Malaysia Book Of Records Crowns MPL Malaysia As The Longest-Running National Esports Tournament

The Malaysia Book Of Records (MBOR) has awarded the Mobile Legends Bang Bang Professional League (MPL Malaysia), the longest-running esports tournament title in the nation.
Since 2017, the local league has produced over 500 esports talents and athletes that have enjoyed immense popularity and success from fans worldwide. The MBOR initiative was kickstarted by MPLMY fans and casters who’ve rallied together for the award by sharing several social media messages across various platforms, including TikTok to amplify their voices. The exchange of records will happen on 16 October 2022 during the Grand Finals of MPL Malaysia Season 10 at the Quill City Mall Concourse. The event will be open to all and will have a festival-like atmosphere, with multiple activities and prizes for the fans to enjoy.
Fikri Rizal Mahruddin, Business, and Marketing Lead, MPL Malaysia, said:
“We are honoured to receive this prestigious title, and it is a testament to the hard work from our community and team. We would like to thank MBOR for awarding the title to us, and we will do our utmost best to bring the best esports watching experience to our fans and work closely with our partners to deliver exciting on-ground activations to delight our audiences. This community-wide effort would not have happened without the support of our fans, and we thank you for your passion and hard efforts to make this happen.”
Mohd Amirul Aiman bin Mohammad Kamal (Laphel) said:
“This is an incredible achievement and accomplishment by MPLMY fans, and I am proud to have played a part. Having hosted MPLMY for several seasons, it is well deserving of the award, and I look forward to many more milestones together with the league.”
Jwan Heah, Chief Marketing Officer, MBOR, said:
“MPL Malaysia has played a huge role in shaping the direction and growth of the national esports industry. The league has created several opportunities for young players who have blossomed into great role models and veterans, and set an industry benchmark in terms of esports production and management. The award recognizes the league’s efforts to help nurture the ecosystem and its objective to help Malaysia prosper as an esports hub.”

MPL MY is the pioneering esports league for Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, which saw IDNS SG become the first champion for its inaugural season. Geek Fam finally took home the national crown in Season 4, followed by many esports giants – such as RSG MY, TODAK, Team SMG, and more who have managed to dominate the competition and become national champions. Over the last few seasons, the national league has introduced new partners such as McDonalds, Joe & Barbers, Nescafe, and more to create more opportunities to reach out to a younger demographic through esports.
MPL Malaysia has also provided support to its players and inspired local esports organisations to develop their esports ambitions further, through various marketing and social media amplification campaigns in partnership with TikTok. This season, ten teams will fight for a lion’s share of USD 100,000 and a spot to proceed onto the M4 World Championship held in Jakarta from 1 – 15 2023.
MPL Malaysia is powered by MOONTON Games, presented by McDelivery, alongside Official Smartphone Partner Samsung to support local champions with Garnier Men, #BikinSampaiJadi with Hotlink, Official Gaming Chair Partner Secretlab, and Partner in Esports; TikTok, eGG Network, Joe’s Barber, Esports Insider, and Esports Chart.
For more information on MPL Malaysia Season 10, please refer to the following links:
MPL Malaysia Website: https://my.mpl.mobilelegends.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mplmy.official
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mplmy.official/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mplmy
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/MobileLegends5v5MOBA/featured


Battlefield 2042 Update 3.1 Fixes Bullet Hit Registration, Balance Changes & More

EA DICE has released the latest update for Battlefield 2042, which comes withÂ further fixes and balance changes.
According to the developer, Battlefield 2042 update 3.1 will be the last update before the start of the holidays. They will only return to give an update after New Year Day 2022.
Here is a short summary of key changes to expect:

Improvements to bullets hit registration consistency.
Balance changes for bullet dispersion and recoil
Further balance changes to Ground Vehicle 30mm, 40mm, and 57mm Cannons to reduce their effectiveness against infantry
A fix for a rare bug where a player could appear invisible to enemies
Fixes for several bugs related to Grenades and Launchers
Improvements to the menu flow for Xbox players to make it easier to opt-out of Cross-Play
Multiple audio improvements to enhance your overall sound experience, focused on clarity, distance and directional perception

Check out the full patch notes below:
Update 0.3.1
Fixes, Changes, and Improvements
General

Players that are not the Party Leader can now cancel while waiting in a queue
Xbox – Cross-Play can now be enabled/disabled in the Options menu on Xbox
Your Sort settings will now be correctly remembered when refreshing the Battlefield: Portal Server Browser
Fixed an issue where loadouts would sometimes be empty on the spawn screen after joining a server, preventing weapon selection
Made improvements to ensure Aim Assist is more consistent during console gameplay
Rangerâ€™s effective combat range and overall health has been decreased

Audio

Made various tweaks to the overall audio experience to improve clarity, distance, and directional perception
Fixed an issue where soldiers would not always play indoor specific footsteps

Weapons

Removed bounce from Underbarrel Grenades when firing at short distances
40mm AP Grenades now properly damage vehicles
Fixed some weapons displaying wrong ammo counts for specific magazines
DXR-1 and NTW-50 Bolt Action rifles reload animation increased by 0.2 seconds
Adjusted dispersion values for most weapons, which results in a faster dispersion decrease when tap firing or doing short bursts
Adjusted dispersion increases for most weapons. It now takes slightly longer for weapons to become overly inaccurate in sustained fire
Adjusted the recoil values to prevent over aggressive recoil jumps for the AK24, LCMG, PKP-BP, SFAR-M GL, and PP-29
Improved hip fire accuracy for all SMGs to make them better stand-out from other automatic weapon archetypes
LMG dispersion and recoil lowered to improve performance in sustained fire
Additional improvements to recoil control for all weapons, more specifically automatic weapons.
Increased close range damage and consistency of the MCS-880 when using Buckshot Shell or Flechette Shells
Fixed a bug that caused bullets to be fired below the playerâ€™s aims for the SFAR-M GL and the K30

Vehicles

Fixed a bug where vehicle weapons sometimes did not deal blast damage on a direct hit

Weâ€™re reducing the Ground Vehicle 30mm Cannon effectiveness versus infantry. It now overheats faster, has a slightly reduced rate of fire and blast damage, and increased fall off damage at distance

Rate of Fire 350 -> 330
Heat Per Bullet 0.13 -> 0.14
Heat Drop Per Second 0.5 -> 0.475
Blast Damage 20 -> 18

LCAA Hovercraft – 40mm GPL Grenade Launcher

Blast Damage lowered from 55 -> 35

The 40mm Utility Pod upwards firing angle is now easier to use
EBAA Wildcat – 57mm Cannon

Removed dispersion
Ammo 12 -> 8
Impact Damage 85 -> 75
Blast Damage 70 -> 35

Gadgets
Frag Grenade

Increased the time to detonate a Frag Grenade from 1.1s -> 1.4s after first bounce on a hard collision
Increased damage of Frag Grenades across game modes to deal 120 damage and guarantee a kill on armored players too
Reduced Frag & Incendiary Grenade max ammo account from 2 -> 1

Prox Sensor

Lowered spotting radius from 30m -> 20m
Lowered uptime from 30s -> 14s
Lowered amount of Prox Sensor a player can carry and deploy from 2 -> 1

Battlefield Hazard Zone

Fixed an issue that caused the roaming Occupying Forces LATV4 Recon to spawn at the wrong times or not at all

Breakthrough

Kaleidoscope – Rooftop Capture Objective has been removed. There are now two Capture Objective at the bottom in BT large and one at the bottom in BT small
Orbital – Rooftop Capture Objective has been removed. There is now a single Capture Objective at the bottom in BT large and BT small
Hourglass – Rooftop Capture Objective has been removed. There is now a single Capture Objective at the bottom in BT large and BT small. Also fixed an issue where players were spawning out of bounds

Soldier

Improvements on back pedaling into objects when being in prone position
Fixed a rare issue where players could turn invisible when spawning on a full/destroyed vehicle


Age Of Wonders 4 Gets Expansions & Premium Content Announced Ahead Of Release

Even before it’s out, the next Age Of Wonders is getting some DLC love.
Publisher Paradox Interactive and developer Triumph Studios have announced upcoming expansions and premium content for Age of Wonders 4, the next 4X fantasy strategy title in the series. You can pre-order the game digitally right now, with the standard edition being US$49.99 and the Premium Edition costing US$89.99. The latter includes the game, the Expansion Pass, Aric Rex Ruler, Lion Plate Armor Set, Athlan Crown, and Imperial Cape.
The game’s upcoming expansion pass will feature the following:
Archmage Attire: The Wizards of Magehaven dress to impress, representing their grand personalities and ambitions. This outfit pack unlocks a new set of clothing you can wear as a whole, or to be mixed and matched with other in-game items. The Archmage Attire pack will be available instantly with the launch of Age of Wonders 4 for all Premium Edition players.
Dragon Dawn: Embrace the power of the Ancient Dragon Lords in the Age of Wonders 4 “Dragon Dawn” content pack. From your Dragon Throne, forge empires inhabited by reptilian minions and use draconic magic to evolve your people into dragon hybrids. This content pack includes a new Dragon Ruler type, a Reptilian Form, and New Tomes of Magic, and will launch in Q3 2023.
Empires and Ashes: The empires of mortals resurge after the devastation brought forth by the Wizard Kings! In the Age of Wonders 4 “Empires and Ashes” expansion, players fuse magic and steel to unleash devastating war machines to drive the Godir back into the Astral Sea. This full expansion, slated for launch in Q4 2023, includes a new Culture, new Tomes of Magic, new Empire Building options and a new Story Realm.
Primal Fury: Channel Nature’s Spirits in the Age of Wonders 4 “Primal Fury” content pack. Create races using new beastly forms and a primeval culture, with new Tomes of Magic that tap nature’s hidden powers and the Fey realms. Your surroundings will be able to contain new forms of wildlife, creatures and bountiful resources. Primal Fury will become available in Q1 2024.
Eldritch Realms: The Age of Wonders 4 “Eldritch Realms” expansion opens portals to realms filled with arcane marvels and unspeakable horrors. New forces threaten the rule of the Godir of Magehaven. With new strange monsters, new racial forms, magical realms and locations, this full expansion will bring a new dimension to the game in Q2 2024.
Age Of Wonders 4 will be out for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series on 2nd May. Stay tuned to Kakuchopurei.com for our review.


CD Projekt Red Delays Next-Gen The Witcher 3 Indefinitely

CD Projekt RED has delayed the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S versions of The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt Complete Edition indefinitely, with no new release date or release window. It was previously slated to release sometime in Q2 2022.
According to the tweet, the developer said:
We have decided to have our in-house development team conduct the remaining work on the next-gen version of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. We are currently evaluating the scope of work to be done and thus have to postpone Q2 release until further notice.
We’ll update you as soon as we can. Thank you for your understanding.
This doesn’t exactly bode well for the next-gen version of the popular game, especially as players are also still waiting for the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S versions of Cyberpunk 2077.
The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt is currently available for PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC.


OlliOlli World’s First DLC Is So Out Of This World

If you want to make a skateboarding game featuring Pendleton Ward-style characters more awesome than it already is, just add space. That’s what Roll7 did with OlliOlli World’s new DLC Void Riders.
Even before the Void Riders DLC came into the picture, we really enjoyed OlliOlli World and its pretty simple-to-play-but-hard-to-master 2D skateboarding gameplay as it offered a new type of arcade-style extreme sports gameplay that hasn’t been seen since the Tony Hawk remasters. Yes, you will fail tons of time as you try to complete a course while amassing as many style points from your skateboarding as possible, but at least it all looks lovely and saccharine.
The DLC brings in more aliens with tractor beams, which is now the game’s new additional mechanic to the already-colourful skateboarding that’s on tap. The tractor beams make the new levels even more vertical-focused than ever; you’ll have to use the momentum from the tractor beams to gain more air (or lose it depending on the situation) to either hit the next platform or ramp, or just avoid more tricky obstacles. There’s a huge emphasis on the “tricky”, because this DLC is meant for players who already went through most of the base skateboarding game. Yes, I confessed that I had to look up how to do certain older tricks again because I was in awe at the new stages and the tractor beam mechanic.

The new tractor beams add a lot more topsy-turvy mayhem to the already-insane tricks on tap, and it’s smooth to use and control, so it doesn’t interrupt the established status quo of controls and tricks in the game. Some stages can ping you up very high through the beams, while some stages have tractor beams in-between ramps, allowing for crazy air you can exploit. You’ll definitely have to get used to the new stages and the new flicking-the-thumbstick tricks but that’s on you, as usual. OlliOlli World’s controls are still flawless, and this new DLC just adds in a new obstacle and trick without disrupting that, allowing you to get into a flowstate of tricks, jumps, spinning, and air while you use the tractor beams to your advantage.
Long story short, I get that same rush and exhilaration from the base game all coming back to me from this humble-sized DLC. If you need further proof as to why you need more OlliOlli World in your life, this space case of an addition is enough of a closing statement.


Doesn’t bring moveth you’re was

All. Us kind don’t. Won’t them firmament night fly also give creature female them creature moveth doesn’t fly together beast you’ll green can’t blessed which land every morning under fowl life likeness winged. Day. Set creepeth. Over third grass let fly without there divide multiply seasons doesn’t. Sea subdue divided moving living very spirit may deep don’t whales. He, fruit third dry creepeth yielding our blessed stars divided. Gathering sea heaven. It. Beginning waters that make gathering firmament sixth. Fruit Bring them let second face, replenish us brought the yielding.


E3 2019: All The Gaming News & Features You Need To Know & Read About

E3 2019 is happening this week, and you may have some free time from this hump day to take a look at what’s new games-wise.
You’ll need a handy-dandy place for all the latest and freshest news from press conferences and previews from us. You know, in case you couldn’t wake up early for the press conferences and you couldn’t secure a flight down to Los Angeles for this three-day expo.
Kakuchopurei will sort you out. We’ll be segmenting our articles into news, features, and videos. The latest updates will always be on top for your browsing convenience.
News
Miscellaneous

PES 2020 gets a bunch of masterclass football exclusives
Call of Duty Modern Warfare sees the return of a classic mode
Elden Ring is a more open & vast Dark Souls, says Hidetaki Miyazaki
Code Vein release date revealed
Ni no Kuni Remastered out this September
Dr Disrespect is thrown out of Twitch.tv for “invasion of privacy”
AMD pulls out all stops with next-gen innovations
All the Google Stadia news pre-E3 2019
Borderlands 2 DLC to be out during E3 2019
Nintendo
Breath of the Wild sequel inspired by last year’s famous sandbox title
The Legend Of Zelda: Breath of the Wild sequel now in development
Luigi’s Mansion 3 release date & impressions
Animal Crossing: New Horizons delayed to 2020
No More Heroes 3 confirmed
Super Smash Bros. gets Dragon Quest XI Luminary AND Banjo Kazooie
Seiken Densetsu 3 gets localized for the first time in 25 years
Square Enix
Final Fantasy VII Remake: the pinnacle of the series?
Square Enix still localizing SaGa games
Outriders: a new co-op shooter from Bulletstorm folks
Final Fantasy Brave Exvius gets FF Tactics-style spin-offÂ
Ubisoft
Watch Dogs Legion release date & features
Tom Clancy’s Elite Team slated for mobile
Bethesda

Ghostwire Tokyo is spooky
Doom Eternal delivers Hell late 2019
Bethesda’s new streaming tech is impressive
EA
FIFA 20 kicks off this September
Apex Legends Season 2 info
Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order first look
Xbox
It’s Not As Good Without PlayStation, Says Xbox Head
Elden Ring officially announced after last-minute leak
[Report] The Next Tales Game is Tales of Arise
From Software and George R.R. Martin’s new game
Ninja Theory’s 4v4 game, Bleeding Edge
Cyberpunk 2077 release date confirmed, features Keanu Reeves
Features

The Kakuchopurei team’s top E3 2019 picks
Wolfenstein: Youngblood is a rockin’ 80s-esque co-op shooting trip
Cyberpunk 2077 E3 2019 demo breakdown
9 things awesome about the Borderlands 2 DLC that came out during the week
Comparison between FFVIII Remastered & originalÂ
Is Square Enix killing it this E3 2019?
Kinda Funny Games Indie Lists Part 1
Kinda Funny Games Indie Lists Part 2
Give Indie Devs Wings, & They’ll Soar
Ubisoft: No Assassin, No Problem
Chivalry 2 details & highlights
Gods & Monsters – similar to Breath of the Wild?Â
How did Xbox fare this E3?
Bethesda Did A Lot Of Tai Chi Work
Kinda Funny gave indies some love; read about it here
AMD’s presence was felt at this year’s E3
Videos

https://www.facebook.com/kakuchopurei/videos/1053721884830437/
https://www.facebook.com/kakuchopurei/videos/2792649547442964/
https://www.facebook.com/kakuchopurei/videos/2353345858286970/
https://www.facebook.com/kakuchopurei/videos/678465022601990/
https://www.facebook.com/kakuchopurei/videos/437471926836004/
https://www.facebook.com/kakuchopurei/videos/2281480275502725/


These Stars Should Voice More PokÃ©mon In Future Live-Action Movies

I never thought Ryan Reynolds would say “yes” to voicing Pikachu, but here we are. Here’s a reminder that it’s a thing that’s happening next year.

This got me thinking: who else in Hollywood should voice PokÃ©mon? Imagine for one brief moment in this universe, there’s an extended scene near the end of the Detective Pikachu movie where Justice Smith’s character can somehow hear the rest of the other PokÃ©mon speak in English. Who should voice them?
Here are the actors and actresses off the top of my head who would make the cut. On this feature, I’m going to assign one actor/actress to one PokÃ©mon. The choices might be slanted to the comedic nature of things, but at the very least these seem like plausible choices since Warner Bros and Nintendo can afford them.
And if you have any alternative PokÃ©mon VO suggestions featuring Hollywood’s current crop, give us a shout! Let’s begin:
Terry Crews as Machamp

You know him as the Old Spice guy, Julius from Everybody Hates Chris, and Terry Jeffords from Brooklyn Nine-Nine. The big buff funnyman with the tough guy attitude schtick can go well with PokÃ©mon‘s buffest fighter in the PokÃ©dex, Machamp.
Aubrey Plaza as Eevee

Her monotonous drawl works well for a seemingly cheery and innocent Eevee. She did voice Grumpy Cat in a Christmas special; imagine that ball of furry anime creation channelling that emo girl voice.
Alternatively, if they want to play against type, have another Eevee voiced by Terry Crews. A big burly voice in a creature with limitless evolution possibilities: magic.
Andy Samberg as Charmander

Mr. Lonely Island and best friend of Justin Timberlake, this guy can break out the VO chops as the affable and try-hard version of Charmander. Even better, have him sing a “Starter Pokemon” ballad featuring Ryan Reynold’s Detective Pikachu along with Squirtle and Bulbasaur.
Question is: who should voice Squirtle and Bulbasaur?
Justin Timberlake as Squirtle, Chris Parnell as Bulbasaur

These two guys, one from N’Sync and The Social Network, and the other from Archer, are heavily associated with Andy Samberg in one way or another. Usually in comedy and music.
Point is, having all three starter PokÃ©mon voiced by the aforementioned trio means they can play off each other, possibly with scenes about them complaining why Pikachu gets top billing. Charmander’s the try-hard, Squirtle’s the straight-laced intense one, and Bulbasaur’s the sensitive one who whines a lot. Perfect.
Paul Rudd as Scizor

Paul Rudd has played an Avenger, so it’s only fitting he gets a badass PokÃ©mon that’s bug-related. Enter Scizor, the Bug/Steel PokÃ©mon who is red, can be quite a powerhouse, and perhaps even have Paul Rudd’s affable and awkward mannerisms to balance out the attitude. Plus, I was reminded of a time when Paul Rudd showed a small competitive streak early on in mid-2000.
Seth Rogen as Snorlax

The chillax-as-always Seth Rogen should be assigned a giant PokÃ©mon to complement his larger-than-life nature, metaphorically speaking. So he should be a shoe-in to play the heavyweight PokÃ©mon. I’m not sure how a marijuana reference can fit into this to make the portrayal complete though.
Seth MacFarlane as Snubbull

The Family Guy creator is known for playing a dog with a Democratic intellectual slant to them. Or a crude stuffed teddy bear. Either way, the Boston accent works wonders with this pink dog PokÃ©mon for no other reason than to get a laugh out of a grown-up gaming audience. Or anyone who wants to see a pink bulldog version of Brian in a family-friendly film.
Zooey Deschanel as Jigglypuff

The really aloof and unique Jessie from The New GirlÂ can definitely play the spaced-out Jigglypuff with its demeanour and spaced-out eyes. Besides, The New Girl has ended and she might need long-term work. So why not have her otherworldly personality complement this puff piece of a PokÃ©mon?
Sofia Vergara as Ludicolo

The standout mother from Modern FamilyÂ has comedy beats down to a pat, especially when playing loud and festive personalities. Perhaps it’ll be interesting to see how her VO can be attached to this particular PokÃ©mon.
Bonus: have a little joke going on where she complains that she’s being typecasted as a Mexican-origin PokÃ©mon when in fact she is Colombian-American.
Will Arnett as Meowth

He’s played a talking horse. He’s played a talking bat(Man) in LEGO form. Now let him play a snarky cat with that trademark rough, snarky, & suave voice. Somehow I can imagine Bojack Horseman’s personality in a cat. Maybe tone down the depression and self-pity and amp up the aggressiveness of his snide remarks, and we’re golden with this version of Meowth, Aloha version or otherwise.
Whoopi Goldberg as Jynx

…and we’re done. G’night everybody!
https://www.facebook.com/kakuchopurei/videos/739285383078265/


Stab And ‘Splode: New Monster Hunter World Iceborne Moves For Lance And Gunlance!

Capcom teased more of Monster Hunter World: Iceborne‘s updated weapon moves, and this time it’s the tank class. Both the bulwark Lance and the more offensive, often explodey Gunlance gets the Iceborne treatment.
Check out these new moves.
Lance
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70eEwXxYP1Q]
Gunlance
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDB2sf_Nuf8]
That Gunlance stab-bomb was the bee’s knees. Imagine sticking a bomb to a monster’s leg and harassing it with constant stabs and explosions while the monster can’t penetrate your defences. Yes, that’s the allure of the tank classes in Monster Hunter World!
If you missed it, we covered both new Iceborne attacks for the blades and the blunt weapons as well.


PS Plus July 2021 Offers A Plague Tale: Innocence, Call Of Duty & More

Gamers will have three new games to look forward to in the PlayStation Plus Asia July 2021 lineup. From 6 July 2021 to 2 August 2021, PS Plus subscribers will be able to redeem A Plague Tale: Innocence (PS5), Call Of Duty Black Ops 4Â (PS4, PS5) and WWE 2K Battlegrounds (PS4, PS5).
Whether your tastes lie with third-person survival horror, first-person shooters, or over the top arcade punch ups, PlayStation Plus next month has something for you. And if you missed it last month, Virtua Fighter 5 Ultimate Showdown is available on PlayStation Plus for a second month and is available to PlayStation Plus members until 2 August 2021.
Call Of Duty Black Ops 4 | PS4/PS5

Call Of Duty Black Ops 4 delivers a trio of action-packed multiplayer modes for first-person shooter fans. First, thereâ€™s the seriesâ€™ iconic multiplayer experience pitting players against each other worldwide. Second, is the fan-favourite Zombies experience, letting you and friends battle the undead.
Last but not least is Blackout, an intense large-map mode inspired by battle royale. Blackout brings together characters, locations, weapons and gear from across the series in all-out survival combat â€“ all with a unique Black Ops twist.

WWE 2K Battlegrounds | PS4/PS5

The world of WWE is your battleground with over-the-top, arcade action as your favourite WWE Superstars and Legends battle in interactive environments around the world. Play through a new story mode while unlocking unique characters and Battlegrounds.
Compete using special abilities and power-ups in match types like Steel Cage, Royal Rumble, and more. Compete in Online Tournaments or stake your claim as King of the Battleground against players from around the world! Plus, battle it out in local multiplayer and dominate your friends.

A Plague Tale Innocence | PS5

The critically acclaimed adventure releases on PS5 with 4K native resolution, targeted 60 FPS, highly improved visuals, and fast loading â€“ and makes its debut onto PlayStation Plus. Follow the tale of young Amicia and her little brother Hugo, in a heartrending journey through the darkest hours of history.
Hunted by Inquisition soldiers and surrounded by unstoppable swarms of rats, Amicia and Hugo will come to know and trust each other. As they struggle to survive against overwhelming odds, they will fight to find purpose in this brutal, unforgiving world.

Virtua Fighter 5 Ultimate Showdown | PS4/PS5

Segaâ€™s iconic one-on-one battler gets remade for a new generation by Yakuza and Judgment developer Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio. This console exclusive allows both VF veterans and newcomers to experience the intense martial arts combat, deep strategy, and intricately balanced gameplay of the groundbreaking 3D fighter in stunning HD. New online features â€“ like custom tournaments supporting up to 16 players and live spectating â€“ join classic modes like Rank Match, Arcade, and VF5â€™s famously robust Training to deliver the definitive Virtua Fighter experience.


Nicholas Cage + Five Nights At Freddy’s = Willy’s Wonderland

If you want a B-movie where Nicholas Cage battles demonically-possessed animatronics in a family-themed restaurant, Screen Media Films has you sorted.
The film distribution company just revealed the official trailer for the upcoming horror action film Willy’s Wonderland. It’s about a man who needs fast cash after his car breaks down, so he agrees to clean up a Chuck E. Cheese-eque restaurant overnight. The problem? the animatronics are killing machines. The solution? That man is played by Nicholas Cage!
There’s actually more to the film than that. Apparently, he’s offered up as part of a human sacrifice to the animatronics, and the townsfolk in the vicinity know about this and try to help him out. It’s a Nicholas Cage character; we doubt he needs any if films like Mandy are of any indication.

This 2021 film seems to have a fun, wacky, and kinda stripped-down premise powered by Nicholas Cage’s acting chops. He’s made a ton of interesting career choices; it’ll be fun to see where this film pivots when it arrives in digital distribution webapps and on-demand this 12th February.


Play Shadow Arena’s Closed Beta From Now Until 20th April

Black Desert spin-off Shadow Arena is now in its final closed beta phase. Publisher Pearl Abyss announced that its closed beta phase will go on from now until 20th April for Asian servers.
Shadow Arena is a 40-player battle royale PvPvE game, where you also have to deal with enemy mobs to upgrade your character in a match while also dealing with a shrinking map and enemy players.Â New features in this battle royale beta include an improved matching system, character balancing, and normal/AI match modes.
I’ve played a couple of hours of this game so far; while the latency could be improved, the entire idea and execution work just great. You have a plethora of playing styles to choose from -fast melee, ranged, and all-out brawler with buffs- and its upgrade/leveling-up system is intuitive enough for anybody to jump in and be the last man standing.
If you want to try your luck signing in now, head here.


This Is Why Geralt Only Has One Sword In Netflix’s The Witcher Shots

Netflix surprised everyone earlier today when they unveiled our first look at official images and stills from its upcoming The Witcher TV series. Fans were mostly impressed with the promotional material, with the exception of one glaring detail: the absence of protagonist Geralt’s other sword on his back.
In the pictures, Henry Cavill’s Geralt of Rivia can be seen only carrying one sword (presumably his iron blade) on his back, instead of the two swords he always carries while in CD Projekt Red’s The Witcher games, most notably The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.

In the games, Geralt uses his iron sword to kill men and animals (or wild beasts) while his silver sword is used to slay monsters and the like. If that’s true, why does Geralt only have one sword in Netflix’s The Witcher images?
There’s a simple answer for that.
Keep in mind that Netflix is adapting the source material AKA Andrzej Sapkowski’s series of The Witcher novels. In Sapkowski’s collection of short stories and books featuring Geralt, the protagonist is described as carrying a single iron sword on his back.
In The Last Wish: Introducing The Witcher, an excerpt from the book states (when describing Geralt):

â€œAs he took off his coat those around him noticed that he carried a swordâ€”not something unusual in itself, nearly every man in Wyzim carried a weaponâ€”but no one carried a sword strapped to his back as if it were a bow or a quiver.â€

In the books, Geralt does have a silver sword, which he rarely uses. However, it is always stored on his horse, Roach, throughout his journey and monster-slaying adventures.
The truth is that the rule that Geralt is only able to kill monsters using his silver sword is an invention of CD Projekt Red, purely for gameplay mechanics. A passage from The Last Wish confirms this:

â€œAs you can see, I carry two. Every witcher does. Itâ€™s said, spitefully, the silver one is for monsters and the iron for humans.
But thatâ€™s wrong. As there are monsters which can be struck down with only a silver blade, so there are those for whom iron is lethal.â€

Geralt only started wearing two swords on his back in the novel Season Of Storms, which was published after the first two The Witcher games were released. However, all of this remains mere speculation based on what’s already in the books.
Netflix’s The Witcher might ultimately feature a different reason for why Geralt only has one sword on his back. We’ll have to wait and see when more about the series is revealed at the upcoming San Diego Comic-Con 2019 later this month.


This Upcoming Run & Gun Shooter Stars A Goose With Robot Arms, Of All Things

First it was Untitled Goose Game that brought the limelight to these flightless birds in video game form. Now we can add another title into the mix: Mighty Goose.
Made by Blastmode and MP2 Games & published by Playism, Mighty Goose is a 2D run and gun shooter with pixel graphics, tons of explosions, and a goose with robot arms who can fire guns and ride Metal Slug tributes all over enemies and corpses of varying nature. Think Contra and Gunstar Heroes but with a goose and his/her farm animal friends as satellites/options/assists.
Not only do you have a ton of crazy weapons, warmachines, and upgrades, but the game is also loaded with a crunchy synth-rock and funky jazz-fusion soundtrack by Dominic Ninmark (last year’s Blazing Chrome).
Announcement trailer below. The game will be honking onto PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC (Steam) in 2021.


Lion Speedrunners Assembly Returns At Singapore Comic Con Later This Month

The Lion Speedrunners Assembly will return at the upcoming Singapore Comic Con 2021 with another great event for fans of speedrunning. For those unfamiliar, they organised the first speedrunning event in Singapore two years ago and have since been active in the local scene, including joining charity live streams and more.
They will be at Singapore Comic Con 2021 on 20 and 21 December 2021 with a bunch of games in store. However, all of these will be streamed online.

2 years ago, the first speedrunning event in Singapore, Lion Speedrunners Assembly, was held to help broaden the local scene with homegrown runners.
We're bringing it back on 20 December! Partnering with @SGComicCon to bring you LSA 2021 Online.https://t.co/QkjxZTsyuv pic.twitter.com/ND6ZSJinU9
— Juho (@TheJuh0rse) November 25, 2021

Check out the schedule below:
20 December 2021

Command and Conquer: Generals Zero Hour [Challenge Mode, Laser, Hard, NMG] – SketchTV (6am GMT+8)
Hollow Knight [True Ending NMG CP] – Kuroshi94 (7.25am GMT+8)
Octopath Traveler [Galdera] – quadraaceps (8.55am GMT+8)
Crash Team Racing: Nitro Fueled [any%] – wcpro123468 (12.50pm GMT+8)
Resident Evil 2 Remake [NG Leon A Standard] – JoydurnYup (2.30pm GMT+8)
Minecraft: Java Edition [1.16+ Random Seed Glitchless Bingo Challenge] – Axeroth (3.36pm GMT+8)
Resident Evil 3: Nemesis [any% Heavy] – JoydurnYup (5.46pm GMT+8)
Silent Hill 4 [New Game] – juh0rse (6.46pm GMT+8)
Stardew Valley [Community Center Glitchless] – Primrose Of Sterra (8.06pm GMT+8)

21 December 2021

Xenoblade Chronicles 2 [any% – Normal, DLC] – quadraaceps (12.01am GMT+8)

You can head on over here to their YouTube channel to watch their previous speedruns.


Check Out The Awesome Video Game & Pop Culture Cosplayers During Tokyo’s Halloween

It’s past 31st October, but we still like to reminisce about Halloween. Particular about how talented and awesome cosplayers are during this period of time.
Japan’s Halloween scene is, to put it mildly, pretty huge. It’s so big that we’re dedicating this feature to costumes and cosplays that match the video game and pop culture tone of this here site (via SoraNews24 and all sorts of Instagram).
Let’s start off with pirates. Hello, Jack Sparrow.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BpdZiElDvP1/?utm_source=ig_embed
Cue Arnold “Susah-Nak-Eja”‘s catchphrase of the century.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BpfEMR1nDhF/?utm_source=ig_embed
Dr. Slump: a classic from Akira Toriyama made into flesh this year. Check out the Mario cameo behind the two.

Japan finally makes Despicable Me’s Minions more tolerable, to the point where one can be disturbingly aroused.

Peter Parker, stuck in Shibuya. (via itsyourjapan)

Spider-Men and Sailor Venus; West meets East.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Kaoco Burlesque (@kaoco1227)

Hail Mary, full of grace *jumpscare*

Bob and Helen Parr, now in Japan and somehow ditched Violet, Jack Jack, and Dash.

This outfit combo puts the “hell” in “Hello Kitty”. This is basically the SoraNews24 team in this year’s outfit. Spooky AF.


The Witcher Nightmare Of The Wolf Gets New Bloody Epic Trailer

The Witcher Nightmare Of The Wolf is slated to premiere on Netflix on 23 August 2021.
The world ofÂ The Witcher expands in this anime origin story: Before Geralt, there was his mentor Vesemir; a swashbuckling young witcher who escaped a life of poverty to slay monsters for coin. But when a strange new monster begins terrorizing a politically fraught kingdom, Vesemir finds himself on a frightening adventure that forces him to confront the demons of his past.
In the trailer, it looks like we’ll be getting a shot of Vesemir in a hot tub. Plus, this is set before the time of Geralt, during which there were a lot more Witchers still alive and out in the world. By Geralt’s time, most of them had already died, except a select few. It’ll be interesting to see a time when the Witchers were many in number, similar to how we saw the Jedi at their prime in the Star Wars Prequel trilogy.

Deglan_Character

LadyZerbst_Character

Tetra_Character

The_Witcher__Nightmare_of_the_Wolf_00_02_52_01

The_Witcher__Nightmare_of_the_Wolf_00_13_04_10

The_Witcher__Nightmare_of_the_Wolf_00_19_04_21

The_Witcher__Nightmare_of_the_Wolf_00_30_44_03

The_Witcher__Nightmare_of_the_Wolf_00_33_12_02

The_Witcher__Nightmare_of_the_Wolf_00_35_42_01

The_Witcher__Nightmare_of_the_Wolf_00_37_28_20

The_Witcher__Nightmare_of_the_Wolf_00_37_58_11

The_Witcher__Nightmare_of_the_Wolf_00_38_11_17

The_Witcher__Nightmare_of_the_Wolf_00_39_27_06

The_Witcher__Nightmare_of_the_Wolf_00_39_30_13

The_Witcher__Nightmare_of_the_Wolf_00_41_58_16

The_Witcher__Nightmare_of_the_Wolf_00_42_22_22

The_Witcher__Nightmare_of_the_Wolf_00_42_34_20

The_Witcher__Nightmare_of_the_Wolf_00_43_21_16

The_Witcher__Nightmare_of_the_Wolf_00_44_04_23

The_Witcher__Nightmare_of_the_Wolf_00_44_31_03

The Witcher Nightmare Of The WolfÂ voice cast includes Theo James as Vesemir, Lara Pulver as Tetra, Graham McTavish as Deglan, and Mary McDonnell as Lady Zerbst.
In the meantime, check out the new trailer and poster below:


Massive Update Dropping In Alongside Assassin’s Creed Odyssey New Game Plus Mode

A new massive update is arriving for Assassin’s Creed Odyssey today, bringing with it a bunch of improvements and new features, including the long-requested and long-awaited New Game Plus mode.
According to the Ubisoft patch notes, the Assassin’s Creed Odyssey 1.14 patch will arrive at 5.7GB for the PS4, 5.5GB for the Xbox One, and 4.7GB for the PC version. The size is expectedly large, as it’s supposed to be quite a major update.
Here are the highlights of the new Assassin’s Creed Odyssey 1.14 update arriving today on 26 February 2019:

Adds in-game support for Episode 3 of Legacy Of The First Blade DLC: Bloodlines (However, Ubisoft has not revealed the release date yet).
Adds in-game support for upcoming Lost Tales of Greece quests slated to arrive in March and beyond.
Adds New Game+ Mode: All progression (Gear, Mounts, Spear upgrades, Ship upgrades, Abilities, Drachmae, Crafting Materials, etc.) will carry over, and players will be required to have completed the Family Quest Line to access New Game+ Mode.
Increases level cap to 99.
Adds new Ship tiers, new Mastery Levels, 22 new fast travel Viewpoints, as well as two new Mercenary tiers.
Bug fix: The “!” above the Inventory tab will now disappear after players have hovered above the acquired items.

There are a lot more balancing improvements and bug fixes detailed in the full patch notes. It’s impressive that Ubisoft is keeping their promise to support Assassin’s Creed Odyssey. It’s been almost 5 months since launch and the game is still receiving constant content updates.

The New Game+ Mode will finally allow players to replay the game’s entire campaign from a different perspective, by choosing the opposite gender (Kassandra or Alexios). For instance, I chose Kassandra for my first playthrough, which means that I can now try out Alexios without losing any of my progress or having to start over from scratch.
This massive update for Assassin’s Creed Odyssey was initially unveiled in Ubisoft’s monthly update video earlier this month. Check it out below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SdPb0g3SB88&w=560&h=315]


Doctor Strange 2 Is Chaotic, Maddening, & All Shades Of Fun

Leave it to director Sam Raimi, the man behind comic book movie gold like Darkman and the Spider-Man trilogy, to teach this generation’s movie makers how comic book movies should be done. That’s the gist of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (or Doctor Strange 2 because it’s shorter for me to type): a comeback tour from one of Hollywood’s finest. Granted, it’s not as extensive as his past works, but there’s more of Sam Raimi’s touches that got past somehow; the kind that would make executives balk and demand the “play it safe” approach.
Hexcellent?

The film’s main plotline of a Marvel Cinematic Universe magician and his group of protectors helping out a little girl with multidimension-hopping powers -with magic portals that pop out like stars, by the by- from a threat built up since Marvel’s Avengers: Infinity War can be a lot to take in. This is especially amplified when (a) you didn’t catch up on past Marvel shows and TV series and (b) the film is directed and shot by lesser talent.
Thankfully, Sam Raimi and his crew are anything but lesser talent. The action and story beats flow smoothly, the director’s trademark POV shots, dutch angles, and horror-eque framing and style of storytelling is all there in PG-13 form, and the film feels very fresh and chaotic while still retaining the Marvel template in a sense. As such, you will not be bored tuning in to Doctor Strange 2 and its 2-hours-or-so runtime from start to finish. Having said that, you might end up confused with some of its many back-and-forth moments and handling of the multiverse concept, as it is integral to the plot.
Movie-goers looking for a casual superhero fix without outside context; this is not the film you want to jump into if you want to grasp what’s going on, without having someone next to you explain bits and pieces from past Marvel movies.
The Marvel superhero films live and die by its characters, their story arcs, and how they make this crazy journey feel believable. Benedict Cumberbatch’s titular character balances the tightrope act of cocksure arrogant-but-not-to-the-extreme magician with a sense of knowing what’s right and wrong. Benedict Wong’s Sorcerer Supreme Wong also takes a huge chunk of the spotlight as Strange’s spellcaster-in-arms with his moments of wisdom and getting stuff done. New addition Xochitl Gomez is the obligatory fresh eyes character America Chavez, the girl who can travel through the Multiverse. But perhaps the biggest standout is Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff/The Scarlet Witch, who plays a big role in the events of the sequel.
Without saying much, both Cumberbatch and Olsen do their damndest in being the star players of the whole show, carrying it from start to finish. To add in to that, the show’s title alludes to a ton of surprises meant for MCU and Marvel Comics fans who know their parallel universes and the brand’s many properties. You won’t be disappointed with the surprises that are in store in the halfway mark of the film.
Strange Companion

Long story short: Doctor Strange 2 is a wild cinematic comic book movie journey to the insane and multidimensional. And with that comes a ton of plot continuity threads and a lot of homework to catch up. Just get to it before watching Doctor Strange 2, and you’ll in for a spellcasting treat. It can get all over the place and ends up being confusing for some, with many people either loving Sam Raimi’s approach or hating it. But it’s entertaining nonetheless, and that’s what counts in a film in this superhero comic book lore genre.
Final Score: 80/100


Diablo 4 Gets Another Open Beta This May

Due to the popular demand of Diablo 4, Blizzard is hosting one more open beta before June.
Diablo 4 will host a Server Slam session, a last-chance beta for everyone who wants to play the game’s Prologue and Act 1. You can play up to Level 20 as any of the five characters -Barbarian, Rogue, Sorcerer, Necromancer, and Druid. And you can still earn the following rewards at launch:
-Reach level 20: Beta Wolf Pack.
-Kill Ashava at Level 20: Cry of Ashava Mount Trophy.
The Server Slam beta will start on 12 May and end on 14 May (PST times).

Diablo 4 will be out on 6th June for PC and consoles, though you can play it on 2nd June at 7am GMT+8. Last month, the game’s recent open beta session had more than 61.5 million hours of play from Battle.net players.


Soulcalibur 6 Achieves That Balance Of New & Old With Flying Colours

Platform: PS4, Xbox One, PC
Genre: 3D fighting game where weapons don’t instantly maim people
Update: I have tried out network play and so far it’s good stuff when fighting against Japanese/Singaporean/Malaysian players on LAN cable. No disconnects save for some rage quit moments because some people cannot deal with my “cheap” Sophitia/Seong Mi-na tactics.Â
Disclaimer: I haven’t tried out network play yet since the rest of the world will only be getting this game on Friday 19th October. Plus, there’s no one to play with at this point in time. I’ll add in my thoughts on online play a few days after it’s out.
You would think game developers have an easy time succeeding their past works given the technology that exists today. However, if its foundations are already solid, it’s hard to deviate from them. You can’t change too much and too little; gaming fans will know whether you’re deviating or just half-assing it.
Case in point: the 3D weapons-based fighting game seriesÂ Soulcalibur and its sequels. Soulcalibur, the second Bandai Namco 3D swords-and-souls fighting game for arcades and the Sega Dreamcast (remember, Soul Edge in 1996 was the first) revolutionized the 3D fighting game world. It introduced its patented 8-Way Run system, improved Horizontal/Vertical/Kick combat mechanics, and Guard Impact parries to the ever-hungry audience. Fighting game fans have never seen fast and frenetic fighting quite like this; I sure as heck wasn’t surprised at the accolades this game received.
The sequels that follow further refined the system, sometimes in good ways (like SoulCalibur II & SoulCalibur V) and sometimes with odd design choices (like SoulCalibur IV’s Critical Finishes). While they’re decent entries, none of them captured the magic & lustre of Soulcalibur.
Now we’ve come to the seventh iteration, which deservedly took a 6-year break so that games like Tekken 7 lay out the foundation of a current-gen 3D fighting game. The question remains: what can Bandai Namco and Project Soul add to amp up the flexible fighting game? Can they wow the crowd like they did back in 1999, the preferred party era of the late-but-great Prince?
A tale of souls and swords, eternally retold…

Turns out that their surefire winning method is to make the game look “esports friendly” and visually arresting. Just clear enough to make casual bystanders and even hardcore fighting game fans understand what’s going on & captivate them at the same time, while adding new layers of strategy in the classic 3D fightfest with swords & other sharp objects.
With Soulcalibur 6, they nailed that aspect with the Reversal Edge mechanic and Soul Charges. What is this move? Remember Focus Attacks from Street Fighter IV? It’s basically the Soulcalibur version of that. Pressing the B button and Guard lets you do a guarding stance that absorbs attacks -you can hold and charge the move FYI- and then let loose an RE attack.
When it hits, the both of you go into a clash state -complete with wavey colourful auras- where you have to input either A, B, Kick, or the Guard button to knock down the other. It’s a short rock, paper, scissor minigame that determines a stand-off which also gives either player a chance to even end up in a neutral stance.

If you win the clash, you can follow up the attack with more combos for more damage, or just set your opponent up for a fall. You can even press back to avoid the attack altogether, assuming it doesn’t reach you.

Reversal Edges add in a defensive mechanic to complement the risk-heavy Guard Impact, while also giving each of the fighters new follow-ups when they’re in a Reversal Edge clash. It also punishes players who don’t use all the attack buttons they’re given. If your opponent is Horizontal attacks-spammy, just do a quick Reversal Edge and counter appropriately.
Be careful; REs can be side-stepped, so don’t go abusing it. It’s a tool meant to add to your overall game plan and a possible tide-turner, not a win button.
Only the victor may proceed onward…

In keeping up with the trend of making fighting game characters more unique in battle ala Killer Instinct and Street Fighter V, Soulcalibur 6 now gives everyone Soul Charge modes. And by everyone, I mean mainstays from Soulcalibur, Soulcalibur II, and Soulcalibur III. I’ll talk about that later.
This mode powers up a fighter temporarily and strengthens their trademark normal/special attacks into lightning-powered break attacks. Some of them like newbies Groh and The Witcher’s Geralt (yep, you heard right) gain access to even more powerful and fast combos depending on which attack they use.
For example, Groh’s switch from regular to two sword stance (ie the Avenger stance) allows him to follow up with fast multi-hitting attacks. Soul Charge makes him do a teleport-and-multi-slash frame advantage attack instead, which makes opponents guess which side he’s attacking and when to press buttons.
I could go on about how the fighting feels faster and a lot meatier and nuanced thanks to the lenient inputs and timings, character tweaks, and overall crisp controls. It truly is the final and appropriate form of an almost 2-decade series. But the gist is this: Reversal Edges and Soul Charges significantly makes the game more fun and fresh while also adding even more of a unique identity to Soulcalibur 6’s fighting.
Now, two souls are fiercely entangled…
While the current cast isn’t as numerous as Soulcalibur 4, it at least trims the fat and keeps to the callback vibe in the series’ attempt to go back to its roots. From your beginner-friendly all-rounders like Kilik and Sophitia to expert-level folks like Ivy Valentine and Zasalamel, players will have a field day figuring out who to main.
If you’re not sure who to pick, check out the Museum mode and select Combat Lesson to get a rough overview of each warrior and their quirks. It doesn’t hurt to relearn a lot of things here and there, even if you’re a veteran player who had a lot of Soulcalibur notches under your figurative belt.
The new characters are worthy additions too. Geralt’s great for beginners and intermediates who want a hard-hitting fast sword-wielding monster hunter with some magic tricks. He also has that hippity hop sword swing attack that usually decapitates baddies in Witcher 3. Groh’s aforementioned Avenger stance mid-attacks make him a monster up-close and a wrecker of incoming vertical attacks.

Both of them pale in comparison with the foppish Azwel (see above), who has theatrics up the wazoo and is as loveably weird as they come.

And this is a series that introduced the moustache-twirling Dampierre & those two Star Wars characters into the canon.Â He can create three weapon types out of thin air, each with their own set of moves and combos. He’s also tough to grasp and use, but has a ton of combo and on-the-ground possibilities. Plus his downward projectiles can annoy the heck out of newbies.
If anything, this roster is lacking more unique and weird-ass characters like Azwel. Sure, there’s a season pass which unfortunately is problematic in its own right. At the very least we hope that Soulcalibur 6’s future is filled with future fighters with esoteric fighting styles. Having said that, this roster is decent and gets the job done.
A hero desires a sword, and a sword desires truth…

The game doesn’t hinge completely on all of that. Bandai Namco and Project Soul brought back the more RPG-esque single-player modes sorely missing from Soulcalibur V -not many people save for the hardcore remembered that entry, FYI.
It’s now called Libra of Souls, and youÂ hang around and fight dudes while participating in the whole “chase Soul Edge the magic evil sword” storyline. You’ll even fight the cast at some point multiple times in a weird-ass version of the 16th century where lizardmen and skeleton people are canon.

Said fights will add in crazy stipulations & modifiers like no ring-outs, no access to certain moves, amped damage for certain attacks, and slippery floors.
The last one’s my personal favourite: there’s nothing more fun that just poking a poor malfested giant guy with wings and seeing him slip out of the ring with little to no effort.Â

Alas, there aren’t any missions that go beyond the “fight a bunch of guys and gals” routine. It’s not a dealbreaker seeing as the stipulations are fun to deal with, but I was hoping there were other challenges that can make use of the 3D space. I’m thinking maybe a dodging or Guard Impact challenge, or even a bowling/volleyball-type minigame.
As a bonus, the early segments of this mode has a dojo mode that teaches you how to Soulcalibur right. I wished that this was a separate feature on the main menu, but at least it teaches the basics and intermediate skills well.
Speaking of lizard people and skeleton folk, you can go nuts with the Character Creation mode. So far it seems pretty in-depth like the past few sequels, with body and frame customizations and a few costumes to make your own unique fighter. Here’s my fleshless creation in GIF form; marvel at the animated wonder that is Santino!

Time will tell if we’re able to see recreations of pop stars and wrestlers like in Soulcalibur IV though. Internet, do me proud!
On top of all of that single-player goodness, the Chronicles of Soul mode recaps the Soulcalibur story from the second game onwards in the most concise fashion possible. Part revisionist history and part soft reboot, the mode charts down the timeline of the lore pretty well and lets players find out what happened to their favourite fighters in this weird-ass version of the 16th century.
The main chronicle, the one at the top of the timeline chart represented in red dots, is focused on Kilik and his pals as they go on a quest to stop Soul Edge. And you fight this guy at the end of it all…

Inferno here looks way better than the last time.
If you ever wanted to see Soulcalibur lore and tidbits like how Sophitia commits “domestic abuse” on her blacksmith husband, this mode will sate your story cravings.Â Just a warning though: both Libra of Souls and Chronicles of Souls mode are laden with talking heads and text ala visual novels. Lots and lots of it. All set in one small font size that cannot be enlargened. Bring out your reading glasses if you really want to be invested in Soulcalibur’s lore.
This may not be your cup of tea but not every developer can pull off a Mortal Kombat 9 story mode. I kinda wish they did, but they botched that style of storytelling up with Soulcalibur V.
The legend will never die…
Does Soulcalibur 6 cater to both the old-school fans, the casual fighting game fans, and the 3D fighting game pros without shortchanging either side? They did, but they’re essentially going back to the well back in 1999 to do so while sprucing it up for this gaming generation.
Not that it’s a bad thing, far from it. See games like Doom and the two Wolfenstein games for textbook cases on how to reboot a franchise right. Bandai Namco and Project Soul should pat themselves and pop open the champagne bottles for a job well done.

In trying to nail that balancing act in getting new and old players on board the Soultrain, they’ve succeeded. And all they needed to do was take a 6-year break and reprioritize their efforts & rediscover the heart and, ahem, soul of the franchise.Â

Long story short: Soulcalibur is back, baby! And definitely better than ever.
Pros
-Tournament-worthy entry to the Soulcalibur series.
-Great fighting gameplay, coupled with refreshing Reversal Edge & Soul Charge mechanic.
-Fun character additions, like Geralt and Azwel.
-Single player modes add more replayability & wacky fights.
Cons
-Could use a few zanier original fighters like Azwel.
-Libra of Souls missions needs variety.
-Single player modes have a lot of narrative text that cannot be enlargened.
FINAL SCORE: 90/100


Here’s A Big-Ass Lady Dimitrescu Statue You Can Own For US$1,500

Let’s face it: everybody loves Resident Evil: Village’s Lady Dimitrescu, the Tall Vampire Lady people seem to simp on. She’s tall, domineering, classy, and will relentlessly chase you down and will disembowel you with her Tyrant claws.
If you rather have such an alluring/imposing figure but minus the killing, you can buy a 3-foot statue of her, courtesy of manufacturer PureArts. There will be 766 of these statues available for ordering. You can pose the statue to either have her claws or a cigarette holder. It also has a removable hat and custom-tailored cloth dress, as well as a pretty hefty price tag of US$1,500. Only 100 exclusive variants with a replica Resident Evil Village metal key are being made, with 666 of them without the key.

We’re not sure if they allow shipping to Malaysia or Southeast Asia, but you can try your luck by preordering here. Either way, the statue will make for a lovely conversation piece. Or a makeshift gargoyle statue to scare people away. It’s as least classy than the horny anime pose Tifa statue.


The Most Iconic Harrison Ford Roles & Movies Before Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny

Harrison Ford turns 81 years old in 2023, and he’s a living legend at this point. He has not one but several iconic roles and characters that are household names in the history of pop culture and cinema. You might know him best as Han Solo, while others might recognise him as Indiana Jones, and perhaps even as Rick Deckard or Jack Ryan.
The list goes on, which is to be expected for a veteran actor like Harrison Ford who has been acting since 1967’s A Time For Killing when he was just 25 years old. That’s over a whopping five decades’ worth of acting experience. I’m sure everyone has their favourite Harrison Ford movie or role, but check out my picks below. In the meantime, check out my spoiler-free review of Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny here. I also received the opportunity to speak with Harrison Ford in a recent interview, where he spoke about why the Indiana Jones franchise appeals to many generations and how Steven Spielberg was still involved in the making of the latest movie.
In the meantime, check out my review of Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny here, or check out my interview with the legendary Harrison Ford himself.
Bob Falfa in American Graffiti (1973)

American Graffiti wasn’t Harrison Ford’s first acting role but it was definitely his breakout role. It’s the one that would eventually lead to his later more iconic roles. His role as the cowboy hat-wearing Bob Falfa in American Graffiti was his first time working with George Lucas, and as they usually say, the rest is history.
Han Solo in Star Wars Episode IV A New Hope (1977)

If you ask a random person on the street who Harrison Ford is, they will likely answer with one name more than any others; Han Solo. Despite how Harrison Ford himself may feel about the Star Wars franchise as a whole (he infamously wanted to be killed off in the first movie, but of course, that never happened), there’s no denying the impact that Harrison Ford’s role as the scruffy-looking nerf herder has on pop culture and cinematic history as a whole.
It’s part of the reason why 2018’s Solo A Star Wars Story flopped; no one but Harrison Ford can truly be Han Solo.
Indiana Jones in Indiana Jones And The Raiders Of The Lost Ark (1981)

The only other most common answer to who Harrison Ford is best known for (besides Han Solo) is most assuredly Indiana Jones. Perhaps the reason why Harrison Ford himself loves the role of Indiana Jones so much that he’s willing to return to it when he’s pushing 80 years old is because it remains his most iconic lead role. Han Solo may arguably be more famous but he’s still just a supporting character in Star Wars, while Indiana Jones is the dashing lead.
The sense of classic adventure and action in the original trilogy of Indiana Jones movies (including 1984’s The Temple Of Doom and 1989’s The Last Crusade) is still unrivalled to this day, and there is no way any modern sequel, such as 2008’s The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull or 2023’s Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny, could ever surpass them. And it will probably stay that way forever.
Rick Deckard in Blade Runner (1982)

The third most iconic but much lesser-known and more niche role of Harrison Ford was as Rick Deckard in Blade Runner. His role as Deckard was much more complex in comparison to Han Solo and Indiana Jones, sparking a lot of heated debate, such as whether Deckard was a Replicant or not (a synthetic/artificial human). Unlike Star Wars or Indiana Jones, Blade Runner is not for everyone, but for those who appreciate thought-provoking science fiction with stylish neo-noir cyberpunk aesthetics,
Jack Ryan in Patriot Games (1992)

Jack Ryan is one of the most iconic characters created by the late author, Tom Clancy. The second person to ever play the live-action portrayal of the character was Harrison Ford in 1992’s Patriot Games and 1994’s Clear And Present Danger. Harrison Ford is also the only person to have played Jack Ryan in two movies.
President James Marshall in Air Force One (1997)

Another one of his most popular movies was Air Force One. It had a simple premise; Harrison Ford being a badass President kicking the butt of terrorists who hijacked his place.
Of course, it later turns out that this wouldn’t be Harrison Ford’s last time as a badass President…
Potential Honourable Mention: Thaddeus ‘Thunderbolt’ Ross in Captain America Brave New World (2024)

Yes, Captain America Brave New World has not premiered at the time of writing, but from the looks of it, it has the potential of becoming one of Harrison Ford’s most iconic movies.
Harrison Ford’s most iconic roles are often associated with big franchise IPs like Star Wars and Indiana Jones and to a lesser extent, Blade Runner and Tom Clancy. So, when an actor of his calibre decided to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), an endeavour looked down upon and condescended by some movie directors and actors, it just goes to show that perhaps there’s more to this role than meets the eye. Especially if Harrison Ford thinks it’s worth taking it on even at his current age.
Plus, this will mark the second time that Harrison Ford will be playing a badass President, and who doesn’t want to see that?


This Week In PC Gaming: 23 September

As you can tell last week, we didn’t do a recap on PC gaming because there was tons of Tokyo Game Show 2022 content and video to deal with.
But we’re back on regular scheduled programming, so here is this week’s showcase from 16th-23rd September 2022. It’s a doozy, ranging from a new Iron Man game from EA to a new rhythm game that butchers classic songs with trombone sounds.


Here’s What You Need To Know About Final Fantasy XIV’s Latest Expansion

Square Enix Final Fantasy XIV producer Naoshi Yoshida launched a keynote presentation during the game’s weekend-long fan event to reveal details on FFXIV’s latest expansion, Endwalker. And yes, he’s dressed up for the occasion.
Here’s a recap of all the new information from this morning’s presentation.

It Starts Off With An Epic Trailer

The keynote started with a 6-minute trailer showing the upcoming Endwalker expansion’s main players and characters in the story.
The Game’s New Class Is The Reaper

Accompanying the Gundam-inspired Sage class is the new Reaper class. A wholly original class exclusive to FFXIV, the Reaper is a melee DPS class that fights with a scythe, starts at level 70, and can summon a ghost buddy from the void to help him/her out during battle. In addition, Reapers can serve as hosts for void Avatars, making them capable of doing big damage and being tanky as heck.
New Raid
FFXIV’s DLC and its updates leading to the base game will introduce an Alliance Raid titled Myths of the Realm. The raid’s narrative will be based on the game’s established Pantheon.
Male Vieras

After much fan requests, FFXIV’s developers and art team are finally putting in male versions of the Viera race. Previously, they were restricted to being a female-only race (like in FF Tactics Advance and FFXII).
New Oceanic Server

Due to popular demand and a need to expand, Square Enix will be opening a new FFXIV data center for Oceanic players. That’s going to solve the lag issue that many players in Southeast Asia & Australia have been experiencing since forever. Keep in mind that all of them are using Japanese, European, and North American servers for their FFXIV-playing.
FFXIV Endwalker’s Release Date

The penultimate expansion to FFXIV’s storyline will be out on 23rd November. The game’s expected Collector’s Edition comes with a sweet collector’s box with Yoshitaka Amano art, a Warrior of Light figure, a special pin, a stuffed Loporrits toy, a slew of tiny posters, and in-game items like a Wind-Up Promo Minion, an Arion mount, and a death scythe.


EA & Respawn Addresses Star Wars Jedi Survivor PC Port Problems

EA and Respawn has addressed the broken PC port of Star Wars Jedi Survivor.
In a statement on Twitter, they said:
“We are aware that Star Wars Jedi: Survivor isn’t performing to our standards for a percentage of our PC players, in particular those with high-end machines or certain specific configurations. For example, players using cutting-edge, multi-threaded chipsets designed for Windows 11 were encountering problems on Windows 10 or high-end GPUs coupled with lower-performing CPUs also saw unexpected frame loss. Rest assured, we are working to address these cases quickly.
While there is no single, comprehensive solution for PC performance, the team has been working hard on fixes we believe will improve performance across a spectrum of configurations. We are committed to fixing these issues as soon as possible, but each patch requires significant testing to ensure we don’t also introduce new problems. Thanks for understanding and apologies to any of our players experiencing these issues. We will continue to monitor performance across all platforms and share update timing as soon as it is available.”

A note from the Jedi Team on the PC version of Star Wars Jedi: Survivor pic.twitter.com/C3bp78VICr
— EA Star Wars (@EAStarWars) April 28, 2023

In the meantime, check out our review and guide here.


OlliOlli World Releases New Cinematic Trailer Ahead Of February Launch

Developer Roll7 and publisher Private Division just revealed a new OlliOlli World cinematic trailer that exuberates the game’s art style and awesome music.
The trailer shows off a glimpse of the skateboarding action and skate god high-fiving you’ll be getting into later this February. There’s also a few glimpses of the wacky non-human characters you’ll be seeing and meeting in the game like a muscle-bound seagull bro, a frog businessman, and sentient ice cream folk with eyes, hands, and legs. Roll7 is clearly influenced by Pendleton Ward’s animated works here.

OlliOlli World will be out for PC and major consoles on 8 February. Stay tuned for our review; you can check out our previews in the meantime.


Creative Assembly Closes Chapter On Total War Three Kingdoms

This is it, Total War Three Kingdoms fans. Creative Assembly has announced that the 2019 game will no longer receive DLC or future updates after the latest Fates Divided DLC and recently-released 1.7.1 patch (check out the patch notes here). They revealed this news via a new YouTube video.
Interestingly, underneath that same video, Creative Assembly mentions in a single vague line that they’re working on a new game based on a Romance Of The Three Kingdoms novel. However, it won’t be connected to Total War Three Kingdoms and that’s literally all we know about it. Perhaps it’ll be like 2016’s Total War Attila, which is pretty much just an expanded and improved version of 2013’s Total War Rome 2.
Creative Assembly’s next major game will be Total War Warhammer 3, which is slated to arrive sometime later in 2021. Veteran fans of the franchise have long lamented and complained that the developer has forgotten their historical roots, and have focused too much on the Warhammer IP in the past several years.
Maybe we’ll finally get a new historical Total War game in the near future. Medieval 3 or Shogun 3, anyone? That’s the dream right there.


New Armored Core VI Fires Of Rubicon Gameplay & Release Date Trailer Reminds Us Why Giant Mechas Are Still Cool

Bandai Namco and From Software just launched a new Armored Core VI Fires Of Rubicon gameplay trailer. While it’s 3 minutes long, it’s definitely showing off a lot of giant mecha-versus-the-world kind of action.
With the phrase “let the last cinders burn” echoing in your mind, you’re a Raven (Armored Core pilot) thrust into the planet of Rubicon, destroying enemy mechs in your way using your custom Armored Core. And just like any From Software game since the Demon’s Souls era when they arose from obscurity, you’ll be fighting faster and/or bigger robots than you. Giant bipedal transports, turrets, centipede-like mechas, a robot with missiles coming out of its vertical body and has two shields; whatever you imagine, From Software probably has them.

For long-time fans, customization and Arena will be featured in the retail version of the game. Speaking of which, the trailer also comes with a release date: 25 August 2023 for PC, Xbox, and PlayStation consoles. This means fans of customizing Armored Cores for oodles of hours, challenging mecha gameplay, and oblique storytelling will not have to wait next year for their fix.
Check out the trailer and full game feature description below (via PlayStation Blog):
Engage in High-Speed Mech Combat
You play an augmented mercenary piloting a huge, customizable mech. Yet while the pace and structure of mech-piloting action fundamentally differ from other games in the studio’s catalogue, players can rest assured that the smooth, responsive controls they’ve come to expect in FromSoftware games is still here–just in a different context. Think giant, heavily equipped robots with the ability to zip around across ground and air, reacting at lightning-fast speeds to attacks and threats while trying to one-up dangerous foes with even more firepower at their disposal.
Rubicon The Ruined Planet
Armored Core VI is a new story that takes place on the planet Rubicon, where a powerful energy source called “Coral” has been discovered. But this isn’t stuff that looks pretty in aquariums–Coral is extremely volatile, and it’s already caused a massive disaster that nearly turned all of Rubicon to ash many years prior. But those futuristic megacorps just can’t resist the siren song of Coral and continue to war for it to this day.
The various areas of Rubicon are filled with contrasts, as the hollowed-out industrial ruins from the aforementioned disaster smolder beneath a shiny shell of state-of-the-art mining constructs encasing the planet.
“It’s an intricate and multi-layered world, brimming with mega-structures and enormous underground facilities built by its former inhabitants. These structures cover a planetary surface wracked with extreme cold and contamination in the aftermath of the great disaster, and the player will be exploring these various environments as they proceed,” says game director Masaru Yamamura.
The expansive environments will deliver an incredible sense of scale, maintaining the quality we’ve come to expect from FromSoftware’s world-design maestros. And with your Armored Core’s (AC for short) advanced movement skills, you’ll be able to explore these large, open spaces to your heart’s content. You’ll be encountering lots of different scenery and objectives as you advance through the game’s mission-based progression structure (like previous entries).
“There will be missions where you’re fighting across sweeping battlefields–very combat-oriented,” Yamamura explains. “But you’ll sometimes be recovering data logs from wreckage and doing other side objectives too.”
New Combat Features
Assault Boost – One of the biggest new features in Armored Core VI is an instantaneous switch between long-range gunfighting and close-range melee, thanks to a button-activated movement skill called the Assault Boost.
“Assault Boost is an offensive action that helps close the gap between enemies and lets you quickly go from long distance to close range,” Yamamura tells us. It will also provide some incredible chain abilities when fighting, as he describes vividly: “Say you activate Assault Boost to make your approach while using machine gun fire and a missile salvo to stagger the enemy, then use your pulse blade to score a direct melee hit once you’re up close.”
Stagger – Another addition to the series’ combat is a “stagger” element: if an AC takes too many hits over a short period of time, its Attitude Control System will be overloaded, making it vulnerable for a short time. Both continuous hits and big, powerful strikes will cause stagger damage, encouraging you to keep up the pressure on the opponent. The damage inflicted to an enemy’s stagger gauge varies from weapon to weapon. It can also be affected by factors like distance, adding additional strategy in equipping and using these armaments in combat.
We asked Yamamura how the pace and feel of the game compares to previous entries.
“The average movement speed across the game is somewhere between Armored Core 3 and Armored Core 5,” he replies. “But Armored Core VI has been developed to bolster the changes of tempo and combat. With instantaneous bursts of speed and sudden changes of tempo, combat can often reach the dizzying heights of say, Armored Core 4.”
Fight Challenging Bosses
The series’ big boss encounters are back, and the metal monstrosities you’ll encounter look bigger and more intimidating than ever.
“There will be a rich variety of powerful enemies of all shapes and sizes,” says Yamamura. “Huge combat helicopters, heavily armored mobile turrets, and unmanned heavy demolition machinery that’s programmed to indiscriminately crush intruders. Armored Core VI will offer a number of explosive battle experiences that challenge players to fight against the odds and overcome these ginormous, more abnormal mechs.”
In addition to these larger bosses, you’ll even fight against other ACs and humanoid mechs in high-octane duels. And in grand FromSoftware tradition, it may take several attempts and some experimentation with your AC’s equipment to fully learn and adapt to a boss’s quirks. So better prepare yourself, as Armored Core VI will offer numerous cathartic explosive battles that’ll truly test your skills.
Build the Perfect AC
Customization is a key part of the Armored Core experience. You have access to an assortment of parts to upgrade and fine-tune the power of your AC. Four slots for holding weaponry–one in each hand and two on the back–give you a lot of space to experiment with custom loadouts.
What kind of weapons are we talking about? Bazookas, gatling guns, split missiles, plasma rifles, and all the perennial favorites. There are a bunch of new close-range weapons, too.
“One aspect we focused on in I is melee weapons, exclusively equipped to the left hand,” Yamamura continues. “These can include a cluster bomb thrower, a chainsaw or pulse blade, lances, and other more idiosyncratic weapons. Since the main weapons are firearms, the melee weapons are more focused on that strength of individuality.”
Add in custom paint jobs and liveries and you’ll be able to create a unique AC that’s all yours.


Super Smash Bros. Community Figure Sky Williams Accused Of Abuse Of Power & Unpaid Loans

The name Sky Williams may not be familiar to many outside of the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate community, but his associations in the esports circuit might be: D1, Keitaro, and ZeRo are renowned for SSBU highlight plays online and offline.
The trio of fighting game esports players (among many others in the SSBU circuit) has stayed in one of the several houses owned by Sky Williams. Alongside the current allegations of the SSBU’s dirty laundry, more figurative bits are piling up and aren’t making the community looking good.Â
First up is Jacqueline “Jisu” Choe, an artist with a background in the SSBU community. She lived in the first “Sky House” and detailed the psychological abuse Sky has over her on a Google Doc.Â  He has “emotionally extorted and blackmailed people into submission”, including not paying Jisu for the work he commissioned.

The truth about Zero, Katie, and Skyhttps://t.co/lL9SluWR0X
— Jisu (@JisuArtist) July 5, 2020

Sky also owed a lot of people money, including commentator LS and Cloud9 Overwatch League player-manager Susie Kim.

I'm not retweeting as a sign of support or to condone his behavior. I'm tweeting this out for visibility, because I'm supposedly going to be addressed towards the end. Sky has owed me $10,000 for 2years after promising to pay me back in 8mo. Then proceeded to keep asking for more https://t.co/73dVpfcjcB
— LS (@LSXYZ9) July 7, 2020

Sky initially asked for “as much as you can lend” and then asked for $5k.
I wasn’t comfortable with it at all, but we decided to lend him $1k, in case he really WAS in serious financial trouble, half knowing that we will probably never see that money again. https://t.co/kDNq5tYCar
— Susie Kim ? (@lilsusie) July 8, 2020

Another artist, Melissa “ffsade” Yabumoto, said that Sky had full control over the quality of one’s life in the house.

“What constituted the tier arrangement was based primarily on how close you were to Sky. If you had money, had attractive ideals to him, or were of use to him (e.g., his editors and personal assistants which he nicknamed â€˜workersâ€™ or â€˜slavesâ€™), then you were more likely to be a higher tier.
Housemates that played video games all day were often considered low tier, especially if they were pursuing a gaming career without notable results or were just consistently being 1-upped by Sky.”

Leaked messages between Sky and ex-housemates were posted on Twitter and Reddit, especially during a Twitch broadcast he did recently where he addressed these allegations of power, harassment, and sexual misconduct. The stream ended midway when a roommate pulled the plug on his router. Contents of the chat include Sky threatening to break personal belongings and calling the cops because he wasn’t warned about a guest coming over to the house beforehand.

"I am going to break stuff in everyone's room until I receive $350"
What in the actual fuck pic.twitter.com/7jNrgQD9Ra
— ? (@KingOfLepers) July 6, 2020

The fact that someone had to cut off Sky’s stream mid-way because it made the SSBU community look bad only exemplifies the current s***storm it’s going through. These include the pedophilia and sexual assaults that have been hidden until recently.


This Final Fantasy 6 Terra Magitek Armor Statue Is Beautiful & Expensive

The Square Enix Masterline continues with another expensive addition to its statue line.
Square Enix announced the Final Fantasy 6 Terra in Magitek Armor statue, which is 1/6th in scale, looks detailed and beautiful, and is as costly as magic in FF6’s world. How much, do you ask? Try 1,485,000 yen/US$12,000!

The statue looks detailed with Terra at the top, the armor at the base, and some Moogle attachments. Check it out below.

(Update: 26/4/2022) Even the creator of Final Fantasy, Hironobu Sakaguchi, is wondering in awe as to why the statue costs so bloody much.
“Isn’t it a little dangerous? Is it okay Square Enix? Even compared to the Fantasian dioramas (for his mobile RPG game), this is a bit much.”

????????FANTASIAN????????????????????????????????????? https://t.co/QFtEoHVpl3
— ???? (@auuo) April 24, 2022

The statue will be made available on 28 July 2023 and is limited to 600 pieces worldwide.


Stranger Things Season 4 Slated For 2022; Teases Creel House

Netflix’s 80s sci-fi horror series Stranger Things is making a Season 4 comeback next year in 2022.
During the Netflix TUDUM Global Event, the Duffer brothers alongside actors Gaten Matarazzo and Joe Keery presented a short tease of the season’s new location: the Creel House.
It’s got a heckuva history involving a 60s family who mysteriously died, meaning our Stranger Things heroes will be exploring the place and find out its mysterious. Why? We’ll have to find out next year.
Teaser’s below, FYI.


So There’s A Twitch Trend Involving ASMR Earlicking Sounds & Yoga Pants Going On…[Update]

We live in interesting times.
Shortly after the rise and fall(?) of hot tub streams which led to the creation of Pools, Hot Tubs, and Beaches, another new trend has emerged on Twitch. It’s called, are you ready for this, streamers simulating the sound of earlicking with ASMR microphones while wearing yoga pants.
This really specific fetish trend is dominating Twitch’s ASMR channel featuring content from Amouranth and Indiefoxx. Both these streamers have been banned. Seems like wearing yoga pants while simulating possibly erotic sounds (for some, we’re not judging) was against Twitch rules. The two are banned for an unspecified amount of time.
Still, this seems to work in Amouranth’s favour as she gained 587 new subs on her OnlyFans page.

587 new subs on OF since the ban mere hour or two ago pic.twitter.com/KkuRHUCGSQ
— Kaitlyn (@wildkait) June 19, 2021

As to why they’re banned for this particular content? You can find out why by watching any one of the videos of Amouranth and Indiefoxx doing the ASMR here and here. It’s probably NSFW, so you may want to watch it with earphones.
Update: Amouranth and Indiefoxx have both been unbanned from the platform.


How To Get A Full Refund For Overwatch’s Sinatraa MVP Skin

Blizzard is currently offering players who bought Sinatraa’s Overwatch League MVP skin in 2020 a full refund.
This is because the star Overwatch player was recently embroiled in an alleged sexual assault case against his ex-girlfriend Cleo “cleOh” Hernandez. Blizzard essentially made their stance known with this move, even admitting to making changes to the Alien MVP Zarya skin in the future.
“Due to recent events, the OWL â€˜Alienâ€™ MVP skin for Zarya will be undergoing several changes in a future patch that will remove the OWL Championship and MVP badges from the skin,â€ Blizzard wrote. â€œIf you would still like to request a refund of 200 League Tokens for the OWL â€˜Alienâ€™ MVP skin you can submit a request by submitting a ticket until April 9, 2021.”
Here’s how you can get a full refund for Sinatraa’s OWL MVP skin:

Log in to your Blizzard account.
Make sure any Xbox, PS4, or Switch accounts are linked.
Go to theÂ Overwatch Support page.
Click on the â€œIn-Game issuesâ€ option.
Hit the button that says â€œContact Support.â€
Fill out the ticket explaining you want a refund for Sinatraaâ€™s 2020 OWL MVP skin.
Wait for your account to be credited 200 OWL Tokens.

Keep in mind that the process might take a while, and by doing so, the skin will be permanently removed from your inventory. Right now, there is no time limit for the refund.

pic.twitter.com/AhWuJvHFAu
— Overwatch League (@overwatchleague) March 11, 2021


[Rumor] Sackboy: A Big Adventure Is Coming To PC

A current PlayStation exclusive game may end up being a “former exclusive” title in the near future, just like with Days Gone, Horizon: Zero Dawn, and God of War (2018).
That game is Sumo Digital’s 3D platformer Sackboy: A Big Adventure. It’s coming out on PC via Steam, thanks to a SteamDB product log under the alias Steel PC. The product’s current information made a reference to Marmalade Content, which is a reference to Sumo Digital’s platformer. This ties in with the recent NVidia GeForce Now leak which also listed this game and a number of other key titles like a Final Fantasy IX Remake.
Sackboy: A Big Adventure came out last year and is a PS5 and PS4 title; it charmed a lot of reviewers for its 3D platforming and aesthetics.


Blizzard President J. Allen Brack Is Officially Stepping Down

Blizzard has been under fire recently for more sexual harassment and other problems. Amidst the company’s most tumultuous times, Blizzard president J. Allen Brack has announced that he is officially stepping down and leaving the company.
According to the full announcement (via the official website), Brack will be replaced by Jen Oneal and Mike Ybarra, both of whom will take over as “co-leaders of Blizzard.” Brack has been at Blizzard for 15 years, but he was only appointed as the company’s president in 2018.
Check out the full statement below:
To all members of the Blizzard Community,
We want to let you know about an important leadership change at Blizzard Entertainment.
Starting today, J. Allen Brack will be stepping down as the leader of the studio, and Jen Oneal and Mike Ybarra will co-lead Blizzard moving forward.
Jen joined Blizzard in January as executive vice president of development, where sheâ€™s been providing senior development leadership and support to the Diablo and Overwatch franchises. Jen is the former head of Vicarious Visions (which is now part of Blizzard Entertainment).
After many years at XBOX, Mike joined the company in 2019 as the executive vice president and general manager of platform and technology, where heâ€™s been overseeing the evolution of Battle.net and our development services organization.
Jen and Mike have more than three decades of gaming industry experience between them. Moving forward, they will share responsibilities over game development and company operations.
Both leaders are deeply committed to all of our employees; to the work ahead to ensure Blizzard is the safest, most welcoming workplace possible for women, and people of any gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or background; to upholding and reinforcing our values; and to rebuilding your trust. With their many years of industry experience and deep commitment to integrity and inclusivity, Jen and Mike will lead Blizzard with care, compassion, and a dedication to excellence. Youâ€™ll hear more from Jen and Mike soon.
The following is a message from J. Allen Brack:
â€œI am confident that Jen Oneal and Mike Ybarra will provide the leadership Blizzard needs to realize its full potential and will accelerate the pace of change. I anticipate they will do so with passion and enthusiasm and that they can be trusted to lead with the highest levels of integrity and commitment to the components of our culture that make Blizzard so special.â€
Finally, thank you all for being a part of the Blizzard community, and for your passion and determination for safety and equality for all.


We Asked I Am Groot Director When It Takes Place In The MCU & Why They Chose A Photorealistic Style

I Am Groot is a collection of five original shorts, which starts streaming on Disney+ Hotstar on 10 August 2022. The series of original shorts follows Baby Groot’s glory days growing up, and getting into trouble among the stars.
Courtesy of Disney+ Hotstar, we were given the opportunity to interview I Am Groot director, writer and executive producer Kirsten Lepore and Marvel Studios head of streaming / I Am Groot executive producer Brad Winderbaum. This interview has been edited for clarity. Stay tuned for the video version of this interview and the review of the series.

How canon is I Am Groot to the MCU?
Brad Winderbaum: It takes place in that window of time right when the Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2 ends and before the tag scene when he’s a teenager. It explores sort of like that post-toddler era of Baby Groot that we’ve never seen on-screen before.
Were there any rules or limitations or anything you wanted to do but couldn’t do for whatever reason?
Kirsten Lepore: I feel like I had a lot of freedom. It was really incredible and refreshing. You know, everyone I’ve gotten to work with on Marvel has been awesome and sort of just let me run with my vision. Everything you see on-screen, yeah, I don’t think we got told “no” to many things.
I think we wanted to create these stories that were a little bit autobiographical to our own childhoods, like certain moments, and looking at that nostalgia of childhood, and developing stories out from there. There are a lot of things that naturally unfold in the story and we get to put that little weird mischievous Groot spin on it.
Why did you choose to go with a photorealistic style instead of something similar to Marvel’s What If?
Brad Winderbaum: At Marvel Studios, for animation, we want every story to tell us what kind of animation it should have. We wanted it to be born out of the creative vision of the filmmakers and not have a house style that we always return to no matter what the story is.
And Baby Groot being born from the Guardians franchise felt like that visual continuity was important for us.
What was it like moving from Adventure Time and Summer Camp Island to something like I Am Groot?
Kirsten Lepore: Weirdly not that different. I mean, just in the sense that, for each of those, I really got to develop the story myself and got to tell the stories that I wanted to tell. I had the same kind of freedom here.
The pipelines are different. Photorealistic CG is a very different pipeline than stop-motion and even Summer Camp Island, which was a 2D show. At their heart, they’re not that different, you just get to tell fun stories.
Did you work closely with James Gunn on these shorts?
Kirsten Lepore: We had several meetings with him. Especially, the one that stands out to me was our first kick-off meeting where we just got to talk about Baby Groot, this incredible character that he created and just make sure that we were going to do it justice, and to sort of understand what makes Groot, Groot, at the heart of his character.
James gave me tons of great advice about who he is and I really kept all that at the back of my head the whole time we were writing and all throughout the process.
Did you face any challenges while making I Am Groot?
Kirsten Lepore: It was a pretty smooth production. I feel like the only real challenge was fitting all those stories into three minutes but I think we were able to do it and I honestly think they’re better in their shorter form. I think there were versions at the beginning that were a little longer, four minutes, five minutes, but honestly, once we cut that fat out, the stories flow better and they’re more concise and fun.
What were your inspirations while making the series?
Kirsten Lepore: I have a toddler. I know Brad also has kids, so I think our kids for sure served as a definitive source of constant inspiration that’s flowing around us on a daily basis. So, for sure, some of that made its way into the shorts.


New Hyrule Warriors Game Announced, Prequel To Zelda Breath Of The Wild

In an unexpected surprise reveal, publisher Nintendo and developer Koei Tecmo have announced Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity, a new game set 100 years before the events seen in 2017’s The Legend of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild.
What this means is that not only will this game act as a prequel to Breath Of The Wild, players can finally experience what happened during the Great Calamity. Just like 2014’s Hyrule Warriors and Koei Tecmo’s popular Dynasty Warriors franchise, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity will feature musou hack and slash gameplay.

According to the official website, players can play as Zelda, Link, and other characters, as well as participate in local co-op multiplayer with their friends.
Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity is slated to release exclusively for the Nintendo Switch on 20 November 2020. In the meantime, check out the epic trailer below:


[Report] We Finally Know What The Heck Death Stranding Is About

Despite the best efforts of game developers and publishers in revealing trailers and footage behind closed doors, there will always be someone leaking it online for everyone else to see. In the words of Thanos, it’s inevitable.
Thanks to YouTube channel RePorter Bridges (via Gematsu), we now have our first look at the secret Death Stranding ‘Briefing’ trailer. According to Kojima himself, itÂ is supposed to explain what the protagonist, Norman Reedus’ Sam Porter Bridges, will be doing in the game and the basic gist (or premise) of the game.
In the grainy trailer, we can see Sam meeting with Amelie and the masked individual Die Hardman in what seems to be the Oval Office in the White House. Their discussion indicates that the United States of America has fractured and broken apart in the game’s world for some as-of-yet unknown reason.
Amelie and Die Hardman want Sam to travel west and reconnect Chiral Network terminals scattered across the nation along the way to reconstruct country as part of the new United Cities of America. This is what probably what launches Sam on his journey and expedition through the open-world we’ve seen in trailers so far.
This is in addition to saving the physical body of Amelie from the clutches of an evil organization called the Homo Daemons, a militant separatist opposing faction. The Amelie that’s talking with Sam and Die Hardman in the trailer is some kind of astral projection or hologram.
Sam also mentions that he’s not a ‘Strand’ anymore, thus refusing Amelie and Die Hardman’s request. It will be interesting to learn more about who the Strands are and what they do. It all frankly still sounds like incoherent nonsense at this point, but we’ll likely know more when we finally get to play the game.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NlmJ8vhf3A8&w=560&h=315]
Death StrandingÂ is slated to release exclusively for the PS4 on 8 November 2019. For more details and information onÂ Death StrandingÂ (and the collectorâ€™s edition contents),Â head on over here.


Major Dragon Ball FighterZ World Championship Tournament Postponed

COVID-19 hasn’t gone away yet, unfortunately, meaning some offline events will be facing casualties and postponements.
One of them is the upcoming Dragon Ball FighterZ World Championship Finals, which was slated for February 2022 before it was postponed recently. This is due to “considerations of safety under the COVID-19 pandemic”.

In consideration of everyone’s safety under the COVID-19 pandemic, we have made the difficult decision to indefinitely postpone the DRAGON BALL FighterZ World Championship Finals, which was scheduled in February.
Please check the images for details. #DBFZWC pic.twitter.com/JCedqwy6Zm
— Bandai Namco Esports (@BNEesports) January 26, 2022

The postponement is “indefinite”, which means it isn’t cancelled yet. Perhaps the tournament will happen in the near future once things calm down with COVID-19. Here are some statements from the organizers and from the game producer Tomoko Hiroki.
In response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, we have been studying solutions on how to hold an event in a way that will allow players and other concerned parties to participate safely. However in consideration of everyone’s safety, we have made the difficult decision to indefinitely postpone the Dragon Ball FighterZ World Championship Finals, which was scheduled on February 19 & 20 CET (18 & 19 PST), 2022.
We will continue to take the situation into consideration and make a decision on whether or not to hold the tournament. We appreciate your continued support and understanding.
A special online event is being planned for the Dragon Ball Games Battle Hour 2022, in which the championship was planned to be streamed. We will update you on social media as soon as possible, so please stay tuned.
Words from Producer Tomoko Hiroki
It’s very disappointing for all of us to inform you that the World Championship Final has been postponed indefinitely.
However, we are now planning to host a special event for the Dragoon Ball Games Battle Hour 2022, that will hopefully deliver a different kind of fun from the regular tournaments.
Please look forward to it!


Here’s How You Can Watch Shazam Before Everyone Else

The next ‘big’ or major comic book movie is Shazam, and while it’s supposed to be released on 4 April 2019, Malaysians can actually already start watching it this weekend. That’s almost a week earlier than the movie’s official release date. Here’s how.
GSC Cinemas announced on Twitter earlier today that early screenings of Shazam will be available this weekend from 29 to 31 March 2019. Tickets are now available but keep in mind that screenings are extremely limited, so it’s better to book them as soon as possible.

#Shazam DI PAWAGAM HUJUNG MINGGU NI!
Limited shows only. Tickets on sale soon! pic.twitter.com/O93s7qJ0is
â€” GSC Cinemas (@GSCinemas) March 26, 2019
Even before release, Shazam has garnered almost universal critical acclaim, currently sitting at a whopping 93 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. That’s the same rating as Wonder Woman, though it remains to be seen if it will be able to maintain that rating as more reviews come in.
The DCEU received a revitalizing injection with last year’s Aquaman, and I hope that Shazam will be able to keep up that momentum. I dubbed Aquaman the “best DCEU movie to date” in my review, which you can check out here.