Why Cowboy Bebop Matters In Pop Culture History, 20 Years Later

Every single time I get introduced to a new sci-fi anime series that’s hailed as the next groundbreaking touchstone of the medium, be it from friends or colleagues, I always have to ask the following:

Is it as good as Cowboy Bebop?

And why shouldn’t I? Any show that can top the 1997 classic anime is a show worth investing in.
Long story short: Cowboy Bebop is the anime that made me believe that a genre can exuberance style and substance that transcends borders & cultures while also convert people to give the medium a chance. People who see anime as nothing more than panties, schoolgirls, harems, tentacles, mechas, and excess violence/explosions will change their tune after viewing a well-thought-out show like Cowboy Bebop.
Call it anime’s best gateway drug, if you will. It just works as both a high calibre show for fans of the genre and the best entry point for people not even remotely into anime.
20 years later, it still holds up as the best damn anime on the planet. But why? What makes this 26-episode anime special? Well, we can factor in a couple key points:
Genre-Blending That Comes Out Cohesive

Not in the sense of Bravestar and talking horses, no. You have bounty hunters Spike and Jet, the young and the old, working together to capture bounties while dealing with money and gear problems. Standard anime sci-fi with stellar production values.
And even then it’s apeing different genres while maintaining a consistent tone. Noir, spaghetti westerns, urban thrillers, samurai films; all for the sake of telling its off-kilter space tale.
This mash-up of style and substance influenced a TON of animes and shows made after the late 90s. I’m looking at you, Joss Whedon’s Firefly.
It Breaks Anime Stereotypes. Kinda
No anime or TV series can survive without a well-written cast & well planned-out narrative beats, and Cowboy Bebop delivers on both fronts.
Your heroes are anything but anime archetypes, but they are spins on the Hollywood action genre. Spike Spiegel is the main hero, but he’s an enigma. He’s a laid-back kung-fu-savvy hero with a few secrets; you can’t tell until later in the series that he’s got quite a sad backstory. We get to see him at his most confounded in the episode “Pierrot Le Fou”. We get to see his broken side in “Ballad of the Fallen Angels”. And you see it come full circle in the final few episodes of the series.
And yes, I was one of those kids back then who emulated the “walking away and waving goodbye without turning” schtick.

Jet “I’m too old for this” Black is an ageing mercenary with wisdom and grit; though to be frank, his wisdom is quoting Sun Tzu’s Art of War too often and at odds with Spike with certain semantics & misinformation. He gets a few episodes of his own that flesh out his past as a former lawman like “Ganymede Elegy”. When he’s not trimming his bonsais, he’s helping Spike out with his piloting skills.
Faye Valentine is also an oddity. She’s a sexy suspender-wearing conniving bombshell who hides her intelligence & sad story with her aloofness. You’ll see a more melodramatic side of her when you eventually reach “Hard Luck Woman” later on the show.
Ed the hacker and Ein the corgi go well together during a number of episodes focused on the duo like “Mushroom Samba” -I can never get that “Mushroom Hunting” ditty out of my head. Time and again the duo are the ones who usually help fix things when the other adults can’t do squat.

The crew here on the Bebop ship are a tight crew, with each of them showing camaraderie and chemistry like one big dysfunctional family. Sure, you get your serious and fight-savvy storylines fleshing out their backstories. But then you get goofy episodes like “Toys in the Attic” that encapsulates the peppy side of the show. Not a single character, main or side, and story beat was wasted.
The Friggin’ Music & Visual Harmony
Chord changes, improv, and rapid progressions are the key to Cowboy Bebop’s ever-evolving soundtrack.Â It’s all sorts of awesome jazz and bebop, but more than that.
From the catchy intro music (3, 2, 1, Let’s jam!) to the sombre Real Folk Blues, to even the one-time peppy tunes and catchy beats from the later episodes and even the movie, Cowboy Bebop is a fantastic aural voyage. Unless you really REALLY hate music in sync with your anime, you’ll fall in love as soon as you’re done with the intro.
It made music mattered even more in the span of a 26-episode series. It focuses heavily on jazz and blues, so naturally the colours, the shots, and the narrative revolve around that. Except with a space and out-of-Earth setting.

Its Stand-Alone-Esque Nature
The beauty of this show is the fact that most of its episodes are self-contained. With the exception of the last few episodes, the majority of a Cowboy Bebop episode can be watched without much knowledge about its cast.
And even so, why would you watch it halfway? The first few episodes reel you in with its world, the banter and teamwork between Spike and Jet, and the marks they have to chase for their bounty.

Watching it as a kid or teen is great, but watching it as an adult; it’s a show about sad people getting by while action gets thrown in the way. It’s a really depressing future with a hip aesthetic.
There’s a story arc involving Spike that eventually pays off big, but most Cowboy Bebop episodes can be digested at face value. Dig a little deeper, and you’ll get a soulful bunch of stories ranging from the moody to the quirky.
The show’s length is just right, and leaves a few questions as is: up for interpretation. It treats its audience with respect by starting big and finishing even bigger, with the middle portions encapsulating what it means to be a bounty hunter in such a messed-up-but-hilarious future.
Man, now I feel like watching this series again. See you, space cowboy.


Look Sharp! World of Tanks SEA Cup 2017 Is Heading Your Way

Battle stations everyone! The World of Tanks SEA Cup 2017 is coming your way soon! In search of the best tankers in the region, Wargaming.net just announced that registrations for the SEA Cup 2017 is now open. But you gotta be quick, as it closes October 5th 2017, just a smidge before the qualifiers take place on the weekend of the 8th and 15th of October.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dc2kLh8FJ14&w=560&h=315]
As all typical World of Tanks tourneys go, it will run on a 7-on-7 format, but with tier points limited at 56, and tank tiers are capped at Tier VIII. Full details of the tournament and its rules and regulations can be found at Wargaming Asia’s website here.
Interested? Of course you are. Register hereÂ and may your aim be steady, shots on target and AP shells bounce off your hulls.


[Leak] A Screenshot & Poster Of The New CG Resident Evil Movie Has Been Leaked

Capcom’s latest Resident Evil 4 remake has been doing pretty well, having sold more than four million copies in less than a month. It seems that the company is hoping that its upcoming animated film, Resident Evil: Death Island, will ride on the coattails of the remake’s success. The latest images of the movie are looking good, especially for die-hard fans.
A reliable source, Dusk Golem, has shared a new Japanese onesheet and a group shot that features Chris Redfield, Jill Valentine, Leon Kennedy, Claire Redfield, and Rebecca Chambers, standing together to face a fearsome foe.

Known locally in Japan as BIOHAZARD DEATH ISLAND, Resident Evil: Death Island is directed by Eiichiro Hasumi (“Assassination Classroom”) and written by Makoto Fukami (“Psycho-Pass”).
The movie is rated R and is a direct sequel to Resident Evil: Vendetta. The story follows D.S.O. agent Leon S. Kennedy on a mission to rescue Dr. Antonio Taylor after he was kidnapped. But things get complicated when a mysterious woman tries to stop him.
Meanwhile, B.S.A.A. agent Chris Redfield is investigating a zombie outbreak in San Francisco, and they can’t identify the source of the infection. The victims all recently visited Alcatraz Island, so Chris and his team head over to investigate. But what they find there is even more horrifying.

Resident Evil: Death Island is set to release on 7 July in Japan, but there’s no word yet on when it will be available internationally. Fans of the franchise are sure to be eagerly awaiting its arrival!


Brawl Stars Guide: How To Shoot Up The Competition In Supercell’s Latest

This guide will be updated periodically, this being an online game and all…
We just found our possible sleeper hit of 2019, the new Supercell mobile action game Brawl Stars. Wait, don’t leave! Hear us out.
Brawl Stars marks the first time Supercell has made a game that combines the best of top-down shooters (Chaos Engine, Smash TV) and put it in a 3v3 competitive setting. With pretty smooth controls, colourful aesthetics, blazing-fast matchmaking, and a easy-to-learn-but-hard-to-master versus gameplay, coupled with Supercell’s discipline of not launching games if they even spot a 1% flaw in its design and business potential, this game will be going places.
Here are some tips for you to get by this colourful 3v3 ode toÂ the 80s top-down shooters out there.
Basic Guide
Don’t Bunch Up Too Close In The Middle When Starting
Your objective in Brawl Star’s main mode is simple: grab as many gems as you can for your team, then wait for the timer to determine the victor. The team with 10 or more gems after the countdown wins. If you die often, there’s less chance of you guys hoarding gems.
The easiest way to die? Group up in the middle and go straight for the gem-spouting pit on the battlefield. You’ll succumb to AoEs, spreadshots, and flanking manoeuvres easily.
Play All The Modes
Until Supercell declares the standard modes in an esports-centric Brawl Stars competition, you’ll have to experience all the modes. The most commonly-played modes decided by the community are:

Gem Grab (first team to hold 10 or more gems for 15 seconds wins)
Showdowns (last man/team standing; kill them all)
Bounty (teams fight to hold the most number of stars before time expires)

Flank, A Lot
When you start, when you see your teammates going straight, you should take either the left or right pathway depending on which way’s the closest. You should aim to at least isolate one brawler from a team and go on a quick 1v1 standoff to pick them off.
Know The Lay Of The Land
Every map in Brawl Stars have bushes/grass to hide in, maze-like rocks and barricades to navigate in, and dead ends to trap people in. There are even “blind” spots where you can momentarily camp and ambush players. Protip: green grass will regrow if it’s destroyed; yellow grass won’t.
Experiment With The New Characters You Unlocked
You can’t keep playing the game using Shelly and Clint. While they’re decent for beginners and intermediate players, you need to figure out how to play the other characters like Brock and Pam. Plus, certain brawlers are better at certain modes than in others. Scroll below to see the full tier list (via Kairostime).
Know Your Role(s)
Once you pick your characters, you have to then sort out what your role is. If you’re the skeleton mariachi guy, you have to start healing your pals and be their support. If you’re Spike or Leon, you should play the hit-and-run game using your AoEs and straight line attacks respectively.
If you’re a tank like El Primo and Bull, make it a point to get in your opponent’s faces while your team picks up the gems and dish out covering fire. Every brawler is different in their own way; it’s up to you to decide if you want to be the aggro guy or the defender.
Learn Your Projectile Speed And Trajectory
Ranged brawlers like Spike and Colt are better suited to dish out damage from afar, so do take note on how far their bombs and projectiles travel.
Do take note of their hitboxes and AoE radius too, so that in the future, you can pull off a quickfire routine on unwary brawlers (just tap the attack button instead of holding and aiming) without any fuss.
Run Away And Hide (When The Time Is Right)
When you have more gems than your teammates, that’s when you start playing cautiously and start trusting your partners. You can also regenerate health if you don’t attack and don’t get damaged for a brief moment.
Brawler Guide: Picking The Best Gunslinger For The Job

These brawlers are best in both Gem Grab and Showdown mode.
Shelly
The best all-rounder so far since you start off with her and she has the best all-rounder tools. Her Super hits hard when enemies are up-close, she has decent stats, and she can deal with tanks in a pinch.
The bad part? Top-tier teams will know how to counter her, so you need to start unlocking more characters fast.
Colt
Colt has range and has a Super that goes through obstacles. He also has good stats for both game modes. You may need him to complement short-ranged brawlers like Shelly.
He has the same problem as Shelly; veteran players will know how to deal with Colt. So get to playing and unlocking Brawlers fast!
Nita
Her close-ranged attacks and bear summon Super is great in Gem Grab mode, but not so much in Showdown. She’s best when dealing with grouped-up brawlers and protecting your gem carriers.
Protip: her bear can heal you if it gets a swipe in on an opponent, and can also build Super meter.
Pam
Pam comes equipped with a lot of hit points, can shoot suppressing fire, and has a Super that heals anyone within the vicinity. Pretty damn good to help keep your 3-man party alive and well regardless of mode.
Thanks to her skills and health, she’s definitely the best at being defensive and also at carrying gems. Do learn to place your healing station Super properly; you can lose many games with a misplaced station.

Poco
If you haven’t unlocked Pam yet, use Poco instead. He has less DPS stats than Pam, but at least that heal Super is handy in a pinch.
Jessie
Having a mid-ranged brawler who lays out turrets as a Super can be beneficial if you’re playing defensively. Jessie can do that, though it’s up to her teammates to help support her with aggro duties. Her reload speed has also increased since the latest patch.
Spike
He shoots out cactus grenades that have decent AoE attacks that slows down his enemies. Best of all, he can regenerate health when he’s in the vicinity of his Super. Just remember: he has pretty low health and vulnerable against short-ranged brawlers. There’s no shame in playing the keep-away game with Spike.
Brock
What Brock lacks in power, he makes it up with range. His rockets travel pretty far and his Super can destroy terrain, meaning the opposing team will have less grass and bushes to hide in.
Do make sure you have aggros to take the heat away from you; Brock is a sitting duck against fast aggro brawlers like…
Leon
Leon has it all: great aggro stats, fast, and can go invisible to either hide or sneak attack. He’s a huge asset to any team; just don’t let him be the gem carrier, that’s all. He dies pretty quick to AoE and his attacks have small hit boxes, so you have to be precise with your attacks.


Atelier Ryza 3 Delayed To Late March

Developer Gust and publisher Koei Tecmo will be delaying its long-awaited final entry to the Atelier Ryza series for a few months.
Atelier Ryza 3: Alchemist of the End & the Secret Key will be coming out on 24 March worldwide for PC, Nintendo Switch, PS5, and PS4. The delay was due to the developers needing to “fine-tune the final touches” to the game, according to the game’s producer Junzo Hosoi.
The JRPG was originally supposed to be out on 24th February. Full producer message below:
A Message from the Producer
We apologize for this delay to everyone who has been looking forward to the release of Atelier Ryza 3.
In order to make this game a fitting finale for Ryza and her friends, we have taken on challenges such as adventuring in a vast open field and graphics that express the charm of these characters to the fullest extent.
Our team will take this additional time to fine-tune the final touches so that we can deliver to all of you who have been following the series for the best possible experience in this culmination of Ryza and her friends’ adventures.
We are making the game even better to make it worth your wait, so we appreciate your patience for a just little bit more until the game’s release.
—Junzo Hosoi, Producer


Jujutsu Kaisen Teams Up With Hello Kitty This October…

Jujutsu Kaisen, a currently popular shonen manga/anime about a magic-less boy fighting in a sorcerer-and-curse-filled-universe, is teaming up with Hello Kitty makers Sanrio for a bunch of merchandise (via Game Watch).
The collaboration will start this October and will feature six Jujutsu Kaisen characters pairing up with six Sanrio mascots on keychains and pin badges. Here’s how the pairing is set up:

Itadori x Pochacco
Fushiguro x Badtz-Maru
Kugisaki x My Melody
Gojo x Cinnamoroll
Nanami x Pom Pom Purin
Sukuna x Hello Kitty

Anime fans and Hello Kitty enthusiasts (closet or otherwise) can buy these pieces of merchandise in Japan movie theaters later this year. With Jujutsu Kaisen having a circulation of 50 million copies as of May 2021 alongside a first season anime series and a prequel movie slated for 24th December, there’s going to be a lot of people buying these.


Massive Games Company Acquires Dark Horse Comics

Dark Horse Comics is now officially part of the Embracer Group, which announced its purchase of the third-largest comic book publisher in the US (after Marvel and DC Comics) earlier today.
Dark Horse Comics was founded in 1986 and is famous for such titles as Hellboy, The Umbrella Academy, Sin City, as well as comics based on famous IPs like Star Wars and Alien. Based in Karlstad, Sweden, Embracer Group is the parent company of various video game developers, including THQ Nordic, Koch Media, Coffee Stain, Amplifier Game Invest, Saber Interactive, DECA Games, Gearbox Entertainment, and Easybrain.

Dark Horse CEO Mike Richardson said (via press release):
â€œI canâ€™t express the excitement I feel as Dark Horse moves into this new chapter in our history. The synergies that exist with the Embracer network of companies promises exciting new opportunities not only for Dark Horse, but also for the creators and companies we work with.â€
This move opens up a whole world of possibilities for both Embracer Group and Dark Horse Comics. We could potentially get new Hellboy and The Umbrella Academy games, as well as perhaps new Saints Row or Borderlands comics. It might be a while before anything concrete comes out as a result of Embracer Group’s acquisition of Dark Horse Comics, but it’s just a matter of time until something exciting gets announced.
The last Hellboy game was 2008’s Hellboy The Science Of Evil, though he did appear as a playable fighter in Injustice 2 in 2017.


Respawn Says Stadia Isn’t An ‘Apex Legends-Friendly’ Platform

Google Stadia is becoming a big thing in the streaming business, and is bringing big things to gamers and developer alike, such as 4K, 60 fps gameplay. But all that can only be achieved if your internet connection can handle it.
Even with a blazing fast internet connection, there are some inherent problems within streaming that cannot be solved, such as input lag.

Drew McCoy, Respawn executive producer, thinks that Stadia will not work for games like Apex Legends.
“We tested a lot of streaming solutions in the last five or six years. For the kinds of games we make, I don’t think they’re well suited,” McCoy said to Game Informer during a recent interview.
Respawn is working hard to combat and eliminate input lag in their games, going to the extent of ‘fighting TV manufacturers and their image processing’ as these forms of image processing adds unnecessary input lag.
They are working hard to minimize input lag as McCoy said:

“We put an enormous amount of effort on the engineering side to reduce the amount of input processing we do in the engine and so that it’s only a couple frames behind what you’re actually doing. There’s no way to have it on the same frame.”

Streaming not only intensifies the problem but wipes out all their hard-earned work in eliminating input lag.
Make no mistake, Respawn isn’t saying Stadia is bad. Rather they are saying that they want to make their game better and the game just isn’t suited for Stadia.
“I think for some games, it’s gonna be fine, but the really fast-paced precision games, it’s not going to be great for them,” McCoy said. “And that’s okay, but it’s not like we want to target fast-paced FPS for streaming.”
McCoy also mentioned about having crossplay for Apex Legends, but they need great effort to make it work and the team isn’t big enough to handle it at the moment.


Apex Legends System Override Event Drops Next Week

Respawn Entertainment has announced that a new System Override Collection Event will be taking place in Apex Legends starting next week, from 3 to 17 March 2020. Players will have the opportunity to unlock two new Legendary weapon skins and obtain an Octane Heirloom set, as well as participate in the brand new Deja Loot mode.
Apex Legends Deja Loot Mode
In the Apex Legends Deja Loot limited-time mode, a glitch in the system has caused all loot to spawn in the same location every match for the duration of the event. The plane path and circle locations will also be fixed for this mode, though those will change on a daily basis while the loot location stays the same for the whole event.
Interestingly, this creates an exciting short-term meta shakeup, providing equal chances for both new and veteran players. The first week of the Deja Loot mode will take place on Worldâ€™s Edge while the second week will see Legends return to Kings Canyon.
Evo Shield
As part of the Deja Loot mode, Apex Legends will introduce a new equipment type; the Evo Shield. When players pick up Evo Shield, it will start out weaker than a Common Body Shield (White), but as they do damage to non-downed players throughout the match, it will become even stronger than Epic Body Shields (Purple).
Evo Shields change colour as they progress, but their perpetual distinctive glow will help players identify them. Progress also carries over from person to person. For now, the Evo Shield will be exclusive to the Deja Loot mode and temporarily spawn at higher rates.
However, Respawn is considering adding the Evo Shield to all matches in the future if player feedback is good.
Exclusive Event Prize Track

In January as part of the Grand Soiree Arcade Event, Respawn introduced a new prize track system that delivered more rewards and more ways to earn them. This makes a return in the System Override Collection Event.
Players will be able to earn up to 1000 points per challenge set, which will refresh at a daily rate. There will also be a mix of challenges that can be completed in the LTM or in any mode, but players will still be able to complete their battle pass challenges at the same time too.
Event Limited Premium Cosmetics

The System Override Collection Event brings another set of 24 exclusive themed cosmetics to Apex Legends. All 24 items will be available through direct purchase (for Apex Coins or Crafting Metals) and in Event Apex Packs for the entire duration of the event.

https://media.contentapi.ea.com/content/dam/apex-legends/videos/2020/02/apex-inline-video-system-override-weapons.mp4
Non-Event items can be from the following categories: Weapon Skins, Legend Skins, Legend Finishers, Banner Frames, Banner Poses, Banner Stat Trackers, Intro Quips, Kills Quips, Gun Charms or Crafting Metals.
https://media.contentapi.ea.com/content/dam/apex-legends/videos/2020/02/apex-inline-video-system-override-crypto-revenant.mp4
If players unlock all 24 System Override Collection Pack Items during the event, they will obtain the Octane Heirloom set for free.
Octane Heirloom
https://media.contentapi.ea.com/content/dam/apex-legends/videos/2020/02/apex-inline-video-system-override-octane-heirloom.mp4
The Heirloom system has been changed to make it easier for players to acquire the heirloom that they want. Instead of an entire Heirloom set dropping at once, players will now receive Heirloom shards, which can be used to pick a specific Heirloom set.
The shards will have the same drop rate as the previous system so that after 500 Apex Packs, players will have enough Heirloom Shards to obtain an Heirloom set from the Heirloom shop.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPkZ2a0rUB4&w=560&h=315]


All The Nintendo Indie Games From The 10th December Live Stream

Earlier today, Nintendo showcased an indie game roundup in video form. If you love your indie games, these next few games we’re going to talk about will pique your interest.
Here are the highlights so far.
Sports Story

The sequel to the Nintendo exclusive Golf Story will take its top-down RPG antics and add in tennis, dungeons, toaster ball, and a lot more mini-games involving different types of balls for our hero to hit. And yes, football will be in it too. Out mid-2020.
Streets of Rage 4

Bare your knuckles, for Sega fans will return to the streets with this classic brawler now with a new coat of paint and new gameplay mechanics. Oh, and Adam from the very first SoR game is back and sporting a Power Geyser of sorts.
Out for all platforms in the first half of 2020.
Gleamlight

Who wants a stained glass look on their indie 2D platformer? Welp, you’ll be getting that early 2020.
Bake ‘n Switch

Malaysia-made couch co-op and PvP game Bake ‘n Switch gets some Nintendo indie-lovin’. Out Summer 2020 for the Switch and other platforms; it’s on Early Access for PC users right now.
Sail Forth

Remember the cool sailing and pirating bits from Assassin’s Creed IV? Sail Forth is like that but with low-polygon aesthetics and randomly-generated seascapes. Out 2020.
Murder By Numbers

A visual novel featuring a murder mystery story, character art by Hatoful Boyfriend artist Hato Moa, and music by Phoenix Wright/Viewtiful Joe composer Masakazu Sugimori, this one’s looking stellar. Out early 2020; timed Switch exclusive.
Boyfriend Dungeon

What it says on the title; you date your weapons and make sure they’re happy with you. Part isometric dungeon, part dating sim, Boyfriend Dungeon is looking like a unique take on the tried-and-true visual novel genre. Out 2020.
Axiom Verge 2

The sequel to the Metroidvania indie darling Axiom Verge is getting a sequel. Features the same moody pixel art style and music (now with more colour), as well as a ton of new weapons and levels. Out fall 2020.
Check out the full round-up below.


Stranger Of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin Gets New Final DLC Featuring A Moogle

Jack and his crew will get Chaos again, this time with a Moogle’s help.
Stranger Of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin will receive a new (and final) DLC called Different Future which launches 27 January 2023 for PC, Xbox, and PlayStation consoles. The Chaos-hunting crew will be guided by the spirit of a Moogle, exploring a city in an alternate time and space to face one last challenge. Also, Jack and his crew will get a new class; one that’s brandishing a gun.
We definitely won’t be saying no to more Jack and Chaos-killing, that’s for sure. Hopefully, the level design in this new DLC is better than what was available in the base game. Plus, that font for the poster below is clearly a callback to Final Fantasy 2.


Here’s A First Look At Jupiter’s Legacy’s Superheroes

Jupiterâ€™s Legacy, Netflixâ€™s first series to debut from comic book writer Mark Millar, gives us our first look at its superheroes.
The first season will consist of eight episodes and will premiere 7 May 2021.
Jupiterâ€™s LegacyÂ is an adaptation of the comics of the same name. Itâ€™s about The Union, the first generation of superheroes whoâ€™ve been active since the 1930s with the Utopian as the leader. However, as they get older, theyâ€™re forced to look to their super-powered children to continue their legacy, which isnâ€™t an easy thing to live up to.
Jupiterâ€™s LegacyÂ stars Josh Duhamel, Leslie Bibb, Ben Daniels, Elena Kampouris, Andrew Horton, Mike Wade and Matt Lanter.
Millar, who is best known forÂ Kick-AssÂ andÂ Kingsman, debutedÂ Jupiterâ€™s LegacyÂ in comics in 2013 with artistÂ Frank Quitely. They are executive producing with Lorenzo Di Bonaventura, Dan McDermott, Steven S. DeKnight, James Middleton and Sang Kyu Kim.
This might turn out to be Netflixâ€™s answer to Amazon Prime Videoâ€™sÂ The Boys.
Check out the hi-res images from Jupiter’s Legacy below:


This U.S Bill Is Doing Something About These Loot Boxes & Pay-To-Win Microtransactions

It has finally come to this: a U.S senator by the name of Josh Hawley announced a bill that could change how triple-A companies and mobile game businesses run their operations (via Kotaku).
Said bill, “The Protecting Children from Abusive Games Act”, will ban lootboxes and pay-to-win microtransactions in “games played by minors”. The latter bit will include games (i) designed for children under 18 and (ii) games “whose developers knowingly allow minor players to engage in microtransactions”. The press releases about the bill cites Candy Crush as an example thanks to its US$150 “Luscious Bundle” that comes with pay-to-win options.
This bill may also affect certain Japanese and Asian-made gacha games with lootbox mechanics and random chances for players to get powerful units that look kid-friendly. Oh, and it’ll also affect titles like Star Wars: Battlefront II too. We don’t think it’ll affect Middle Earth: Shadows Of War and Mortal Kombat 11 because those games are rated M.
Will this game-changing bill make other countries follow suit? Perhaps. While most countries don’t see loot boxes as gambling, they can seem predatory in practice.Â The bill will be introduced to the U.S Senate soon; if anything, we’re sure a majority of gamers are happy at seeing this business practice being regulated in some shape or form.


The Philippines Dominated WESG Southeast Asia 2018

Leave it to the Philippines to get the big win in 2018’s very last major Southeast Asian tournament. The World Electronic Sports Games Southeast Asian Finals 2018 just finished and has itself a slew of new SEA champions who will be competing next year in the main WESG event in China.
Here’s what we gathered from the two days of esports awesomeness:

In total, The Philippines has won the most games in the tournament: they won first place in the CSGO Women’s Division battle, in Starcraft II, and in Dota 2.
Singapore’s Team Impunity won the Vainglory tournament, while Thailand’s Alpha Red won the main CS:GO tournament.
Malaysia’s Lalasong won the major Hearthstone event, while Indonesia’s Yukiusagi won the Hearthstone Women’s Division tournament.
To add on further, the CS:GO finals between Thailand’s Alpha Red and The Philippines’ TNC Predator is arguably the most-cheered and most-hyped CS:GO match in Southeast Asian history. Country cheers, plastic clappers-slapping galore, loud cheers after seeing multikills from either team: it’s pure magic.

Here is the full list of winners.
Hearthstone Women’s Division
1st: Yukiusagi (Indonesia)
2nd: Wolfsbanee (Singapore)
3rd: Caracute (The Philippines), Sookwan (Malaysia)
Hearthstone
1st: Lalasong (Malaysia)
2nd: Staz (The Philippines)
3rd: Nammon (Thailand), Sequinox (Singapore)
Starcraft II
1st: Enderr (The Philippines)
2nd: Meomaika (Vietnam)
3rd: Lobo (Singapore), StrikE (Thailand)
CS:GO Women’s Division
1st: ArkAngel (The Philippines)
2nd: Phoenix (Singapore)
3rd: Felis Catus (Vietnam), Sphynx (Malaysia)
Vainglory
1st: Impunity (Singapore)
2nd: Elite 8 (Indonesia)
3rd: Phoenix (Malaysia), Soda Chanh (Vietnam)
Dota 2
1st: TNC Predator (The Philippines)
2nd: WG Unity (Malaysia)
3rd: BOOM ID (Indonesia), Veteran (Myanmar)
CS: GO
1st: Alpha Red (Thailand)
2nd: TNC Predator (The Philippines)
3rd: Frostfire (Malaysia), Revolution (Vietnam)
Yes, we do have videos of the WESG highlights. And yes, it’ll be out later this week, so stay tuned! In the meantime, placate yourself with the voice of Dato’ Sri Nurhaliza, one of Malaysia’s well-known pop idols.

Top image credit: WESG S.E.A


Path Of Exile Gets New Bite-Sized Hard Mode In The Form Of Demonic-Looking Sentinels

Developer Grinding Gear Games has been busy since 2013 with its hit action RPG game Path of Exile, with a sequel planned for late 2023 or even 2024. Still, the game isn’t short of content by a long shot with a new Sentinel Mode in the works.
Path of Exile’s Sentinel expansion features a new way for players to challenge themselves: by adding a satchel full of consumable drones that empower your enemies while injecting them full of bonus items. If you’re using a new character in the game’s current league (like Seasons in Diablo 3), you’ll find Sentinels dropped as loot from monsters. Sentinels are colour coded according to behaviour, power level, and modifiers on how they behave. You can deploy Sentinels anytime during combat to spice up your combat; kill enemies while Sentinels are active to gain greater loot. Lose and you just die; simple as that.
Check out the gameplay trailer below. Path of Exile’s new Sentinel expansion will be out on 17th May, free of charge. The game itself is a free-to-play title with cosmetics as microtransactions.


One Of The Best Post-Apocalyptic Games Is Free For A Limited Time

Imagine a future where bullets aren’t just used for shooting but is also a form of currency. A future where mutated creatures are just waiting around the corner to tear your face out. So, do you shoot to protect your face or risk not being able to afford tomorrow’s breakfast?
That sums up the radioactive world of Metro 2033. The original game was released back in 2010 and the remastered version titled Metro 2033 Redux is available for free right now on the Epic Games Store. Better grab it quick because the promo only lasts until 3 October 2019.

For those of you who have never played a Metro game, I’d describe it as Fallout taking place in Russia but with the combat done right. Focusing more on immersing players in the rough and fatal landscapes of a nuclear-torn Moscow, Metro 2033 is more survival horror than action.

When it first came out, Metro 2033 was considered one of the best looking games at the time. Personally, I think it still holds up.

The other game being offered for free on the Epic Games Store this week is Everything. Ever watched any YouTubers playing a game where all animals would roll like dice blocks, that’s Everything. It’s more of an experience rather than a game.
Check out Everything‘s oscar-nominated trailer:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYHp8LwBUzo&w=560&h=315]
Grab these games now because they’ll be swapped out for Minit next week starting from 3 October 2019.


PUBG MOBILE Launches Adorable Dream Monster Pets Exchangeable For In-Game Items

PUBG MOBILE, popular mobile game in Southeast Asia, introduces a cute spin to its game with the launch of a special in-game event Dream Monster. Featuring adorable sea creature pets, players can now keep and grow their own charming little Dream Monsters that can be exchanged for Ocean Crystals used to redeem in-game items including Permanent Epic Suits, Gun Skins, Headgear and more!
From now until 5 May 2022, PUBG MOBILE players can adopt their own Dream Monster for free by simply tapping the crystal bottle in the Dream Monsters page in the game. Once released from the bottle, the baby Dream Monster starts off at the M2 stage and will evolve into higher grade monsters through daily interactions with the player. The happier the Dream Monster, the faster they level up and the higher their worth when exchanged for Ocean Crystals!

Here’s a simple guide on how to be the ultimate Dream Monster pet parent while ensuring they are always happy to quickly increase their level for even better rewards:
Step 1: Shower Your Dream Monster Pet with Love
Give your Dream Monsters love and care by interacting with them through pets, feeding and exercise, or by purchasing special Dream Monster items to help them grow and evolve into the next stage.
Step 2: Check In Daily for Rewards in Exchange for Dream Monster Care Items
PUBG MOBILE players can claim rewards through daily check-ins, participating in exciting missions as well as playing mini games and inviting friends to participate in the Dream Monster event to grow their own cute pet. These items can be used in exchange for Dream Monster care essentials to keep them always chirpy.
Step 3: Sell or Continue to Care to Increase Dream Monster Grade
Upon reaching its ‘adolescent’ M3 stage, players can choose to either sell them for Ocean Crystals or choose to keep them until they evolve into higher grade monsters.
Similar to how non-fungible tokens (NFT) work, the higher the Dream Monster grade, the higher its ‘rarity’. Dream Monsters of higher grades will be worth more Ocean Crystals which can be used to either buy items to boost the pet’s growth or redeem in-game items of higher value from the shop. Dream Monsters that receive more interaction and items from players will also grow faster and achieve higher monster grades quicker.
Step 4: Show off your Rare Dream Monster Pets to Friends
These endearing Dream Monsters can be easily shared on social media with just a few clicks to show off their rarity and grade.
Are you ready to adopt your own little Dream Monster? Here’s how you can do it through the PUBG MOBILE game app:
Launch PUBG MOBILE app > Events > Hot > Dream Monster


This Week In Overwatch Esports News: 2 December

Hello, esports fans! This week in Overwatch news, we have more roster announcements & a surprise wedding. Amidst the hectic week, one pro player even decided to retire from the Overwatch.
Monte & Susie Surprise Wedding!
For days, the community was teased with the hashtag #EsportsMystery. Analysts, broadcasters, players & other folks behind the scenes of the Overwatch Esports scene joined in on the action.

Kicking off #EsportsMystery with your hosts @BrenCasts and @SideshowGaming on the red carpet interviewing guests!https://t.co/JlpLApT1pQ pic.twitter.com/3T37w58Mrz
— MonteCristo (@MonteCristo) November 30, 2018

Turns out, it was actually a wedding of one of our (my favourite actually.. ehem) caster/analyst, Christopher “MonteCristo” Mykles to Susie Kim, the London Spitfire’s manager!
The simple & fun wedding was broadcasted live through Monte’s twitch account, from the Denver International Airport; I didn’t know you can get married at the airport. There is a recorded video of the wedding stream, and you can watch it here.

Getting married to @lilsusie on my stream.https://t.co/JlpLApT1pQ
— MonteCristo (@MonteCristo) November 30, 2018

During their wedding vows, Monte told the story how Susie captured his eyes for the first time & how he felt a “magnetic attraction” towards here while being stranded at the airport with DOA. They have been dating for 5 years now, and I have to give kudos to the fellow casters, analyst and broadcasters who knew about their relationship and out of respect, decided to keep it to themselves.
Both Monte & Susie are important figures in the Overwatch Esports scene. This news brought much joy to the Overwatch community.

(Picture from Monte’s stream)Â
Vancouver Titans Signed Up The Entire Ex-Runaway Roster!
We can now finally breathe a sigh of relief; Season 2 Contenders Korea’s champion Runaway are part of Team Vancouver Titans.
While it’s a shame that I’m not able to see them in their pink garbs ever again, I’m very sure they are in fine hands. Vancouver Titans are owned by the Canucks Sports & Entertainment, who also own the professional ice hockey team Vancouver Canucks.
The unveiling of the team name, logo, colours, & roster was made during the second intermission of the Vancouver Canucks vs. Dallas Stars earlier.

Introducing the Titans.#VancouverTitans #OverwatchLeague #Overwatch pic.twitter.com/KXDDSYH7Je
— Vancouver Titans (@VancouverTitans) December 2, 2018

The team colour matches the ones used by the Vancouver Canucks. I just love seeing how an organization choose to make their esports team part of the family.
Haksal, Bumper, & Stitch were part of the Runaway team since 2016; we’ve watched them go through many ups & downs to finally see them winning the Contenders Champion title. Suffice to say, we are excited to see the boys in action next year.

In a true Runaway fan chant, Runway fighting!
Los Angeles Gladiators Announced New Team Member, After A Huge Jebait
In an attempt to top off their own Great Bamboozle, the Gladiators announced a new team member in their own style. The community went into a shock after Gladiators released a tweet, saying goodbye to their greatest Finnish support duo Syaz & BigGoose.

The Gladiators say farewell to the Finnish duo…
Our thanks to @BigGooseOW and @Shaz_OW for the glorious season. pic.twitter.com/EEqzsQ0yXw
— Los Angeles Gladiators (@LAGladiators) November 28, 2018

It received such an uproar from everyone in the community including the analysts as both had been crucial in bringing Gladiators to the quarterfinals of OWL2018. In the next tweet, however, Gladiators announced their new Finnish support team member, Ripa, to make up their new Finnish support trio.

https://twitter.com/LAGladiators/status/1067907149810941952
Ripa is an Ana main & we always love a great sleep dart play. Ripa previously played for Team Gigantti alongside rCk (who is now with Dallas Fuel) & Masaa (now with Atlanta Reign).
Congratulations for making it to the big league, Ripa!
Paris Eternal Announced New Team Member, Greyy
Paris Eternal added a new European team member to its roster earlier this week. Greyy, who played for GG Esports Academy (formerly OpTic Academy and is the academy team for Houston Outlaws), will be playing as the flex support for the Paris Eternal.

What if we were to add another European player to the team? Let's figure it out!
Bem-vindo @GreyyOW ?? to the Paris Eternal #OWL2019 roster ?? pic.twitter.com/aHrCwBDti7
— Paris Eternal (@ParisEternal) November 27, 2018

The team GGEA didn’t make it to Trials Contenders Season 3 due to the fact that the management was not able to meet the dateline to submit the team’s rosters. Many of the players left the team after unable to make it to the Trials, and we’re happy to see Greyy finding a home in the League.
Chengdu Hunters Announces Roster
In a series of tweets, the panda team announced their roster which featured a huge number of Contenders China players. Two members from Team China OWWC 2018 are now part of Chengdu Hunters; Lateyoung (tank) & Yveltal (support).

Our shields are here, hunters!
?? Tianbin “@LateYoungOW” Ma (???)?? Menghan “Ameng” Ding (???)?? Wenjie “Elsa” Luo (???)
Our tanks for this season are focused and experienced. We are proud to have such a powerful front-line to lead us to victory!#LetsGoHunt? pic.twitter.com/e9eJKwPQLH
— Chengdu Hunters (@ChengduHunters) November 30, 2018

Some of the players went through in-game name changes, probably because some of these names already belonged to existing pro players in various esports scene. For example, Elsa was previously known as Ninja.
With that being said, I would like to advise that if you want to make it to the pro-scene, please do find a very unique in-game name for yourself that people will associate you since day 1. It’ll make for a better resume.
Team Chengdu Hunters consists of:

Ma “Lateyoung” Tianbin – Tank (previously Team CC, Team China, Miraculous Youngsters)
Ding “Ameng” Menghan – Tank (previously LGD Gaming; previously known as vanessa)
Luo “Elsa” Wenjie – Tank (previously Lingan Esports; previously known as Rapunzel & Ninja)
Li “Yveltal” Xianyao – Support (previously Lingan Esports, Team China)
Guan “Garry” Li – Support (previously Lucky Future)
Kong “Kyo” Chunting – Support (previously Team CC)
Zhang “YangXiaoLong” Zhihao – DPS (previously Miraculous Youngsters)
Lo “Baconjack” Tzu-heng – DPS (previously Flash Wolves – APAC)
Yi “Jinmu” Hu – DPS (previously Moss Seven Club)

Silkthread Retires From Overwatch
Silkthread was actually signed to Chengdu Hunters as part of the DPS rosters. But according to a statement yesterday on Twitter, he is terminating his contract with Chengdu & is retiring from Overwatch as a pro player.

Goodbye Professional Overwatch: A Journey Ended
Read: https://t.co/g71YjiPpUm
— silkthread (@silkthread) December 1, 2018

A DPS player for Los Angeles Valiant and later for Los Angeles Gladiators, Silkthread went to China to train with Chengdu. Citing that he did not enjoy playing Overwatch anymore and the fact that Chengdu had different working standards than Western teams, Silkthread decided to put his keyboard down as a professional for now.
He is currently waiting for news for his universities application as a business graduate. After that, he may be able to come back as part of the backbone of the Overwatch League staffs & teams.
Silkthread is the second player from the Overwatch League to announce of his retirement from the professional scene after Seagull announced his retirement back in August.
Toronto Defiant Added Asher & Roky
Finalizing the Defiant rosters, Asher & Roky joined the rest of the teams as the DPS & Support players. Asher was previously from Los Angeles Gladiators as part of their main DPS during the earlier season, while Roky was from X6 Gaming (Contenders Korea).

Roster ? Locked. @asher_ow & @OW_RoKY round out your Toronto Defiant ? #RiseTogether #OWL2019 pic.twitter.com/p0sJ5YHtZB
— Toronto Defiant (@TorontoDefiant) November 27, 2018

Shanghai Dragons Apologized For Using Artworks Without Permission
Throughout the off-season, Shanghai Dragons had been tweeting two artworks depicting their players with their main characters, such as Diya with Mccree.
However, it later caused an uproar in the Overwatch community as Shanghai Dragons did not credit the original artist or even asked for permission to use the artwork on their platform. Art theft & not crediting the artist are a big no-no in the artist community and it is unfortunate that a big organization as big as Shanghai Dragons to be part of it.
Shanghai Dragons later issued a statement apologizing for using the artist’s work without permission.

pic.twitter.com/CXaX8TWUAo
— Shanghai Dragons (@ShanghaiDragons) November 29, 2018

It was revealed that (in a really bad English statement) the designers who were responsible for the action are already suspended & “executed (with) severe punishment”. The organization is also reaching out to the original artists for reparations.
Washington DC Yet To Announce Team Branding & Rosters
As of now, Team Washington DC has yet to announce anything related to their team & branding as we are nearing the dateline for rosters announcement, which is just next week.
The team is still shrouded with mystery, with only the announcement of WizardHyeong as their head coach & Janus as their main tank. Both were previously from NYXL.

The cat's out of the bag. Welcome @WizardHyeong and @januspy_ to Overwatch DC pic.twitter.com/lEXyASc9b7
— Washington Justice (@washjustice) September 12, 2018

Will the DC team have a full Korean roster or will it be more diverse? I guess we will have next week to find out! Stay tuned!


Here’s How Gaming Companies Are Responding To The Protests

The world was recently shocked by the tragic death of George Floyd by police officer Derek Chauvin in Minneapolis, Minnesota on 25 May 2020. Since then, citizens in the US and in other countries worldwide have been protesting against police brutality and racism, both in the streets and online.
Several companies, especially those in the gaming and entertainment-related industry, have responded to the protests, voicing their support for the #BlackLivesMatter movement. However, some companies have been done great in this regard, while others, not really (we’re looking at you, Detroit Become Human developer Quantic Dream).
It’s also worth pointing out that while big companies like Sony’s PlayStation and Microsoft’s Xbox have responded to this issue, the big elephant in the room is Nintendo, who has remained quiet on the matter at hand.
Check out their responses below:

pic.twitter.com/gtVFPNikan
â€” Marvel Entertainment (@Marvel) May 31, 2020

pic.twitter.com/pE91378PTF
â€” Discord (@discord) June 1, 2020

pic.twitter.com/fnkB9ZmYg5
â€” PlayStation (@PlayStation) June 1, 2020

Xbox stands together with our fans, creators, colleagues, friends, and the entire African American & Black Community against systemic racism and injustice.
We are proud to join with @Microsoft in amplifying Black and African American voices. https://t.co/sHrXqf454y
â€” Xbox (@Xbox) June 1, 2020

pic.twitter.com/0gspoaE2w9
â€” Activision Blizzard (@ATVI_AB) June 1, 2020

An official statement from EA SPORTS pic.twitter.com/MKdgJjvKJB
â€” Madden NFL 20 (@EAMaddenNFL) May 31, 2020

pic.twitter.com/Gm78QsV9SZ
â€” Naughty Dog (@Naughty_Dog) June 1, 2020

pic.twitter.com/v3NMUJpJBQ
â€” Santa Monica Studio Is Hiring (@SonySantaMonica) June 2, 2020

pic.twitter.com/h3fq7GqAVN
â€” Insomniac Games (@insomniacgames) June 1, 2020

pic.twitter.com/gzSNMIUBS5
â€” Riot Games (@riotgames) May 31, 2020

â€œSomebody has to stand when others are sitting. Somebody has to speak when others are quiet.â€ â€“ Bryan Stevenson
We stand with our Black colleagues, talent, storytellers and fans â€“ and all affected by senseless violence. Your voices matter, your messages matter. #BlackLivesMatter
â€” Warner Bros. (@warnerbros) May 31, 2020

A message from Jack Etienne, CEO & Co-Founder of Cloud9 #BlackLivesMatter #GeorgeFloyd pic.twitter.com/S8XqzDwpKn
â€” Cloud9 (@Cloud9) May 31, 2020

pic.twitter.com/BCS1PpNp7h
â€” Star Wars (@starwars) May 31, 2020

#BlackLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/Hg1VIdEqmi
â€” Bethesda (@bethesda) June 1, 2020

Evo supports #BlackLivesMatter and the recent protests fighting against the police brutality that disproportionately affects Black Americans. To support the movement we are donating $7,500 each to @NAACP_LDF and @VisitLakeStreet
— EVO (@EVO) June 1, 2020

If you want to help do your part, you should check out the official Black Lives Matters site to donate internationally, sign petitions, and sort out more resources to share the knowledge on anti-racism.
(Image Credits: Al Jazeera)


Ex-Nintendo America President And Other Games Industry Leaders Respond To Gun Violence Finger-Pointing

Another two mass shootings have occurred in the United States just a few days ago. A mass shooting happened in El Paso, Texas and less than 24 hours later, another happened in Dayton, Ohio. More than 30 people were killed and many more are recovering from injuries. Our hearts go out to the victims and their families of the shootings and we will keep hoping that nothing this tragic will ever happen again.
However, it has almost become a scripted event at this point for American leaders and legislators to blame everything else except the widespread availability of guns. As always, video games are blamed as one of the primary factors that lead to gun violence and that Americans “need to do something about it”.
Call of Duty is definitely to be blamed for being creatively-bankrupt. But for inspiring mass shooters? Yeah right.
If you don’t believe me, allow me to present what the President of the United States himself has to say. While listing down his solutions for preventing more mass shootings, Trump said:

“Second, we must stop the glorification of violence in our society. This includes the gruesome and grizzly video games that are now commonplace. It is too easy today for troubled youths to surround themselves with a culture that celebrates violence.”
– President Donald Trump, from NBC News.
The Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick blames video games as well. He believes that the U.S. government should do some form of intervention into the video game industry, name-dropping Call of Duty in his argument.

“How long are we going to let the federal level particularly ignore the issue where they can do something about the video game industry? In this manifesto, that we believe is from the shooter, he talks about living out his supersoldier fantasy on Call of Duty.”
– Dan Patrick, Texas Lieutenant Governor, taken from here.
The above two statements are merely a fraction of what other American politicians are saying in their attempt to demonise and blame video games for an issue that happens almost nowhere else in the world.
Former Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime tweeted out his response to the finger-pointing and even dropped some hard facts which should easily convince anyone with an IQ above 70.

Facts are facts. pic.twitter.com/sSEbdYZcgE
â€” Reggie Fils-Aime (@Reggie) August 6, 2019
One of the most prominent esports consultants in the world, Rod “Slasher” Breslau, went on Fox News to argue that there is a minimal correlation between video games and mass shootings.

“Video games are an international worldwide phenomenon played in every single country in the world, including these first person shooters played worldwide, but these things only happen here in America. We do not see or have that violence anywhere else in the world,”
– Rod Breslau, on Fox News.
The Game Awards producer Geoff Keighley has even provided a story on how video games have actually bettered the lives of the people in the community. Last year, a Ugandan refugee was able to successfully acquire permanent refugee status in Canada for his family thanks to his efforts in using video games to help his community.

A story about the power of the gaming community. ðŸ‡¨ðŸ‡¦ pic.twitter.com/SU0a0DalXx
â€” Geoff Keighley (@geoffkeighley) August 5, 2019
Anyone with a working brain can see that video games have almost nothing to do with the mass shootings happening in America and it’s worth noting that just this year alone, there have been more than 240 mass shootings in America. In Japan, one of the biggest video games market in the world, there have been less than 5 mass shootings in its entire history.
The difference? You cannot own guns in Japan.


This New Wuxia RPG Looks A Tad Familiar To Octopath Traveler

Chinese developer Xiameng has announced a new game called Codename: Wandering Sword which is a pixel-based RPG set in ancient China.
The game’s story is about a young man who ends up becoming a wuxia under the Sect Leader of Wudang thanks to politics and backstabbing.
Check out the trailer below and see if it looks familiar:

If you’ve played Octopath Traveler, Triangle Strategy, and other HD-2D Square Enix game, then you’ll recognize Codename: Wandering Sword’s art style. Good thing that term and technique isn’t fully copyrighted, otherwise the Final Fantasy company could sue. Here are the features that could set itself apart from other HD-2D Square Enix games:

Open World with a Lively Map – A huge open world, including areas such as the Central Plains, Jiangnan, the Western Regions, Nanjiang, Tianshan Mountain, and more. The player can explore the prosperous towns, secret caves, forts and strongholds, and other unique scenic places.
Unique Pixel Style Rendered in Unreal Engine – With Unreal Engine 4, a new pixel style is created in the game: it switches pixel art games to a 3D environment, giving a new blend of retro pixels and 3D reality. The game not only harks back to the pixelated Wuxia games of the MS-DOS era, but also brings us modernized visual effects and a better game experience.
Choose the Combat Mode You Like – If you are a fan of strategy games, you can select the traditional turn-based combat mode and outmaneuver your enemies. If you want to take things into your own hands, you can select the real-time combat mode to have an exciting battle and defeat enemies through precise action inputs.
Hundreds of Martial Arts Moves and Supporting Meridians – All the powerful abilities and moves are yours to pick. You can equip different types of weapons and join various sects. Learning cultivation methods can earn you Meridian Points, and practicing both internally and externally makes you a true martial arts master.
Travel the World and Make Friends – Most NPCs in the game have a friendship system. You can increase a NPC’s affinity towards you by interacting with them via gift giving, sparring, talking, etc. You can also recruit them to your party and travel the world together. NPCs of different sects have different Jianghu abilities. When you have a good relationship with them, they will even give you their weapons and secret manuals to help you dominate the martial arts world and excel in all aspects.
Multiple Endings and Freedom of Taking Side Quests – The different choices the player makes in the game lead to different endings. Other than the main story, there are a great number of side quests for the player to explore, with hidden unexpected adventures.
Dynamic NPCs – Most NPCs in the game have their own behavioral AI. They will get themselves martial arts manuals and grow their power, weaving their own unique stories.

No release date for Codename: Wandering Sword has been announced yet. It’ll be out for PC via Steam with English and Chinese support.


Mobile Legends Bang Bang Women’s Invitational Kicks Off Later This Month

MOONTON Games has partnered with ONE Esports, a subsidiary of ONE Championship (ONE), to host the Mobile Legends Bang Bang Womenâ€™s Invitational (MWI). The online tournament will feature up to ten women-led Southeast Asia teams. Watch them get #InControl from 27 January to 30 January 2022 for a combined prize pool of US$15,000.
MWI will follow the Mobile Legends Bang Bang Southeast Asia Cup tournament format. There will be invited teams from Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand. These include Bren Esports, OMEGA Esports, IDNS Princess, IDNS Elsa, and Impunity Starlets1; with more to be announced.

Ten teams will be divided into Group A and Group B via random allocation and compete with those within their group. Each team will be ranked based on the total accumulated points from their respective matches, and the top four teams in each group will proceed to the playoffs. The online tournament serves as a competitive platform to empower women, encouraging them to showcase their skills, not as female players but as individuals.
Themed #InControl, players in MWI are offered opportunities to take control of their destinies and success. Through MWI, MOONTON Games and ONE Esports aim to empower and celebrate women in the Mobile Legends Bang Bang esports ecosystem with a platform to compete and showcase their skills, passion, and achievements.
According to ONE Esportsâ€™ research, the female gaming and esports community is one of the fastest-growing segments due to the widespread adoption of mobile phones and the proliferation of the video streaming market. Today, female fans account for 49% of the gaming and esports market in Southeast Asia.

Here are some team highlights to expect at MWI:

IDNS Princess (Thailand + Laos)

â€‹Both teams have joined hands to form a stronger IDNS! There will be three players from Laos and two from IDNS Elsa who are brimming with confidence and determination to win MWI.
â€‹Formed in 2018, the IDNS ladies are no strangers to the MLBB scene. With Ramella and Silver from Thailand joining the ranks, can their team chemistry make the mark for gold?

Bren Esports and Smart Omega (Philippines)

â€‹Bren Esports are all powered up with Ashqt,Â Defrost,Â Lexaaa,Â Krish,Â BREN Taro, and Ashee looking to take the championship! The team has also been participating in Squad Up! Athena and performing well. Some of the team members are from Bren Victress, that have been kicking up a storm in community tournaments.
â€‹This is the first all-female team for Smart Omega. Will they be able to live up to the glory of their MPL-PH counterparts?

Team OnAirPipol and Team Karra (Malaysia)

â€‹Formed last September (2021), OnAirPipol or more commonly known as On Air Esports have made a name for themselves in Malaysia’s community events. Will their female roster be able to do the same in MWI?
â€‹Team Karra has joined forces with Suhaz Esports and is looking to score themselves to the top.

Impunity Scarlet (Cambodia)

â€‹The team got together very recently in December 2021, and are huge fans of Blacklist International
â€‹Team synergy may be one of their biggest challenges; considering that they’ve just gotten together – will they pull through?

LugiÃ¡mi (Singapore)

â€‹LugiÃ¡mi was founded with the aim to allow women gamers to engage in online games within a safe space, free from gender inequality, increasing women’s representation in international tournaments.
â€‹The female participants are known to be extremely heavy gamers, and are going with an all-in attitude for MWI.

Lucas Mao, Managing Director of Global Esports, MOONTON Games, said:
â€œWe are delighted to kick off 2022 with an important event such as MWI, and we couldnâ€™t be more excited to partner with ONE Esports to bring this tournament to life. Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Esports is all-inclusive, with MWI empowering the existing cadre of female Mobile Legends: Bang Bang esports players to be in control of their destiny and highlight their skills.
Moreover, we hope that the competition also inspires the next generation of players to follow in their footsteps â€“ regardless of diversity and background. We look forward to celebrating female strength and empowerment with MWI.â€
Carlos Alimurung, CEO, ONE Esports, said:
â€œONE Esports is thrilled to once again collaborate with MOONTON Games on another Mobile Legends: Bang Bang event. At ONE Esports, our mission is to share and celebrate the stories of esports heroes who ignite the world with hope, strength, dreams, and inspiration. MWI was launched to celebrate inspirational female heroes and give them a platform to showcase their talents. Creating opportunities for women throughout the esports ecosystem will allow the community to flourish.â€
Winda Earl from GPX Ladies, said:
“I’ve been playing Mobile Legends: Bang Bang from season three; for almost five years now. MWI serves as a great opportunity for female players who are looking to pursue a career or journey in esports. Personally, this tournament is a dream come true for me, as it enables me to show to the community that the role of women in the esports scene has much room to grow.
MWI will be a competition that is appreciated by all circles, and it will demonstrate how women can also become professional players, have achievements, and have value too. My team is, and other women must be, really looking forward to this.”
More information will soon be made available on the ONE Esports website.


Mutant Year Zero DLC Trailer Introduces Fire-Breathing Mutant Moose

The Bearded Ladies‘ Mutant Year Zero: Road To Eden was one of last year’s best and most underrated games, successfully combining the tactical turn-based strategy from the XCOM franchise with stealth elements from the HITMAN series.
A DLC expansion titled ‘Seed Of Evil’ is coming out at the end of this month, and it is set to pick up where the story left off in the main game (it ended with a cliffhanger). It will feature hours of additional gameplay and new locations to explore.
The newly-released trailer for the DLC showcases a brand new playable character named Big Khan, who is a freaking fire-breathing mutant moose.
According to the official description for Big Khan, he specializes in critical hits and has access to unique mutations (abilities) like â€œGround Poundâ€ and â€œFlame Puke”. He will be instrumental against a new threat: roots and vines taking control of people’s minds.
Mutant Year Zero Seed Of Evil is slated to launch on 30 July 2019 for the PS4, Xbox One, and PC, with the full version of the game finally making its long-awaited debut on the Nintendo Switch on the same date.
In the meantime, check out the trailer below.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cg8eh71dZ8M&w=560&h=315]


Monster Hunter Movie Delayed To Next Year

Bad news, Capcom game-to-film adaptation fans and Monster Hunter aficionados. The Monster Hunter movie is being pushed back to next year.
Sony Pictures announces that this fantasy film starring Milla Jovovich and Tony Jaa will be pushed back from 4th September 2020 to 23rd April 2021. The production company didn’t state why, but odds are it’s involving COVID-19 since it’s also delaying other new films slated for 2020.
To recap, Monster Hunter is directed by Paul W.S. Anderson who also helmed the many Resident Evil movies. The plot is about a soldier group’s leader Natalie Artimis (Jovovich) who gets transported into the world of Monster Hunter. There, she fights monsters and learns how to make big swords and armour with the help of the native Hunter (Jaa). Ron Perlman also stars as the Hunter’s boss. Fans who are worried about this adaptation are assured that the game’s signature weapons, armour, and monsters will be in the film.


Stranger Things Season 4 Trailer Teases A Sinister New Enemy

Netflix has released the first trailer for Stranger Things Season 4.
Stranger Things Season 4 will be released in two volumes, with Volume 1 dropping on 27 May 2022 and Volume 2 on 1 July 2022. Season 4 will be the penultimate season; with Stranger Things Season 5 set to be the last, completing the story arc the Duffer Brothers intended for the people of Hawkins and beyond, as well as the mysterious Upside Down.
The synopsis reads:
We can’t wait for Stranger Things Season 4. In the meantime, you can check out my spoiler-filled discussion and theories on what’s coming in Stranger Things Season 4, which I wrote way back in 2019.
Check out the trailer below:


[Report] China’s Gaming Ban List Revealed; Fortnite & PUBG On It

Sucks to be a gamer in China, especially if you love battle royale shooters. It also sucks to be a publisher whose games rely on the burgeoning Chinese market for that sweet player base number.
So it’s rather telling that someone on Chinese gaming forum NGA (via Reddit) chose to leak a ban/to-be-banned list made by China’s official online games ethics committee.
True, the list may not be confirmed since it’s from one source, but it does paint a picture of how China handles game bans and games that have banworthy content.
The following games require corrective action to still be sold and distributed in China.

Arena of Valor by Tencent. What needs to be changed? Overly revealing female characters, rewards given based on rank, distorted concepts of history and culture.)
League of Legends by Riot Games/Tencent.Â What needs to be changed? Overly revealing female characters, rewards given based on rank, inharmonious chatroom.
Blade & Soul by NCSOFT. What needs changing? Overly revealing female characters, inharmonious chatroom.
Chu Liu Xiang by NetEase. What needs changing? Overly revealing female characters, inharmonious chatroom, game missions include fraud.
Overwatch by Blizzard. What needs changing?Â Game visuals promote incorrect values, inharmonious chatroom.
Diablo by Blizzard.Â What needs to be changed? Inharmonious chat, game missions include fraud.)
World of Warcraft by Blizzard. What needs to be changed?Overly revealing female characters, inharmonious chatroom.
Westward Journey by NetEase. What needs to be changed?Overly revealing female characters, inharmonious chatroom, distorted concepts of history and culture.
Code: Eva by Tencent. What needs to be changed? Rewards given based on rank, distorted concepts of history and culture.
The Legent of Mir 3 by WeMade. What needs to be changed?Inharmonious chatroom.
Swords of Legends Online by Aurogon. What needs to be changed?Â Inharmonious chatroom.

What does it mean by “game visuals promote incorrect values”? That they’re not stereotypical enough or not adhering to communism values?
The following games are on the ban list along with the reasons why they’re on the ban list.

PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds by Bluehole.Â Reasons for ban: Blood and gore.
Fortnite by Epic Games/Tencent.Reasons for ban: Blood and gore, vulgar content.)
H1Z1 by Daybreak.Â Reasons for ban: Blood and gore, vulgar content.
Alliance of Valiant Arms by Red Duck.Â Reasons for ban: Blood and gore, vulgar content.
Ring of Elysium by Tencent.Reasons for ban: Blood and gore, vulgar content.
Paladins by Hi-Rez.Reasons for ban: Overly revealing female characters, blood and gore, vulgar content.
Free Fire Battlegrounds by Garena. Reasons for ban: Overly revealing female characters, blood and gore, vulgar content.
Knives Out by NetEase. Reasons for ban: Overly revealing female characters, blood and gore, vulgar content.
Quantum Matrix by NetEase. Reasons for ban: Blood and gore, vulgar content, inharmonious chat.

PUBG, Fortnite, and Tencent & Netease games will be taking a hit in their player base numbers because they’re made out of, you guessed it, Chinese gamers. It seems that the battle royale games on the list are the prime target for bans, either because the market for these games are huge or the genre needs curbing from the country.
What does this tell us about the China gaming market? Is it in trouble? Who knows, but the market’s going to be shaken up with news like these.


GeForce NOW Adds More Ubisoft Games To Its Library, But Loses Other Titles

NVIDIA has added a bunch of new titles to its GeForce Now streaming service, but it has lost many others as well, according to a new blog post.
The good news is that NVIDIA has secured a deal with Ubisoft that lets them add the full Assassinâ€™s CreedÂ andÂ Far Cry series to their GeForce Now service, while “More Ubisoft games will arrive in the coming weeks”. Other Ubisoft titles that are currently supported include Watch Dogs 1 and 2, Rainbow Six Siege, and the latest two Ghost Recon games.
On the other hand, it has lost games from several other publishers. On 21 April 2020, GeForce Now will no longer feature games from Warner Bros., Xbox Game Studios, Codemasters, and Klei Entertainment.
The changes come as NVIDIA is preparing for the service’s commercial launch in June. They say that they’ll be “adding and removing games through the end of May”, with new releases showing up every Thursday and in “larger batches throughout April and May”.

It’s a shame to see games leave the service, but it has happened before, and sometimes not for great reasons. As Vice reported back in March, there were developers who were unaware of their games being on the service, while Bloomberg was told that there was some miscommunication between NVIDIA and Activision Blizzard on their agreement. Hopefully, these new removals are happening naturally without those previous issues.
NVIDIA previously wrote in February that, “As we approach a paid service, some publishers may choose to remove games before the trial period ends. Ultimately, they maintain control over their content and decide whether the game you purchase includes streaming on GeForce NOW. Meanwhile, others will bring games back as they continue to realize GeForce NOWâ€™s value (stay tuned for more on that).”
Currently, GeForce NOW claims to feature “Thirty of the top 40 most-played games on Steam” and is trying to add another 1,500 titles. It already features games from Epic, Bungie, and Bandai Namco, as well as titles like Counter-Strike: Global OffensiveÂ and Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord.
The service lets you stream supported free-to-play games and games that you already own, and has both free and paid memberships. It’s unfortunately not available in Malaysia at the moment, but you can check out the FAQ if you still want to learn more about it.


The Folks Behind The Awesome Lodoss War Game Last Year Has Launched A New 2D Shmup

Last year’s Record of Lodoss War: Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth won critics over with its lovely 2D art style and search action Metroidvania style gameplay. It was a tad short, but it was still highly entertaining, at least in my perspective.
So it’s great to know that its developer, Team Ladybug, has announced a new promising game. It’s a 2D shmup called Drainus and it’s about as 2D sci-fi-filled as you can get with the side-scrolling genre. It’s action-packed, looks slick, and features the kind of polish you expect from Team Ladybug. The game’s key feature include the Reflector mechanic, where your spaceship can absorb enemy shots and launch its own salvo of counterattacks. You can also use those absorbed shots as energy to enhance your ship parts and power-ups. Check out the gameplay below.

This looks great and all, but when can you play it? How about right now? You can buy the game on PC (Steam) this instant for US$14.99.


New Earthworm Jim Game Announced, But…

It’s been a whopping 20 years since the last Earthworm Jim game, Earthworm Jim: Menace 2 the Galaxy for the Game Boy and Game Boy Color in 1999. Now a new Earthworm Jim game is in the works, with several members of the original development team returning (via Siliconera).
Is it coming out for the PS4, Xbox One, PC or Nintendo Switch? I’m afraid not. It’s going to be exclusive to the upcoming new Intellivision Amico video game console.
Details about the game are next to none as of now, but we do know that 10 people from the original team who worked on the first Earthworm Jim game are developing the new game, including creator Doug TenNapel and franchise composer/sound designer Tommy Tallarico.
The Intellivision Amico is slated to launch in 2020. It will feature a “21st century 2D chip and architecture”, making the console strictly for games with two-dimensional graphics, as well as an all-exclusive library of family-friendly games.
More information about the new Earthworm Jim game will be revealed atÂ 12pm PT on Saturday, 4 May 2019, or 3am GMT+8 on Sunday, 5 May 2019 during a live stream on the Intellivision AmicoÂ Facebook,Â Twitch, andÂ YouTubeÂ pages.
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Mortal Kombat 3’s Mercy Makes A Komeback In MK11; Here’s How To Do It

We enjoyed the heck out of Mortal Kombat 11 despite its grindey problems, but what we love about it is its plethora of secrets tucked within its gooey pores and 3D dead body parts post-Fatality. One such secret is Mercy, an end-of-match move introduced in Mortal Kombat 3 that grants your opponent a sliver of his/her health back for another beatdown. This was necessary to perform MK3’s Animalities.
According to a random match from Eventhub’s John ‘Velociraptor’ Guerrero, he discovered it after he was beaten down by a Kung Lao player who applied it onto him. Here’s a clip of him attempting it.

#PS4sharehttps://t.co/ALOyxgI5Vb pic.twitter.com/hBY5C4FX68
— John Guerrero (@Veloc1raptor) April 22, 2019

How To Mercy
So how do you do it? All you need to do is:

Defeat your opponent.
When the “Finish Him” prompt appears, move back to the “mid” distance (a jump away). The hold L2, press down a few times, and then release L2.
After that teabagging, your opponent should have a quarter of his/her life left.

Apart from getting the Not Dead Yet achievement (perform 10 Mercies), there isn’t really any other value in doing this apart from being disrespectful towards your opponent. Like I said, you perform Mercies by teabagging your opponent albeit at a distance.
In other news, you should buy Mortal Kombat 11. It’s hella fun except for a few bits which the devs may fix in the future.


The Last Of Us’ Pedro Pascal & Bella Ramsey On Their Game Of Thrones Connection & More!

The Last Of Us based on the critically acclaimed video game of the same name developed by Naughty Dog exclusively for the PlayStation platforms, is written and executive produced by Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann. The series is a co-production with Sony Pictures Television and is executive produced by Carolyn Strauss, Evan Wells, Asad Qizilbash, Carter Swan, and Rose Lam. Production companies: PlayStation Productions, Word Games, The Mighty Mint, and Naughty Dog.
The Last Of Us takes place 20 years after modern civilization has been destroyed. Joel, a hardened survivor, is hired to smuggle Ellie, a 14-year-old girl, out of an oppressive quarantine zone. What starts as a small job soon becomes a brutal and heart-breaking journey as they both must traverse the U.S. and depend on each other for survival.
The cast includes Pedro Pascal as Joel, Bella Ramsey as Ellie, Gabriel Luna as Tommy, Anna Torv as Tess, Nico Parker as Sarah, Murray Bartlett as Frank, Nick Offerman as Bill, Melanie Lynskey as Kathleen, Storm Reid as Riley, Merle Dandridge as Marlene, Jeffrey Pierce as Perry, Lamar Johnson as Henry, Keivonn Woodard as Sam, Graham Greene as Marlon, and Elaine Miles as Florence. Ashley Johnson and Troy Baker also star.
Courtesy of HBO Asia, we were lucky enough to be the only Malaysian media to participate in an interview with Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey, who plays the role of Joel and Ellie respectively in The Last Of Us. This article has been edited for clarity.
HBO / HBO GO / Jorge Bispo
You both worked on Game Of Thrones. Did you actually work together back then, and how did that affect your working relationship while on The Last Of Us? Did it make things easier?
Bella Ramsey: We didn’t; Pedro was long gone before I came along on Game Of Thrones. So, we didn’t get the chance to work together or even meet or even talk about it before we got on set. But it was this cool thing; we were both aware that we were in the same show and that we came from the same beast.
It was this cool little unspoken thing that we had. We did then articulate about it and talked about it and yeah, it was a nice little thing that immediately connected us.
Pedro Pascal: Yeah, it was a common bond from the beginning and I think that really, neither one of us would be in The Last Of Us if we hadn’t been in Game Of Thrones.
Meaning, that was what really took things off for me and it was Bella’s first job, yeah.
An apocalyptic vision is appealing to minorities because it represents a very harsh situation but at the same time, it’s an opportunity for them to start over in a shift of privilege. What’s your take on that in relation to the show?
Pedro Pascal: That’s a really interesting way of looking at it; sort of like the conditions of society are eliminated and therefore, terms are different and previous terms, good and bad, are insisted upon because ultimately, what humanity does is rise very fascistic forms of society and control, which is really kind of the scary thing. I wouldn’t necessarily, I think that’s kind of the great horrific part of the storytelling in The Last Of Us.
In a more intimate way, as far as perspective is concerned, starting with Neil Druckmann, and that being expanded upon in the adaptation with Craig Mazin, they lean into the perspective of voices that are often not given the space to be heard.
Did you feel any pressure from fan expectations coming into The Last Of Us? How did you manage them?
Bella Ramsey: I think, to speak for both of us, we did feel the pressure, one hundred percent, when we first got the job, when we first started researching. Throughout the whole process, there was this pressure, filming the iconic scenes from the game that’s been translated into the show, there was this constant reminder that we were doing something that was already this pre-loved huge success.
I think that in terms of how it translated into the adaptation, I think it really just epitomizes what an adaptation is. It should be an expansion of the fantastic material that was already there in the game and it just expands on the success of the video game and takes all the excellence from it.
Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann, Craig being a huge fan of the show, has put all of the stuff that makes the show so special, the games so special and translated it perfectly into a nine-episode television show. Without having to add gameplay and stuff, it allowed the room for emotional beats and the relationships to be expanded, for us to get the chance to spend time with other characters, not just Ellie and Joel. I think it turned out great and I’m really excited for people to see it and experience it and come on a journey with us.
Pedro Pascal: Everything she said, and I think we both knew that there were so many fans of something that was already there and established in a very, very specific way and the opportunity to honour that and expand on it is a big challenge and we want people to be happy. But more than anything, we wanted the story to be told to its best ability and that’s the scary and exciting thing. But ultimately in the hands of people that love the source material very, very deeply. Disturbingly.
What makes the Infected in The Last Of Us different from other movies/TV shows and how did this affect your performance?
Pedro Pascal: Yeah, they scared the shit out of me.
Bella Ramsey: And me. The fact that it’s based on science is what’s scariest about it. It’s not some supernatural person raising from the dead and becoming a man-eating monster. It’s like, this comes from something in the world; fungus, fungi. The idea that this is all theoretically possible and I like the fact that the show sort of explains that in the beginning, the science of it. It gives it a more real element, I think, that makes it far more terrifying.
Pedro Pascal: Yeah, it’s really different in regards to there being something in nature that creates a specific kind of monster and the design of these creatures. The different stages that they exist, and all of their physical and visual form that we were able to have direct contact with and shoot with and run from and fight off was definitely little left to the imagination.
HBO / HBO GO / Jorge Bispo
How similar was working on Joel in The Last Of Us and Din Djarin in The Mandalorian, since they’re both pretty similar?
Pedro Pascal: Yeah, it’s fascinating, because they couldn’t be more similar and they couldn’t be more different. I think, primarily, the thing for me was just that I felt so lucky to be under the guide of showrunners that love the project as much as Jon Favreau and Craig Mazin do. Jon Favreau being for The Mandalorian and I think that the stories inspire one another and they inspire me.
Their form and their execution is so different and I guess, I’ve said this before. For me, it’s like, I couldn’t think of a better way to double dip. I’m very lucky, I’ll probably never get the chance again.
What do you think of how much power the fandom has these days?
Bella Ramsey: I mean, ultimately, the fans are why these shows keep being made and how we keep afloat is by incredible fans who support and watch and care about the stuff that is created and so, we were aware, I was aware, of the initial reaction. I was aware even before it was released. You can’t make everybody happy. There would be a lot of people who weren’t happy because of how protective and invested people are in the video game Joel and Ellie and the story.
I mean, that totally made sense to me, we both felt that responsibility.
Pedro Pascal: I just felt really sad I couldn’t grow a full beard. It’s so patchy but that’s just genes.
Bella Ramsey: Yeah, for you. I quite like your beard, you know.
Pedro Pascal: Thank you!
Bella Ramsey: You’re welcome. But yeah, there was always going to be negative reactions and I think, the idea that our faces don’t look like Joel and Ellie in the games’ faces, but I think what people get to experience is that it’s not so much that our faces don’t look right or look the same as digitalized faces. It’s like it’s the soul and the spirit of the characters that we’re interested and we project it as much as we possibly could with the incredible guidance of the showrunners, Neil and Craig.
Pedro Pascal: Yeah, I would say that because you mentioned events like Comic-Con where we get the opportunity to go and experience the very direct relationship that a project can have with its fans, which is just a visceral and amazing opportunity to connect with the people that all of it is made for. It never really made sense to me to identify the negatives because it’s all being made because the fans exist and it’s being made for the fans. I think generally that’s a really positive thing and amazing for us to get to an event like that and feel it. Because we’re making it for them.
In previous interviews, you’ve previously said before about how you were actually encouraged not to play the games before filming. But after filming wrapped, did you play the game, and if you did, what did you think of it? How much of a gamer are you in real life?
Pedro Pascal: Massive gamers (jokingly, in a sarcastic tone).
Bella Ramsey: You can barely drag us away.
Pedro Pascal: (laughs)
Bella Ramsey: I would love to be able to play games but…
Pedro Pascal: I’m grateful that I’m bad at it because I would never leave the house. I wouldn’t be on this Zoom.
Bella Ramsey: Yeah, fair, it’s true, it’s true. But I looked at some of the gameplay and you tried to play the games before.
Pedro Pascal: Yeah, I did try. My nephews didn’t have the patience for my skills. They took the console away from me and played for me.
Bella Ramsey: Would you try to play it now?
Pedro Pascal: Yeah, I would, again. I could get easily addicted to something like that. I love stories and different ways of telling them and so to kind of play something, and the further you go, the more the story unfolds is such a brilliant way of experiencing something.
And I know that Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann were sort of protective of us at the start and didn’t want us to feel like we needed to emulate what was already there but we were just too curious and gratefully, it sort of turned into an essential influence in terms of putting all of the pieces together.
Bella Ramsey: Maybe we should try to play it together.
Pedro Pascal: Yeah, that’d be great. But you play Joel, I’ll play Ellie.
Bella Ramsey: That sounds good.
How does The Last Of Us distinguish itself from other zombie shows like The Walking Dead?
Pedro Pascal: One of the things that we talked about is that the scientific aspect of this apocalypse is one that can feel very close because the fungi is something that, the dominant element of nature that is part of our world. So it just seems that it’s a very close threshold to cross for this kind of thing to happen.
But more than anything, I just think that there are very, very, very original ideas around a very classic idea of the apocalypse, a zombie apocalypse if you will. And in this, to use a very beloved kind of genre, to tell very, very human stories is what sets this apart and is why people reacted the way that they did and the reason behind it needing to expand itself to this kind of an adaptation. Because it’s just too good.
Bella Ramsey: Yeah, and the idea that this infected world is the backdrop to the real story, which is about two humans forming this unlikely relationship. Neither knew it was what they really needed. That’s what’s cool about The Last Of Us, is that like Pedro said, the apocalypse is going on, but it really focuses on the relationships and the scary nature of relationships is at times much scarier than the virus that infiltrated the world. Like, for Joel, it’s the fear of loving again, and for Ellie, it’s the fear of ending up alone and losing Joel. I feel like that’s really interesting.


Hades Gets Sweet New Fangamer Merch Treatment

It looks like video game merchandise company Fangamer is hitting all the right buttons on choosing their game for merch collection yet again. You can now get the merchandise of the massively popular game, Hades, which we named as one of the best games of 2020.
Fangamer revealed in a tweet that the award-winning roguelike action dungeon crawler game will get the merchandise treatment available for order in a couple of weeks. Merch includes plushes, pins, apparel, and more.
Hades merch is coming to Fangamer! One week from today you'll be able to order our new plushes, some classic @SupergiantGames items, and lots more.Sign up here to be notified when it's live: https://t.co/GbD797ZTg6 pic.twitter.com/4jMnJXbYKZ— Fangamer (@Fangamer) July 19, 2022

Fangamer also has merch collection for other popular games like Hollow Knight, Solar Ash, Elden Ring (TBA), and many more. You can check out their site to order or pre-order the good stuff for gamers here.
Will you be copping any of these for our favourite son of Hades?
Do let us know down in the comments or head on over to our socials Twitter and Facebook.


You Can Get The Xbox Series X Adidas Shoes To Go Along With Your Console

If you already have an Xbox Series X, perhaps you’d want some shoes to go along with your console’s theme. In celebration of Xboxâ€˜s 20th Anniversary, Microsoft announced its partnership with Adidas. The latest product is the Xbox x Adidas Forum Tech Boost Series X.
These kicks are decked in all black, the same colour as the Xbox Series X console. It also features Neon Green accents with Metallic Silver Xbox logos located at the midfoot, as well as â€œ2001-2021â€ 20th Anniversary insoles and heel tags.
The Xbox x Adidas Forum Tech Boost Series X will release on 19 November 2021 at select retailers and on the official website with a price tag of US$180 (or roughly RM747+).
Check out the shoes below, courtesy of SBD:


The Legend Of Zelda Tears Of The Kingdom Sales Surpasses 10 Million, Becomes Fastest-Selling Game In Franchise History

Nintendo has announced that in the three days since its launch on 12 May 2023, The Legend Of Zelda Tears Of The Kingdom for the Nintendo Switch sold over 10 million units worldwide, becoming the fastest-selling game in the history of the Legend Of Zelda series. With over 4 million sold in the Americas, The Legend Of Zelda Tears Of The Kingdom is also the fastest-selling Nintendo Switch game and the fastest-selling Nintendo game for any system in that territory.
Devon Pritchard, Nintendo of America’s Executive Vice President of Sales, Marketing and Communications, said:
“Many players are returning to Hyrule with all its new mysteries and possibilities, and with the record-breaking launch of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom for Nintendo Switch, we can’t wait to see what they’ll create in the game and the stories they’ll share next. We’re grateful for all of our fans who’ve shown their passion for The Legend of Zelda over the years, and these sales numbers for the latest installment continue to show the strong momentum for both the franchise and Nintendo Switch this year.”
In The Legend Of Zelda Tears Of The Kingdom, which is a direct sequel to The Legend Of Zelda Breath Of The Wild, players decide their own path through the sprawling landscapes of Hyrule and on the mysterious islands floating in the vast skies above. Discover new destinations, dangers, sights and puzzles that require wits and resourcefulness to overcome. Harnessing the power of Link’s new abilities, players will fight back against the malevolent forces that threaten the kingdom.
The Legend Of Zelda franchise started over 35 years ago with the Legend Of Zelda game, which debuted in the U.S. in 1987 for the Nintendo Entertainment System. As of March 2023, the series has sold more than 130 million units worldwide.
The Legend Of Zelda Tears Of The Kingdom is now available in Nintendo eShop on Nintendo Switch, the My Nintendo Store and select retailers at a suggested retail price of US$69.99.


Mobile Legends Professional League MY/SG Now In Season 4, Features RM414k Prize Pool

The Mobile Legends Bang Bang (MLBB) Professional League (MPL) MY/SG Season 3 concluded several months ago, with Malaysian team Geek Fam emerging as champions. Moonton has announced that MPL MY/SG will be returning with Season 4 later this month.
With a whopping US$100,000 (RM414,000) total prize pool this time around, MPL MY/SG Season 4 is now open for registration to all aspiring teams from 5 to 14 July 2019 on the Google Doc form here.
The MPL-MY/SG Season 4 Malaysia qualifiers will commence from 19 to 21 July 2019, while the Singapore qualifiers will take place from 27 to 28 July 2019.
The top two Malaysian and Singaporean teams from their respective qualifiers will advance to the Regular Season of the tournament, where they will go up against Moontonâ€™s directly-invited teams in a 6-week round robin battle.
The directly-invited teams are as follows, with the top four and two teams from Malaysia and Singapore, respectively:

Geek Fam (Malaysia)
Shopee Bosskur (Malaysia)
Reborn (Malaysia)
Xpax X-Assins (Malaysia)
EVOS Esports SG (Singapore)
Bigetron SG (Singapore)

The condition required to join this season’s league for the directly-invited teams is that 60 percent of their rosters must remain the same from MPL-MY/SG Season 3.
Out of the total prize pool, over RM203,000 in weekly subsidies, win bonuses and performance awards await teams and players who qualify for the Regular Season while the remaining RM211,000 pool will be up for grabs at the Playoffs (which is slated for October 2019).
All teams representing their countries will need to have at least 3 local citizens and all team members must reside in their represented country. Registrations are limited to the first 512 and 128 teams for Malaysia and Singapore, respectively.

For more details and information, head on over to the official Facebook page here.


PlayStation 5 Supports Cross-Generation Play With PlayStation 4, Sony Confirms

Good news for us slow adapters here! Sony just confirmed that PlayStation 5 players will be able to play with PlayStation 4 players thanks to backwards compatibility. With the PlayStation 5 being compatible with PlayStation 4 games, it means you can play together with your friends no matter what Sony console you play on.
The feature was discussed by Sony’s recent investor relations question-and-answer session. John Kodera, vice president of Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE), highlighted the importance of the feature;

He said, â€œHaving compatibility is a positive thing. Not only can a game be played on the next-generation console, cross-generation â€“ the community can enjoy the games together… bridging that compatibility has a very important role to play.â€

Jim Ryan, president and CEO of SIE commented on the next-gen console’s backward compatibility, saying ‘the feature in a networked era is something thatâ€™s incredibly powerful.’

He also said that “The gaming community is somewhat tribal in its nature, backwards compatibility gives us the opportunity to migrate that community from PlayStation 4 to next-gen, using the ability to play the PS4 games that they have on their next-generation console [with] groups of 10, 20, 50 gamers.
We see this, given the size of the community that weâ€™ve been able to accumulate over all these years on PS4, as a really critical success factor for us – we think itâ€™s really important.â€

This bodes well for players who adopt the newer generation at a slower pace, giving flexibility to the players to upgrade, but at the same time allowing them to play together. It is definitely a great move by Sony to cater to the community.


Gundam Evolution Gets PC & Console Release Dates

Bandai Namco has announced the release dates for the upcoming free-to-play multiplayer shooter Gundam Evolution. It is slated to release for the PC on 21 September 2022 and on the PS4, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S on 30 November 2022.
You can check out the specific release dates and launch times for each region and platform below:
Gundam Evolution PC Release Date

Gundam Evolution Console Release Date

Launch And Season 1
Here’s what players can look forward to at launch and during Season 1:

In the meantime, check out the entire Gundam Evolution announcement video below:


Infinix Malaysia Offers Discounts In Lazada Birthday & Shopee 3.3 Mega Sales Next Month

Infinix Malaysia will be jumping aboard the deals train again this March in celebration of the Lazada Birthday Sale and Shopee 3.3 Mega Shopping Sale. Starting from 2 March to 5 March 2023, Malaysians will be able to grab limited-time discounts and save more than RM200 at the Infinix Malaysia’s official stores on Shopee and Lazada.
Lazada Birthday Sale (2nd – 5th March 2023)

The Infinix NOTE 12 2023 8GB RAM + 256GB ROM variant will be going for only RM799 (RRP RM899), while the Infinix HOT 20 6GB RAM + 128GB ROM variant will be priced at RM539 (RRP RM599) starting from 2nd to 5th March.
The Infinix NOTE 12 2023 comes in three stunning colours – Volcanic Grey, Alpine White and Tuscany Blue, and is equipped with the latest MediaTek Helio G99 chipset. Whereas the HOT 20 comes in four eye-catching colours – Sonic Black, Legend White, Tempo Blue, and Fantasy Purple, packed with MediaTek Helio G85 chipset.
Customers who purchase any products on Infinix Malaysia’s official store on Lazada are entitled to free shipping. On top of that, those who purchase any smartphone on Infinix’s Lazada store will receive a 10% Logitech discount voucher code via chat which can be redeemed when purchasing any Logitech products only on Logitech’s Official Shopee store.
List of Infinix products available on Lazada:

INFINIX DEVICE MODEL
STORAGE
RETAIL PRICE
PROMOTIONAL PRICE

NOTE 12 2023
8GB RAM + 128GB ROM
RM799
RM709

NOTE 12 2023
8GB RAM + 256GB ROM
RM899
RM799

HOT 20
6GB RAM + 128GB ROM
RM599
RM539

HOT 20i
4GB RAM + 128GB ROM
RM499
RM449

SMART 6
2GB RAM + 32GB ROM
RM369
RM332

SMART 6
3GB RAM + 64GB ROM
RM439
RM395

NOTE 12 G96
8GB RAM + 128GB ROM
RM799
RM692

NOTE 12 G96
8GB RAM + 256GB ROM
RM899
RM782

ZERO X Pro
8GB RAM + 128GB ROM
RM1,199
RM1,059

ZERO X Pro
8GB RAM + 256GB ROM
RM1,299
RM1,159

Shopee 3.3 Mega Shopping Sale (3rd – 5th March 2023)

Powered by MediaTek Helio G96 Ultra Gaming processor, the Infinix NOTE 12 G96 (8GB RAM + 256GM ROM) will be priced at RM661 (RRP RM869) for a limited time only. The device comes with a 6.7 inch FHD+ True Colour AMOLED display that offers an elevated gaming experience, available in three colours – Force Black, Snowfall and Sapphire Blue
What’s more, enjoy a 10% rebate now voucher when purchasing any device available on Infinix Malaysia’s official store on Shopee. Customers will also receive a complimentary 10% Logitech voucher via chat with every smartphone purchase which can be redeemed when purchasing any Logitech products on Logitech’s Official Shopee store.
List of Infinix products available on Shopee:

Infinix Device Model
Storage
Retail Price

Applicable for 10% Cashback*
+
Complimentary 10% Logitech voucher*

ZERO X PRO
8GB RAM + 128GB ROM
RM1,199

ZERO X PRO
8GB RAM + 256GB ROM
RM1,299

HOT 20i
4GB RAM + 128GB ROM
RM499

SMART 6
2GB RAM + 32GB ROM
RM369

SMART 6
3GB RAM + 64GB ROM
RM439

NOTE 12 G96
8GB RAM + 128GB ROM
RM799

NOTE 12 G96
8GB RAM + 256GB ROM
RM899

NOTEBOOK 1005G1 i3
8GB RAM + 256GB ROM
RM1,899

NOTEBOOK 1035G1 i5
8GB RAM + 512GB ROM
RM2,399

NOTEBOOK 1065G7 i7
16GB RAM + 512GB ROM
RM2,999

 For more information and updates about the latest deals and activities that Infinix Malaysia has to offer, you can check out Infinix Malaysia’s Official website, Facebook page and Instagram page.

Infinix MY official store on Shopee: bit.ly/3XB1MbF
Infinix MY official store on Lazada: bit.ly/3S2VNeF