Valorant Developers Talk More About The Episode 5 Act 1 Crossover Comic Event

To sweeten the DLC Valorant players will be getting with the Episode 5 Act 1 update – the one with the Pearl map and new Battlepass – Riot Games will be release a Crossover Event Pass to celebrate the new map’s release.
The Crossover Event Pass is meant to expand the game’s lore and storytelling via the game’s Episode 5 cinematic “Shattered”. This bonus will feature legendary comic artists like Jim Lee to create comic book-themed Player Cards and personalized titles for your personal Valorant use. Here’s what you’re getting for free when Episode 5 Act 1 launches:

2 Titles (“Dimensional” and “Double Agent”)
3 Player Cards (Omen, Killjoy & Raze, and VALORANT Legion)
2 Radianite Levels (20 RadP total)

Check out how the Player Cards look like:

Also, check out what Valorant’s video director Mike Berry and narrative writer Shannon Eric Denton has to say about these Crossover Pass Event bonuses and how/why they’re made:
What are the goals when designing the comic book covers for the game?
Mike: The primary goal was to create a few key visuals to support the story, which was very much inspired by the PEARL map itself. Players don’t know too much about the Omega side of this conflict, but it would be easy to assume they’re the “bad guys” based on what we’ve seen so far. What better way to flip that expectation than to throw Alpha into a room literally filled with heroic images of the other side? When we realized these covers could also be featured in the social campaign, as Battlepass content, and even on PEARL itself—we knew there was a bigger opportunity and reached out to industry folks with a good amount of diversity both in their backgrounds as well as aesthetics. If you’re into comics, you’re excited to see people like Belén Ortega in this world, and if not, you still get some badass art to take with you.
Shannon: The primary goal was to create a few key visuals to support the story, which was very much inspired by the PEARL map itself. Players don’t know too much about the Omega side of this conflict, but it would be easy to assume they’re the “bad guys” based on what we’ve seen so far. What better way to flip that expectation than to throw Alpha into a room literally filled with heroic images of the other side? When we realized these covers could also be featured in the social campaign, as Battlepass content, and even on PEARL itself—we knew there was a bigger opportunity and reached out to industry folks with a good amount of diversity both in their backgrounds as well as aesthetics. If you’re into comics, you’re excited to see people like Belén Ortega in this world, and if not, you still get some badass art to take with you.
On the comic book cover’s inspirations?
Mike: We threw out a couple fun ideas, but as long as the final set featured a nice variety in both subject and tone (and included a few characters that haven’t gotten a lot of cinematic love just yet) we let the artists tell us what inspired them. It’s really a tribute to the character team that almost every artist honed in on different Agents. The one exception might be Jim Lee who we specifically had in mind for a team origin cover. He’s just so damn good at them.
Shannon: Absolutely! Each of these creators are working on some of the top tier comics out there right now so we really took a ton of inspiration from them and the paths they’ve forged in their own careers. As for what we wanted to convey, just that the VALORANT universe is a big one and we’re only getting started!
On The Unexpected Challenges Or Novelty Stories On The Team’s End When Designing The Covers
Mike: I think the biggest challenge was being responsible! Every artist we talked to was either really excited by or already familiar with VALORANT and the world we’re building. Knowing the cinematic itself could only prominently feature a couple we had to work with marketing and game teams to make sure each piece would have a home and we weren’t just creating this cool art that no one would ever get to see
Shannon: Challenges were few, as everyone we were working with is a pro. It was fun with our own teams when folks started getting word of who was involved and their fandom kept adding fuel to the fire we were building. This project has been a blast.
Mike: With “SHATTERED” we’re laying the last couple bricks into the foundation of the IP that started with “DUELISTS” a couple years ago but there are so many directions we could explore from this point forward. It’s really the theory-crafting and community passion that keeps it moving. I’m looking forward to building this thing together (and probably killing Cypher a few more times before we’re through).
Shannon: With “SHATTERED” we’re laying the last couple bricks into the foundation of the IP that started with “DUELISTS” a couple years ago but there are so many directions we could explore from this point forward. It’s really the theory-crafting and community passion that keeps it moving. I’m looking forward to building this thing together (and probably killing Cypher a few more times before we’re through).
Valorant Episode 5 Act 1 and the free Crossover Event content will be available starting 22nd June.


All The Forza Horizon 5 Cars Confirmed So Far [Updated]

Update [1/11/2021]: Added new cars from October reveal.
Forza Horizon 5 will launch for Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, and PC via Steam and Microsoft Store on 9 November 2021. It will also be available via Xbox Game Pass.
Check out the list of cars featured in Forza Horizon 5 so far, via Forza (courtesy of our friends at Gamer Matters). They’ll be more cars added in the near future, but here’s the current list:

Acura 2001 Integra Type-R
Acura 2002 RSX Type-S
Acura 2017 NSX
Alpine 1973 A110 1600s
Alpine 2017 A110
Alumi Craft 2015 Class 10 Race Car
AMC 1973 Gremlin X
AMG Transport Dynamics 2554 M12S Warthog CST
Apollo 2018 Intensa Emozione
Ariel 2013 Atom 500 V8
Ariel 2016 Nomad
Aston Martin 1964 DB5
Aston Martin 2013 V12 Vantage S
Aston Martin 2016 Vantage GT12
Aston Martin 2017 DB11
Aston Martin 2019 Vantage
Aston Martin 2019 DBS Superleggera
Aston Martin 2017 Vulcan AMR Pro
Audi 2006 RS 4
Audi 2003 RS 6
Audi 2009 RS 6
Audi 2011 RS 5 CoupÃ©
Audi 2013 RS 4 Avant
Audi 2013 RS 7 Sportback
Audi 2013 R8 CoupÃ© V10 plus 5.2 FSI quattro
Audi 2001 RS 4 Avant
Audi 2015 RS 6 Avant
Audi 2010 TT RS CoupÃ©
Audi 2016 R8 V10 plus
Audi 1984 Sport quattro
Audi 2015 TTS CoupÃ©
Audi 1995 RS 2 Avant
Audi 2015 S1
Austin Healey 1958 Sprite MkI
Auto Union 1939 Type D
BAC 2014 Mono
Buick 1987 Regal GNX
Buick 1970 GSX
Cadillac 2016 ATS-V
Cadillac 2016 CTS-V Sedan
Can-Am 2018 Maverick X RS Turbo R
Caterham 2013 Superlight R500
Chevrolet 1969 Camaro Super Sport Coupe
Chevrolet 1970 Chevelle Super Sport 454
Chevrolet 1967 Corvette Stingray 427
Chevrolet 2002 Corvette Z06
Chevrolet 1970 Corvette ZR-1
Chevrolet 1979 Camaro Z28
Chevrolet 2009 Corvette ZR1
Chevrolet 1970 El Camino Super Sport 454
Chevrolet 1964 Impala Super Sport 409
Chevrolet 1970 Camaro Z28
Chevrolet 1996 Impala Super Sport
Chevrolet 1969 Nova Super Sport 396
Chevrolet 1957 Bel Air
Chevrolet 1953 Corvette
Chevrolet 1988 Monte Carlo Super Sport
Chevrolet 1995 Corvette ZR-1
Chevrolet 2015 Corvette Z06
Chevrolet 2015 Camaro Z/28
Chevrolet 1955 150 Utility Sedan
Chevrolet 2017 Camaro ZL1
Chevrolet 2017 Colorado ZR2
Chevrolet 2019 Corvette ZR1
Chevrolet 2018 Camaro ZL1 1LE
Chevrolet 2020 Corvette Stingray Coupe
Datsun 1970 510
DeBerti Design 2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Drift Truck
DeBerti Design 2018 Ford F-150 Prerunner
DeBerti Design 2013 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited
Dodge 1969 Charger R/T
Dodge 1970 Challenger R/T
Dodge 2008 Viper SRT10 ACR
Dodge 1969 Charger Daytona HEMI
Dodge 2015 Challenger SRT Hellcat
Dodge 2015 Charger SRT Hellcat
Dodge 2016 Viper ACR
Dodge 2018 Durango SRT
Dodge 2018 Challenger SRT Demon
Exomotive 2018 Exocet Off-Road
Ferrari 1994 F355 Berlinetta
Ferrari 2003 360 Challenge Stradale
Ferrari 1969 Dino 246 GT
Ferrari 2002 Enzo Ferrari
Ferrari 1987 F40
Ferrari 1995 F50
Ferrari 1984 288 GTO
Ferrari 2005 FXX
Ferrari 1996 F50 GT
Ferrari 2007 430 Scuderia
Ferrari 2009 458 Italia
Ferrari 1957 250 Testa Rossa
Ferrari 1957 250 California
Ferrari 1968 365 GTB/4
Ferrari 2012 599XX Evolution
Ferrari 2013 LaFerrari
Ferrari 2013 458 Speciale
Ferrari 2014 FXX K
Ferrari 2015 488 GTB
Ferrari 2015 F12tdf
Ferrari 1967 #24 Ferrari Spa 330 P4
Ferrari 2017 812 Superfast
Ferrari 2017 GTC4Lusso
Ferrari 2018 Portofino
Ferrari 2019 488 Pista
Ford 1966 Lotus Cortina
Ford 2017 M-Sport Fiesta RS
Ford 1977 #5 Escort RS1800 MkII
Ford 2005 GT
Ford 2000 SVT Cobra R
Ford 1993 SVT Cobra R
Ford 2009 Focus RS
Ford 1985 RS200 Evolution
Ford 1992 Escort RS Cosworth
Ford 1987 Sierra Cosworth RS500
Ford 1977 Escort RS1800
Ford 1965 Mustang GT Coupe
Ford 2011 F-150 SVT Raptor
Ford 2011 Transit SuperSportVan
Ford 1973 Capri RS3100
Ford 1940 De Luxe Coupe
Ford 1973 Escort RS1600
Ford 1956 F-100
Ford 2013 Shelby GT500
Ford 1969 Mustang Boss 302
Ford 2014 Fiesta ST
Ford 2003 Focus RS
Ford 2014 Ranger T6 Rally Raid
Ford 1981 Fiesta XR2
Ford 1975 Bronco
Ford 2017 Focus RS
Ford 2017 GT
Ford 1932 De Luxe Five-Window Coupe
Ford 2017 F-150 Raptor
Ford 2016 Shelby GT350R
Ford 2014 #11 Rockstar F-150 Trophy Truck
Ford 2014 FPV Limited Edition Pursuit Ute
Ford 2015 Falcon GT F 351
Ford 1972 Falcon XA GT-HO
Ford 1968 Mustang GT 2+2 Fastback
Ford 2010 Crown Victoria Police Interceptor
Ford 2017 #14 Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing GRC Fiesta
Ford 1959 Anglia 105E
Ford 1964 GT40 MKI
Ford 1986 Escort RS Turbo
Ford 2018 #25 Mustang RTR
Ford 2018 Mustang RTR Spec 5
Ford 1965 Transit
Ford 2017 #25 â€˜Brockyâ€™ Ultra4 Bronco RTR
Ford 2018 #88 Ford Mustang RTR
Ford 1970 GT70
Ford 1994 Supervan 3
Ford 2019 Ranger Raptor
Ford 1967 Racing Escort MK1
Ford 1999 Racing Puma
Ford 2020 Mustang Shelby GT500
Ford 2020 #2069 Ford Performance Bronco R â€˜Welcome Packâ€™
Ford 2020 Super Duty F-450 DRW PLATINUM
Ford 2021 Bronco
Formula Drift 2015 #13 Ford Mustang
Formula Drift 2016 #530 HSV Maloo GEN-F
Formula Drift 2006 #43 Dodge Viper SRT10
Formula Drift 2013 #777 Chevrolet Corvette
Formula Drift 2007 #117 599 GTB Fiorano
Formula Drift 1997 #777 Nissan 240SX
Formula Drift 2018 #64 Nissan 370Z
Funco Motorsports 2018 F9
GMC 1983 Vandura G-1500
Hennessey 2012 Venom GT
Hennessey 2019 VelociRaptor 6X6
Holden 1977 Torana A9X
Holden 1973 HQ Monaro GTS 350
Holden 1974 Sandman HQ panel van
Honda 2003 S2000
Honda 2009 S2000 CR
Honda 2004 Civic Type-R
Honda 1991 CR-X SiR
Honda 2005 NSX-R
Honda 1992 NSX-R
Honda 2005 NSX-R GT
Honda 2007 Civic Type-R
Honda 1997 Civic Type R
Honda 1974 Civic RS
Honda 1994 Prelude Si
Honda 2015 Civic Type R
Honda 2018 Civic Type R
Honda 2016 Civic Coupe GRC
Hoonigan 1955 Chevrolet Bel Air
Hoonigan 1972 Chevrolet Napalm Nova
Hoonigan 1978 Ford Escort RS1800
Hoonigan 1965 Ford Hoonicorn Mustang
Hoonigan 1991 Rauh-Welt Begriff Porsche 911 Turbo
Hoonigan 1977 GYMKHANA 10 Ford F-150 â€˜Hoonitruckâ€™
Hoonigan 1991 GYMKHANA 10 Ford Escort Cosworth Group A
Hoonigan 1965 GYMKHANA 10 Ford Hoonicorn Mustang
Hoonigan 2016 GYMKHANA 10 Ford Focus RS RX
Hoonigan 1986 Ford RS200 Evolution
Hoonigan 1994 Ford Escort RS Cosworth WRC â€œCossie V2â€
Hot Wheels 2011 Bone Shaker
Hot Wheels 1969 Twin Mill
Hot Wheels 2020 Monster Trucks Bone Shaker
HSV 2014 GEN-F GTS
HSV 2014 Limited Edition GEN-F GTS Maloo
HUMMER 2006 H1 Alpha
Hyundai 2019 Veloster N
Infiniti 2015 Q60 Concept
International 1970 Scout 800A
Jaguar 1961 E-type
Jaguar 1993 XJ220
Jaguar 1956 D-Type
Jaguar 2012 XKR-S
Jaguar 2015 F-Type R CoupÃ©
Jaguar 2015 XFR-S
Jaguar 2016 F-TYPE Project 7
Jaguar 1959 Mk II 3.8
Jaguar 2015 XE-S
Jaguar 2017 F-PACE S
Jaguar 1964 Lightweight E-Type
Jaguar 2018 I-PACE
Jaguar 1991 Sport XJR-15
Jeep 2012 Wrangler Rubicon
Jeep 2014 Grand Cherokee SRT
Jeep 1976 CJ5 Renegade
Jeep 2016 Trailcat
Jeep 2018 Grand Cherokee Trackhawk
Jeep 2020 Gladiator Rubicon
Koenigsegg 2002 CC8S
Koenigsegg 2008 CCGT
Koenigsegg 2015 One:1
Koenigsegg 2016 Regera
Koenigsegg 2017 Agera RS
Koenigsegg 2020 Jesko
KTM 2013 X-Bow R
Lamborghini 1988 Countach LP5000 QV
Lamborghini 1999 Diablo GTR
Lamborghini 1997 Diablo SV
Lamborghini 1967 Miura P400
Lamborghini 2008 ReventÃ³n
Lamborghini 2010 MurciÃ©lago LP 670-4 SV
Lamborghini 2011 Gallardo LP 570-4 Superleggera
Lamborghini 2011 Sesto Elemento
Lamborghini 2012 Aventador LP700-4
Lamborghini 2013 Veneno
Lamborghini 2014 HuracÃ¡n LP 610-4
Lamborghini 1986 LM 002
Lamborghini 2016 Aventador Superveloce
Lamborghini 2016 Centenario LP 770-4
Lamborghini 2019 Urus
Lamborghini 2018 HuracÃ¡n Performante
Land Rover 1997 Defender 90
Land Rover 2015 Range Rover Sport SVR
Land Rover 1972 Series III
Land Rover 1973 Range Rover
Land Rover 2018 Range Rover Velar First Edition
Land Rover 2020 Defender 110 X
Lexus 2010 LFA
Lexus 1997 SC300
Lexus 2015 RC F
Local Motors 2014 Rally Fighter
Lola 1969 #6 Penske Sunoco T70 MkIIIB
Lotus 1971 Elan Sprint
Lotus 1999 Elise Series 1 Sport 190
Lotus 2016 3-Eleven
Lotus 1997 Elise GT1
Lotus 2012 Exige S
Maserati 2010 Gran Turismo S
Maserati 2017 Levante S
Maserati 2008 MC12 Versione Corsa
McLaren 1997 F1 GT
McLaren 1993 F1
McLaren 2013 P1
McLaren 2015 650S Coupe
McLaren 2015 570S CoupÃ©
McLaren 2018 720S
McLaren 2018 Senna
McLaren 2018 600LT CoupÃ©
McLaren 2019 720S Spider
McLaren 2019 Speedtail
Mercedes-AMG 2016 C 63 S CoupÃ©
Mercedes-AMG 2017 GT R
Mercedes-AMG 2018 GT 4-Door CoupÃ©
Mercedes-AMG 2018 E 63 S
Mercedes-AMG 2021 Mercedes-AMG ONE
Mercedes-Benz 2012 SLK 55 AMG
Mercedes-Benz 1954 300 SL CoupÃ©
Mercedes-Benz 1998 AMG CLK GTR
Mercedes-Benz 2011 SLS AMG
Mercedes-Benz 1990 190E 2.5-16 Evolution II
Mercedes-Benz 2012 C 63 AMG CoupÃ© Black Series
Mercedes-Benz 2013 G 65 AMG
Mercedes-Benz 2013 A 45 AMG
Mercedes-Benz 2013 E 63 AMG
Mercedes-Benz 1939 W154
Mercedes-Benz 2015 #24 Tankpool24 Racing Truck
Mercedes-Benz 2014 Unimog U5023
Mercedes-Benz 1929 SSK
Mercedes-Benz 2018 X-Class
Mercedes-Benz 2014 G 63 AMG 6Ã—6
Mercedes-Benz 1987 AMG Hammer Coupe
Meyers 1971 Manx
MG 1986 Metro 6R4
Mitsubishi 1995 Eclipse GSX
Mitsubishi 1997 GTO
Mitsubishi 2006 Lancer Evolution IX MR
Mitsubishi 1999 Lancer Evolution VI GSR
Mitsubishi 2004 Lancer Evolution VIII MR
Mitsubishi 2008 Lancer Evolution X GSR
Mitsubishi 1988 Starion ESI-R
Morgan 2014 3 Wheeler
Morris 1953 Minor 1000
Mosler 2010 MT900S
Napier 1933 Napier-Railton
Nissan 2010 370Z
Nissan 1969 Fairlady Z 432
Nissan 1994 Fairlady Z Version S Twin Turbo
Nissan 1992 Silvia CLUB Kâ€™s
Nissan 1994 Silvia Kâ€™s
Nissan 2000 Silvia Spec-R
Nissan 1993 Skyline GT-R V-Spec
Nissan 1998 R390
Nissan 1971 Skyline 2000GT-R
Nissan 1997 Skyline GT-R V-Spec
Nissan 1993 240SX SE
Nissan 2012 GT-R Black Edition
Nissan 1973 Skyline H/T 2000GT-R
Nissan 1987 Skyline GTS-R (R31)
Nissan 2017 GT-R
Nissan 1998 Silvia Kâ€™s Aero
Nissan 2016 Titan Warrior Concept
Nissan 1995 NISMO GT-R LM
Nissan 2004 Pickup #23 Rally Raid
Nissan 1990 Pulsar GTI-R
Opel 1984 Manta 400
Pagani 2010 Zonda R
Pagani 2009 Zonda Cinque Roadster
Pagani 2016 Huayra BC
Penhall 2011 The Cholla
Peugeot 2007 207 Super 2000
Peugeot 1984 205 Turbo 16
Peugeot 1991 205 Rallye
Plymouth 1971 Cuda 426 HEMI
Polaris 2015 RZR XP 1000 EPS
Pontiac 1987 Firebird Trans Am GTA
Pontiac 1977 Firebird Trans Am
Pontiac 1965 GTO
Porsche 1970 #3 917 LH
Porsche 1995 911 GT2
Porsche 2004 911 GT3
Porsche 1982 911 Turbo 3.3
Porsche 1970 914/6
Porsche 1989 944 Turbo
Porsche 1987 959
Porsche 2003 Carrera GT
Porsche 1997 911 GT1 Strassenversion
Porsche 2012 911 GT2 RS
Porsche 2014 911 Turbo S
Porsche 2014 918 Spyder
Porsche 2018 718 Cayman GTS
Porsche 2016 911 GT3 RS
Porsche 2016 Cayman GT4
Porsche 1993 968 Turbo S
Porsche 2019 911 Carrera S
Porsche 2017 Panamera Turbo
Porsche 2016 911 GT2 RS
Porsche 2018 Cayenne Turbo
Porsche 1985 #185 959 Prodrive Rally Raid
Porsche 1959 356 A 1600 Super
Porsche 2019 911 GT3 RS
Porsche 2019 Macan Turbo
Porsche 2015 Cayman GTS
Porsche 2018 Macan Rally Raid
Porsche 1989 #65 Rothsport Racing 911 â€˜Desert Flyerâ€™
Porsche 2020 Taycan Turbo S
Radical 2015 RXC Turbo
Ram 2017 2500 Power Wagon
Reliant 1972 Supervan III
Renault 1980 5 Turbo
Renault 2013 Clio R.S. 200 EDC
Renault 1993 Clio Williams
Renault 2008 MÃ©gane R26.R
Renault 2018 MEGANE R.S.
Rimac 2019 C_Two
RJ Anderson 2016 #37 Polaris RZR-Rockstar Energy Pro 2 Truck
Saleen 2004 S7
Saleen 2018 S1
SIERRA Cars 2021 RX3
SRT 2013 Viper GTS
SUBARU 1998 Impreza 22B-STi Version
SUBARU 2004 IMPREZA WRX STi
SUBARU 2005 IMPREZA WRX STI
SUBARU 2008 IMPREZA WRX STI
SUBARU 2011 WRX STI
SUBARU 2013 BRZ
SUBARU 2015 WRX STI
Toyota 1969 2000GT
Toyota 1985 Sprinter Trueno GT Apex
Toyota 1992 Supra 2.0 GT
Toyota 1998 Supra RZ
Toyota 1994 Celica GT-Four ST205
Toyota 1989 MR2 SC
Toyota 1992 Celica GT-Four RC ST185
Toyota 1974 Celica GT
Toyota 2013 86
Toyota 1979 FJ40
Toyota 2020 GR Supra
TVR 1998 Cerbera Speed 12
TVR 2005 Sagaris
TVR 2018 Griffith
Ultima 2015 Evolution Coupe 1020
Vauxhall 2005 Monaro VXR
Vauxhall 2016 Corsa VXR
Volkswagen 1995 Corrado VR6
Volkswagen 1992 Golf Gti 16v Mk2
Volkswagen 2003 Golf R32
Volkswagen 1981 Scirocco S
Volkswagen 1998 GTI VR6 Mk3
Volkswagen 2011 Scirocco R
Volkswagen 2014 Golf R
Volkswagen 1963 Type 2 De Luxe
Volkswagen 1970 #1107 Desert Dingo Racing Stock Bug
Volkswagen 1969 Class 5/1600 Baja Bug
Volkswagen 1983 Golf GTI
Volkswagen 2017 #34 Volkswagen Andretti Rallycross Beetle
Volkswagen 2010 Golf R
VUHL 2017 05RR
Willys 1945 MB Jeep
Zenvo 2019 TSR-S
1982 DMC DeLorean “DMC-12”
1990 Mazda Savanna RX-7
1992 Hoonigan Mazda RX-7 “Twerkstallion”
1994 Mazda MX-5 Miata
1997 Mazda RX-7
2002 Mazda RX-7 Spirit R Type-A
2005 Mazda Mazdaspeed MX-5
2011 Mazda RX-8 R3
2013 Mazda MX-5
2016 Mazda MX-5
1926 Bugatti Type 35 C
1930 Bentley 1â€“1/2 Litre Supercharged
1930 Bentley 8 Litre
1957 BMW Isetta 300 Export
1960 Chevrolet Corvette
1962 Ferrari 250 GTO
1965 Mini Cooper S
1965 Shelby Cobra 427 S/C
1965 Shelby Cobra Daytona CoupÃ©
1966 Ford GT40 MK II #2 Le Mans
1968 Dodge Dart Hemi Super Stock
1968 Renault 4L Export
1970 GMC Jimmy
1973 BMW 2002 Turbo
1981 BMW M1
1983 Volvo 242 Turbo Evolution
1984 Honda Civic CRX Mugen
1988 BMW M5
1989 Ferrari F40 Competizione
1989 Formula Drift BMW 325i #98
1991 BMW M3
1992 Bugatti EB110 Super Sport
1993 Toyota T100 #1 Baja Truck
1995 BMW M5
1997 BMW M3
1997 Volvo 850 R
1999 Dodge Viper GTS ACR
2002 BMW M3-GTR
2002 BMW Z3 M CoupÃ©
2003 BMW M5
2005 BMW M3
2006 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX MR
2008 BMW M3
2008 BMW Z4 M CoupÃ©
2009 BMW M5
2009 Mini John Cooper Works
2011 Audi RS 3 Sportback
2011 BMW 1 Series M CoupÃ©
2011 BMW X5 M
2011 Bugatti Veyron Super Sport
2012 BMW M5
2012 Mini John Cooper Works GP
2013 BMW M6 CoupÃ©
2013 Mini X-Raid All4 Racing Countryman
2014 BMW M4 CoupÃ©
2015 BMW I8
2015 BMW X6 M
2015 Volvo V60 Polestar
2016 BMW M4 GTS
2016 BMW M2 CoupÃ©
2017 Bentley Continental Supersports
2018 BMW M5
2018 Bugatti Chiron
2018 Italdesign Zerouno
2018 Mini John Cooper Works Countryman All4
2018 Mini X-Raid John Cooper Works Buggy
2019 Aston Martin Valhalla Concept Car
2019 BMW Z4
2019 Bugatti Divo
2019 DeBerti Design Toyota Tacoma TRD “The Performance Truck”
2019 Raesr Tachyon Speed
2020 Lotus Evija
2020 McLaren GT
Chevrolet Corvette Forza Edition
Exomotive Exocet Off-Road Forza Edition
Lamborghini Sesto Elemento Forza Edition
Maserati Gran Turismo S Forza Edition
Mercedes-Benz AMG CLK GTR Forza Edition
Mercedes-Benz #24 Tankpool24 Racing Truck Forza Edition
Meyers Manx Forza Edition
Morris Minor 1000 Forza Edition
Nissan Fairlady Z Forza Edition
Pagani Huayra BC Forza Edition
Pontiac Firebird Trans Am GTA Forza Edition
Porsche 911 GT3 RS Forza Edition
Volkswagen Beetle Forza Edition


Aksiz’s Favourite Gaming Things Of 2018

The top 10s of 2018 from Malaysia and Southeast Asia’s finest are far from done! Our pals from Aksiz just released a sweet Disk-Aksiz segment talking about the best and worst of 2018 in gaming stuff.
Your hosts Najmi and Izzat will be dishing out their personal top and bottom picks of last year, because New Year’s just happened in case your New Year’s Eve hangover hasn’t been sorted out yet. Check out their video in glorious Bahasa Melayu at the bottom.


Japan’s Heisei Period Is Over; Let’s Celebrate With The Top 10 Anime Things Of That Era

It’s the end of an era as Japanese imperial figure Emperor Akihito abdicates the Chrysanthemum Throne, making way for the Reiwa period which starts today.
Let’s celebrate with some useful anime-related stats. Like what the top ranking animes and anime heroines are from 1989 to 30 April 2019. The results may not shock you if you’ve been in this business for long.
First up, the top 10 best Shonen Jump anime of the era (via goo Ranking):
#1. One Piece

#2. Naruto

#3. Dragon Ball Z

#4. Slam Dunk

#5. Yu Yu Hakusho

#6. Haikyu!!

#7. Gintama

#8. Kochikame

#9. Bleach

#10. Prince of Tennis

These choices are expected, though it’s surprising people still have a hard-on for Bleach despite its last few arcs being utter garbage to many.
Since we’re on the anime train, let’s also touch upon the top 10 heroines of anime according to aggregate sites like goo Ranking.
#1. Homura Akemi from Puella Magi Madoka Magica

#2. Rukia Kuchiki from Bleach

#3. Serena Usagi from Sailor Moon

#4. MikasaÂ Ackerman from Attack on Titan

#5. Kagura from Gintama

#6. Boa Hancock from One Piece

#7. Ran Mouri from Detective Conan

#8. Rei Ayanami from Neon Genesis Evangelion

#9. Tits McGee Nami from One Piece

#10. Asuna Yuuki from Sword Art Online

Overall, not bad picks. There are less female children on this list than most of us thought there would be.


Good Smile Company Unveils Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Nendoroids

Demon Slayer main character including the Hashiras, and one particular upper rank demon are getting their own Nendoroid figures.
The news was announced during WonderfulHobby Life For You!!/WonHobby 36 exhibition, the company will be creating Nendoroids of Demon Slayers’ Tanjiro Kamado and Kanao Tsuyuri. Notable Hashiras such as Shinobu Kocho, Kyojuro Rengoku, Giyu Tomioka, Muichiro Tokito, and Mitsuri Kanroji. Last but not least, the Upper Rank 3 demon, Azaka. The ones on display are Giyu Tomioka, Kanao Tsuyuri, and Kyojuro Rengoku; which are pending final approval from the license holders. The display Nendoroids looks adorable and feature pose that accurately shows the characters’ personality.
NENDOROID GIYU TOMIOKA

NENDOROID KANAO TSUYURI

NENDOROID SENJURO RENGOKU

COMING SOON
NENDOROID MITSURI KANROJI

NENDOROID MUICHIRO TOKITO

NENDOROID SHINOBU KOCHO

NENDOROID AZAKA

NENDOROID TANJIRO KAMADO

The company has yet to announce the release date, nor a pre-order date has been set.
In the meantime, TGV Cinemas has announced tickets are now on sale for the Demon Slayer Season 3 one-hour special episode fan screenings, which will be happening this 25 February 2023.


Sully Finally Has A Moustache In New Uncharted Trailer

Ever since Mark Wahlberg was announced as Sully, many fans have been wondering. Is he going to sport the character’s somewhat iconic moustache? Now we know the answer, thanks to a new Uncharted trailer released by Sony Pictures.
The synopsis reads:
Street-smart thief Nathan Drake (Tom Holland) is recruited by seasoned treasure hunter Victor â€œSullyâ€ Sullivan (Mark Wahlberg) to recover a fortune lost by Ferdinand Magellan 500 years ago.
What starts as a heist job for the duo becomes a globe-trotting, white-knuckle race to reach the prize before the ruthless Moncada (Antonio Banderas), who believes he and his family are the rightful heirs.
If Nate and Sully can decipher the clues and solve one of the worldâ€™s oldest mysteries, they stand to find $5 billion in treasure and perhaps even Nateâ€™s long-lost brother…but only if they can learn to work together.
Whatâ€™s interesting is that Nathan mentions his brother, Sam, in the trailer. Sam Drake is a relatively new addition to theÂ UnchartedÂ canon, having only been introduced in 2016â€™sÂ Uncharted 4 A Thiefâ€™s End. Will we see Sam Drake in the flesh in the upcoming movie? Maybe. Maybe not. We’ll see.
UnchartedÂ will premiere on 18 February 2022. It stars Tom Holland as a young Nathan Drake and Mark Wahlberg as a young Sully.
Check out the trailer below:


World Flipper Will Be Out In Southeast Asia This September

Cygames’ pinball mobile RPG World Flipper will be out this September.
Previously, the game was scheduled for an 11th August release date. Turns out it is pushed back to 8th September for iOS and Android instead; better late than never. Due to the game going past its pre-registration milestones, players who register early will get a 4-star exclusive character Arisa (from anime Hearthstone CCG game Shadowverse) and 2,500 Lodestar Beads (in-game currency). You can still reap the rewards if you pre-register now on the game’s website.
The game will feature four separate servers for players to sign in to for a smooth online experience: Southeast Asia/Oceania, America, Europe, and South Korea. If you still need to know more about World Flipper apart from the apt “pinball mobile RPG with gacha and anime waifus” one-liner description, check out the gameplay video below.


Hellboy Teams Up With Were-Jaguar And Rides A Dragon In New Red Band Trailer

The second trailer for the upcoming Hellboy reboot is here, and it’s much more epic due to the fact that it can now celebrate its newly-approved official R-rated status. The Hellboy ‘Red Band’ trailer manages to show more from the movie without having to hold anything back, and the results are hellishly glorious.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZsBO4b3tyZg&w=560&h=315]
The new Hellboy trailer begins with a brief recap of Hellboy’s origin story. Even though it was already told in Guillermo Del Toro’s 2004 Hellboy movie, it’s still being recounted in a short flashback sequence. We still see iconic Hellboy villain Gregory Rasputin summoning Hellboy into this world, before the fated meeting of Trevor Bruttenholm and baby Hellboy (who, if you read the comics, is a character unto himself).
Gregory Rasputin
Baby Hellboy
Hellboy accuses Bruttenholm of turning him into a “goddamn weapon”, to which Daniel Dae Kim’s Ben Daimio, Hellboy’s colleague in the BPRD (Bureau For Paranormal Research And Defense), hilariously replied with the first F-bomb in the new trailer.
“Where’s my f***ing violin?”
We see a glimpse of the BPRD headquarters situated in the mountains, which is more comics-accurate compared to Del Toro’s take, in which the BPRD headquarters was located out in the open like a typical government building.
BPRD Headquarters
The new trailer gives us a clearer look at Milla Jovovich’s Nimue, also known as the Blood Queen, the main antagonist of the Hellboy movie, as well as her dark powers in action.
Nimue the Blood Queen.
Hellboy stabs a member of the Osiris Club / Wild Hunt right in the throat, showcasing the movie’s gore. The Osiris Club is an ancient secret organization who organizes the Wild Hunt, in which they hunt literal giants.
https://gfycat.com/AggressivePointlessFeline
We witness the mystic powers of Sasha Lane’s Alice Monaghan for the first time, as she seemingly punches the soul out of an enemy combatant.
https://gfycat.com/GaseousShallowHoatzin
Hellboy lifts Excalibur from the stone, which is his birthright. Big Red is actually a descendant of King Arthur on his motherâ€™s side.

The highlight of the new trailer for me was this, finally watching Ben Daimio transform into his were-jaguar form. It’s very a gruesome and graphic transformation, as his nails peel away to make way for his feral jaguar claws, though I admit that it looks smaller than I remembered from the comics.
Hellboy teams up with were-jaguar Ben Daimion against a pissed-off Gruagach in Grom’s body (a fairy stuck inside an anthropomorphic boar monster).
https://gfycat.com/OrganicBitesizedGallowaycow
Hellboy V Giants.
https://gfycat.com/QuestionableIncredibleIberianbarbel
Hellboy AKA Anung Un Rama (which means â€œand upon his brow is set a crown of flameâ€) AKA Beast of the Apocalypse in all his hellish glory, horns and all, riding a dragon into the depths of hell. It doesn’t get any more Hellboy than this, folks.
https://gfycat.com/GlamorousCrazyEasternglasslizard
I maintain 2019â€™s Hellboy is my most anticipated comic book movie, well, next to Avengers: Endgame, that is. Mike Mignolaâ€™s Hellboy is one of the best comic books out there, and it deserves to be in the spotlight as much as Marvel and DC.
Neil Marshall’s Hellboy is slated to arrive on 11 April 2019. In the meantime, check out my breakdown and analysis of the first Hellboy trailer here.


Koei Tecmo And Gust Announce New Fairy Tail RPG

Koei Tecmo has just unveiled the first trailer for a new Fairy Tail RPG, currently being developed by Gust, the studio behind the Atelier series. To make sure that the game maintains the essence of the original work, the manga’s writer and illustrator Hiro Mashima will be supervising the project.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4ZSp2bmkso&w=560&h=315]
The trailer doesn’t show off a lot of gamplay but there’s a bunch of cutscenes that show skills/actions that heavily resemble the way special moves are portrayed in Koei Tecmo’s musou games. Despite the trailer explicitly showing that the game is just an RPG, it could potentially be a musou game with RPG elements. We’ll have to wait and see.
Main characters of the manga Natsu, Lucy, Gray, Erza, and a few others will be in the game and it looks like we might be playing as multiple characters. So far no other details have been revealed and we don’t know whether the main campaign will cover the entire concluded storyline of the manga or just a portion of it.

Fairy Tail (yeah, that’s it, that’s the title) is scheduled to be released sometime in 2020 for PS4, Nintendo Switch, and PC (Steam). The game will be shown at Tokyo Game Show 2019 so stay tuned for more news!


PlayStation Unveils New PS5 Project Q Streaming Device & Wireless Earbuds

During the PlayStation Showcase 2023, Sony PlayStation has officially announced the Project Q handheld streaming device and their official wireless earbuds.
Project Q is a dedicated device that enables players to stream any game from their PS5 console using Remote Play over Wi-Fi. It has an 8-inch HD screen and all of the buttons and features of the DualSense wireless controller. It can run games at up to 1080p and 60fps over Wi-Fi and will feature both the adaptive triggers and haptic feedback of the DualSense.
However, games you play on the Project Q must first be installed on a PS5 console itself. They also revealed their first official wireless earbuds offering lossless audio on PS5 and PC.
However, more details are to come in the months ahead, including official prices and release dates.


This Kiwi War Hero Is Now An Aussie In Call Of Duty Vanguard

When Call Of Duty Vanguard was initially announced last month, Activision and Sledgehammer Games revealed that the game’s narrative will cover â€œthe untold stories of multinational heroes that formed Task Force One, changing the face of history and setting the stage for special forces as we know it.”
Experience combat through a story of the multinational soldiers who came together to form Task Force One and set the stage for Special Forces as we know it. These are the heroes of Call Of Duty Vanguard:

Sergeant Arthur Kingsley, 9th Parachute Battalion, British Army
Lieutenant Polina Petrova of the 138th Rifle Division, Red Army
Lieutenant Wade Jackson, Scouting Squadron Six, United States Navy
Private Lucas Riggs, 20th Battalion, Australian 9th Infantry Division, British Eighth Army

All four are based on real historical figures. Petrova is modelled on Lyudmila Pavlichenko AKA Lady Death, while Kingsley is Sidney Cornell, who was the first black man to land on D-Day.
Meanwhile, Jackson is Vernon Micheel, a hero of the famous Battle Of Midway, and Riggs is based on Charles Upham, a war hero from New Zealand who remains the only man in history to be awarded two Victoria Crosses.
However, as first pointed out by Kotaku, something is not right in the representation of these characters in Call Of Duty Vanguard.Â What’s the problem? Well, in the game, Private Lucas Riggs is depicted as being Australian, and not a New Zealander like his historical inspiration.
As aptly described by New Zealand publication Newshub:
â€œCharles Uphamâ€™s significance cannot be overstated.
No other combat soldier has ever been awarded two Victoria Crosses in all of history.
That incredible achievement belongs to our country alone, Aotearoa New Zealand.
Itâ€™s like turning Sir Edmund Hillary into an Australian, or Lorde, or Jonah Lomu.
Itâ€™s an insult.
At best, itâ€™s ignorance; at worst, itâ€™s a giant middle finger to us all.”
What was the developer’s response? Sledgehammer Games Creative Director David Swenson said in a statement:
“As with all the main characters in the campaign, we drew a lot of inspiration from real life soldiers.
With Lucas Riggs, we drew a lot of that inspiration from Charles Upham, whose exploits embodied the spirit of all the Commonwealth forces serving in North Africa.â€
It seems like he’s completely missing the point, but this is still a prickly issue, especially for proud New Zealanders who want nothing more but to be properly represented and respected just like everyone else.
Call Of Duty VanguardÂ will launch for the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and PC on 5 November 2021. In the meantime, check out the trailer below:


Brian K. Vaughan’s Saga Returns In Early 2022 After 4-Year Hiatus

Writer Brian K. Vaughan and artist Fiona Staples have announced the return of one of the best ongoing comics in recent times.
Yes, Saga is finally returning after being on hiatus since July 2018, which is now more than three years ago. Vaughan and Staples made the announcement during New York Comic Con 2021, revealing that Saga will publish its long-awaited 55th issue on 26 anuary 2022.
In an official statement, Vaughan said:
â€œOther than my own family, collaborating with Fiona Staples on Saga is the most important thing in my life, so I canâ€™t thank readers and retailers enough for their patience.
I think our next 54 issues will be even more shocking, strange, and spectacular than the first 54, so we canâ€™t wait to be back on the shelves at your local comic shop soon.â€
The Saga comics feature Hazel and her star-crossed family on an adventure across the galaxy. It is best known for featuring great drama, emotion, thrills and of course, a lot of sex and violence (it’s obviously not for kids). Saga issue 55 will feature 44 pages US$2.99 but without variant covers or gimmicky renumbering. The last issue, number 54, did leave on quite a cliffhanger, so it’s good to see a follow-up after the long wait.
Saga has sold seven million copies to date, boasting multiple Eisner Awards, Harvey Awards, a Hugo Award, British Fantasy Award, Goodreads Choice Award, Shuster Award, Inkwell Award, Ringo Award, and more. The comic has become so popular that it has appeared in other pop culture mediums like TV shows, including Supernatural, The Big Bang Theory, and The Simpsons.
Saga is available for purchase across many digital platforms, including Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, and Google Play.
In other related news, another of Brian K. Vaughan’s comics, Y The Last Man, currently has an ongoing live-action TV series, with a new episode releasing every week on Disney+ Plus Hotstar.


Dead Space Remake New Gameplay Trailer Features Necromorph Peeling And Immersive Audio

As if the Dead Space remake isn’t creepy and scary enough with its preview builds, developer EA Motive just showcased a bunch of new details of the upcoming sci-fi horror title.
These include the Necromorph Peeling System which showcases the monsters in Dead Space having literal layers you need to shave off with your power tools and weapons, the new Intensity Director that dynamically adjusts what shows up in Isaac’s path, and new dialogue and VO for Isaac, who was previously a silent protagonist in the first game.
Press blurb and gameplay trailer below:
Key Gameplay Improvements in Dead Space Remake

The Peeling System: Necromorphs, monstrosities unlike anything seen before, have been reconstructed around the new Peeling System, which introduces layered flesh, tendons and bones that break, tear and shatter in shocking new ways. And while strategy is key, players will also experience increased opportunities for creativity in how they utilize their variety of unique weapons and abilities to combat these horrifying enemies.
The Intensity Director: Dead Space’s beautifully crafted, equally haunting world has long been easy for players to get lost in, but now players will truly feel the weight of every mysterious step Isaac takes. The new Intensity Director dynamically adjusts what shows up in Isaac’s path, from Necromorph spawns and how they choose to attack them, to environmental effects such as light, smoke, particles and sound.
Isaac’s heartbeat, breathing, and exertions also adjust based on his stress level to provide players direct feedback into his mental, emotional and physical state.
An Enhanced Engineering Fantasy: Without weapons or backup, Isaac is forced to defend himself against the Necromorphs by leveraging high-tech mining tools to strategically dismember nightmarish creatures, solve puzzles on his thrilling journey and turn the Ishimura’s malfunctioning systems to his advantage. Originally a silent protagonist, players will now hear more from the beloved engineer via new narrative enrichments voiced by Gunner Wright, the original voice of Isaac in Dead Space™ 2 (2011) and Dead Space™ 3 (2013).
A Fully Interconnected Ishimura: From the start screen to the end credits, players will confront the frighteningly tight corridors and shadowed hallways of the USG Ishimura without a single load screen or camera cut ever breaking the immersion. This enormous mining ship has been restored for the remake with new rooms, routes and obstacles while permitting seamless exploration with new UI map controls and an improved locator.

The Dead Space remake will be out on 27 January, 2023, and will be for PC, Xbox Series, and PlayStation 5.


Puma & Nintendo Are Teaming Up For This Animal Crossing Sneaker Collab

Nintendo of America and Puma are going to release its Puma x Animal Crossing: New Horizon sneaker collection soon.
The sneakers will be out on 18th September. The sneakers sport colours appropriate for the game’s themes and breezy palette, as well as patterns of characters from the chillaxing simulation (starring a raccoon landlord and his island resort) for Nintendo Switch.

The new @PUMA x #AnimalCrossing: New Horizons collection is coming 9/18! pic.twitter.com/0WbfeyKkvl
— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) August 30, 2021

There’s currently no word on whether Puma Malaysia (or any SEA distributor) will have these on sale this September. We’ll be sure to update this post if there’s any.


Stardew Valley Creator Teases Boss Fight & Music For Haunted Chocolatier

Stardew Valley creator Eric Barone may have just teased a possible boss for his new game along with a track from his upcoming project Haunted Chocolatier.
Eric Barone, otherwise known as Concerned Ape tweeted a screenshot on 21 August accompanying what seems to be a soundtrack file uploaded to YouTube with the same image. It is believed that this is a sneak peek at Barone’s latest project. It’s a snappy tune to go alongside what looks like a bee boss fight in a giant, golden hive.

It’s a shame you’ve got to fight them because it’s certainly a cute-looking bee and these vital pollinators have long been threatened by human activity. Now the “threat from human activity” is a little more overt, with players engaging in deadly combat with the hive. Presumably, you’ll need that honey for some confection or another in your titular chocolate shop.
Many compare the level design to the likes of the hive from Click Clock Wood in Banjo Kazooie and the song reminds many of Papyrus’ theme Bonetrousle from Undertale.

I think I could make it faster, but I don't think I am making it faster. Also… though I have more experience, I also have more ambition with the scope of the game (in some ways)
— ConcernedApe (@ConcernedApe) August 21, 2022

When asked on Twitter whether he thought he’s developing Haunted Chocolatier faster in comparison to Stardew Valley, Barone cautioned “I think I could make it faster, but I don’t think I am making it faster. Also… though I have more experience, I also have more ambition with the scope of the game (in some ways.)” We can expect it to release once Barone is somewhat satisfied with his work.


Ys X: Nordics Showcases New Characters, Gameplay, & A Music Preview

Keeping in line with Falcom JRPGs be it turn-based or real-time action-heavy, their soundtracks are usually top tier. That’s still the case with the latest installment of the Ys series.
The next game in the series is Ys X: Nordics, and the preview of its track “To Be Free” retains the hallmark J-Rock synth RPG flair we know and love about the series. Check it out below, along with new gameplay from the upcoming sequel, right after the 0:52 mark.

In addition, Falcom has introduced a bunch of new characters.

Phylleia: A leader of the third fleet in the Balta Navy, she is a female warrior with excellent wit known for being one half of the “twin jewels” alongside warlord Gunnel. Aside from being the right-hand woman for chief Grimson, she also keeps an eye out for his only daughter, Karja. She originally was not a Norman, but due to various circumstances, she decided to join the Balta Navy by choice.

Ezer: A boy who works as a chamberlain for Karja’s home, the Balta household. Despite his young age, he has a polite and thoughtful personality. He is always thinking of his master Karja first and foremost, and acts accordingly. Like Phylleia, he was not born a Norman either. Apparently, he had been living somewhere else.

Yolds: A highly-intelligent humanoid Grieger. A vulgar sadist who attacks the people of Obelia Bay and abuses them as though they were slaves. She holds an intense rage against Karja, who wounded her by the power of Mana. Like a devil, she follows and targets Adol and the group.

Larg: A highly-intelligent humanoid Grieger. He takes interest in the culture and customs made by humans, and he appears in front of Adol and the group to ask peculiar questions. He does not show as aggressive a behavior compared to Yors and Ors, and his constant careless attitude makes it hard to read his true intentions.

Odr: A highly-intelligent humanoid Grieger. He boasts outstanding combat skills, even out of the humanoid Griegers. He takes interest in Adol and Karja, who fights using the power of Mana. He even wages battles against them. There are times when it looks as if he has high hopes for their skill potential. Particularly regarding Karja, he seems to even encourage her growth as a warrior.
The last three grey elf-like characters are Griegers, the name of the immortal beings who appear around Obelia Bay. You’ll be fighting them quite a bit through the course of the story.
Ys X: Nordics also has a new special skill tree system called the Release Line. You unlock the power of Mana, which you then use to strengthen individual battle skills for Adol and Karja.
How To Use Release Line System

Level up through combat, and obtain Mana points.
Using Mana points, unlock various “Spots” placed on the Release Line.

Unlocking “Spots” will allow you to obtain Adol and Karja-specific skills for solo mode, as well as spars.

Place a “Mana Seed” into the unlocked “Spot.”

The “Mana ability” for combat according to the Mana seed branch will activate.

By continuing the process of leveling up to unlocking spots, you will go further down the Release Line.

By delving deeper, you will be able to obtain special skills for the Combination Mode.

The Four Structures of Mana Ability
By setting items called Mana Seeds, a Mana Ability will activate. There are four branches it can split into. And because the same types can be combined, there are many possibilities for customization. You can set multiple abilities from the “Valor” branch and create a character that specializes in attacks, or you can set an equal number from each branch to make an all-rounder.

Valor – Attack-focused ability. Effects such as increased damage given, and increased knockdown blow.
Strength – Defense-focused ability. Effects such as decreased damage received, and increased status ailment healing speed.
Optimism – Ability that raises all skills aside from attack and defense. Effects such as increased dash speed, and increased skill chain time.
Darkness – Ability that has both merits and demerits. Special effects such as increased damage given during abnormal status, and increasing the rate of critical hits when HP is low.

Multiple Abilities Will Activate When the Mana Seeds That Have Three Branch Properties Are Set
Mana Abilities are activated when a specific Mana seed is set in a branch of the Release Line. However, some Mana Seeds belong to a special branch, called “Dream”.
Mana Seeds of the Dream branch have properties of Valor, Strength, and Optimism, and therefore are able to be combined with other Mana Seeds. You’ll be able to activate each branch’s abilities at a much more efficient rate.
Ys X Nordics will be out on 28 September in Japan for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch.


Don’t Sleep On Hades, The Charismatic & Challenging Roguelike Of 2020 [Update]

Update (12 August 2021): Game’s coming out for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series this 13th August. We’re bumping our review forward; our score still stands.
Update (18 September 2020): The game is now out of Early Access. We’ve modified our review to reflect its current state.Â
Platform: PC, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series, PS4, PS5
Genre: Isometric action RPG roguelike based on revised Greek mythology
Who knew the tale of the son of underworld Greek god Hades escaping Tartarus could make for a lovely isometric roguelike with tight arcade hack-and-slash controls? That’s pretty much the gist of Supergiant Games’ “still-in-Early-Access” action RPG Hades.
Made by the same folks behind action-packed and narrative-focused titles Bastion, Transistor, and Pyre, they once again nail that balance between delivering an engrossing tale and making players work for it with challenges galore.
Hell Over High Water

You play Zagreus, the son of the title god of the Underworld who longs to get out of his dad’s underworld domain. You make your way to the top, clearing many, many rooms and encounters dealing with a heckaton of lost souls, demons, and fallen heroes trying to stop you.
As far as stories and expositions go, Supergiant handles it just as pitch-perfect as they did with their previous titles. Though instead of relying on one narrator, they’re going all-out with giving the best voices for everyone here.

Zagreus is charming and affable, but gets stuff done when needed. Pivotal characters like Hades, Nyx, Fury Meg, and even some side characters like housekeeper Dusa add a ton of character to an already curious Greek odyssey.

The Hades gameplay experience is an isometric action RPG styled like Diablo, but you have “arcade action game” controls. Not only do you attack, but you can also dodge and cast spells. Since the game is a roguelike, you start all the way from the beginning if you die and all new journeys will feature random encounters and events.
And expire you will! Your aggressors come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, like hulking brutes with clubs, wizards who shoot multiple projectiles at you, to even skeletons that throw bombs and explode when up-close.
There will be a lot of times when the screen gets almost overwhelmed with the equivalent of “bullet hell”, where you’re forced to move out of your corner on the map and just go mobile, dodging all the way. You’ll definitely be tested and learn to ditch comfort zones and action game habits the hard way.
And you can’t fault the controls for it; well, maybe if you’re using keyboard and mouse. As far as I’m concerned, joypads will give you the precision and quick inputs you need to pull off split-second dodges and “just frame” dash attacks for maximized damage. There’s a little bit of fighting game DNA hidden in Hades’ action trappings, which I completely adore.
Git Gud: Supergiant Edition

Fortunately like most roguelikes, death just means another opportunity to do better in a subsequent run & get buffed. When you return to Hades’ domain upon death, you can check yourself out on the Mirror of Night to give Zagreus permanent upgrades, cashing in Darkness currencies you collect from encounters.
The Chthonic Keys you collected during your escape can either unlock more useful upgrades in the mirror, or acquire new Infernal Arms like the bow and arrow to the obvious Captain America Shield weapon.

For the record, I totally dig turtling using the latter. I not only can use a “Charging Star” Bull Rush move to plow through fools, but can also toss it to ricochet it on multiple enemies, especially with specific Boons I get halfway in the game.

Ah yes, the Boons. These bonuses are bestowed to Zagreus by notable Greek gods to help you on your quest and will last until you die. Different gods bestow different power-ups to your attacks, dodging properties, and spellcasting.
For example, Zeus will make your attacks shoot out lightning as per his specialty, while Ares will make you leave blade vortexes from the spot you dashed out of. Take note that you can leave multiple vortexes on the map, so if you love laying these sorts of traps, you may want to focus more on Ares’ Boons.

And if you want specific Boons to appear frequently, you’ll need to get specific keepsakes from certain gods by gifting them nectar. Want more homing “missiles” popping out from Zagreus if he so much as whiffs an attack? You may need to focus more on Artemis’ Boons and gift her that sweet, sweet yellow gold.
You can also rig the encounters to your favour; gemstones you earn during your encounters can be spent to open up “healing areas” and special encounters that crop up in your next run onwards. And then there are also rooms featuring Chaos’ Boons. Taking on these challenges will give you a nerf that will last a set amount of encounters, which then gets erased and replaced with a permanent upgrade for that particular run.
I could seriously go on with these additions that make Hades a rich action RPG roguelike experience, but I rather save that for a future guide. Point is, no two dungeon runs are ever the same and they’re always going to be chock-filled with tense moments & randomness. Not only do you need to switch up your gear every now and then, but you also need to get used to experimenting with different boons and spellcasting options.

Your encounters and events per run are randomized, even with the “godly” rigging you’ll be doing. Hades excels at making you improve your action RPGing game by being adaptable and overcoming challenges with your reflexes.

Write To Me And Escape

With the game finally out of Early Access, is it worth the hassle? Even in its early state in 2020, the game is more or less complete.Moreso than some triple-A titles that only get better over time and with multiple patches. And now with a proper ending and some post-game content, it’s a steal for its RM44 price tag.

Hades is jam-packed with action, has a cool take on Greek mythology, and features a ton of replayability. It also looks and sounds stylish doing so thanks to its art style and guitar-savvy Darren Korb-composed background music. I urge you not to sleep on this escapade; it’s a helluva good time.

Pros

Well-designed roguelike action RPG.
Random elements make every encounter different & fun.
Lots of tools to make every journey tailored to your favour.
Lovely narrative that doesn’t get in the way of the action.
Spot-on controls…

Cons

… though keyboard and mouse combo still needs tweaking.

FINAL SCORE: 100/100


Disney+ Hotstar Announces Ejen Ali Season 3 & Other Asia Pacific Content

At a regional and local press and partner event today, The Walt Disney Company showcased an extensive slate of global, regional and local language content for Disney+ and Disney+ Hotstar, and unveiled over 20 new APAC content titles including 18 Originals. Consumers can look forward to a wide range of original stories by top content creators from the region, in addition to the vast library of branded content from Disney, Marvel, Star Wars, Pixar, National Geographic and Star.
The new APAC projects include original productions by leading content creators, from star-studded scripted live-action tent-pole series including drama, comedy, fantasy, romance, science-fiction, crime, horror; to variety shows, documentaries and anime from several markets, including Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, Greater China and Australia. Subject to local availability, the new APAC content titles will be available on the streaming service over the next year. The new projects unveiled today are part of Disney’s ambition to greenlight over 50 APAC Originals by 2023.
The Walt Disney Company Asia Pacific President Luke Kang said:
â€œFor many decades, The Walt Disney Company has been entertaining consumers and has been an integral part of the local creative ecosystem. Today, we are making another commitment by combining the global resources of the company with the best content creators from Asia Pacific to develop and produce original stories on Disney+.
With over-the-top services going mainstream, emergence of world-class content from Asia Pacific and rising consumer sophistication, we believe that this is the right time for us to deepen our collaboration with the region’s best content creators to deliver unparalleled storytelling to global audiences.â€
Over the next few years, Disney will be launching a slate of premium branded entertainment on the streaming service, including content from its global franchises, general entertainment content from Star and local language originals from APAC.
Jessica Kam-Engle, Disneyâ€™s APAC Head of Content & Development, who unveiled the new content slate from APAC, added:
â€œOur production strategy is centred on working with the best local storytellers in the region, leveraging our brand power, scale and dedication to creative excellence.
We look forward to collaborating with award-winning and emerging creative talent in Asia Pacific and sharing authentic stories that reflect the unique cultural and social dynamics from this region to global audiences.”
Consumers in Malaysia can look forward to an extensive slate of APAC content coming to Disney+ Hotstar over the next year, including â€œEjen Ali Season 3â€. In this newest season of the highly anticipated Malaysian animated series, which is co-produced by Primeworks Studios, Wau Animation and Disney+ Hotstar, characters travel to the futuristic city of Cyberaya with secret agents and do the mission impossible.

Key highlights of the new APAC content titles include:

An action hero thriller, Moving is the ultimate tent-pole show from Korea based on the webtoon by Kang Full about three teenagers discovering their unusual powers.

Snowdrop, a romantic melodrama series starring top Korean actor Jung Hae-in and BLACKPINKâ€™s Jisoo. Told by the creators behind the 2019 K-drama mega-hit â€œSkycastle,â€ Snowdrop is one of the most highly anticipated dramas of the year.

Grid, a mystery thriller and new tent-pole series by award-winning writer Lee Su-yeon.

Exclusively on Disney+ and in theatres, BLACKPINK: The Movie is a documentary on the chart-topping Korean pop group, in commemoration of their fifth year anniversary.

Rookies, a coming-of-age romantic series set in Korea’s elite police academy, is K-pop idol Kang Daniel’s debut drama.

Tokyo MER (Mobile Emergency Room), a special TBS collaboration, is a medical drama starring award-winning actors Ryohei Suzuki and Kento Kaku.

BLACK ROCK SHOOTER DAWN FALL is a Japanese reboot animation of BLACKâ˜…ROCK SHOOTER, a popular character with global fans that has spawned music, action figures, games and animation.Â

Summer Time Rendering is a Japanese animation based on one of the top manga titles with a cumulative total of over 130 million page views on the Japanese web manga app Shonen Jump +.Â

YOJOHAN TIME MACHINE BLUES (Working title) is a new Japanese animated series and the sequel to THE TATAMI GALAXY. This is the latest work by award-winning writer Tomihiko Morimi and Science SARU, a production studio that has won numerous international awards.

At the Tokyo event, Disney also announced a planned anime adaptation of â€œTwisted Wonderlandâ€, Disneyâ€™s highly popular mobile game by Aniplex.

From the hit movie with the same title, Susah Sinyal (or Bad Signal) is a comedic drama series about a group of hotel employees managing a classy resort hotel in West Java.

Under the creative vision of award-winning director Joko Anwar, and produced by Screenplay Bumilangit, Bumilangit will be launching its first series soon. Under the creative vision of the award-winning director, Joko Anwar, and produced by Screenplay Bumilangit, we look forward to seeing the amazing characters from Bumilangit come to life. Coming from the Jagat Sinema Bumilangit, the first series to be developed is Tira. Tira is about a young woman who gets superpowers after accidentally stumbling upon an ancient force and now has to fight for her life.

Featuring the talented Chen Bo-Lin, Small & Mighty is his come-back appearance in Taiwanese drama since “In Time With You,” and a comedic drama about self-discovery.

Delicacies Destiny is a Chinese period drama and veteran producer’s Yu Zheng’s newest endeavour into food rom-com, following the success of â€œStory of Yanxi Palace.â€Â

Shipwreck Hunters is the first Australian documentary for Disney+ and documents iconic shipwreck mysteries in Western Australia’s vast coastline.Â

APAC Creative Experience Program
Disney today also announced the launch of The Walt Disney Companyâ€™s â€œAPAC Creative Experience Program,â€ a first-of-its-kind bespoke initiative that will connect hundreds of top creators from APAC with Disneyâ€™s world-class filmmakers and creators. Through creative masterclasses, live panels and other engagement activities, Disney will provide opportunities forÂ leading creators from APAC to meet executives and creatives from many of the company’s key brands and studios.
Mr. Kang said:
â€œWe hope that this program will inspire the creative community and add further momentum to the creative development of Asia Pacific, which I believe is emerging as a global content and media powerhouse. The creative talent and content we are seeing from many APAC countries is world-class and will only get better.
Disneyâ€™s unparalleled storytelling is the foundation of our special connection to our audiences and we look forward to offering top talent in the region with insights into the creative processes of the world’s best storytellers.â€
The streaming service is currently available in Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Singapore, India, Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand, with upcoming launches in South Korea, Hong Kong and Taiwan in November 2021.


Halo Infinite Single-Player Campaign Gameplay Looks Promising

Microsoft and Xbox just showed off about 6 minutes of Halo Infinite’s single-player campaign. It’s definitely a huge step up from the last showcase.
Just like most people have predicted, this portion of the game will have Master Chief fighting off The Banished, who happen to be remnants of the Covenant. While you’re fighting Brutes, you’ll also be dealing with special Elites, including a special-looking black-and-red clad one who enjoys killing Spartans a bit too much, and fliers named Skimmers.

Thankfully, Master Chief will have a new AI called The Weapon to guide him, along with new tools like the grappling hook (that players have used in its multiplayer), the Gravity Hammer, and a couple of other new weapons, tools, and skills. Players can also use Spartan Cores (collected in the new Halo) to upgrade Master Chief with, adding new passive and active skills to continue the fight.

Check out the overview below, full of new tweaks and additions to the already-familiar shooter-savvy gameplay. Halo Infinite will be out for Xbox One, Xbox Series, and PC on 8th December.


These Awesome Uniqlo Overwatch & Blizzard T-Shirts Are Available Now

With the Overwatch Anniversary starting this week, it’s the best time to show your allegiance towards this long-standing multiplayer shooter, as well as Blizzard’s other IPs, and buy these Uniqlo t-shirts.
These nifty Blizzard-themed apparels are going for US$14.90/RM59.90 apiece and come in various sizes from XS to 3XL. Check them out below; we particularly dig the D.Va logos and designs.

Check out the rest on the official link to the store.


Magic: The Gathering Celebrates Black History Month With Awesome Card Art

Hasbro, the Magic: The Gathering makers, are celebrating Black History Month with a new series of cards called Secret Lair: Black Is Magic.
Black Is Magic is part of a print-on-demand series of alternate-art cards that is available for a limited time. This particular one is presented by game designer Sydney Adams and focuses on Black artists and Black subjects. The proceeds for the series will go to Black Girls CODE.
Check out the alternate artworks below, from MTG planeswalker mainstay Teferi to iconic cards like Sol Ring.

This is probably one of Hasbro’s way of making amends for its previously-racist language and imagery with past cards. You can get these cards for US$39.99 for the regular finish versions or US$49.99 for the foil versions. The cards will be available from 22nd February until 31st March.Â


Ubisoft & Level Infinite Announce Local Distribution Partnership For The Division Resurgence

Ubisoft and Level Infinite have announced a distribution partnership to bring Tom Clancy’s The Division Resurgence to mobile gamers in the Philippines, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Cambodia, and Indonesia.
The Division Resurgence is a new and upcoming free-to-play, third-person shooter RPG mobile game from Tom Clancy’s The Division franchise. This next chapter is the series’ canon opus, featuring a new storyline, different specializations, and challenging enemy factions. The game will be available for iOS and Android devices.
They will soon initiate local pre-registrations in the Philippines, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Cambodia, and Indonesia, on both the local Google Play Store and the local Apple App Store.
Players who have previously pre-registered through Ubisoft’s Google Play Store page will need to use their regional Google Play Store account to register again.
A limited regional beta of the game will soon be available for download on Google Play Store in specific regions. Players who are interested in participating in the upcoming Regional Beta phase for The Division Resurgence are encouraged to stay connected and follow our official channels (tdrsea.com) for the latest news and announcements regarding the game’s test phases and release.
In the meantime, check out the trailer below:


Joe Quesada Joins DC After Leaving Marvel Earlier This Year

During New York Comic Con 2022, legendary artist Joe Quesada announced that he is joining DC Comics. This news comes only a few months after he revealed that he was leaving Marvel after more than two decades at the House Of Ideas back in June 2022.

Wait! What?!? https://t.co/BJ59VM6Y5A
— Joe Quesada (@JoeQuesada) October 7, 2022

During the New York Comic-Con panel for DC’s CCO Jim Lee, Quesada stopped by to announce that he is joining DC Comics.
In 1998, Quesada worked on the Marvel Knights imprint comics with Jimmy Palmiotti, including characters such as Doctor Strange, Daredevil, the Inhumans, and more.

He then became the Editor In Chief at Marvel starting from 2000, and he oversaw the Marvel’s Ultimate Universe line, as well as major crossover storylines like House of M, Civil War and Secret Invasion. During his tenure, a lot of new talent also made their mark at Marvel, including Brian Michael Bendis (Ultimate Spider-Man, New Avengers), Ed Brubaker (Captain America, Daredevil), Matt Fraction (The Immortal Iron Fist, Uncanny X-Men) and J. Michael Straczynski (The Amazing Spider-Man, Supreme Power).
He was then officially promoted as Marvel’s chief creative officer in 2010, and stepped down as Editor In Chief in 2011. Quesada was then named executive vice president and creative director in 2019 after Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige was promoted to the role of chief creative officer role at Marvel.
Check out his new Batman covers by Joe Quesada below:


SEGA Teams Up With LEGO For New DLC In Sonic Superstars

SEGA is always up for a unique collaboration, especially when it comes to the Sonic The Hedgehog franchise. And that’s exactly why they are excited to announce their new collaboration with LEGO in bringing new DLC for Sonic Superstars that transforms Sonic and Dr. Eggman into LEGO forms.

A new trailer showcased Sonic and Dr. Eggman appearing in LEGO forms. Although their appearance is mostly just aesthetic change, it still retains all the subtle nuances of their LEGO builds. We’re guessing that other characters such as Tails, Knuckles, and Amy will also be getting their own LEGO forms in this upcoming DLC. Aside from playing the game solo, Sonic Superstars will be available to play up to three players locally.
In addition, Sonic and Dr. Eggman are getting their own mini-LEGO skins as complementary DLC. Those who pre-order the digital version or physical edition of the game will receive the Dr. Eggman skin as a bonus.
Sonic Superstars is slated to launch for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Epic Games Store and Steam this Fall 2023.
In the meantime, check out the smashing trailer below. For more updates on Sonic Superstars, follow SEGA Asia Facebook page or visit the official website.


Princess Peach Sex Game Hit With Nintendo Takedown After 8 Long & Hard Years

It’s been a while since we’ve heard of more Nintendo takedown news; the hentai-inspired game Peach’s Untold Tale has recently drawn the ire of the Big N this year.
According to TorrentFreak, the erotic fan game made by Ivan Aedler that’s been around since 2012, the game was recently hit with a copyright takedown from Nintendo. Players hoping to get their Mushroom Kingdom jollies on will not be able to download and play the title; the Github page now features the public notice takedown letter. The DMCA notice said that Peach’s Untold Tale fell beyond fair use claims, despite the creator claiming it was a porn parody and thus falls under fair use (in theory anyway).
For those who don’t know and aren’t in tune with the hentai game scene, Peach’s Untold Tale allows the titular Princess Peach to have various sex acts with a huge roster of Super Mario enemies (multiple partner options available), and possibly get impregnated. The list includes:

Goomba
Koopa Troopa
Blooper
Wiggler
X-Nauts
BobOmb
Chomp
WrenchGuy
Boo
Flurry
Buzzy Beetle
Boo
Shy Guy
Pokey
Phanto
Chuck
Lakitu
Gombella
Bub-ulb
Yoshi
Bowser
Morton
Birdo
Bertha
Punio
Bullet Bill
Dry Bone (heh)

You can’t fault the developer for being lazy & thorough with options.
The last game’s update was on 19th April where Aedler said that he would “prefer to be dead” than “abandon” the game. The game racked up millions of views on various adult websites within 8 years of its development cycle. Before the takedown, the game was available for free.
Top image credit: Liz Katz.com


Aniplex’s New Aniplex.exe Brand Is Bringing Visual Novels To Steam

Aniplex USA has announced its new Aniplex.exe brand, which will focus on the wonderful world of visual novels. Their Twitter page also revealed that it will be publishing two visual novels on Steam this year.

Introducing ANIPLEX.EXE – a new visual novel brand from Aniplex!
Utilizing the powerful and unique entertainment experience only a visual novel can provide, ANIPLEX.EXE’s goal is to bring the world a novel way to play.
Coming to Steam in 2020 with two brand new titles! pic.twitter.com/hABk1VKwkc
— Aniplex of America (@aniplexUSA) February 24, 2020

One of these visual novels is ATRI -My Dear Moments, which features some recognizable names. It’s written by the writer of If My Heart Had Wings, Asuta Konno, and is being developed by studios Frontwing and Makura, who worked on the Grisaia series and H20: Footprints in the Sand respectively.
The announcement video also reveals the involvement of SCA-ji, who wrote and directed the fantastic (and disturbing) Wonderful Everyday Down the Rabbit Hole visual novel, as art director. Meanwhile, The Eden of Grisaia‘s Fuminori Matsumoto is on board as a composer.
Interestingly, the Steam screenshots show that ATRI will display both Japanese and English text simultaneously.

Steam describes the story:

“‘As the world sank, I found you.’
In the near future, a sudden and unexplained sea rise has left much of human civilization underwater.
In a little town slowly being enveloped by the ocean, an unforgettable summer is about to begin for a boy and a mysterious robot girl…”

The other visual novel is Adabana Odd Tales. It’s developed by LiarSoft, the studio who made the wonderful yuri visual novel Kindred Spirits on the Roof. Fairytale Requiem‘s Nozomu Umihara is in charge of the planning and scenario.
Also involved are Ryuko Oishi as artist and character designer, while Momoko Sapporo and Shinichiro Matsumoto are composing the music. Like Umihara, both Oishi and Sapporo previously worked on Fairytale Requiem, while Matsumoto worked on Gahkthun of the Golden Lightning. Both games were also developed by LiarSoft.
The Steam description reads:

“This is a tale of ‘flowers’ that never bloom.”
Shirohime, a girl who has lost her memory, and Kurofude, a mysterious boy, traverse through classic Japanese fairy tales within the land of Adabana, a realm of illustrated books.
What awaits them after they mend the distorted tales?”

Aniplex.exe didn’t reveal the exact release dates for these two titles, or which quarter of the year they’ll be dropping in. We’ll provide an update when they do.


A Wall Street Gamestop Movie Is Already In The Works

Last week, the world was rocked by the Wall Street Gamestop fiasco (which you can read all about here). Hollywood being what it is; a movie about the Wall Street GameStop scandal is already on the way.
According toÂ Deadline, MGM has acquired a proposal by Ben Mezrich, which is titled The Antisocial Network. The book actually hasn’t even been written, considering that the stuff only happened last week. However,Â Mezrich already boasts an impressive portfolio, including The Accidental Billionaires: The Founding Of Facebook, A Tale of Sex, Money, Genius and Betrayal, which was adapted into David Fincher’s The Social Network (2010).

Aaron Ryder is set to produce the film, with Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss executive producing. No director or release date has been attached to The Antisocial Network yet.


Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands First Hotfix To Buff Dark Magic & Chaos Bunnies

The first-ever hotfix for Gearbox’s new looter shooter action RPG Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands is out right now. And Graveborn users will be celebrating pretty soon.
The latest fix will buff Dark Magic scaling on weapons, update Legendary Spells to change color to their respective element when viewed in Item Inspection, and also update Chaos Bunnies and Chests in Chaos Chambers. Granted, I do wish Gearbox can fix certain user interface issues in the game and a few of the other glitches (as well as some issues regarding cloud saving that wipes progress), but one step at a time, I suppose.
The Dark Magic scaling means that the current Frost damage meta might take a backseat in favour of powered-up life leeching and people speccing Graveborn for some of their characters. Time will tell if there will be builds focused on multiclassing the Dark Magic-focused class. Here are the full hotfix notes:

Dark Magic scaling on Weapons has been improved to match other elemental weapons
Legendary Spells have been updated to change color to their respective element in when viewed in Item Inspection
Legendary Spells have been updated to use the icon that matches their casting style when viewed in Item Inspection
Chaos Bunnies and Chests have been updated to include Chaos Chamber-specific loot


Activision Blizzard Is Being Sued For Widespread Harassment Of Women In Offices

Activision Blizzard, the company behind the Overwatch and Diablo series, is now under fire by the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing. This is because it’s been instilling a “frat boy” workplace culture, leading to years of harassment and abuse targeting women in the workforce.
According to a Bloomberg report, the suit was filed on 20th July and was the result of a 2-year investigation into the publisher by the department. Activision Blizzard’s “compliance with Californiaâ€™s broad workplace protections is long overdue”.
Here’s the bullet points version; there are bits of suicide, harassment, and rape, so there’s your content warning.

There’s a lack of women in leadership positions; they face difficulties in gaining promotions and also enormous pay differences at the executive level. Women are not only promoted more slowly, but also terminated “more quickly than their male counterparts”.
On that note, female employees are being held back from promotions because of the possibility that they might become pregnant.
The company work culture is dubbed a “breeding ground for harassment and discrimination against women”. One example: women are subjected to â€œcube crawlsâ€ in which male employees drink copious [amounts] of alcohol as they â€œcrawlâ€ their way through various cubicles in the office and often engage in inappropriate behaviour toward female employees.
Another example: Male employees proudly come into work hungover, play video games for long periods of time during work while delegating their responsibilities to female employees, engage in banter about their sexual encounters, talk openly about female bodies and joke about rape.
Female employees are subjected to constant sexual harassment, including having to continually fend off unwanted sexual comments and advances by their male co-workers and supervisors and being groped at the â€œcube crawlsâ€ and other company events.
A female employee committed suicide during a business trip with a male supervisor who had brought butt plugs and lubricant with him on the trip.

Yikes. Activision Blizzard did respond to the lawsuit with the following statement, saying that this is all “irresponsible behaviour from unaccountable State bureaucrats”.
We value diversity and strive to foster a workplace that offers inclusivity for everyone. There is no place in our company or industry, or any industry, for sexual misconduct or harassment of any kind. We take every allegation seriously and investigate all claims. In cases related to misconduct, action was taken to address the issue.
The DFEH includes distorted, and in many cases false, descriptions of Blizzardâ€™s past. We have been extremely cooperative with the DFEH throughout their investigation, including providing them with extensive data and ample documentation, but they refused to inform us what issues they perceived. They were required by law to adequately investigate and to have good faith discussions with us to better understand and to resolve any claims or concerns before going to litigation, but they failed to do so. Instead, they rushed to file an inaccurate complaint, as we will demonstrate in court. We are sickened by the reprehensible conduct of the DFEH to drag into the complaint the tragic suicide of an employee whose passing has no bearing whatsoever on this case and with no regard for her grieving family. While we find this behavior to be disgraceful and unprofessional, it is unfortunately an example of how they have conducted themselves throughout the course of their investigation. It is this type of irresponsible behavior from unaccountable State bureaucrats that are driving many of the Stateâ€™s best businesses out of California.
The picture the DFEH paints is not the Blizzard workplace of today. Over the past several years and continuing since the initial investigation started, weâ€™ve made significant changes to address company culture and reflect more diversity within our leadership teams. Weâ€™ve updated our Code of Conduct to emphasize a strict non-retaliation focus, amplified internal programs and channels for employees to report violations, including the â€œASK Listâ€ with a confidential integrity hotline, and introduced an Employee Relations team dedicated to investigating employee concerns. We have strengthened our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion and combined our Employee Networks at a global level, to provide additional support. Employees must also undergo regular anti-harassment training and have done so for many years.
We put tremendous effort in creating fair and rewarding compensation packages and policies that reflect our culture and business, and we strive to pay all employees fairly for equal or substantially similar work. We take a variety of proactive steps to ensure that pay is driven by non-discriminatory factors. For example, we reward and compensate employees based on their performance, and we conduct extensive anti-discrimination trainings including for those who are part of the compensation process.
We are confident in our ability to demonstrate our practices as an equal opportunity employer that fosters a supportive, diverse, and inclusive workplace for our people, and we are committed to continuing this effort in the years to come. It is a shame that the DFEH did not want to engage with us on what they thought they were seeing in their investigation.
Full story at Bloomberg.


Mythbusters Host Grant Imahara Dies At 49

Grant Imahara, the engineer who co-hostedÂ MythbustersÂ for Discovery andÂ White Rabbit Project on Netflix, has died at the age of 49 from a brain aneurysm. In a statement to The Hollywood ReporterÂ andÂ Variety,Â Discovery said:

“We are heartbroken to hear this sad news about Grant.
He was an important part of our Discovery family and a really wonderful man. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family.â€

After a career as an engineer at Lucasfilmâ€™s THX and ILM divisions, Imahara joinedÂ Mythbusters in the showâ€™s third season but left in 2014 alongside co-hosts Kari Byron and Tory Belleci.

Happy #MayTheFourth from me and #BabyYoda! I was lucky enough to work at @Lucasfilm_Ltd and @ILMVFX on #StarWars projects from 1993-2005. I look back on those years fondly and look forward to their plans for the future of the franchise. #MayThe4thBeWithYou #TheMandalorian pic.twitter.com/AphjVWjZy8
â€” Grant Imahara (@grantimahara) May 5, 2020
However, the trio later reunited for Netflixâ€™s White Rabbit Project in 2016. Imahara was also active in the robot combat community, regularly appearing on BattleBots in the early 2000s with his robot Deadblow and later returning as a judge.
Former Mythbusters co-hosts Adam Savage and Kari Byron, as well as the late Imahara’s wife Jenny Newman, tweeted:

Iâ€™m at a loss. No words. Iâ€™ve been part of two big families with Grant Imahara over the last 22 years. Grant was a truly brilliant engineer, artist and performer, but also just such a generous, easygoing, and gentle PERSON. Working with Grant was so much fun. Iâ€™ll miss my friend.
â€” Adam Savage (@donttrythis) July 14, 2020

Somedays I wish I had a time machine. â¦@ToryBelleciâ© â¦@grantimaharaâ© pic.twitter.com/o9FRE2l16W
â€” Kari Byron (@KariByron) July 13, 2020

I haven’t found the words. I don’t know if I’ll be able to. I lost a part of my heart and soul today.
He was so generous and kind, so endlessly sweet and so loved by his incredible friends. I feel so lucky to have known him, to have loved & been loved by him.
I love you, honey. pic.twitter.com/d7secP1Ols
â€” Jenny N (@Jennernugen) July 14, 2020


Minecraft Legends Drops This April

During the first-ever Xbox Bethesda Developer Direct live stream earlier today, Mojang Studios and Blackbird Interactive announced that Minecraft Legends will launch for the PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC and Xbox Game Pass on 18 April 2023.
It’s a spinoff of the Minecraft franchise with action strategy gameplay. Players will be able to team up or go up against their friends in sieges on procedurally-generated maps. All maps will be procedurally generated and the series’ Piglin will be a third faction that will be at war with players within the vicinity.
Check out the new gameplay trailer below:


Fullmetal Alchemist Mobile Is Coming In 2022

Square Enix has announced that Fullmetal Alchemist Mobile will launch for iOS and Android devices sometime in summer 2022 in Japan as a free-to-play title.
Pre-registration is available now at the official website. However, there is no word yet on if or when the game will be coming to the rest of the world outside of Japan.
According to the official website (translated via Gematsu), the game is described as:
Fullmetal Alchemist Mobile is a smartphone game based on Hiromu Arakawaâ€™s dark fantasy comic series Fullmetal Alchemist, which has surpassed 80 million units!
The original story and battle scenes are brought to life in high-quality 3D CG, and the world of the evocative masterpiece is reproduced in excruciating detail.
Even in the depths of despair, the two brothers who performed the taboo alchemy known as Human Transmutation set forth on a journey to reclaim all that they have lost.
Welcome to the world of Fullmetal Alchemistâ€¦
The game will recreate the story of the original Fullmetal Alchemist, fully voiced by an extravagant cast, with numerous famous scenes depicted in beautiful 3D CG or new animation. There will also be “lively battle scenes depicted by 3D CG” to look forward to.
In the meantime, check out the trailer below:


Microsoft Pledges To Bring Call Of Duty To Nintendo

CEO of Microsoft Gaming and Xbox, Phil Spencer made an announcement on Twitter stating that Microsoft has entered into a 10-year commitment to bring Call of Duty back to Nintendo consoles along with an identical pledge to continue publishing Call of Duty to Steam as well.
The last Nintendo console to see a Call of Duty game was the Wii U. So yes, in what seems to be out of nowhere, the Xbox boss came out on Twitter announcing the ’10-year commitment’ saying:
Microsoft has entered into a 10-year commitment to bring Call of Duty to @Nintendo following the merger of Microsoft and Activision Blizzard King. Microsoft is committed to helping bring more games to more people – however they choose to play. @ATVI_AB

I'm also pleased to confirm that Microsoft has committed to continue to offer Call of Duty on @Steam simultaneously to Xbox after we have closed the merger with Activision Blizzard King. @ATVI_AB @ValveSoftware
— Phil Spencer (@XboxP3) December 7, 2022

Following this Tweet, Spencer also confirmed that Call of Duty will still be available on Steam for the foreseeable future once the merger with Activision Blizzard has finished. The Tweet reads as follows:
I’m also pleased to confirm that Microsoft has committed to continue to offer Call of Duty on @Steam simultaneously to Xbox after we have closed the merger with Activision Blizzard King. @ATVI_AB @ValveSoftware
As mentioned before, Call of Duty’s last appearance on a Nintendo platform was during the Wii U generation with the release of Call of Duty: Black Ops II in 2012 and Call of Duty: Ghosts in 2013.


Coachella 2020 To Host First Ever Vocaloid On Stage

It’s only the third day of the year and we’re already being hit by some crazy news. Most important out of them all is that Hatsune Miku is going to be performing at Coachella this year. Don’t believe me? Check out the poster below.
Hint: First day, third line below Rage Against the Machine. Right at the end.

For you nerds who don’t know what Coachella is, it’s basically an annual music festival held in Indio, California. The full name of the festival is Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.
If you’ve seen pictures of Caucasians dressing like Native Americans while attending a concert, that’s most likely Coachella. With top artists, bands, and celebrities appearing every year, it’s no wonder that everyone (normies) want to go.
For those of you who weren’t cultured enough to discover Hatsune Miku before this, I’ll help you out. She’s actually a song-making software called Vocaloid. She’s also arguably the most popular virtual idol in the world. This is what she looks like:

This isn’t the first time Miku has performed in the United States but it’s definitely the first time she’s been selected to perform at Coachella. Back in Coachella 2018, she briefly appeared onscreen while DREAMS was performing. Who knew that that was a teaser for 2020.
Coachella 2020 will be held from 10 April to 19 April 2020. You can buy tickets for the festival here. Tickets for the first weekend are already sold out so be quick!


Famous Mario-Inspired Go-Kart In Tokyo Lost Recent Lawsuit Appeal Against Nintendo

Remember a few years back when Japanese go-kart company MariCar was all the rave since it was the only way to re-enact Mario Kart in real life, sans blue shells? Well, Nintendo was none too pleased and issued a lawsuit, which they won last year to no one’s surprise.
So what happened recently? MariCar tried to appeal to the Japanese courtroom, but failed. This is probably due to the fact that MariCar defied court orders to loan out Nintendo-themed costumes to patrons. The company still has IP violations court mandates, so it’ll be interesting to see if they’re still going to continue on with their shenanigans.
During its heyday, MariCar’s go-karting service was a hit for tourists visiting Tokyo. Guess Nintendo will have to fill in the void by possibly recreating it in its upcoming Nintendo World funfare.


Celebrate Merdeka With Free and Legal Anime Streaming

YouTube is collaborating with Astro, Media Prima, Muse and WebTVAsia for Super Stream Malaysia, featuring free premium content to commemorate the Malaysian Independence Day (31 August 2020).
Super Stream Malaysia will be happening from 15 August 2020 to 16 September 2020, the last day of which marks Malaysia Day.
The free premium content includes anime, movies and movie, which will stream every day on the official YouTube channels for Google Malaysia and Muse Malaysia. The anime lineup (with Bahasa Malaysia subtitles) include:
BOFURI: I Don’t Want to Get Hurt, so I’ll Max Out My DefenseHyoukaOne Punch ManThe God of High SchoolThat Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime
You can check out the full lineup and streaming schedule for anime, movies and TV series here.


Want Some Zest In Your Fan Art? Expert Rachta Lin Can Help You Out!

Overwatch fanart and shipping pieces are a dime a dozen, but it takes a few good artists to stand out from the rest. Rachta Lin happens to be one of them. Check out the awesome work she’s done so far from Fate Grand Order to, well, Overwatch.

Looks pretty ace, right? Guess what: she’s going to expound her virtues and wisdom of how she does her artwork through a special workshop. It’s called “How to Embody Personality into your Artwork”. Details are below:
Workshop Date:Â Sat, 18th August 2018
Time:Â 10.00am â€“ 5.00pm
Venue: Lionheart Studio
Havelock II @Â 2 Havelock Road
#03-08, Singapore 059763
Workshop Level: Basic & Intermediate
Workshop Fee: Early Bird Promo $120
(U.P. $150, Early Bird Promotion endsÂ 3th August)
Registration:Â by 14th August. For participants aged 12 years & above.
And in case you doubt her artwork, you should know that she takes commissions. She did a damn good job with Jeanne from Lunar: Eternal Blue, if I do say so myself!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Jon Leo (@mrtoffee)


The Philippines’ Biggest Annual Games Expo Is Going Digital This Year

With COVID-19 wrecking every event company and game expo organizer out there, they’ll have to get creative and rely on online and bandwidth. Gamescom and Animangaki have done this and went the extra mile, so it’s only natural for one of the Philippines’ biggest game expos to do the same.
Gariath Concepts recently announced the dates of the Electronic Sports and Gaming Summit (ESGS) 2020: 23rd to 25th October. Just like last year, the event will feature tournaments, new games, the latest tech, meet-and-greet sessions, and more. But online, of course.
Gariath Concepts will announce more updates closer to the week. Stay tuned here on Kakuchopurei for more updates on who’s showing up.
https://www.facebook.com/ESGSPhilippines/posts/1493111904206277?__cft__[0]=AZUS3fvTN3ubeXlRQFRm_CFjzxuZNE4MeHzKH5Nis3AVDE2-KEdyUIM717sQIm7IJNwxaIQXJeCrJMruG7rBlwNoxq9juRpOr_2AsXzJulkmr0nBsMvDJqowVIEL4A3F3VKsRg9K5kD53oGf3cLJQDIuMGh-JSxNtQbe-_SWs1TKXg&__tn__=%2CO%2CP-R


Call Of Duty Mobile Gets A Wild West Makeover In Latest Update

The latest update (28 April 2020) for Call Of Duty Mobile – Garena brings the Wild West to the game, including Cowboy Ghost and Seraph skins, Kill Confirmed and Capture The Flag game modes alongside new maps, weapons, and operator skills.
Ghost And Seraph Skins

Both new skins can be unlocked from the latest Premium Battle Pass starting from 1 May 2020.
New Operator Skill And Weapon

Players can unlock the new Annihilator skill and Outlaw weapon for free. The Annihilator is a potent revolver that packs high-powered rounds which tracks nearby enemies and eliminates targets without directly aiming at them.
Meanwhile, the Outlaw is a Designated Marksman Rifle (DMR) with one-shot ability, high mobility, high fire rate, and high ADS speed.
New Map And Battle Royale Class

The iconic Rust map has been added in all the Multiplayer modes, alongside a brand new Saloon map for 2v2 Showdown and 1v1 Duels. In Battle Royale, Poltergeist is the latest class to be added, allowing players to briefly become nearly invisible while increasing their running and walking speed during stealth movement.
New Gold In-Game Currency

New game modes such as Capture The Flag and Kill Confirmed have been added. In Capture The Flag, flags have been replaced by Gold where players collect, protect and steal gold from the enemy team to win. Meanwhile, Kill Confirmed requires players to confirm kills by collecting IDs dropped by eliminated enemies.
New Way To Increase Battle Pass Tiers

Players can now increase their Battle Pass tiers by simply completing more Multiplayer or Battle Royale games. This new level up the system takes into account completing matches, kills, assists, map objectives and more to gain more tiers.
The more time players spend in a match, the more experience they will gain. BP experience gained in each match can be found in the score screen at the end of the game.
In the meantime, check out the new trailer below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fzkiRY9ZvAk&w=560&h=315]


TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge Now Available On Mobile Via Netflix

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge launched last year on consoles and PC. Thanks to Netflix, their subscribers can now download and play Shredder’s revenge via the Netflix Gaming cloud for the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
Shredder’s Revenge provides a single-player mode on mobile, whereas multiplayer options are available on other consoles. Once the game is downloaded, you can access it after entering your Netflix login credentials.
Both story and arcade modes are still available, and you can party with random players online or with friends using a code. What a joy being able to play Shredder’s Revenge on the go, literally. If you’re not familiar with the retro-style side-scroller beat ’em up game, check out our game review.

Of course, the streaming service did introduce other titles available on their gaming cloud, but they can be tricky to find. If you watch Netflix only on your TV, you might not realize Netflix has its own game category. This can only be found in the Netflix phone app, where you can download and play. Alternatively, you can find the games on each respective app stores too, where you will be prompted to input your Netflix login credentials as well.
Watch the video below of the first few games announced by the streaming service.


Street Fighter 6: Cammy Move List & Guide

Street Fighter 6 is coming out on 2nd June, which is just less than a month away. As such, the game’s roster for its launch is set with 18 characters, each with their various playstyles.
In this entry, we’ll be focusing on Cammy, the ex-Shadaloo Doll now secret agent known as the Killer Bee due to her speed and deadly hits.
Note: This guide is still in development.
All inputs are in numpad notations. For example, Hadouken from player 1’s starting side is 236P.
Attack buttons are as follows: LP, MP, HP are light punch, medium punch, and heavy punch respectively. LK, MK, and HK are light kick, medium kick, and heavy kick respectively. None of this Fierce or Roundhouse bulls*** in Asia.
Info & video credits: Fighting Game Anniversaries, WoolieVS, FlawlessDeku, Capcom, Reversal

Street Fighter 6 Cammy Overview

The UK-based cat lover is all about rushdown, baby! Cammy has a ton of fast moves and quick hits that let her get into the fray whenever, dart in and out like nobody’s business, and mixup opponents without so much letting them blink. Just like her Super Turbo debut and Street Fighter 5 recent appearance, she trades defense and health in favour of damage and offensive tools that let her move forward, anti-air, switch sides, and do short hops (Hooligan Combo) to confuse her opponents. She’s fast enough to even get the drop on zoners if they mess up their setplay, perhaps even scoring a Perfect round with good reads and hard-to-react mixups.
Long story short, if you’re using Cammy and are blocking 50% of the match, you’re playing her totally wrong. Mix up her offense with a few throws (she air throws too), then apply pressure with added Drive Rush shenanigans until your opponent cracks. Combo them to Drive Rush and Super Arts after that. Her only downside? Taking huge risks against characters who have way, WAY more health than her like Marisa and Zangief. She only needs to make one mistake until her life bar reaches 0 in a few attacks. Also, her footsie range isn’t the best when compared to other characters like Manon and Blanka.
Play If: You want the best rushdown in the SF business, likes taking risks for big payoff and damage.
Avoid If: You prefer defensive characters, want more footsie & poking tools, prefer fighters with high health.

Cammy Move List

Special Moves
Spiral Arrow: 236K. Trademark combo-ender and forward-moving surprise attack. Do not use up-close unless you hit confirm because your opponent can punish it.
Cannon Spike: 623K. Anti-air.
Quick Spin Knuckle: 214P. Spinning hop and fist attack; can slip through opponent’s guard and side-switch if you play it at the right time.
Cannon Strike: During forward jump, 214K. Dive kick. Make sure to aim her foot at your opponent’s leg/feet/lower torso so that you’re in the advantage.
Hooligan Combination: 236P. Short hop with different follow-ups for mixup nonsense. No input equals a low slide (Razor’s Edge Slicer), K is Cannon Strike, while 2K is an air axe kick that’s an overhead. The LPLP follow-up is a throw on standing opponents. You can feint the Hooligan by following up with P.
Super Arts
Spin Drive Smasher (Level 1): 236236K. Great reversal and combo ender.
Killer Bee Spin (Level 2, can be done in the air as well): 214214K. Attacks opponents with a diagonal descending kick, then she does the Street Fighter 2 Animated Movie chokehold thing. Can be comboed from grounded moves as it comes out fast. The air version does not have the chokehold animation if it hits opponents in the air.
Delta Red Assault (Level 3): 236236P. Can be used in combos and can bypass projectiles.
Unique Moves
Lift Uppercut: 4MP. Anti-air.
Delayed Ripper: 6HK. Steps back, then kick. Can be canceled into special moves.
Assault Blade: 4HK. Can be canceled into special moves.
Lift Combination: 4MP>HK. Last hit of this target combo lets you jump to follow-up.
Swing Combination: HP>HK. Another nice target combo that lets you cancel to special moves.