Elden Ring 1.07 Update Introduces PvP-Only Nerfs, New Arsenal Buffs, And Potential DLC Hints

Elden Ring’s current katana economy has been prevalent in the PvP side of things, so it’s good to know developer From Software has a finalized fix in place.
Starting from now, the Elden Ring 1.07 update decouples PvP and PvE weapon balancing. This means that PvP and PvE weapon buffs will remain separate; a weapon that’s powerful in PvE will get PvP-only nerfs to even the playing field online. FromSoftware has made it costly to block attacks, increased poise/stagger damage across the board, nerfed Ashes of War and a bunch of AoE spells. And as expected, famous katanas Rivers of Blood and Moonveil are getting the PvP nerfs.
Also, a good number of weapons and spells are getting PvE buffs. Here’s a list:

PvP Balance Adjustments

Increased stamina attack power in PvP for all attacks against guarded foes, except for long-ranged weapons.
Improved poise damage in PvP for every weapon’s normal attack, except for Skills and long-ranged weapons.
With a few exceptions, the power of Ashes of War in PvP has been lowered across the board.
The power of the following incantations in PvP has been decreased:

Dragonfire / Agheel’s Flame / Glintstone Breath / Smarag’s Glintstone Breath / Rotten Breath / Ekzykes’s Decay / Dragonice / Borealis’s Mist / Unendurable Frenzy

General Balance Adjustments

Increased poise damage when using two-handed normal attacks.
Increased the speed of some Colossal Sword attacks.
The speed and hit detection of Colossal Sword crouching and rolling attacks have been decreased.
Increased the speed of some Colossal Weapon attacks.
Decreased recovery time for Colossal Swords and Colossal Weapons, except for jump attacks, dual wielded attacks, and attacks while riding.
Increased poise damage of Hammers, Great Hammers and some Colossal Weapons.
Increased guard penetration for the following weapons:

Celebrant’s Sickle / Nox Flowing Sword / Shotel / Eclipse Shotel / Vulgar Militia Shotel / Scythe / Grave Scythe / Halo Scythe / Winged Scythe

The poise rating of some attacks has been increased for the following weapons:

Greatswords / Colossal Swords / Curved Greatswords / Greataxes / Great Hammers / Great Spears / Halberds

With some exceptions, poise of all armor has been increased.
The effects of the Greatshield Talisman and Hammer Talisman have been increased.
Some effects of the spell Scholar’s Shield, the Barricade Shield skill and the Shield Grease item have been adjusted as follows.

The effects on shields with low guard boost have been adjusted upward.
The effects on shields with high guard boost have been adjusted downward.

The guard strength of the Fingerprint Stone Shield has been decreased.
Decreased the status buildup done by dual wielded weapons.

Ashes of War/Skills Balance Adjustments

Glintstone Pebble / Surge of Faith / Gold Breaker / Regal Beastclaw / Nebula (Bastard’s Stars) / Sacred Phalanx

Increased attack power.

Sword Dance / Vow of the Indomitable / Eochaid’s Dancing Blade

Reduced the delay between the end of various actions (such as using items or attack animations) and being able to perform the skill.

Sacred Order / Shared Order / Soul Stifler / Knowledge Above All / Barricade Shield

Extended effect time

Taker’s Flames / Miquella’s Ring of Light

Added damage detection to the weapon part.

Prayerful Strike / Great-Serpent Hunt

Increased power and poise damage

Wild Strikes / Spinning Strikes

Shortened the time between various actions and the activation of skills
Slightly increased attack power.

Ground Slam / Golden Slam / Erdtree Slam

Reduced the time between using the skill and being able to roll.
Increased attack power.

Stamp (Upward Cut) / Stamp (Sweep)

Reduced the delay between the end of various actions (such as using items or attack animations) and being able to perform the skill.
Increased attack power.
Reduced the timing between the end of the skill and performing actions other than the strong attack.

Impaling Thrust

Increased motion speed and attack power.
Reduced the delay between the end of various actions (such as using items or attack animations) and being able to perform the skill
Reduced the timing between the end of the skill and being able to attack and to roll.

Piercing Fang

Increased motion speed, attack power and poise damage.
Reduced the delay between the end of various actions (such as using items or attack animations) and being able to perform the skill.
Reduced the timing between the end of the skill and being able to attack and to roll.

Spinning Slash

Increased poise damage against enemies when used with the following weapons: Greatsword, Curved Greatsword, Twinblade, Greataxe, Spear, Great Spear, Halberd, and Reaper.

Charge Forth

Increased directional control and motion speed.
Reduced the delay between the end of various actions (such as using items or attack animations) and being able to perform the skill.

Blood Tax

Increased motion speed and attack power.
Increased HP deprivation effect.
Reduced the delay between the end of various actions (such as using items or attack animations) and being able to perform the skill.

Repeating Thrust

Increased motion speed. Reduced the delay between the end of various actions (such as using items or attack animations) and being able to perform the skill.

Giant Hunt

Increased poise damage.
Reduced the delay between the end of various actions (such as using items or attack animations) and being able to perform the skill.

Loretta’s Slash

Increased poise damage for the first attack.
Reduced the delay between the end of various actions (such as using items or attack animations) and being able to perform the skill.

Poison Moth Flight

Increased poison status buildup and its power against poisoned enemies.
Increased the duration and damage of poison.
Reduced the delay between the end of various actions (such as using items or attack animations) and being able to perform the skill.

Stormcaller

Increased motion speed, attack power and poise damage.
Increased skill size and poise damage.

Sacred Blade

Increased motion speed and range of the blade.
Added damage detection to the weapon part.
Increased effect duration and attack power that gives the weapon holy power.

Bloody Slash

Increased status buildup and attack power.
Reduced the delay between the end of various actions (such as using items or attack animations) and being able to perform the skill.

Lifesteal Fist

Increased motion speed and attack power.
Increased attack range against other players.
Reduced the delay between the end of various actions (such as using items or attack animations) and being able to perform the skill.

Eruption

Increased the range and duration of lava.
Added a hitbox to the part of the attack where the weapon is slammed.
Fixed the timing of the poise increase during activation.

Gravitas

Increased poise during casting.

Storm Blade

Increased motion speed and range of the blade.
Added damage detection to the weapon part.
Reduced the delay between the end of various actions (such as using items or attack animations) and being able to perform the skill.

Flaming Strike

Increased attack power.
Increased duration and attack power that grants the weapon a fire attribute.
Reduced the delay between the end of various actions (such as using items or attack animations) and being able to perform the skill.

Lightning Slash

Increased duration and attack power that grants the weapon a lightning attribute.
Reduced the delay between the end of various actions (such as using items or attack animations) and being able to perform the skill.
Reduced the delay between using the skill and being able to attack.

Vacuum Slice

Increased motion speed and range of the blade.
Reduced FP consumption
Added damage detection to the weapon part.

Sacred Ring of Light

Increased range and speed of the projectile halo have been increased.
Added damage detection to the weapon part.

Blood Blade

Increased power.
Added damage detection to the weapon part.
Reduced the delay between the end of various actions (such as using items or attack animations) and being able to perform the skill.

Phantom Slash

Improved directional control.
Reduced the delay between the end of various actions (such as using items or attack animations) and being able to perform the skill.

Spectral Lance

Increased attack power.
Reduced long range damage falloff.

Chilling Mist

Increased motion speed.
Increased the duration of the weapon’s frostbite effect.

Poisonous Mist

Increased motion speed.
Increased the duration of the weapon’s poison effect.

Shield Bash

Increased stamina attack power against guarded enemies.

Enchanted Shot

Increased arrow speed.

Kick

Increased poise damage and stamina attack power against guarding enemies.

Cragblade

Extended effect duration.
Increased attack power, poise damage and stamina attack power against guarding enemies.

War Cry

Extended effect duration.
Reduced the delay between the end of various actions (such as using items or attack animations) and being able to perform the skill.
The power of strong attacks during the duration of the effect has been increased when using the following weapons: Straight Sword / Curved Sword / Katana / Axe / Hammer / Flail / Spear / Great Spear / Halberd / Reaper / Fist (one-handed) / Claw (one-handed)

Troll’s Roar

Increased attack power.
Fixed the timing of the poise increase during activation.

Braggart’s Roar

Extended the duration of the effect.
Increased attack power, defense, and stamina recovery speed.

Endure

Extended effect duration.
Added an effect that prevents staggers caused by blood loss and frostbite status effects.
Extended effect duration.
Reduced the time between skill activation and being able to perform actions other than attacking.

Holy Ground

Increased HP recovery amount.

Raptor of the Mists

Reduced FP consumption.

Flame  Spit

Improved projectile range.

Tongues of Fire

Reduced stamina consumption.

Great Oracular Bubble

Extended the amount of time that the large bubble stays in place.
Tracking performance and range of the large bubble have been improved.

Viper Bite

Increased attack power and poison status buildup.
Extended poison effect duration and increased damage caused by poison.

Moonlight Greatsword

Reduced stamina consumption for strong and charged attacks.
Added damage detection to the weapon part.

Siluria’s Woe

Increased motion speed, attack power and poise during activation.
Added damage detection to the weapon part.
The projectile now penetrates enemies and some objects when charged.

Reduvia Blood Blade

Increased attack power.
Added damage detection to the weapon part.

Glintstone Dart

Increased range, speed and attack power of magic attacks.
Magic attacks now penetrate enemies when not charged.

Night-and-Flame Stance

Increased attack power.
The attack direction may now be adjusted up and down when using a normal attack.
Added damage detection to the weapon part.

Ruinous Ghostflame

Increased the duration, attack power and poise damage of the effect that gives the weapon a magic attribute.
Shortened the time between various actions and the activation of the skill.
Reduced time between the skill activation and being able to perform actions.

Spearcall Ritual

Increased attack power.
Reduced damage detection time.

Wolf’s Assault

Increased poise during casting.

Thundercloud Form

Increased directional control.

Regal Roar

Extended effect duration.
Reduced the time between strong attacks while under the effect.
Reduced time between the skill activation and being able to perform actions.

Blade of Death

Increased effect duration that reduces maximum HP.

Destined Death

Increased motion speed
Extended the duration of the effect that reduces maximum HP.

Alabaster Lords’ Pull

Increased attack power.
Increased poise during casting.

Onyx Lords’ Repulsion

Increased repelling effect power.
Increased poise during casting.

Oath of Vengeance

Extended effect
Added an effect that prevents staggers caused by blood loss and frostbite status effects.

Ice Lightning Sword

Increased weapon attack power.
Increased the duration and attack power of the effect that grants the weapon a lightning attribute.
Reduced time between the skill activation and being able to perform actions.

Claw Flick

Increased attack power.
Increased poise damage of the finger expansion.

Golden Tempering

Added a timing for interrupting the attack during a series of strong attacks while under the effect.
Increased strong attack motion speed, poise damage, and stamina attack power against guarding enemies during the effect.
Increased the duration and attack power of the effect that grants the weapon a holy attribute.
Reduced time between the skill activation and being able to perform actions.

Last Rites

Increased effect duration.
Increased attack power.
Effect against Those Who Live in Death has been revised upward.

Unblockable Blade

Reduced FP consumption.
Increased motion speed.

Loretta’s Slash (Loretta’s War Sickle Ash of War)

Increased attack power.
Increased damage of the first attack
Increased poise damage.

Corpse Wax Cutter

Reduced FP consumption.
Increased motion speed, range and speed of the blade.
Added damage detection to the weapon part.

Zamor Ice Storm

Increased attack power.
Increased attack power to the weapon part.

Dynast’s Finesse

The directional control of the follow up strong attack has been improved.

Death Flare

Increased the duration and attack power of the effect that grants the weapon a holy attribute.

Magma Guillotine

Increased poise damage and stamina attack power against guarding enemies for the first attack.

Corpse Piler

Slightly increased attack power.

Bloodblade Dance

Added damage detection immediately after activating the skill.

Devourer of Worlds

Increased poise damage.

Familial Rancor

Increased range of the vengeful spirits that chase down foes.

Rosus’s Summons

Increased motion speed.

Thunderstorm

Increased motion speed.
Increased the duration and attack power of the effect that grants the weapon a lightning attribute.

Unblockable Blade

Increased attack power.
Reduced time between the skill activation and being able to perform actions.

Ordovis’s Vortex

Increased attack power, motion speed and poise damage.
Increased poise during casting.
Reduced the delay between the end of various actions (such as using items or attack animations) and being able to perform the skill.

Barbaric Roar

Extended effect duration.
Reduced the time between using the skill and performing various actions.
Increased strong attack power when used with Claw or Fist weapons during the effect.
Reduced strong attack power when used with Twinblade weapons during the effect.

Shield Crash

Reduced the amount of status buildup when used with weapons that have status effects.

Seppuku

Increased damage taken upon activation.
Reduced the bleed status buildup effect granted to weapons.

Bloodboon Ritual

Reduced the range of the damage animation trigger on other players. Damage is unchanged.

Spell Balance Adjustments

Glintstone Pebble / Shard Spiral

Increased attack power.

Lightning Spear / Flame Sling

Increased attack power when charged.

Rejection / Wrath of Gold / Black Flame

Increased stamina attack power against guarded enemies.

Crystal Burst / Triple Rings of Light

Increased casting speed.

Assassin’s Approach / Law of Causality

Extended effect time.

Glintstone Icecrag / Freezing Mist / Frozen Armament

Increased frostbite status buildup.

Poison Mist / Poison Armament

Increased poison status buildup.

Glintstone Arc / Glintblade Phalanx / Carian Phalanx / Greatblade Phalanx / Magic Downpour / Loretta’s Greatbow / Loretta’s Mastery / Rennala’s Full Moon / Ranni’s Dark Moon / Ambush Shard / Night Shard / Unseen Blade / Roiling Magma / Rykard’s Rancor / Darkness / Elden Stars / Lightning Strike / Lansseax’s Glaive / Death Lightning / Giantsflame Take Thee / Bloodflame Talons / Unendurable Frenzy / Greyoll’s Roar

Decreased FP consumption.

Glintstone Stars / Magma Shot / Bloodboon

Decreased FP consumption and increased attack power.

Aspects of the Crucible: Tail / Aspects of the Crucible: Horn / Ancient Dragons’ Lightning Spear / Fortissax’s Lightning Spear / Flame, Fall Upon Them

Decreased FP consumption and increased stamina attack power against guarded enemies.

Glintstone Cometshard / Comet / Cannon of Haima / Carian Greatsword

Decreased FP consumption, increased attack power and stamina attack power against guarded enemies.

Rancorcall / Ancient Death Rancor

Decreased FP consumption and extended the lifespan of all vengeful spirits.

Briars of Sin / Briars of Punishment

Decreased the FP consumption and increased the blood loss status buildup on enemies.
Increased casting speed.

Gavel of Haima

Reduced FP and stamina consumption, increased stamina attack power against guards and the power of the hammer portion of the attack.

Shatter Earth

Reduced FP consumption, increased poise damage and stamina attack power against guards.
Increased certain portions of the spell’s hitbox and shortened recovery time.

Rock Blaster

Reduced FP consumption, increased poise damage and stamina attack power against guards.
Increased certain portions of the spell’s hitbox.

Starlight

Reduced FP consumption and extended the duration of effect.

Stars of Ruin

Reduced FP and stamina consumption.
Increased power when charged.

Founding Rain of Stars

Reduced FP and stamina consumption.
Shortened time before damage is dealt.
Extended the range of the star rain.

Magic Glintblade

Increased poise damage, attack power, and stamina attack power against guarded enemies when charged.

Carian Piercer

Reduced FP consumption, increased attack power, and stamina attack power against guarded enemies.
Shortened the recovery time.

Adula’s Moonblade

Reduced FP consumption, and increased stamina attack power, and frostbite status buildup against guarded enemies with the sword’s slash portion.

Gelmir’s Fury

Reduced FP consumption and increased attack power.
Increased casting speed and shortened recovery time.
Adjusted the direction of the lava projectiles to make it easier to hit enemies located in front of the spell.
Increased the damage dealt by the first part of the spell, and greatly increased the ability to stagger enemies.

Zamor Ice Storm

Increased attack power and frostbite status buildup.
Increased casting speed and shortened recovery time.

Shattering Crystal

Reduced FP and stamina consumption.
Increased poise damage and stamina attack power against guarding enemies.
Increased power when charged.
Increased casting speed.

Crystal Release

Reduced FP consumption, increased poise damage and stamina attack power against guarded enemies.
Increased casting speed and shortened the recovery time.
Increased attack range.
Adjusted the poise increase timing during activation.

Oracle Bubbles

Can now be used while in motion.
Streamlined attack range and increased attack power when charged.
Extended the time it takes for the bubble to burst when not charged.
Damage hitbox has been adjusted to be larger against players.
Reduced the number of projectiles that can appear at the same time.

Great Oracular Bubble

Can now be used while in motion.
Increased attack power.
Increased tracking performance.
Increased stamina attack power against guarded enemies.

Explosive Ghostflame

Increased attack power and stamina attack power against guarding enemies.
Increased frostbite status buildup of the explosion.
Range of the residual flame has been slightly increased, damage detection time has been reduced.

Tibia’s Summons

Reduced FP consumption and increased attack power.
Increased casting speed, reduced recovery time.

Discus of Light

Reduced FP and stamina consumption.
Increased the range, speed, and duration of the halo.
Increased casting speed.

Radagon’s Rings of Light

Reduced FP consumption and recovery time.

Frozen Lightning Spear

Reduced FP consumption and increased the frostbite status buildup.

Flame of the Fell God

Reduced FP consumption, increased stamina attack power against guarded enemies.
Increased attack power when charged.
Shortened damage detection time of residual fire.

Whirl, O Flame!

Reduced FP consumption.
Increased stamina attack power against guarding enemies.
Increased ability to stagger enemies.

Burn, O Flame!

Reduced FP consumption.
Shortened the time it takes for a flame pillar to be generated.

Scouring Black Flame

Increased stamina attack power against guarding enemies and increased poise damage when charged.

Noble Presence

Increased stamina consumption and increased stamina attack power against guarded enemies.
Shortened recovery time.

Beast Claw

Increased the range of the shockwave.

Gurranq’s Beast Claw

Added a hitbox to the first part of the spell.
Increased attack power when charged.

Stone of Gurranq

Reduced stamina consumption.
Increased attack power and stamina attack power against guarding enemies.
Extended the impact area of projectiles.

Scarlet Aeonia

Reduced FP consumption.
Increased attack power, poise damage and stamina attack power against guarding enemies.
Landing attack range has been increased and its recovery time decreased.
Adjusted the poise increase timing during activation.

Frenzied Burst

Increased poise damage and attack power when charged.

Howl of Shabriri

Extended the duration of the effect that increases attack power and lowers defensive power.

Inescapable Frenzy

Reduced FP and stamina consumption.
Shortened recovery time.
Increased grapple range.

Dragonclaw

Reduced FP consumption.
Increased stamina attack power against guarding enemies.
Improved directional control.

Dragonmaw

Reduced FP consumption.
Increased stamina attack power against guarding enemies.
The hitbox around dragon’s neck area has been enlarged to make it easier to hit enemies at close range.

Black Blade

Reduced stamina consumption.
Improved turning performance and shortened recovery time.
The sword and the wave attack have been changed so that they hit at the same time.
Attack power, stamina attack power and poise damage of each part have been decreased.
Decreased the number of times the wave part hits large enemies.

Bestial Sling

Reduced the stone fragment scatter randomness.
Increased stamina attack power against guarding enemies.
Reduced between two hits and adjusted the detection so that two hits are always made at close range.
Decreased poise damage.

Rotten Breath / Ekzykes’s Decay

Reduced Scarlet Rot status effect buildup.

Bug Fixes

Added a process to remove the Ash of War from weapons that cannot normally be combined with certain Ashes of War.
Fixed a bug that prevented users from obtaining items such as Great Runes, Crystal Tears, Cracked Pots, and Ritual Pots when the number of items in the inventory and the storage had reached the maximum limit.
Fixed a bug that prevented users from obtaining Crystal Tear. If you fail to obtain a Crystal Tear, the item will be added to your inventory when moving within the vicinity of the place where you should have obtained it.
Adjusted player character control when under certain damage animations.
Fixed a bug that prevented charging some Incantations while casting them with a left-handed Sacred Seal in mid-air.
Fixed a bug that prevented performing a normal attack from a dash immediately after landing from a jump when the weapon is two-handed.
Fixed a bug where various action inputs were ignored when changing weapons while moving.
Corrected the description of the Colossal Sword’s physical attack attribute.
Fixed a bug where the timing to change the attack direction was narrower than expected for some attacks with Greataxes.
Fixed a bug where the attack direction could not be changed when performing a charged attack with the Ruins Greatsword weapon.
Fixed a bug where the Highland Axe’s effect was not applied to the skill Shriek of Milos.
Fixed a bug where the effects of the Warrior Jar Shard and the Shard of Alexander were not applied to the skill Sorcery of the Crozier.
Fixed a bug where the effect of the Roar Medallion was not applied to the Regal Roar Ash of War.
Fixed a bug where the skill Viper Bite could inflict poison instead of deadly poison.
Fixed a bug where the range of one of the three rocks was longer than expected when casting the Spell Rock Sling with a left-hand staff.
Fixed a bug where recovery time after casting Beast Claw could not be shortened by magic or incantations.
Fixed a bug where when attacking an enemy who cannot be grabbed by the incantation Inescapable Frenzy, the attack will be repelled if the enemy is holding a shield.
Fixed a bug where HP or FP could be recovered when changing equipment to certain types of armor under certain circumstances.
Fixed a bug that could cause death and result in the player becoming stuck in some locations.
Fixed some terrain bugs that allowed users to reach unexpected locations with certain procedures.
Fixed a bug where the rendering and collision detection of some maps were different from expected.
Fixed a bug where bolts fired with the Hand Ballista weapon missed the lock-on target when the game was running at a frame rate below a certain level.
Fixed a bug that could prevent online multiplayer from working properly on the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 versions.
Several other performance improvements and bug fixes.

And That’s Not All…
Souls series dataminers Lance McDonald and Zullie The Witch have shared evidence of potential new DLC areas and ray tracing support via the 1.07 patch. The DLC will probably be out in 2023, but all signs seem to point at a new Legacy Dungeon and a new open world area housing said dungeon.

The IDs are m20 and m45. Notably, IDs can imply what kind of area a map is. m30 maps are side dungeons, m60 is the overworld, and the "main" areas are currently m10 through m19, which means m20 could be a Legacy Dungeon. m45 is interesting because there are no maps in that range. https://t.co/uaN2nXC4eD pic.twitter.com/Wdv2ybW9BA
— Zullie (@ZullieTheWitch) October 13, 2022

The latest update for Elden Ring adds menu strings related to ray tracing features. pic.twitter.com/LrCaqkzfsV
— Lance McDonald (@manfightdragon) October 13, 2022


Here’s How You Can Represent Malaysia In Esports At The 2019 SEA Games [Update]

Update: Schedule added.Â
We’ve been asking the same question since last year: When is Malaysia stepping up their game for the upcoming esports medal games in the 2019 SEA Games in the Philippines? We now have the answer to that, as the official channel for recruitment and registration has recently opened.
The ‘Malaysian Esports Selection 2019‘ website is specifically for those who want to register with dreams of representing Malaysia in esports at the 2019 SEA Games. Participants can register for any of the five games that will be contested, including Dota 2, Starcraft 2, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, Arena of Valor, and Tekken 7.
There will be a total of 16 state qualifiers for each game, which includes all 14 states in Malaysia, with the remaining 2 being federal territories: Kuala Lumpur and Labuan. Participants don’t need to be from a particular state to take part in the qualifiers in that state, hence teams can consist of players from various states.
It is stated in the FAQ section that registrations will be closed two (2) days before the qualifiers take place. However, the schedule and tournament dates have not been finalized so we still don’t know when those will be held.
Keep in mind that participants can actually register for multiple qualifiers for different games. However, if they have qualified for the group stage, they will automatically be disqualified from the other qualifiers.
What are you waiting for? Grab this opportunity for a shot of representing Malaysia in esports at the 2019 SEA Games. Head on over to the official website here to register now.

In other related news, Singapore has also been making strides at building their own esports delegation for the upcoming 2019 SEA Games. Singtel recently announced that they will be providing sponsorship for the Singaporean SEA Games 2019 esports team, in partnership with the Singapore Esports Association (SGEA). Read the full story here.
If you want to take part, here’s the schedule. Hope you’re free this April:


League Of Legends Wild Rift Esports Partners With Coca-Cola

Riot Games and Coca-Cola have announced a groundbreaking, multi-year partnership, which aligns League Of Legends Wild Rift with Coca-Cola, and affords the brand the opportunity to establish connections with players and fans alike in a meaningful way.
Brad Ross, Global Vice President, Assets, Influencers & Partnerships, The Coca-Cola Company, said:
“We know that mobile gaming is a critical part of the future of gaming and we are excited to be working with the leader at the intersection of sports and entertainment, Riot Games. Coca-Cola was an early partner with League of Legends Esports and we know firsthand the power of gaming to unite people from all over the world in competition and fandom. Coca-Cola serves as an ally to gamers – uplifting and refreshing both players and fans.”
Wild Rift Esports launched its first official competitive season in 2022, highlighted by the establishment of eight regions and a global season finale. Teams around the world will compete in regional tournaments to qualify for Wild Rift’s first international tournament, the Wild Rift Icons Global Championship, which will take place this summer. The date and location of the finale will be announced at a later date.
Coca-Cola, as a worldwide founding partner, will co-create unique fan experiences for both League Of Legends Wild Rift and Wild Rift Esports. The brand will also focus efforts on creating value for the community via access to custom rewards and experiences, including a weekly content series co-created with Wild Rift to uplift, entertain, and champion fans.
This is not the first time Coca-Cola has partnered with Riot Games to bring new and exciting opportunities to gamers. From 2014-2016, Coca-Cola teamed with League Of Legends for its World Championship and created custom viewing experiences with highly coveted collectible merchandise in multiple countries through cinema partnerships.
Leo Faria, Global Head of Wild Rift Esports, Riot Games, said:
“Coca-Cola helped launch what is now the biggest esports on the planet, League of Legends Esports, so I’m thrilled that they see the future in Wild Rift Esports as well. This partnership will span across more than 100 countries, including the eight regional leagues that serve as the foundation for our sport.”


A Plague Tale Requiem Launches This October

Focus Home Entertainment and Asobo Studio have announced that A Plague Tale Requiem will launch for the PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC and Nintendo Switch via cloud streaming on 18 October 2022. The game will also be available Day One with Xbox Game Pass for Console, PC and Cloud.
Pre-orders are now available.
It’s a sequel to 2019’s A Plague Tale Innocence. One of the new gameplay mechanics is that you can scan for enemies and their locations will be highlighted. This even works through walls.

In the previous game, Amicia couldn’t assassinate enemies like in other traditional stealth games. However, it looks like things are different in the sequel, where players can either strike or stab. It also looks like stabbings will probably be limited based on how many knives you have or something.

What’s even more awesome is that Amicia can now use a crossbow to kill enemies. This sequel is certainly giving players a lot more options to deal with enemies, which is a welcome upgrade from the previous game.

In this new extended gameplay sequence, follow Amicia and Hugo as they make their way through a massive ochre-red quarry overwhelmed with soldiers eager to capture them. Fortunately, the duo has many new tricks up their sleeve and doesn’t shy away from getting their hands dirty. Watch how it all plays out and get ready to embark on their heart-rending journey into a brutal, breathtaking world, and discover the cost of saving those you love in a desperate struggle for survival.
Check out the gameplay trailer below:


Devolver Digital Marketing Countdown To Marketing: All The Games

The Devolver Digital Marketing Countdown to Marketing live stream took place earlier today, featuring various release date announcements and new game reveals.
Check out the games below:
Cult Of The Lamb

Cult of the Lamb casts players in the role of a possessed lamb saved from annihilation by an ominous stranger, and must repay their debt by building a loyal following in his name. Start your own cult in a land of false prophets, venturing out into diverse and mysterious regions to build a loyal community of woodland worshippers and spread your Word to become the one true cult.
It launches on 11 August 2022. The demo is now available on Steam, and you can pre-purchase the game. It’s also coming to PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo Switch.

Anger Foot

Anger Foot is a lightning-fast action FPS where the only things harder than your ass-kicking feet are the ass-kicking beats.
Unleash the world’s deadliest feet on a colorful cast of anthropomorphic enemies. Clearing out slums, sewers, and skyscrapers as you grab new weapons, unlock new sneakers, and upgrade your powers in absurd and wonderful ways. Kick and shoot your way to the exit as you leave behind a smoldering trail of shattered doors, broken bones, and crumpled energy drinks.
It launches sometime in 2023. The demo is now available on Steam, and you can pre-purchase the game.

Card Shark

Card Shark is an adventure game full of cunning, intrigue, and delectable deceit. Enter a world where you’ll need to play your opponents better than you play your cards.
Cheat your way to the top of 18th-century French society. Master deceptions using card marking, false shuffles, deck switching, false deals, and more! Use your ill-gotten gains to buy your way into the closed world of high-stakes tables.
It is now available on Nintendo Switch and PC.

The Plucky Squire

The Plucky Squire follows the magical adventures of Jot and his friends – storybook characters who discover a three-dimensional world outside the pages of their book.
When the malevolent Humgrump realizes he’s the villain of the book – destined to lose his battle against the forces of good for all eternity – he kicks the heroic Jot out of its pages and changes the story forever.
Jot must face challenges, unlike anything he’s ever seen if he is to save his friends from Humgrump’s dark forces and restore the book’s happy ending.
Jump between 2D and 3D worlds in this charming action-adventure – solving puzzles, boxing badgers, flying with a jetpack, and enjoying many more delightful and surprising mini-challenges as you become the hero of a living storybook.
It’s coming to the PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch and PC sometime in 2023.

Skate Story

You are a demon in the Underworld, made out of glass and pain. The Devil has given you a skateboard with a simple deal: Skate to the Moon and swallow it — and you shall be freed.
Ollie, kickflip, and grind your way through the ash and smoke of The Emptylands as you take on a seemingly impossible quest. Learn to master your weight and motion to conquer the weeping concrete. Savour the ritualistic beauty as you set your feet to pop a perfect kickflip.
Skate fast to destroy vicious demons, help a forgetful frog, and save other tortured souls on your journey from fragile beginner to a hardened skater. Push through hell and discover The Devil’s greatest weakness: humility, perseverance, and a disgustingly sweet backside tailslide. All you need is your skateboard.
It’s coming to PC via Steam sometime in 2023.


The Most Defining E3 Moments Since 2005

E3 2018 is just a week away, and we are excited! For those who don’t know, E3 is short for Electronic Entertainment Expo and it’s a 3-to-4 day event where the biggest and brightest of the video games industry gather to show off the latest in games and gaming technology, and also show off their biggest booth displays and props. The show also houses the best and worst video game company press conferences that make us laugh, cheer, and cringe.
Whether they were good, bad, or ugly, these presentations were memorable to all of us, especially since some of them helped shape E3 to what it is right now. Let us take a trip down memory lane before the 2018 version of the biggest gaming expo kicks in, and check out the best and funniest the industry has to offer.
https://www.facebook.com/kakuchopurei/videos/1428722313898846/
Nintendo America’s Big Boss Taking Charge – E3 2004
https://youtu.be/89GB6bC9_N4?t=6m56s
“I’m about kicking ass. I’m about taking names. And we’re about making games.” The words of Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime booms through the halls of the Nintendo Press Conference in 2004. Some might see this as cocky, but it’s basically confidence in the brand.
Remember that this was a time when Nintendo was at its low point with the Gamecube. Nintendo needed someone like Reggie to take the reins and lead the conversation to how the brand is about games, period. Sometimes, a good spin is enough if done with a charismatic lead, and no one was as unique as Fils-Aime.
Halo 2 Announcement & Release Date – E3 2005
https://youtu.be/br8FdEexJBU?t=9m5s
An E3 press conference wouldn’t be complete without some level of theatrics and commitment from its showmen. After some awesome gameplay footage of Halo 2, then-Xbox lead Peter Moore revealed the release date of the game in the best way possible: through a real tattoo on his right arm.
He pulled off the same stunt on his left arm a year later with a Grand Theft Auto IV announcement, but his first attempt was a lot more impactful because it was unheard of in a prim and proper kind of presentation.
Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess Reveal -E3 2005
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VE2Dc1sx71U
If Nintendo’s 2004 presentation was a revolution, the end of Nintendo’s 2005 presentation was a climactic trumpet to signal a new progression. A new Zelda announcement was all it needed to put faith back in the game industry, so what better way than to have an epic trailer followed by its lead designer Shigeru Miyamoto coming into the scene with sword and shield in hand?
Truly this was the time when E3 had awestrucking and inspiring presentations and reveals before it evolved into something a little more…typical and expected.
PlayStation’s Fall From Grace – E3 2006
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IH2w2l1JTs4
It seems that with the PS2 doing gangbusters, there was no way that PlayStation can fall from grace, can they? Well in 2006’s E3 press conference, they did just that in one fell swoop.
President Kaz Hirai was there to tell everyone that (i) they’re on top of the market (ii) people are willing to pay a lot for their upcoming new consoles, and (iii) people are excited about a safari simulation, a realistic racing game, a generic hack-and-slash, and Ridge Racer. As you can tell, the delivery and execution left much to be desired.
The presentation was so bad that it nearly put PlayStation on the brink of extinction. It wasn’t until many years until PlayStation got their groove back.
Jamie Kennedy Lowers The Presentation Bar – E3 2007
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DfzThMe7bBM
Activision held a press conference to showcase its Tony Hawk titles and their latest Call of Duty. Problem was that they picked the wrong kind of host: Jamie Kennedy.
This “comedian” was insulting and patronizing to the audience and journalists. As a result, people lambasted him and Activision’s decision to bring in such a host. This is a firsthand lesson for first-party and third-party developers to learn: sometimes an actor from Hollywood may not be the best host for a video game presentation.
Konami’s Unforgettable Presentation – E3 2009
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1vmrMAqeWM
If you want to see the depths of Konami’s mind, look no further than this presentation. It’s filled with awkward moments, odd deliveries, and even a luchadore slap-fest. Yes, there were games present, but they all pale in comparison to the surrealism of this showcase.
Nintendo 3DS Reveal – E3 2010
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0SqvA-EdUJg
All it took was Nintendo head honcho Satoru Iwata to come out with full confidence and talk about their new handheld: the 3DS. And the best part? The people who were in attendance immediately get a hands-on with the device as there were attendants with the 3DS attached to their hip belts.
Microsoft’s Painfully Long Kinect Presentation – E3 2010
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QflHRLW0Tz8
Oh lord, how the mighty had fallen. It’s rather bizarre that Xbox chose to focus on their motion sensor device instead of their plethora of Xbox games. It’s fine to strive a balance between hardcore and casual games -see Nintendo as an example- but this Kinect showcase is veering way, way too far into the latter side.
Kevin Butler Jumps In For A Speech To Thunderous Applause – E3 2011
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LwPWN3Ul6U8
On the flip side of the Jamie Kennedy presentation, we have this one from actor Jerry Lambert, who plays PlayStation marketing guy Kevin Butler. His Sony ads were hilarious, but it was his E3 speech during the PlayStation press conference that made us laugh and respect the persona.
Part of it was obviously scripted, but it was inspirational and his delivery was beyond amazing. Sometimes the best presentations are the ones that are heartfelt and can resonate with the audience.
The Year Bethesda & PlayStation Took Over -E3 2015
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-9piXg4ukg
We were surprised that Bethesda started off their first E3 press conference with a huge bang, showing the big boys how it’s done. They showcased Doom, Fallout 4, and Dishonored 2 in the best way possible: they just jump straight to the games and talk about them. No frills, no buzzwords, just little talk and more action.

This was followed up with PlayStation taking the reins of the E3 horse and making it do crazy feats. Only in this case, the feats are a Final Fantasy VII remake announcement, a few stellar favourites, and the long-awaited Shenmue 3 reveal for long-time fans of the classic adventure game series.
The Game That Set The Presentation Benchmark -E3 2000
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8BzmH1NBXCg
Metal Gear Solid 2 wasn’t just a great game that subverted expectations back on the PS2, but it was the first game that became a highlight of E3. Why? Because it was presented in the best and most intriguing way possible. Part cinematic, part game, and all immersive, the Metal Gear Solid 2 demo was a masterclass in how to present a game to a select audience who were going to write about your game. Needless to say, the reception the day after was unanimously positive.
The Game That Invented The “Is That Really Part Of The Game?” Controversy (E3 2005)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-4HNmuEAKg
Sony debuted their Killzone 2 gameplay trailer. Or a pre-rendered trailer. Back then it was hard to tell whether it was all smokes and mirrors, especially since the game only came out in 2008. But during 2005, it wowed people and made them hyped for the PlayStation 3 exclusive.
The PlayStation Dynasty Begins… (E3 1995)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ExaAYIKsDBI
We had to put in this moment because this is where and when E3 started to matter to the gaming public. And all it took was a single combination of digits: “299”. This was Sony’s counter to Sega Saturn’s US$399 price point, and it worked gloriously.


HBO Max Renews Doom Patrol For Season 3

Ahead of DC FanDome Day Two, Doom Patrol has been officially renewed for a third season on HBO Max, which will debut exclusively on the streaming service sometime in 2021. Season 2 recently ended its 9-episode run on 6 August 2020.
According to HBO Max original content head Sarah Aubrey (via Variety), Doom Patrol is “one of the most-watched Max Originals on the platform”, which is probably a big reason why they decided to renew the bizarre but great comic book series adaptation for yet another season.

You didn’t think we’d leave you hanging, did you? pic.twitter.com/fVKDH576NP— Doom Patrol (@DCDoomPatrol) September 12, 2020

Doom Patrol, based on the DC Comics group of characters of the same name, stars a misfit group of heroes comprising Robotman, Negative Man, Crazy Jane, Elasti-Woman, and Cyborg. It stars Brendan Fraser as Cliff Steele, Matt Bomer as Larry Trainor aka Negative Man, Diane Guerrero as Jane aka Crazy Jane, April Bowlby as Rita Farr aka Elasti-Woman and Joivan Wade as Victor Stone aka Cyborg.
Previous seasons of Doom Patrol also came out on the DC Universe streaming platform, but now that’s no longer the case. This begs the question: is Warner Bros. shutting down DC Universe and moving all its original programming to HBO Max?
Stay tuned on Kakuchopurei for more news from the second day of DC FanDome.


GTA Casino Update Is Banned In More Than 50 Countries

GTA Online‘s latest update The Diamond Casino & Resort was just released and a lot of players have been excited to have a go at the poker tables and slot machines. Unfortunately, it’s been reported that the gambling features of this gambling-focused update is banned in a lot of countries.
Once you’ve downloaded the new update, the first thing you’d want to do is head down to the new casino to check it out. You’ll be given an introductory tour of the lavish facilities and then allowed to purchase chips to start your unhealthy betting practices. This is where things get disappointing for a lot of players.
Players from countries where the gambling features are banned are simply greeted with a “This feature is not available for you” message. You need to purchase the chips to gamble at The Diamond so if you can’t buy chips, you can’t gamble.

According to Kotaku, this could possibly be Rockstar being overly cautious in countries that have stricter gambling laws which is interesting because you can’t cash out the chips into real world money anyway. Perhaps it’s due to the fact that players can buy in-game currency through real world money which would, in a way, encourage unhealthy behavior.
There’s a post on Reddit that compiles a list of countries where the ban is reported to be in effect. In the list, it’s stated that Malaysia is one of the countries where some players are facing it while some aren’t. No clear reasons why there’s a distinction.
I hope that Rockstar is going to do something to fix this problem because if left to continue, a lot of players will simply be getting a new building added onto their map that they can just get story missions from. Mind you, some of the new content in the update can only be unlocked through gambling so yeah, it’s pretty unfair.


[Report] Dragon Ball FighterZ Is Getting A Third Season

Dragon Ball FighterZ‘s latest addition, Super Saiyan Blue Gogeta, is making headlines right now. However, recent datamining practices revealed that there might be a Season 3 slew of DLC in the works.
First up: the surface level stuff. The updated character select screen is showing off a few conveniently-arranged empty spaces. While it’s probably just for layout reasons, this pattern is similar to past seasons of character DLC, hinting at a roster expansion.

And here’s where the datamined information comes into play: Reddit user xDioxBrandox shared some findings from the game’s new background files. Specifically, a few lines of commands to not load a file called “CharaSelect_S3” and a folder called “CmnBG_S3” (via Eventhubs).


[Report] Riot & Tencent Developing League Of Legends Mobile

Mobile MOBA games like Mobile Legends and Arena of Valor are extremely popular, so it’s no surprise that their bigger brothers on the PC are trying to follow suit. According to Reuters, Riot Games and Tencent are currently developing a mobile version of League of Legends.
There are several sources, one of which claimed that both companies have been working on League of Legends mobile for more than a year while another said that it was unlikely to launch anytime in 2019.
It was also said that Riot Games originally turned down a proposal by Tencent to make League of Legends mobile years ago, which led to the release of the latter’s Arena of Valor (also known as Honour Of Kings in China).
At the time of writing, both Riot Games and Tencent have not officially confirmed or denied the report. While League of Legends remains one of the world’s biggest online games with a thriving esports scene, Newzoo analyst Gu Tianyi said that the PC version of the game isn’t actually raking in much revenue for Riot Games at the moment.
So What’s Going To Happen To Mobile Legends & Arena of Valor?
A mobile version of League of Legends would attract more players, especially in Asian countries where mobile games are more popular. However, with games like Mobile Legends and Arena of Valor already dominating the mobile MOBA genre, League of Legends mobile will need to do something to make itself stand out.
Then again, the fact that LoL has been around for 13 years is enough to make players jump ship. If you knew the original MOBA that inspired Mobile Legends and co. was making its way to your iOS and Android, you’d rather play that, right?
In other related news, the 2019 League of Legends Grand Mid-Season Invitational (MSI) recently concluded, with G2 Esports emerging as champions. Check out all the highlights of what transpired at the tournament here.


Miles Morales returns for the next chapter of the Oscar-winning Spider-Verse saga, Spider-Man Across The Spider-Verse. After reuniting with Gwen Stacy, Brooklyn’s full-time, friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man is catapulted across the Multiverse, where he encounters a team of Spider-People charged with protecting its very existence. But when the heroes clash on how to handle a new threat, Miles finds himself pitted against the other Spiders and must redefine what it means to be a hero so he can save the people he loves most.
Spider-Man Across The Spider-Verse premieres in Malaysian cinemas on 1 June 2023. Check out my review by heading over here. The sequel to Spider-Man Across The Spider-Verse, Spider-Man Beyond The Spider-Verse, will premiere in March 2024, which is less than a year from now.
Here’s what we expect from the upcoming sequel:

What To Expect From Spider-Man Beyond The Spider-Verse
Since there were no post-credits scenes in Spider-Man Across The Spider-Verse, what can we expect from Spider-Man Beyond The Spider-Verse when it premieres in March 2024?
Miles Will Be Rescued By Gwen And The Spider-Gang
This is highly likely a given, as Spider-Man Across The Spider-Verse ended with Gwen recruiting both new and familiar faces to save Miles, who is trapped on Earth-42 by his variant, who is the Prowler on that world.
But First, Gwen And The Spider-Gang Will Probably Have To Get Through Spider-Man 2099 And His Goons First
However, it probably won’t be that easy, with Spider-Man 2099 and his Spider goons still tracking Miles. They’ll get into another Spider-fight for sure.
Spot Is The Main Antagonist
Spot ended Spider-Man Across The Spider-Verse as arguably one of the most beings in the Multiverse. The final showdown will likely be between him and the Spider-People.
But Is He, Really? Our Theory: Miguel O’ Hara Spider-Man 2099 Might Be An Inheritor, Why Is Spider-Man 2099 A Vampire
That being said, it would be somewhat anti-climactic if Spot ends up being the trilogy’s ultimate villain. Sure, Spider-Man Across The Spider-Verse did a great job building him up to be a much worthier villain than he ever was in the comics, but still, I’m sure Spider-Man fans will be looking forward to another major villain or two stepping in.
However, with one movie left to tie up current loose ends, it might feel a bit rushed to introduce new villains in Spider-Man Beyond The Spider-Verse. If they do end up introducing new villains, I still go by my predictions from way back in 2018; Morlun and the Inheritors, who were the main villains of the original 2014 Spider-Verse comic crossover.
Also, in Spider-Man Across The Spider-Verse, Spider-Man 2099 is a vampire for some reason, but this was never explained. A potential twist in Spider-Man Beyond The Spider-Verse is that he might be an Inheritor, or a vampire working for the Inheritors.

The Inheritors The Inheritors are basically a family of powerful vampires who feed on the life force of Spider Totems AKA Spider-People from across the Multiverse. A Spider-Man villain named Morlun is one of them. He is also one of the few villains who Spider-Man is genuinely afraid of and has almost died fighting against multiple times.
Of course, all of this remains speculation until we at least get a proper official trailer for Spider-Man Beyond The Spider-Verse. Until next time, excelsior.


Valve Apologizes For Summer Sale Grand Prix Confusion; Gives Away 5,000 More Games

The Steam Summer Sale Grand Prix has finished; if you haven’t been paying attention, Team Corgi has been winning by a landslide from start to finish. Even with the confusing ruleset, people are still able to exploit it somewhat by just coasting along under one team.
Valve knows this and vows to do better next time.Â Here’s what they said in their wrapup post:
“Thank you to everyone who participated in the Grand Prix. We realize that the race track had some unexpected turnsâ€”we tried to straighten them out when we could, and weâ€™ll anticipate the curves better next time we invite you to the races.”

“As an extra gift for those that participated, we have randomly selected 5000 users that contributed from any team in the Steam Grand Prix to receive the top game from their wishlist. Users that were randomly selected will receive their gift within 48 hours from the end of the Steam Grand Prix.”

As a token of gratitude for putting up with these shenanigans, Valve will be giving away a free game to 5,000 selected users who contributed from any team in the Steam Grand Prix. Said free game will be the top game of the selected user’s wishlist and will be given away 48 hours prior to the end of the Grand Prix, so we suggest you start rearranging that column of yours.
Speaking of race, you can spend your tokens at the Pit Stop; it will be available until 1am on 9th July GMT+8. Go nuts with the points you earned by spending it either on US$4 discount coupons or Corgi-themed Steam wallpapers.


Yu Yu Hakusho Is Getting A Netflix Live-Action Series

Netflix has announced that Yoshihiro Togashi’s Yu Yu Hakusho manga is getting a live-action series on Netflix.
Netflix contents acquisition director Kazutaka Sakamoto is the executive producer, and Akira Morii (Wild 7, Brave Heart Umizaru) is producing at Robot.

When Yusuke dies saving another’s life, he’ll embark on a journey across the world of humans, spirits, and demons to return to the land of the living. Yoshihiro Togashi’s legendary manga Yu Yu Hakusho will be a live action series on Netflix! pic.twitter.com/K4t5eNta9d— Netflix Geeked @ SDCC #NetflixSDCC (@NetflixGeeked) December 16, 2020

According to Anime News Network, Sakamoto said that he grew up with the original manga, and he still vividly remembers its excitement and impact. He also said that Netflix is assembling a team of the best talent from Japan and abroad.
Yu Yu Hakusho follows the adventures of Yusuke Urameshi, a teenage delinquent who dies in an act of sacrifice and is reborn as a Spirit Detective, tasked to investigate and solve matters involving the paranormal and supernatural.
In case you missed it, the entire Yu Yu Hakusho anime (all 112 episodes of it) is available to stream on Netflix Malaysia right now.


Fear Street Part 3: 1666 Is The Best Of The Trilogy

Here we are, folks, the final movie of Netflix’s Fear Street trilogy, which is arguably the best and most unique to date. Thankfully, the concluding film ties everything up pretty nicely and offers a much-needed resolution for many of the existing mysteries and plot points from the first two movies.
If Fear Street Part 1: 1994 was trying to be Scream andÂ Fear Street Part 2: 1978 was evoking Friday The 13th,Â what about Fear Street Part 3: I666? Well, read on to find out.
A Different Beast
FEAR STREET PART 3: 1666 (L to R) EMILY RUDD as ABIGAIL and JULIA REHWALD as LIZZIE. NETFLIX Â© 2021
Fear Street Part 3: I666Â is very different from the previous two movies, and it owes a lot of that to the new 1660s setting. The previous two movies relied on a lot of the music from their respective eras (1990s and 1970s) to set the tone during scenes, but there’s none of that in this movie. Well, the first half, at least, is when the movie takes place in the 1660s before returning to present-day 1994 in the latter half and climax of the film.
The first half of Fear Street Part 3: I666Â not only takes place in the colonial era but also features many of the same actors and actresses from the first movie, including Kiana Madeira as Sarah Fiers, Ashley Zukerman as Solomon Goode and more. This is where the ongoing mystery of Sarah Fier and how she relates to the murders in the previous two movies are finally explained, though I won’t spoil them here.
Since there’s no contemporary music to set the tone, Fear Street Part 3: I666Â relies on chilling instrumental/orchestral music for its atmosphere, which is frankly what the first two movies should have done as well. Unlike the previous two movies that paid homage and were similar to classic slasher movies, Fear Street Part 3: I666Â looks and feels inspired by folk horror films like 1973’s The Wicker Man, 2015’s The WitchÂ and 2019’s Midsommar.
FEAR STREET PART 3: 1666 (Pictured) KIANA MADEIRA as SARAH FIER. NETFLIX Â© 2021
Instead of just featuring a killer on the murdering spree, Fear Street Part 3: I666 explores darker themes like how religious extremism and desperation can lead to or even invite both evil and darkness, from without and within. It’s compelling subject material, and a lot more nuanced than what came before. I was surprised by this movie’s style and the amazing performances of the cast (they did a great job with the different accents and everything). It’s disturbing and horrifying, while also emotional and sad at the same time (I can’t really reveal why without touching on spoilers).
That said, everything goes back to conventional slasher territory in the second half of Fear Street Part 3: I666,Â as the movie finally fully returns to present-day 1994. However, what’s great is that with all the history and context provided via the second movie and the first half of the third movie, your perspective on the present-day has changed so much that you’ll be looking at existing characters in a completely brand new light. I’m not kidding, all that setup definitely feels worth it, as we head into the exciting climax of the Fear Street trilogy as a whole.
It is this that makes the Fear Street trilogy special, and why the first two movies can’t really stand alone on their own. With the perspective and context provided by everything that has happened prior to the second half of Fear Street Part 3: I666,Â everything has changed. Good plot twists can change everything you’ve seen, and this is true for the Fear Street trilogy. You might even be tempted to rewatch at least the first movie, after finishing the entire trilogy just to catch up on details you might have previously missed.
As for the climax of Fear Street Part 3: I666,Â viewers can expect a fun and action-heavy climax. I won’t say tense exactly, because it feels like it’s going back to the same Stranger Things vibe of the first movie, albeit with more blood and gore. Still, it’s extremely satisfying to finally see the payoff and I can bet that most viewers will enjoy watching it unfold too.
The Final Chapter
FEAR STREET PART 3: 1666 (L to R) GILLIAN JACOBS as C.BERMAN, BENJAMIN FLORES JR. as JOSH and DARRELL BRITT-GIBSON as MARTIN. NETFLIX Â© 2021
The Fear Street trilogy only truly works when experienced as a whole. Fear Street Part 3: I666Â may not be a slasher like the other two movies, but it is the glue for the world of Shadyside, Sunnyvale and everyone who lives there. It very much works like a whole season of sorts, and Fear Street Part 3: I666Â is the finale that brings everything together in one cohesive package.
Without it, the Fear Street trilogy wouldn’t work. With Fear Street Part 3: I666,Â the trilogy is more than just another new modern slasher franchise. It’s worthy of being called its own horror series, especially with that credits stinger scene at the end. Could there be more Fear Street movies in the pipeline? There are a lot of other eras to explore. I’d certainly welcome more Fear Street content in the future.
FINAL SCORE: 80/100
We received an early access screener of Fear Street Part 3: 1666 courtesy of Netflix Malaysia. It is now streaming on exclusively on Netflix.


Activision Breaks Away From Tencent, This Is Why

Call Of Duty Mobile Season 9 arrived only earlier this week, and eagle-eyed gamers have since noticed that the loading screen mentioning credits for Tencent and TiMi Studios for their contribution in development efforts have suddenly disappeared.
It turns out that publisher Activision has officially parted ways with Tencent for several reasons. Speaking with GamingOnPhone, TiMi Studios representatives have revealed the reasons for Activision breaking off from both Tencent and TiMi Studios.
The first reason is that US President Donald Trump recently signed an order that complicated and restricted US companies from conducting transactions and working with Tencent and its many subsidiaries, including TiMi Studios. To avoid Trumpâ€™s ban from affecting the global version of Call Of Duty Mobile, Activision had decided to part ways with Tencent.
The second reason is that there have been multiple reports claiming that Tencent’s PUBG Mobile has apparently been copying various features from the Call Of Duty Mobile. These include unique Call Of Duty Mobile mechanics such as Gunsmith game mode, aerial platform, locations, and more.
It remains to be seen how all of this will affect Call Of Duty Mobile moving forward, and the question of who will be taking over the continued development of the mobile game remains unanswered for now.


In Detroit: Become Human, The Real Antagonist Is David Cage

Platform: PS4
Genre: Adventure, Dialogue Flowchart, David Cage Production
One instance I’m a clean-cut pleasant-sounding android detective trying to solve human murder cases with my gruff cop partner voiced by Lex Luthor/Mr. KrabsÂ in the mean streets of Detroit 2038.Â The next, I’m in the shoes of a maid android on the run with her surrogate human daughter Alice, robbing people at point blank for cash and befriending strange men in foreboding mansions.
In-between chapters, I’m playing an android who looks like the Scholar from Cabin In The Woods who ends up leading an anti-human revolution after his surrogate father figure dies. Also, he looks & sounds suspiciously like Bishop from Aliens.
If that sounds like a movie idea that’s taking cues from other superior sci-fi flicks since the 70s – that also happens to masquerade as a game- you guessed right!Â And all you have to do to move the plot forward is walk around a bit adventure game-style and press a few buttons in quick succession and order.
This is basically the David Cage experience. Surprisingly, it’s for the better since the game director and his Quantic Dream crew improved upon the interactive cinema adventure game formula. Though that’s not really saying much since games impose a sense of challenge.
And to call Detroit: Become Human a challenging experience is quite a stretch.

More Human Than Human
Detroit: Become Human is not a video game in any traditional sense, since it leans more towards a narrative that you can shape to your liking thanks to flowcharts. Its story focuses on three androids – detective Connor, robot maid Kara, and caretaker-turned-revolutionist Markus- as their jobs and lives intertwine in Detroit year 2038 where the tech is expanding but the android prejudice remains.
The game plays like a triple-A blockbuster adventure game stylized as a cinematic experience, only with less inputs and the ability to shape the story as you see fit.Â Personally, tailoring the game as such is fine. There are visual novels that do the same thing. Hell, I love most of them, especially ones like VA-11 Hall-A. But those visual novels at least have some simple gameplay, brain teasers, and puzzles to them. That game I mentioned had a simple-if-fun cocktail-mixing minigame among others. And I only paid US$15 for it.
We’ll start off with the good points: the graphics and music are nice. Really, really gorgeous. There’s little to no loading time at all, which is a plus if you want to get through the story in a hurry.

If you played past David Cage experiences, you’ll get a huge sense of deja vu in terms of controls and play structure, though the narrative is less disjointed.

Lord, You Made Us Human
Truth be told, the story of this “game” is framed and told competently and in an orderly logical fashion. The stories of Markus, Kara, and Connor are nice to watch and experience, with all of it tied to a grandiose plot of a possible android uprising.
The game’s kicker is that you get to decide how the story plays out. You want to play it so that Connor’s cop pal Hank hates you? Go ahead; you’ll get a heckuva ending. Want to try out all three possible endings to Kara’s chapter where she’s out in the cold with her surrogate kid Alice? Refer to the game’s flowchart system so you know where the story crossroads are.
Want to create a better outcome for the first chapter’s hostage situation? Explore every nook and crannie in the crime scene on time so that you get access to the best dialogue options possible. Whatever multiple plot points and endings that are in the game are worth replaying. And it is fun to see some of the outcomes play out. If that’s you want out of your games, of course.
For the earlier parts of this interactive fiction, however, your challenges comprise of:

Painting something for an elderly man in a wheelchair to showcase that an android can feel & imagine things.
Cleaning the house as a robot maid for an abusive father and his poor daughter.

At least it gets better. Midway throught the game, you get to:

Do parkour where the paths are mapped out for you after some rewinding and scrubbing.
Go through an android’s version of Hell. It’s pretty evocative stuff.
Change perspectives between robot hookers, male and female, to find a robot hooker suspect in a strip club.
Stage an android protest march by recruiting other androids through the power of pointing.
Catch a bus to cross the border before the police catches you.

It’s a step up from press X to Jason, that’s for sure. Gold stars for you, David Cage & team!

I’m Only Human, I Do What I Can…
Detroit: Become Human features a precognition mode where your android can plan a route for you to do cool stuff like the aforementioned parkour to bypass obstacles. Scrubbing the precog timeline back and forth while aiming the camera at any highlighted point can make you calculate the wrong or right path to getting through the obstacle.
There’s usually one solution to the problem, so while the idea and seeing the precog option in motion is cool, it’s just extra busywork in the long run.Â There’s also another feature exclusive to detective Connor that uses the precog scrub method: Detroit’s very own detective mode. You explore a crime scene, then turn on detective mode to replay the crime scene and its entailing events to find clues.
This is also another cool idea that the game presents but you can solve some of these puzzles by just paying attention even for a millisecond. So really, it’s all just style over substance.
I will say this though: pressing & holding the R2 button to stop time and look around for objectives and highlighted objects never, EVER gets old.
I’m Only Human, A Flesh & Blood Of Me
One wonders if there is any challenge to the “play” part of “replay”. To put things into perspective: you replay an RPG like Dark Souls over and over because you want to perfect your previous run. You replay an action game like Bayonetta to get perfect scores, to test your mettle and see how you previously stack up so you can master the game.

You replay a game like Detroit: Become Human to just open up bonus outcomes and net yourself a hollow sense of fulfilment. The only mastering needed in Detroit: Become Human is the skill to unlock stuff via replays and reacting to quick time events. This is the real-life equivalent of finding extra pages popping out of a novel, while playing Simon Says to avoid getting punched in the nads.

If you find that fun, however, knock yourself out. Personally, this is just an upgraded version of Heavy Rain. A prettier, load time-less, snowier version of a game archetype exclusive to Quantic Dream’s mad pursuit in convincing many that his games are beyond interactive fiction.

I see that he’s learning from his mistakes, but it’s hard to call this iteration of his past experiment a game that challenges you mechanically.
It’ll play well with the Twitch.tv crowd though. All those alternate endings and outcomes will get a ton of reactions for this generation of millenials.
Tell Them That It’s Human Nature…
There really isn’t much that will stimulate you here unless you really really want to see certain characters making it out alive at the final few converging chapters. Even if you appreciate the sci-fi and discrimination undertones here and approach the game’s story as a film, it just feels like the best bits of all your Blade Runners, your Metropolises, and that one cancelled android-and-cop-buddy TV show featuring Karl Urban meshed together but on a semi-contemporary landscape.
Which is fine, if you don’t watch that many movies. You’ll get a kick out of this interactive fiction, so more power to you. But if I’m getting all these features for full triple-A game price, I expect more than “fine”. And some semblance of a challenge too. And more gameplay.
At the very least, this interactive fiction is a step up from that Beyond: Two Souls nonsense with Ellen Page. Give David Cage some props for that.
Pros

Decent-if-recycled story from better films.
Graphics & music are well-done.
Interweaving bits come together pretty well at the end.
Better-paced that Cage’s past works.

Cons

Not really a video game that presents an actual challenge.
Plot holes & acting inconsistencies pop up if you don’t follow a certain story path.
DÃ©jÃ  vu if you played Heavy Rain.

FINAL RATING: 6/10


Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Is PS5 Exclusive Because Of SSD Speed

Square Enix has claimed that its upcoming sequel to Final Fantasy VII Remake, which doesn’t come with a Part 2 subtitle, will need a bit more next-gen processing power of the PlayStation variety.
The JRPG-making company claimed that Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is exclusive to PS5 and is skipping PS4 partly because of the company’s desire to exploit the new-gen console’s SSD capabilities (via Gamer). This is a far cry from FFVII Remake which was also on PS4 and also on PC. Game producer Yoshinori Kitase said there were several factors involved in the decision not to have the sequel on PS4.
“It’s exclusive to PlayStation 5 because of the graphical quality, of course, as well as SSD access speed. Since the adventure unfolds in a vast world after the escape from Midgar, loading stress is an extreme bottleneck. We felt we needed the specifications of PlayStation 5 to overcome that and travel the world comfortably.”
Why not release the game on the Xbox Series X since that console uses an SSD? It’s rather obvious: Square Enix and Sony had an exclusivity deal locked in for the Final Fantasy VII brand, thus it’s getting first dibs on the latest PlayStation console, just like back in the late 90s. See, Square Enix can still keep things consistent!
As showcased in an earlier trailer, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is part two of a planned trilogy, with the third game also having a subtitle that starts with the letter “R”.


If Overwatch League Franchises Were English Premier League Teams

When the inaugural Overwatch League season kicked off last year, we predicted that this competition is set to grow and be one of, if not the largest esports tournament in the world. So what better competition to compare them with than the most-watched professional sports league in the world, the English Premier League?
Today in a much more relaxed feature article, we see how these OWL teams draw parallels with their BPL counterparts. Of course, both tournaments operate on a different set of rules, but we are going to look at the histories of these teams, their play styles, their philosophies, as well as how they fared so far this season.
Unlike the English Premier League, the Overwatch League teams do not have to worry about relegation but they still have it all to fight for as the prize money will be distributed based on the team’s performances. So without further ado, here’s a quick look at how the Overwatch League franchises match their English Premier League counterparts.
London Spitfire: Manchester CityÂ

Both teams show no real weakness across the whole squad thanks to rosters consisting of top-tier players who know how to win. Even their subs would easily command a starting spot in other teams in the league.
Their biggest issue is to ensure every player stay happy with their play time, while also ensuring that they deliver results. A stylish 4-0 hammering or grind out a 3-2 win? They know how to pull off both.
A consistent team throughout, they will still encounter the occasional hiccups whenever they meet any of the top-4 teams. Bonus point that both teams’ jersey colours do match.
New York Excelsior: Liverpool FC

With the triumvirate of God-tiered DPS players up front in Saebyeolbe, Pine & Libero, they are equivalent to the Firmino, Salah & Mane trio that’s been tearing up defences in the Premier League.
OK, so we haven’t see Fl0w3r in action this season, but we’ve seen what he’s capable of during the Overwatch World Cup – so just imagine the potential of this team going forward. Also like Liverpool, NYXL is great at breaking defences but when it comes to their turn to stop the opponents, leaves a lot to be desired.
Plus, the team is made up mostly of former LW Blue players, a team well known for letting the big prize slip when it mattered most.
Seoul Dynasty: Chelsea FC

These two teams are former champions that have fallen by the wayside and are now trying to claw their way back to the top.
Both teams have been trying to adjust their play styles to suit new offensive players (Kuki, Fleta, Wekeed: Morata & Giroud) while at the same time fending off challenges from teams who are now more brazen when playing against them.
In short, a sleeping giant that is far from reaching its top gear.
Houston Outlaws: Tottenham Hotspur

Just like Tottenham, the Outlaws consist of a number of talented players in every department who are game winners yet have issues in sustaining top form when it matters e.g playoff time.
They are great to watch, but frustrating to follow no thanks to their tendencies to choke. In JAKE, they have a highly efficient DPS player and just like Harry Kane at Tottenham, can be relied upon to constantly deliver when required. In essence, they are a few players away from achieving greatness.
Boston Uprising: Leicester CityÂ

The surprise package. Everyone thought they’d be struggling but here they are. Kicking butt and taking names.
While Uprising hasn’t risen to the heights of Leicester City when they won the league, both teams have one main trait in common; they defied expectations with relatively unknown players.
Banking on a core of starters who’d walk into any top-tier teams today, (DreamKazper, Striker, Gamsu: Vardy, Mahrez, Okazaki), the rest of the team complement these stars to form a solid unit that will punish any team that underestimates them.
Los Angeles Valiant: Arsenal

These teams bring out the pretty plays but they are largely frustrating for failing to capitalize on it numerous times. Like Arsenal, the Valiant tend to struggle against highly disciplined teams and usually wilt once their initial game plan is countered.
Both teams have shown flashes of brilliance during the season but have been unable to sustain it in the long run. Their fans genuinely believe they’re have the biggest talent pool in the league as well.
Philadelphia Fusion: EvertonÂ

Just like Wayne Rooney andÂ Gylfi Sigurdsson, this highly talented Fusion squad has high potential to go far under the leadership of highly-experienced players in the form of Fragi and Joemeister.
Theo Walcott and Morgan Schneiderlin adds swagger to the Everton team, just like ShaDowBurn & Carpe – both who have experience competing with and against the best in the world. The whole team aren’t fully clicking yet but on paper, should be better than where they are at the moment.
Dallas Fuel: Manchester UnitedÂ

One of, if not THE most supported team in the league. Both teams carry a rich history of winning things but haven’t won much since.
Both teams have highly talented players in the roster who are yet find that perfect formula yet have high tendencies to pop off when playing against top-tier teams.
Recently, they acquired a world class talent to the squad (Sanchez: AKM, Rascal) but how they gel with the team is anyone’s guess. Their players’ hairstyles make the news while they aren’t winning.
San Francisco Shock: Crystal Palace

A case of a team with high potential finding themselves in unfamiliar position. Not lacking in the talent department, both Palace and Shock have so much to offer but more often than not this season, failed to live up to expectations.
They have, on multiple occasions showed that they have the capability to put a good fight against the top teams but squander their chances in winnable ones, especially against teams perceived to be equal or weaker than them.
Los Angeles Gladiators: West Ham UnitedÂ

Unlike their fancier city rivals (Arsenal / Los Angeles Valiant), the Gladiators are more of the working man’s team spearheaded by several talented players who form the spine of the team.
Like Arnautovic and Lanzini who bumps up the overall quality of the West Ham roster several notches up, so does Surefour and Fissure for the Gladiators. How the team performs during gameday highly depend on these two players’ performances and unless steps to improve squad depths are taken, will see them consigned to mediocrity in the long run.
Florida Mayhem: Newcastle UnitedÂ

Both teams have limited options everywhere and while their former self were a successful organization, we highly doubt if they have what it takes to survive a long, gruelling season.
The only thing stopping them from being rooted at the foot of the table was the sole fact that there are worse teams than them out there. Like Newcastle, Mayhem seemed reluctant to spend on acquiring new players to improve the squad which makes us wonder – what’s your long term plan, guys?
Shanghai Dragons: SouthamptonÂ

Coming into the season, we had high hopes for these two talented teams. Then reality hit and both teams just can’t wait for the season to end so they can regroup and reassess their goals.
Southampton went into the season on a high following their 8th placed finish in the 16/17 season while the Dragons entered the Overwatch League with confidence thanks to a roster filled with top Overwatch players from the Chinese circuit.
Neither teams have found their groove and are now on damage-control mode, while at the same time, have started building foundations for the following season.


Top 10 SEA Indie Games To Look Out For in the First Half of 2023

Happy new year to everyone!
What are your new year’s resolutions? Over here, we’re really excited to get our hands on as many new games as possible, especially ones produced in Southeast Asia! The landscape of gaming in our own backyard has continued to change and evolve with every coming year, and 2023 is no exception.
So far, the name of the game seems to be “eclectic.” There’s a rise in stylized games coming out of the SEA, ranging from 2D pixel art-inspired aesthetics to 3D graphics that remind us of the experimental PlayStation 2 era of games. What an exciting time to be invested in the SEA game industry, yes?
To celebrate, we’ve put together a list of the Top 10 SEA-made Games to Look Out For in the First Half of 2023. Be sure to check them out & wishlist them if they suit your fancy!
Rogue AI Simulator

Release Date: 12 January
Platform: PC
Everyone loves a fun robot AI character, especially if the Portal fandom is anything to go by. Now we’ve been blessed with the opportunity to be the robot AI yourself, thanks to Nerdook’s upcoming Rogue AI Simulator.
Play as an Artificial Intelligence gone rogue, designing a facility to manage human Test Subjects for a mysterious Dept of Science. They’ll never stop being suspicious of you, and you’ll keep designing tests for them. Who will win this endless game of cat and mouse?
A Space for the Unbound

Release Date: 22 January
Platforms: PC, Xbox Series, Xbox One, PS5, PS4, Nintendo Switch
The long-awaited A Space for the Unbound is releasing this year, and we can’t wait to be fully invested in its comfortable slice-of-life story, taking place in rural 90s Indonesia with an urban fantasy twist. The artwork looks gorgeous, and the vibes are overall very good.
The story is set to explore themes of overcoming anxiety and depression, and the relationship between a boy and a girl with supernatural powers. Also, you can pet the cats!
Katana Rama

Release Date: February
Platform: PC
A fast-paced DreamCast-like game with polished visuals and explosive effects, creating a sense of speed that’s flashy but still visible? Sign me up!
Katana Rama is a mobility-based, fast-paced action game where you play as a hacker program, with the mission of breaking out of a digital security system. This is the kind of game I can imagine showing off to my friends, and daring them to try and beat my combo.
Lovebirb

Release Date: 15 February
Platform: PC
Lovebirb is possibly one of the cutest rhythm games to ever exist, with an art style that feels incredibly warm and inviting, and a soundtrack that matches the visual aesthetics. It’s also about meeting hot single birds in your area.
The rhythm game portion is also the dating game portion, which is a neat mix of genres and it’s really interesting how they were able to blend the two in a way that feels fun and fresh, without feeling cluttered. Definitely a day 1 purchase.
A Slight Chance of Sawblades

Release Date: 11 January
Platform: Android
It’s raining sawblades in this fast-paced mobile game! You have to jump, dodge, and somersault to avoid getting sliced up and get the highest score possible.
This feels like the perfect game to have on your phone at the ready, especially when you’re in a long queue.
I Need Space

Release date: Q1 2023
Platforms: PC, Consoles
I Need Space’s demo is set to release sometime in the first quarter of 2023, featuring space exploration as its main mechanic. Its described as a ‘cosy space exploration and physics-based adventure, set during a celestial pandemic.’
The gameplay and art style definitely looks cosy, overall giving this very comfortable and melancholic air to it. Also, would love to get a plush of the mascot one day.
Coffee Talk Episode 2: Hibiscus & Butterfly

Release Date: Q2 2023
Platforms: PC, Xbox Series, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PS5, PS4
Coffee Talk Episode 2: Hibiscus & Butterfly has you taking on the role of a barista in alternate present-day Seattle, interacting with a variety of humans, elves, orcs, and more. The game has you brewing coffee for new and old characters alike, and serving them up with a smile and a bit of conversation.
This is another entry in the Coffee Talk series that’s sure to warm your heart like a warm cup of coffee.
Encoded War

Release Date: 21 January
Platform: PC
Encoded War has you, the player, act as a morse coder during World War II, tasked with sending encoded war message logs between multiple parties. Your job has a contract of 5 years, and then you’ll be able to get your son back.
The game features multiple modes – a story mode, endless, and even ‘morse maker mode’ which lets you make your own morse code, or share and play other morse codes via the Steam Workshop.
Troublemaker: Raise Your Gang

Release Date: Q1 2023
Platform: PC
Troublemaker: Raise Your Gang is a 3rd person action-adventure beat-em-up with an Indonesian high school setting. You play as the new kid in school Budi, literally fighting your way to the top of the social ladder.
The game describes itself as being inspired by beat-em-up classics, featuring smooth and over-the-top combat, and even featuring over 30 signature moves for Budi to use on his enemies. With those moves and a combination of light, medium, and heavy attacks, Troublemaker seems like the kind of brawler that’s fun enough for the button mashers, but technical enough for the combo lovers.
Turbo Cat Fight

Release Date: 19 February
Platform: PC
If you’ve never heard of a spectacle fighter that’s also somewhat minimalist, you have now. Turbo Cat Fight is an upcoming 2D PVP fighter, where each player chooses their loadouts, fighting it out in intense combat. The game looks like the kind of thing you’d start screaming with your friend over, and would be a lot of fun to watch being played.
The combat features 85 different skills, and no ‘deceptive hitboxes’ because the game is already pixel-perfect, of course. Check out the demo before the full game releases next month!