Wild Rift SEA Championship 2021 To Inspire Mobile Esports Globally

Riot Games will kick-start the inaugural League of Legends: Wild Rift SEA Championship 2021 on 14 September 2021. The online tournament will see 21 of the regionâ€™s best Wild Rift teams battle it out to be the first-ever Wild Rift SEA Champions.
The Wild Rift: SEA Championship 2021, organized in partnership with ESL Asia, marks a significant milestone in Riotâ€™s quest to make Wild Rift its first truly global mobile esport.Â The participating teams come from nine countries and territories across the region, including Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam, Oceania, Taiwan and Hong Kong, all of whom will compete for a total prize pool of US$200,000.

Each of the teams has qualified, following impressive performances at the Wild Rift SEA Icon Series: Fall Season.Â Southeast Asia spearheaded Riotâ€™s foray into mobile gaming and mobile esports, with the region being selected for the mobile titleâ€™s initial Regional Alpha and Open Beta phases.
The Wild Rift SEA Icon Series was subsequently announced in February 2021 as the companyâ€™s first mobile esports league across the globe. Southeast Asia is the worldâ€™s fastest-growing region for mobile Internet penetration, with users spending three to five hours per day on their smartphones – more than any other user in the world.Â
Being mobile-first also means that mobile gaming is deeply ingrained in SEAâ€™s youth culture. Close to 50 percent of consumers in SEA are believed to have played a mobile game on their phone on an app or website, and 80% of all gamers in the region are believed to play games on their mobile phone. This trend offers a great opportunity for the growth of mobile gaming esports and establishing the region as a global hub for mobile esports.Â
Speaking at Wild Rift: SEA Championship 2021 virtual press conference, Leo Faria, Global Head of Wild Rift Esports at Riot Games commented on Wild Rift esportsâ€™ journey thus far.
[videopress zZjjgUj4]
He said:
 â€œWe intend for Wild Rift esports to be Riotâ€™s first truly global mobile esport. While we are still in the early stages of building out our newest sport, our progress in Southeast Asia sets the tone for what we want to achieve in other regions.Â
The Wild Rift: SEA Championship 2021 shines a spotlight on the incredible talent and passion of these Southeast Asian teams, and also sets a standard for how mobile esports can be viewed and enjoyed.
Weâ€™re excited to bring this same player-focused strategy and high-quality productions to other mobile audiences around the world.â€
The Wild Rift SEA Icon Series has accounted for close to 1,000 participating teams since the start of its league, with daily unique views peaking at 1.28 million during the Summer Super Cup. Wild Rift and its esport play a massive role in Riotâ€™s growth strategy for Southeast Asia.Â
Commenting on Riotâ€™s approach to the region, General Manager of Riot Games Southeast Asia and Taiwan, Justin Hulog said:
â€œIn the course of the past two years, Riot has released a slew of new games, such as Legends of Runeterra, VALORANT, and League of Legends: Wild Rift, and also made meaningful strides into the entertainment, fashion, and music industries.Â
From the launch of our virtual pop band K/DAâ€™s second EP and partnerships with Uniqlo and Warner Music, to the upcoming release of Arcane, our Netflix animation series, later this year, we continue to seek new opportunities to delight and surprise our fans across the world. Esports plays a huge role in this strategy and is a key, golden opportunity for us here in mobile-first Southeast Asia.
We have created a vision for this region to be Riotâ€™s hub for mobile esports, and are proud to have been the first to roll out Wild Rift esports.â€
Esports has also been gaining increasing recognition among the regionâ€™s governments, with more countries unlocking the potential of esports through economic investments and career development in youth. Esports was a medalled sport in both the 2018 Asian Games and 2019 SEA Games, and Wild Rift was announced earlier this year as a medal event for the next 2021 SEA Games.Â
There will be 3 stages of the competition for the Wild Rift SEA Championship 2021:

Stage 1 – Play-Ins: September 14 – 19, 2021
Stage 2 – Group Stages: September 23 – 26, 2021
Stage 3 – Main Event: September 30 – October 3, 2021

WHERE TO WATCH
The Wild Rift SEA Championship 2021 will be broadcasted in English, Tagalog, Bahasa Indonesia, Bahasa Malaysia, Mandarin, Vietnamese, Thai, and Cantonese. Broadcasts will begin at 12:30 PM SGT, with the first match starting from 1:00 PM SGT. The matches will also be live on Twitch, Facebook, and YouTube on Riot SEAâ€™s official channels as well as on our partnersâ€™ broadcast channels:
English:Â

League of Legends: Wild Rift YouTube
Riot Games Twitch
League of Legends: Wild Rift Facebook
ESL Asia Facebook
ESL Mobile YouTube
ESL Asia Twitch

Tagalog:Â

League of Legends Wild Rift: Philippines Facebook
PPGL YouTube

Bahasa Indonesia:

League of Legends Wild Rift: Indonesia Facebook
League of Legends: Wild Rift Indonesia YouTube
ESL Indonesia Facebook
ESL Indonesia YouTube
ESL Indonesia Twitch

Bahasa Malaysia:Â

League of Legends: Wild Rift Malaysia Facebook
League of Legends: Wild Rift Malaysia YouTube
ESL Malaysia YouTube
ESL Malaysia Twitch
ESL Malaysia FacebookÂ

Mandarin:Â

League of Legends: Wild Rift Taiwan YouTube
League of Legends: Wild Rift Taiwan Facebook
TWM League of Legends: Wild Rift Taiwan Twitch

Vietnamese:Â

League of Legends: Wild Rift Vietnam YouTube
League of Legends: Wild Rift Vietnam Facebook
League of Legends: Wild Rift Esports Vietnam Facebook
ESL Vietnam Facebook
ESL Vietnam YouTube
ESL Vietnam Twitch

Thai:Â

League of Legends: Wild Rift Thailand YouTube
League of Legends: Wild Rift Thailand Facebook
ESL Thailand YouTube
ESL Thailand Twitch
ESL Thailand Facebook

Cantonese:Â

Talon-X YouTube
Talon-X Esports Twitch
Talon-X Esports FacebookÂ

For more information and updates, please visit the Wild Rift Competitive PlayÂ websiteÂ for all the latest news and follow ESL Asia onÂ Facebook,Â Twitter, and Instagram for more information.
[videopress yzEFwbFC]


Vernal Edge Is A Fast-Paced Metroidvania Slated For Next Month

Add another indie game in the mix for 2023. Vernal Edge is a 2D pixel art search action game with a fast-paced slant to it.
Vernal Edge is published by PID Games and developed by Hello Penguin Games; the game is slated for a 14 March release date for PC, PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series, and Xbox One.
So far, it’s looking very speedy, with our main character being able to pull off Devil May Cry aerial feats to get around. Check out the game’s full features and trailer below.

A Fast-Paced Metroidvania: Explore the floating islands of Haricot. Jump, dash, and slide your way into beautiful pixel art environments and don’t forget that secrets could be anywhere.
Dynamic and Rewarding Combat System: The large number of options at your disposal every time you strike your foes makes Vernal Edge‘s battles a constantly renewed source of excitement.
Make Your Own Way: As long as the wind’s in your sail, you’re free. Take your aircraft to any island you want whenever you want to explore the Kingdom in the order you choose.


BanG Dream! Film Live Is Coming To Malaysian Cinemas Later This Month

BanG Dream! Film LiveÂ is coming exclusively to TGV Cinemas in Malaysia on 20 August 2020.
BanG Dream! Film Live is the first movie and animated live for the BanG Dream! franchise, which revolves around all-female bands whose members are also voice actresses in the anime and mobile game adaptations.

As of 2020, the project has seven groups, four of which are capable of playing their respective characters’ instruments. The movie stars will bring five bands of the franchise together for a concert, including Poppin’ Party of Hanasakigawa Girls High School, Afterglow, Pastel Palettes, Roselia, and Hello, Happy World.

In the meantime, check out the trailer below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usMaIKBX458&w=560&h=315]


HBO’s The Last of Us Diverts Slightly From The Game But Mostly For The Better

We’re already four episodes into the first season of HBO’s The Last Of Us. There are only five episodes left, and the first four episodes already gave us an idea of how faithful this adaptation is to the original game. Showrunners Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann (who’s also the director of the original game) have taken several liberties with the source material, but so far, as a fan of the games myself, I reckon that the changes have all mostly been for the better.
How are these changes better? Well, the changes in HBO’s The Last Of Us are mostly aiming to expand what is already in the games, so the series can be regarded as essentially a director’s cut or expansion of the original game, in a way.
To discuss these changes, I’ll be discussing heavy spoilers, so here’s a warning.

From the very first episode, we can already see how Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann have strengthened and added to the story of the original game by fleshing out the character of Sarah Miller AKA Joel’s daughter. We spend more time with her in the series than we do in the game, as the series shows her going out to repair Joel’s watch. In the game, we only saw her giving the repaired watch to Joel.
In the series, we watch her making an effort to repair Joel’s watch and later visiting her elderly neighbours to check on their wellbeing. As a result of all that, her eventual death in Episode 1 arguably hits even harder than it does in the game.

Another example is in Episode 2, which is an episode directed by Druckmann himself. He added an origin story to the Cordyceps infection, which isn’t from the games. While it hasn’t been corroborated, I reckon that this origin story was previously one that Druckmann wanted to fit into the games, but just couldn’t due to certain restraints and circumstances from game development.
The whole sequence of scenes, with Christine Hakim as Dr. Ratna discovering the Cordyceps infection and later advising the Indonesian military to just “bomb” the whole city to eradicate the infection, is an extremely powerful and disturbing one that will resonate in your mind and leave you thinking hours or days after watching the episode.

In Episode 3, we get arguably the biggest departure of all to date from the original game. This episode almost entirely focuses on Nick Offerman’s Bill and Murray Bartley’s Frank. In the HBO series, we get to see his backstory, as well as that of Frank’s (Murray Bartlett). Frank is Bill’s romantic partner, but he doesn’t technically appear as a character in the game because players will find his body (he commits suicide after discovering that he’s infected).
This whole episode is so heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time. In the HBO series, Bill and Frank both choose to end their lives together on their own terms after getting married and spending one beautiful last day together.
As a fan of the games, I think that Bill and Frank’s story is arguably better in the HBO series than what happens in the game. In the original game, Bill is alive but separated from Frank when Joel and Ellie meet him. Bill later discovers that Frank not only killed himself after being infected but also that Frank hates him (Frank left a suicide letter for Bill).
In my review, I wrote that “the best thing about both the game and HBO’s adaptation is how it shows how human the characters are and how the outbreak brings out the best or worst of any individual. It’s ultimately a story about people, not just about zombies or Clickers.”
This episode (with Bill and Frank) best encapsulates that idea. It’s moving and touching, as well as gives us a beautiful story and optimistic hope in a landscape already filled with so much bleakness and tragedy.

In Episode 4, the biggest difference is the setting (from Pittsburgh to Kansas City) and several original characters, but these don’t really add much to the story of the original game. Still, my ultimate point is that HBO’s The Last Of Us remains a very faithful adaptation of the games, but it adds so much more to the original story by expanding on existing characters or plot threads. While these do result in some changes, they’re not so fundamentally different that they change what the original story is trying to convey.
The changes are for the better, fleshing out more of a story we all already know and love, and that’s great.
More video game adaptations should take inspiration from HBO’s The Last Of Us, which is proof that you can make changes to the source material without sacrificing the meaning and intentions of the original.
In other related content, courtesy of HBO Asia, we were also lucky enough to be the only Malaysian media to participate in interviews with Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann, Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey, Merle Dandridge and Gabriel Luna. You can also check out our spoiler-free review of the entire season by heading over here.


Vampire Survivor Gets New DLC Tides Of The Foscari

Vampire Survivor developer poncle is expanding his hit auto-attacking roguelike game further with a new expansion.
The DLC is called Tides of the Foscari and it’s coming out on 13 April. The DLC will be US$1.99. The new stage you’ll be in is Lake Foscari, an enchanted forest stuffed with fae mysteries and flora/fauna from RPG bestiaries.
New characters in the DLC include:

Eleanor – Star pupil of The Azure Tower and a skilled magic user, Eleanor is as bright as she is shy.
Maruto – Undefeated champion of The Crimson Anvil. Stern, brooding, but with a heart of gold beneath his scowl, Maruto is a man of few words and strong arm.
Keitha – Sly, quick-witted, and fun loving, Keitha will do anything for a bit of adventure and levity. Deliberately stays near the bottom of class rankings in The Amber Sickle to avoid hassle.
Luminaire – The guardian of Lake Foscari, Luminaire is an ancient witch of great power and pure heart. Known in stories as the Lady of the Lake, or sometimes the Arboreal Mistress.

New weapons include:

SpellString – Eleanor’s trusted textbook, sure to provide the answers on any magical topic that might cross her path.
Eskizzibur – Forged by Maruto’s blacksmith uncle as a jape, but to his surprise, his young nephew was capable of lifting it.
Flash Arrow – Keitha’s home-crafted arrows will put a hole through a tree at 100 paces, though her prodigious tendon strength certainly helps.
Prismatic Missile – A fragment of concentrated elemental power loaned to Luminaire by spirits as thanks for her continued protection of the natural world.

Check out the trailer in action below.


Two Point Campus: Space Academy DLC Explores Outer Space

Developer Two Point Studios and Publisher SEGA have released their first major DLC “Space Academy” where you can send students out of space! The DLC is now available alongside an announcement trailer where players get to explore extra-terrestrial adventures.

Players get to start their journey in University City, assist in rebuilding Two Point County’s extinct space program back to its glory, and provide help in inter-dimensional diplomacy, galactic defense, and preparing the County for aliens. In addition, the DLC includes an Outerspace campus, where players get to mine delicious resources based on a cheesy asteroid.
The latest classrooms such as the Command Room let your students have the confidence for intergalactic defense using the energy batons. You will also be treated to a new variety of students, like space knights, quirky astronauts, and aliens with an interest in the galaxy’s forbidden knowledge.
New college party events are introduced for students to host sci-fi conventions, attend the cosmic king of rock ‘n’ roll, and participate in a brand-new club that has time travel. Nothing is impossible at Space Academy.
What will you be teaching your students in Space Academy? Let’s run through some of the new courses.
Astrology
A field free from gravity and common sense. Astronauts trample on traditional beliefs and float within the ether.
Cheese-Moongery
The aliens just love to gobble on cheese as they’ve started to gather the galaxy’s cosmic cheese. Get your space boots and venture into space for the hunt of its delicious resources.

Rocketry/Cosmic Expansion
Former practitioners testified the immense difficulty, still – haven’t we all once built a paper airplane? Prepare yourself to create a pointy space car.
Humanities
Alien civilizations have studied humanity, although most of them have stayed at a far safe distance. Now, alien students get the knowledge straight from the experts, humans! And first thing first, where do we start?
Two Point Campus is available now for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S/X, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam. It will also be available via Xbox Game Pass. Check out the new announcement trailer down below.


Malaysia Esports Blueprint Is Finally Unveiled; Here’s What You Need To Know

After months and months of being promised a comprehensive national esports blueprint, the Malaysian Ministry of Youth and Sports (KBS) has finally demystified its plans for local esports from 2020 to 2025 via a launch event last night.
As usual, Syed Saddiq begins his speech at an esports-related event by reminding everyone yet again that he used to play DOTA back in the day.
Carried out at Dewan Tunku Chancellor in University Malaya in the cover of night, Youth and Sports Minister Syed Saddiq took the stage to announce and share with us the basics of what’s called the Strategic Plan For Esports Development 2020-2025. The full blueprint itself is 144 pages long cover to cover, so I’ll save the juicy details for later and give you guys a basic rundown of what’s what.
A blueprint is drafted so that goals may be reached and the biggest mission that the KBS seeks to accomplish is to “propel Malaysian esports to greater heights and put Malaysia on the map as Southeast Asia’s most active and attractive centre for esports excellence“. As Saddiq himself repeated many times in his speech last night, “together” is how it will all be done.
There are 5 strategic priorities outlined in the blueprint:

Develop Athletes For Esports Excellence

Towards Responsible Gaming And Esports Ethics

Better Access To Esports Infrastructure

Build A Sustainable Esports Ecosystem

Institute Good Law And Governance

Saddiq handing the physical copy of the blueprint to Esports Malaysia (ESM) President Dato’ Ananth S. Nathan.
Basically, the bigger picture here is to focus on making esports a sustainable industry that will continue to grow alongside other sports in Malaysia. Saddiq acknowledges that 2018 and 2019 have been years full of firsts for Malaysia (KL Major, Mobile Legends M1, PMCO) and wants to ensure that major esports organisations continue to choose Malaysia as their prime destination.
Also officially revealed at the launch event were the blueprint task force committee members who until last night have been shrouded in mystery. Here’s who they are and some background information on them:

Frank Ng Shun Ming

Executive Chairman of Esports Business Networking (EBN) Sdn
Bhd.
EBN owns TGC Marketing, Prime Live, Orange Internet Cafe and Orange
Esports.
Selected to be part of task force thanks to his “experience as an active esports industry player”.

Ramona Azween Binti Zaharuddin

Professional CS:GO player who is currently captain of China-based Tyloo.fe CS:GO team.
Formerly captain of Malaysia’s best female CS:GO team Orange.Sphynx.

Michelle Low

Head of Marketing at Agri Mind Sdn Bhd, a strategic partner of WESG in Southeast Asia.
Active member of KL Table Tennis Association.
Has worked with KBS and Olympic Council Malaysia since 1998.

Ramona Azween, professional CS:GO player and member of the blueprint task force committee.
One particularly interesting priority of the blueprint that Saddiq highlighted in his speech was women participation in esports. In one of the slides shown at the event, it was stated that Malaysia already has a 50/50 male-female participation whether it’d be casual or professional players. Saddiq didn’t mention where and how his ministry got these numbers, but they really need to be scrutinised.
That’s pretty much all you guys need to know about the KBS esports blueprint. What’s been written in this article only scratches the surface, so I implore you to download and read the full blueprint.
To download the esports blueprint slides shown at the launch event, click here. For the full blueprint book, click here. For more updates and news on Malaysian esports, stay tuned on Kakuchopurei.


Deathloop Celebrates Launch With Music Covers By Steve Aoki, Madison Beer & Future

Bethesda and PlayStation haveÂ partnered with leading global artistsÂ Madison Beer,Â Steve AokiÂ andÂ FutureÂ to celebrate the launch ofÂ Deathloop with their own unique covers of the gameâ€™s signature music single, â€˜DÃ©jÃ  Vuâ€™. These tracks are now available on each of the artistâ€™s TikTok accounts, ready to be looped over and over.
The single â€˜DÃ©jÃ  Vuâ€™ debuted earlier in 2021 and captured the imagination of gamers all over the world. Taking inspiration from iconic opening credits to a Bond movie, Arkane Studios worked with Sencit and FJÃ˜RA to craft this one-of-a-kind track, which originally debuted at the beginning of the year. Now ahead ofÂ Deathloopâ€™s launch on 14 September 2021, Madison Beer, Steve Aoki and Future have each re-imagined the song in their own style.
Madison covered the single with her pop voice, while Future has put a hip-hop spin on the track. Finally, DJ Steve Aoki remixed the tune to create a modern classic fit for even resident Blackreef party animal Aleksis Dorseyâ€™s extravagant parties.
Steve Aoki

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Steve Aoki (@steveaoki)

Future
https://www.instagram.com/p/CTpMd44Dl_k/
Madison Beer

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Madison Beer (@madisonbeer)

You can also check out their covers by heading to the links below:

Steve Aoki -Â https://www.instagram.com/p/CTpfmXSpT-i/
Future -Â https://www.instagram.com/p/CTpMd44Dl_k/
Madison Beer -Â https://www.instagram.com/p/CTpaOyIBgVu/

Fans can also get a taste of the looping action by heading to TikTok to create, stitch or duet these artist covers.
Deathloop will launch on 14 September 2021 exclusively for PS5 and PC. Stay tuned for our review of the game later tonight!


This Detailed Patlabor Figure Would Look Great In Your Mecha Collection

Veteran anime and manga fans will remember the classic Mobile Police Patlabor animated movies and series, featuring the iconic mecha design of the Patlabor. Guillermo Del Toro even cites Patlabor as one of the many influences for his 2013 movie Pacific Rim, and 10 August is the official annual Patlabor Day in Japan.

Toy manufacturer ThreeZero has announced a 1/35th scale articulated figure of Mobile Police Patlabor Ingram Unit 1, which looks absolutely amazing and detailed. This special figure commemorates the 30th anniversary of the franchise (in 2018), which originally debuted in manga form back in 1988.
https://www.facebook.com/threezeroHK/posts/3776697885689345
However, ThreeZero has yet to reveal the price or release date for the Patlabor 1/35th scale figure, but only that it is “coming soon”. In the meantime, here’s a fun fact for Patlabor fans who are gamers. His most recent appearance in a video game was in 2017’s City Shrouded in Shadow, which was (unfortunately) exclusively released in Japan.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tyu4lZqOGg0&w=560&h=315]


Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 Post-Credits & Ending Explained

Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 is now showing in Malaysian cinemas and it’s the second movie in Phase Five of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) after Ant-Man And The Wasp Quantumania. The movie is extremely important for the MCU moving forward.
If you’re looking for a spoiler-free review of the movie, head on over here instead.
I’ll be discussing major spoilers from the movie (including the movie’s two post-credits scenes), so here are some spoiler warnings:

Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 Breakdown

Before we explore what happened in the movie’s two post-credits scenes, let’s briefly discuss what happens in the movie. Basically, in Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3, we learn about Rocket Raccoon’s (Bradley Cooper) origins and backstory. How he started as a normal raccoon and was experimented on by the High Evolutionary (Chukwudi Iwuji) to gain sentience and become the talking raccoon he is today. During a flashback, we learn that the reason why Rocket has never talked about how he escaped from the High Evolutionary is because all of his fellow sentient animal friends died while he was trying to make his escape.
Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 begins with Adam Warlock (Will Poulter) being sent to re-capture Rocket. While the Guardians manage to defeat Adam and prevent that, Rocket’s kill switch on his heart gets activated. So, the entire movie is about the Guardians attempting to find a way to turn off the kill switch and heal Rocket. Near the end of the movie, they manage to defeat the High Evolutionary and save some of the Sovereign children (as well as other animals and creatures) that he was experimenting on.
In the movie’s ending, here’s what happens to each of the Guardians:
Peter Quill AKA Star-Lord (Chris Pratt)
GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 3. © 2023 MARVEL.
Peter decides to take a break from the Guardians and returns to Earth to reunite with his grandfather (with Gregg Henry reprising his role from 2014’s Guardians Of The Galaxy).
Gamora (Zoe Saldana)
GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 3. © 2023 MARVEL.
Again, as a reminder, the current version of Gamora in the MCU is actually a variant of Gamora from the past, one who never joined the Guardians. In Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3, she helps the Guardians defeat the High Evolutionary but eventually ends up returning to the United Ravagers group at the end of the movie.
Mantis (Pom Klementieff)
GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 3. © 2023 MARVEL.
Mantis decides to leave the Guardians to explore the galaxy to find her own purpose.
Drax The Destroyer (Dave Bautista)
GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 3. © 2023 MARVEL.
Drax wants to follow Mantis but ends up staying behind at Knowhere to help Nebula raise the surviving children of Sovereign whom they saved from the High Evolutionary.
Nebula (Karen Gillan)
GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 3. © 2023 MARVEL.
Nebula stays on Knowhere to rebuild the place and raise the surviving children of Sovereign whom they saved from the High Evolutionary, along with Drax.
So, these members have left the active roster of the Guardians Of The Galaxy at the end of Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3. Where are the rest of the Guardians?
Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 Post Credits 1: Revealing The New Guardians Of The Galaxy Team Roster

Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 ends with Rocket being elected the new leader and captain of the active Guardians Of The Galaxy team. The roster for this team is then revealed in the first post-credits of Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3.
They include:
Rocket Racoon (Bradley Cooper)
GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 3. © 2023 MARVEL.
He is now the leader and captain of the team.
Groot (Vin Diesel)
GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 3. © 2023 MARVEL.
Groot is now as almost big as he was in 2014’s Guardians Of The Galaxy. He is an active member of the new team.
Kraglin Obfonteri (Sean Gunn)
GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 3. © 2023 MARVEL.
The former partner of Yondu Udonta and the inheritor of his fin (that controls the flying arrow), Kraglin becomes an active member of the new team now that he can fully control the flying arrow.
Adam Warlock (Will Poulter)
(L-R): Will Poulter as Adam Warlock in Marvel Studios’ Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Photo by Jessica Miglio. © 2022 MARVEL.
Adam Warlock no longer follows the High Evolutionary now that his ‘mother’ (Ayesha, with Elizabeth Debicki reprising her role) is dead and is now an active member of the new team.
Cosmo The Spacedog (Maria Bakalova)
GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 3. © 2023 MARVEL.
Cosmo The Dog is also an active member of the new team, now that she’s demonstrated her powerful telekinetic abilities.
Phyla (Kai Zen)
Chukwudi Iwuji as The High Evolutionary in Marvel Studios’ Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Photo courtesy of Marvel Studios. © 2022 MARVEL.
One of the many surviving Sovereign children saved by the Guardians from the High Evolutionary. See the picture above for the only official picture with one of the Sovereign children and who might be Phyla (Kai Zen).
Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 Post Credits 2: The Legendary Star-Lord Will Return
The second post-credits scene doesn’t reveal much, only showing Peter spending time and having breakfast with his grandfather. The newspaper report features a Kevin Bacon easter egg from the Guardians Of The Galaxy Holiday Special. The second post-credits ends with a sentence saying that “The Legendary Star-Lord Will Return”, which means that we’ll probably see him again in future MCU movies.
So, What’s Next?
Well, Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 is pretty much a standalone movie that doesn’t bother with any buildup or setup for the future of the MCU. That said, here’s what I can say about what to expect next.
Who Is Phyla? Look Out For Her Next

So, in a blink or you’ll miss it moment, the first post-credits in Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 establishes that this mysterious Sovereign girl is now one of the Guardians’ new team members.
It’s a bit weird that she was introduced so suddenly, right? Well, in the comics, Phyla, or Phyla-Vell, is a major character.
In the comics, Phyla-Vell first appeared in Captain Marvel vol. 5 #16 (January 2004) and she is the daughter of Mar-Vell AKA the original Captain Marvel and the sister of Genis-Vell AKA Mar-Vell’s son. She has gone by many superhero names over the years, including inheriting the mantle of Captain Marvel, Quasar when she had the Quantum Bands and Martyr when she was the Avatar of the cosmic being known as Oblivion.
Obviously, the MCU version of Phyla is different. For one thing, she’s not the daughter of Mar-Vell anymore (hence the name, Phyla). Also, she’s one of the Sovereign and not half-Kree half Eternal. However, a glimpse of her powers seen in the second post-credits of Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 may indicate similar energy-based powers as the MCU version of Adam Warlock, which is likely considering that they were both created by the High Evolutionary.

Now That Adam Warlock Is Here, The Potential For A New Thanos-Level Villain Is Here As Well

Adam Warlock started as a bad guy in Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3 but ends up becoming a Guardian. However, now that he exists in the MCU, we could possibly see the future introduction of another powerful Marvel villain.
Magus.
In the comics, Magus is an evil version of Adam Warlock, either from the future, or a pure evil variant of himself. Magus is as powerful as Adam Warlock, but with the added advantage of having the cult-like army known as the Universal Church Of Truth. In 2021’s Marvel’s Guardians Of The Galaxy game, Magus was the main villain.

The MCU Version Of Mantis Could Still Be The Celestial Madonna

In the MCU, Mantis is only known to be the daughter of Ego and half-brother of Star-Lord AKA Peter Quill.
In the comics, she has a bigger destiny. She is prophesied to be the Celestial Madonna and mate with a Cotati to become the mother of the Celestial Messiah, a being that will change the universe. She eventually has a son named Sequoia or Quoi, wholater becomes the main antagonist in the Empyre storyline, in which he led a new Cotati empire to kill non-plant life in the universe.
Maybe the MCU version of Mantis will still have the same destiny, and the MCU might adapt the Empyre storyline in the future, since we already have the Kree and Skrulls.


The Last King Podcast Talks About Pencils Down Movement & American Comics

In this comics-focused episode of the Last King Podcast, our pals speak about the ongoing Pencils Down orders to comics writers and artists, as well as analyze the state of the industry with the decline of the American comics industry.
Joining co-hosts Shafique and our very own Mr Toffee this week is Hidzir from the Genre Equality Podcast and Hard Hidz. Now with the current onslaught of the coronavirus pandemic, many non-essential businesses have to shut down, which includes all comic book shops.
https://soundcloud.com/thelastkingpodcast/episode-167-pencils-down-and-the-decline-of-american-comics
Check out more hard-hitting Asian gaming & pop culture podcasting here.


Mandoâ€™s New Ship is Getting a Lego Set

Minor spoilers for Mandalorian Season 2 and Book of Boba Fett, but Mandoâ€™s new ship he gets in Bobaâ€™s show is coming to life with a Lego set.
In case you missed it, Djin Djarinâ€™s chrome ship the Razor Crest was blown to smithereens in the second season of the Mandalorian. During his guest appearance in the Book of Boba Fett (more like a takeover, if you ask me), we get to see him build a brand new ship with a great callback to the prequel trilogy. His replacement turns out to be a Naboo Starfighter that he modifies to be shinier and chrome-ier than even his old ship, which could be in your hands with its upcoming Lego set.

The Naboo ship was previously seen in the divisive The Phantom Menace, piloted by a young Anakin Skywalker, where he says his iconic â€œNow this is podracing!â€ line. The new ship is rebranded as the N-1 Starfighter, and the Lego set seems to be a pretty extensive set. The set comes in 412 pieces, with some familiar faces to go along with it.
The Mandalorian, with a Darksaber and a jetpack accessory element, and Peli Motto with a wrench, plus LEGO figures of Grogu and a BD Droid (the same one from Jedi: Fallen Order, make an appearance to complete the set.

The set itself is a display set but is also playable, with the starfighter featuring a functioning cockpit both for Mando and little Grogu himself, along with a spring-loaded shooter and lots of authentic bashed-up details. A closer look into Mandoâ€™s figurine also looks to be that you can remove his helmet to reveal his face, although that isnâ€™t the way. If youâ€™re hoping for the Darksaber to be a unique design, sorry to say but it has the same generic look although with a black blade.

The release date has been confirmed as 1 June 2022, priced at RM251.00 and you can now pre-order it online from LEGO.com! Interested in another lego set, have a gander at the Tallneck from Horizon Forbidden West.


We’ll Be Getting Kate Bishop, She-Hulk, And More Heroes In The Upcoming Avengers Game [Update]

Update: a recent datamine from RoboMatters unveiled a long list of new Avenger names. Full list below.Â
Square Enix’s Marvel’s Avengers is shaping up to be a long-term action-RPG game with new heroes joining the fray post-launch. We already know Hawkeye will be in the game, but what about other cast members and superheroes?
Thanks to some datamining work from Reddit user 6plus4equals52, we will be getting Kate Bishop, Hawkeye’s protege and the highlight of Matt Fraction’s run with Clint Barton,

She-Hulk, Bruce Banner’s irradiated cousin and full-time Marvel lawyer…

…and War Machine, whom you may remember from the Avengers and Iron Man film series.

We’re guessing these characters will be DLC additions post-launch, and may possibly be a way for Crystal Dynamics to reuse certain assets and tweak them up aesthetically and game design-wise. The obvious target being War Machine, who is a “chunkier” Iron Man with a grey colour scheme.
Furthermore, dataminer RoboMatters dug up this list during the weekend PC beta of the game and its executable files. Each of the following names come with the “UnlockPlayableCharacter…” prefix. If you’re a comics fan, you’ll recognize some obscure names.

Ant-Man
Black Panther
Captain Marvel
Captain America
Doctor Strange
Falcon
Hawkeye
Hulk
Hulkbuster
Iron-Man
Kamala
Kate Bishop
Mar-Vell
Mockingbird
Quake
Scarlet Witch
She-Hulk
Thor
Vision
War Machine
Wasp
Black Widow
Winter Soldier

You heard right: Mockingbird and Quake (non-MCU characters) will be playable Avengers post-launch. Girl power FTW.


Yakuza Creator Forms New Nagoshi Studio

Yakuza creator Toshihiro Nagoshi is now the president and CEO of the newly-established Nagoshi Studio. The new studio is based in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan, under NetEase Games.
Back in October 2021, Nagoshi announced his departure from Sega’s Ryu Ga Gotoku (RGG) Studio. At the studio, he created and developed the popular Yakuza franchise, and spinoffs like Judgment (and its sequel). It also turns out that those rumours from August 2021 were true, which then claimed that NetEase Games was looking to hire Nagoshi.
You can head on over to the official website of Nagoshi Studio here.
In the meantime, check out the full statement by Nagoshi himself below:
The sea of change that began in the entertainment industry in the late 20th century has brought even greater change to the industry in the 21st century.
Changes to entertainment content, how itâ€™s made and the business model driven by technology and infrastructure advances have sparked a paradigm shift, and these changes are continuing to unfold with greater and greater speed.
What only yesterday had been considered the height of cool now suddenly becomes outdated before you know it.
For creators, this makes working in the industry today incredibly challenging.
But no matter how the times change, I believe that what people essentially want from entertainment has not changed one bit.
People see their dreams in entertainment.
People look to entertainment to give them hope in life, to soothe them in times of difficulty, and to add excitement in happy times. People look to entertainment to provide the spark for all kinds of events.
The appetite for entertainment is the same today as it was in the past.
There are obviously differences between the past and the present in how entertainment is consumed, its volume and velocity, but its essence remains the same.
The only way to deliver this essence to the world is if all creators approach the works they create with seriousness and clarity while grinding away to get closer to reaching the ideal.
One of my goals at this studio is to create an open atmosphere.
This may sound like an overly simplistic goal.
But even the most talented creators cannot fully unleash their abilities in isolation.
I believe that the first step to creating high-quality titles and delivering the essence of entertainment with strong motivation starts with creating an open atmosphere in the studio.
This means having open-ended discussions that ignore seniority and hierarchy.
This means not fearing mistakes while also not being afraid to correct them, and treating failures as assets. This means not giving up on reaching the ideal, and fighting to get closer to it.
This may seem so simple, but the simplest things can unexpectedly be the hardest to do, and at the same time the most important.
Nagoshi Studio is committed to creating content for the world to enjoy from this atmosphere.
The studio will focus on developing high-quality console titles that will be released worldwide. We look forward to seeing what else Nagoshi and the folks at Nagoshi Studio will have in store for us in the future. Maybe even something as crazy as the Yakuza games.


PlayStation Asia Introduces New PS4 Megapack Featuring Ghost Of Tsushima

Sony Interactive Entertainment Singapore Private Limited (SIES) has announced that they will release new PS4 MEGA PACK bundles on 14Â September 2021.Â Â
The new PS4 MEGA PACK (RM1,349) will include a PS4 system (CUH-2218BB01, Jet Black, 1TB HDD), and three best-selling PS4 software titles from PlayStation Studios: God of War PlayStation Hits (Disc), Horizon Zero Dawn Complete Edition (Disc), and Ghost Of Tsushima (Disc). In addition, each PS4 MEGA PACK will also include a PlayStation Plus (PS Plus) 3-Month Membership subscription card.
These bundles will be available at all SIESâ€™ retail partners in Malaysia. You can check out the list here: https://asia.playstation.com/en-my/support/retail-store/.Â
TheÂ Ghost Of Tsushima Directorâ€™s CutÂ Iki Island expansion is out now for PS4 and PS5, and with it comes a bunch of new content to discover & experience.
The biggest new addition to theÂ Directorâ€™s CutÂ is the new Iki Island expansion, which comes with a brand new map, story and several new side activities. While thereâ€™s really not much to the expansion that youâ€™ll need help with, perhaps this brief guide will still assist in particular stuff like the hidden final Archery Challenge.
You can alsoÂ head on over hereÂ for our review ofÂ Ghost Of Tsushima Directorâ€™s Cut.


16-Bit Action Platformer Tiny Thor Reveals Gameplay Trailer

Developer Asylum Square and publisher Gameforge unveils a new gameplay trailer for the upcoming retro-style action platformer, Tiny Thor.
Players assume the role of the son of Odin who has just been bestowed with the legendary Mjölnir hammer. It tells a “story of a boy taking responsibility” and must face almighty adversaries in becoming a true god. The game features tight controls, fast-paced action, environmental puzzles, unique boss fights, and more.

The new trailer highlights its gameplay elements, as well as some of the enemies and a variety of levels for players to explore and conquer. The Mjölnir hammer can be freely aimed and bounces off surfaces and enemies, enabling all kinds of trick shots. It can also solve environmental puzzles which can ricochet off of objects to defeat enemies in unique ways. The hammer’s abilities enable players to move from one obstacle to another with precision shots. Thor will be able to master special abilities along the way in adventuring over 30 handcrafted levels that are spread across three separate realms of Asgard, each with its own set of challenges and evil bosses.
Asylum Square has yet announced the release date of the game, but we do know that the action platformer will be released sometime in the second quarter of 2023 for Nintendo Switch and PC. You can download the demo now on Steam or wishlist it on Epic Games Store.


PUBG Mobile 4th Anniversary Celebration Is Happening At Sunway Pyramid

Celebrating four amazing years of being the top mobile game loved by many, PUBG Mobile is hosting its largest 4th anniversary event and is inviting its fans to join in on the festivities. The 12-day roadshow event is a collaboration between Tencent Games, PUBG Mobile and Xiaomi, the third largest global smartphone brand as its official sponsor
PUBG Mobile has partnered with Xiaomi to launch a roadshow event three weeks ago as part of the celebration to bring the game closer to fans in multiple states nationwide. The roadshow  dispatched special PUBG Mobile trucks, also known as AirDrop trucks to various locations in Johor, Kedah, Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Selangor
As the climax of its anniversary event, PUBG Mobile will be hosting its biggest 4th birthday bash from now until 3 April 2022 at LG2, Blue Concourse, Sunway Pyramid, with the mall being an official location sponsor of the celebration.

Fans who drop by the PUBG Mobile 4th Anniversary event can take photos with the PUBG Mobile sculptures and cosplayers who will be present at the venue. They can also create amazing memories and take a piece of their experience home by posing at the special decorated photo booths. Visitors can also win exclusive prizes including PUBG Mobile 4th Anniversary-themed caps and face masks, in-game skins as well as a Redmi Note 11 smartphone from Xiaomi and more through the Claw Machine and Spin to Win games.
On 26 March, PUBG Mobile fans can get up close and personal with well-known sensational PUBG Mobile Malaysia icons and watch the recording of the PUBG Mobile 4th Anniversary variety show. PUBG Mobile icons who will be present at the event include Master Ramen, J Hunter, OTG, Yakuza, EmiMohamad, Soultann, FattahZie, Raa Suzuran, Miss Rose, Fiera Fendi, MunaXmoci, Nunaa and Sharina Richie. These icons will race each other in a battle of strategy and wit to complete missions around Sunway Pyramid. Fans will get the chance to watch the exclusive premiere of the variety show’s pilot episode when they drop by the PUBG Mobile 4th Anniversary event on 3 April 2022.

PUBG Mobile said:
“In the blink of an eye,PUBG Mobile is now celebrating its 4th anniversary and has evolved so much. We now have our own esports ecosystem and have been rewardingPUBG Mobile fans with exciting content in collaboration with various prominent brands. We are also extremely proud to be chosen as a medalled event for the esports category as part of the Asian Games 2022.PUBG Mobile is honoured to work with the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) once again to create a healthy and inclusive esports ecosystem for all thePUBG Mobile players out there.”
Xiaomi said:
“As the official smartphone partner, we are thrilled to celebrate together with PUBG Mobile for their long-awaited fourth anniversary this year. We hope that those in Malaysia can come together for this special celebration, as there are plenty of exciting activities. We also can’t wait to see PUBG Mobile fans, Xiaomi Fans and avid gamers try casual gaming on the flagship-level capabilities of our latest affordable mid-range king, the Redmi Note 11 series. Xiaomi’s innovative technology through our smartphones aims to challenge the boundaries of one’s vision, sensation and speed, so don’t miss out and experience all the excitement with us.”
During the PUBG Mobile 4th Anniversary event held at Sunway Pyramid earlier today, the Olympic Council Of Malaysia (OCM) announced that they will be organizing a national selection event in May 2022 as part of the Road To Asian Games (RDAG) Huangzhou 2022 programme. It will aim to select the best players to represent Malaysia in the upcoming Asian Games 2022, which will take place in Huangzhou, China, from 10 to 25 September 2022.
In his speech at the event, Olympic Council Of Malaysia (OCM) Secretary-General Dato’ Mohd Nazifuddin said:
“Thank you Tencent Games and Xiaomi for inviting us to be a part of the PUBG MOBILE 4th Anniversary Celebration. To commemorate this special occasion, we would like to make a special announcement in regards to The Road to 19th Asian Games (RDAG) Hangzhou 2022 programme, an esports programme jointly created by the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) and the Asian Electronic Sports Federation (AESF). The Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) will be  organizing a national selection event in May 2022 as part of the RDAG programme to select the best players to represent Malaysia in the upcoming Asian Games. We hope to encourage more local esports talent to participate in the programme, especially since we have many highly skilled talents among our Malaysian youths who are on par with the world’s best players. Additionally, OCM is collaborating with Tencent Games to further develop and nurture the skills of the PUBG MOBILE community for the upcoming PUBG MOBILE City Tournament. We are excited to discover even more young talents who will be representing Malaysia to compete on the global stage in the near future.”
OCM is the National Olympic Committee responsible for Malaysian Olympic athletes. The council is committed to propel Malaysia’s Olympic athletes forward while cultivating the spirit of sportsmanship and discipline to enforce the principles of an Olympic athlete through sports and education.
Recently, PUBG Mobile was announced as a medalled event as part of the Asian Games 2022 esports category, where Malaysia’s team of esports athletes are eyeing for gold. Asian Games 2022 is a continental multi-sport event held every four years where the best athletes from all over Asia compete. The Asian Games 2022 is recognised by the International Olympic Committee as the second largest sports event, following the Olympics. Asian Games 2022 will be held at Hangzhou, China from 10 to 25 September 2022.
For more information, visit PUBG Mobile’s official social media pages:

Facebook: PUBG MOBILE Malaysia
Facebook: PUBG MOBILE Esports Malaysia
YouTube: PUBG MOBILE Malaysia
Instagram: @pubgmobilemyofficial


The Father Of The ZX Spectrum Is Dead

Sir Clive Sinclair, the inventor of the world’s first slimline pocket calculator and founder of Sinclair Research, has died. He was 81.
Sinclair’s death was due to succumbing to a long illness; he died in his home. The entrepreneur and his company released the ZX80 home computer back in 1980 and was a really popular machine due to its build-it-yourself kit marketing, capabilities, and its Â£100 price tag.
Most importantly, Sinclair and his company invented the ZX Spectrum, which became the best-selling personal computer in the UK. Rest in peace, Sinclair.


Netflix’s Wednesday Trailer Teases Tim Burton Style & Darkness

Netflix’s Wednesday is a new series focusing on Wednesday Addams (played by Jenna Ortega) of Addams Family fame. What’s unique about this series is that the legendary Tim Burton will direct and executive produce the series, which means that it will feature his signature gothic style and darkness.
The rest of the cast includes Catherine Zeta-Jones (Morticia Addams), Luis Guzmán (Gomez Addams), Isaac Ordonez (Pugsley Addams), Gwendoline Christie (Principal Larissa Weems), Jamie McShane (Sheriff Galpin), Percy Hynes White (Xavier Thorpe), Hunter Doohan (Tyler Galpin), Emma Myers (Enid Sinclair), Joy Sunday (Bianca Barclay), Naomi J Ogawa (Yoko Tanaka), Moosa Mostafa (Eugene Ottinger), Georgie Farmer (Ajax Petropolus), Riki Lindhome (Dr. Valerie Kinbott), with Christina Ricci (Marilyn Thornhill).
Wednesday. (L to R) Catherine Zeta-Jones as Morticia Adams, Jenna Ortega as Wednesday Addams, Luis Guzma?n as Gomez Addams, Issac Ordonez as Pugsley Addams in Wednesday. Cr. Courtesy of Netflix © 2022
It’s great to see that Christina Ricci will also have a role in the series, considering that she’s famous for playing Wednesday Addams in The Addams Family (1991) and its sequel, Addams Family Values (1993).
The synopsis reads:
The series is a sleuthing, supernaturally infused mystery charting Wednesday Addams’ years as a student at Nevermore Academy, where she attempts to master her emerging psychic ability, thwart a monstrous killing spree that has terrorised the local town, and solve the murder mystery that embroiled her parents 25 years ago — all while navigating her new and very tangled relationships at Nevermore.
Wednesday is slated to premiere on Netflix sometime in fall 2022.
Check out the teaser trailer below:


Open Country Is A New Open-World Hunting Game

505 Games has announced Open Country, an arcade-style hunting game delivering an easily accessible and enjoyable open-world outdoor adventure.
Developed by Funlabs, Open Country is slated to release on the Epic Games Store and Steam for PC on 19 May 2021 for RM32. Players can already add the gameÂ to their Wishlist on Steam now.

Open Country places players in the hiking boots of an all-too-familiar corporate worker drone who yearns for a change from their restrictive city life. Eager to break away from the hustle and bustle of the big city, players and their trusty canine companion are faced with a newfound freedom to explore and survive among the untamed wilds and relish in the open spaces of their new life.
Featuring a third-person open world that ranges from lush foliage to harsh landscapes, Open Countryâ€™s environment stands ready for players to explore while learning important survival and hunting skills along the way. Players can also visit Gary at the Snowridge Lodge and by the Park Ranger to complete more than 30 missions designed to put their newly learned skills to the test.

In the meantime, check out the trailer below:


PlayStation Reveals Special Physical Discs Packs Ahead of 2017 Holiday Season

Sony Interactive Entertainment Hong Kong (via Singapore Branch) today unveiled two special PlayStation 4 physical discs packs well in time ahead of the upcoming Christmas season. The first pack – The Masterpiece Pack – will see both PlayStation 4 exclusives, Bloodborne The Old Hunters EditionÂ (Asian Version) andÂ The Last of Us Remastered version available at only MYR199. So in case you missed out on these two titles, now is the time to get it. They also make a fool-proof gift for anyone who just got hold of their PlayStation 4 from the recent Black Friday sales.

The second pack -The Family Pack – comes bundled with more kid-friendly titles; remastered versions of Patapon and Loco Roco. Suitable for those looking for a lighter gaming experience, or perhaps a gift for the younger gamers out there. The Family Pack retails at MYR129.
Both packs are available at most game stores and of course official Sony retail stores in Malaysia starting today.


Dying Light 2 News Is Finally Coming Next Week

We’re finally receiving an update on Dying Light 2 next week.
According to the official Dying Light 2 Twitter account, developer Techland will share news about the development of Dying Light 2 on 17 March 2021.

We've got a few words to share with you about the Dying Light 2 development process.Be sure to be with us next Wednesday.
Want to see it first? Join our discord server now at https://t.co/Iyivc8uFWx pic.twitter.com/gkfcGLgsdV
— Dying Light (@DyingLightGame) March 12, 2021

Eager fans can join theÂ Dying LightÂ Discord channel to be the first people to receive the update when it eventually arrives.
Dying Light 2 was originally announced for the PS4, Xbox One, and PC back in June 2018. In June 2019, the game was delayed to spring 2020, but in January 2020, it was further delayed indefinitely to an unspecified release date. Multiple developers have left the project since its original announcement, including writer Chris Avallone and lead art director Pawel Selinger.
https://www.facebook.com/kakuchopurei/videos/1452505704890684/


Leon Kennedy’s Original Voice Actor Has Passed Away

Paul Haddad, the voice actor for the original Resident Evil 2‘s Leon Kennedy, passed away earlier this month. The news was announced on Twitter last Friday by Daymare: 1998 developer Invader Studio, who had worked with Haddad for their Resident Evil-inspired game.

“Paul Haddad, our dear friend and an icon among the RE community, has passed away recently.” they wrote. “We’ve been truly honoured to have the chance to meet and work with such a great man and a brilliant professional that He was. Rest in Peace Paul… You will live forever in our hearts.”

Paul Haddad, our dear friend and an icon among the RE community, has passed away recently. We've been truly honored to have the chance to meet and work with such a great man and a brilliant professional that He was.
Rest in Peace Paul… You will live forever in our hearts. pic.twitter.com/o6gkMqX7SI
— Invader Studios™ (@InvaderDevs) April 17, 2020

Earlier today, the Capcom Dev 1 Twitter page tweeted, “With great sadness we learned of the passing of Paul Haddad, voice of Leon Kennedy in the original Resident Evil 2. We fondly remember Paul’s great work bringing one of Resident Evilâ€™s most beloved characters to life, and offer our heartfelt condolences to his family and friends.”
Aside from his role as Kennedy, Haddad provided the voice of Cleaner in Daymare: 1998. According to his IMDb page, he also lent his voice to shows like X-Men: The Animated Series, The Adventures of Tintin, and Mythic Warriors: Guardians of the Legend. Haddad was 56.


A New Tales From The Borderlands Is Coming This Year

Gearbox has announced that a new Tales From The Borderlands game will be released in 2022. It will be developed by Gearbox and published by 2K, while promising a “new adventure, new characters, and new tales”.
The new Tales From The Borderlands was announced during a PAX East 2022 panel by Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford. However, more details about the game will only be fully revealed sometime in summer 2022.
He said:
“I know many of you love the Borderlands universe, the stories told within it, we love it, too. We also know that many of you loved Tales from the Borderlands, right? Well as you know, some of the characters from Tales From The Borderlands made their way into Borderlands 3, so we really love that format as a way to create characters, create new stories, and explore all that differently than what’s possible with looter-shooter games.
Because of the success and our love for Tales, and because of our interest in developing the Borderlands universe in new ways, we thought it would be fun and exciting to dive into the format of interactive fiction once again. This time, we’re doing it to imagine all new characters and all-new stories from the Borderlands. So soon we’ll be announcing an all-new game set within the Borderlands universe and presented in that style of interactive fiction.
I’m talking about an all-new Tales From The Borderlands adventure. It’s going to be releasing this year [in 2022], it’s published by 2K Games, and it has been developed in-house by Gearbox Software. And it has all-new characters set in the Borderlands universe. We’ve been working on this experience secretly for many years.
And I can’t wait until it’s time to announce this all-new game this summer and show all of you what we’ve been doing. So please be on the lookout this summer for the announcement of an all-new Tales from the Borderlands.”
The first Tales From The Borderlands was originally released in 2014 by Telltale Games. It featured a story set between the events of Borderlands 2 and Borderlands 3, following Rhys and Fiona as they searched for a vault.
We literally just received a new Borderlands spinoff game, Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands, last month, and we’re also getting that Borderlands live-action film adaptation sometime later this year as well.

New adventure, new characters, new tales.
An all NEW Tales from the Borderlands is coming in 2022 from Gearbox and 2K.#GearboxAtPAX #Borderlands pic.twitter.com/mhBicROKqX
— GearboxOfficial (@GearboxOfficial) April 21, 2022


Vote For Your National Team for Hearthstone Global Games And Be Handsomely Rewarded

As we head closer to the Hearthstone Global Games (HGG), voting is now open for you to pick your nation’s representatives and earn a free card pack for doing so. The viable candidates who are eligible to represent their respective nations have been narrowed down to the nine highest HearthstoneÂ Competitive Point earnersÂ in each eligible country, with the top point earner per country locked in the Anchor position.
Between now til June 13thÂ you canÂ voteÂ for the remaining three competitors you wish to represent your country andÂ receive one free HearthstoneÂ The WitchwoodÂ card pack in return;Â which will be delivered at a later date.
The list of players for Southeast Asian teams are as follows:

2018 Hearthstone Global Games (HGG) National team players voting list

Country
Anchor player
National team voting list (Choose 3 out of 8 players)

Indonesia
Rezdan
fertygo
DouAhou
Joth703
Dragodz

Nexok40
ANTIFUN
WallSpiders
Stealth

Malaysia
wkyew90
EzXarT
BigBoy
lalasong
Gilgamesh

ChongGEr
Akira
ReVengeCCS
porkmypig

Philippines
Staz
WaningMoon
Chalk
Caracute
TheBigMac

AllanPogi
Jomo
Mondemon9
SneerySpace

Singapore
Sequinox
katsucurry
lambyseries
Khaius
SilverByz

Crumpled
SGAhIce
luminescents
EpicTroll4

Vietnam
Tuan
HighROller
Neilyo
Bao
Tomura

C0ontrolBoy
Destclout
Frosty
Duyyy

To have your say on which players to carry your country’s flag, log in to your Blizzard account and cast your votes here.


NetEase Launches Tank Company, A 15v15 Tank Battle Mobile Game

NetEase Games has announced the soft launch of Tank Company, the new 15v15 tank battle game that is available now on Android devices. Tank Company involves large-scale real-time battles on historical maps, featuring realistic tanks and weaponry, as teams of players outmanoeuvre each other on the battlefield and seek to destroy their enemies.
Tank Company is a massively multiplayer online tank shooter, where players can choose from over a hundred tanks that are based on real vehicles used during World War II and the Cold War. Tank Company will add even more tanks to its roster from different nations in future updates.
There are five different tank types for you to choose from, including light tanks, medium tanks, heavy tanks, tank destroyers, and self-propelled artillery, each with its unique attributes in combat. These include swift tanks that can avoid enemy fire and scout the battlefield, to heavy machines with thick armour that can protect their teammates from harm. In Tank Company, the tanks can play several roles, including support units, and even long-range snipers, allowing for all kinds of team builds and strategies that can be used in combat.

Players will face lots of opponents at once in Tank Company, but it’s not just enemy vehicles that they need to be concerned with. The maps in Tank Company can be up to 1 million square meters in size, and some of them are based on locations where some of the most famous battles in history were fought. These include scorching deserts, snow-covered towns, and abandoned factories, each providing its own challenges when it comes to controlling the battlefield. The terrain is an important factor in tank battles and players need to factor the environment and scenery into their plans, as these can impact their ability to move or provide them with vital cover from enemy fire.

Tank Company has a progression system, where players start out with a basic Tier 1 tank and must work their way up through the ranks, culminating in a mighty Tier VIII tank, which has the best stats and weapons in the game. The main gameplay modes involve 15v15 mass-battles between teams of tanks, but that’s not all there is to Tank Company, as there are additional modes, such as a “Hide and Seek” mode, where stealth is the key, and a “Low Gravity” mode that makes the vehicles a lot lighter. There are lots of different ways to have fun in Tank Company, with teams of friends even able to form their own tank platoons and work together to achieve victory.
One of the most impressive aspects of Tank Company is its visuals and attention to detail, with the tanks and their weaponry recreated in stunning detail, along with the massive landscapes, which contain realistic lighting and shadow effects, even on mobile devices. We intend to keep tweaking the performance of the game over time, to make the battles as immersive as possible for players.

The new players who are jumping into Tank Company for the first time will be able to claim the rewards from the successful pre-registration event that took place before the game launched. From 15 September 2022, if you log into the game for two consecutive days, then you will be able to claim a special Pre-launch Avatar, Premium Account (1 Day), 100, 000 Silver Coins, 5,000 Global EXP, and 10 Controllable EXP Bonus (X3) items, to kickstart your career as a tank commander.
Tank Company has already been a hit with the fans that experienced the game during its open beta test, allowing them to help shape the game into its current form. Tank Company has sounded the rallying call once more and players from around the world have been invited to get behind the wheel and earn glory on the battlefield. Tank Company can be downloaded now on the Google Play Store and AppGallery.
To learn more about Tank Company, visit:

Official Website – https://www.tankcompany.game/
Google Play – https://h67na.onelink.me/ft2j/gomf4bs4
Discord – https://discord.gg/tankcompany
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/Tank-Company-109658091391994/
YouTube – https://www.youtube.com/c/TankCompanyOfficial


E3 2019: Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey Out This August

Patrice DÃ©silets, the man who created Assassin’s Creed, will have his upcoming 10,000 B.C. action adventure game Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey out later on 27th August.
This was revealed during the E3 PC Gaming Show 2019 where the creator talked about the game in full length. The action game lets you, the ape, find food and live a dignified life while surviving and fending off creatures who want to make you their next meal.

Not only will you be surviving in the jungle, but you’ll also be surviving in the savanna. You can evolve your ape as you play through the game. The best part? The game doesn’t give you tutorials so you’ll need to figure out how to hunt, fish, and steal honey from beehives all by your ape self.
You can also grow your own clan and create your own generation of apes over eight million years if you survive well on solo play. All in all, it’s quite an ambitious game; let’s hope it lives up to its promises when it’s out later this year.


Nike & PlayStation Are Releasing More Special Collaboration Shoes

Missed out on the first wave of the special Nike x PlayStation collaboration Paul George shoes? Fret not as Nike are partnering with PlayStation again to release PG 2.5 which will sport two colors – Grey and white as reported by Twitter user @py_rates

Check out the official pics of the @Nike x @PlayStation PG 2.5 (GS)….yes you read that right GS. Both the Grey & White colour way will be releasing in Mens & GS sizing.
The GS pair will retail for $90.
What do you make of this new colourway? Let us know.#NoMoreSecrets ðŸ´ pic.twitter.com/HNIgC50aik
â€” py_rates (@py_rates) October 12, 2018

Pics source: Py_rates
We aren’t sneaker freaks nor hypebeasts but we reckon the GS stands for Grade School sizing – so assuming you’re able to cop a pair for your kid – imagine how cool the both of you would look wearing these.

Check out the official pics of the @Nike x @PlayStation PG 2.5 dropping in a White/Multi-Colour colourway.
The pair will retail at $110.
What do you make of this new pair from the duo?
Will you be looking to cop a pair?#NoMoreSecrets ðŸ´ pic.twitter.com/iuL1Y6tt0U
â€” py_rates (@py_rates) October 9, 2018

Pics source: Py_rates
We personally prefer the grey colorway as it reminds us of the classic PlayStation. The white one? An homage to the OG White Vita perhaps? But what really gripped us are the PlayStation symbols on the sides of the shoes. The ones on the white version appear to be embossed which probably contributes to its higher retail price.
We’ll keep a lookout on when these shoes are available for pre-order, or when will it be available locally.


Fortnite Battle Royale Is Coming to Mobile

Brace yourselves.
Fortnite Battle Royale is coming to mobile.
According to the official blogpost by Epic Games, the game will be available to phones and tablets soon, and will receive ‘Same gameplay, same map, same content, same weekly updates’. Further pursuing Epic Games’ drive to make the game an esport title, crossplay with multiple platforms is also on the cards, allowing ‘Cross Play and Cross Progression between PlayStation 4, PC, Mac, iOS and eventually Android’.

Starting Monday, March 12, interested players can sign-up atÂ www.Fortnite.comÂ for the Invite Event on iOS. Afraid that you or even your friends will be missing out? Don’t be.Â Players who receive invites from Epic will also get friend invite codes to share with others. According to the blogpost,Â  the minimum requirement to play the game on the iOS is iOS 11 on at least an iPhone 6S/SE, iPad Mini 4, iPad Pro, iPad Air 2, iPad 2017 devices.


Here’s When Overwatch Competitive Season 9 Kicks Off

Have you reached your career high during this season’s competitive Overwatch yet? If you haven’t, you have about four more days to do so as season eight officially ends at 4pm PT on Feb. 25, or about 8am on the 26th for the Asian region. Thankfully (or not) tho, we won’t have to wait too long for the mode to return as Season Nine starts three days later, on Feb. 28 at 4pm PT (8am on the 29th for Asian region).
Just to recap what’s in store for you at the end of the competitive season, here they are. CP rewards are based on the highest SR rating you managed throughout the entire season, which then can be used to purchase that sweet, sweet golden weapon.

SR 1-1499 (Bronze):Â 65 CP
SR 1500-1999 (Silver):Â 125 CP
SR 2000-2499 (Gold):Â 250 CP
SR 2500-2999 (Platinum):Â 500 CP
SR 3000-3499 (Diamond):Â 750 CP
SR 3500-3999 (Master):Â 1200 CP
SR 4000-5000 (Grandmaster):Â 1750 CP

The SR as you finish Season 8 would somehow affect where you place yourself following the placement matches for Season 9. So while some may dismiss the idea of grinding towards the end of Season 8, it does carry significant implication once Season 9 starts so it would be wise to push yourself as far as you can.
How’s your Season 8 Competitive Mode going so far? How far have you climbed and how does it compare with your goal at the start of the season? Share your comp mode stories with us in the comments section below.


Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster Will Be Out In Batches Starting July [Update]

Square Enix’s Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster has a release date : 28 July 2021.
However, the games in the remastering (Final Fantasy to Final Fantasy VI) will not be released as one bundle. Instead, each remastered game will be out as individual releases. This is still tentative, as Square Enix deleted a recent video that details the remaster.
Furthermore, the current PC and mobile devices digital ports of Final Fantasy V and Final Fantasy VI (ie the ones that look like terrible 2000s Korean MMO hackjobs) will be delisted and replaced with their respective pixel remaster counterparts.

When will that happen? 27th July. We’re guessing that’s when the pixel remasters will make their debut on mobile and PC. It would be pretty stupid for Square Enix to delist a port of a game and not have a replacement on standby, right?
What Square Enix will need to work on, however, is the game’s fonts for the in-game text. Simply put, they’re ugly and jarring.

A lot of people are voicing out their complaints with well-made jabs on Twitter.
https://twitter.com/PateraQuetzaI/status/1410283954213584897?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1410283954213584897%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.pcgamer.com%2Fpeople-are-really-pissed-at-final-fantasy-pixel-remasters-ugly-fonts%2F

srsly guys i have typography dot com open in a tab literally right now. they got a lotta good ones on there, guys https://t.co/DYiW8nHRkB
— tim rogers (@108) June 30, 2021

There are 5 different graphical elements, all with inconsistent pixel size/scale in this single corner alone.
Can a designer get an oof in the chat? pic.twitter.com/kZvheoW0Xh
— Jordan Starkweather? (@jackal27) June 30, 2021

See where classics like Final Fantasy V and Final Fantasy VI rank on our definitive FF games list.


Bungie Is Working On Multiple Unannounced Projects With Sony

Ever since Sony acquired Bungie in February 2022, there has been nothing much from the developer besides Destiny 2 updates. However, there might be a reason for that, and it’s an exciting one. Bungie is apparently working on not one, but multiple unannounced projects with Sony and PlayStation.
This is according to a tweet by Bungie senior design lead Tom Farnsworth. He has worked at Bungie for a whopping 11 years, so what he’s saying is highly likely genuine.

And with the support of Sony we are working on a number of unannounced projects too. Come join us!
Also, obviously I’m missing a medal, my kids played with the shield awhile back and I’m still looking for it, lol.
— Tom Farnsworth (@tomfromtheweb) January 4, 2023

This is interesting because if there’s one genre that Sony is currently lacking in, it’s first-person shooter exclusives. Their last major exclusive game in the genre was arguably Killzone Shadow Fall by Guerilla Games, which originally launched back in 2013.
We’re looking forward to seeing what Bungie has in store for the future. In other related and recent news, a former director of Valorant is now working as the director of a mystery new game at Bungie.


EU Underdogs Prove that Gods of League of Legends, SKT Telecom T1 Do Bleed

Everyone expected for a clean 3-0 win for SKT Telecom T1, the gods of League of Legends hailing from Korea in their game against debutants to Worlds hailing from Europe, Misfits. The Europeans were definitely one of the underestimated underdogs heading into this series but that should not be the case once the dust have settled. The Europeans took down North Americaâ€™s top team, TSM in groups stages to make it to the Quarterfinals and have definitely proven themselves so by holding their ground against SKT Telecom T1 despite the losing 3-2 at the end.Â
Game one was the definition of a nightmare for Misfits with SKT taking them down in an orderly way, with ‘Faker’, the star player of SKT himself playing a dominating ‘Galio’ in the midlane and stomping on Misfits in about 25 minutes with a roam top strategy to help SKTâ€™s toplaner, ‘Huni’, stay safe and take the lead. SKT won the match with a 13k gold lead and ‘Baron’ buff alongside 2 mountain dragons.
There were definitely small mistakes on Misfitâ€™s parts such as no missing in action calls and misplays and unfortunately for them, capitalising on their enemies’ mistakes is where SKT shines brightest. Most teams would find themselves tilted from such a hard loss but this was not the case for Misfits at all.

Still in good spirits, Misfits went on to game 2 with a mindset that was definitely out of the box. ‘IgNar’, Misfits’ support player known for his mean Blitzcrank plays performed as expected when he was called upon. Not only did he play well, he managed to snowball his ADC with hooks to the enemy team that was so precise that it was basically a guaranteed death for whoever who was unlucky enough to be in the way. The dominating performance of ‘IgNar’ on Blitzcrank not only shut down SKTâ€™s ADC to be able to be useful in game, it even snowballed the team entirely.
Game 2 between these two teams today showed a slightly more desperate – even tilted side of SKT which saw ‘Huni’ and ‘Faker’ himself making misplays with no follow ups from their teammates. It was a bitter loss for SKT with Misfits giving them a taste of their own medicine with ‘IgNar’ the playmaker ending the game with a 0/0/9 KDA and 81% kill participation.

There is a saying – to fight SKT at their fullest with their main jungler in the team – Blank, the opposing team must first prove themselves. Misfits definitely did that as SKT did bring in ‘Blank’ in as jungler, replacing ‘Peanut’. For the first time ever in the history of Worlds, ‘Blitzcrank’ was banned on the big stage – likely due to ‘IgNarâ€™s’ impressive performance on the annoying champion. ‘IgNar’ responds with another off meta pick – ‘Leona’ on support, which had not been seen in the pro play scene 2015 by Fnatic in the EULCS.
To make things more interesting, ‘IgNar’ ran ‘Leona’ with ‘Fervor’ masteries, something very, very unexpected which topped off the off meta pick. SKT responds with their own off meta pick – ‘Vayne’ ADC, possibly in hopes of being able to counter the ‘Leona’ pick. The Ardent Censer meta – a support item that enhances basic attacks to champions that the support shields or heals for 6 seconds on top of a 10% heal and shield power, is one of the most broken support items in game which results in supports with heavy shields and heals like ‘Janna’ and ‘Lulu’ to be on the high priority ban list. The item was still built though; not on the support, but on theÂ ‘Ivern’ who was jungler for the Misfits.
The combination of ‘Ivernâ€™s’ snare and ‘Leonaâ€™s’ stuns were just too much for the Korean team to handle. ‘PowerofEvil’, midlaner of Misfits also had an off meta build for ‘Orianna’ – a Nashorâ€™s Tooth. It was understandable why he did so, the extra damage done when his abilities were done with his auto attack definitely made the build worth it. Â The off meta team composition worked well in favour of Misfits and they found themselves grinning as they ended the game with a 2-1 score.

First Blood for @IgNarLoL‘s Leona in a straight 2v2 bot! #Worlds2017 pic.twitter.com/FhxoHBuvJO
â€” lolesports (@lolesports) October 20, 2017

Tilted, SKT found themselves in a dangerous situation. Losing the next round will be the end for them at Worlds 2017. As a result, the tempo of game four was definitely more different with SKT playing a more passive and patient game, patiently waiting for a Misfits mistake – a strategy very much capitalised by the Korean team later on. It seemed like Misfits had the game in the bag with a very dominating early game. The lanes were pushed up all the way to the base of SKT only for the Koreans to time and time again denying their opposition who were constantly getting picked out while trying to play hero.Â SKTâ€™s patience were finally rewarded as a disrespectful Misfits team found themselves being dominated in team fight which swung the momentum in SKTâ€™s favour.

.@sktelecom_t1 set up the early gank and it’s First Blood for Faker in game 4! #Worlds2017 pic.twitter.com/2n2R8R8rLS
â€” lolesports (@lolesports) October 20, 2017

Things got heated as the match reached the tiebreaker round. SKT unbenched the Kench with their Tahm Kench support pick, something ‘Wolf’, SKTâ€™s support player is very familiar with to ensure his teammates would be able to survive bursts of damage besides setting up for kills and ganks. And finally, after so long, Worlds finally sees a normal, non Ardent Censer pick from both supports with ‘IgNar’ picking up Thresh. SKT ran their first strategy play once more with ‘Faker’ constantly roaming up top to help his toplaner snowball. The game seemed a little shaky on the side of SKT at first with miscommunications and slow responses. Luckily for them, the game turned around in their favour when Misfits got a little too cocky and a disastrous team fight erupted by the dragon pit at 37 minutes where the Elder Dragon was Smite stolen by ‘Blank’ – SKTâ€™s jungler – beautifully. SKT took the win for the final game with a 3-2 score.

Too often has been said that Worlds 2017 had been full surprises with results going against the expectations of many. Despite being at Worlds for the first time with their very young and new team, Misfits are stomping on the expectations of many, showing that they are not a weak team but a force to be reckoned with. Holding well against the Gods of League of Legends is a feat in itself and it looks like the future is definitely bright for the Misfits. With that, ends another exciting day of Worlds. Worlds continues tomorrow at 4 PM local time with Royals Never Give Up versus Fnatic!

Tasha is Kakuchopurei.com’s resident League of Legends expert. She streams regularly on her channel atÂ https://www.twitch.tv/tashbunnyÂ and is an avid indie-game fan. She’s also on Twitter.


Jade Raymond’s Haven Studios Is Developing A New PlayStation IP

Jade Raymond has announced the establishment ofÂ Haven Entertainment Studios, a Montreal-based games developer under Sony Interactive Entertainment. They’re currently already working on an unannounced original IP for PlayStation (presumably for both PS4 and PS5).
According to PlayStation Blog,Â Haven will be an independent studio that will refocus on GAMES in a place where developers can practice their “crafts without any barriers or impediments”.
Speaking with GamesIndustry.biz, Raymond said:
â€œLaunching an independent studio with the backing of Sony Interactive Entertainment gives us full freedom to push boundaries with the support of a publisher that deeply understands the creative process of making games and is known for exceptional quality and a player-first approach.”
Raymond is a games industry veteran, previously working in high positions at Google Stadia, EA and Ubisoft. Most notably, she helped create the Assassin’s Creed and Watch Dogs franchises at Ubisoft. Her last job before this was as the lead at Google Stadia Games & Entertainment, which ultimately closed down in February 2021.
Sony Interactive Entertainment Worldwide Studios president Hermen Hulst added:
“Sony Interactive Entertainment is proud to support and invest in Haven and its future.
We understand the challenges and rewards of building creative teams from the ground up, as does Jade with her wealth of experience helming many of gamingâ€™s biggest franchises.
Weâ€™re confident in and excited for the bright future of Haven Studios and its first project, currently in development.â€


New Devil May Cry 5 Demo Now Available For PS4 And Xbox One

The second demo for the highly-anticipated Devil May Cry 5 is now available to download for free on the PS4 and Xbox One.
Players will take control of Nero yet again, along with a new Devil Breaker skill called Punch Line and the ability to call Nico driving in the DMC Motorhome as support. Save data from this demo will grant players a bonus of 30,000 Red Orbs when you play the full game.

#DMC5DevNotes 11 ðŸ—’ï¸ – The multiplaform console demo introduces a new Devil Breaker–Punch Line–and the ability to call Nico over in the DMC Motorhome and power Nero up!
Available on Xbox One and PS4 starting Feb 7th. pic.twitter.com/3uC04y2iZ9
â€” Devil May Cry 5 (@DevilMayCry) February 4, 2019
For PS4 users in Malaysia, here’s the link to the PlayStation Store page for the new Devil May Cry 5 demo, or simply type ‘Devil May Cry 5’ in the search bar. It’s almost 9 GB in size, so make sure you have additional storage space before downloading.
Devil May Cry 5 is slated to release for the PS4, Xbox One, and PC next month on 8 March 2019. In the meantime, check out the most recent Devil May Cry 5 trailer below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jHPAnj_Lcbo&w=560&h=315]


Apex Legends: Escape – All Season 11 Battle Pass Weapons And Legend Skins

Apex Legends: Escape launches today, with a brand new map called Storm Point and a new Legend named Ash who looks cool to play as. Most importantly, the next Battle Pass features a ton of goodies and cosmetics you can unlock exclusively for yourself for as long as it’s active.

Here’s a quick guide that shows off all the new weapon and legend skins from the Season 11 Battle Pass.
Free Battle Pass Skins
As stated in the title, you can get these for free as long as you’re diligent enough to level up the Season 11 Battle Pass meter.

Venom Punch – Rare Mozambique Skin – Level 6
Hardwire Sprawl – Rare Hemlock Skin – Level 14
Diamond Accuracy – Rare RE-45 Skin – Level 22
Dead Read – Rare Wingman Skin – Level 38
Firestarter – Rare Rampart Skin – Level 45
Jawmuncher – Rare Alternator Skin – Level 53
New Age Maverick – Rare Longbow Skin – Level 54

Premium Battle Pass Skins
As soon as you buy the Premium version of the Season 11 Battle Pass, you’ll get the following four skins:

Poison Dart – Epic Loba Skin
Compound Fracture – Legendary Bocek Skin
Vision Walker – Epic Wraith Skin
Skinwalker – Epic Revenant Skin

You’ll get these Premium skins if you level up your newly-bought Battle Pass:

Ante Up – Rare Volt Skin – Level 11
Warhead Storage – Rare Prowler Skin – Level 20
Desert Mirage – Legendary Mirage Skin – Level 25
Cover Fire – Rare Spitfire Skin – Level 28
Triangulation – Rare G7 Scout Skin – Level 41
30-30 – Rare Bucking Bronco Skin – Level 46
Glorious Combatant – Legendary Gibraltar Skin – Level 50
Fresh Vector – Rare R-99 Skin – level 62
Pellet Sunrise – Rare Mastiff Skin – Level 65
King Kraber – Rare Kraber Skin – Level 66
Orange Crush – Rare Triple Take Skin – Level 68
Ground Fire – Rare Devotion Skin – Level 71
Face Pollution – Rare Eva-8 Skin – Level 73
Hard Target – Rare Bangalore Skin – Level 74
Good Politics – Rare Peacekeeper Skin – Level 78
Black Into Blue -Rare Caustic Skin – Level 80
Be Aggressive – Rare Havoc Skin -Level 84
Gridlock – Rare Flatline Skin – Level 89
Aubergine Dream – Rare Charge Rifle Skin – Level 90
No Mercy – Rare Sentinel Skin – Level 94
One Blood – Epic R-301 Skin – Level 97
Pipe Dream – Legendary Prowler Skin – Level 100
Fatal Attraction – Legendary Prowler Skin – Level 110

Daily Loot Box Skin Reward

If you collect all loot boxes during Season 11, you’ll be given 10 stars and a bonus skin via the Season 11 Battle Pass: an Epic Eva-8 skin called Sun Kissed.
Should You Buy The Season 11 Battle Pass?
It depends. If you have time dedicated to Apex Legends’ new map every day, up to two hours, you should be able to get up to Level 110 just before the season is over. So buy it if you’re in this category.
If you cannot dedicate that much time, it’s definitely not worth it. At least the free battle skins look nifty.


Far Cry New Dawn Is The Very Definition Of Insanity

Platforms: PS4, PC, Xbox One
Genre: FPS Outpost-Liberating Simulator
Remember Breaking Bad actor Michael Mando’s iconic turn as Vaas in Far Cry 3, when he uttered what is now one of the most legendary monologues and antagonist introductions in gaming history: “Did I tell ever tell you what the definition of insanity is? Insanity is doing the exact same… ****ing thing… over and over again expecting… shit to change.”
If that’s true, then Far Cry New Dawn is the very definition of insanity, andÂ not in a good way. But first, here’s a primer on the game. It acts as a sort of direct sequel to 2018’s Far Cry 5, which is a first for Ubisoft’s first-person shooter franchise.

Taking place seventeen years after the nuclear explosion in Far Cry 5‘s infamous ending, it’s also notably the first time the franchise is exploring a post-apocalyptic setting.

Is This A Post-Apocalyptic Mod For Far Cry 5?
Same old Hope County, except with more flowers and old buildings.
Unsurprisingly, Far Cry New Dawn did nothing to alleviate my suspicions that it would look like a reskinned Far Cry 5. Not only does it recycle the same map (Hope County, Montana), it feels mostly similar. The only visual differences this time around are a plethora of vibrant and colourful flowers littering the map, and places that you’ve visited in Far Cry 5 showing signs of derelict and abandonment.
If you’re expecting a decrepit post-apocalyptic wasteland like the ones in Bethesda’s Fallout games or 4A Games’ Metro series, look elsewhere. Far Cry New Dawn is only ‘post-apocalyptic’ in the sense that currency is now literally fuel in the form of ‘ethanol’, and the fact that weapons look to be constructed from duct tape and other junk.

Sure, it’s cool to discover a location in Far Cry New Dawn and realize that you’ve been here back when it was intact and unravaged by unchecked vegetation. That happens quite a lot.
However, the excitement wears off after a while, leaving behind only a feeling of dÃ©jÃ  vu and the tinge of disappointment that comes with realizing that you’ve just spent $40 on what could probably be accomplished with a mod.

More RPG Mechanics Equals An Annoying Grind
The obligatory outpost liberation victory pose pic.
In terms of gameplay, it borrows almost everything from Far Cry 5, albeit on a smaller scale but with more RPG mechanics. Far Cry New Dawn introduces a new micro-managing gameplay mechanic, where players must collect ethanol in order to upgrade the different facilities in their home base called Prosperity, each of which comes with their own benefits and advantages.
For instance, upgrading a certain facility will mean better weapons to craft while choosing to upgrade another will mean more health. The problem begins when upgrading the facilities the Prosperity is tied to story progression, forcing players to stop whatever it is they’re doing and farm for ethanol.
The only way to obtain ethanol in Far Cry New Dawn is to liberate enemy outposts, a mainstay gameplay mechanic present in every game in the franchise. Like in previous games, outposts are finite in number, while players will need truckloads of ethanol to upgrade the facilities in their home base.
The game fixes this limitation by allowing players to essentially un-liberate the outposts they already own by choosing the ‘scavenge’ option. By doing this, the outpost will once again be populated by enemies, and players will obtain another shot at liberating the outpost to obtain more ethanol.

Every time the player scavenges an outpost, it will also increase in rank and difficulty, which does change things up a bit.

“So… You ready to hit that outpost for the 13th time?”
This endless cycle of obtaining ethanol to upgrade the facilities in the player’s home base is basically the meat of the game, so much so that it becomes an exhausting grind near the endgame.

Repeatedly liberating the same outpost over and over again left me teetering on the brink of insanity, and I knew then that Vaas was right all along.

The enemies in Far Cry New Dawn don’t exactly make it easier too. Enemies and weapons come in four different ranks of varying difficulties. A Rank 1 weapon will do significant damage to a Rank 1 enemy but will be ineffective against those with higher ranks.
As a result, enemies are often bullet sponges, especially if you haven’t been upgrading the right facility to obtain higher-ranked weapons, which in turn requires ethanol and that in turn requires players to liberate outposts. Keep in mind that unlocking higher-ranked weapons only means that they are now available for crafting, which then requires a bunch of other resources to complete.

The vicious cycle never stops. Vaas was right.

Every Cloud Has A Silver Lining
Who’s my cute little doggo?
To be frank, Far Cry New Dawn isn’t all bad. The Far Cry formula is still fun in short bursts (when you’re not doing it a thousand times), and liberating outposts still allow for a wide variety of approaches, be it stealth or guns a-blazing.
The Guns For Hire (and Fangs For Hire) system makes a welcome return in Far Cry New Dawn, with several new choices and familiar ones as well. This was what I liked most about Far Cry 5, so I’m genuinely glad that it returns. For those who don’t know, these are class-based companions who follow the player around and provide support in combat.
Each of them has unique traits and advantages that will complement your playstyle. This includes Nana, an old grandma who is also an expert sniper, picking enemies from afar.

Personally, I liked using the animals, and this time around the game provides you with a dog and a wild boar (while Far Cry 5 had a dog, a cougar, and a bear).

My trusty… boar.
Despite its inclusion, I was disappointed to learn that this feature has been scaled back somewhat in Far Cry New Dawn, as players are now only limited to one companion at a time. I also missed the companion who could provide air support and even deliver air strikes, who is sadly not present in this game.
Besides that, the new Expedition missions are a blast to play through, as they momentarily transport players from Hope County to exotic locales like Alcatraz, an amusement park, a crashed space station, and a huge ship. The objective for each mission is relatively simple, requiring the player to retrieve a package and make it back to the extraction point alive.

Besides providing a nice change of scenery, these Expedition missions also provide a break from the monotonous cycle of just liberating outposts, saving me and other players from succumbing to sheer insanity.

There’s A Story? I Didn’t Notice.
Mickey and Lou, who you’ll forget the day after tomorrow.
No one plays the Far Cry games for their story. Even if you do (and I’m judging you), the plot in Far Cry New Dawn is just plain barebones and offer nothing new. It’s basically the same template established by Far Cry 3. The game introduces a ‘menacing’ villain and the player keeps disrupting their plans until they personally intervene.
The most interesting thing about the game’s plot is the return of Joseph Seed, Far Cry 5‘s main antagonist. He plays a part in Far Cry New Dawn‘s story, and so do his cult, New Eden, and the protagonist from Far Cry 5. I won’t spoil anything, though I should warn you not to expect much. In fact, it’s safe to keep your expectations close to zero.
Far Cry New Dawn‘s main twin antagonists, Mickey and Lou, are just one-dimensional sadists who are evil for the sake of being evil. The only time Ubisoft even bothers to flesh them out is in a brief flashback scene near the end of the game, and that’s it.
To make matters worse, at least Far Cry 5‘s New Eden cultists had the religious extremism and white supremacy thing going for them. The enemies in Far Cry New Dawn are known as the Highwaymen and they’re indistinguishable from any other group of raiders from any other post-apocalyptic game or story.
Better Off Replaying Far Cry 5
Whatchu looking at?
Even if you’re a fan of the franchise looking for their next fix of Far Cry action, I’d suggest replaying Far Cry 5 or Far Cry 3, whichever suits your fancy. Far Cry New Dawn doesn’t go far enough with its post-apocalyptic setting and isn’t anywhere near as weird or exciting as you would expect. It’s not a bad game, but it’s just more of the same.

However, if you’re happy just revisiting Far Cry 5 in a slightly different skin and altered mechanics, then Far Cry New Dawn could be for you.

If you don’t mind going insane, that is. Listen to Vaas.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKMMCPeiQoc&w=560&h=315]
Pros:

Same old explosive Far Cry action
Returning gameplay mechanics from Far Cry 5
Fun recognizing locations you’ve visited in Far Cry 5

Cons:

Repeatedly doing the same thing (liberating outposts) to the brink of insanity
Bullet sponge enemies
Too grindy near the endgame
Looks and feels like a re-skin of Far Cry 5
An uninspired and bland story with boring antagonists

Final Score: 60/100
Far Cry New Dawn was reviewed on a PS4 Pro, via a review copy courtesy of Ubisoft.


New Blue Beetle Trailer Shows Off A Lot More Action

Warner Bros and DC Studios have unveiled a new trailer for Blue Beetle.
It shows Xolo Maridueña as Jaime Reyes and his encounter with the alien scarab Khaji Da, as well as fighting against the Black Beetle.
Alongside Maridueña, the cast includes George Lopez as Jaime’s uncle Rudy, Susan Sarandon as Victoria Kord, Raoul Trujillo as the villainous Carapax, and Harvey Guillén in an unknown role.
In the comics, Jaime Reyes is actually the third person to carry the mantle of Blue Beetle. The first Blue Beetle was a police officer named Dan Garrett who donned bulletproof armour and took a sci-fi vitamin supplement to moonlight as a vigilante. The second (and most iconic) was Ted Kord, a genius inventor and self-made industrialist who styled himself as a wise-cracking superhero out of love for the Justice League and their good deeds. Kord is also best known for being the other half of a duo alongside Booster Gold.
The synopsis reads:
Recent college grad Jaime Reyes returns home full of aspirations for his future, only to find that home is not quite as he left it. As he searches to find his purpose in the world, fate intervenes when Jaime unexpectedly finds himself in possession of an ancient relic of alien biotechnology: the Scarab. When the Scarab suddenly chooses Jaime to be its symbiotic host, he is bestowed with an incredible suit of armor capable of extraordinary and unpredictable powers, forever changing his destiny as he becomes the Super Hero BLUE BEETLE.
Directed by Puerto Rican filmmaker Angel Manuel Soto, Blue Beetle will premiere on 18 August 2023.
Check out the trailer below:


New Ghostbusters Movie Announced; Trailer Dropping Soon

Update: Trailer’s live now. Go watch it below!
After two successful and very iconic movies, the Ghostbusters franchise did a complete nosedive with the release of the 2016 Ghostbusters reboot which ditched the main gang for a new female-centric ghostbusting crew. Looks like the filmmakers learnt their lessons and is going back to what works.

The official Ghostbusters Twitter page recently released a poster depicting the Ectomobile facing towards some major ectoplasmic activity happening in the distance. The new movie is titled Ghostbusters: Afterlife and is scheduled for release in the US on 10 July 2020. The tweet was also accompanied by an announcement of a trailer being released on Monday 9 December 2019.
At the same time, a few stills from the movie was also released showing Paul Rudd, Finn Wolfhard, and other actors. It’s good to see that they’re bringing back some of the original cast members from the first two movie this time.

For now, we’ll have to wait for the trailer to find out more about the movie and see where it takes the franchise next. I have no qualms seeing Paul Rudd becoming a new member of the Ghostbusters. That would be pretty awesome.


This Filter Puts A Fake PS5 In Your Photos

Since yesterday, Facebook and Instagram have been filled with people sharing pictures of getting their PS5 consoles. That’s not possible, because it’s not coming out until the 12th or 19th November 2020.
However, these fake PS5 pictures were made possible thanks to a new filter that inserts PS5 boxes into your pictures via AR (augmented reality) technology.

The filter is called PS5 BOX and it was created by @aroneverything. All you have to do to use the PS5 filter is to tap on the middle tab with an emoticon, select the PS5 filter and there you go.

Maybe this will tide you over until the PS5 eventually arrives in Malayisa, wherever that might be. It’s good for a quick laugh and a pranking tool, at the very least.
In the meantime, check out all our PS5-related coverage here.


Is There Going To Be A Xenoblade Chronicles 3 On The Horizon?

Xenoblade Chronicles voice actress Jenna Coleman may have suggested that there will be a new Xenoblade Chronicles game in the works.
During a video call with a fan back in June (via VGC), she made a comment alluding to there being a third game. When asked how she secured her role as Melia in the Nintendo RPG, she said:
“It was through my voiceover agent and I did itâ€¦ god, when was the first game? Ten years ago? It was a long time ago. I did it pre-Doctor Who days and then when they did the second one, they asked me to come back.”
And then she said the following:
“And I think theyâ€™re going to do another [pause]. Common knowledge? Donâ€™t knowâ€¦ Yeah I think theyâ€™re going to do anotherâ€¦ Not sure if Iâ€™m allowed to say that.”
Turns out that sources close to Fanbyte are saying the sequel is indeed happening. Xenoblade Chronicles 3 was set to be revealed earlier this year, and may be announced before 2021 ends. However, pandemic issues and development are preventing this from happening. The game will aim to have more character models on-screen than any previous title.
On a related note, Xenoblade developer Monolith Soft has been hiring a lot of developers as of late, with a new Tokyo studio that opened back in 2019. Altogether, the company has over 300 people working on a Xenoblade Chronicles 3 and other games in its catalogue. Perhaps a Xenoblade X Chronicles remaster for the Switch? Here’s hoping!