seeker MineCountermeasure: Chaff ParticlesHull: Sienar Reinforced HullEngine: Unstable Twin Engine
RZ-1 A-Wing Interceptor

The Interceptor-class is my personal favourite of all. It’s all about speed and precision. Despite having the weakest hull integrity and lowest health, the A-Wing is fast that you can ramp up kills and dominate in dogfights. Does it lack in sheer firepower? Maybe a bit, but your loadout can mitigate that problem.
It’s easy to rack up even 20 kills in Ranked Fleet Battles with the Interceptor-class (I would know, I’ve done it). You’ll probably die a lot too, so make sure you go for hit and run tactics when you can. They’ll never see you coming.
Our Recommendation:Primary Weapon: Taim & Bak KX8 Laser CannonLeft Auxiliary: Incom E-73 Repair KitRight Auxiliary: Kessler Quick-Lock MissileCountermeasure: ArMek H/M Seeker WarheadsHull: Fabritech Dampener HullShield: Sirplex Nimble DeflectorEngine: Incom Sublight EngineEA-Recommended:Primary Weapon: Plasburst Laser CannonLeft Auxiliary: Incom E-73 Repair KitRight Auxiliary: Carbanti Targeting JammerCountermeasure: Carbanti Sensor InverterHull: Carbanti Reflec HullShield: Fabritech Scrambler ShieldEngine: Koensayr Microthrust Engine
TIE/IN Interceptor

Just like the A-Wing, it’s all about speed and precision. Despite having the weakest hull integrity and lowest health, the A-Wing is fast that you can ramp up kills and dominate in dogfights. Does it lack in sheer firepower? Maybe a bit, but your loadout can mitigate that problem.
It’s easy to rack up even 20 kills in Ranked Fleet Battles with the Interceptor-class (I would know, I’ve done it). You’ll probably die a lot too, so make sure you go for hit and run tactics when you can. They’ll never see you coming.
Our recommendation:Primary Weapon: Plasburst Laser CannonLeft Auxiliary: Sienar Emergency Repair SystemRight Auxiliary: Sienar Onslaught RocketsCountermeasure: Sienar XX-5 Seeker WarheadsHull: Sienar Dampener HullEngine: Twin Propulsion EngineEA-Recommended:Primary Weapon: Sienar F/A Rapid Fire CannonLeft Auxiliary: Sienar Seeker MineRight Auxiliary: Sienar Anti-Starfighter MissileCountermeasure: Chaff ParticlesHull: Sienar Ferroceramic HullEngine: Twin Microthrust Engine
U-Wing Gunship Support

The Support-class ships are the least popular of all in Star Wars Squadrons. That’s because they’re the equivalent of healers or buffers in RPGs. They specialize in healing and resupplying ally ships, but that doesn’t mean they’re weak in either offence or defence. They have some tricks for that too.
Our Recommendation:Primary Weapon: Gyrhil EM-8V Auto-Aim CannonLeft Auxiliary: Arakyd Tactical Supply DroidRight Auxiliary: Loronar Tactical ShieldCountermeasures: ArMek H/M Seeker WarheadsHull: Incom Ferroceramic HullShields: Standard Incom Deflector ShieldEngine: Incom SLAM EngineEA-Recommended:Primary Weapon: Taim & Bak KX8 Laser CannonLeft Auxiliary: Arakyd Tactical Supply DroidRight Auxiliary: Loronar Tactical ShieldCountermeasure: Armek H/M Seeker WarheadsHull: Chempat Deflector HullShield: Chempat Fortified DeflectorEngine: Income SLAM Engine
TIE/RP Reaper Support

The Support-class ships are the least popular of all in Star Wars Squadrons. That’s because they’re the equivalent of healers or buffers in RPGs. They specialize in healing and resupplying ally ships, but that doesn’t mean they’re weak in either offence or defence. They have some tricks for that too.
Our Recommendation:Primary Weapon: Sienar Ion CannonLeft Auxiliary: Sienar Tactical Supply DroidRight Auxiliary: Sienar Tactical ShieldCountermeasure: Sienar XX-5 Seeker WarheadsHull: Sienar DeflectorShield: Sienar Resonant ShieldEngine: Twin Ion EngineEA-Recommended:Primary Weapon: Sienar Au-8 Guided Laser CannonLeft Auxiliary: Sienar Targeting BeaconsRight Auxiliary: Sienar Deployment TurretCountermeasures: Sienar XX-5 Seeker WarheadsHull: Sienar Reinforced HullShield: Sienar Scrambler ShieldEngine: Twin Ion Engine


Final Fantasy VII Remake Physical Release Is Out Of Square Enix’s Control

Weâ€™re less than two weeks away from Final Fantasy VII Remake at this point. However, Square Enix (on their blog post) has admitted that they will not be able to actually control when physical copies of the game will arrive.
Due to the Coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic, many countries are limiting entry, closing their national and state borders, and restricting the distribution and delivery of non-essential items. This will affect the arrival of physical copies of Final Fantasy VII Remake.
Square Enix said that they “are currently making arrangements to ensure that pre-orders reach players by 10 April 2020.” However, they have already failed, as the street date for the game has been broken.
According to Reddit, several gamers have gotten their hands on the game early following an image posted by a person who goes by the handle NateLo22 of the contents of the Final Fantasy VII Remake Deluxe Edition.
It seems that certain stores are shipping out copies of the game early to overcome the lockdown restrictions currently happening in many countries. The lesson here, folks, is to start adopting digital games instead. Digital games are the future.


Street Fighter 6 Soundtrack To Stream End Of July

Capcom has announced that it plans to stream the soundtrack to Street Fighter 6 on streaming services soon.
The game’s OST will show up online on platforms like Spotify in late July 2023, featuring 284 songs. The announcement came with a short video teasing all the game’s tracks in 8 minutes.

Crank it up! ?
The Street Fighter 6: Original Soundtrack is coming to music streaming platforms in late July 2023 and includes a whopping 284 tracks! #SF6 pic.twitter.com/1V01XPDXAQ
— Street Fighter (@StreetFighter) June 27, 2023

Personally, most of Street Fighter 6’s music is alright, though most of the character themes could use more flair. While tracks like Ken’s “Spirit of the Flame” and Jamie’s “Mr. Top Player” are great, the rest aren’t quite as impactful or as memorable as the last entry in the series: Street Fighter 5.
Street Fighter 6 is out now for PC and consoles.


Game Trailers & Easy Allies Voice To Retire From Games Journalism

You may not recognize Brandon Jones, but you may have heard his voice in a number of Game Trailers reviews and retrospectives (he’s one of the founders FYI back in 2002), as well as one of the main voices of games website Easy Allies (which consists of ex-Game Trailers and Viacom folks).
Brandon Jones will be retiring from video games journalism and video content production starting 1st of May. According to a recent announcement on his Twitter page, he has planned this since last June and has been working hard to sort Easy Allies out when he retires. He plans to continue recording VO post-Easy Allies.

Friends, colleagues, allies: I’m retiring. May 1st will be my last day at Easy Allies, and in games. I will continue recording VO and say hello when I’m able. More details in this video, during EZX today, and in the coming weeks. L&R. Thank you, all! ?? pic.twitter.com/qrFcKCJAiK
— Brandon Jones (@TrailerJones) March 21, 2022

If you need a reminder as to why he’s a big deal back in the day, look no further than his old Game Trailers retrospectives as well as a recent one from Easy Allies. Here’s to wishing him a great retirement and a heartfelt thanks for influencing many video game content creators and VOs.


Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness Tickets Go On Sale In Malaysia Next Week

Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness will premiere in Malaysian cinemas on 4 May 2022, but you can start booking your tickets starting from next week on 20 April 2022.
The news was announced by Malaysian cinema chain TGV Cinemas earlier at midnight. We’ll update this article with the link when the tickets go live next week.

You ask for the Multiverse? You'll get its Madness!
Be the FIRST to watch #DoctorStrange: The #MultiverseofMadness in TGV Cinemas at our Fan Screening on the 4th of May.
Mark your calendars, tickets are on sale next week, 20 April. So, don't miss it! #TontondiTGV pic.twitter.com/0SAkw2DIO2
— TGV Cinemas | #TontondiTGV ?? (@TGVCinemas) April 12, 2022

GSC Cinemas has also announced that the tickets will go live on the same day as well.

Expect the unexpected. Tickets on sale 20 April. Showtimes from 4 May onwards. #DoctorStrange pic.twitter.com/0y07rtWwtS
— GSC x Mat Kilau ?? (@GSCinemas) April 16, 2022

In Marvel Studios’ Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness, the MCU unlocks the Multiverse and pushes its boundaries further than ever before. Journey into the unknown with Doctor Strange, who, with the help of mystical allies both old and new, traverses the mind-bending and dangerous alternate realities of the Multiverse to confront a mysterious new adversary.
It stars Benedict Cumberbatch, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Elizabeth Olsen, Benedict Wong, Xochitl Gomez, with Michael Stühlbarg, and Rachel McAdams. The film is directed by Sam Raimi, and Kevin Feige is the producer.
Until then, check out my in-depth breakdown of the Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness Super Bowl trailer from February 2022. For the spoiler-free movie review, head here.


DON’T NOD Announces New Narrative Game Harmony: The Fall Of Reverie

Adventure game makers DON’T NOD, known for Remember Me and Life Is Strange (the good ones) has a new narrative game in store.
It’s called Harmony: The Fall of Reverie and it involves a futuristic setting with a mega-corporation that rules all, with literal “gods” called Aspirations of Humanity living in another realm that is somehow connected to the present day. You play a woman named Polly who has the power of clairvoyance that connects her to another world. In Reverie, she becomes Harmony, a goddess who can choose and influence the Aspiration that will ultimately rule. So you’re playing between two realms.
Teaser trailer below. The game will be out in June for PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series.


Far Cry 6 Leaks Ahead Of Ubisoft Forward

Update: Ubisoft just put up its teaser for Far Cry 6.Â
It looks like the mystery game starring Breaking Bad and The Mandalorian actor Giancarlo Esposito has been leaked ahead of schedule.
According to well-known gaming industry insider Nibel, Far Cry 6 is be announced soon, and the cover art (and additional information) for the game has been leaked, as several sources post what seems to be pictures of the PlayStation Store page of Far Cry 6.

Also, the PS5 version comes as a free upgrade, so you’ll only need to buy the game once anyway. pic.twitter.com/x0RYkbPj0M
â€” Alex Richards (@AlexRichards65) July 10, 2020

Welp, lmao https://t.co/KluViSPjjL
â€” Nibel (@Nibellion) July 10, 2020

Anton would not be pleased. See you on Sunday at #UbiForward. pic.twitter.com/HieToJzDxp
— Far Cry 6 (@FarCrygame) July 10, 2020

Other leaked details include that those who buy Far Cry 6 will be able to upgrade to next-gen consoles like the PS5 and Xbox Series X for no additional cost. Apparently, Far Cry 6 is slated to release on 18 February 2020.
Here’s a rough translation of the game info on the store front:
Welcome to Yara, a tropical paradise frozen in time. As the dictator of Yara, Anton Castillo is intent on restoring his nation back to its former glory by any means, with his son, Diego, following in his bloody footsteps. Their ruthless oppression has ignited a revolution.
FIGHT FOR FREEDOM
Play as Dani Rojas, a local Yaran and become a guerrilla fighter to liberate the nation.
YARA TORN APART
Fight against Anton’s troops in the largest Far Cry playground to date across jungles, beaches and Esperanza the capital city of Yara.
GUERRILLA FIREPOWER
Employ makeshift weapons, vehicles, and Amigos, the new Fangs for Hire to burn the tyrannical regime to the ground.
The Ubisoft Forward live stream will be taking place this weekend on 13 July at 3am GMT+8 for Southeast Asian countries like Malaysia. We’ll very likely learn more about the game then.


Overwatch League Cancels March And April Events

Overwatch League events for March and April have been cancelled, with Covid-19 once again being the reason.
“Concurrently, we are working hand-in-hand with our teams to see that all matches are played when it’s safe and logistically feasible,” says the statement.

“We are considering the various options available to esports in this effort, so that all teams – including those previously impacted by scheduling changes in China – can get back to doing what they do best.”

pic.twitter.com/in09FplLNn
— Overwatch League (@overwatchleague) March 11, 2020

Other Overwatch League events remain untouched for now. A follow-up tweet also clarified that the Overwatch League 2020 would not be cancelled and that matches would go on.

“Out of concern for fans, players, staff, and others we have just cancelled upcoming Homestand events. We WILL be playing matches with our teams this month, next month, and beyond â€“ and these matches will be broadcast to fans,” they wrote. “The ability to do this in the face of unforeseen challenges like COVID-19 is part of what makes our business so unique.”

In addition, Activision Esports CEO Pete Vlastelica tweeted that the matches would be broadcast on YouTube, with the schedule to be revealed soon.
While it wasn’t specified if those matches would be held in empty arenas, it’s probably going to be the case. If the March and April Overwatch Homestand events have been cancelled out of safety concerns, I doubt that Blizzard would suddenly want to pack a massive crowd inside an arena at this point in time.


Monster Hunter World Is Getting Icy & Witcher-y In 2019

I’m pretty glad the Monster Hunter series is getting worldwide acclaim with the latest game. Like, really, REALLY big acclaim outside of Japan. With an easy-to-learn-but-hard-to-master approach to big game hunting, where the game consists of giant lizards and things with really sharp teeth and claws, Monster Hunter World deserves all of the praises.
Which is why it makes sense for Capcom to keep that lightning going with a new expansion called Iceborne. This big Monster Hunter World add-on will be out fall 2019 for PS4, PC, and Xbox One. It takes place right after the story of Monster Hunter World and features new weapons, quests, environments, and monsters. If the title is of any indication, expect to fight snow monsters and/or ice monsters in tundras, taigas, white powdered mountains, and cold spots.
Check out the trailer, which is as cold as ice. Just like Foreigner wanted.

In addition, that Geralt guy from The Witcher series is making a Monster Hunter appearance early next year. Called The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt collaboration, players will be able to use the main man himself to play “Witcher-inspired quests”. Which probably means detective work, bar fights, monster-hunting, and women-boinking in tasteful PG form.
Guess that witch from Soulcalibur VI wasn’t enough for his libido. Short trailer’s below.


Halo Infinite Mangler Might Get Nerfed Soon

All Halo fans know the Mangler. In Halo Infinite, the weapon might be getting nerfed in the near future. Developer 343 Industries recently stated that they were aware of the feedback regarding the weapon.
The real Halo Infinite Mangler.
That is, according to 343 Industries Halo Esports And Viewership Lead Tahir â€œTashiâ€ Hasandjekic, who recently responded on Twitter to Halo pro player Snip3down’s suggestion that the weapon needs to be on a longer spawn cycle. Tashi replied that 343 has “definitely been seeing all of the feedback and talking about it internally (especially for big ones like the Mangler)”.

Hi guys, we have definitely been seeing all of the feedback and talking about it internally (especially for big ones like Mangler).
With regards to official methods to give feedback, surveys are on the way so we can capture it all in a clear and concise way. CC: @RichieHeinz
— Tashi (@Tashi343i) January 6, 2022

However, it’s currently when or if 343 Industries would nerf the Mangler, whether it’s related to the weapon’s damage, ammo pool, respawn times, or something else. But even 343 simply stating that talks about the weapon are happening internally has more casual Halo fans worried.
Some more casual Halo fans on Reddit have complained that 343 Industries shouldn’t be catering too much to the whims of so-called pro players. Previously, the Commando Rifle and the Ravager were nerfed, so they don’t want the same thing happening to the Mangler as well.
Halo Infinite has yet to receive a balance patch in regards to weapons and equipment since its official launch back in December 2021. That will likely change soon. In the meantime, check out our review of theÂ Halo InfiniteÂ multiplayer byÂ heading over here.


Singapore Indie Studio Springloaded Announces Adorable-Looking Zoo Simulator

Ever wanted a 90s simulation ala Theme Park but revved up for 2021? And instead of rides and attractions, it’s real-life animals and zoological displays? Then developer Springloaded has you sorted!
The Singapore indie game studio has announced its upcoming top-down 2D pixel graphic simulation Let’s Build A Zoo, where you’re given the task to create the biggest and most successful wildlife enclosure in the world.

The game features over 500 different animals for you to keep and put on display, as well as splice around to create over 300,000 beautiful creatures/abominations in 2D pixelated glory. So that they’re less abominable, of course. The game also boasts hundreds of buildings, foliage, path and enclosure decorations, as well as give you the power to control everything in the zoo from the animal’s diet to how legitimate your business is. Yes, you can break laws for extra cash.
There’s no release date for the game yet, but it’s slated for PC (via Steam). You can add the game to your wishlist here. Check out the short but sweet trailer below, which may remind a lot of old-school gamers of Bullfrog games back in the day. Hopefully the difficulty isn’t as brutal.


Should You Buy Baldur’s Gate 3 Right Now?

Larian Studio’s magnum opus RPG based on the Forgotten Realms D&D campaign, Baldur’s Gate 3, has a lot to live up to. Not only does it need to be a better version of its past Divinity titles but also live up to the high standards of the early 2000s CRPG that made the genre a sublime commodity in the first place.
Lo and behold, the developer released the third Baldur’s Gate game onto PC. Sort of; it’s in Early Access form meaning that it’s just Act 1 of a grander campaign, and there are a number of chinks in the proverbial armour. Thankfully, Larian Studios has made it clear that its current version is buggy as all hell. But does it mean you should justify spending a lot of money to help them out? Let’s break it down.
Fast Times In Faerun

First: some good points. The opening and Act 1 bits start out really strong and in the most epic of ways. You are a captive of a flying ship piloted by Mind Flayers, evil mind-devouring tentacle-faced freaks in robes, who are then boarded and assaulted by githyanki dragon riders. You escape, the ship ends up crashing, and then you get the hell out and figure out what to do next. Oh, and there’s a Mind Flayer tadpole stuck in your brain that will eventually kill you if you don’t do anything about it. So that’s the setup: find out why you were kidnapped by Mind Flayers, how to get the damn tadpole out of your head, and possibly take revenge.
Or you can take on a huge number of sidequests that will power you up and lead you to get closer to your main goal. This usually means a few things: talk to folks and convince them to see things your way, or fight them and random adversaries along the way in turn-based combat. For the most parts, exploring the island we crash-landed on and finding random party members to aid you in your tadpole-removing quest is the entire gist of the Early Access build. Sure, you have to help solve a druid crisis by finding its missing leader in a goblin camp somewhere, but along the way you’ll have to deal with gnolls being birthed out of near-dead hyenas being literal obstacles, as well as help a random group of soldiers rescue a duke or two from a burning building.
There’s a lot of high stakes going on here in terms of quest longevity and completion, not unlike well-made RPGs like Deus Ex: Human Revolution. That burning building I mentioned? If you end up doing something else, if you come back after half a day, that building’s done for and its victims are charred. But at the same time, that sense of urgency is coupled with flexibility: you can solve most problems with the skills you have if you think hard enough.
See a druid doctor trying to administer poison since she already knows about your “incurable” mind tadpole problem? You can either be dextrous and dodge out of the way, or smooth-talk your way out of it to get her off your case. Or just off her since you’re in an enclosed room if your attributes are leaning more towards brute force than charisma-based skills.

Speaking of fighting, Baldur’s Gate 3’s early access build has most of its combat working as intended. It’s turn-based, positioning and height matters, and there’s a good chance that a high attack percentage may miss, adding a lot of tension and gravity of even a simple skirmish. And said skirmishes can get pretty big, with your team dealing with a horde of goblins 2 levels higher than you.
Turn-based combat here follows not just the Divinity combat system, but also implements D&D tabletop traits. Rolling for initiatives based on your Dexterity, attacks of opportunities, moving and/or doing a skill, friendly fire, actual attacks that really hurt; it’s all here except with all the counting and math done behind the scenes. And yes, just like my previous D&D campaigns, you can use bonus actions on top of your main actions to get the most out of your turn.
You can dip your weapon with special coating for extra damage, cast a small spell to help you or your pals out, or even shove people off of cliffs and from high places. This is my favourite bit in Baldur’s Gate 3: sneaking up behind people and giving them a surprise push in the right direction if they’re in the way. Or push them into pits of fire and/or acid, or the nearest untriggered trap.

The apex of this shoving game was my lone Ranger sneaking around, shoving goblins into a spider pit to thin out the horde. That fight near the end of this early access moment did spiral out of control as the spiders did escape and alerted more goblins, overwhelming my party. But it did teach me to plan my next attempt carefully, while also sticking to the “push baddies into pit” idea.

Tabletop D&D asks you to be creative with your solutions, and Baldur’s Gate 3 offers a ton of them so early on. This is as close as you can get to a CRPG D&D experience that feels like an upgrade from 20 years ago. Imagine a fun dungeon master running your epic campaign, is fair with how you play, and isn’t a stickler for time if you take too long with your customization or your current turn in combat. And doesn’t mind you running off-course from the story to do sidequest stuff, as well as doing backsies via quick-save/reloading.
That’s the initial promise of Baldur’s Gate 3 so far; replacing the tabletop experience for an arguably better digital one while retaining manageable story-telling and gaming complexities. And it seems to hit that core point just fine.
Waterdeep Scandals

Unfortunately, as a US$60 paid product, Baldur’s Gate 3 is a buggy mess. Yes, it’s still an early access game as stressed time and again, but I have played other early access games on PC like Hades that at least feel a tad polished in its early stages. In the first 20 minutes of Baldur’s Gate 3, I have encountered a lot of cutscenes that feel like storyboards, a lot of characters speaking and then suddenly splitting into clones mid-conversation, and many instances of character facial animations and actions not lining up properly to their respective scenes.
I’ve also encountered a crash or two in my play sessions, but thankfully the save system isn’t borked as far as I know. So as long as you go nuts with the F5 key, you should be able to recover your progress just fine.
Baldur’s Gate 3 is clearly a huge work-in-progress title, but it’s given special care as the months start rolling by. The recent update fixes the following:

Fixed a crash related to using rush-type actions
Fixed a crash related to the target camera
Fixed a crash in character creation
Fixed a crash during dialogs
Fixed overlapping items inside the inventory views
Fixed “Pickup” and “Pickup And Add To Wares” inside containers
Fixed a player assignment issue when someone would leave from a full multiplayer party. The leftover character can now be assigned correctly.
Fixed an issue with summons showing up as regular companions
Fixed an issue where players could not ready up when other players joined the lobby
Fixed being able to move immovable objects

So Shaar, So Good?
“Early Access” isn’t just a marketing subtitle: it’s an actual honest description of the product you’re paying for. Wait a year or two until everything in Baldur’s Gate 3 is ironed out and is complete. As fun as the first Act in this promising 20-hour-or-so grand adventure is, it’s just that: a promise of things to come.

Unless you are either a hardcore D&D fan who lives and breathes this Hasbro-owned tabletop stuff, or if you are a huge follower of Baldur’s Gate and the Divinity series, you may want to hold off from being a figurative lab rat in this Larian Studios experiment.
No matter how good & sturdy the dough of the Ahm pizza is, it ain’t worth paying full price for if it’s barely even half-baked.


Couch Co-Op Sequel Moving Out 2 Is Coming In 2023

During Gamescom Opening Night Live 2022, Team17, SMG Studio and Devm Games announced Moving Out 2, a sequel to 2020’s popular couch co-op title. It’s coming to the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch and PC sometime in 2023.
Moving Out 2 will take players back to the breakneck, breakback (and ‘break-knee’) world of Smooth Moves’ Furniture Arrangement and Relocation Technicians (F.A.R.Ts), as they pack furniture, technology, and everything including the kitchen sink across increasingly bizarre locales, with increasingly deadly challenges.
Moving Out 2 will see the introduction of online co-operative, cross-play enabled gameplay to the series, allowing F.A.R.Ts around the world to team up and creatively move furniture from point A to point B. It will again feature a cast of bizarre unlockable characters as they traverse different dimensions in the pursuit of seamless and (sometimes) breakage-free home removals, across more than 50 new levels and challenges.


Brad McQuaid, Key Developer Of EverQuest Has Passed Away

MMORPGs are magical things. They give us the chance to go on adventures and make new friends with people we otherwise wouldn’t have the chance of ever meeting. One of the most important MMORPGs to have ever been made was EverQuest and today we mourn the lost of one of its creators.
McQuaid (left) at PAX East 2018. Image from his Twitter page.
Brad McQuaid, one of the key designers of EverQuest passed away last night on 19 November 2019. The sad news was tweeted out by the Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen official Twitter page just a few hours ago. Pantheon is an upcoming MMORPG that McQuaid was working on until his death.

It is with deep regret we share that Brad McQuaid passed away last night. He will be deeply missed and forever remembered by gamers worldwide.
Thank you for bringing us together through your worlds. Rest in peace @Aradune.
VR offers our deepest condolences to Bradâ€™s family.
â€” Pantheon (@PantheonMMO) November 20, 2019

Benjamin Dean, director of communications at Visionary Realms (the studio working on Pantheon) posted a message in the Pantheon MMO forums stating that McQuaid passed away in his home. Here’s an excerpt taken from the full message:

“Brad was a visionary, a mentor, an artist, a trailblazer, a friend, a husband, a father. He touched thousands of lives with his dreams and concepts. He changed the landscape of video games forever. He will be deeply missed and forever remembered in life and in Pantheon.”

Screenshot of Pantheon: Rise of the Fallen.
Before joining the team that made EverQuest, McQuaid was working at Sony Online Entertainment as a lead programmer. After the success of EverQuest, he became chief creative officer. In 2002, he left SOE and founded Sigil Games which made Vanguard: Saga of Heroes, another MMO. He rejoined SOE after Sigil Games was purchased by SOE and then left to independently work on Pantheon.
In the MMO community, McQuaid was known as Aradune and he will forever live on in the hearts of fans all over the world. This was a man who didn’t just make games, but entire worlds that allowed people to connect with each other and go on great adventures.
May you rest in peace, Mr. McQuaid.

Thanks, PC Gamer.


Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Dawn of Ragnarok Drops This March

Ubisoft has announced that Assassinâ€™s Creed Valhallaâ€™s next major expansion, Dawn Of RagnarÃ¶k, will be releasing on 10 March 2022. Dawn Of RagnarÃ¶k will be available as a separate purchase by all owners of the main game.
Additionally, Ubisoft announced Assassinâ€™s Creed Crossover Stories, with two stories that feature Eivor and Kassandra available for fans today from 14 December 2021. Both stories are available for free for owners of the respective base games, with one story featuring Eivor and Kassandra available in Assassinâ€™s Creed Valhalla, and one story featuring Kassandra or Alexios available in Assassinâ€™s Creed Odyssey.
With development led by Ubisoft Sofia, Dawn Of RagnarÃ¶k is the next major expansion, continuing Year 2 of post-launch support for Assassinâ€™s Creed Valhalla. In this expansion, Eivor must embrace their destiny as Odin, the Norse god of Battle and Wisdom. The dwarven kingdom of Svartalfheim is crumbling, and amid the chaos, Odinâ€™s beloved son, Baldr, has been taken prisoner by the unkillable fire giant, Surtr. In Dawn of RagnarÃ¶k, players will be able to unleash new divine powers as they continue their legendary Viking saga by embarking on a desperate rescue quest through a mythological world of contrasts.
All players purchasing Dawn Of RagnarÃ¶k between 13 December 2021 and 9 April 2022 will receive the Twilight Pack and will have immediate access to the main game. This exclusive bonus includes the Dellingr’s Envoy Raven Skin, the Havardr Lynx Mount, the Twilight Gear Set and the Algurnir Dane Axe Weapon.

Assassinâ€™s Creed Crossover Stories is the first cross-game project on the franchise, led by Ubisoft Quebec in close collaboration with Ubisoft Montreal. The content aims at answering the question â€œWhat happens when two Assassinâ€™s Creed heroes meet?â€, exploring the connections in space and time between these Assassinâ€™s Creed heroes to provide a unique narrative experience to players.

Assassinâ€™s Creed Crossover Stories will be available for free for owners of the respective base games on 14 December 2021; one story will be available in Assassinâ€™s Creed Valhalla, and one story will be available in Assassinâ€™s Creed Odyssey. These stories explore the ties between the heroes of the two games, featuring new environments to explore as well as a rich storyline.

For the Assassinâ€™s Creed Valhalla story, A Fated Encounter,Â Â players must have reached Settlement Level 4 and completed the quest â€œA Wise Friend,â€ where Eivor helps Valka establish herself in Ravensthorpe.Â For the Assassinâ€™s Creed Odyssey story,Â Those Who Are Treasured, players will need to have completed Chapter 1 and reached Megaris to access the content, but itâ€™s recommended that players finish the main gameâ€™s three-story arcs (Family, Cult of Kosmos and Mythology) to avoid spoilers.
Assassinâ€™s Creed ValhallaÂ is available on Xbox Series X | S, Xbox One consoles, PlayStationÂ®5, PlayStationÂ®4, the Epic Games Store and Ubisoft Store on Windows PC.
In the meantime, check outÂ our full review ofÂ Assassinâ€™s Creed ValhallaÂ here, orÂ head on over here for our guideÂ on how to be the best Viking in the game.


Here’s What You Need To Know About Genshin Impact’s Contending Tides Arena Mode

Love to fight in Teyvat? Want to get more Primogems? Then Genshin Impact’s latest mode will let you do just that.
Mihoyo announced more details about its upcoming Contending Tides Arena event located at Dadaupa Gorge. Players can earn Primogems and other rewards by completing a number of challenges at various difficulties. Here are the details:
Event Duration: 2nd April – 12th April
Eligibility: Adventure Rank 20 or above
How It Works
â— Starting from the first day of this event, a new challenge with three difficulty levels will unlock every day. Travelers can select the difficulty at which to attempt a challenge. Completing a challenge at a higher difficulty will also automatically clear any lower difficulties.
â— Each challenge has up to three completion criteria. All criteria must be fulfilled to complete the challenge.
â— Each challenge will enhance certain abilities. Pay attention to the bonus effects and use them to maximize your advantage.
â— Changing your World Level will not affect the difficulty of event challenges. So leave that World Level slider alone.
Stay tune to Kakuchopurei for a guide on that, as well as a short video of us attempting to roll for step-on-me priestess Rosaria.


The Legend of Heroes: Kuro no Kiseki II Officially Announced

The next chapter in the Falcom JRPG The Legend of Heroes is still continuing, with a sequel to Kuro no Kiseki announced.
The new JRPG isi called The Legend of heroes: Kuro no Kiseki II – Crimson Sin- and it’s coming out in Fall 2022 in Japan. Meanwhile, the first Kuro no Kiseki game isn’t even out in English as of yet; that may take a while to come out.
The trailer below shows off the following: a mysterious “elf” magic character, organizations doing combat stuff, and Kuro no Kiseki hero Van Arkride the Spriggan getting a visit from new character Elaine Auclair, who is in need of his Spriggan services. Spriggans are basically detectives/hitmen in the Kuro no Kiseki world.
Here’s the official story synopsis, which is as Falcom & JRPGish as you can get:
“S.1209. After the threat of the mafia organization Armata was gone, the Republic of Calvard regained its former peace.
But one day, in a corner of Edith City, a bizarre incident occurs in which a CID (Central Intelligence Department) special operations squad was found slaughtered.
The Calvard Police and Bracer Guild begin investigating the matter. But sensing that a new time of chaos may come, underground factions also start making moves.
Meanwhile, Spriggan Van Arkride also begins his investigation, kickstarted by a visit from an unexpected someone.
Who is the culprit behind the massacre? Why did they do it? And what will happen to Agnes, who is searching for the Eighth Genesis, the last legacy of her great grandfather?
The brutish roar of a crimson beast, and an encounter with a young boy and girl seeking “something” will lead them down a “Trail” that they cannot escape.”

The game also features the return of Van’s partner Agnes Claudel; it’s essentially the continuation of the first Kuro no Kiseki. In the meantime, enjoy these new screenshots of the sequel featuring the cast. Note that one of the screenshots have something called a High Speed Mode, meaning you can probably fast-forward all the talking bits of the game if you just want to skip forward to the combat and questing. As detailed and lore-rich as they are, The Legend of Heroes games tend to ramble on like a senior citizen (re: Trails of Cold Steel), so an option like a fast-forward button helps.


League of Legends MSI 2019 Group Stage Recap: Vietnam & Taiwan Are Out

The League of Legends Mid-Season Invitational 2019 (MSI 2019) began earlier this month on 1 May 2019, pitting the champions of each region in the world against each other.
As of now, the MSI 2019 group stages are over, with only four teams left entering the semi-finals out of a total of thirteen teams. Unfortunately for Asian League of Legends fans, Vietnam and Taiwan’s teams are out of the race.
Here are the placings for 5th to 13th:

5. Flash Wolves (Taiwan/Hong Kong/Macao)
6. Phong VÅ© Buffalo (Vietnam)
7. Vega Squadron (CIS)
8. 1907 FenerbahÃ§e (Turkey)
9. DetonatioN FM (Japan)
10. MEGA (Southeast Asia/Thailand)
11. Bombers (Oceania)
12. Isurus Gaming (Latin America)
12. INTZ e-Sports (Brazil)

WhileÂ Flash Wolves and Phong VÅ© Buffalo managed to make it into the MSI 2019 group stages Main Event, they ultimately came out wanting, failing to cement a place in the semi-finals playoffs by losing most of their matches. Meanwhile, MEGA didn’t make it out of the initial play-in group stages, having to settle for 10th place in the end.

Next, Invictus Gaming, SK Telecom T1, G2 Esports, and Team Liquid will head to the semi-finals in Taipei, Taiwan, taking place on 17 and 18 May 2019. The winners of those matches will face each other in the finals on 19 May 2019.
Here are the matchups for the semi-finals:

Invictus Gaming vs Team Liquid (17 May 2019)
SK Telecom T1 vs G2 Esports (18 May 2019)

.@invgaming chooses to play against @TeamLiquidLoL as their #MSI2019 Knockouts Semifinals opponent for Friday, May 17th. @T1LoL will play @G2esports on Saturday, May 18th. #IGWIN #TLWIN #T1WIN #G2WIN
â€” lolesports (@lolesports) May 14, 2019
In the meantime, check out highlights from all the matches from the last day of the MSI 2019 group stages below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_ypV_k_G5I&w=560&h=315]


[Report] Nintendo, Xbox, & PlayStation Will Skip E3 2023

It looks like the Big 3 of E3 will not be attending this year’s games showcase.
Multiple sources close to IGN said in an exclusive report that Nintendo, Xbox, and Sony PlayStation will not be part of E3 2023, and will not have a presence on the Los Angeles Convention Center show floor. Xbox CEO Phil Spencer said the Microsoft gaming brand will hold its annual summer showcase in the month itself, but won’t have a booth on the show floor.
“E3 is just, to me, one of the seminal moments of gaming. I love the history of going down to LA, thousands of people there, getting to see great new things…getting to see people in the industry, the fan events that we’ve had. I definitely want that to continue.
Xbox is on the board of the ESA, and I think a successful and healthy ESA is critical to what we’re trying to go do. So we place our showcase, like we always have done, at a time where hopefully it’s convenient for press and even consumers that are going to the E3 event, and that’s what we’re trying to do now. We will continue to work with ESA in terms of their plans. As I said, we’re on the board, and we want to make sure that we are doing everything we can to help make the E3 successful.”
So far, there are no comments or official statements from Sony and Nintendo about this. However, E3 organizers ReedPop provided the following official statement to reassure would-be expo-goers:
“E3 is such a significant event for the game industry and being entrusted with an important cultural touchstone is not a responsibility ReedPop takes lightly. Since ReedPop took on the contract to run E3 six months ago, we’ve worked diligently with ESA members based on their feedback to create a new type of E3 that supports their goals and needs.
This process has taken time due to the tremendous amount of stakeholders offering input, though we appreciate that we could have been more transparent to questions for which we were still finalizing the answers. We continue to work tirelessly to create a show that brings together the global gaming industry. We believe we’ve created a new format for the event that serves the needs of both the industry and its fans, and are committed to building and growing it in the coming years.
As we spent much of 2022 refining how E3 2023 would take shape, reflecting on the feedback we solicited, we did not send a single contract to an exhibitor until the start of this month. We have received a tremendous amount of interest and verbal commitments from many of the biggest companies in the industry, and when we are ready to announce the exhibitors we are confident it will be a lineup that will make the trip to Los Angeles well worth it for the industry and consumers alike.”
E3 2023 will be on 13 to 16 June (PST).


The Boys Season 2 Reveals First Look At The Seven’s Newest Member

Amazon Prime Video’s The Boys was already renewed for Season 2 last year, as it became one of the streaming siteâ€™s most-watched original content ever. Now the series is welcoming a new addition in the form of Stormfront, who will be portrayed by Aya Cash (best known for her leading role in You’re The Worst).
As exclusively unveiled by EW, this is our first look at Aya Cash’s Stormfront, the newest member of The Seven.
In the comics, Stormfront is a male neo-nazi superhero who leads the superhero team Payback, a team second only in popularity and rivals to The Seven. It looks like The Boys showrunners have opted for a gender-bent version of the character.

According to Antony Starr (who plays The Seven leader Homelander), Stormfront is:

â€œSheâ€™s the grenade that gets thrown into Homelanderâ€™s world and the world of the Seven.
She really causes me so many problems.”

Meanwhile, Cash herself describes her character as:

â€œI think Stormfront is like a nuclear bomb that goes off in the Seven.
Maybe nuclear bomb isnâ€™t the right word.
Weâ€™re in Chernobyl. There you go. Itâ€™s a Chernobyl thing.
“I think sheâ€™s here to blow up Vought.
Sheâ€™s here to try to get Vought back to the original idea behind creating superheroes.
And she can be quite the feminist.
Thereâ€™s a lot of, I wouldnâ€™t say misdirect, but she also is a very empowered woman.
Sheâ€™s really social-media-savvy, where Homelander doesnâ€™t really have anything to do with that. Someone else is always running his accounts.
Heâ€™s almost like a Don Draper-era character and sheâ€™s very young and new and fresh, and thatâ€™s a massive challenge for him.
[Heâ€™s] used to everyone being scared of him. She matches him.
Thatâ€™s not to say she doesnâ€™t understand his power and tiptoe around it sometimes, but sheâ€™s also willing to challenge him.
Ultimately, I think the dynamic between the two is terrifying and will change who Homelander is.â€
You start off this season thinking sheâ€™s one thing and then discovers sheâ€™s another.
There are quite a few times where youâ€™ll identify with her as an audience member or agree with what she says. I think [those] are the most dangerous people.â€

We still don’t have a release date for The Boys Season 2, but it will likely be releasing sometime this year, as it has been in production since last year. If you’re sick of all the superhero stuff, this is exactly the perfect show for you.


Rainbow Six Siege Year 7 Season 1 To Add Japanese Operator & A New Map

Ubisoft has revealed the first season of Rainbow Six Siegeâ€™s Year 7 Season 1, Demon Veil. This season introduces Azami, a new Japanese Operator, a new map, a permanent Team Deathmatch game mode, gameplay updates including Attacker Repick, universal sights and more.
In Demon Veil, uncover the secrets of Azami, an enigmatic new Defender â€“ equipped with the Kiba Barrier gadget, her throwable canisters deploy an expandable material that solidifies into a bulletproof surface, providing fast cover. Azamiâ€™s gadget allows her to quickly repair holes in walls and floors, creating a more mobile and versatile defensive approach. Azami is a medium speed, medium health Operator, and her loadout features a 9X19SVN or an ACS12 as a primary weapon and a D-50 as a secondary weapon.

Alongside Azami, an exclusive new map arrives mid-season for the first time in Rainbow Six Siege in three years: Emerald Plains. Set in Ireland, this modern country club challenges players to master a new environment and its multiple levels.
Attacker Repick arrives in Year 7 Season 1, allowing Attackers to change their Operator and loadout during the Preparation Phase. The change aims to bring more impact during the Preparation Phase by allowing Attackers to use the intel gathered and adjust their strategy. In addition, the match header has been updated to help make informed decisions when changing their Operator or loadout. Attacker repick is available for all game modes in the Quick Match, Unranked, Ranked, and Pro League playlists.

Demon Veil brings further important gameplay updates: a permanent Team Deathmatch game mode, created to provide the perfect environment for players to warm up and practice their aim before competitive matches, as well as offer a more casual gameplay experience within Rainbow Six Siege; Match Replay for console players, a spectator mode that has been available on PC since 2020; Operator balancing updates for Goyo and Valkyrie; and an exclusive Elite skin for Nomad.
Y7S1 will also introduce a new Incentive Program: when players report issues on R6Fix and have their status reach “Under Investigation,â€ they will receive one reward per season, determined by the highest severity issue out of all their reports. Players on both the Test Server and the Live Server can report issues and have a chance to receive eachâ€¯season’sâ€¯reward during the following season’s Test Server.
Rainbow Six Siege is now available to play on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.


Mortal Kombat 12 Teased

Don’t act too shocked, but there will be a Mortal Kombat 12 coming soon.
The next game in the MK series from developer NetherRealm and publisher Warner Bros. Interactive was teased by game producer Jonathan Anderson.

If you look closely at the screen on the top right, there’s the following lines of text:
“our fans eagerly scrape the internet for any trace.”
“MK12_Mast”
So yeah, new Mortal Kombat for fighting game fans; that’s great but totally expected. In related news, a sequel to the Mortal Kombat movie is in the works, with Jeremy Slater slated to write the script. Also, MK father Ed Boon is entered in the Academy of Interactive Arts & Science’s Hall of Fame; he’s the 25th recipient of the award.


Summer Game Fest 2023 Confirmed For This June

Geoff Keighley has announced that the Summer Game Fest 2023 will take place on 8 June 2023. As usual, the live-streamed event will feature new announcements of games and more.
What’s funny is that this news broke out merely hours after reports came out claiming that Nintendo, Xbox, and Sony PlayStation will not be attending E3 2023, which will take place from 13 to 16 June 2023.
What’s ironic is that Summer Game Fest started out as a replacement for E3 during the period of time when E3 was cancelled while we were all quarantined because of the pandemic. Now even after the worst of the pandemic has passed, it looks like E3 will never be able to regain its former glory (if the reports are true).
No other details have been revealed about Summer Game Fest 2023 as of yet, but stay tuned for more coverage from us. In the meantime, check out all the games announced during Summer Game Fest 2022 by heading over here.

Summer Game Fest returns live, Thursday June 8 from @youtubetheater
Tune in to see what's next from the video game industry — sign up at https://t.co/gO9QVWFCdl for alerts and updates on tickets. pic.twitter.com/YcAnDMfJp9
— Summer Game Fest – Live June 8! (@summergamefest) January 30, 2023


Borderlands 3 Maurice Black Market Location – Week 4

Need some quick Legendary loot in exchange for a copious amount of money? Then you’ll want to know where to go to find Borderlands 3’s Black Market vending machine this week (30th April).
This week’s Maurice Black Market vending machine location is at Tazendeer Ruins on the planet Nekrotafeyo (via EpicNNG). It’s at the Maliwan Base at the centre of the map after Charnel Keep; there’s no shortcut to getting there so you’ll need to start at the beginning of the map and then take the east exit of the Maliwan base.

What’s on sale at this week’s Black Market vending machine? Here’s a list:

Binary Compressing Trevonator shotgun (and many variations of this nice weapon)
Krakatoa sniper rifle (many variations)
Black Hole shield

Not a bad haul if you want a heckaton of Trevonators for your Siren & Zane builds.


God Of Rock Is A Unique Rhythm Fighting Game From Modus Games

During Future Games Show 2022 at Gamescom 2022, Modus Games and Modus Studios Brazil have announced God Of Rock, a rhythm fighting game for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch and PC (Steam). It will launch sometime in winter 2022.
The mysterious God of Rock has revived the souls of the universe’s greatest musicians to clash for his entertainment. Revitalized with new bodies and new powers, each musician will become a contestant in his game, battling it out with each other for musical supremacy on a global stage.
God of Rock blends rhythm-based gameplay with fighting game mechanics in tense one-versus-one matches. Choose from a dozen unique fighters, each with their own design, mechanics, and harmonic attacks. Soften up your opponent by executing normal moves and building meter by hitting notes to the beat of the song, then spend your meter to unleash EX and special moves to do damage and add complexity to their tracks. Finally, finish them off with a devastating Super attack! As the battle progresses, the music track will continue to grow in complexity and difficulty until only one fighter is left standing.
Check out the trailer below:


Just Cause 4 Is Free On The Epic Games Store

Just Cause 4, the late 2018 open-world game where you cause explosive havoc, is currently free to keep on the Epic Games Store.

It’s not as big a surprise as when Epic gave away 2019’s World War Z for free (and they did reveal it on the store page last week), but Just Cause 4 is still recent enough (it came out less than six months before World War Z) to make this a bit unexpected. No complaints though.
If you’d like something less bombastic, Epic is also giving away Wheels of Aurelia. In this game, you’ll embark on a “narrative road trip” set in 1970s Italy.

Both games will be free to claim from now till 23 April at 11pm. You can find them here.


Games Events Update: October 2017

October is lining up to be quite an eventful month for gamers in the southeast Asian region as folks in Singapore and the Philippines are set to experience respective country’s largest gaming event.
First up is in Singapore where the fourth edition of GameStart is set to take place at Suntec Halls 401-403 from the 14th to 15th. Expect a good time at the event as the big guns such PlayStation and Bandai Namco have confirmed their presence at the event and you can check the full list of exhibitors at their official website. Entrance fees start at SG$12 for a one-day access and full details can be found here.
About two weeks on, ESGS 2017 is set to take place at SMX Convention Centre in Manila from the 27th to 29th. A bit more skewed towards the esports side of things, this is one event esports enthusiasts would not want to miss. With a very impressive lineup of exhibitors, ESGS is one of the highly underrated regional events and you’d be wise to start charting your trip to Manila come late October.
Tickets start from PHP170 for Friday access and full details can be found here.Â
Â We plan to cover both events (fingers crossed) and will update you with the latest news for both events. We don’t get many events such as these in the region and we welcome more organizers in bringing in quality events focusing on consumers.


Overwatch League: RunAway Roster Signed to OWL

The entire roster for Overwatch Contenders Korea Season 2 Champions, RunAway have completed their Overwatch League Season 2 contracts as confirmed by the team’s official Twitter account this morning.

All players have completed the OWL season 2 contract.
We will not forget our memories with you.
Congratulations, guys. pic.twitter.com/m0bdH7MFij
â€” Runaway (@Runaway_OW) October 17, 2018
While no details as yet on which team(s) these players have signed to, we sincerely wish that they stick together as a squad, bringing the RunAway brand to a wider audience albeit repackaged under a new banner. Here’s also hoping for whichever team that picks up the whole roster to incorporate the iconic neon and pink ensemble RunAway is famous for.
As for the RunAway team, team manager and owners Flowervin and Runner has confirmed that they will continue managing the franchise which will consist of brand new set of players. They have begun recruiting and recently announced the addition of a fairly unknown player, QoQ last week.

Runaway new player.
(Contenders season3)
QoQ
(sub tank)
Welcome QoQ
â€” Runaway (@Runaway_OW) October 11, 2018


Starship Troopers Terran Command Has Landed On Steam

Developer Slitherine has announced the release of the newest real-time strategy (RTS) game set in the world-renowned Starship Troopers film universe, Starship Troopers Terran Command. It is now available to be downloaded on Steam for RM51.00.
Starship Troopers Terran Command is a single-player, real-time strategy game based on the 1997 movie. In the game, players take command of the Mobile Infantry and do their part in the war against hordes of Arachnid enemies. By striking an effective balance between tactical superiority and strength in numbers, they can ensure that human civilization dominates the galaxy.
Players can build, develop and control their armies and embark on an exciting military campaign. On their journey, they will meet unique characters, discover amazing locations and develop effective tactics with battle mechanics such as True Line of Sight and True Line of Fire. Furthermore, an expansive range of unique units, weapons, and special abilities are at their disposal.
The game also features dozens of unique unit types with special abilities, such as the Fleet Liaison, Grenade and Rocket Turrets, Wavebreaker Mortar and Tactical Officer.
Marco Minoli, Marketing Director at Slitherine said:
“Working on Starship Troopers: Terran Command has been a rollercoaster ride. When we announced the project we were overwhelmed by the players’ feedback and expectations, and we almost had to go back to the drawing board on major aspects of the game. After over four years of hard work, we are confident in saying we are releasing a gaming experience that’s true to the heart of the IP, while giving a modern twist to some of the most established RTS mechanics.”
The game was originally announced back in 2019.
Check out the trailer below:


Halo TV Series Trailer Shows Live-Action Master Chief, Cortana, & The Covenant

Paramount+ has released the first official trailer for the upcoming Halo TV series. It will premiere on Paramount+ on 24 March 2022.
In the trailer, we catch a glimpse of not only Pablo Schreiber’s Master Chief, but also at Jen Taylor’s Cortana, the alien Covenant enemies, and other human characters in the series.
Just like in the games, Halo tells the story of Dr. Halsey (Natascha McElhon) who handpicked and created the Spartans, who are basically super-soldiers (and Master Chief is one of them), to help humanity quell human rebellion which ultimately became its best shot against an alien faction known as The Covenant.

Dr. Halsey (Natascha McElhon)

Chief in his Mjolrnir Mark VI armor

What appears to be a Covenant dropship a.k.a The Phantom. Or it could just be a Covenant light cruiser.

Speaking of dropships, the legendary Pelican makes her grand entrance.
An Energy Sword used by the Covenant.
A close-up of a Covenant Elite
A Warthog. Nuff said.

Cortana (Jen Taylor, who voiced the smart A.I in the games since Combat Evolved).
Another Phantom now with the iconic Halo sniper rifle

A quick scene featuring a Jackal with its energy shield

A scene we assume was set on High Charity – The Covenant’s main city – featuring the Three Prophets

And a scene featuring the Flood infection on what appears to be a UNSC ship med bay
Master Chief and the other Spartans.
Master Chief holding a battle rifle.
The first look at theÂ HaloÂ TV series was revealed duringÂ The Game Awards 2021. Dramatizing an epic 26th-century conflict between humanity and an alien threat known as the Covenant, Halo the series will weave deeply drawn personal stories with action, adventure and a richly imagined vision of the future.
In the meantime, check out the first teaser for the Halo TV series below:


Overwatch 2’s First PVP/PVE Hybrid Event, Starwatch, is Now Live

Overwatch fans have been waiting patiently for the PVE modes to come to Overwatch 2 since it was announced. Starwatch, the latest mode on Overwatch 2 just went live and it is the first PVP/PVE hybrid event in the game. Players who log on now until May 22 can experience and play Starwatch: Galactic Rescue, an epic one-of-a-kind space event. Two teams will face off on a four-point Assault match staged on the Infinite Galactrius, a starship transformed from the Horizon Lunar Colony Assault map. The Watchers, who is led by Bonebreaker Doomfist, will attack against the defending Infinite Empire.

Choose your side and join the fight
Players will get to choose who they will ally with, the Watcher’s rebellion or the Infinite Empire’s command. If your loyalties lie elsewhere, you can choose to queue as a Mercenary to get into the next mission quickly and serve whichever side you’re assigned to.
The Infinite Empire are all well-equipped to stop any intruders. This team has access to special artillery throughout the facility that will attack the Watchers.
The Watchers have help too. Bonebreaker will help aid the team as players will charge in to rescue 3CH-0, portrayed by Echo. Both teams will want to take advantage of the Gravity Implosion Barrels all throughout the facility. These barrels will unleash a small, yet powerful black hole when destroyed that will catch anyone in its wake, leaving them vulnerable to attack.

An Echo of Hope
Players can immerse themselves in the story behind the event with an all-new comic, Starwatch: An Echo of Hope. The tale sets the stage of how the Watchers barely escaped the clutches of the Galactic Emperor, Sigma, but their friend 3-CHO is captured. Now, the Infinite Empire wants to reprogram her into a powerful weapon that threatens the galaxy. Leading up to the mission where the Watchers rescue 3CH-0 from the Infinite Empire’s starship.
You can check out the Starwatch: An Echo of Hope Motion Comic on Youtube:

Who will win?
The total number of wins will be tallied up for both the Watchers and the Infinite Empire. The side that wins the most battles will determine the fate of the galaxy in a second comic. The comic will be released after the in-game event concludes.

Cosmic Challenges & Rewards
There are more adventures and it does not end with Starwatch: Galactic Rescue. Cosmic event challenges await players that will unlock all-new cosmetics, including a brand-new Asteroid Epic skin for Wrecking Ball, as well as 50,000 XP to help complete your Premium Battle Bass and unlock the Mythic skin for Galactic Emperor Sigma himself. Embark on new adventures as your favourite rebel from the Watchers or soldier from the Infinite Empire, with limited-time bundles available in the in-game shop!


The Super Mario Bros. Movie Is A Fun All-Ages Ride, No More & No Less

Review originally published on 7th April 2023. Brought forward to coincide with the film’s release in Malaysia on 20th April.
30 years ago, Nintendo was traumatized from ever making live-action film adaptations of its treasured properties after the disaster that was the Super Mario Bros. movie in 1993. The company could have taken the same stance as Capcom and just taken its licks and try again and again, but the Big N has always played it safe with its games and franchises. A shame too, given how titles like the Zelda series and Metroid are a shoe-in for promising film adaptations in the right hands.
As time passes, so too does the stubbornness of the renowned game company. Key folks at Nintendo, specifically Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto, have warmed up to going back to the proverbial well. They took the plunge and teamed up with Despicable Me and Minions creators Illumination, and go for film adaptation broke with a 3D-animated Mario movie.
And if you love all things Nintendo and simple video game plots brought to colourful 3D life (or hate that sort of jazz), you’ve pretty much made up your mind about this all-ages film made for children.
Plumbers Don’t Wear Ties

The story is as basic as you can get: two Brooklyn-based plumber brothers -Mario (Chris Pratt) and Luigi (Charlie Day) get warped into a strange world and are separated, and end up being embroiled in a conflict between Bowser (Jack Black) and his Koopa army and the Mushroom Kingdom ruled by Princess Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy). Basically it’s Illumination’s first isekai story but with Nintendo references aplenty; you’ll find loads to spot and cheer at in the show’s 1 hour and 32 minute runtime.
You’ll see everything from the Super Mario video games play out in grand animated fashion, from dungeon-dwelling to platforming, to even a Super Mario Kart section featuring the series’ toughest course. There’s even the inclusion of Mario’s earlier nemesis Donkey Kong (Seth Rogen) alongside his dad Cranky Kong (Fred Armisen), including a duel, and an eventual tag-team moment. Suffice it to say, Illumination spared no expense in making everything as flashy, colourful, and bright as possible. It’s clearly a fun feast for the eyes.
If you’re expecting a deep plot and major character arcs that go beyond layers, you clearly didn’t read the part that where this film is made & directed by Illumination, a company known for making huge bank with kid’s movies filled with gags and cute animation aplenty. As such, you get what you pay for: a fun 3D animated movie based on a video game with paper-thin plots but tons of action & thrills. To be fair, a lot of the game lore and references tied into the plot will be lost on anyone who goes into the show without Nintendo game context. Unless you know a thing or two about Mario Kart, you wouldn’t get why a maniacal blue-shelled turtle transforms into a flying blue shell to chase and home in on enemy karts.

Besides, it’s not like the voice actors aren’t having fun with their respective roles. Jack Black, Charlie Day, and Anya Taylor-Joy clearly stand out as Bowser, Luigi, and Princess Peach respectively, giving life to the roles and having a blast being comedic and over-the-top with their tone and delivery. As for Chris Pratt as Mario? He’s fine. While he is clearly outshined by the aforementioned three, he serves his role as the straight man who doesn’t know when to quit. Still, his role could have been played by anyone, but he’s commendable.
What isn’t commendable is the forced inclusion of licensed music in some key scenes, especially in a property that’s soundtrack-rich as the Mario series and spin-offs. It really sounds out of place and just added in for the sake of being a box-office animated film. Still, that’s only 30% of the film’s score, with the rest being amazing thanks to Brian Tyler’s arrangments of Koji Kondo’s originals.
Pipe Dream? Not Quite…

The Super Mario Bros. Movie is fun candy for Nintendo game fans, gaming aficionados, families with kids who play the Mario titles, and everyone in-between who has actually touched a Nintendo all-ages title. Nothing more, nothing less. It’s safe and predictable, with plot beats you can see coming a mile away, though with no room to breathe and develop some side plot stuff given the kid’s movie runtime.
That’s not a back-handed compliment, because I did have fun watching the film (I saw it twice, even!). It didn’t need to be beyond what it’s meant to be, and Illumination knows this. In any case, this movie is definitely the right step for Nintendo to launch its film-making initiatives, hopefully using its other properties to make more movie adaptation magic. Luigi’s Mansion spin-off, anyone?

Final Score: 70/100


Embracing Gaming Equality with LeadWomen’s International Women’s Day 2023 Session

On the 1st of June, I had the pleasure of attending a collective panel of amazing women across Malaysia on Women Moving Forward in Healthcare, Sports & STEM. It was a very last-minute decision for me to attend so I was extremely nervous.
The panel session was held at Microsoft’s office which was surprisingly colourful and cozy. I arrived an hour early and sat beside the refreshments table, thinking to myself, if I were to be awkward, at least I could do it sitting down here with a cup of tea in my hand. Soon enough I was joined by a fashionably dressed petite young lady who said she too was pitter-pattering around awkwardly.

But why am I even bothering to talk about this?
Tania, the young lady who sat beside me, writes for the Tatler Asia. She writes more about lifestyle and I well, I write on gaming, but we found a common ground. We bonded over the fact that growing up for us wasn’t easy when it came to beauty standards. We’re both tanned, with curly hair and that was not what the beauty standards were set at back when I was a kid, which was over 20 years ago. We talked about how we’ve definitely evolved and become more inclusive of different skin colours, body types, etc. I shared with her about how it made me happy that my favourite game, Apex Legends, added an Indian character to the game awhile ago, Rampart (Ramya Parekh), and one of her legendary skins is a classic traditional outfit.

Honestly growing up in a space where the internet is just widespread, I’d never dream that something like this would be in a video game when I was younger. Back then, women were so sexualized in games. There was a specific stereotype that the industry catered to. It’s one of the many reasons why I love games like Apex Legends and Overwatch. The inclusivity, the diversity. It gives everyone a voice. But enough about that, I want to talk about the lovely panel that truly inspired me while I was there.

First, let’s talk about LeadWomen, an organization that strives to ensure that workplaces and boardrooms are diverse, equitable and inclusive for all to thrive and succeed fairly. They run several programmes to empower women to grow and meet their full potential. The panel featured Deepti Saraf, the General Manager of Roche Malaysia, Sarina Sundara Rajah, a gymnast who has represented our country in the SEA games,  Asian games, Commonwealth games, and well, she’s got a whole lot of achievements under her belt, but she is also the Founding President of Safe Sport Malaysia.
Then we have our very own Sophie Azlan, who as we all know and love here at Kakuchopurei. She is a game developer, a lecturer and has won pretty much an Oscar for gaming. The moderator of the day was Freda Liu, is a global speaker, a broadcast journalist, an emcee. Well, she has a lot going under her name, but to put it plainly, she is a powerhouse and she commands the attention of everyone in the room when she speaks.
On Harassment & Inequality
A recurring theme we see when it comes to women in the workforce, or in any industry for that matter, is harassment, whether it’s sexual, verbal. Harassment occurs, and why has it become a norm? We’re really not taken seriously, even in the gaming space. Something Sarina mentioned really stayed with me. “Malaysians are more reactive than proactive.” Why are we not doing more to prevent things and instead waiting for things to happen first before thinking about ways of prevention? We don’t really have to do much. Having conversations is more than enough and something achievable that everybody can participate in.
Sophie mentioned that yes, it’s wonderful being up here, championing us women. But really, what she wants most of all is to be recognized for her achievements, not just as a woman in her industry, but for the fact that she’s done so much more for the industry than what a lot of people have. I think this is something all women can relate to. In gaming, if you’re a woman, I’m sure you can resonate with me when I say speaking in game can be pretty terrifying, especially if it’s in a competitive environment. And when we do speak, it goes two ways. People either start acting “simpy”, a good example of this is sometimes players are happy to “drop” weapons for us women.
And on the other spectrum, people get hostile. “Go back to the kitchen.” YES. This still happens.
As someone who plays competitive games, I wish people would treat me normally. I’m just a gamer, trying to play games, trying to enjoy the same games that everyone else is playing. There’s so much we can expand on, and so much we can talk about, but I’m not here to lecture you or to accuse you of anything. I’m just a gamer. I just want to be seen as just that. A gamer.

The day ended when we all sat at different tables, representing different industries where we talked about ways we can solve the current issues we face. We definitely have a long way to go, but we have to start somewhere. The experience as I said, was something I did not expect. I wish more women would have the same opportunity that I did to attend something similar to this. With that, I leave you something that stayed with me from this session.

“Give more power to our dreams than our fears.” – Deepti Saraf, General Manager of Roche Malaysia.


Did Birds Of Prey Just Get A Name Change?

Despite receiving positive reviews from critics (but not from me here at KKP),Â Birds Of Prey (And The Fantabulous Emancipation Of One Harley Quinn) has suffered from a dismal and disappointing box office performance so far. Perhaps that’s why Warner Bros has reportedly changed its title.
The studio has apparently changed the ridiculous-sounding Birds Of Prey (And The Fantabulous Emancipation Of One Harley Quinn) into something less misleading and more reflective of the final product:

Harley Quinn: Birds Of Prey

While Warner Bros has yet to confirm if this is true, major cinema chains in the US like AMC and Regal are now using the new title instead of the old one. According to sources from ScreenRant, these cinema chains were “mandated” to change the title of the movie.

I have previously pointed out that misleading marketing is likely the reason why the Birds Of Prey movie is currently performing so terribly. As I pointed out in my review, the actual Birds Of Prey members play second fiddle to Harley Quinn in their own movie, disrespecting the source material in the process.


Dragon Quest The Adventure Of Dai Is Getting Three Games & An Anime

Dragon QuestÂ is basicallyÂ Dragon Ball in a dungeons-and-dragons-like fantasy setting with the same artist and character designer; the legendary Akira Toriyama. Considering the success of 2018â€™s Dragon Quest XI: Echoes Of An Elusive Age, itâ€™s the best time forÂ Toei Animation to announce a whopping three new games and an anime series based on the franchise.
In commemoration of Dragon Quest Day in Japan (via Gematsu), Square Enix has revealed details for three games and an anime series based on Dragon Quest: The Adventure of Dai; the manga of the same name which was published by Shonen Jump from 1989 to 1996. This will actually be the second anime adaptation of the same property; the first having aired from 1991 to 1992.
However, the plot of Dragon Quest: The Adventure of DaiÂ is unrelated to any of the elevenÂ Dragon Quest games.Â It follows protagonist Dai, a 12-year-old boy who lives on an island of peaceful monsters with dreams of becoming a hero. Destiny comes calling when the demon lord, Hadlar, returns to start a new reign of terror.
Dragon Quest: The Adventure Of Dai Anime

Square Enix and Toei Animation have announced that the new Dragon Quest: The Adventure of Dai TV anime will begin airing sometime in October 2020.
The animeâ€™s main voice is as follows:

Dai (voiced by Atsumi Tanezaki).
Popp (voiced by Toshiyuki Toyonaga).
Maam (voiced by Mikako Komatsu).
Leona (voiced by Saori Hayami).
Avan (voiced by Takahiro Sakurai).
Hyunckel (voiced by Yuuki Kaji).

Dragon Quest series creator Yuji Horii said:

“While the original Dragon Quest: The Adventure of DaiÂ anime ended halfway [into the series], Iâ€™m looking forward to be able to complete it this time.â€

Check out the first footage of the anime below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRqoScirASc&w=560&h=315]
Infinity Strash â€“ Dragon Quest: The Adventure Of Dai

Publisher Square Enix and developerÂ Game Studio have announced action JRPG Infinity Strash â€“ Dragon Quest: The Adventure of Dai for console(s). However, specific platforms were not announced. It is slated to launch in Japan sometime in 2021.
Players will be able to freely control characters from Dragon Quest: The Adventure of Dai, and face against monsters and powerful foes using familiar spells and special attacks, albeit in real-time (which is a departure from the franchise’s turn-based roots).
Check out the trailer below:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3EHPUHvftdA&w=560&h=315]
Dragon Quest: The Adventure Of Dai â€“ Xross Blade

Publisher Square Enix and developer Takara Tomy A.R.T.S have announced collectible card game Dragon Quest: The Adventure of Dai â€“ Xross Blade. It will launch in Japanese arcades sometime in fall 2020.
There will apparently be various merchandise planned for release alongside the game, including a â€œCard Albumâ€ and an â€œAdventure Logâ€ that registers play data of players.
Check out the trailer below:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-UdHZGy2NM&w=560&h=315]
Dragon Quest: The Adventure Of Dai â€“ Tamashii no Kizuna

Publisher Square Enix and developer DeNA have announcedÂ Dragon Quest: The Adventure of Dai â€“ Tamashii no KizunaÂ (Bonds of Souls), which is described as an â€œexhilarating great dash RPGâ€ for iOS and Android. It will launch in Japan sometime in 2021.
Players will be able to cooperate with popular characters from the series like Dai, Popp, Maam, and Crocodine in the gameâ€™s three-lane battles that Square Enix describes as “simple, but deep”.
Check out the trailer below:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrvhjp_glJ8&w=560&h=315]

Unfortunately, it remains unclear as of now whether any or all of these will be released outside of Japan as well. At the very least, the Infinity Strash â€“ Dragon Quest: The Adventure Of DaiÂ console game might be localized, but it will take some time; at the very least, a year from its initial Japanese release.
We’ll have to wait for the official confirmation from Square Enix in the future.


World Of Tanks Halloween Event Launches Today With New Spooky Content

The World Of Tanks Halloween event starts today on 20 October 2022. Macabre treats await tankers this Halloween, with monster-filled events running across the World of Tanks universe. Take part in the Pumpkin Bash event and receive a five-strong crew of charismatic characters (World of Tanks PC). Discover the hidden treasure of the Secret of the Lost Pyramid event (World of Tanks Blitz) and unleash your tank’s inner beast in the Monster Mash event (World of Tanks Modern Armor).
It’s the Season of the Witch in World of Tanks PC, with the Pumpkin Bash event. Join a coven of tank-piloting witches who have gotten lost on their way to our earthly plane. Players will receive a five-strong crew of charismatic characters. Cast your spells in 15v15 PvP battles in Tier VI-VIII vehicles on four Halloween-themed maps. Every player should be ready for unusual new game elements, among them are superpowers up for grabs on the battlefield, special abilities activated before battle, unlimited respawns and more.

The treasures of the Lost Pyramid are calling in World of Tanks Blitz. During this event, beginning from 20 October 2022, players search to find the Pyramid and once found, they will fight for the riches it holds. The Pyramid’s treasures are many and include Premium Account, boosters, a certificate for x5 XP, credits and the Sinister Medjay tank.
Also, there is the Pharaoh’s Treasury in the Pyramid that hides even more riches and rewards: tons of resources, avatars, camos and even the Unwavering Pharaon tank, a majestic and full of pride creature. The popular Halloween-themed game mode, Monster Mash is back starting October 18th. In response to its popularity among players, this year Monster Mash will last for two full weeks.
During this event, players will battle with Monster Tanks in one of two special Halloween maps: Grim Graveyard or Dead City. Those who have not yet acquired a Monster Tank in the garage can easily play Monster Mash mode as well. All players will have access to The Spectre, a terrifying Tier VI medium tank that will be available in each garage for free, exclusive to the Monster Mash event.
Check out the trailers below: