FV Major 2023 To Take Place This July

One of Malaysia’s premiere fighting game groups will be hosting an annual fighting game tournament in the middle of 2023, offline and back with a vengeance.
FV Cup will be hosting its 2023 iteration on 1st to 2nd July. The games featured will include the newly-released Street Fighter 6, Tekken 7 (Tekken World Tour 2023 tournament), Guilty Gear Strive, and The King of Fighters XV. The registration fee is US$50 for international participants, but it comes with an FV Major 2023 box set and participation for all games. Local players can enter for RM80.
Here’s the full info & registration link:
Date: 1-2 July
Venue: Sungei Wang Plaza, Kuala Lumpur
Games: Street Fighter 6, Tekken 7, Guilty Gear Strive, KOF XV
Registration Fee:
Malaysian players: RM80 for all games, & comes with the following free gifts: FV Major 2023 T-shirt, FV Major 2023 Lucky Draw Ticket x1
International players: US$50 for all games, comes with the following free gifts: FV Major 2023 T-shirt, FV Major 2023 keychain, FV Major 2023 Mouse Pad, FV Major 2023 Lucky Draw Ticket x2

Registration
Local Players: https://forms.gle/CqwaVU2aPrVC6Jvd7
International: https://www.start.gg/tournament/fv-major-2023/details
Tournament Rules: Double Elimination Bracket
Additional Rules: Players may not use any glitch or bug that prevents the game from being played, including but not limited to bugs causing the game to freeze, reset, remove character from play zone or similar results. Prize pool will be released between 90 working days after the event ends.


Baby Yoda Has A Name & Taika Waititi Knows What It Is

Baby Yoda has taken the world by storm thanks to The Mandalorian. However, even after completing its first season, we have yet to discover what its real name is, and some fans are starting to wonder if there even is one. Recently, episode eight director Taika Waititi reassured everyone that yes, Baby Yoda has a real name.
During the Golden Globes, Waititi spoke with The New York Times’ Kyle Buchanan, the latter of whom posted the director’s response on Twitter:

I also asked Taika about Baby Yoda, since he directed the MANDALORIAN finale. â€œHeâ€™s not named Baby Yoda!â€ Taika insisted. There is a name yet to be revealed, and Taika knows it but wonâ€™t hint. â€œIâ€™ll wait for Favreau to give that away.â€
â€” Kyle Buchanan (@kylebuchanan) January 6, 2020

It looks like we’ll have to wait a while longer yet before we learn about Baby Yoda’s real name, perhaps in the upcoming season two of The Mandalorian, which is slated to arrive sometime in fall 2020.


[Report] Fortnite Chapter 2 Revealed; Features Boats, Pogo Sticks, & Leveling Up

After that massive black hole of a pause, Fortnite fans are wondering if and when the new game update will happen. It’ll be pretty soon if this alleged leak is of any indication.
Titled Fortnite Chapter 2 – Season 1, the video (via Twitter’s Shuttlecock) highlights new Fortnite features a new map and boats as new modes of transportation.

The trailer for the next #Fortnite update has been leaked. #FortniteChapter2 looks like a pretty substantial change for the game. https://t.co/A7MGbuLRSk
— Brad Stephenson? (@Shuttlecock) October 14, 2019

It also includes “new ways to level up” by doing non-combat abilities like building and fishing. The new update features over a 100 rewards for players to unlock or buy; this is still an F2P game. Other new additions include stealth mechanics, pogo sticks, and a free 1,500 V-bucks if you finish the new Battle Pass.


This Is Your League of Legends Worlds 2019 Group & Play-In Stage

The League of Legends Worlds 2019 tournament, the biggest one for LoL fans to tune into, will be starting soon this 2nd October. So it’s only fitting that Riot Games arranges a stream to announce the groups and team arrangements for the entire fight.
The fight is divided into two divisions: the Play-In and Group Stage fought via double round robin in the respective groups. New and up-and-comers are in the former group, while the top veterans are in the latter. The winners of each group in the Play-Ins will get a slot in the main event.
Here’s how it’s announced via luck of the draw:
Play-Ins
Group A

Clutch Gaming
MAMMOTH
Unicorns of Love

Group B

DetonatioN FocusMe
Isurus Gaming
Splyce

Group C

Hong Kong Attitude
Lowkey Esports
MEGA

Group D

DAMWON Gaming
Flamengo eSports
Royal Youth

Main Event
Group A

Cloud9
G2 Esports
Griffin
Winner of Play-Ins Group A

Group B

FunPlus Phoenix
GAM Esports
J Team
Winner of Play-Ins Group B

Group C

Fnatic
Royal Never Give Up
SK Telecom T1
Winner of Play-Ins Group C

Group D

ahq e-Sports Club
Invictus Gaming
Team Liquid
Winner of Play-Ins Group D

It’s nice to see a couple of Southeast Asian teams (Thailand’s MEGA, Vietnam’s GAMÂ  and Lowkey Esports)Â  in one of the biggest esports tournaments of this year. You can watch the tournament here starting 2nd October.
Watch live video from Riot Games on www.twitch.tv


Open-World Title KAKU Ancient Seal Comes To PC & PlayStation In 2023

Chinese developer BINGOBELL has announced the open-world action-adventure fantasy game KAKU: Ancient Seal for the PC, PS4 and PS5 in 2023. KAKU Ancient Seal lets players navigate their own path through a mysterious continent full of strange creatures, ancient ruins, and unique tribes.
KAKU Ancient Seal puts players in the role of a young primitive child, Kaku, who’s tasked with going on a journey across a sprawling continent. Accompanied by your pet pig, you’ll have to brave the four elemental regions – Flaming Mountain, Dragon Bone Desert, Misty Swamp, and Windy Snow Field – and conquer their lords if you’re to fulfil your destiny. Most importantly, you’ll have to find food, since your pig pal isn’t for eating.
It will take guts, wits, and skill to unearth the mysteries that lie deep within the ancient ruins of this land. Gather your own weapons, from wood, stone, and metal swords and shields to slingshots and other ranged weaponry. Gain access to multiple costumes and acquire new abilities by defeating bosses and completing quests. Maybe you’ll even make some new friends along the way!
Players will be able to get their first taste of KAKU Ancient Seal on Steam from 1 October 2022 at 12am GMT+8 where a brand new demo will be made available.
Brian Wang, Producer at BINGOBELL, said:
“With KAKU: Ancient Seal we wanted to create a sense of mystery and adventure, where you can forge your own path to victory. We offer players little guidance, as we find it more rewarding to experiment and find what works for you. It’s that feeling of freedom and adventure, peppered with small goals all throughout, that we can’t get enough of, and we’re very proud of the strange, varied world we’ve come up with.”
In the meantime, check out the trailer below:


New Sword Art Online Alicization Lycoris DLC Blooming of Matricaria Is Out Later Today

Once again, Bandai Namco drops more content for Sword Art Online Alicization Lycoris. The second major paid DLC expansion, Blooming of Matricaria will be released on 25 July (which is today) and will be accessible in the Season Pass for PlayStation®4/Xbox One/STEAM®. Nintendo Switch’s version on the other hand has been confirmed to drop on the 29th September the same year.
On top of that, there’s going to be a special broadcast showcasing Blooming Matricaria on the 25th of July at 8:00 PM (GMT+8) on the Sword Art Online Official Youtube Channel
The story is set at the start of the “Hundred Days War” when humans have 100 days until the destruction of their realm. Kirito and his friends are set to resolve the apocalyptic event through thick and thin.

The new paid DLC includes a new character, Log; a sword and shield warrior with an intrinsic eyepatch to him, ready to stand with Kirito’s band of companions. Log’s introduction is also followed by a new weapon type, the Shield Axe, which both Log and Kirito can equip.

Bandai Namco also confirms that this title will include the main game and contains the free-update releases Ancient Apostles series #1 to #4, providing unparalleled content for the Nintendo Switch.
If that wasn’t enough, the Ancient Apostle series #5 to #8 are also planned as free update releases in the future on top of the title’s two major DLC expansions, Myosotis, and Blooming of Matricaria, as well as other goodies such as four additional costumes and 20 CUBE tickets.

In case you didn’t know, the game explores never before seen stories and characters from the Alicization arc of the anime or novels. The Alicization story arc is set in the same virtual world as the anime and novel series known as the Underworld. The game’s story follows up after the final battle against the main boss of the first half of the Alicization arc, the Administrator, branching out into new adventures and vast discoveries.
For more info, head on over to the official Bandai Namco Sword Art Online Alicization Lycoris website.Check out our previous article on Sword Art Online Alicization Lycoris Releases news.
There’s much debate surrounding the game title of the much-beloved series. Although it offers plenty more where the anime and novels left off, do you think this adaption lived up to its status?Let us know in the comments or head on over to our socials to let us know what you think.


Chris Avellone Is Flipping The RPG Script With Dying Light 2

If you’re an old-school CRPG fan back in the 90s and 2000s, the name Chris Avellone should be familiar to you. He’s done the story and narrative for the best and/or memorable ones- Planescape: Torment, Alpha Protocol, Knights of the Old Republic 2, Fallout 2, and Fallout New Vegas. Those games were gripping and engrossing, bugs be damned, because of their tightly-woven narrative and consequences of choice.
Chris Avellone aims to do that with the upcoming Dying Light sequel, and wishes to take the story bits he’s done in past CRPGs and put it in a mainstream action adventure game. In fact, according to a VG247 interview, Chris has been on the Dying Light 2 project since its planning phase.
Here are more tidbits from the interview:

His talent came from pen-and-paper RPGs and D&D, just like most writers and game designers in this line of work.Â Avellone headed up RPG sessions with friends, taking on the role of gamesmaster before leading them on a journey. “Working in video games is a lot like being a virtual gamemaster,” Chris said. “Over time â€“ and a whole mess of mistakes later â€“ I made attempts to refine my gamemaster skills to adjust to the players.”
Avellone is on the writing team alongside Karolina Stachraya. If you loved the Bloody Baron storyline in The Witcher 3, you’ll love Dying Light 2 because Karolina did that storyline.
Avellone plans to fix disparate story quests and plot threads that do not go anywhere. “Iâ€™ve done a lot of branching storylines, branching dialogues, and a variety of reactive events and different endings in most of the titles Iâ€™ve worked on, so to be able to apply that to an open-world space like Dying Light 2 is a fun challenge. Because Iâ€™ve had a chance to work on extremely reactive games, I know some of the best techniques to organise the flow of the plot and characters to account for a wide variety of actions.”
At the same time Techland wants to make the Dying Light 2 world a lot more reactive to its surroundings and landscape.Â “We have new AI in the game, and it will react to different situations,â€ creative director Adrian Ciszewski explains. “For example, AI in Dying Light 2 can â€˜senseâ€™ if the place or the situation they find themselves in is dangerous. And if so, they can make a decision to get away from that danger.”

Check out the full story here; it’s quite an awesome read if you’re into storytelling.


Here’s A Summary Of How Borderlands 3 Is Doing Sales-Wise

For those wondering if Gearbox and 2K Games are hurting sales-wise for not selling their game on Steam, well, you’re wrong.
Borderlands 3 is doing just fine and dandy for being a “billion dollar global brand” franchise according to a recent Take Two Interactive presser. Here are the stats:

The game sold 5 million copies after its first 5 days of launch.
The game is the highest-selling 2K title on PC, as well as the fastest-selling.
70% of the sales were digital.
It’s also the most pre-ordered 2K title and Epic Games Store title.
The franchise’s net bookings are now over US$1 billion.

So yeah, people don’t really care which store they buy a hit game from, or about Metacritic reviews, as long as the game is fun and adhere to the series’ core fundamentals of loot and shooting. I certainly enjoyed Borderlands 3 despite some of its problems; check out our review and our best class build guides here.


Disney & Pixar’s Onward Is Available Now For Digital Download

The recent COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic is putting a damper on movie releases from Disney. On the flip side, that means some films will make their way onto digital platforms right now. Like their recent fantasy hit Onward.
Yes, if you have a US region account, you can purchase the film right now. You can digitally download it via the PlayStation Store, Xbox, and the Microsoft Store. It’ll cost you US$19.99.

#PixarOnward is coming to the US tonight on digital download and will be streaming on #DisneyPlus on April 3rd. pic.twitter.com/W6TgB4kcAa
— Disney+ (@disneyplus) March 20, 2020

If you’d rather stream it on Disney+, you can wait until 3rd April instead.Â Again, this is all on the US version of the service; time to break out the VPN if you’re using any.
Check out our review of Onward, as well as our interview with one of the film’s technical directors Kiki Poh who hails from Malaysia. If you need your VPN options sorted out, try reading this piece instead.Â


Europa Universalis 2 Is Now Free To Claim On GOG

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the long-running strategy series, Paradox Interactive’s Europa Universalis 2 is now free to claim on GOG (until 24 October 2020). It originally launched for the PC back in 2001.

Get a piece of real Paradox history on @GOGcom, for free. 🙂 https://t.co/kE60rVj9oo— Paradox Interactive (@PdxInteractive) October 20, 2020

To pick up your free copy of Europa Universalis 2, head on over toÂ GOGâ€™s giveaway page. Just make sure that youâ€™re logged in, and then simply click the button on the banner at the top of the page to claim your free game.
Since Europa Universalis 2, three other games have been released in the series: Europa Universalis 3, Europa Universalis: Rome and Europa Universalis 4.
In addition, theÂ Paradox Interactive strategy game saleÂ is also running for the next few days. It features massive discounts of up to to 80 per cent on several games from the developer/publisher, including Age Of Wonders, Stellaris and Hearts Of Iron.


This Persona 3 Thanatos Figure Is Pretty Intimidating

The Megahouse MegaHobby Plus 2022 Winter toy showcase seems to give a spotlight to certain Shin Megami Tensei figures. Specifically this one main character’s Persona from Persona 3.
Megahouse just showed off its new Thanatos Persona from Persona 3. Or rather a re-release; this Thanatos figure came out in 2020 but was deemed popular enough for a re-release. The figure’s original price was US$200, so you can imagine how big and hefty it is: 12 inches tall and pretty detailed. Go take a look at the pictures for more proof of its badassness.

There’s no release date or month for this DX-class statue re-release. You’ll have to stay tuned on the link here. In any case, it’s probably worth US$200 if it’s going the limited edition route again, especially if you’re a Persona series advocate.

? ?#MegaHobbyplus announcement??
Game Characters Collection DX Persona3 Tanatos Anniversary EDITION
Cant' wait to see more details…?
Follow us for updates!https://t.co/dSnKV2IkHO#PS3 pic.twitter.com/kgdNdhVnur
— MegaHouse-Official (@Megahousejp) February 4, 2022


Blizzard Unveils Wrecking Ball’s Rare, Epic & Legendary Skins and Victory Poses

Wrecking BallÂ Hammond have been playable on the Overwatch PTR for a few weeks now and as usual, new heroes which are being tested under that environment were only granted their default skin. Today Blizzard unveiled a slew of new skins for our 28th Overwatch hero including wooden and moon versions of the sentient hamster’s mech.Â  Check them out (click on arrows to scroll):
Rare Skins

				Chloride (Rare)

				Potassium (Rare)

				Smoke (Rare)

				Lithium (Rare)

Epic Skins

				Wooden (Epic)

				Biohazard (Epic)

Legendary Skins

				Junker (Legendary)

				Mayham (Legendary)

				Horizon (Legendary)

				Lunar (Legendary)

Our only gripe was that Blizzard didn’t include a transparent-looking mech suit which allows us to see him controlling his mech from the inside, or even a hamster ball-inspired machine – you know, which shows Hammond actually running on a hamster wheel to power the mech.
Anyways, we also have the Victory Poses for Wrecking Ball in the next page:
PAGE 1/2


Authentic Star Wars Hotel Experience To Open In 2021

Ever wanted to experience an authentic hotel set in a galaxy far, far away? Soon, you will.
Walt Disney Imagineering has announced that the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser will officially open in 2021 at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, USA. This is a type of immersive vacation; consisting of a two-night cruise-style itinerary where visitors will become the hero of their own adventure in an experience that surrounds you 24/7 in an authentic Star Wars setting.
The concept art renders below depicts what visitors will see when they first arrive at the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser hotel.

From the Starcruiser Terminal above, visitors will then enter an exclusive launch pod for travel up to the Halcyon, the starcruiser. Through the podâ€™s viewports, it looks as though they are travelling through space to approach the massive ship that is much too large to land on any planet.
A â€œspaceport of callâ€ to Black Spire Outpost is included in the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser itinerary, where special passenger transports take visitors to the planet Batuu, also known as the destination for Star Wars: Galaxyâ€™s Edge at Disneyâ€™s Hollywood Studios.
To get from Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser to Star Wars: Galaxyâ€™s Edge and back, visitors will remain fully in-story as they step aboard transport ships, which you can see in the artist concept rendering below.

These transport ships will then connect visitors directly to a spaceport at Black Spire Outpost on Batuu, where the story that began in the starcruiser will continue and evolve while visitors explore the 14-acre land at Disneyâ€™s Hollywood Studios.
For more details and information in the future, head on over to the official website here. In the meantime, check out other concept art for what to expect from Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser below.


China And Video Games: Censorship And Surveillance

This year, almost half of the global games market is dominated by the Asia Pacific region. That market share is represented by an estimated value of US$72 billion in revenue. Out of that amount, China represents US$36 billion. Believe it or not, even with that amount China isn’t the number one games market in the world. It used to be. Now that spot has been reclaimed by the United States which is expected to generate US$39 billion in games revenue this year (via Newzoo).
A Bit of History
One of the unique things about gaming in China is that it’s almost like an entirely different industry. From 2000 to 2015, console games were outright banned in China. For 15 entire years, Chinese citizens were not allowed to buy, sell, or own any video game consoles. Comments around the Internet suggests that people would smuggle consoles and games from the U.S. and Hong Kong.
How a typical PS3 game deal went down in China.
The ban was implemented for similar reasons why we see some games being censored in China today. There was a fear that console games would negatively affect the mental and physical development of children and teenagers. Addiction and “less time spent studying” was often cited as the biggest boogeymen in the list.
This is why PC and mobile gaming have become so popular in China. The widespread growth of Internet cafes and the development of cheaper but better-performing Android phones are largely influenced by the gaming landscape of China. Games like League of Legends and World of Warcraft grew exponentially thanks to this.
See No Evil
The World of Warcraft you and I play isn’t the same one that you’ll find in China. Any visible manifestations of “death” are ridiculously censored.
The Undead never have torn flesh so that there are no bones popping out or any visible inner organs. The Death Knight class is changed to Fade Knight. A skill named “Death and Decay” has to be called “Fade and Decay” instead. It’s super weird and that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
“This giant snake skull is far too graphic, make it something just a bit tamer. Like a potato.” (Image from here)
Not too long ago we saw Rainbow Six Siege suffering from a major backlash after censoring some aesthetic elements to comply with Chinese rules.
Among other things, a character was made bare-faced because her original design had her put on face paint to resemble a skull. You can play as some of the best special forces soldiers in the world and kill each other in this game but no skulls! Gun violence and murder fine, skulls not so fine.
A Load Of Pooh
China’s video game censorship isn’t just about protecting players from skulls and female anatomy. One of this year’s great Taiwanese-made horror PC games, Devotion, was permanently taken off from Steam because it had offensive content. Offensive only to China’s president.
I haven’t been paying much attention to international politics so I’m not too sure on how good of a president Xi Jinping is. However, I’ve been fully aware of his hatred of Winnie the Pooh. It all started when people on the Internet were making fun of how he resembled the yellow cartoon bear.
Here we see a president of an Asian country excitedly waiting for more games to ban.
Apparently, players had found an art asset in Devotion that echoed this joke and this did not go well with the Chinese government. Aside from having their game taken down, it was reported that their business license was also revoked. Yikes.
Big Brother China
I forgot to mention another cool feature that exists only in China’s version of WoW: underage players have a time limit.
It’s been reported that if you’re under 18 years old, you can only play for a set amount of hours during the weekdays. You can keep playing beyond those hours but you won’t get any loot or experience.
What makes this doable is that a lot of online games in China will require you to register using your national ID. Both the games and government have access not only to the information of your age but also how much time you spend playing.
GAMER IDENTIFIED. (image via Bobby Yip/Reuters)
Recently, the same system was added into the Chinese client of League of Legends. Minors who play LoL for more than two hours will get kicked out of their matches. If I’m not mistaken, Fortnite in China has the same rules (via Polygon).
Cyberpunk China 2020
The attempts to curb game time for Chinese minors is just a small fraction of what China is really focused on. In the future, some games might even require facial recognition to log in.
There’s also the planned integration of the social credit system into Chinese society. Basically how it works is that every Chinese citizen will have a credit score based on metrics like debt repayment, online behaviour, and even excessive game time.
Wanted for playing too much Fortnite. (Personally, I think that is indeed a crime.)
A citizen with a low score could potentially be barred from buying a house or even booking a flight ticket. Mind you, this applies to everyone and not just kids and teenagers.
So yeah, there’s a possibility of a Chinese person not being able to buy himself a house because he’s been grinding too much in WoW. And it’s all because the government knows who he is, what he’s playing, how long he’s playing the game, and even his in-game behaviour.
You can read more about this here.
Far From Over
There’s still a lot more to be discussed about the video games industry in China. I didn’t even go into how Tencent being the biggest game company in the world will probably change the way video games are made but perhaps I’ll touch on that in the future.
It’s impossible for the world to not be affected by China. It’s too big to ignore, not only in terms of political and military influence but also because of how much it affects the global economy.
Until then, let’s just hope the authoritarians stop manifesting their ideologies in video games and keep it within the Great Walls.


Tarkov Bans & Shames Cheaters In Public; Here’s How They Do It

Cheaters never prosper, especially in the online multiplayer circuit of gaming.
Escape From Tarkov (or just Tarkov) developer Battlestate Games is going all out against cheaters in the game; aimbots, wallhackers, and so forth. Not only did the developer ban them but it’s shaming them in public (via Techcrunch). The company has banned 6,700 cheaters from the game and then published their nicknames in a simple spreadsheet via Google Docs.

With the support of BattlEye anti-cheat more than 2000 cheaters have been banned in Escape from Tarkov lately.https://t.co/5dos2ZypDn
— Escape from Tarkov (@tarkov) March 5, 2023

This public action is done for two reasons: (i) to shame cheaters in a public space and (ii) show non-cheaters that Battlestate is taking action.
“We want honest players to see the nicknames of cheaters know that justice has been served.”
Battlestate still has work to do in regard to the ever-growing problem of cheaters popping up; this is one way to deal with it that sends a message. Escape From Tarkov is available right now in beta form on Battlestate Games’ website.


We Might Be Getting A Call of Duty Modern Warfare 4 Game With Single-Player This Year

Despite massive layoffs, Activision Blizzard announced in their earnings report that a new Call of Duty game is coming out this year. The game is said to have a key feature missing from the previous entry: a single-player campaign mode.
Activision spilt the beans on this one by offering very high-level insight on the game, saying that veterans and newcomers would enjoy the game. They added that it is a “great step forward” for the series, as well as to say that it’s rooted in the Call of Duty pedigree, implying that it would be a sequel to an existing game.
Speaking to Gamespot, Activision confirmed that the new game will have a campaign mode, unlike its predecessor, Black Ops 4. Activision also confirms that the new game will have a “huge expansive multiplayer world,” as well as “fun co-op gameplay.” We’ll see more details in the next months or so.

Johnson of Activision said that they have high expectations of the game. With that said, Activision still has their reservations by predicting that sales of the mysterious game will be lower than 2018’s Black Ops 4. However, it must be said that Black Ops 4Â is their best-selling game, so a decline in sales is expected.
It is rumoured that the new game is Modern Warfare 4 from Infinity Ward. The title has been going on a three-year, three-studio development schedule. Therefore, 2019 is the expected window for something to come from Infinity Ward.
Stay tuned to Kakuchopurei.com to hear more about Modern Warfare 4.


Guess Which Super Man Is Going To Play The Witcher’s Geralt?

Henry Cavill can now add “genetically-enhanced sterile monster slayer for hire” in his acting roles because he’ll be the lead character in the upcoming The Witcher Netflix TV series.
According to a recent Instagram post from Henry Cavill, he will be playing Geralt of Rivia.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Henry Cavill (@henrycavill)

The first season of this upcoming show will be eight episodes long according to a Coming Soon post (not a porn site, we swear! Although that’s something Geralt would say when he’s with Trish or Yennefer in private)

Henry Cavill will play Geralt in #TheWitcher — an epic, eight-episode fantasy series based on the best-selling book series!! pic.twitter.com/fBv0Gpkif9
— Queue (@netflixqueue) September 4, 2018

The series’ showrunner Lauren Schmidt Hissrich said that the casting for the lead is spot-on.

He was my first meeting. I didnâ€™t have writers or scripts yet â€“ just a greenlight and a lot of passion. That was four months ago, and Iâ€™ve never forgotten the passion he brought. [Henry Cavill] IS Geralt. He always has been.Â

It’s also a bonus that Cavill is a huge fan of the series; at least that’s what he’s saying in public. He expressed his love for Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt to the point where he posts fan mockups of himself looking like Geralt, photoshopped beard and all. And it looks better than the Justice League post-production work on Cavill’s moustache.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Henry Cavill (@henrycavill)

We can’t wait to see who gets casted as Trish, Yennefer, and a whole slew of other women Geralt will bang in his quest. Here’s to more stellar casting down the line.


Fortnite Chapter 4 Brings The Witcher’s Geralt & My Hero Academia’s Deku

Fortnite Chapter 4 Season 1 has officially arrived in a new update, which will add Marvel’s The Hulk, The Witcher’s Geralt of Rivia, Doom’s Doom Slayer and My Hero Academia’s Deku in the near future.
The latest update also adds the Dirt Bike, newly forged weapons like the Shockwave Hammer and Ex-Caliber Rifle, and Augments, as well as new locations like The Citadel, Shattered Slabs, Brutal Bastion and Slappy Shores. In addition, at intervals in your match, you’ll be given a randomized choice of “Reality Augments.” The longer you remain in the match, the more Reality Augments you’ll have stacked. Your Reality Augments last until the end of the match.
These Augments include the following:

Light Fingers: Makes your weapons using Light Ammo reload faster.
Mechanical Archer: Gives you a Mechanical Explosive Blow & Mechanical Shockwave Bow.
Aerialist: Grants you Glider redeploy for the rest of the match.
Supercharged: Your vehicles won’t consume fuel and they’ll have increased Health.
Soaring Sprints: While sprinting, you’ll be able to jump much higher — and jump with lower gravity.

The new update also adds Unreal Engine 5.1 support, which features a “generational leap in visual fidelity, bringing an unprecedented level of detail to game worlds like the Battle Royale Island.” This is accomplished by using Nanite, Lumen, Virtual Shadow Maps, and Temporal Super Resolution on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC, and cloud gaming.
Nanite provides “highly-detailed architectural geometry,” Lumen provides “high-quality ray traced reflections on glossy materials and water,” Virtual Shadow Maps allow for “highly detailed shadowing,” and Temporal Super Resolution (TSR) allows for “high-quality visuals at a high framerate.”
Check out the trailer below:


Sonic Symphony World Tour 2024 Concert Series Kicks Off This September

SEGA has announced that the Sonic Symphony World Tour 2024 concert series will kick off in September 2023 at Barbican Hall in London and run into 2024. Sonic Symphony is an immersive, in-person concert experience celebrating over three decades of timeless music from SEGA’s iconic Sonic the Hedgehog franchise.
From classic 8-bit and 16-bit tunes to rock and EDM songs, each live show will take fans on a musical journey through the Sonic universe, allowing fans to relive their favourite moments through song while synchronized spectacular gameplay footage plays at the same time. Each piece will be played live by a symphony orchestra and rock band and serve as a tribute to the music of Sonic that has defined generations of fans from the franchise’s origins until today.
Sonic Symphony World Tour is co-produced by SEGA, soundtrec and SOHO Live, and it’s presented by MGP Live. Pre-sale tickets are available starting Thursday, 25 May 2023 at 10 am at each tour location’s respective local times for Sonic Symphony newsletter subscribers and will go on sale to the public Friday, 26 May 2023 at 10 am local time.
The Sonic Symphony World Tour dates are below:

September 16, 2023 – London, United Kingdom at Barbican Hall
September 30, 2023 – Los Angeles, California at Dolby Theatre

Special guests will perform on select tour dates, with more details coming soon.


The Shin Kamen Rider Movie Is Getting A Beat ‘Em Up Game

Bandai Namco Entertainment Asia has announced that a new title, called SD Shin Kamen Rider Rumble, is scheduled for release on the Nintendo Switch and PC via Steam. The game will be part of the beat ‘em up/hack and slash genre, while the concept of the game will be based on the movie, Shin Kamen Rider, which will be airing in cinemas in Japan in March 2023.
The game features an SD visual style, with various kinds of power-up systems that lie in wait for players to experience. The film has been written and directed by Hideaki Anno, who has created several blockbuster hits. The main character, Takeshi Hongo/Kamen Rider, is played by Sosuke Ikematsu. The heroine, Ruriko Midorikawa, is played by Minami Hamabe, while Hayato Ichimonji/Kamen Rider No. 2 will be played by Tasuku Emoto.

In SD Shin Kamen Rider Rumble, there are a total of six low-class members of SHOCKER in the usual stages. Players will face various enemies and stage gimmicks that will keep them on the edge of their seats. The appeal of this title lies in the challenging battles against the advanced members of SHOCKER, who await you as the bosses of each stage.
Players might face defeat in the middle of the game, but the items that they collect will strengthen them and the Cyclone. If players are able to strengthen the Cyclone, they are able to skip the stages that they have cleared and get reinforced items to advance in the battle.
SD Shin Kamen Rider Rumble is slated to launch for the PC and Nintendo Switch on 23 March 2023.
In the meantime, check out the trailer below:


More Baldur’s Gate 3 Gameplay Coming Next Week; Here’s A Teaser

As the headline states, Larian Studios dropped this teaser for its upcoming RPG Baldur’s Gate 3.

Throughout June, we'll be revealing more about #BaldursGate3 starting June 6, on the #GuerrillaCollective Showcase. https://t.co/alQZxS4kH6 It's almost time to venture forth. pic.twitter.com/I4Cjrf0BIT
— Larian Studios is making sweet music (@larianstudios) May 29, 2020

It’s not much, but basically, it’s Larian Studios announcing that it will show off new content on 6th June during the Guerilla Collective showcase.
Here’s what we know about the game so far:

It takes place on the Sword Coast, but will venture forth into the Underdark and even other planes.
The Illithid are the bad guys and the Githyanki are involved somewhat.
We don’t know if this game is going to be a pure Baldur’s Gate title, or a Divinity: Original Sin game wearing Baldur’s Gate clothing.

Guess we’ll find out next week.


Crystal Dynamics Hires Marvel Heroes Developer To Fix Its Own Marvel Game

It’s no secret that Square Enix’s and Crystal Dynamics’ Marvel Avengers is a game that isn’t getting any better with its player base. The fact that the game has you fighting the same mobs and factions over and over, along with the Destiny live service-style structure and grind equals a banal experience using the Marvel brand.
Thankfully, Crystal Dynamics is getting some outside help in the form of Brian Waggoner, a game designer from former company Gazillion. If that company sounds familiar, that’s because it was responsible for the action RPG title Marvel Heroes, a really fun online game that was unceremoniously cancelled because of Disney’s change in game-making direction. Not really a smart decision in hindsight, as you can tell by the lack of reception for Marvel’s Avengers.
His new role will be system designer for Marvel’s Avengers. Here’s the last quote he posted up about the new job change:

One of the things that convinced me to take the job was the leadership of Crystal Dynamics telling me to give them honest feedback about the game and its issues and telling me there were no egos in the room.  I did and they were very receptive to my suggestions.
— Brian Waggoner (@HeyItsBWags) April 27, 2021

We’ll believe it when we see it, but hopefully one of the folks behind Marvel Heroes can help right the wrongs of Marvel’s Avengers.


Monster Hunter World Sold 14 Million, Making It A Capcom First In Years

The latest expansion for Monster Hunter World, Iceborne, is really reinvigorating more love for Capcom’s meal ticket franchise that doesn’t involve zombies and street fighting. So much so that the game holds the current achievement of shipping and selling over 14 million copies worldwide.
To put things into perspective:

Resident Evil 5, a survival horror game that allegedly made fun of Africans back in 2009, sold 12.34 million copies.
Street Fighter II, some indie fighting game from 1991, sold 15.2 million copies.

That makes the 14 million copies all the more impressive in this day and age, especially for a company still in its redemption arc (eg. RE2 Remake, Devil May Cry 5). As of right now, that expansion has garnered 2.5 million on its own. Pretty impressive, if you asked us.
As of now, the Monster Hunter series has totalled over 58 million copies sold. With a Resident Evil crossover on the way, there’s no slowing this beast down.


Fandom Now Owns GameSpot, Giant Bomb, GameFAQs, and Metacritic

Game and pop culture wiki service platform Fandom has just made a substantial amount of purchases.
Fandom now owns a number of major video game news publications and one major aggregate site: GameSpot, Giant Bomb, GameFAQs, and Metacritic. A press release to commemorate this event also stated that Fandom has bought other Red Ventures properties like TV Guide, Cord Cutters News, and Comic Vine. Oh, and Screen Junkies is in the mix.
Fandom as of late has a lot under its belt, with 40 million pages of content, 250,000 Wiki communities, and 300 million monthly active users. The press release that contained these facts said that the combination of these properties will extend its strategic mission to be the fan’s first choice for community and experience. The financials of the deal were not disclosed, but the buyout value is worth US$55 million. Here’s what Fandom CEO Perkins Miller has to say about the deal:
“We’re thrilled to add these powerful, authoritative brands into the Fandom platform, which will expand our business capabilities and provide immersive content for our partners, advertisers and fans. The trusted insights, ratings and content they provide will make us a one-stop shop for fans across their entertainment and gaming journey.”
It remains to be seen if the future of online games media is looking bleak. Buyouts like these mean a lot of reshuffling in the outlet’s respective cabinets. Then again, a number of insiders state that previous owners Red Ventures weren’t exactly the best owners to appease to, so maybe that’s a win.


FPS Gets Stylish With Fashion Police Squad

The indie gaming field is missing a fashion-savvy first-person shooter that’s tailored like a 90s title. Thanks to publisher No More Robots and developer Mopeful Games, we now have that sort of offering in the form of Fashion Police Squad.
You play a cop from the Fashion Police Squad who has to solve fashion crimes committed throughout the city of Trendopolis.
“Get your hanger management in line, and leave the people of Trendopolis looking dapper AF. Once youâ€™ve solved every crime, your perps must take part in the Parole Ball, a fashion runway show where they show off the threads youâ€™ve provided, and prove to the world that youâ€™re dealing real Fashion Justice.”
The game features a fresh weapon-switching mechanic, a full single-player campaign, and a quick JoJo reference below:

Check out the 10-minute gameplay below, featuring belting action and fabulous 90s shooting. Sign-ups for the closed beta are available right now; the game will only be out in 2022.


The Mario Kart Mobile Game Is Finally Getting Multiplayer

When Mario Kart Tour was first announced, it generated a lot of hype and attention. No one could really say no to the idea of having one of the best family-friendly racing games ported to smartphones and tablets. Unfortunately, it didn’t launch so well.

Aside from having a lot of microtransactions, one of the biggest problems that Mario Kart Tour had upon launch was that it didn’t have multiplayer. Players could only race against computer-controlled opponents which kind of made playing a Mario Kart game pointless. I’m glad to tell you that multiplayer is finally coming to Mario Kart Tour but there’s a catch.
Planned to begin in December 2019, the Mario Kart Tour multiplayer feature will first be tested through a beta test that will only be available to those who subscribe to the Mario Kart Tour Gold Pass. The Gold Pass costs US$4.99 per month and gives players access to a host cosmetic rewards and also the ability to play in the 200cc speed class.
Seeing as how the game is still free-to-play, it’s quite disappointing to know that only Gold Pass subscribers will be allowed to test out the multiplayer first. Still, it implies that the feature will be coming to all players once it’s been tested and considered functional for everyone.


KL Turns Into Gotham As The Batman’s Bat Signal Shines For Three Days

We’re only a few days away from the release of Matt Reeves’ The Batman in Malaysian cinemas on 3 March 2022, with early sneek peeks on 2 March 2022. To celebrate the upcoming release, Warner Bros. Malaysia has announced that the iconic Bat-Signal will light up the night sky at three different locations on three different days.
This will be the first time a movie studio has deployed a laser sky projection in Malaysia. As a three-day countdown to the official movie premiering on the 3rd of March, the stunt will be visible at the following locations:

1st of March at Sunway Pyramid, Petaling Jaya
2nd of March at Sunway Putra, Kuala Lumpur
3rd of March at Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur

The bat laser projection will take place at dusk from 7 pm GMT+8 onwards, until about 10 pm GMT+8.
Stay tuned for our review of The Batman. In the meantime, check out my article on why the Bat-family deserves to be in the movies and head on over here for our ranking of all the theatrical Batman movies throughout history.


You Can Now Register For The First Call Of Duty Mobile Esports Tournament In SEA

Publisher Garena has announced that they will be hosting the first-ever regional Call Of Duty Mobile esports tournament in Southeast Asia (SEA). Clan Invasion will involve players from three SEA countries; Malaysia, Singapore, and the Philippines.
Each of the three SEA nations will host its own national tournament, with separate prize pools, which adds up to a grand total of more than US$15,000. Check out the prize pool of each respective country below.

For Malaysia and the Philippines, online qualifiers will begin on 30 November 2019, followed by regional/state qualifiers on 14 December 2019. Meanwhile, online qualifiers in Singapore will commence on 7 December 2019.
The Playoffs for each country will be held on the following dates:

Singapore: 21 December 2019
Philippines: 28 December 2019
Malaysia: 29 December 2019

Team registrations will be open from today until 26 November 2019.Â Here are the links for the registration pages of each country:

Malaysia
Singapore
Philippines

For those living in Malaysia, keep in mind that all participants must be 18 years old and above. Slots are limited to the first 512 teams, with five (5) players in each Call Of Duty Mobile team.
In addition, all expenses during Online Qualifiers and Top 16 Playoffs will have to be covered by participants. Only the final six teams left standing in the Playoff Stage will have their travel & accommodation expenses paid for by the organizer.
Stay tuned on Kakuchopurei for more news and details on Call Of Duty Mobile Clan Invasion in the near future.


Overwatch League: Shanghai Dragons Part Ways With DPS Specialist

The Shanghai Dragons today confirmed that they have parted ways with their DPS specialist,Â Fang â€œUndeadâ€ Chao. According to the team’s official Twitter account, Fang was released from his contract and the move received its approval from the Overwatch League.

Roster Change: Today Shanghai Dragons announce the release of Fang â€œUndeadâ€ Chao, with the approval of OWL office. Shanghai Dragons are grateful for the contributions â€œUndeadâ€ has made so far this season, and wish him all best in his future career.
â€” Shanghai Dragons (@ShanghaiDragons) March 29, 2018
Following their abysmal 0-20 record at the end of Stage 2, the Shanghai Dragons were one of the more active teams heading into the second half of the season (Stage 3) with the additions of several players including tank superstar and first ever female player in the OWL, Kim “Geguri” Se-yeon. Needless to say, the departure of Fang, who have been one of their standouts to date was indeed unprecedented. However, word in the grapevine was that Fang have been unhappy both on and off stage and have been plagued by issues relating to his personal relationships.
Regardless, we believe this move was the best for both parties and we wish Fang the best in everything he does post-Overwatch League.
Meanwhile, expect to see a new-look Shanghai Dragons as they kick-off their Stage 3 campaign against another struggling team, Dallas Fuel on April 5th 2018.


Game Of Thrones Winter Is Coming Adds Night King Invasion Mode Today

YOOZOO Games has announced a major update to the popular real-time MMO strategy browser game, Game Of Thrones Winter Is Coming featuring the arrival of the Night King in an all-new Invasion event on 16 September 2021. The fearsome leader of the White Walkers is leading his army towards Winterfell, and players must quickly unite to defend the realms of men against his fearsome undead army.
During this new Invasion event in Game Of Thrones Winter Is Coming, five 500-man White Walker alliances â€“ including the Night King, his Generals and White Walkers troops â€“ will attack. Their Power will also be counted in the Rankings, where players can compete with them. To successfully defend against the enemy invasion, players must actively attack the White Walkers’ territory and defeat the Night King to emerge victoriously.
As one of the most iconic antagonists from the Emmy award-winning series, the Night King Commander will have a new skill called Scorching Treachery and can cause the enemy’s dragon to attack the enemy’s most powerful lineup once, dealing massive damage. To acquire this character, players can participate in the White Walkers mode to earn powerful Night King Commander Fragments for free. There will also be a new White Walker-themed Castle Exterior and Troop Appearance, so come take part in the White Walker Invasion event.
Game Of Thrones Winter Is Coming is a PC browser real-time strategy game officially licensed by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment under license from HBO. The game was released in March 2019 and has officially launched on web browsers, GTarcade and Steam.
You can download the game now on the Android (Google Play Store). Despite how you or I may feel about Game Of Thrones after its extremely divisive Season 8 finale in 2019, the HBO TV series (arguably) remains a pop-culture giant.


Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 Trailer Unveils First Look At Adam Warlock

Today at Comic-Con Experience 2022 in São Paulo, Brazil, Marvel Studios debuted the trailer for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Kevin Feige, President of Marvel Studios, introduced Zoe Saldana, who plays Gamora in the franchise, before delighting the enthusiastic fans with the trailer debut for the highly anticipated upcoming feature film, releasing on 5 May 2023.
In Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, our beloved band of misfits are looking a bit different these days. Still reeling from the loss of Gamora, Peter Quill must rally his team around him to defend the universe and protect one of their own. A mission that, if not completed successfully, could quite possibly lead to the end of the Guardians as we know them.

James Gunn writes and directs Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, which stars Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff, featuring Vin Diesel as Groot, Bradley Cooper as Rocket, Sean Gunn, Chukwudi Iwuji, Will Poulter and Maria Bakalova. Kevin Feige is the producer and Louis D’Esposito, Victoria Alonso, Nikolas Korda, Simon Hatt, and Sara Smith serve as executive producers.


The MPL Season 3 MY/SG Playoffs Are Happening This Weekend At Sunway Pyramid

The MPL (Mobile Legends Professional League) Season 3 MY/SG Playoffs are happening this weekend from 10am on 20 and 21 April 2019 at LG2 Blue Atrium, Sunway Pyramid in Petaling Jaya.
Eight of the top esports teams from Malaysia and Singapore will be battling it out for prize money, as well the rights to represent both countries respectively at the upcoming Mobile Legends Southeast Asia Cup 2019.
The esports event is free for everyone to attend and will feature plenty of exciting activities for the public. This includes guest streamer appearances, show matches with pro players, early bird giveaways, chances to win merchandise and in-game items, and more.

U Mobile subscribers who wear orange clothing will gain the special opportunity of taking part in event activities and win unique prizes, courtesy of U Mobile’s Wear Orange And Win contest.
For Mobile Legends fans who are unable to attend the Playoffs, all matches will be streamed live in Bahasa Malaysia on Astro eGG Network channel 807 and the MLBB Facebook page here.
For more details on the eight participating teams and the tournament matchups, head on over here. In the meantime, here are some stats from the MPL that will tickle your fancy, from the most popular hero (to play and to ban) to the top players with the most K/D/As.


The Pet Sematary Remake Tweaks Its Formula For The Better

The original Pet Sematary adaptation in 1989 focused its horror tale on a well-meaning nice guy who makes the wrong choices. At least when it comes to shielding the subject of death from his kids for the sake of his wife. Oh, and there’s the unnatural resurrection plot tied into all this coupled with nice gore effects for both humans and cats.
In this remake, the themes are still the same. The gist of the story is as such: city family led by doctor Louis Creed (Jason Clarke) moves into a new place in the woods close to the local animal cemetery, the family cat dies due to a road accident, the adults try to avoid talking about death, father fixes the mess via mystical burial site thanks to a tip-off from an elderly neighbour with a hidden past (John Lithgow’s Jud), everything turns sour from there.
Heck, there’s even a ghost of a victim Creed tried to save in the clinic popping up time and again to warn him about the “ground being sour” and not breaking the barrier beyond the pet cemetery. Despite these warnings, made effective since the ghost’s face is disfigured, Louis presses on subconsciously and even by his own sheer will of maintaining the status quo.
Spirits Moaning Among The Tombstones
This time in this 2019 remake, there’s a bigger focus on the eldest child of the Creed family: Ellie. Having her take the spotlight and replace Gage as the subject kid of the film makes sense as It adds more weight to her story arc and eventual plight. In the film’s third act, she ties it all together the lesson the Creed patriarch should have heeded: staying dead is usually better.

There are enough changes to make retro horror fans at least check this revamp out since it attempts to expand upon the aforementioned themes while trimming the fat.

Let’s be frank: we don’t really need a non-sequitur of a local nanny offing herself to add more tension, or additional scenes of a harrowed doctor shoving special-filled syringes into zombie cats. The framework and cinematography of this remake add a ton more dread and tension through visuals and sound alone.

This film also confirms that Jason Clarke has a personality and can act. He just needs the right film to showcase all of that; usually, that’s few and far between. His dad role in Pet Sematary is perfect; he has a likeable persona that spirals downward into a grievous sad and desperate man who wants to make things right and normal at the end.
Too bad everyone else in the film is just playing typecasted roles. Doting and frightful matriarch played by Amy Seimetz? Check. Lithgow’s caring neighbour schtick from start to finish? Check. Kid who’s there just to do the fake-out in the second act for fans of the 1989 film played by Hugo and Lucas Lavoie? Double check. There’s nothing wrong with playing to type, but it doesn’t elevate this film beyond good thrills and jumpscares.
I Don’t Want To Live My Life Again
If you want a decent scarefest that teaches the harsh lesson that comes with supernatural resurrection forces, do give Pet Sematary a shot. Even if you swear by the original 1989 film (which in retrospect is a product of its time), you’ll find something to like in this remake.
It’s not a horror film breakthrough, but it earns the bronze medal for at least providing effective startling moments and great leads.
Final Score: 70/100


Digimon Survive Bonus Content Detailed Ahead Of Launch Tomorrow

Bandai Namco Entertainment Asia has announced the details of the bonus content for Digimon Survive, ahead of the title’s upcoming launch on 28 July 2022 for PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S and 29 July 2022 for Steam.
For those who order the physical version of the title, they will receive Digimon Survive Release Commemorative Promotion Pack, which contains three promo cards from the popular Digimon Trading Card Game. For players intending to pre-order the game or purchase it on launch day, they will also be able to acquire the DLC-limited additional monster, Guilmon, as well as HP support equipment that are included as early purchase bonuses.
The Digimon Survive Release Commemorative Promotion Pack comes as a physical-exclusive bonus for players. The three promo cards feature the main character Digimons – Agumon, Falcomon and Labramon – as well as their tamers that will be shown in the game.

Players will be able to acquire the DLC-limited additional monster, Guilmon, as the early purchase bonus for the game. Guilmon can evolve into Gallantmon by training and will be a reliable ally during battles.

Digimon Survive is a text adventure and tactical battle game, featuring the dramatic adventures of the teenage protagonists and their monster allies, as well as tactical battles in which allied monsters are controlled in their clashes against enemy monsters. The choices the players are forced to make throughout the game will impact both the evolution of their monster allies and the final ending of the story. Choices may appear in the middle of conversations, where each option will change the path of the story and affect the evolution of the player’s monster partner, Agumon.
Tactical battles with hostile monsters are fought in 2D, in classic SRPG style, using graphics with enhanced spatial rendering capabilities to portray the mystery and drama of the parallel world. These will occur occasionally in the story, where players can place up to 10 monster allies on the field to fight.
Monsters use up SP when they carry out their skills or evolve to the next stage. By utilising the abilities of each monster, players can devise a strategy and fight while taking into consideration the terrain and environment they are in.


Overwatch League’s Latest Disciplinary Actions Raise Concern About Inconsistent Punishments

The Overwatch League suspended, warned and fined several players and a coach for varying infractions earlier today yet they seem to be picking these punishments from a fishbowl due to inconsistencies.
According to a report posted on the league’s official website, the biggest disciplinary action was taken on Dallas Fuel’s main tank, Felix ‘xQc’ Lengyel who wasÂ suspended for four matches, effective March 12, and fined $4,000 for ‘repeatedly using an emote in a racially disparaging manner on the leagueâ€™s stream and on social media, and using disparaging language against Overwatch League casters and fellow players on social media and on his personal stream.’
The emote in question refers toÂ Lengyel typing TriHard7 -Â the emote featuring the face of Twitch streamer Mychal “Trihex” Jefferson, an African America – when Overwatch League host, Malik Forte appeared on screen.Â “In theÂ OverwatchÂ League channel I posted ‘Trihard’ 187 times total,” he confessed via a livestream. However, he denied any intended racial abuse aimed at Malik, and said it was due to bad timing of posting the said emote.
With that suspension, xQc is expected to return to the team during Stage 2’s final regular season match, against the London Spitfire. Considering Dallas Fuel is definitely out of the playoff hunt, many believe he has played his final game for the organization at least for this stage.

That’s not all for Dallas Fuel. Their main shotcaller,Â Timo “Taimou” Kettunen has been fined $1,000 for using anti-gay slurs on his personal stream. The misdemeanour wasn’t initially caught by the league but following reports by ESPN reporter Jacob Wolf, the league pursued the case resulting in the disciplinary action.
Such disciplinary action is the same ballpark of what was dished to Taimou’s teammate, xQc (yes, him again) who was fined and suspended for a lenghty period at the end of Stage 1 for homophobic slur aimed at a rival team player, Muma from the Houston Outlaws.Â  This disparity prompted some sections to point out the league’s inconsistencies in dishing out punishments. However, in our opinion, xQc’s remarks was harassment targeted at a fellow OWL player while Taimou’s was more along the lines of toxicity and personal conduct.
Los Angeles Valiant DPS,Â Ted “silkthread” Wang was finedÂ $1,000 for account sharing. A similar offence by Shanghai Dragons players,Â Fang “Undead” Chao and Liu “Xushu” Junjie in December saw both players disciplined by their team and fined $450 each. While some may point out the disparity between the punishments, rumor has it that Silkthread shared his account for monetary gain as opposed to the Dragons players who account-shared to allow them queue with each other on Competitive Mode. In early December, Philadelphia Fusion tank, Kim â€œSADOâ€ Su-min was handed a thirty match ban for account boosting – eventhough the offence took place way before he was signed to the Overwatch League team.
Finally, Houston Outlaws coach,Â Tae-yeong â€œTaiRongâ€ Kim received a formal warning for posting an offensive meme on social media. The post in question was a tweet referring to 1945 atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki by the United States. Tairong later apologized andÂ donated $1,000 to the Hiroshima Peace Culture Foundation in addition to his apology.
In late January,Â London Spitfireâ€™s DPS,Â Junyoung â€œProfitâ€ ParkÂ  was fined $1,000 by the Overwatch League after getting caught flipping the bird at the camera during his teamâ€™s match against San Francisco Shock. The action which while is inexcusable, happened when he wasn’t aware that he’s being shown on the main screen.
While we think some of these punishments were fitting of the offence committed, we feel that the Overwatch League hasn’t been consistent when it comes to punishing offenders as discussed above. Pro players in the Overwatch League have an obligation to toe the line when it comes to personal conduct – no doubt about it – but the league should also display consistency in when dishing out punishments if they are to be taken seriously.


Bandai Namco Wants To Make A US$130 Million IP Metaverse

Bandai Namco has shown great interest in the metaverse concept, to the point where it plans on spending a ton to do so.
The publisher has revealed plans to develop its own “IP Metaverse” to help fans of its game interact with one another. The company’s mid-term plan from April 2022 to March 2025 (via shareholder meeting) includes the IP Axis Strategy, which consists of three main goals:

Connecting with fans through its IP.
enhancing IP value.
make its projects span worldwide to improve sales outside of Japan.

“Bandai Namco will develop a metaverse for each IP as a new framework for connecting with fans.
In this IP Metaverse, we are anticipating virtual spaces that will enable customers to enjoy a wide range of entertainment on an IP axis, as well as frameworks that leverage Bandai Namcoâ€™s distinctive strengths to fuse physical products and venues with digital elements.
We are aiming for open frameworks that provide venues for connections with and among fans and business partners. Through the IP Metaverse, we will establish communities among Bandai Namco and fans, as well as among fans themselves. Through these communities and content, we will build deep, broad, multifaceted connections that continue for long periods of time, and we will focus on the quality of those connections. In this way, we will work to maximize IP value over the medium to long term.”
Bandai Namco wishes to spend US$130 million to implement this idea, that’s a ton of money for what is essentially the Bandai Namco version of PlayStation Home or Second Life. Though to the company’s credit, it owns a TON of IPs to make it filled up and packed. These include all the shonen anime IPs it’s made games on from One Piece to My Hero Academia, all the IPs in its Super Robot Wars titles, Pac-Man, Mappy, Klonoa, SoulCalibur, Tekken, and a lot more.


Overwatch Is Getting Crossplay Support, 5 Years Later

Better late than never, right?
Blizzard Entertainment has announced that cross-platform play is coming to Overwatch. This will enable multiplayer between Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
To take part in Overwatchâ€™s cross-play feature, players must have a Battle.net account and link it to their console accounts on PlayStation, Switch, or Xbox. The global update also merges Battle.net friends lists from different territories (with the exception of China) into a unified list.
However, there won’t be cross-progression support at launch, which means that level and cosmetics of players wonâ€™t carry over between platforms. Cross-play will be available in all Overwatch game modes, but cross-play will be limited in competitive mode.
How this works is that players on console will be matched with each other, while PC players will only be matched with other PC players when playing competitive mode. Overwatch players will be able to choose not to engage in cross-play, but theyâ€™ll only be matched with other players who have opted out, decreasing the pool of available matches.
According to the official FAQ, Overwatchâ€™s cross-play beta will launch â€œsoonâ€, but there is no release date yet. In the meantime, check out the developer update video below:


Darksiders Genesis Is A Lovely Action Romp That’s Fine With Borrowing

Platform(s): PC
Genre: Part action RPG, part isometric platformer, all Darksiders
Trust the Airship Syndicate (or ex-Vigil Games, if you want to be blunt) to be inspired by gaming design trends they like while putting a spin onto it. With the first Darksiders, it’s The Legend of Zelda. With Darksiders 2, it’s the 3D Prince of Persia titles. And now with Darksiders Genesis, it’s a little bit Diablo and a tad more old-school isometric action games in the 80s and 90s.
Does it matter that it’s borrowing a lot from existing sources? Not really, provided the game itself is fun through and through. This new Darksiders game is definitely that and an extra bag of end-of-the-world-flavoured chips.
It’s basically a tinge of lemon accompanied with tons of chilli spice, in case such a flavour exists.
War & Pieces
The story is simple: taking place way before the first Darksiders, uber-powerful horsemen siblings Strife and War tag-team up to find Lucifer in the underworld and bring him to justice. How? By wading through many stages and dungeons filled with demon hordes, puzzles, and isometric platforming and fighting goodness.
By that description alone, you can already tell that the game is cribbing its isometric action format from classics like Equinox, Solstice, and your old-school Rare games. You get plopped onto a map, you explore its nooks and crannies, kill a lot of angry demons, then solve a few static and jumping puzzles to progress.
The action RPG-bit? That pops up when you’re buffing up Strife and War’s stats via the Creature Core system.

Every enemy you kill will occasionally drop purple or gold gems that you can slot to your Creature Core stat tree. By linking them up properly, you can have your team take more damage, inflict more, or even have special properties in their special “Wrath” moves that usually dish out AoEs or assist in your kiting tactics. Also, you’ll need to amass souls and trade them with the series’ slithery shopkeeper Vulgrim and his filled-out demon lady buddy Dis for new cores, upgrades, and new Strife/War skills for toying with.
Speaking of differing playstyles, Strife and War are unique in their own right. The former is the best-ranged character in the game with some okay melee options, while the latter hits hard and dishes out melees and oversized sword slashes like free lunches. Strife zones and spaces while also being able to move faster than his brother, and can even switch between special gun ammo that either inflicts a chain lightning effect or just summon debilitating gravity holes.

This being his first Darksiders player character experience, he’s a hoot to play as, especially if you’re familiar with isometric-slash-top-down fares like Smash TV or thatÂ Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light Tomb RaiderÂ spin-off.

While the game may feel like it’s tailored towards Strife’s skillsets and gun combat, you’ll still get a kick out of War’s up-close and personal playstyle. Once an enemy is within War’s reach, they’ll get brutalized to kingdom come. The sounds and audio effects that accompany the hack-and-slash actions, down to even the blasts from one of Strife’s more powerful attacks, also helps keep your fingers repeatedly pressing the trigger buttons.
Work Strife Balance

Do all of these components gel well into one completely fun package? Yes, and it’s a splendid experience dishing out sword attacks, then having Strife tag in to pull off a 360 spinning gun attack, then following up with “spectre summons” so that enemies get fooled with Strife decoys. While I’m chain-blasting them to kingdom come for that sweet, sweet soul currency.
Sure, I do wish the screen can zoom out a bit more and the colour palettes can be a tad more striking for the enemies so that I don’t get blindsided as often. And while I haven’t had any issue with isometric platforming, some players who aren’t used to this shift in perspective may die more times just getting to suspended poles and ledges.
And I do wish that the game devs weren’t trying too hard in making Strife stand out with his quips. I’m fine with his dose of humour when placed side-by-side with War’s serious disposition, but it can get a bit grating and eye-rolling in almost every cutscene he’s in. It’s not as obnoxious as Sunset Overdrive’s writing, but it’s just a few steps away.
But generally, I had a ton of fun switching between characters and waylaying them to kingdom come. The puzzles too are tricky, but not entirely brain-busting. Darksiders fans will get a kick out of using the Ghost Arm, Vorpal Blade, and the Void Bomb for puzzle-solving shenanigans.
Need to get to a ledge but it’s too high? Just find two Void Bomb spots and gain air time Portal-style. Need to light up a bomb from afar? Just transfer flames to each brazier using your Vorpal Blade. Fun!

Darksiders Genesis may take you 10 hours for its main campaign, but the replay value here is in the fighting, farming for rare cores to power up your character further for the endgame. Grind-savvy action gamers will get a kick out of the game’s Apocalyptic setting which tests your Creature Core skill tree-managing and reflexes. Or play through the ever-escalating Arena mode where you just grind and harvest for souls and extra cores to get your characters in tip-top Apocalyptic state.
Or if you just want to power through the game and see how the horsemen fare, Normal difficulty’s the way to go. It’s a good challenge that requires just a moderate amount of Creature Core management. You can even ignore the recommended power level needed to tackle the stages if your action gaming skills are decent.
All in all, this Darksiders entry is a great way to close 2019. It sure as heck isn’t completely original, but what Darksiders game is? Airship Syndicate did a great job taking the best aspects of action RPGs and isometric action titles and put their fun and entertaining spin on it, topped off with a decent Gareth Coke-composed soundtrack that wades between tranquil acoustics to battle anthems with foreboding chants.
That’s more than enough to earn it a reputation for being this year’s dark horse.
Pros

Fun solid action for all types of action gamers.
Strife and War are fun to play as.
Lush aesthetics.
Gets more challenging post-game.

Cons

Some UI and graphical inconsistencies.
Humour gets a bit overboard.

FINAL SCORE: 90/100


The KFC Console Embraces The Heat

The console wars just got a lot hotter.
The KFC gaming console is real, powerful and it can keep your fried chicken warm. It’s called the KFConsole, and it’s basically a VR-ready high-end gaming PC with a built-in chicken warmer.
Back in June, KFC unveiled aÂ ridiculous a teaserÂ for the KFConsole, but we all just thought that they were joking.
They were not.
KFC has collaborated with Cooler Master and launched a gaming console capable of 4K and 240FPS. However, no price or release date has been announced as of yet.
The complete specs haven’t been revealed, but all we know so far is that it features an Intel Nuc 9 CPU, Seagate BarraCuda 1TB SSD, and an NVIDIA GPU. It also apparently has “a first of its kind hot-swappable GPU slot” for easy upgrades.

See it for yourself. Find out more about the new #KFConsole @CoolerMaster: https://t.co/omZWuIhBG8 pic.twitter.com/6n5panSJIs— KFC Gaming (@kfcgaming) December 22, 2020


Bethesda Is Still Trying To Make Fallout 76 Work With Raids & Private Servers

Slag Bethesda all you like for their piss-poor take on Fallout 76, but you should at least them props for trying to fix an already-broken game that people have already paid RM200+ for. During a QuakeCon 2019 panel this weekend (Bethesda now runs this, FYI), the developers have introduced a bunch of new features and content to keep the game up and running.

For starters, the game will have four-player raids that take place in Vault 94. According to the devs, the raid is “puzzle-based”, it features three levels of difficulty with the higher levels adding a timer but also increasing reward tiers, and armour set bonuses like the ones in the picture above. Get your team ready for this venture when this mode comes out 20th August.

The game’s battle royale mode Nuclear Winter will be getting a new map this September. It’s a place called Morgantown and includes locations like the Morgantown Airport and Vault-Tec University. The map will also be getting some new levels of verticality as it has the tallest point in all of Appalachia. Oh, and even some regional PvE action by way of the Grafton Monster. But you don’t have to wait too long for battle royale bonuses; players can start choosing their own perks instead of getting randomly-assigned ones starting this August.
Lastly, and this could be a game-changer, Fallout 76 will have private servers. There’s no date for this yet, but the devs said that it’s coming “sooner than you think”. Private servers allow players to have their own community in a particular region; connecting to a private server in Asia would be way more beneficial connection-wise than with a bunch of online random players who may be lying about their region.


Valorant Adds in Neon, An Electrifying Speed Demon

Riot Games has revealed Valorant’s latest agent, and the first one in 2022, in a new cinematic trailer.
The new agent is called Neon, and she’s an electric-powered speed demon. She can sprint and slide, but can’t shoot when she’s doing either. She can also create two walls of electricity that’s similar to Phoenix’s fire walls. Her Ultimate looks like a solid beam of electricity. This is all speculation from the trailer; her actual kit description and abilities will be revealed in the future.
In addition, Valorant’s latest update will be Episode 4: Disruption, which is slated for next week. It comes with a battle pass, like all Valorant updates.


Apple Made Major Cuts To Vision Pro Headset Production Plans

Apple is reducing its production targets for the mixed-reality Vision Pro headset due to manufacturing difficulties, the Financial Times reported.
The company has decided to make less than 400,000 units of the US$3,499 (RM16,282) device compared to its first selling target which was 1 million units in its first 12 months in 2024. Several unidentified individuals who have direct knowledge of the manufacturing process say the complexity of the headset design and production difficulties have forced the company to reduce its targets. In addition, plans for a more affordable version have also been pushed back.
Two unidentified China-based component suppliers separately told Financial Times that Apple only asked for parts to build 130,000 to 150,000 Vision Pros in the first year. Neither Apple nor Luxshare, the headset’s sole assembler, responded to requests for comment on the Vision Pro.

The most expensive components are causing the biggest problems – the two micro-OLED displays (which create the image for the wearer), made by Sony and the chipmaker, TSMC. However, Sony and TSMC declined to comment on any role in the Vision Pro.
Vision Pro, which was unveiled last month, is the company’s latest move to maintain sales momentum and try to push a mixed-reality industry that has struggled for years to enter the mainstream. Designed to look like high-tech ski goggles, the device will come with its own operating system, visionOS, and a dedicated App Store. It will launch in the United States early next year, followed by other regions.
Do you think Apple made the right choice? Would Vision Pro be the next hit in the VR industry? We’ll just have to wait and see.


Xbox Games Showcase To Happen This July

Sony already revealed its PlayStation 5 to the public (sans price tag); now the ball is on Microsoft’s court.
We’ll be finding out if the house that made Xbox Series X will talk the talk and walk the walk when its Xbox Games Showcase happens this 23rd July at 11pm GMT+8. Do keep in mind that the vast majority of Microsoft’s first-party games will be on PC as well.

? Xbox Games Showcase? July 23rd? 9am PT@SummerGameFest Pre-Show at 8am PT with @GeoffKeighley on @YouTubeGaming#XboxGamesShowcase pic.twitter.com/zGr5AnFwic
— Xbox (@Xbox) July 6, 2020

Will it be on par with the May next-gen showcase, or much better? So far, we know that Halo Infinite will be announced, and perhaps a new Fable game. Hopefully, it’ll be just as meaty as the PlayStation 5 showcase. Or not, and we’ll have something new to complain about Xbox.


Ubisoft Is Working On Fixing Next-Gen Upgrade Issue

The PS5 has been out for several weeks now, but many players are still experiencing problems upgrading from the PS4 versions of Ubisoft games like Watch Dogs Legion and Assassin’s Creed Valhalla.
However, this issue is only affecting those who own physical copies of either game. The free upgrade fails when inserting the disc, despite the fact that they should be eligible. Players have been voicing out their frustrations on Twitter and Ubisoft’s official forums.
It is only now that the company has finally acknowledged the problem publicly for the first time. In a tweet earlier today, Ubisoft stated that it’s working to resolve the issue.

We are aware players in the UK are experiencing issues upgrading physical versions of some Ubisoft games from PS4 to PS5. We're working to resolve this, and can confirm anyone experiencing this issue will still be eligible for their free upgrade. Stay tuned for more information.— Ubisoft Support (@UbisoftSupport) November 30, 2020

Unfortunately, there’s still no word on when a fix might arrive. In a similar case, it took Ubisoft two weeks to release a patch that finally resolved the corrupted saves issue that plagued Assassin’s Creed Valhalla since launch.
Let’s hope it’s sooner rather than later.
In the meantime, check out our full review of Assassinâ€™s Creed Valhalla here, or head on over here for our guide on how to be the best Viking in the game.


Other Spider-Man Suits Insomniac Could Have Added Instead of Raimi’s

Insomniac Games surprised all Marvel’s Spider-Man players yesterday when they announced that the addition of the highly-requested Sam Raimi Spider-Man suit from 2002’s Spider-Man for free.

We have a special holiday gift for #SpiderManPS4 players. Today’s game update will include a highly requested suit. Hint: It’s webbed and it’s FREE for owners of Marvel’s Spider-Man! pic.twitter.com/6DLTxPFSaE
â€” Insomniac Games (@insomniacgames) December 20, 2018
Players have been asking, or rather, demanding for the classic Sam Raimi Spider-Man to make its way into the PS4 exclusive game. However, many of them were acting like entitled gamers, as though the developer or publisher is obligated to fulfill their every wish or request.
Full disclosure: I’m one of those who never asked for the Sam Raimi suit, and I wouldn’t have minded if Insomniac never even added it into the game. With all the suits we have so far in Marvel’s Spider-Man, most of the more iconic ones have actually been added, including the original Civil War Iron Spider suit, the Scarlet Spider Kaine suit, and more.
However, there are still a couple of Spider-Man suits that would be great additions to the game. Due to obvious reasons (sequels), I won’t be recommending the Symbiote Spider-Man suit or the Miles Morales suit.
Future Foundation Suit

The Future Foundation Spider-Man suit is from a time when Peter Parker joined the Fantastic Four in place of the deceased Johnny Storm AKA the Human Torch. The reason why was because it was stated in his last testament and will, making it all the more heartbreaking and bittersweet.
All members of the Future Foundation feature costumes with the same black and white scheme, hence why Spider-Man adopted their colors. It’s made of unstable molecules, so it can to other clothing at will or even turn into an uber-cool black stealth mode.
Superior Spider-Man

Superior Spider-Man was actually Spidey villain Doctor Octopus in Peter Parker’s body. After swapping bodies, it was revealed that Doc Ock still had access to Peter’s memories, as well as all the pain and tragedy that comes with it. Thus, he reformed and aimed to become a better man than his previous villainous self by trying to become a better Spider-Man than Peter ever was.
The Superior Spider-Man suit looks pretty badass, with a protruding goggle-like lens and an overall darker color scheme (red and black). It even has mechanical spider-arms like the Iron Spider armor.
Cosmic Spider-Man (Captain Universe)

The Uni-Power (a form of Power Cosmic) is one of the most powerful sources of energy in the Marvel universe, and Spider-Man once had access to it when he proved worthy enough to receive the Enigma Force and obtain the Captain Universe mantle.
This sentient power only goes to people it deems worthy temporarily, to face an immediate threat or an unknown incoming threat. Once the threat has been dealt with, the Uni-Power will leave that individual and find other hosts.
Cosmic Spider-Man was incredibly powerful, making him capable of going toe-to-toe with many Avengers’ villains and the Tri-Sentinel (which the Avengers failed to defeat).
The Bombastic Bag-Man / The Amazing bag-Man

This one-off gag in a single issue of Spider-Man somehow managed to become an iconic suit. The story goes like this: After getting his black symbiote costume removed by Reed Richards, Peter was left naked and without a costume.
Because of that, Johnny Storm gave him a spare Fantastic Four suit with a ‘Kick Me’ sign on its back, a brown paper bag as a makeshift mask and no shoes. This combination was an instant classic.
Ben Reilly Spider-Man

While the Clone Saga remains one of the most hated and most convoluted comic book storylines of all-time, it gave this iconic variation of the Spider-Man suit. When Ben Reilly (Peter’s clone) replaced Peter as Spider-Man, he opted to wear a new design instead of the original suit. He never wore this suit again after he returned to the mantle of Scarlet Spider.
In the meantime, the third and final episode of Marvelâ€™s Spider-Man: The City That Never Sleeps, Silver Lining, arrives today on December 21, 2018.


Here’s How You Can Get Battlefield 4 For Free

From 1 June to 20 June 2021, Amazon Prime members can grab a copy of Battlefield 4 for free. Head on over to this page now to claim a code for the standard edition of the game, but keep in mind that this code only works for the Origin platform. You can’t claim it on Steam.

Battlefield 4 originally launched back in 2013. In the meantime, EA and DICE are slated to reveal Battlefield 6 next week at 10pm GMT+8 on 9 June 2021. Rumours are saying that the next entry in the franchise will return to the modern warfare era as seen in Battlefield 4. We’ll have to wait and see.
Battlefield 6Â (or whatever its eventual title will be) isÂ currently planned for a 2021 release, along with a confirmed mobile game thatâ€™s coming in 2022. This upcomingÂ BattlefieldÂ will not only be the first in the franchise for next-gen consoles like the PS5 and Xbox Series X, but it will also be the first new entry since 2018â€™sÂ Battlefield 5Â orÂ Battlefield V.
Stay tuned on Kakuchopurei.
In the meantime, re-watch this old trailer for Battlefield 4.


Netflix Confirms Extraction 3 Is In The Works

At Netflix TUDUM 2023, Chris Hemsworth announced that Extraction 3 is in the works. However, no other details were revealed, including a possible release date or release window.
Extraction and Extraction 2 are now streaming on Netflix.
In Extraction 2, Chris Hemsworth reunites with director Sam Hargrave, with Joe and Anthony Russo’s AGBO producing and Joe Russo writing. Golshifteh Farahani reprises her role from the first film, with Daniel Bernhardt and Tinatin Dalakishvili also co-starring.
This is a sequel to the first film that was based on the graphic novel ‘Ciudad’ by Ande Parks, from a story by Ande Parks, Joe Russo & Anthony Russo, with illustrations by Fernando León González. Extraction 2 is produced by Anthony Russo, Joe Russo, Mike Larocca, Chris Hemsworth, Patrick Newall and Sam Hargrave, with Angela Russo-Otstot, Jake Aust, Benjamin Grayson, Steven Scavelli, Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely as executive producers.
Check out my review of Extraction 2 here, or check out what we found out from a recent Extraction 2 press conference here.


Guilty Gear Strive’s Baiken Will Be Out Later This Week

It’s official: Baiken will be making her one-handed way of the sword way to Guilty Gear Strive later this month.
As mentioned earlier during the leak hours ago, Baiken will retain her fighting style, her brand of counters, and hookshot from Guilty Gear Xrd, as well as bring in a new playing stage called Lap of the Kami set in the game’s Japan Colonies. And yes, she also brings her ample pride and joy to battle.

Her skills and moves remain about the same, except now her throw and special hookshot tethers her to her opponent temporarily. The tether draws them together and the farther they are, the more damage Baiken deals when she footsies and hit confirms them. Her Overdrive attacks are her three-hit super-fast slash special and her classic handgun with fireworks ammo.

Guilty Gear Strive’s Baiken will be out on 28 January for season 1 DLC pass holders. The rest of the world who wants to buy the DLC content individually (character and stage) will have to wait until 31 January to check out her weapons of mass destruction.


Ukrainian Devs’ Action RPG Greedventory Launches This April

Publisher Nordcurrent has revealed that the upcoming RPG Greedventory developed by Ukrainian studio Black Tower Basement is set to arrive on Steam on 20 April 2023.  Greedventory blends elements of different genres, including souls-likes, loot ’em-up, and RPG, to create an exciting and challenging action adventure. Players must be prepared to forget everything they know as they embark on this exciting point-and-slash experience, with the mouse just as mighty as the sword and the keyboard as their spellbook.
In Greedventory, players will embark on an adventure to retrieve the world’s most powerful magical artifacts from the Igneous Sigil Brotherhood’s iron fist. They will be joined by their trusty companion, the ancient Imp, who tucks itself neatly away in their backpack to help them to master spells, defeat powerful bosses in real-time combat and unlock hidden treasures along the path of their quest to stop the Brotherhood once and for all.
Greedventory’s real-time combat system is built around using the mouse to attack and evade the enemy, with the keyboard a secondary tool for spell casting. This style is designed to offer a challenge, and players should expect to die a lot as they learn and master this system!
The game has been developed by the Ukrainian team Black Tower Basement. During development, they have overcome numerous challenges, including working during the pandemic and living and working in an active warzone. The team has chronicled their experiences in a behind-the-scenes documentary titled ‘Greedventory Dev Diary: Game Development Under the Presence of War’ available to watch now.
Greedventory will be playable in English, French, German, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, and Simplified Chinese. To keep up to date with the latest Greedventory news, follow the Black Tower Basement team on Twitter and the official Nordcurrent Labs Twitter.
Check out the trailer below:


[Report] Death Stranding This November Equals The Last Of Us Part 2 Delay?

A lot of you are pretty hyped about the Death Stranding release date, no? Even with gameplay footage, there’s a good chance 70% of it will be cutscenes if Hideo Kojima’s penchant for cinematic flair is of any indication.
But I digress; one man’s gold is another man’s bad news, at least for The Last of Us fans. According to Kotaku’s Jason Schreier (via Nibellion on Twitter), The Last of Us Part 2 has reportedly been pushed back to early 2020.

Rumor: according to the official Taiwanese PlayStation Facebook page, #DEATHSTRANDING is set to launch on November 8 (the post has since been removed)
Thank you @NanoGuidingStar pic.twitter.com/n5iITPaBPW
— Nibel (@Nibellion) May 29, 2019

Since this is (a) Kojima’s first game since Metal Gear Solid 5 and all that Konami firing nonsense and (b) one of PlayStation’s most-anticipated exclusives next to TLOU Part 2, it’s only fair to have one of them in that precious holiday quarter slot instead of both of them fighting it out. Which means that report about Naughty Dog’s game coming out in 2019 is declared dead in the water. Like the one them Death Stranding babies are in that power up connections and stuff.
Man, that gameplay trailer is one heck of an acid trip.
There’s still hope for you post-apocalypse fans out there: rumour has it that a PlayStation State of Play video will be out this week that focuses on TLOU Part 2, gameplay and all. Possibly with a 2020 release date. The wait will be worth it, Joel and Ellie fans.


Hearthstone Developers Wish Blizzard Reacted Better To Hong Kong Controversy

BlizzCon 2019 is over. The reveals of Overwatch 2 and Diablo IV will be the topic of conversations all the way until 2020. However, the black spot of the controversy involving Hong Kong Hearthstone player Chung “blitzchung” Ng Wai will also continue to taint Blizzard’s reputation.
Hearthstone creative director Ben Thompson. Image courtesy of Blizzard Entertainment.
In a recent interview with Kotaku, Hearthstone game director Ben Lee and creative director Ben Thompson expressed that they wished Blizzard would have handled the Hong Kong controversy with more care.
Lee believes that the initial decision to suspend Chung for an entire year and rescind his prize money was definitely too harsh and Blizzard should have taken more time to consider the proper punishment instead of reacting so quickly.

“The initial decision was too harsh. Absolutely. Definitely should have taken more time to consider something more reasonable, but we can’t take that back.”
– Ben Lee, Hearthstone game director.
Despite what some people might have been thinking, Thompson clarified that the Hearthstone team’s relationship with Blizzard was never really negatively affected because none of the team members felt a sentiment of ‘Oh, this is a Hearthstone problem.’ He emphasised that the many teams working under Blizzard “all feel very tied to Blizzard as a whole” and it was more a company issue rather than a studio issue.
Speaking about what’s happening in Hong Kong, Thompson had this to say:

“Itâ€™s something that is, to be fair and honest, bigger than a gaming company. Itâ€™s bigger than games, itâ€™s bigger than our game. Itâ€™s something thatâ€™s dealt with on a global, sociological level.â€
– Ben Thompson, Hearthstone creative director.
One of the important takeaways from the interview is to understand that Blizzard still encouraged its employees to voice out their concerns internally. Thompson added that due to Blizzard having employees from all over the world, some of them was affected by Blizzard’s decision on a more personal level. Doors were always open to employees who wanted to express what they felt to the leadership, regardless of which side they took.
On the issue of free speech, Thompson made it clear that there’s no denying that free speech is still something very important to the company. The problem arises when somebody uses a platform that doesn’t belong to them to voice out and carry forward personal ideas.

“Doing so from a platform very much not your own and done from a voice not your own to take control, so to speak, or on behalf of another is not free speech. That is on behalf of something thatâ€™s not yours to do with.â€
– Ben Thompson, Hearthstone creative director.
This then brings the interview over to discussing personal beliefs during Hearthstone Twitch streams which Thompson explains is totally allowed. It’s something that goes with the company’s value of upholding free speech since a player’s Twitch channel is their own player so they’re free to express whatever ideas they have.

â€œOur Twitch streamers and content creators asked â€˜What if I want to [talk about this]? Iâ€™ve got things to say, and our answer was always â€˜Say it. Do it. Itâ€™s your Twitch stream. Itâ€™s yours to do with what you will.â€™ Thatâ€™s always something we want to support and celebrate.â€
– Ben Thompson, Hearthstone creative director.
The bottom line is that Blizzard still messed up in how they responded too harshly too quickly towards Chung. That’s all in the past now and all the company can do is focus on ensuring they don’t make the same mistake in the future.
Read the full interview over at Kotaku.


[Report] You’ll Get To Play Destiny 2 On Google Stadia & Use Cross-Saves

According to sources from Kotaku, Destiny 2 players will get a new platform to play their online loot-and-shoot game on this Fall: Google Stadia.
The best part about all this is that Bungie will allow you to transfer your Destiny 2 progress between multiple platforms: Xbox, PC, and Google Stadia. There’s no word on whether this is applicable to PS4 yet, surprise surprise. Remember that can of worms back then with Fortnite and Rocket League?
Moving on: Destiny 2 will be one of the bigger games to be available on Google Stadia, alongside possible titles like Ghost Recon Breakpoint. This means you can load up a Chrome browser and jump into Destiny 2 on any computer. This rumour piece should go well with the Shadowkeep moon expansion leak we reported earlier.
We will be seeing the official word on this later in the week, but suffice to say: this could be a whole new beginning for Bungie.


How to Score More Free-Kicks In PES2019

It’s still early days for Konami’s Pro Evolution Soccer (PES) 2019 but we’ve figured out a useful tip that should increase your chances of scoring from direct free kicks up to 25m from goal. We’ve tried and tested this method multiple times with a high success rate, even when using players whose free kick rating being under 80.
The method we are talking about today is the curving and dipping free kick which is synonymous with David Beckham and more recently Phil Coutinho. This method is best utilised when attempting a free kick just outside of the penalty box, between 22m to 25m and when done right, regardless of the skill of the free kick taker, leave the keeper no chance at all. When done perfectly, you’ll soon be hitting the top corner of goal in no time – instant replay material.
So How Does One Curve It Like Coutinho?Â
First up is to decide the run-in angle you are going to take. As seen from our clip below, we position it so the near post sits nicely between the second and third opposition players forming the wall. This is important as it affects how far your ball will curve en route to goal. Feel free to experiment on the number of players you ‘cut out’ – but keep in mind; the more players you ‘cut-out’, the further the ball will have to travel, and bigger the swerve required to reach the net.
As seen below, we used James Milner & Phil Coutinho; both right-footed players and we aimed for the far left hand side of the keeper. If you so choose to use a left-footed player, the same rule applies – just the opposite of what we detailed above.
Once this is set, we move on to the kicking mechanics. Move your left stick Down+ Left while simultaneously holding down the shoot button. (we have the PS4 Square button as default). For left-footed players (e.g Leo Messi) you’d want to direct your left stick to Down + Right.
Important: Do the steps above SIMULTANEOUSLY – failure to do so will not curve your shot.
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Precision Over Power
The sweet spot you are trying to hit on the power gauge would be a full green bar, with a smidge of yellow. When timed right, you should see your shot curve and dip just at the right angle, evading not only the wall, but the hapless, flailing goalkeeper.Â Practice enough and you’d be scoring freekicks with your eyes closed.
Get Creative
We highly recommend you to start practicing from the middle, and gradually adjust your angles to complement the direction you are taking the kicks from. The further you are from goal, consider ‘cutting out’ up to three players (as opposed to two suggested earlier) as the additional distance allows greater curve from your free kicks. You may want to experiment cutting out perhaps two-and-a-half players from the wall and mixing it with a weaker shot, to pull off a low, curving shot that will gazump the keeper.
The rest is up to you.
It isn’t as clear cut – as sometimes even the perfect free kick can be botched by tall defenders – among other factors. HoweverÂ we hope the tips shared above would improve your scoring rate from free-kicks. Do tell if they work for you in the comments section below!


Prison Architect: Gangs Announced For PC And Consoles

Prison simulation title Prison Architect is getting bigger and bigger, now with a seventh new expansion coming soon.
Publisher Paradox Interactive and developer Double Eleven has announced the next expansion for its game, subtitled Gangs. Gangs adds gang warfare to the game for the first time and adds more chaos to the prison management simulator.
Key features are below:

Meet the gang: Gangs form and grow by gang members arriving by in-take or by recruitment. Each gang has its own personality and traits, and will naturally be drawn to recruiting prisoners with the same specific attributes.
Boiling Point: Now you can measure your inmates and your prison’s “temperature”. As gangs grow and begin to flex their strength, the ‘danger temperature’ of your prison will rise. Thanks to the ‘Boiling point’ UI, you get a detailed overview of what’s affecting the
life of your inmates, allowing you to act swiftly, keeping them happy, and preventing irrepressible riots.
Reform and release: Gang members are now allowed to leave their crew, help them come clean by removing their tattoos and enrolling them in the Gang Rehabilitation Program.
New rooms: Use the Tattoo Removal Room to remove gangs’ tattoos, or have gang members train in the Fight Club Room, turning their destructive energy into fighting in a controlled environment.
Crooked guards: Gangs may coerce guards into smuggling contraband or accepting bribes. You can vet guards during the hiring process (Bureaucracy) as well as recruit C.I.s to identify guards that have turned.

The Gangs DLC will launch alongside a free update called Kite. This update for Prison Architect includes more wardens, guard dogs, room sizes, prison capacity options, and more.
The expansion will come out soon on PC, Xbox One, PS4, and Nintendo Switch for US$5.99.
prison