Spooky Layers Of Fear Cinematic Intro Reveals Demo Coming Next Week

Bloober Team and Anshar Studios have released a new cinematic intro video for the upcoming first-person horror game Layers Of Fear. A Layers Of Fear PC demo will be available via Steam at 11pm GMT+8 on 15 May 2023.
Built on Unreal Engine 5, Layers of Fear (2023) supports ray-tracing, HDR, and 4K resolution, making use of the Lumen system to achieve superb graphical fidelity and create a meticulously-refined horror journey that’s as immersive as it is frightening.
Layers of Fear (2023) presents a unified vision of horror reimagined, and will be the ultimate experience for both returning fans and newcomers to the franchise. Featuring the original Layers of Fear, Layers of Fear 2, as well as all downloadable content (including a new chapter entitled “The Final Note” that provides an alternate perspective on the first game’s storyline), the game will also introduce the never-before-told story of The Writer, a harrowing tale that ties each entry in the series together.
Layers of Fear (2023) introduces new core gameplay mechanics that elevate and expand the player’s experience. One such improvement is the addition of the lantern, a useful tool that will prove essential in confronting the fears that lurk within the game’s story. The music of the game has also been updated, as Arek Reikowski, the two-time nominee in the Best Soundtrack category of the Hollywood Music in Media Awards, and winner of the Digital Dragons Best Soundtrack award for The Medium, has composed a hypnotic score that adds an extra layer of tension to the game. His hauntingly beautiful compositions—paired with the enhanced visual fidelity made possible by Unreal—will leave players sitting on the edge of their seats with chills shooting down their spines.
Layers Of Fear is slated to release for the PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC via Steam sometime in June 2023.
Check out the trailer below:


Diablo Immortal Launches In Southeast Asia 23 June

That’s right, my fellow Southeast Asians. We unfortunately won’t be able to touch Diablo Immortal for 20 days after the global launch.
23 June marks the launched date for Southeast Asia, compared to the rest of the world who get their hands on the free-to-play action RPG on 3 June.
I know this may seem a bit weird to some but Blizzard have come out and disclosed that the reasoning behind having separate launch windows allows them to optimise the player experience by setting up dedicated game servers for the region. When launching the game, players will be recommended the most suitable server based on language and geography location – to provide them with the best gaming experience within the strong social elements in Diablo Immortal.

Brought to you by Blizzard Entertainment and NetEase, Diablo Immortal is the newest instalment to the franchise. An MMOARPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Action Role-Playing Game) that allows players to share a massive world with others as they explore Sanctuary, form Warbands with up to eight members to take on group challenges such as the intense Helliquary raid bosses, and join Clans with up to 150 friends to earn challenging Clan Achievements.
Some may think “Well what’s the point of pre-registering?” Well, players who have already pre-registered across all platforms will receive the stunning Horadrim Cosmetic Set when the game launches. But take note, you must log in to Diablo Immortal and complete the game’s tutorial within 30 days after release to claim the set and can only be claimed for one character per account.

For those who don’t know or are curious, yes, cross-play and cross-progression are supported, meaning you and your friends can play with each other regardless of platform while being able to seamlessly transition between mobile and PC gameplay.
Returning Diablo fans can breathe a sigh of relief because there is, indeed, a class system, but not just any, one that features six of the iconic classes featured throughout DIablo – Barbarian, Crusader, Demon Hunter, Monk, Necromancer, or Wizard.
Embark on a journey through eight unique zones and the great city of Westmarch. They will join up with new and familiar Diablo characters, including the franchise’s patriarch Deckard Cain, on an expansive quest to hunt down the shattered pieces of the corrupted Worldstone before the forces of the Burning Hells can gather them for their own sinister plans in an epic all-new story taking place between the events of Diablo II and Diablo III.

With the Cycle of Strife, players can band together to fight in an ongoing war in which the top player of the server will earn the Eternal Crown to become the leader of the Immortals. This puts them in the position of having to continuously defend their reign across a series of modes including brutal 1v30 showdowns. So rest assured, PvP players, as this should be right up your alley.
Diablo Immortal will be free-to-play with optional in-game purchases on iOS, Android and PC via Battle.net. In the future do expect new content as Blizzard has stated that they will be releasing new content regularly to players for free in the years to come, including new zones, dungeons, and character classes.
For more information feel free to check out their website and if you haven’t already you can still pre-register for Diablo Immortal at diabloimmortal.blizzard.com.


Assassinâ€™s Creed The Ezio Collection Drops On Nintendo Switch Next Month

Ubisoft has announced that Assassinâ€™s CreedÂ The Ezio Collection will be available for Nintendo Switch on 17 February 2022.
Assassinâ€™s Creed The Ezio Collection includes Assassinâ€™s Creed II, Assassinâ€™s Creed Brotherhood, Assassinâ€™s Creed Revelation and two short films, Assassinâ€™s Creed Lineage and Assassinâ€™s Creed Embers. Players will have the opportunity to become Ezio Auditore da Firenze, the most celebrated and iconic Master Assassin in the franchise.
This exclusive compilation takes full advantage of the capabilities of the Nintendo Switch, including enhanced features such as Handheld Mode, HD Rumble, Touchscreen Interface, and Optimized HUD.

Assassinâ€™s Creed The Ezio Collection includes:

Assassinâ€™s Creed II. In this opus, players will embody Ezio, a new Assassin carrying on the deadly lineage of his forebears through Renaissance Italy, including Florence and Venice. Thrive in an environment rich with power, revenge and conspiracy, as they hone their art, wielding weapons and instruments designed by the legendary Leonardo da Vinci himself. All solo DLC is available along with the single-player campaign.
Assassinâ€™s Creed Brotherhood. Playing as Ezio is in an enduring struggle against the powerful Templar Order, all fans will journey into Italyâ€™s most renowned city, Rome, the centre of power, greed, and corruption. This will require not only strength but leadership, as they will command an entire Brotherhood who will rally to their side. All solo DLC is available along with the single-player campaign.
Assassinâ€™s Creed Revelations. In this game, Ezio must leave his life behind in search of answers. The player will walk in the footsteps of their legendary mentor, AltaÃ¯r, on a journey of discovery and revelation. This perilous path takes them to Constantinople, the heart of the Ottoman Empire, where a growing army of Templars threatens to destabilize the region. All solo DLC is available along with the single-player campaign.
Extra Bonus: two Films about Ezio. In addition to gameplay, this collection also includes two short films that dive even deeper into Ezioâ€™s story, Assassinâ€™s Creed Lineage and Assassinâ€™s Creed Embers.

Starting today, Assassinâ€™s Creed: The Ezio Collection on Nintendo Switch can be pre-ordered on the Ubisoft Official Shop on Shopee in Singapore and Malaysia.Â


The Pope Started 2022 With A Hit Song From Undertale

Pope Francis has, for some reason, started 2022 with the most popular Undertale song played for him by a circus troupe.
During a weekly general audience that usually happens at the start of the New Year, the speakers in the Vatican blasted “Megalovania” as circus performers juggled and unicycled in front of him as part of the celebration. Check out the video below if you think I’m talking crazy:

This year just started and we already have the insanity of Megalovania being performed in front of the Pope. pic.twitter.com/QBxGtl9v1c
— Ultima | #??? (@UltimaShadowX) January 6, 2022

Yes, you heard right: the jazz version of “Megalovania” is playing while the circus act is being performed. It’s quite surreal as it seems no one is batting an eyelash during the proceedings. This isn’t the first time the Pope has been exposed to the charm of Undertale: back in 2016 YouTuber MatPat of Game Theory was invited with a bunch of others to speak with Pope Francis. As a gift, he gave the Pope a copy of Undertale to echo the Pope’s declaration that 2016 was a year of forgiveness and compassion. Pretty poetic, especially since 6 years later we have this current ditty.


Survival Sci-Fi Game Beyond Contact Is Coming To Consoles

Koch Media and developer Playcorp have revealed a Roadmap outlining the Early Access phase of Beyond Contact. The upcoming sci-fi survival adventure is also announced to release on PS4, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S and will feature cross-play multiplayer on all platforms.Â
Thereâ€™s a vibrant and constructive community of survival players that has been growing since the Early Access announcement of Beyond Contact. The new PC survival title launched into Early Access on Steam last September and is being live-operated with a focus on empowering players in the development process.Â
Australian developer Playcorp now revealed their full Early Access Road Map which lists up some in-game key features such as new combat gadgets, an Endless Survival Mode as well as some base-building, map improvements and new story plots to find in the world.Â
Beyond Contact is a survival game inspired by the art and style of pulp science-fiction comics, the moral dilemmas of contemporary science-fiction films, and the unforgiving gameplay of survival genre classics. The game features exploration and discovery, a robust system of research and crafting, intuitive base-building, farming, creature feeding, and much more. The game will have narrative-driven objectives to save the planetâ€™s inhabitants, and enough fauna, flora, and extreme weather conditions to challenge even the toughest survival players a thousand times over.Â


[Rumour] Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Will Be Out This October

You can’t escape leaks, especially for a title as hotly-anticipated as the next Assassin’s Creed game.
An eagle-eyed Reddit user spotted an Amazon Italy page accidentally listing a concrete AC: Valhalla release date on its pages. The date in question? 15th October.

 Amazon Italy listed Valhalla release for the 15th of October from      assassinscreed

The official word so far? Ubisoft stated that the game will be out later this year. So an October date seems more likely. The past two AC games did come out on an October. In any case, look forward to village-building and instakill hidden blade action later this year.


Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands Made Bank For Take-Two

Publisher Take-Two has scored a windfall in profits thanks to 2KGames and Gearbox’s action RPG looter shooter Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands.
The company’s latest earnings report said the game outperformed its expectations. CEO Strauss Zelnick said the Borderlands spin-off is “viewed as the best new franchise launch from 2K in several years”. He stated that he looks forward to the possibilities for the new franchise in the years to come.
In related news, WWE 2K22 and Red Dead Redemption 2 were also high achievers in Take-Two’s catalogue. The former had a better first month than the previous two years (since there were no WWE games at the time), and the latter has hit over 44 million copies sold.
For more on Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands, check out our review and guide. We loved the action RPG looter shooter despite it being a bit similar to past Borderlands titles.


Halo TV Series Gets Another Teaser Ahead Of The Game Awards

The Halo TV series gets a brand new teaser trailer ahead of its full reveal at The Game Awards 2021, which will take place at 9am GMT+8 on 10 December 2021. It’s only 15 seconds long, check it out below:

Gear up, Spartans. We’ll see you at @thegameawards on Thursday. #HaloTheSeries pic.twitter.com/QzWcp971Em
— Halo on Paramount+ (@HaloTheSeries) December 7, 2021

The Halo TV series will release exclusively on the Paramount+ streaming service sometime in 2022.
Steven Spielberg, Darryl Frank and Justin Falvey executive produce for Amblin Television alongside Steven Kane, director Otto Bathurst and Toby Leslie for One Big Picture and Kyle Killen and Scott Pennington for Chapter Eleven. Kiki Wolfkill, Frank Oâ€™Connor and Bonnie Ross serve as executive producers for 343 Industries.
Showtime will continue to produceÂ HaloÂ for Paramount+, and the networkâ€™s creative executive team, led by Gary Levine and Amy Israel, who had been working on the series for years, will continue to oversee it.
HaloÂ stars Schreiber as Master Chief, Natasha McElhone as Dr Halsey and Jen Taylor as Cortana. Additional stars include Bokeem Woodbine, Shabana Azmi, Natasha Culzac, Olive Gray, Yerin Ha, Bentley Kalu, Kate Kennedy, Charlie Murphy and Danny Sapani.


Call Of Duty Esports 101

With the Call of Duty League just around the corner, this is the perfect time to get into Call of Duty esports. But getting into a new esport can be a bit daunting, so take this article as a crash course on the needs-to-know about the competitive scene.
Game Modes
In contrast to other esports like Valorant and League of Legends, Call of Duty (CoD) has three game modes that are played throughout a series. The game modes are divided into two types, Respawn and Search and Destroy. Respawns are game modes such as Hardpoint, Domination, Capture the Flag and technically Control where you are able to respawn. As for Search and Destroy, essentially the exact same concept as Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) and Valorant’s competitive game mode, it’s the only game mode in Call of Duty where you don’t respawn.
In a Best-of-5 series, the order usually goes like this:

Map 1 – Hardpoint
Map 2 – Search and Destroy
Map 3 – Control
Map 4 – Hardpoint
Map 5 – Search and Destroy

It should be noted that in the past, the third game mode was either Domination or Capture the Flag, but since its introduction in Call of Duty: Black Ops 4, Control has been considered the favourite game mode among the pros.
Hardpoint
In the respawn game mode, the objective is quite simple, there are usually five areas (hills) on the map that teams need to occupy. The teams need at least one player occupying the area and every second equates to one point. Every minute the hill will change and it’s the first to 250 points.
Search & Destroy
Simply known as S&D, Search and Destroy is probably the game mode most esports fans are familiar with as it shares the same premise as CS:GO’s and Valorant’s competitive game mode. Essentially, teams start on either Offence or Defence, the Attackers’ objective is to plant the bomb at one of the two bomb sites or eliminate all the enemies. The Defenders’ job is to prevent the opposition from planting the bomb by eliminating all the enemies or defusing the bomb after the bomb has been planted. The first team to six wins.
Control
And lastly, there’s Control. Technically a respawn game mode but is more of a hybrid between Hardpoint and S&D. Like in S&D, the teams are split into Offence and Defence and are provided 34 lives spread across the team. Once these lives run out, the opposition wins. The objective is for the Attackers to capture two areas on the map but as I mentioned, either side can win by eliminating the enemy team.
Roles
Before we get into the teams, I should probably let you know about the roles that certain players play. Unlike other FPS games, CoD doesn’t necessarily have a strict role system as players tend to bounce between roles depending on the strategy they’re playing in that particular match.
In respawn game modes such as Hardpoint, a team will consist of one Main Assault Rifle, one Main Submachine Gun, one Objective player and a Flex player but depending on the team’s playstyle, they can mix and match having more than one of a certain role or gun type.
In S&D, these roles can still exist but there is also the addition of a designated sniper player, much like in Counter-Strike and Valorant with the AWPer/Op-er.
Main Submachine Gun
The Main Submachine Gun/Main SMG/Main Sub tends to be a fast-paced and aggressive player whose sole objective is to win every gunfight they run into. Strategically, these players will play close to the objective and act as the first line of defence.
E.g. Shotzzy, aBeZy, Pred
Objective / OBJ
Then you have the Objective player whose role is pretty self-explanatory. Often the second SMG player, their role is to play the objective. The role only applies in Hardpoint which requires at least one player on the hill, this is usually the OBJ whose job is to position themselves smart and stay alive to soak up time and gain as many points as possible for the team. This term for the role is somewhat redundant as players die a lot in respawn, so it’s essentially the job of everyone to be an OBJ.
E.g. Envoy, KiSMET, CleanX
Main Assault Rifle
The job of the Main Assault Rifle—or Main AR as the pros call it—is to hold medium-long range angles usually meant to stop the opponent’s advance or flank. These players tend to play on a much lower sensitivity to help with recoil control and more often than not, are slow-paced players.
E.g. Clayster, Octane, SlasheR
Flex
Once you know that Flex is short for Flexible, you can put two-and-two together. Essentially their role changes often according to the circumstance. From a gun-type perspective, they have to be able to slay with either an SMG or an AR. With that said, in laments terms their job is to support as on the surface, they’re basically meant to cover for the other roles when they die, but as I mentioned before, the role’s objective can change depending on the circumstance or the team. One team’s Flex could have a completely different objective from the opposition’s.
E.g. Cellium, Kenny, iLLeY
Sniper
Snipers are only used in S&D and just like in CS:GO and Valorant, they have a crucial job in terms of the strategy of S&D. On Offence their job is to hold angles and to get kills to help their team gain numbers advantage. On Defence, their job is essentially the same with the difference that they position themselves where they can see a cross. Gaining this information will help determine which bomb site the Attackers will push.
There have been times in the past were teams would use more than one sniper but in recent years, it’s been agreed upon by the pros to only have one sniper per team.
E.g. Simp, Dashy, Octane
Teams
If you’ve just become acquainted with the Call of Duty League (CDL), then you may not know that the Call of Duty (CoD) esports league wasn’t always franchised and geolocated. Far from it, there was a time when the top tier of CoD esports functioned very much like English football leagues, where anyone had a chance to play in the top leagues as long as they were good enough.
A lot of the teams you may be familiar with started out in CoD and wouldn’t be where they are today without CoD. Many teams and organisations have come and gone, but many remain from the good old days.
Atlanta FaZe

A part of the original trifecta of organisations in Call of Duty, Atlanta FaZe is owned by—you guessed it, FaZe Clan. FaZe Clan originally started out in CoD as a sniper clan most known for their montages posted on YouTube back in the early 2010s, fielding their first competitive roster in 2012 with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. They have since gone leaps and bounds to become one of the most iconic esports organisations in the world and fielding teams in numerous other esports.
After falling to Los Angeles Thieves in the Grand Final at the most recent CDL Championship, FaZe have undergone one roster change, bringing in Austin “SlasheR” Liddicoat in place of their previous in-game leader and Main AR, Alec “Arcitys” Sanderson
Boston Breach

The newest team to the CDL, the Boston Breach is owned by Oxygen Esports who are the new kids on the block that have investment funding to go toe-to-toe with the most popular organisations in the world. The only history they had with CoD was when they signed the Vietnamese representatives for the 2020 Call of Duty: Mobile World Championship. Having joined the league a year ago, the Breach certainly impressed at times but failed to a final all year round.
From last season, the Breach has kept Anthony “Methodz” Zinni and Dylan “Nero” Koch. After saying farewell to Thomas “TJHaLy” Haly and Kenyen “Capsidal” Sutton, the team has acquired Reece “Vivid” Drost and Joseph “Owakening” Conley from the next team on this list.
Florida Mutineers

Probably the most underrated team since the league’s inauguration, the Florida Mutineers are owned by Misfits Gaming Group who also hold the Florida franchising spot in the Overwatch League. The organisation has no prior experience in CoD. Every team the Mutineers have built has always looked promising at the start of the season but always failed to live up to expectations by the Championship.
On paper, this year’s rendition of the roster is probably the weakest they’ve had to date, as they have overhauled their entire roster to feature former player Colt “Havok” McLendon, Carson “Brack” Newberry, Michael “MajorManiak” Szymaniak and the only Spanish player in the league, Javier “Vikul” Milagro.
Las Vegas Legion

Formerly known as the Paris Legion, the owners, c0ntact Gaming relocated from Paris to Las Vegas back in September. The org also has no CoD background prior to franchising. During their time as the Paris Legion, the team has become synonymous with being the worst team in the league and has gained the reputation of also being the cheapest team in the league.
This year they’ve hoped to change that consensus with the signing of three-time world champion, James “Clayster” Eubanks. They also acquired Byron “Prolute” Vera who was the substitute for OpTic Texas last year, and TJHaLy from the Boston Breach.
London Royal Ravens

Now the only European team in the league, the London Royal Ravens have always rostered the best and upcoming talent out of the United Kingdom. Originally solely owned by ReKTGlobal, the owners of Rogue, another premiere esports organisation, hype around the team grew, even more, when YouTube star Vikram “Vikkstar123” Barn joined as a co-owner.
Going into this season the Royal Ravens have only kept Trei “Zer0” Morris and Byron “Nastie” Plumridge while they released Marcus “Afro” Reid and Joey “Gismo” Owen. In place of the aforementioned, London picked up Paul “PaulEhx” Avila and Obaid “Asim” Asim, the former of which had previously played for the Royal Ravens before.
Los Angeles Guerrillas

Alongside the Legion, for the majority of the CDL’s lifespan, the LA Guerrillas have been considered to be one of the worst teams up until last year where they shocked the world with a miraculous cinderella run as they went on to win last year’s Major 2 with a substitute.
This year’s iteration of the squad looks to be—on paper—the scariest iteration to date. Cuyler “Huke” Garland remains with the squad alongside their Major winning super-sub, Kris “Spart” Cervantez, they have also brought in former Halo phenom Travis “Neptune” McCloud who has been considered to be one of the most promising SMG players since his move over to CoD. Alongside Neptune they also picked up Arcitys from FaZe as their Main AR.
Los Angeles Thieves

Owned by none other than 100 Thieves, one of the biggest esports organisations in the world, little do people know that their co-founder and CEO, Matthew “Nadeshot” Haag is a former Call of Duty pro himself, having captained OpTic Gaming until 2015 as was considered the poster boy for the org. Alongside him, his fellow co-founder and world-recognised streamer, Jack “CouRage” Dunlop is a former CoD shoutcaster and is highly respected for his iconic play-by-play commentaries.
For a long time, 100 Thieves were considered a joke in the esports world as they prioritised merchandise over tournament placings, but over the past three years, it’s safe to say that they have definitely changed that stigma as they went on to win last year’s Championship. Coming off such a great feat, expectations are high for this squad coming into this season.
Having won the Championship last year, the team hasn’t made any roster changes going into Modern Warfare II. The line-up remains as Zack “Drazah” Jordan, Kenneth “Kenny” Williams, Sam “Octane” Larew and Dylan “Envoy” Hannon.

Minnesota RØKKR

Owned by venture capital company WISE Ventures, the Minnesota RØKKR has always been on the brink between a top-tier team and a middle-of-the-pack team only managing one tournament win back in the Black Ops Cold War season. Since then, the team has been aiming to reach those heights again but has failed time and time again.
This year, they decided to rebuild their roster around their Dillon “Attach” Price who has been with the team since September 2020. To support his unique AR playstyle, the RØKKR has acquired the likes of the British beast in Ben “Bance” Bance and the scariest Scotsman in the league, Cameron “Cammy” McKilligan. To close out the roster they also acquire another English player, formerly of the Royal Ravens in Afro.
New York Subliners

Owned and operated by NYXL and co-founded by Sterling VC and the New York Mets, who also own the Overwatch League’s New York Excelsior, the New York Subliners has had a very controversial history. This was mainly thanks to Ian “Crimsix” Porter who many claims to be the Greatest of All-Time as he is the ‘winningest’ player in Call of Duty history and is renowned for his incredibly hot takes and trash-talking. With Crimsix retiring, the team decided to build the team around their French-phenom in Paco “HyDra” Rusiewiez.
Matthew “KiSMET” Tinsley remains with the squad from last season but has added Cesar “Skyz” Bueno, from the Florida Mutineers, Preston “Priestahh” Greiner from the RØKKR.
OpTic Texas

For those who are unfamiliar with OpTic Texas, you are not exactly mistaken for thinking that they are related to OpTic Gaming, which was a part of the original trifecta of orgs in Call of Duty along with FaZe Clan. Formerly known as the Chicago Huntsmen and then OpTic Chicago, what you may not know is that they have had an extremely troubled past with their ownership, having bounced from owner to owner until they merged the final member of the trifecta, Team Envy who previously owned the Dallas Empire spot. After rebranding to OpTic Texas last season, the teams merged their rosters keeping King of CoD himself, Seth “Scump” Abner and Brandon “Dashy” Otell from OpTic Chicago, and Anthony “Shotzzy” Cuevas-Castro and Indervir “iLLeY” Dhaliwal.
During the offseason, it was speculated that this roster was going to break up but after some thought and consideration, the team decided to stay together for one last season as it was officially announced that this will be Scump’s final season after competing for 13 years.
Seattle Surge

Owned and operated by Enthusiast Gaming and Canucks Sports & Entertainment, the Seattle Surge acts as the successor to premier esports organisation, Luminosity Gaming, which had competed continuously in Call of Duty between 2015 and 2019. Up until last season, the Surge was considered a joke for building stacked rosters that could never perform. Going into last season, they picked up veteran Main AR Lamar “Accuracy” Abedi to captain the team, and he decided to build a team of young guns around him.
The roster hasn’t changed from last season and remains with Makenzie “Mack” Kelley, Daunte “Sib” Gray and the Aussie uzi himself, Amer “Pred” Zulbeari
Toronto Ultra

And lastly, we have the Toronto Ultra. Owned and operated by OverActive Media as the successor to Splyce, although a Canadian-based team, until this season, the team had almost exclusively hosted the absolute best European talents. For the past two seasons, the Ultra has been consistently considered Top 3 and has always challenged for Major wins.
This year they let go of Bance and Cammy to the Minnesota RØKKR and in place of them, they called up Thomas “Scrappy” Ernst from their Academy roster, along with former Rookie of the Season, Eli “Standy” Bentz from Minnesota.
Where To Watch?
Since the CDL’s inauguration, it had exclusively been streamed on YouTube but news came out the day before the league was meant to start that the CDL will be streaming exclusively on Twitch. You can catch the Opening Weekend on either the official Call of Duty League website or over on Twitch, both links can be found below.

Official Call of Duty Twitch
Official Call of Duty League Website

The 2023 Call of Duty League Opening Weekend kicks off on 2 December at 3:00 PM (ET) / 12:00 PM (PT) / 7:00 PM (GMT) / 3:00 AM (UTC+8). Boston Breach and Atlanta FaZe kick things off with the first matchup of the 2023 season. Check the full schedule here.
Also, if you watch on Twitch, you can also link your Twitch account to your Battle.net account so that you’re eligible for drops.


Soul Hackers 2 Guide: How To Be The Best Devil Summoner

Soul Hackers 2 is the latest JRPG from Atlus and Sega. It is out now for the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and PC. You can check out our review of the game here.
If you’re a long-time Shin Megami Tensei fan, you’ll be right at home with this game. However, here are some tips and tricks that I wish I knew before starting the game, and I hope these will help you become a better Devil Summoner:
You Can And Should Save Frequently

This is simple advice, but in Soul Hackers 2, you can save at any time by simply going into the menu. You shouldn’t rely on the autosave that much (because sometimes they don’t really save that often so you might lose progress). It’s best to save before any dangerous encounter (which the game warns you about every single time) because you can. In most JRPGs, you can’t even do that.
Don’t Forget To Sell Any And Every Item That You Don’t Need

Any item that comes with the description: “Valuable good. Can be sold at a store for a lucrative price.” SHOULD and MUST be sold. They don’t do anything, so there’s no point in keeping or hoarding them. Plus, trust me, you’ll need the money to buy COMP upgrades and/or summon demons from the Compendium.
It’s Better To Choose Dialogue Options To Balance Out The Soul Levels

Every so often, dialogue options are one of the major ways to increase Soul Levels in the game. Soul Levels are important to progress in the Soul Matrix dungeons, so I highly suggest that you choose dialogue options based on who has fewer Soul Level points. It’s best to balance out Arrow, Milady and Saizo because there’s level-gating for each dungeon.
You can’t progress if you don’t have enough Soul Levels in Soul Matrix dungeons, so it works to your disadvantage if you focus only on one or two companions and neglect the others. If you do that, you’ll find yourself not having enough Soul Levels to progress in the Soul Matrix dungeons.
Don’t Forget To Always Do The Hangouts

It’s easy to forget about the hangouts but it’s recommended to do them to get the highest possible Soul Levels to progress in the Soul Matrix dungeons. The game will notify you every time there’s a new Hangout available.
Complete Requests As Soon As Possible

Whenever the game notifies you that new Requests are available, go and complete them as soon as possible or as soon as you meet the required level. Why? It’s because while Requests are side quests, many of them have continuations which will lead to more Requests. If you don’t complete the ones you already have, you probably won’t get new ones, and Requests often have rewards that are worth it, especially those related to the shops/merchants in the game (because these will unlock more items and upgrades in their shop for you to purchase).
Don’t Worry If You’re Worried That You Can’t Change Demons During Battle

You will eventually be able to do so once you unlock the Conversion Commander Skill from the COMP shop. If it doesn’t unlock or appear for you, try doing Requests related to the COMP shop because it will then open up more Commander Skills.
Also, you will eventually unlock the ability to keep more demons, so don’t worry about having not enough space for your demons. Keep upgrading your COMP from time to time because these Commander Skills are important in combat.
Don’t Forget To Register Demons Before Fusing Them

This might be an old hat for some veteran Shin Megami Tensei fans, but for those who are new to Atlus JRPGs, always register your demons before fusing them. By registering them, you can summon them again at their highest possible level (when you registered them), instead of getting a basic demon. You’d want to keep your progress for any demon, right?
You Can Use The Enemies Tab In Pause Menu To Find Specific Demons

The game doesn’t exactly tell you this, so this will make completing certain Requests when you need to find specific demons much easier, or if you need to find specific demons to get certain items. You can actually go to the Enemies tab in the pause menu, find the demon you want and mark them.
After doing that, you don’t need to waste time starting random battles to find the demon you want. There’ll be a mark on the enemy in dungeons so you’ll know which to attack.


Baby Yoda Now Available In The Sims 4

The Mandalorian’s star, The Child (or “Baby Yoda”) has been all the rage these days on the internet, the pop culture radar, and most importantly on Disney’s merchandising bottom line. Because of this, EA’s quick on the uptake and decides to add in the option to buy a Baby Yoda statue to your Sims 4 household.
To reiterate: this isn’t a mod. This is via a recent update for the game.

OFFICIALLY DEAD. THEY ADDED BABY YODA TO #TheSims4 ?????? pic.twitter.com/RLo1cO90z9
— SimsVIP (@SimsVIP) December 12, 2019

Think of this as an early Christmas gift from developers Maxis. Here’s how to buy the statue in-game:

Go to the Build/Buy mode, and search for the statue under “Sculptures”.
Alternatively, you can use the search function and type in “Baby Yoda”.

The statue’s official name is “The Child Statue”. Its caption reads: “This statue is a lovable replica inspired by the Disney+ live-action series, The Mandalorian.”

Perfect for any kind of household.


Surviving The Aftermath Gets Its First New Expansion This June

Publisher Paradox Interactive and developer Iceflake Studios will be expanding its hit post-apocalyptic simulation title Surviving The Aftermath.
The game’s new expansion is called New Alliances and it gives players the chance to influence other societies in the Wasteland. New Alliances expands the world map, gives you benefits when interacting with societies, and let you unite colonies, or conquer them.

Here are the expansion’s key features:

Stronger together: Meet varied societies and help them with their requests to earn their loyalty and improve your colony with more than 12 new buildings. Positive interactions with other societies increase your reputation. But fail to meet their expectations and you’ll see them join your new rival, who will gain more control over the Wasteland.
New enemies in a Dynamic World Map: Bandits and beasts scour the Wasteland, compelling you to protect your settlement and those of your allies. Groups of bandits terrorize survivors and take over key locations. Make sure to defend and support other societies by trading and constructing new buildings whenever possible. An expanded user interface allows you to manage every single step to the unification of the Wasteland.
Covert missions: Shaping a new world isn’t easy. While collaboration is key, leaders can influence societies in more subtle ways. Sabotage, theft, espionage, and even propaganda will become tools in your arsenal, and specialists’ skills will affect how likely they are to succeed in a mission. Be mindful of the consequences though: failure will decrease your reputation and give more control to your rival and may cause the societies you targeted to retaliate.

The expansion will be out on 16 June on PC for US$14.99.


[Report] We May Be Getting Ryu Hayabusa Or An SNK Fighter In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

With the Dragon Quest Hero already in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, many fans are speculating over who will be the next fighter in the game’s Season Pass. So far, here are the current rumours.
Tecmo’s Ninja Gaiden
A YouTuber named IAmShifty claims that he knows the identity of the next fighter after Banjo-Kazooie: Ryu Hayabusa of Ninja Gaiden fame.
“Not only am I saying that this character will be a DLC character for Smash, he’s also going to be the very next character that’s going to be announced for Smash. The very next time you see a character reveal announcement for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, it will be this specific character. And that character is Ryu Hayabusa of Ninja Gaiden.”

He’s the guy who said that Pirahna Plant, Ken from Street Fighter, and Incineroar would be playable way before his announcement last year.
An SNK Guest Draws Near
Nintendo UK accidentally let slip a telltale sign of who may be the fourth DLC character, or at least where he/she is from. Note the copyright at the bottom of this screencap.

That’s right: SSBU fans are probably getting an SNK character. Since it has to be a popular character to represent the brand, we may be getting either Terry Bogard…

…Athena..

…Marco from Metal Slug…

…or Tits Mcgee here..

Either way, we’re probably not getting Ryu Hayabusa. Regardless, we’ll have to wait until Nintendo makes an official reveal, so take all of this with a grain of salt for now. Like the kind you get when your ass is handed by a turtling Isabella player.


New Monster Hunter World: Iceborne Trailer Brings Back Old Friends

Capcom fuels the Monster Hunter World: Iceborne hype as fans are treated with a trailer featuring a returning monster, a glimpse of the new gathering hub, new subspecies and much more.
Here’s the trailer:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uB9UBdzPtT0]
New Monsters
As you can see in the trailer, the sword-tailed wyvern Glavenus gets the limelight in this trailer. The Brute Wyvern was first introduced in Monster Hunter Generations as a flagship monsterÂ and now he slashes his way into the New World.
Glavenus.
The wyvern sports a gigantic bladed tail as its main weapon against hunters and is capable of spurting molten lava from its mouth.
The trailer also shows a few subspecies. Subspecies are usually a more dangerous version of existing monsters.
Ebony Odogaron
If you think the big red vicious dog monster Odogaron wasn’t tough enough, wait till it cousin appears in the Iceborne expansion.

The Ebony Odogaron features darker colours and longer claws. It also has dragon breath which I assume will inflict Dragonblight, and stinks of a thousand carcasses. It’s probably the effect of being frequently used as a chew toy by the Deviljho.
Fulgur Anjanath

The Fulgur Anjanath makes its maiden appearance in Iceborne. It differs from the original Anjanath in terms of raw power and element. This one is literally electrifying with its electric-based powers.
The Fulgur Anjanath gets its powers from the Fulgurbugs, a bug which is synonymous with another monster, the Zinogre. Maybe Zinogre will be added in the future updates, here’s hoping.
The thunder lupine, Zinogre.
New Gathering Hub
Hoarfrost Reach is a freezing locale, so it’s only perfect to see the Gathering Hub be a warm and welcoming place for weary hunters.
Capcom has included nice hot springs in the gathering hub complete with emotes to express yourself while your characters enjoy the hot bath.

The Gathering Hub is also complete with all the vendors necessary to get you ready for a hunt such as the Smithy, the Resource Center, the Botanical Facility and more.
You also get a new room!

It is surely an improvement from the old rooms, but in my honest opinion, the highest tier room you get from the base game is already a beautiful place, complete with a garden and a Palico serenading you with a blissfully serene soundtrack.
Another Monster Incoming?
At the end of the trailer, fans are teased of another upcoming monster.
Poor Uragaan.
The Uragaan appears on screen and has green slime all over its body. It’s nothing much to discuss, until this happens:

Directed by Michael Bay.

Green goo? Explosions? That’s surely the telltale sign of Brachydios, the explosive slime monster.

The Brachydios.
Anyways, with all the returning monsters as well as new subspecies, Monster Hunter World: Iceborne will definitely entice any hunter that’s worth their zenny. It is the ultimate culmination of all Monster HunterÂ games that have come before and will set a new standard for the next Monster Hunter games, especially in the coming generation.
And oh, you can finally play around with your Palico too!

Tell me that’s not a compelling reason not to pre-order the game right now!
Monster Hunter World: Iceborne will be released on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on 6 September, 2019, with the PC version coming in Winter 2019.


Here Are The Best Deals Of The Steam Summer Sale 2019 [Update]

This news page will be updated on a daily basis. As such, this story is bumped up from its 25th June publish date.Â Check back here often for the best deals and recommended picks!Â
So yeah, the Steam Summer Sale has started and will last from 25th June to 9th July. You know what to do: splurge on games and make them languish in your Steam library. Or find time to play them when the mood fancies you.
This year’s summer sale is a little special; it’s now themed the Steam Grand Prix where players can join a team and contribute “distance points” by completing various quests. These include hacking a door in Space Hulk: Deathwing or harvest crops in Stardew Valley.
At each day of the sale at 1am GMT+8, the team with the most points will claim three GP points, followed by two for second place and one for third. Drivers from the top three teams will also be selected to receive random items from their Steam wishlists daily at the end of the race.

To get more points, you can get boost points by buying games during the sale. Check out the full rules of the Steam Grand Prix here. We’ll break it down for you:

“Points” add directly to your team’s distance traveled when spent in a “Boost,” while “Nitro Boost Points” add to your team’s speed, which earns it distance over time.
For every dollar you spend, your Boost Meter will be able to hold 100 more points. For every quest you complete, you’ll earn 10 to 100 points, as well as some amount of Nitro. Points you earn beyond your Boost Meter’s capacity are wasted.

Long story short: get achievements in games you own, earn points for your team, boost them by buying games highlighted in sales.
Enough Talking; What About Them Deals?!?
Speaking of deals, here are a few off the top of our heads. We’ll be sure to add more as time goes by.

Final Fantasy XV Windows Edition – RM109.50 (50% off)
Rise of the Tomb Raider – RM28.50 (85% off)
Darksiders III – RM40.46 (66% off)
Ace Attorney Trilogy – RM48.30 (30% off)

Portal 2 – RM2.35 (90% off)
Vanquish -Â  RM10 (75% off)
Bayonetta – RM10 (75% off)
Superhot – RM14.80 (60% off)

Yakuza 0 – RM42.50 (50% off)
Euro Truck Simulator 2Â – SG$5 / RM11.25 (75% off)
Life is Strange Complete SeasonÂ – SG$3.73 / RM9.45 (85% off)
Sleeping Dogs Definitive EditionÂ â€“ SG$2.71 / RM5.60 (90% off)

Borderlands 2Â â€“ SG$5 / RM9.50 (75% off)
Just Cause 3Â â€“ SG$3.73 / RM10.20 (85% off)
SoulCalibur 6Â – SG$21.41 / RM62.37 (67% off)
Monster Hunter: WorldÂ – SG$42.50 / RM69.50 (50% off)
Two Point HospitalÂ – SG$17.50 / RM50.00 (50% off)

Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey – SG$35 / RM104.50 (50% off)
Slime Rancher – SG$10 / RM19.00 (50% off)
Jurassic World Evolution – SG$17.40 / RM51.60 (70% off)
Devil May Cry 5 – SG$52.80/RM91.74 (34% off)

Far Cry New Dawn – SG$26.50/RM79.50 (50% off)
Katana Zero – SG$10.87/RM24 (25% off)
A Hat In Time – SG$14.50/RM28 (50% off)
Dragon Age Origins – RM9.50 (75% off)
Fallout: New Vegas Ultimate Edition – RM19 (50% off)

Undertale – RM9.20 (60% off)
The Witcher 3: Game of the Year Edition – RM38.70 (70% off)
Divinity: Dragon Commander – RM7.50 (90% off)


Here’s A Quick Look At The New Pokémon Anime Post-Ash

The Pokémon Company has released the first trailer of its new Pokémon anime series. But this one’s about a new generation, one where Ash has left the series after 25 years.
The new series stars new Pokémon trainers Friede and his new Pokémon partner, Captain Pikachu. The series also includes protagonists Liko and Roy as they go off on new monster-wrangling adventures. As for the critters themselves, the show will feature the Scarlet and Violet additions like Sprigatito, Fuecoco, and Quaxly.
The new series will debut in 2023 and beyond. Check out the trailer below.


We’ll Be Seeing More Of Age Of Empires 4 This November

It’s been several years since Microsoft announced Age Of Empires 4 but things have been quiet since that trailer in 2017. Now we know when to expect the first-ever gameplay footage from the highly-anticipated game will be shown.
Speaking with GameStar Germany, Xbox General Manager Aaron Greenberg revealed that the first Age Of Empire IV gameplay will be shown during the Inside Xbox presentation at the upcoming Microsoft XO19 event in London. It will take place from 14 to 16 November 2019 at London’s Copper Box Arena.
14 November will also be the day that Age Of Empires 2: Definitive Edition will launch, so it will be a big day for the Age Of Empires developers. In the meantime, rewatch the Age Of Empires 4 announcement trailer below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYwZ6GZXWhA&w=560&h=315]


Check Out Captain Marvel And Nick Fury Singing A Star Is Born’s Shallow

One of this year’s best Oscars moments were Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga’s intimate and heartfelt performance of A Star Is Born’s tune Shallow. In last week’s episode of The Jonathan Ross Show, Captain Marvel stars Brie Larson and Samuel L. Jackson belted out their own rendition of the now iconic song.
The few seconds of singing by the duo garnered applause from the audience, as well as a literal shoe and sock from the show’s host, Jonathan Ross before they both admitted that they didn’t remember the rest of the lines to the song. Check out Captain Marvel and Nick Fury’s brief but hilarious impromptu singing below:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3BucpXwaZHg&w=560&h=315]
Larson and Jackson are no strangers to each other, having previously acted together in 2017’s Kong: Skull Island and Unicorn Store, the latter of which is set to release on Netflix in April 2019. They’re such good friends that Larson recently revealed at the Captain Marvel press conference in Singapore that she even sends her workout pictures/videos to him just to brag.
Marvel Studios’ Captain Marvel is slated to arrive on 6 March 2019. In the meantime, head on over here to learn more about the history and origins of Captain Marvel, or check out all the things we learned from the recent Captain Marvel press conference in Singapore.
(Image Credit: The Jonathan Ross Show/ITV)


The Batman: The Bat-Family Deserves To Be In The Movies Too

Batman is probably the most popular and most profitable hero in all of DC Comics. Since his debut in Detective Comics #27 in 1939, the character is now 83 years old as of 2022. That’s 83 years’ worth of comics, movies, TV shows, video games, and more. This year, we’re getting another new Batman movie, The Batman, with a new actor in the role and a new timeline on a different Earth.
And yet, in more than eight decades of the character’s history, the Bat-family remains underused and outside of the comics and other miscellaneous adaptations. The most glaring is when it comes to live-action feature films, only two of which have featured a Robin.

Why it is so hard for movies to feature any member of the Bat-family when they’re so important in the comics? The DC Comics’ concept of legacy is tied to the Bat-family more than those connected to any other DC hero because they’re the biggest and most expanded in the entire DC universe.
How many canon Robins are there now in the main DC universe? There have been approximately six canon ones (though not at the same time), and only one of these have ever been featured in a live-action movie, which was Chris O’Donnell as Dick Grayson AKA Robin AKA Nightwing-to-be. Speaking of Nightwing, how the hell has he never gotten a live-action movie version?
In the article, I’ll be elaborating on several of the important Bat-family who deserve their live-action feature film debut. Some may have already appeared in TV shows, while others will be getting their own movies soon, so of course, I’ll be mentioning all that too. Also, these won’t be full-blown biographies of these characters, but rather, why I think they deserve to have a live-action feature film version. You can get all their histories and whatnot on online wikis, anyways.
Dick Grayson AKA Robin AKA Nightwing

Dick Grayson was the first and original Robin, which means that he will always be Bruce Wayne AKA Batman’s first son (albeit adopted). He is the Robin that all other Robins aspire to be, even the stubborn and bull-headed Jason Todd. He was also the first Robin to grow out of the mantle and adopt a brand new one. In Dick’s case, he became Nightwing, which is now one of the most iconic legacy characters in all of the DC universe.
In the comics, he often acts as the big brother of the Bat-Family, giving advice to the other Robins and also even Batman himself at times. Nightwing is the light to Batman’s darkness, and recently, he’s been more like Batman’s equal and a colleague instead of the sidekick he’s been in the past. If Batman falls into the darkness, Nightwing is the one who steps in to keep the family stable and in line.
That’s exactly why the Batman movies need a Robin (or Robins). These live-action feature films like to explore the dark psychology behind Batman, and how far the Dark Knight is willing to go to keep Gotham safe, but the answer is already there in the form of the Robins. The Robins and the rest of the Bat-family help keep Batman balanced and without going too far. Essentially, they keep him human.
Brenton Thwaites portrays a decent Dick Grayson and Nightwing in the Titans TV series, but again, that’s not a feature film.
Jason Todd AKA Robin AKA Red Hood

It’s easy to brush off Jason Todd as the problem child or the black sheep of the Bat-family. Honestly, in most times, he is exactly, bringing trouble and then some, but with the trauma he’s suffered (dying at the hands of Joker, being brought back to life, and finding out you’ve been replaced and forgotten), who could blame him? Still, that doesn’t really excuse him using guns and being a killer, but in the comics, he’s grown to actually stop using guns and avoid killing people again.
Many fans of Jason Todd like him for being a violent and angry anti-hero, but his long redemption arc would make for a good story in a set of feature films. It took years for DC Comics to bring Jason back to life, and longer still for him to gradually redeem himself and re-entering the Bat-family. Several movies with that arc would be awesome, especially seeing how the Titans TV series fumbled in that regard (Curran Walter’s Jason Todd hilariously died and came back to life in one episode, only to come back to life in the next episode in what seems to span only a few days in the timeline of the series).
2016’s Batman V Superman Dawn Of Justice teased us with the possibility of a Red Hood appearance by showing that a Jason Todd’s Robin (his name was never mentioned, though) died at the hands of the Joker, but it was a vague easter egg at best and one that none of the DCEU films has yet to expand upon or develop further. Bringing a proper Jason Todd Robin and Red Hood would add a lot of great family drama for Batman movies, which is something we’ve never really seen much of before.
Tim Drake AKA Robin AKA Red Robin AKA Drake

Tim Drake was the third person to pick up the mantle of Robin. In the comics, he later became Red Robin and embarrassingly enough, Drake, but he’s back to being just Robin for now. Tim Drake is my favourite Robin of all time, and there’s a huge reason for that. Tim is unique in that Batman wasn’t the one who approached him, but it was the other way around. It’s a testament to how smart and intelligent Tim is that he deduced that Batman needs a Robin to keep him from going too far. Not only that, but Tim also figured out that Bruce Wayne is Batman simply by his skills of deduction.
Even more so than Dick or Jason, Tim Drake is most deserving of Batman’s title of ‘World’s Greatest Detective’, something that even Batman himself has previously mentioned. Tim might not be the best fighter or the strongest of the Robins, but he’s definitely the smartest of the Bat-family. With the upcoming The Batman movie slated to feature the ‘detective’ side of Batman as a more prominent aspect, perhaps Tim Drake is the perfect Robin to introduce in that franchise of movies.
Jay Lycurgo plays Tim Drake in the Titans TV series, but his version of Tim Drake features a somewhat altered origin (one that’s no longer really tied to Batman). A live-action feature film debut for the character would go a long way to making him a more popular choice for best Robin.
Stephanie Brown AKA Robin AKA Spoiler
Stephanie Brown as Robin.
Yeah, many might not know this if they’re not comic book fans, but there was once a canon female Robin in the DC universe (The Dark Knight Returns’ Carrie Kelley isn’t canon). She became Robin because she was angry that Tim apparently cheated on her. She then met Batman and demanded to be his Robin. She was later fired by Batman because she didn’t follow his orders, so she went back to her original Spoiler persona. She then later became Batgirl to replace Cassandra Cain before becoming Spoiler again.
To this day, Stephanie Brown is unique in the DC universe for being the only person to have ever been both Robin and Batgirl. In the current comics continuity, she’s back to being Batgirl, sharing the mantle with Cassandra Cain and Barbara Gordon.
It would be interesting to see if Warner Bros will introduce Stephanie Brown in the upcoming Batgirl movie, which is slated to premiere on HBO Max sometime in 2022.
Stephanie Brown as Spoiler.
Damian Wayne AKA Robin

Damian Wayne is the fifth person to carry the mantle, and he’s currently the main Robin in comic book continuity. Damian is the biological son of Bruce Wayne AKA Batman and Talia al-Ghul, the daughter of Batman villain Ra’s al-Ghul. He was kept a secret from Batman and was trained under the League Of Assassins for many years. It was only when he was a bit older (but still a kid) that he became Robin.
Many fans dislike Damian for his arrogance and douche-ness. Basically, he’s usually an asshole, which makes many around him dislike his behaviour. I would love to say that he’s grown to be better but he’s pretty much still the same bratty kid that he was back when he was introduced in 2006. A live-action version of Damian Wayne would likely just be annoying and irritating, if not done well.
Duke Thomas AKA Robin AKA The Signal

Duke Thomas is the most recent person to have taken the Robin mantle, and he’s the newest member of the Bat-family, having debuted in 2013’s Batman #21. Duke Thomas became a Robin as part of the We Are Robin movement but later became The Signal when he was officially trained by Batman to be the protector of Gotham during the day.
What makes Duke Thomas unique is that he’s not related to any existing Bat-family member and that he’s a metahuman, which means he actually has powers. His abilities are vaguely defined but he can basically control and manipulate both light and darkness. He helps bring an outside perspective to the Bat-family when required, especially since he’s the latest addition to the Bat-family.
Barbara Gordon AKA Batgirl AKA Oracle

Next to Dick Grayson, Barbara Gordon is probably the most popular member of the Bat-family. She’s the daughter of Commissioner Gordon and she’s the first-ever person to pick up the mantle of Batgirl (if you disregard Betty Kane, and she’s not a member of the Bat-family). She infamously got shot by the Joker in The Killing Joke, causing her to become disabled and take on the mantle of Oracle, where she would guide heroes and give them information from a centre of operations.
She has since returned to becoming both Batgirl and Oracle again after getting some technical modifications that fixed her paralysis. Out of all the members of the Bat-family, Barbara Gordon is the most mature, and she often acts as the voice of reason in any family matter. Even Batman listens to her advice, and all the Robins and Batgirls look up to Barbara as an experienced hero.
Leslie Grace will be portraying Barbara Gordon AKA Batgirl in the upcoming Batgirl movie for HBO Max, which is slated for sometime in 2022. It’s important to point out that this will be the first proper live-action feature film debut of the character, considering that Alicia Silverston’s Batgirl in 1997’s Batman & Robin was Barbara Wilson, a niece of Alfred Pennyworth.
Cassandra Cain AKA Batgirl AKA Orphan

Cassandra Cain is a fan-favourite Batgirl of many, as she has all the badassery of Damian Wayne but none of the arrogance or douche-ness. Just like Damian, Cassandra Cain was raised to be a deadly assassin, as she was the daughter of David Cain and Lady Shiva, the latter of whom is widely regarded as the most skilled and powerful combatant in the DC universe.Â  She was also raised toÂ read human body language and zero verbal skills, as part of her parent’s plan to turn her into the ultimate assassin. As a result, she’s nearly mute.
In the comics, she also went by the name Orphan, before taking on the Batgirl mantle. Out of all the Robins and Batgirls, Cassandra Cain can potentially be the strongest hand-to-hand combatant. That’s why it’s so extremely disappointing that Ella Jay Basco’s portrayal of Cassandra Cain in 2020’s Birds Of Prey movie was NOTHING like the character from the comics. It’s such a shame and a missed opportunity, as now we won’t be able to get the proper version of the character in the DCEU.
Maybe future The Batman films can change that.
Kate Kane AKA Batwoman

Kate Kane is more popular (or infamous) these days due to the CW’s ongoing Batwoman series. Kate Kane is the cousin of Bruce Wayne on his mother’s side (Martha Wayne’s maiden name is Martha Kane). She usually works independently of the Bat-family but has recently grown quite close to them at times. She doesn’t always agree with Bruce Wayne AKA Batwoman, which is why she prefers to do her job on her own. Plus, she has an existing military background and a father that supported her actions as a vigilante (in the comics, not the TV series).
Luke Fox AKA Batwing

Luke Fox is the son of none other than Lucious Fox, who is most famously portrayed by Morgan Freeman in The Dark Knight Trilogy by Christoper Nolan. In the comics, Luke Fox isn’t the first Batwing. That was originally David Zavimbe, who was the ‘Batman Of Africa’ as part of Batman Incorporated. Luke Fox is different from the other members of the Bat-family in that he relies more on technology to fight crime.
His Batwing suit is basically what would happen if someone combined Iron Man and Batman together. The Batwoman TV series tried to show Camrus Johnson’s Luke Fox suiting up as Batwing, but the budget of a CW TV series simply can’t result in effects that we saw from Iron Man in the MCU movies.
Which Batman Family member do you want to see on-screen and on his/her spin-off flick? Who deserves the spotlight? Let us know!


Civilization 6 Mod Adds Genshin Impact’s Iconic City As A Playable Civilization

Need a bit of F2P MMORPGing in your 4X game? Well, this mod can sort you out.
A modder by the name of Kevin Liu has created a Civilization 6 mod called Genshin Impact – Mondstadt, which adds in the option of building your own iconic European-style kingdom filled with anime tropes. With this mod, you get three characters as Civ 6 leaders: Fischl, Barbara, and Noelle.

The civilization has its own unique district called the Knights of Favonius Headquarters; it replaces the game’s Government Plaza. Its bonuses include outer defense and bonus amenities during peacetime. The mod also gives Mondstadt its own unique unit like in other civilizations: the Outrider Knight. This unit replaces the skirmisher/scout from the Civ 6 DLC Rise and Fall. The Outrider Knight can get Wind Gliders, which gives them +1 movement when they begin a turn on the hill.
The best part about the mod? Barbarians here will appear as the game’s Hilichurls. The mod even adds in a Statue of the Seven tile, which gives your units healing if they land on it.
While the mod is free, you will need the Civ 6 DLC Rise and Fall to use the mod. You can get it here.


Dallas Fuel Signs French DPS Main aKm

The troubled Dallas Fuel has signed French DPS expert and former Rogue player, DylanÂ “aKm”Â Bignet. Last seen on the big stage representing France in the Overwatch World Cup, Bignet was a free agent after Rogue released all of their players following the organization’s failure to secure an Overwatch League slot.
Definitely a welcomed addition to the team, Bignet brings top-tier DPS plays as he is well adapted to McCree, Soldier 76 and Pharah – a role that has been filled by either Taimou, Seagull and HarryHook in the past. Known for his reliability and aim, Bignet’s inclusion increases speciality roles within the team while at the same time opens up numerous tactical approaches.
Having gone 1-5 as they enter Week 4, Dallas Fuel appear to be a few steps behind when it comes to strategy and team coordination. Plagued by off-stage shenanigans of Felix ‘xQc‘ Lengyel since the start of the season, Fuel can expect a much more professional attitude and conduct from Bignet who has been a mainstay in the pro scene for a while now. His former Rogue teammates currently signed to OWL teams include Soon and uNKOE – both for Los Angeles Valiant while Reinforce was recently signed as one of the analysts.
As of January 22nd 2018, Overwatch League teams were allowed to sign free agents to be added into their team. Like all signed free agents during this period, Bignet only will be allowed to compete from February 21 – which is the start of Stage 2 of the competition. If he makes the starting lineup, his debut matches for Fuel will be against the Shanghai Dragons and the Los Angeles Gladiators.


Introducing Push-To-Talk, A New Weekly Series From Kakuchopurei

We’ve started doing PC Gaming week recaps, so why stop there? Kakuchopurei is proud to launch a new weekly called Push-To-Talk, hosted by KKP writer Lewis Larcombe (@73wis).
Check out the first episode below. More to follow, so stick around!


Inilah 50 Pokemon Terbaik Sepanjang Masa

(English version)
809 PokÃ©mon, dan hanya 1 yang bisa mengalahkan mereka semuanya!
Hari ini, saya akan menghitung mundur 50 PokÃ©mon terbaik sepanjang masa, berdasarkan kisahnya, pengaruh budaya, dan faktor imut atau manis secara umum. Tapi sepertinya lebih ke faktor imut.
Ingin tahu lebih banyak tentang kisah para PokÃ©mon sebelum Detective Pikachu tayang bulan Mei? Inilah saat yang tepat buat kamu!
#50. Shuckle

Di sebuah semesta yang kaya akan makhluk-makhluk mistis, ayam-ayam bernapas api, dan serangga yang mampu menembakkan jaring, Shuckle memiliki bentuk yang cenderung normal layaknya… kura-kura.
Mungkin kalian bertanya, â€œKenapa Shuckle bisa masuk ke daftar ini?â€ Sayangnya saya tidak bisa memberikan jawaban apapun. Hanya Shuckle yang bisa. Tapi ia pun tak akan menjawabnya.
#49


Shonen Jump Unveils New Manga Series, Beat And Motion

Shonen Jump has announced that their latest manga title is Beat And Motion. The premise of the new manga series is described as telling the story of a young man striving to fulfil his dream of becoming an animator.
Created by Naoki Fujita, Beat And Motion was the winner of Shuiesha Publication’s Million Tag reality competition in 2021, which was a contest where prospective manga authors competed against each other to be published. For winning the competition, Fujita also received five million yen and the chance for his work to be adapted into an anime on Netflix.
Shonen Jump is one of the most iconic manga magazines in Japan. They are best known for having featured legendary manga such as Dragon Ball, Shaman King, Naruto and more. The first chapter of Beat and Motion is now available to read via Viz Media’s Shonen Jump + website and Shueisha’s Manga Plus site.
Meanwhile, the second chapter will be released in both English and Japanese on 10 March 2023.


ILM’s Ng Sheau Horng On Avengers Endgame’s Motion Magic

Ng Sheau Horng is a Lead Roto Artist at Industrial Light & Magicâ€™s Singapore studio. She completed her Diploma in Graphics Design at the Malaysian Institute of Art, before furthering her studies at Multimedia University in Cyberjaya, Malaysia, and graduating with a Bachelor in Multimedia, Film, and Animation.
In our exclusive interview with her, she revealed that it was difficult trying to obtain her dream job back then, with job options on the Internet not being as robust and widely-available as they are now.
She went through several jobs, including as a graphic designer for an advertising firm and texture artist for a games developer before she was called for a job interview with Industrial Light And Magic (ILM) Singapore, and the rest, as they say, is history.
She’s been working at ILM for more than a decade now, since 2008. In her time there, she has worked on many big-budget Hollywood movies, as well as Marvel Cinematic Universe films, like 2010’s Iron Man 2, 2018’s Ant-Man And The Wasp, and most recently, Avengers Endgame.
The Hardest Challenges In Avengers Endgame

As part of the roto paint department, Ng and her team clean up the scenes to “support the animation department, so that the computer graphics (CG) can be put on top.”
For example, remember the scene where Ant-Man, Black Widow and Captain America was meeting Professor Hulk in the diner? There were a bunch of kids who wanted to take a picture with the Hulk, and Mark Ruffalo was there in a mo-cap suit.
What Ng and her team had to do was remove Mark Ruffalo in the mo-cap suit from the scene, so that the animation team could insert Professor Hulk in his place. According to Ng, that was the most challenging part of working in Avengers Endgame, which is actually echoed by the animation team here.
You can check out the scene that Ng and her team worked with below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9tKr3m6r9NI&w=560&h=315]
Another challenging part in Avengers Endgame that Ng and her team had to work on was the CGI “time watches” that all of the Avengers wore and used to enter the Quantum Realm. The actors were wearing a makeshift prop “time watches”, which they need to remove to make way for the CGI watches to be inserted.
How Tough Was It To Keep Spoilers And Secrets?

When I asked her how tough it was to keep everything under wraps, Ng said that she avoids looking at the end scenes of the work she does, so that she can enjoy the movie more when it eventually releases. She also likes looking at the scenes and shots that she’s worked on.
What Other Scenes Did Ng Worked On?

According to Ng, ILM Singapore took on quite a number of scenes from Avengers Endgame. Besides the Hulk scene and CG “time watches”, Ng and her team also worked on the Battle of New York sequence, when Captain America, Hulk, Ant-Man, and Iron Man traveled back in time to the end of the first Avengers movie in 2012.
What Is Ng And ILM Singapore Working On Now Post-Avengers Endgame?

Ng disclosed that ILM Singapore is now working on Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise Of Skywalker. We can’t wait for that blockbuster movie next.
For more on Avengers Endgame, check out our spoiler-free review ofÂ Avengers: EndgameÂ here, our discussion for whatâ€™s next post-Avengers EndgameÂ here, or the upcoming movies you can look forward to in the MCU Phase Four (4) post-Avengers EndgameÂ here, or what the future holds for the MCU cast we all know and loveÂ here.


The Crew 2 The Agency Update Launches Later Today

Ubisoft announced that The Crew 2 Season Two Episode One: The Agency, the latest update brought to Ubisoftâ€™s open-world motorsports game, will be available on 27 March 2021 for the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/X and PC via the Epic Games Store, Steam and Ubisoft Store,
In Episode One: The Agency, the television production company, Motorflix, is working on a new TV series. Players will star in the role of a secret agent who must stop their nemesis, The Shadow, from executing his plans.
Episode One brings Stunt mode, a new game mode where players will need to reach the designated place before time runs out while doing as many stunts as possible to maximize their score; new vehicle drops including convertibles for the first time in The Crew 2, such as the Porsche 911 Speedster (Street Race) and the BMW Z4 M40i (Street Race); new challenges for LIVE summits, and more.Â

Additionally, Episode One: The Agency will be accompanied by a brand-new Motorpass, the optional multi-tiered reward system offering both free and premium rewards, including vehicles such as the Jaguar F-Type SVR Coupe Professional Edition 2017 (Street Race) or the Jaguar E-Type Series 1 Roadster 1961 (Street Race). 11 of the reward tiers are free, including the Bentley Mulliner Bacalar 2020 (Street Race).
The Crew 2â€™s third year of live support introduces a new seasonal system, centred around a fictional new company, Motorflix, a television production company known for creating the very best motor-fueled action flicks. Players will be recruited to play the starring role in different TV series with themed episodes per Season.
Every Season lasts four months and is comprised of two successive Episodes running for two months. The Crew 2 Season Two will introduce 25 new vehicles, new vanity items including the new lightbar rooftops and aerotyres.
In the meantime, check out the trailer below:


The Best Visual Novel Steam Sale Deals Right Now

It’s the middle of the week, and Steam has decided that it’s the time to launch a brief visual novel sale (March 3 to March 6, 10 am PST; it ends on March 7, 2 am in Malaysia).
Don’t know what to pick? Don’t worry, we’ve picked out some highly-rated visual novels and personal recommendations to help you out.
Higurashi When They Cry Hou Bundle (RM50.19)

Higurashi is an episodic horror-mystery that takes place in the small countryside town of Hinamizawa. Everything seems peaceful, until a death and disappearance occur one day. Is it a supernatural curse, or is it a conspiracy by the townspeople? Higurashi will keep you guessing.
AI: The Somnium Files (RM105)

Set in near-future Tokyo, The Somnium Files is a science-fiction murder mystery. As detective Kaname Date, you investigate not just physical crime scenes but the dreams of people as you hunt down a serial killer.
Danganronpa 1/2/V3 Bundle (RM77.76)

Another murder-mystery, but there’s a robot bear involved too. Aside from a third-person shooter spin-off, the Danganronpa series consists of whodunnit games where your character and their classmates are trapped in a killing game. Whenever someone dies, it’s up to the player to gather clues and figure out who’s the killer.
Kindred Spirits on the Roof (RM26)

One day, relative loner Toomi Yuna meets two spirits on the roof of her school. They compel her to play “yuri cupid”, leading to a fluffy yuri experience that also has a heartwarming story about making friends and expanding your social circle. Unlike many visual novels on Steam, you don’t need a patch for the softcore 18+ scenes here.
*Get the Full Chorus DLC (RM11.75) if you want full voice-acting (the base game only has partial voice-acting), as well as some extra content.
The House in Fata Morgana (RM23.50)

One mansion, four tragedies. The House in Fata Morgana is a gothic story that has wowed players and critics alike.
Steins; Gate Series Bundle (RM73.80)

A group of friends create a time machine by modifying a microwave. It sounds like a comedy, but the friends later get entangled in a conspiracy involving SERN. Steins; Gate is known for being emotional as heck, and was voted as one of the most tear-inducing games in a Famitsu poll.
*The Elite remake doesn’t seem essential, based on the Steam reviews, so you could alternatively skip this bundle and just get Steins;Gate and midquel Steins;Gate 0 instead.
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy (RM34.50)

Be a lawyer and point that finger! Phoenix Wright is a “courtroom adventure” series that has you solving cases and battling to save clients. This is the original trilogy and its 14 episodes.
Wonderful Everyday Down The Rabbit-Hole (RM33.60)

Wonderful Everyday delivers a gripping story with an uneasy atmosphere, multiple mysteries, and various disturbing events. You’ll need this free patch to access it though, as Steam is only selling the first of the game’s seven chapters, which is more of a set-up for the main story.
*The patch also restores the 18+ scenes. Some of these are rather uncomfortable, which adds to the dark story, but they can also feel excessive and overly long. Luckily, there’s a fast forward function.
eden* (RM11.40)

eden* is a kinetic visual novel (meaning that it’s a linear story with no choices) set in the near future, with music by 5 Centimeters per Second’s Tenmon. It’s a love story between the Sion, an imprisoned, genetically engineered human who was created to save mankind over 100 years ago, and Ryou Haruna, a soldier who’s sent to keep an eye on her.
CLANNAD Bundle (RM67.95)

CLANNAD and its developer Key are well-known names, and the CLANNAD: After Story anime (the events are covered in an unlockable route in the original visual novel) is known for being incredibly heart-wrenching. Enjoy the slice-of-life moments, and prepare tissues for what comes later.


Tsukihime A Piece Of Blue Glass Moon English Version Coming To PS4 & Switch In 2024

During Anime Expo 2023, Type-Moon announced that the English version of Tsukihime A Piece Of Blue Glass Moon is coming to the PS4 and Nintendo Switch sometime in 2024. The remake of the 2000 visual novel game was originally launched in Japan back in 2021.

Tsukihime: A piece of blue glass moon localization officially announced at the end of the Fate/Grand Order 6th Anniversary panel at Anime Expo.
Coming 2024 to PS4 and Switch.
The livestream cut off before they showed it but an attendant took a picture of its announcement. pic.twitter.com/Rq4cVvngqd
— HDKirin (@HD_Kirin) July 3, 2023

Tsukihime is part of the Nasu-Verse, a whole shared universe that includes other franchises such as Fate/Stay Night, Fate/Zero, Kara No Kyoukai and more.
The game’s plot follows the perspective of protagonist Shiki Tohno, a second-year high school student in the fictional town of Misaki. He suffers a life-threatening injury at a young age. After regaining consciousness, he gains the ability to see “Death lines” – lines by which things, living or not, will eventually break when they die. Due to his injury, Shiki has immense headaches as his mind cannot cope with the sight of death. Soon after he is given special glasses from Aoko Aozaki that blocks the sight of these lines.
Due to his injury, Shiki is exiled by his father to a branch family of the Tohno household. Eight years later, he returns to accompany his sister after his father died. After moving back, Shiki has trouble adjusting to the old-fashioned lifestyle his sister lives by. As the game progresses, Shiki confronts supernatural beings such as mostly two different types of vampires, a natural-born vampire race; and Dead Apostles, a race of former humans who were mutated into vampires via magecraft or being bitten by a vampire), as well as his family’s secret and his actual past.
Check out the animated trailer produced by Ufotable below:


Esports Medal Events Will Return At The 2021 SEA Games

The very first time that esports became medal events in a major international sporting event was in the 2019 SEA Games in the Philippines. Now, esports will be returning as medal events in the upcoming 2021 SEA Games in Vietnam.
According to One Esports, the Vietnamese Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism has approved for esports to be included as an official category in the upcoming 2021 SEA Games. A formal announcement will be made sometime in November 2020.
During the 2019 SEA Games, six games were competed as part of the esports category, including Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, Arena Of Valor, Dota 2, Tekken 7, Starcraft 2, and Hearthstone.
The 2021 SEA Games will include esports games like Dota 2, Arena Of Valor and Pro Evolution Soccer, but there’s no confirmation yet on the rest (the remaining three games).
Malaysia won medals for Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (Bronze) and Hearthstone (Gold). They were Hearthstone player was Dr. Yew â€œwkyew90â€ Weng Kean (check out when we spent the day with the gold medalist here) and team Shopee Bosskurr.
The 2021 SEA Games will take place in Vietnam starting from 21 November 2021. Stay tuned on Kakuchopurei for more esports news.


You Can Subscribe To Apple TV+ Malaysia Starting Tomorrow

Apple’s very own streaming service Apple TV+ is launching in Malaysia starting from tomorrow on 2 November 2019. What this means is that Malaysian users can begin subscribing at a price of only RM19.90 per month, which is cheaper than Netflix’s current Basic package (around RM33).
Users can also opt for a 7-day trial to try out Apple TV+. Family Sharing will allow up to six members of a family to have access using a single subscription account.
For a period of three months after the launch of the streaming service, those who purchase a new iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, Mac or Apple TV can automatically obtain one year’s worth of subscription to Apple TV+. This counts for anyÂ of those products purchased after 10 September 2019 and capable of running the latest version of iOS, â€ŒiPadOSâ€Œ, tvOS, or macOS.
There will only be 8 Apple Originals TV series at launch, with plans for more to premiere in the near future. These include:

The Morning Show
See
Dickinson
For All Mankind
The Elephant Queen
Helpster
Ghost Writer
Snoopy in Space

Apple TV+ can be watched on the following hardware:

iPhone, â€ŒiPadâ€Œ, or â€ŒiPod touchâ€Œ with iOS 13 or iPadOS 13 or later
â€ŒApple TVâ€Œ 4K or â€ŒApple TVâ€Œ HD with tvOS 13 or later
Third-Generation â€ŒApple TVâ€Œ with the latest software
Smart TVs and streaming boxes that support the â€ŒApple TVâ€Œ app
Macs running macOS Catalina or later
tv.apple.com in a Safari, Firefox, or Chrome browser

In the meantime, head on over to the official website here for them to notify you when Apple TV+ launches tomorrow. Check out the trailer below for a preview of the Apple Originals featured on the streaming service at launch.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BkJLxUf45Kc&w=560&h=315]


US Army Is Off Twitch (For Now) After Backlash

The United States (US) Army will temporarily suspend its activities on the streaming platform Twitch due to negative backlash.
According to industry insider Rod â€œSlasherâ€ Breslau, this move from the US Army comes after the overwhelmingly negative response to their activities on Twitch, which includes attempts of recruitment on the streaming platform and blocking anyone who even mentions war crimes in the channelâ€™s chat section.

new: sources tell me due to recent media coverage of fake giveaways and potentially unconstitutional bans, the US Army esports team has paused social activity, streaming on Twitch, and official activations with Twitch including participating in upcoming Twitch Rivals events
â€” Rod Breslau (@Slasher) July 22, 2020
Earlier today, reports claim that US Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) will file an amendment against the US Army to prevent them from trying to recruit via video games, esports and related streaming platforms like Twitch.
As reported byÂ Vice, a draft amendment was filed to the House Appropriations bill on 22 July 2020. If successful, this will stop the US Army from being able to “maintain a presence on Twitch.com or any video game, esports, or live-streaming platform”.
Despite everything’s that happening, Twitch apparently remains an official partnership with the US Army, according to Breslau.

this is only a temporary pause from the US Army’s side. Twitch continues to have an official partnership with the US Army and Navy
â€” Rod Breslau (@Slasher) July 22, 2020
Let’s all never forget the ridiculous exchange between the official US Army and Discord Twitter accounts last month.

UwU ðŸ’•
â€” U.S. Army Esports (@USArmyesports) June 30, 2020


These PUBG Joker and Harley Quinn Skins Are the True Killing Joke

The Suicide Squad movie was released in 2016. If anything, the PUBG Suicide Squad event is two years too late (I know PUBG only came out in 2017 but it still applies). That’s not the biggest problem though. The cost of the new PUBG Joker and Harley Quinn skins have been revealed, and the prices are a crime.
For the right to run around as the worst versions of the iconic DC villains, the PUBG Joker and Harley Quinn skins will set you back $20 and $25 for each set, respectively. You’ll have to cough up almost 50 bucks for both sets, which roughly translates to almost a whopping RM200!
The Clown Prince of Crime himself must have forced the poor folks at PUBG Corporation at gunpoint for them to have charged so much. Someone call Batman!
If the exorbitant prices don’t seem enough to provoke a reaction, look at the ugly monstrosities that are the PUBG Joker and Harley Quinn skins below. Not even the most ardent defenders of the Suicide Squad movie would buy these.

In other related news, there have been strong rumors of PUBG coming out on the PS4 soon. Although we’re still waiting for an official announcement by the developer and publisher, video games analyst Daniel Ahmad AKA ZhugeEX all but confirmed PUBG PS4 on Resetera when he posted that it will be released in December 2018.
However, it may be a little too late for PUBG to make its mark on the PS4. For starters, Sony’s console already has a bevy of other popular battle royale games like Fortnite and H1Z1. Not only are these games free, but they have also been on the PS4 for a while, which means that they already have an established player base.
PUBG on the PS4 will have none of these things, and so it will probably be a losing battle for the game from the very beginning of its eventual launch.
In the meantime, check out the PUBG Suicide Squad trailer below to see the jokers in action.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTgQVj5ilTk&w=560&h=315]


Death Stranding Contributor & Low Roar Frontman Ryan Karazija Has Died

Low Roar frontman Ryan Karazija has passed away at the age of 40.
The news comes from a statement posted by the band on its various social media channels.
“Ryan Karazija, frontman and driving force behind Low Roar, has died at age 40,” Low Roar announced. “His beautiful music and lyrics, sung in his haunting voice, have touched the lives of so many people all over the world and will continue to do so.”
Low Roar’s tracks “I’ll Keep Coming” and “Don’t Be So Serious” are in Death Stranding The band has a total of 18 tracks in the Death Stranding official soundtrack.
The Death Stranding community, including creator Hideo Kojima, offered their condolences to the late vocalist.
Death Stranding is currently available on PC via Steam and Epic Games Store, PS4 and PS5, as well as Xbox Game Pass on PC.

I heard the news. I can't believe it. I don't want to believe it. Without Ryan, without you and your music, Death Stranding would not have been born. Your music will live forever in this world and in me. Thank you. Rest in peace.
Low Roar Ryan Karazija (1982-2022) pic.twitter.com/buzBwtBHvr
— HIDEO_KOJIMA (@HIDEO_KOJIMA_EN) October 29, 2022


Hearthstone & WoW Streamer Reckful Dies At 31

Twitch streamer Byron â€œReckfulâ€ Bernstein has reportedly passed away at the age of 31. The cause of death is currently unknown, although online reports have circulated that it was a suicide.
The tragic news was announced by esports journalist/insider Rod â€œSlasherâ€ Breslau on his Twitter account after he confirmed the news with Bernsteinâ€™s roommate and ex-girlfriend, Becca.

Reckful’s passing has been confirmed by his roommate. Byron was 31. pic.twitter.com/wfB5A2uhJm
â€” Rod Breslau (@Slasher) July 2, 2020
Becca later posted a longer message in a Tweet, saying:

“We need better support for those with mental needs.
I remember Byron telling me how traumatized he was when he had the authorities called on him for being at risk of suicide.
Anyone that knew him knew how much it scared and affected him.”

RIP july 2, 2020
Read: https://t.co/B70pWw96iR
â€” Becca (@BeccaTILTS) July 2, 2020
Reckful was best known for World of Warcraft and Hearthstone, both games of which he not only streamed but also play competitively. Bernstein’s death has been met with tweets from fans and fellow streamers like djWHEAT and more. His last tweet before his death was this:

please just know in these situations the insane person does not feel in control of their actions
â€” Reckful (@Byron) July 2, 2020
If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health issues or thoughts of suicide, please reach out for help by calling one of the numbers at this website (for those living in Malaysia).


Secret Invasion Episode 4 Breakdown & Easter Eggs

The fourth episode of Secret Invasion is now streaming on Disney+ Hotstar Malaysia. I’ll be discussing heavy spoilers so if you haven’t seen it or want to avoid spoilers, now’s your chance to stop reading.
Check out my spoiler-free review of Secret Invasion here. The first season will consist of six episodes. Check out my breakdown of Secret Invasion Episode 1, Episode 2 and Episode 3 here.
The synopsis reads:
“In Marvel Studios’ new series ‘Secret Invasion,’ set in the present day MCU, Nick Fury learns of a clandestine invasion of Earth by a faction of shapeshifting Skrulls. Fury joins his allies, including Everett Ross, Maria Hill and the Skrull Talos, who has made a life for himself on Earth. Together they race against time to thwart an imminent Skrull invasion and save humanity.”
Check out my breakdown of She-Hulk Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 3, Episode 4, Episode 5, Episode 6, Episode 7, Episode 8 here, and Episode 9 here.
Check out my breakdown of Ms. Marvel Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 3, Episode 4, Episode 5 and Episode 6 here.
Also, check out my breakdowns of Moon Knight Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 3, Episode 4, Episode 5 and Episode 6 here.
You can check out my previous breakdowns of Hawkeye Episodes 1 and 2 here, Episode 3 here, Episode 4 here and Episode 5. and Episode 6 here.
In addition, you can check out my previous breakdowns of Marvel’s What If? Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 3, Episode 4, Episode 5, Episode 6, Episode 7, Episode 8 and Episode 9 here.
If you haven’t, you can check out my previous breakdowns and easter egg articles for WandaVision Episode 1 and 2, Episode 3, Episode 4, Episode 5, Episode 6, Episode 7, Episode 8 and Episode 9.
For The Falcon And The Winter Soldier, you can check out my previous breakdowns for Episode 1, Episode 2 and Episode 3, Episode 4, Episode 5 and Episode 6.
For previous breakdowns of Loki episodes, check out Episode 1 here, Episode 2 here, Episode 3 here, Episode 4 here, Episode 5 here and Episode 6 here.

Gi’Ah Used The Harvest Machine And Became A Super Skrul Before Getting Shot In Episode 3

Our suspicions were correct. Gi’ah (Emilia Clarke) survives getting shot by Gravik (Kingsley Ben-Adir) in Episode 3 because she already used the Harvest machine to turn herself into a Super Skrull. She survived the gunshot by using the Extremis ability to heal and regenerate, but it’s currently unclear if she only has access to Extremis or to the other skills as well (Groot DNA, Frost Giant DNA, Cull Obsidian DNA, etc.).
‘Skrull’ Rhodey Wants Varra/Priscilla To Kill Nick Fury

It’s still not officially confirmed that this Rhodey is a Skrull, but the fact is that he was the one who fired Nick Fury and now he’s asking Varra/Priscilla to kill Nick Fury.
Meanwhile, Nick Fury is listening to their conversation, so he knows as well.
Yes, Rhodey Is A Skrull Named Raava

It’s confirmed; this Rhodey is a Skrull and it apparently looks like it’s a female Skrull named Raava. Her Skrull name is revealed not in the episode itself, but in the credits.

Gravik Kills Talos

While Gravik and the rogue Skrulls tried to assassinate US President Ritson, Nick Fury and Talos tried to stop them. In the chaos, Gravik kills Talos by stabbing him while he’s critically injured.
Talos then apparently dies, while Nick Fury has to abandon his old friend to save US President Ritson.
That’s a huge twist.
We only have two episodes left in this season. Until the next one, excelsior!


New Tales From The Borderlands Drops This October

2K and Gearbox Software will release New Tales From The Borderlands for the PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch and PC on 21 October 2022. That’s according to a now-deleted Amazon listing (via Gematsu).
Pre-orders for the game will come with the “Adventure Capital Pack,” which includes cosmetics for characters Anu, Octavio, and Fran, as well as 10,000 in-game currency and an in-game FL4K Vaultlander collectible.
The game description reads:
Take a stand against ruthless corporate overlords in this narrative-driven adventure!
Within the perpetually war-torn metropolis of Promethea, you’ll control Anu, Octavio, and Fran on the worst day of their lives. Help these three lovable losers as they endeavor to change the world (and maybe even save it)!
Face down a planetary invasion, vicious vault monster, and cold-hearted capitalist in this cinematic thrill ride where what happens next is up to you! Meet a motley cast full of misfits, assassin bots, and talking guns in this race to the top!
It’s time to fight back against exploitation and corporate greed. It’s time to make Mayhem your business.
New Tales From The Borderlands was originally announced earlier this year at PAX East in April 2022.
The first Tales From The Borderlands was originally released in 2014 by Telltale Games. It featured a story set between the events of Borderlands 2 and Borderlands 3, following Rhys and Fiona as they searched for a vault


ROG Phone 3 11.11 Sale Starts Tomorrow

ROG Malaysia is holding an 11.11 sale on Shopee and Lazada, as well as a special Year-End contest.
From 5 November to 11 November 2020, customers will get a free ROG Lighting Armor Case for every ROG Phone 3 purchase via Shopee or Lazada.

From 1 November to 31 December 2020, ROG Malaysia is holding a special contest, where customers stand a chance to win a ROG Kunai 3 Gamepad when they purchase the ROG Phone 3 from selected dealers.
To participate, they only need to buy either the ROG Phone 3 (12GB RAM | 512GB ROM), ROG Phone 3 (16GB RAM | 512GB ROM), or the ROG Phone 3 Strix Edition (8GB RAM | 256GB ROM).
After that, they will need to register their purchase and fill out the form at this link.

At the same time, ROG Malaysia is also holding a year-end sale for their gaming laptops, which will run from 1 November 2020 to 31 December 2020.


PUBG Mobile Club Open 2019 Fall Split Global Finals Early Bird Tickets Are Now On Sale

PUBG Mobile fans will be delighted to learn that earlyÂ bird ticket sales are now live for the PUBG MOBILE Club Open Fall Split Global Finals (PMCO 2019) starting from today on 29 October to 5 November 2019.
You can grab special Early Bird Registration tickets at 20 percent off by heading to this link and signing up with your email address. Meanwhile, the normal tickets will go on sale from 5 November to 1 December 2019 at the Putra World Trade Center in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
For those unfamiliar, the PUBG Mobile Club Open Fall Split Global Finals (PMCO 2019) is will be the largest mobile esports tournamentÂ in the world to date, taking place from 29 November to 1 December 2019. The event will see a total of 16 pro and semi-pro teams from 10 regions around the globe battling for the title of grand champion, and a prize pool of US$2.5 million.
The Fall Split is the second season of PMCO this year, following the Spring Split that took place in Berlin, Germany in July. Together, both seasons represent the start of PUBG Mobileâ€™s esports ecosystem, providing an environment for skilful players to organically grow into professional teams.
PUBG Mobile also revealed the identities of the 16 Country/Region Ambassadors who have been selected to represent their respective country or regional team for the PUBG Mobile Club Open 2019 Fall Split Global Finals.
The Ambassadors will provide timely updates about teams from their region throughout November leading up to the finals. The Country/Region Ambassadors include:

è´å˜‰Lusia (China)
Zaffer (Thailand)
Pedjuang Gamers (Indonesia)
BabyLa (Indonesia)
Terence (Malaysia)
å“ˆæ¯” (Greater China)
é˜¿æ£® (Greater China)
KisiL (Korea)
7WorldsGaming (North America)
ã«ã”ã‚“ã” (Japan)
GodNixon Gaming (India)
Clash Universe (India)
Derek G (North America)
Pew3X (Brazil)
Hala (Middle East)
Nikitanga (Russia)

For more information about the PUBG Mobile Club Open 2019 and participating teams, head on over here.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bL4aPGMTq10&w=560&h=315]


Here’s Your Netflix Binge Checklist For June

We’re officially halfway through 2019 now but there’s still a wealth of binge-worthy content coming to Netflix in the rest of the year. Amongst others, Black Mirror finally returns with its latest season in June 2019, as well as several more great releases in the same month.
Check out my personal picks from Netflixâ€™s upcoming June 2019 lineup below:
Arthdal Chronicles (1 June 2019)

Arthdal Chronicles is an ambitious fantasy South Korean series set in the ancient city of Arthdal in the fictional land of Arth. It follows two heroes named Eunseom (Song Joong-Ki), who relentlessly fights to protect his own tribe with strong protective instincts, and Tagon (Jang Dong-gun), who is charismatic and talented but overwhelmingly dangerous.
Check out the trailers for Eunseom and Tagon below, respectively.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9k7l3PzigBg&w=560&h=315]
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UiNKg9dX_3c&w=560&h=315]
Black Mirror Season 5 (5 June 2019)

The highly-anticipated return of sci-fi anthology series Black Mirror will arrive with three brand new episodes featuring a star-studded cast which includes the likes of Anthony Mackie, Miley Cyrus, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Topher Grace, and more.
Check out the trailer for Black Mirror Season 5 below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMsdlvDaYMA&w=560&h=315]
Jessica Jones Season 3 (14 June 2019)

Jessica Jones Season 3 will not only be the final season for the heroine, but also the last of the Marvel Netflix series. While it will be bittersweet for fans of the franchise, hopefully, Jessica Jones will go out with its best season yet, just like Daredevil Season 3.
The official description reads:
â€œWhen Jessica (Krysten Ritter) crosses paths with a highly intelligent psychopath, she and Trish (Rachael Taylor) must repair their fractured relationship and team up to take him down.
But a devastating loss reveals their conflicting ideas of heroism and sets them on a collision course that will forever change them both.â€
Check out the trailer for Jessica Jones Season 3 below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFGm_E9UeBE&w=560&h=315]
Murder Mystery (14 June 2019)

Starring Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston, Murder Mystery is a mystery-comedy movie with whodunit elements.
Synopsis:
When an NYC cop finally takes his wife on a long-promised European trip, a chance meeting on the flight gets them invited to an intimate family gathering on the superyacht of elderly billionaire Malcolm Quince.
Check out the trailer for Murder Mystery below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YEVQDr2f3Q&w=560&h=315]

Those were just my personal picks from Netflixâ€™s June 2019 lineup. Have a great month ahead!