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Monster Hunter Now update v67 patch notes: Gifting system, Item Box Expansions, more Niantic/CapcomThe Monster Hunter Now v67 patch notes have been released by Niantic, so here’s everything we know about the latest bugfixes and adjustments coming to the game. The Monster Hunter Now v67 patch notes are live and Niantic has made plenty of fixes and adjustments. Headlining the v67 update is the new gifting system, which enables Hunters to purchase Potions and Paintballs for their friends. There are also some damage fixes to Light Bowgun, Dual Blades, and Sword and Shield. So, if you want to get the lowdown on all the latest changes in the game, then our Monster Hunter Now patch notes have outlined all the new developments. Main features adjusted or changed Niantic has released patch notes for the Monster Hunter Now v67 update, which can be found in the list outlined below: A gifting system has been added. You can purchase gift items in the shop and give them to your Friends. For more information, please see https://niantic.helpshift.com/hc/faq/4372-gift-items/. – Additional Item Box Expansions are now available and can be exchanged with Gems. Please check the Expansion tab in the shop. – When zooming out on the Main screen, location names are now displayed in the field. (can be disabled in the Settings). – Fixed Issues “Bow’s spread arrows and light bowgun’s spread ammo spread vertically in landscape mode” It has been corrected to spread horizontally, similar to the portrait mode. – – “Dual Blades: Shorter flinch duration by monster roars” It has been adjusted to match the flinch duration of other weapon types. – – “Sword and Shield: SP Skill during Jyuratodus hunts may not activate” The final leaping slash attack against Jyuratodus has been adjusted to trigger more easily. (Note: It may not activate when Jyuratodus is burrowing in or out of the ground.) – – Future plans Effective February 1, 2024 (*1), the number of times you can receive a gift when a new user who used your referral code starts playing and reaches Hunter Rank 11 will be changed. Before the change: Up to 20 people per account per month – After the change: Up to 20 people per account – The date is subject to change. – – If you received gifts 20 times or more by January 31, 2024, you won’t be eligible to receive gifts from February 1, 2024, onwards. We plan to modify the feature that allows more than three hunters to participate in hunts for the same paintballed monster by following specific procedures. This is not in line with the intended usage of paintballs, and we aim to update the specification in the near future. – Note: We will not take actions such as account suspension for hunters who have used paintballs this way or participated in these hunts. So, there you have it, that’s everything outlined in the Monster Hunter Now v67 update. Make sure you check out our Monster Hunter Now page for all the latest news and updates. Monster Hunter Now codes | Monster Hunter Now pre-registration rewards | All monsters in Monster Hunter Now | Monster Hunter Now event | How to play multiplayer Monster Hunter Now | Monster Hunter Now Special Skills | Monster Hunter Now weapons list | Can you play Monster Hunter Now on PC? | Monster Hunter Now gathering respawn times

Monster Hunter Now Azure Rathalos: Release date, event requirements, weakness CapcomAzure Rathalos will be making its debut in Monster Hunter Now, so here’s when you can begin hunting it and what it will be weak to. The Monster Hunter Now January event schedule has been released by Niantic, and one of the most anticipated additions to the game is Azure Rathalos. This deadly Rathalos subspecies is known for its hyper-aggressive attacks, powerful weapons, and game-changing armor. Azure Rathalos will certainly shake up the Monster Hunter Now meta, especially when it comes to making the best equipment. So, to help you prepare for Azure Rathalos in Monster Hunter Now, we’ve covered everything you need to know about its release date and weakness. Contents Monster Hunter Now Azure Rathalos release date – Monster Hunter Now Azure Rathalos event requirements – Monster Hunter Now Azure Rathalos weakness – Azure Rathalos armor in Monster Hunter Now – Monster Hunter Now Azure Rathalos release date Azure Rathalos will make its debut in Monster Hunter Now, on January 15, 2024, at 9:00am (local time) until January 21, 2024, at midnight (local time). The deadly subspecies will also receive boosted spawn rates in Forest habitats on January 19, 2024, at 5:00pm (local time) for the duration of the event. There will also be limited-time Special Quests that will reward a new Hunter Medal, so be sure to complete the challenges to add it to your collection. Monster Hunter Now Azure Rathalos event requirements To take part in the Monster Hunter Now Azure Rathalos event, Hunters will need to be at least HR 11, have completed Chapter 13, and have unlocked Rathalos hunts. If you’ve met these requirements, then Azure Rathalos will appear in Forest habitats throughout the event. Monster Hunter Now Azure Rathalos weakness In past Monster Hunter games, Azure Rathalos is weak to both Dragon and Ice. This will also likely be the case in Monster Hunter Now, so we recommend either using your Pink Rathian materials to make the Dragon element Bow or utilizing Barioth and Legiana weapons. Azure Rathalos armor in Monster Hunter Now The event adds the new Azure Azure Rathalos armor set, which leaked on the game’s official Reddit page ahead of release. The screenshots have detailed all the skills players can get at Grade 5. So, here are all the Azure Rathalos armor skills in Monster Hunter Now: Helm – Earplugs lvl 2 and New Skill lvl 1 – Mail – Attack Boost lvl 1 and Fire Resist Lv 1 – Vambraces – Dragon Attack lvl 2 – Coil – Guts lvl 1 and Dragon Attack lvl 1 – Greaves – New Skill lvl 2 and Attack Boost lvl 1 – The leaks above should be taken with a grain of salt, as the armor skills could change before release. We’ll be sure to update this article as and when further details are revealed. So, there you have it, that’s everything you need to know about Azure Rathalos in Monster Hunter Now. Make sure to check out our Monster Hunter page for all the latest news and guides. Monster Hunter Now codes | Monster Hunter Now pre-registration rewards | All monsters in Monster Hunter Now | Monster Hunter Now event | How to play multiplayer Monster Hunter Now | Monster Hunter Now Special Skills | Monster Hunter Now weapons list | Can you play Monster Hunter Now on PC? | Monster Hunter Now gathering respawn times

New Monster Hunter mobile game in development CapcomCapcom is joining forces with Call of Duty Mobile developer TiMi Studio Group to produce a Monster Hunter mobile game. Since the launch of Monster Hunter: World in early 2018, the long-running franchise has enjoyed quite the renaissance. The 2018 adventure has sold north of 18 million units worldwide, a figure that contributed to Monster Hunter becoming Capcom’s second-selling IP after Resident Evil. Monster Hunter Rise’s extraordinary success on Switch and PC has further catapulted the franchise to new heights, with over 11 million units sold. It hardly comes as a surprise, then, that Capcom wants to revisit the brand’s potential on mobile devices. Capcom announces new Monster Hunter mobile game Today, November 8, Capcom and TiMi Studio Group announced a new partnership for the creation of a mobile Monster Hunter adventure. Details remain scarce as of writing, but a press release notes the project will “reproduce the hunting actions that define the Monster Hunter series, and offer players a new game experience unique for mobile devices and phones.” Most importantly, Monster Hunter fans can anticipate a project that allows them to hunt to their heart’s content “anytime and anywhere.” When the unnamed Monster Hunter title will launch and on what mobile platforms is not yet known. TiMi seems a shrewd choice for Capcom, though. After all, this is the development crew responsible for Call of Duty Mobile, which topped 650 million downloads earlier this year. In the past, the Tencent-owned studio has also helmed Pokemon Unite’s mobile version and the incredibly lucrative Honor of Kings. By October of last year, the latter had generated a lifetime revenue of more than $10 billion. Capcom partnering with TiMi on mobile Monster Hunter content is, thus, an inspired choice. And it seems a choice that will likely generate both entities hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue.

Monster Energy Supercross 5 review – Enough in the tank for a thrilling ride MilestoneMilestone’s Monster Energy Supercross franchise has been riding away with mixed results since 2018, but this year’s offering is a turning point with some impressive torque underneath the mechanics. Back in the early 2000s, THQ dominated the motocross gaming scene with titles such as MX 2002 featuring Ricky Carmichael and MX vs ATV Unleashed. While each release may not have been a revered classic, the genre has maintained a loyal cult following over the years. Since 2018, racing titans Milestone have held the keys to MX’s rival, Monster Energy Supercross. Between their MXGP and MotoGP releases, is the Monster Energy Supercross franchise worthy of a spot in the Milestone pantheon? Or are they just lifeless cash grabs? It may feel like the latter at first, but thankfully, Monster Energy Supercross 5 proves it has more than enough fuel in the tank left for a thrilling ride. Monster Energy Supercross 5: Key Details Price: $59.99 / £59.99 – Developer: Milestone S.r.l – Release date: March 17, 2022 – Platform: PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S|X – Monster Energy Supercross 5 trailer Going full throttle Compared to the likes of more traditional racers such as Need For Speed or Forza, the Monster Energy Supercross franchise has managed to carve itself a niche alongside the likes of the aforementioned MX/ATV titles. Going in for the feeling of realism and with a steep learning curve, it can feel like Milestone’s latest offering is out to drain any fun out of the experience. The game’s initial tutorials are concerningly sparse, throwing patience out of the window in favor of dropping players into the deep end. Sometimes tackling difficult mechanics head-on is a surefire way to adapt quickly, but Supercross 5’s tutorials lack detail and a guiding hand for newcomers. It can feel like you’re ready to leave the game in mud in its introductory moments, after racing around the exact same tutorial track from last year and struggling to see where the innovation is. Then something magical happens as you dig deeper into Supercross 5. As you begin to ignore the supremely lackluster soundtrack of ultimate dad-rock anthems and master the art of whoops and bends, there is a pretty great experience to whip through at full throttle. Once you’ve managed to grasp the basics, Milestone offers you a multitude of choices when it comes to uncovering the pro within. Single Player modes include the standard exhibition events you’ll be familiar with, but Career Mode is where you’re likely to spend a lot of your time. It’s nothing exactly new to the racing genre, or sports games in general, but Milestone’s streamlined approach here is welcomed as you forge your path to glory. Career Mode will enable the chance to flag down sponsorship deals, blast around indoor and outdoor tracks, and upgrade your customizable rider. Customization is unfortunately quite basic, with only a few presets to choose from when it comes to creating your own racer. The Skill Tree aspect of Supercross 5 is decently prepared with a range of upgrades, even if it is fairly easy to acquire the best of them early on. As you compete against the world’s toughest racers, you’ll be maintaining your Rider Shape throughout Workouts or using your post-race credits to heal injuries quicker. Read More: Horizon Forbidden West review – Rider Shape is essentially your well-being and can have an impact on your rider’s physical performance, rather than the bike itself. Workouts act as a Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater-style companion to races, allowing you to race around the Compound from SuperCross 5’s Free Roaming mode. You’ll have just two minutes to gather each letter for the word ‘SHAPE’, acquire points for tricks and pull off specific moves mid-air. There is a real potential for the Free Roam mode here, which can be explored solo or with friends, to implement more locations and hidden nooks to uncover. The forest/holiday park-style map available at launch is serviceable but nothing more. Hopefully, Milestone will take us to some more vibrant places in the future. Scrub, Whip, and Whoop But what about the actual sensation of racing itself? Despite Supercross 4 releasing just over a year ago, it is commendable just how polished Milestone’s 2022 effort feels in comparison. Handling is far more improved and nuanced, ironing out the frustrating and unbalanced feeling present in Supercross 4. Whether you’ve purchased a handful of Skill Tree upgrades or have competed with a basic setup, utilizing the game’s dual analog stick turn system rewards precision as opposed to powerful inputs. Pushing each stick all the way to your desired direction will probably punish you with a mouthful of Loam soil. Even in the face of ill-detailed tutorials, Supercross 5’s trial and error gameplay loop can turn into a winning chain of events with persistence. Mastering the art of popping a perfect clutch is awesome in itself, as you attempt to gain the top spot in a Holeshot. Weaving through the first track’s apex activates your competitive urge to leave AI opponents in the dust. The Dualshock 5’s rumble adds a palpable tension to each choice you make around the track too. Milestone achieves the feeling of dirt kicking up through your tires with ease, using the R2 trigger (throttle) to fight back with power through the adaptive triggers. The controller’s touchpad lights change color depending on where your speedometer is sitting; a neat touch that some will appreciate. Read more: Destiny 2 The Witch Queen review – Overlaying these implementations is the game’s sound design, which has an array of options to weak within the menus for audiophiles searching for the precise setup. The nasal-like tone of your bike pierces the mix up front, while the clatters and pings of debris hitting your tires or body ripple accordingly. Stadiums roar with excitement as the audience foley drives your determination to win. It’s a shame the game’s soundtrack doesn’t reflect this intensity, as each of the licensed songs induces a cringeworthy twinge at any given moment. Supercross 5’s second-to-second gameplay is full of decisions that work in tandem to push you to your limits. Should you play it safe with lower speed on a corner? Or should you attempt to drift past your rival at the risk of a serious wipeout? Whether you succeed or bail completely, Milestone makes sure your tenacity isn’t wasted through the returning Rewind mechanic. Tap R1 to gain some hindsight on your movements, choosing when to resume the race. Three Rewinds are offered at the start of each race and must be replenished through tricks such as Whips, Scrubs, Drifts, and even the odd flip if you’re feeling the Evil Knieval within you. Successful landing them isn’t a linear feat though, as every track will have its own variations of Whoops (raised terrain) and jumps. Both of them require an appropriate weight shift with both analog sticks to maximize your jump height potential and chance at a smooth landing. Supercross 5’s approach to racing feels alienating to begin with. Some players might be looking to jump in quickly for a few races and then move on. In that respect, Supercross 5 is all about practice. There is undoubtedly a niche for racers that rely on the penchant for realism rather than arcade-style fun. Milestone wants you to put in the grind to understand the intricacies of Supercross 5, which can be a detriment to newcomers seeking something outside their comfort zone. Rating: 7/10 Monster Energy Supercross 5 is easily Milestone’s finest installment in the franchise, after a few years of diminishing returns. What Supercross 5 is missing in its surface-level game modes, it makes up for with thrilling racing at its core. Patience and a level head are needed to persevere upward through its demanding skill ceiling but it’s wholeheartedly worth the pursuit. It’s hard to tell whether future installments will offer enough innovation to keep the franchise riding on, but for now, we’ll be tearing it up for fortune and glory. Reviewed on PS5

How to watch Monster Hunter Digital Event: Date & time, stream, more CapcomThe Monster Hunter Digital Event will finally give players a sneak peek at the Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak expansion, revealing new monsters, gameplay info, and more. Capcom has now announced a date for the Monster Hunter Digital Event, which will reveal a number of exciting details about the upcoming Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak expansion. Rise has proven a huge hit on both Switch and PC, so many Hunters will be eagerly awaiting the new details. The Sunbreak livestream will mark the first time the developers have showcased gameplay of the new DLC. This means we’ll likely get an early look at new and returning monsters as well as other info pertaining to the beast-slaying franchise. Here’s everything we know about the Monster Hunter Digital Event, including dates of when you can stream it in your region. Contents Monster Hunter Digital Event date & times – Where to watch Monster Hunter Digital Event? – What will be shown at the Monster Hunter Digital Event? – Monster Hunter Digital Event date & times The Monster Hunter Digital Event takes place on March 15th, 2022 at 14:00 GMT / 7:00 PDT. These dates were confirmed by the official Monster Twitter account, but if this does change, we’ll be sure to keep this section updated with all the latest information. Where to watch Monster Hunter Digital Event? The Monster Hunter Digital Event will be broadcast over on the official Monster Hunter Twitch channel. If you can’t make the livestream dates and timings shown above, then don’t worry, as Capcom will upload the video to their official YouTube channel. What will be shown at the Monster Hunter Digital Event? Capcom stated that the Monster Hunter Digital Event will run for approximately 20 minutes and will include exciting reveals of new monsters, gameplay info, and more. This means we’ll likely see footage of Sunbreak’s new locales, characters, and a number of fights between the expansion’s fearsome beasts. The devs could even reveal details on upcoming Monster Hunter projects in the works, especially since the franchise celebrates its 18th anniversary. Either way, the Monster Hunter Digital Event is sure to be packed with plenty of exciting announcements. So, there you have it, everything we know about the Monster Hunter Digital event. Make sure you check out our Monster Hunter Rise page for all the latest news, guides, and updates. Monster Broth location in Monster Hunter Rise | High-quality Pelt Monster Hunter Rise | Monster Hunter Rise Speartuna location | Monster Hunter Rise monster list | Monster Hunter Rise Sunbreak hub | Monster Hunter Rise Zenny guide | Monster Hunter Rise PC review

Monster Energy files lawsuit against indie game over title Monster EnergyMonster Energy has filed a lawsuit against the indie game Dark Deception: Monsters & Mortals. This time, the drink company claimed the developer Glowstick Entertainment broke copyright with the horror game’s title. Coca-Cola’s Monster Energy has chosen its next target – the 2020 multiplayer horror title Dark Deception: Monsters & Mortals. The leading figure in energy drinks has demanded Glowstick Entertainment change the game’s title due to the word “monster” in the name. Previously, Monster Energy forced Ubisoft’s Gods and Monsters to alter its title to Immortals Fenyx Rising. The company has expanded its settlement terms by preventing Glowstick Entertainment from ever using a green & white logo on a black background. Glowstick Entertainment cannot use green & white logos because of Monster Energy’s lawsuit Glowstick Entertainment founder Vincent Livings went into depth about Monster Energy’s lawsuit on Twitter. In the detailed thread, Livings discussed how the company was coming after them for their game’s title being “confusingly similar” to the energy drink. The CEO also encouraged gamers to refrain from purchasing Monster’s products. Additionally, Livings posted an official document from Monster Energy that explained their lawsuit’s terms. As seen in the image, Monster is pushing to prohibit the word “monster” in the game’s name, claw-like designs, or green/black imagery. Glowstick Entertainment also won’t be able to use the words “beast” or “unleash.” Reposting these terms from Monster Energy since journalists are referencing this thread. pic.twitter.com/AUD1sT2q9H — Vincent Livings (@VincentLivings) April 4, 2023 Livings plans to fight Monster Energy in court. “Dishonest companies like Monster Energy depend on doing their bullying in secret, while presenting a clean image to their base (athletes & gamers),” he said. “Showing their true face publicly is the only real way to stop them.” Monster Energy’s past legal battles include suing an Ohio restaurant for containing the word “monster” on its sign, a Georgia welder for using a similar “M” logo, and a man’s aquarium hobby forum called MonsterFishKeepers. It’s unclear how Glowstick Entertainment will fare in court with such an energy drink giant like Monster.

Mongraal makes $1.6m by selling Yuga Labs NFT after winning Dookey Dash competition Yuga Labs/FaZe ClanTwitch streamer and former Fortnite pro Kyle ‘Mongraal’ Jackson has sold a 1-of-1 key NFT from Yuga Labs (creators of Bored Ape Yacht Club) that he earned from topping the leaderboards of their game Dookey Dash, making a whopping $1.6m on it. Dookey Dash was a web-based game that ran for a limited time, exclusive for holders of the Bored Ape and Mutant Ape Yacht Club NFTs, who could use those NFTs to claim a Sewer Pass that granted them access to the game. Dookey Dash was an endless runner game, similar to the likes of Temple Run in the past, where players could compete to get the highest score atop the game’s leaderboard. The ultimate goal, of course, was the number one spot, with the competition ending on February 8 to verify the leaderboards and the legitimacy of the scores. From there, Sewer Pass NFTs were transformed into rewards on February 15, with Mongraal taking the coveted 1-of-1 Golden Key NFT. He initially listed the NFT for 2,222 ETH (approximately $3.6 million) on OpenSea and, after receiving and rejecting several smaller offers, announced on February 27 that he was finally selling up at 1,000 ETH (approximately $1.6m). “A special thank you to Yuga Labs for hosting an incredible competition,” he said in a tweet on February 27. “I look forward to competing in future events. Royalties will be paid in full.” The buyer was Adam Weitsman, the CEO of a New York recycling company called Upstate Shredding, who also holds a number of Bored Ape and Mutant Ape NFTs. Sewer Pass holders that didn’t make it to the Dookey Dash leaderboard can still earn extra prizes in Dookey Dash: Toad Mode until March 1.

Free Monopoly Go dice links today (September 2024) Scopely / Screenshot captured by DexertoFree Monopoly Go dice links can be redeemed each day, often featuring between 20 and 30 of them per link, so you’ll want to claim everything that’s on offer. Luckily for you, we track all of them on this page so make sure you bookmark it! Now, let’s see how many free dice can be redeemed today. Free dice are key to advancing, buying properties, and outsmarting competitors in the popular mobile game. To give you a helping hand, we update this page every day with the latest free dice you can pick up in Monopoly Go. Active Monopoly GO free dice links Today’s reward: On September 17, you can pick up 25 free dice rolls. Depending on the day, you could cash in on up to 55 free dice in Monopoly GO, like today. 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Click on the link provided, and the game will automatically launch, crediting your account with the free dice. Ensure you are logged into your game account before clicking; redeeming them should be seamless. Where to find more free dice links for Monopoly GO! The best places to find more dice links are in the Monopoly GO community on social media, game forums, and reputable news websites. These are often the first to share new free dice links, game tips, and event announcements, keeping you in the loop for all things Monopoly GO. Why won’t my free dice links work? If you encounter issues with redeeming free dice links, it could be due to several reasons. The link may have expired or already been redeemed, or there might be a temporary server issue. – Ensure your game is updated to the latest version, as outdated versions may not support certain links or features. – If any issue persists, contacting the game’s customer support can provide further assistance and clarification on the issue. So, that’s it for your monthly fill of free roll links! Keep this guide bookmarked for easy access to monthly updates, and may your strategic moves lead you to victory in the competitive world of Monopoly GO. Apart from free links, there are more ways to get a lot of free dice. If you have extras, check out whether you can share them with your friends. Also, take a look at the latest album full of awesome new stickers.

Kirara in Genshin Impact: Abilities, weapon & everything we know HoYoverseKirara is an upcoming character in Genshin Impact, so here’s everything you need to know about the unreleased Dendro character. HoYoverse has recently confirmed that Kirara, a brand new Dendro character, will be coming to Genshin Impact soon. While official details about her are still quite scarce, a number of leakers have revealed information about her abilities, as well as some gameplay footage. As a Dendro character, Kirara will likely prove popular amongst Travelers who are looking to create deadly reactions. After all, having a unit that can set up explosive Dendro Cores and spread damage to multiple enemies is a bonus for any team. So, if you’re looking to roll on the game’s Kirara banner when it eventually releases, here’s everything you need to know about the upcoming character, including her leaked abilities. Contents Is there a release date for Kirara? During the 3.7 special program livestream, HoYoverse confirmed that Kirara will debut during Phase 1 of the update which is set to launch on May 24, 2023. She will appear alongside Yoimiya and Yae Miko in the ‘Tapestry of Golden Flames’ and ‘Everbloom Violet’ event wishes. Who is Kirara in Genshin Impact? On April 10, 2023, HoYoverse revealed some official promo information about Kirara. According to their tweet, Kirara is a Dendro Wielder who is a Gold Level Courier of the Komanyima Express. She hails from Inazuma which makes her the first Dendro user to come from the region. Kirara abilities and weapons During the official 3.7 livestream, HoYoverse revealed that Kirara is a Dendro Sword user. Her Elemental Skill creates a Dendro shield that protects her from harm, and by holding the Skill she will enter a state that increases her speed, climbing speed, and jumping. This is especially handy for traversal as in this state, Kirara can go straight up vertical surfaces. Her Elemental Burst smashes enemies with a Dendro special delivery package that deals AoE Dendro DMG. After the initial impact, the package explodes into smaller Dendro bombs will also explode and deal Dendro DMG on impact. So, there you have it, that’s everything we currently know about Kirara. In the meantime, be sure to check out our Genshin Impact page for all the latest news and updates. All Electro characters in Genshin Impact | All Cryo characters in Genshin Impact | Games like Genshin Impact | Best Barbara build in Genshin Impact | Best Genshin Impact Wish Simulators | Genshin Impact stats tracker | Is Genshin Impact cross-platform? | All free characters in Genshin Impact | Genshin Impact pick rates | What is Pity in Genshin Impact? | Where to get Radish in Genshin Impact | Where to find your screenshot folder in Genshin Impact | Best Diluc build in Genshin Impact

MoistCritikal gives his review for God of War Ragnarok MoistCritikal, SonyIn a video review, Twitch streamer and YouTuber MoistCritikal gave high praise to Santa Monica Studio’s God of War Ragnarok. Many may recall that MoistCritikal adored the long-running franchise’s 2018 entry. Of course, the content creator wasn’t alone in this regard. The God of War revival on PS4 raked in numerous Game of the Year awards in 2018 and remains among the best-reviewed games of the last console generation. Since its release earlier this month, many have argued that Ragnarok deserves just as many accolades. How it will fare as the GOTY conversation persists is anyone’s guess. But it seems to sit high on the list of 2022 favorites for MoistCritikal. MoistCritikal shares his opinion on God of War Ragnarok In a nearly 10-minute YouTube video, MoistCritikal relays his thoughts on Kratos’ and Atreus’ latest adventure. The YouTuber’s quick to say Ragnarok features “some of the best writing in all of gaming.” He also shares his belief that the performances count among the medium’s best, right alongside the likes of Red Dead Redemption 2. God of War Ragnarok’s enemy variety gets its fair share of kudos as well, with MoistCritikal noting that one of his biggest complaints with 2018 was shortcomings in this regard. Combat improvements, along with the fighting system’s more in-depth gameplay mechanics, garnered brownie points from the YouTuber, too. The YouTuber by no means thinks the game is perfect, however. Like countless others, MoistCritikal strongly dislikes the “backseat gaming” that some of the companion AI characters deliver during puzzles and exploration. He especially laments how partner characters explain puzzle solutions before the player even gets a chance to properly see the puzzle for themselves. To MoistCritikal, this is by far God of War Ragnarok’s weakest link. At the end of the video, the streamer awards the newest God of War a “very strong” 95 percent on the Moist Meter.

Moistcr1tikal claims God of War Ragnarok has the “best intro ever” moistcr1tikal/God of War RagnarokThe much-anticipated God of War Ragnarok has finally released, and was met with praise from critics far before its launch. Now, moistcr1tikal claims that the game has what he’s called the “best intro ever”. Spoilers for the intro ahead. God of War (2018) was known for having an incredibly bombastic and hard-hitting intro. The opening fight against Baldur set the stage for Kratos and Atreus’ adventure and showed off what the game could offer. When playing through the intro for God of War Ragnarok, streamer and YouTuber moistcr1tikal referenced the Baldur fight a few times, waiting for the sequel’s equivalent to come if it existed at all. But, when he finally got to clash with Thor, the god of thunder, moistcr1tikal (AKA Charlie) was debating whether or not this intro topped that of the first game, and claimed that it was the “best intro ever”. Moistcr1tikal compares God of War intros In his video titled, “God of War Ragnarok Has the Best Intro Ever“, Charlie played through the game’s intro and gave his thoughts on the first hour or so of the game. While Charlie was excited about the events leading up to the intro’s highlight fight, the fight itself was the real star of the show. Kratos’ fight with Thor has much more leadup than the fight with Baldur in the prior entry, with Charlie commenting on Odin’s speech and the failed negotiations between the all-father and the god of war and cracking jokes about the interactions between these characters. When asked if he would agree to Odin’s terms of peace, Kratos replied with a simple, “No.” Then, Thor grabbed Mjolnir and knocked Kratos into the stratosphere. Midway through the fight, Charlie expressed how much he was enjoying this opener. “God, this is so f***ing hype.” He continued his bout with the son of Odin, getting more and more excited as the fight went on until a conclusion that set up for a rematch between the two gods. When the fight was over, moistcr1tikal took a moment to collect his feelings on the fight and try to form an early opinion on it. “That was fantastic. I’d say that was better than Baldur. Or, well— maybe better’s the wrong word. On-par with. That is a great f***ing fight.”

MoistCr1TiKal slams Sonic Frontiers as a “bootleg” Sonic game MoistCr1tiKal, SEGASonic Frontiers, the new open-world Sonic game from SEGA, was put on blast by YouTuber Charles ‘MoistCr1TiKal’ White who called the game’s trailer “completely empty.” SEGA made massive news when the company revealed Sonic Frontiers, the blue hedgehog’s upcoming next-gen open-world title. The announcement came off a wave of Sonic excitement stemming from the release of the Sonic the Hedgehog 2 movie back in April. While Sonic fans were elated by the announcement, after showing off some gameplay of the title, many fans shared skepticism including MoistCr1TiKal who didn’t hold back on roasting the available footage. MoistCr1TiKal slams Sonic Frontiers as “horrible” On June 3, the YouTuber uploaded a video to his channel named “New Sonic Game Looks Horrible.” In the video the 27-year-old slams the footage that’s been revealed for Frontiers as “abominable.” He explains that he was shocked that the game looks so bad considering how “easy buckets” making an open-world Sonic game should be. Charles also calls the gameplay footage. “An affront to God. The game looks like those fake video games that they use for movies.” White goes on to say the title looks like a “bootleg Sonic,” and explains that it looks like, “A fan-made game. But, at least with fan-made games, there’s passion. This just feels completely empty.” Only time will tell if Sonic Frontiers is actually as bad as Cr1TiKal believes it will be. The game is currently slated for a holiday 2022 release window, but no confirmed release date just yet. If it were up to Charles, he’d probably delay the game and fill out the open world a bit.

Modern Warfare 3 players blast “sweat fest” SBMM ActivisionModern Warfare 3 players are taking aim at the skill-based matchmaking, claiming the game is a “sweat fest.” Modern Warfare 3 finally arrived for players on November 10. While the MW3’s beta was fairly criticized, it’s fair to say the feedback was generally positive and overall fans were pumped for the game’s release. However, now just days after launch, some are already beginning to hit out at various issues. While skill-based matchmaking (SBMM) has always been a major talking point in the CoD community, players are claiming the game is a “sweat fest” as SBMM is “cranked to the max.” MW3 players slam SBMM making games a “sweat fest” In a November 12 Reddit thread, CoD fan ‘diesel6991’ started a discussion regarding MW3’s skill-based matchmaking. “SBMM seems cranked to the max on the live game compared to the beta,” they wrote. “Every single game is a sweat fest. Almost to the point where I don’t even want to play.” According to the player, they feel as if they can’t even relax and enjoy the game due to the skill-based matchmaking placing them in games with “sweaty nerds.” “I feel like I’m on edge every single game gripping the crap out of my controller, can’t even just relax and the enjoy it,” they said. The player added: “All you nerds out there jumping, sliding, crouching up and down rapidly and drop shotting constantly literally ruins the game. Like I do bad but I still get put in games with sweaty nerds.” It’s fair to say others in the replies agreed, with some going even as far as to say it feels like they’re playing with CDL pros in their lobbies. “Agreed, it feels like every game I’m playing against all the CDL champions,” they said. “It’s sad because I’ll play my first game of the day and get like a 20 killstreak and have tons of fun and then next thing I know everyone is prime Scump,” wrote another. It isn’t the first time we’ve seen players discuss MW3’s matchmaking system. During the game’s beta, players demanded for tweaks. While major changes are unlikely, hopefully, the Sledgehammer devs make it a bit less strict.

Modern Warfare 2 players slam devs over “blinding” sniper scope glint ActivisionModern Warfare 2’s sniper glint feature is meant to reveal the position of enemy sharpshooters around the map but some players believe that it’s so blinding it’s actually helping the opposition. It’s hard to spend any time at all in Modern Warfare 2 or Warzone 2 without running into that dreaded sniper scope glint. while it’s particularly terrifying for anyone caught in the open, it’s enough to strike fear in a player’s heart no matter where they run into it. While the white light does a good job of giving teammates an idea of where to shoot, the shining beacon reflecting off the game’s biggest scopes are so big that it might actually be saving enemy marksmen more often than not. Modern Warfare 2 players call sniper scope glint “a headache” in multiplayer As noted on the game’s subreddit, the different scopes have varying levels of glint. The light is smaller and less pronounced for the weaker magnifications but as the strength goes up so does the reflection. When compared to the types of glint in the series’ past, many think that it’s simply too much this time around. “In the beginning, it was a disadvantage to use a scope with glint, now it’s an advantage,” one player complained. A second person backed them up by joking that it’s a “sniper scope with flashbang upgrade” and that the Modern Warfare 2 devs “have thought of everything.” Others were not so quick to joke about the situation, calling these blinders “so obstructive” and “an absolute headache” to deal with. A few people also acknowledged that the problem is the same over on Warzone 2, where the more open map size of Al-Mazrah makes it much more viable to run the bigger scopes. There’s no telling if Infinity Ward (or Warzone 2’s Raven Software) will take notice of these complaints, but for now, it’s best to either run far away or aim in the center of the light and say a quick prayer when shooting back.

Modern Warfare 3 devs unveil new maps to launch in Season 1: Meat, Greece, more ActivisionCall of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 developers have given fans a first glimpse at new maps that are coming to the game in Season 1. Modern Warfare 3 has been a blast from the past for some players, allowing Call of Duty fans to return to all of the maps that were featured in 2009’s Modern Warfare 2 release. While these classic maps have been a hit, the developers, Sledgehammer Games, are now introducing a bunch of original maps, adding a fresh experience for players around the world. While an exact release date for Season 1 and all four new maps is still under wraps, it’s confirmed to be “arriving later this year,” with early December as the most likely release schedule. Modern Warfare 3 Season 1 new maps Four new maps have been confirmed to land in Modern Warfare 3 throughout Season 1, with three coming at launch and one later in the season. Greece Greece is a new 6 vs. 6 map set in picturesque landscapes. The map promises strategic gameplay amidst historic ruins. Meat A “really small” 6 vs. 6 map based in East Bay Meats, a slaughterhouse, where fast-paced, close-quarter combat is the norm. Rio Rio is another new 6 vs. 6 map scheduled to be released mid-season. This map is expected to add a vibrant urban flavor to the roster. Training Facility Specifically designed for the Gunfight mode, Training Facility offers a tactical environment for intense face-offs with many climbing opportunities. For more Modern Warfare 3 coverage, check out Dexerto’s other content to get up to speed on the game now that it’s out. Best Modern Warfare 3 AR class loadouts | How to slide cancel in Modern Warfare 3 | Best controller settings in Modern Warfare 3 | All MW3 maps & modes | How to play Modern Warfare 3 at 120 FPS on PS5 | Modern Warfare 3 TTK | How long is the Modern Warfare 3 campaign? | MW3 Campaign mission list | How to fix packet burst in MW3 | How to play MW3 Zombies in third person

Modern Warfare 2 players locked out of PC beta: How to fix ActivisionA glitch for Modern Warfare 2 players on PC is locking them out of the Open Beta, but there is an easy way to avoid it. The Modern Warfare 2 early access Open Beta went live for Xbox & PC on September 22. Playstation players can also access the Beta. The second and final Beta Weekend increases the level cap to 30 from 15 and adds two Invasion maps. Modern Warfare 2’s first Beta weekend received harsh criticism, targeted at mini-map changes, the perk system rework, and glitches. Infinity Ward addressed several community concerns, but the latest bug affecting PC players adds insult to injury. How to fix getting locked out of Modern Warfare 2 PC Beta CharlieINTEL reported an issue of players getting locked out of the Beta on PC. “If you restart your PC, Steam/MWII will ask for your phone number verification again. However, if you re-enter the same number multiple times, you’ll be locked by Steam,” CharlieINTEL Said. To prevent a lockout, do not restart your PC multiple times. Getting locked out is not the only problem experienced by PC players. Popular Warzone streamer Swagg reported crash issues and claimed to crash six times within the first few hours of playing on PC. The Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 PC development team issued statements regarding the crash issue and lockout problems. Beenox stated, “please feel free to change it during the process,” meaning players should change their username to prevent getting locked out after entering the same one multiple times. As for the crash issue, the developers said, “if the game requires a reboot, make sure to relaunch manually.” We will provide any updates if the development team finds a more permanent solution to the lockout problem.

Modern Warfare 2 players furious as Dead Silence actually alerts enemies ActivisionModern Warfare 2 players have discovered that the reworked Dead Silence field upgrade alters enemies of your location, and fans are not happy about it. Modern Warfare 2 has been hosting an open beta for all players to test out the FPS before its October 28 release date. During the playtest Call of Duty fans have been discovering the best loadouts for each weapon and sharing their, mostly negative, opinions on the SBMM matchmaking system. With so many changes coming to MW2’s remake, there’s one specific change that’s confused fans. Modern Warfare 2 fans shocked at Dead Silence alerting enemies Dead Silence in 2022’s Modern Warfare 2 has been reworked into a Field Upgrade. The buff was a perk in the original Modern Warfare 2, and instantly made your player not make sounds when moving around the map. Now, in this year’s CoD, you’ll need to die a few times before getting your hands on Dead Silence from the Field Upgrade. And now it needs to be activated by a player animation, and one that emits a loud screeching sound that alerts players around you that you’ve activated the ability. The sound the upgrade emits makes the buff seemingly do the opposite of what it is supposed to do, which is help players stay under the radar when moving around. CDL broadcaster MerK was confused by the sound, “I kept hearing that and thought something blew up on the map or someone set a microwave off. What the hell.” Clearly, the sounds Dead Silence makes are confusing fans and causing the buff to do the opposite of what it’s supposed to. Another player was also confused by the bizarre changes to the buff, “So basically there’s nothing dead about that silence. Pretty much replaced footsteps with an alarm.” As of now, it’s unclear if the FIeld Upgrade will be changed before launch.

Modern Horizons 3’s new Saga is a perfect combo with Golgari Planeswalker WotCThe Hunger Tide Rises is a new green mana Saga debuting in MTG’s Modern Horizons 3 set, and fans of the card type and Golgari strategies will be all too happy to add this card to a variety of decks. Saga Enchantments first appeared in 2019’s Dominaria set and have become a beloved staple of MTG in the years since. The Hunger Tide Rises is part of a cycle of Sagas related to the Modern Horizons 3’s flip-walkers, with Ral and the Implicit Maze and Ajani fells the Godsire continuing the pattern. The Hunger Tide Rises shows the ascendance of Grist, an insect Planeswalker that can control whole swarms. Grist been an iconic figure in MTG since their debut in Modern Horizons 2, thanks to their unsettling appearance and broad usefulness in Golgari decks. The Hunger Tide Rises has four chapters, with the first three creating a 1/1 black and green Insect Creature token. Then, when The Hunger Tide Rises progresses to its fourth chapter, its controller may sacrifice any number of Creatures to fetch a Creature with equal or lesser mana value than the number of sacrificed Creatures directly to the field. As well as serving as a unique token generator and search card, The Hunger Tide Rises works perfectly as an enabler for its namesake. After spending its first three steps generating 1/1 tokens, you’ll have enough Creatures to sacrifice on step four to search for a copy of Grist, the Hunger Tide. Grist, Voracious Larva – the new pre-spark flip-walker debuting in Modern Horizons 3 – can be used as fuel for the Saga’s third step and brought right back from the grave, ready to be transformed. MTG players have been quick to figure out clever uses for The Hunger Tide Rises’ search ability. As brought up by Reddit user McWaffeleisen: “Rules question: Can “any number” be 0? Assuming I want to fetch a Memnite because I grew fond of the 1/1s the saga produced and want another, can I just choose to not sacrifice and still get one?” Other commenters were quick to confirm that this idea would work, alongside another creative suggestion: “Can also go get a Walking Ballista directly into the yard for a Soul Cauldron combo.” The Hunger Tide Rises is a perfect companion to Modern Horizons 3’s celebration of Planeswalkers, and Saga fans will be happy to give this new four-step searcher a try.

Modern Warfare 2 players blast “garbage” perk change ahead of launch ActivisionModern Warfare 2 players are fuming after developers Infinity Ward changed the Quick Fix perk to be an Ultimate perk ahead of launch. Modern Warfare 2 is less than a week from launch, and more and more information about the game’s mega-popular multiplayer has become public. The second in CoD’s rebooted MW series, sharing its name with the 2009 hit FPS, is changing up gameplay in a major way by adding new weapons, a third-person mode and changing the established perk system. Now, MW2 fans are hitting out at one specific perk change that players aren’t too happy about. Modern Warfare 2 players blast Infinity Ward over perk change On October 21, MW2 players noticed that, in the most recent build of the game, the Quick fix perk had been changed. A reddit post by one user pointing out the change garnered over 200 comments in just 24 hours after being posted. The perk, which instantly restores a player’s health after scoring a kill, was changed to be an Ultimate perk instead of a perk 2/3. Since players can only select up to one Ultimate perk per loadout, the perk will become more difficult to slot into a loadout. Plenty of CoD fans in the comment section roasted the change to the perk, suggesting it wasn’t in need of tweaking in its prior state. One user said, “The biggest of Ls. The thing I don’t get is I have a hard time seeing anyone run anything but ghost.” Another added, “This perk system is so garbage, why couldn’t they just stick with MW 19’s? It pisses me off because the perk balance in this game is actually good for once, but it’s stuck behind the worst perk progression system that nobody asked for nor wants.” Clearly, Modern Warfare 2 fans were happy with where the Quick fix perk was before Infinity Ward changed it just before the game’s official launch.

Modder “remasters” Final Fantasy 7 using AI & we’re not sure how to feel Square EnixUsing a combination of AI and manual editing, a modder has given the original 1997 release of Final Fantasy VII the remaster treatment. With the Final Fantasy VII Rebirth release date closer than ever, die-hard Final Fantasy fans are preparing themselves for the twists and turns that await them in the second installment of the ‘reimagined’ take on the classic RPG. With the upcoming PlayStation 5 game set to feature that one iconic scene, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth looks to be the most exciting addition to the series yet. While some fans may be giving all their attention to the upcoming remake, the original 1997 game is not shy of receiving the same recognition, even all these decades later. With the original PlayStation game now receiving the remaster treatment, thanks to an AI-powered mod. Final Fantasy AI Modder Cosmos, showcases the FFVII mod through their ‘Cosmos Newscast’ video, available on their YouTube channel. The video utilizes the use of a fictional news presenter character, projected on a TV within the world of FFVII, Shinra advertisement included. Two mods are advertised, the first being ‘Cosmos FMV’, which updates cutscene character models. The classic opening to the game, which features Aerith walking through the streets of Midgar, now features an updated model, looking more like its official artwork counterpart. The second mod, ‘Cosmos Limit Break’, features a combination of AI and “extensive manual editing”, to expand the pre-rendered backgrounds of the game, upgrading the original 4:3 aspect ratio to widescreen. In what Cosmos has dubbed a “fantasy remastered for true widescreen”, iconic areas of the RPG, such as Cosmo Canyon, and the Gold Saucer, have their landscapes extended to fill the screen. AI enhancements aren’t perfect These extensions were made using the assistance of AI. This isn’t an entirely uncommon practice, as shown with FF9’s Moguri Mod, which also uses some deep learning techniques to finesse the original backgrounds. However, some shots in the FF7 Cosmos Mod don’t quite look perfect yet. According to Cosmos, the original pre-rendered backgrounds were painted out using AI, and then “extensive manually editing is done to improve the quality and consistency of the background. The background is completed by upscaling to a high resolution image.” But, those looking for the nostalgia factor could leave disappointed with all of the radical new changes. Part of the allure of picking up the original FF7, over its many spin-offs and FF7 Remake, is because of how it looks. The bulky polygon models, in particular, are a signature trademark of the game, and to see the models differently might not be to everyone’s taste. Regardless, the work by Cosmos is still extensive. The showcase video is a great depiction of what an official FF7 remaster could look like. But, with Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth on the horizon, it might feel like a pipe dream.

Mobile Legends: Adventure Hero tier list – Best heroes for every faction in 2024 MoontonAre you having trouble choosing a hero for Mobile Legends: Adventure? Our tier list is your best bet for overcoming any challenges in the game and emerging victorious. Mobile Legends: Adventure minimizes grinding, but still poses the challenge of choosing the best heroes from its extensive roster, which includes many characters from Mobile Legends: Bang Bang. Make informed decisions for your combat party’s composition with our tier list. We have you covered with a detailed tier list for all the available heroes across all the various factions in Mobile Legends: Adventure. Updated July 30, 2024, to shuffle tier rankings according to the current in-game meta. Mobile Legends: Adventure factions As already mentioned, heroes in Mobile Legends: Adventure are categorized by the faction they belong to. With that in mind, there is a total of seven different factions in the game: Light – Dark – Elemental – Tech – Martial – Order – Chaos – Because the strength of a particular hero relies on specific scenarios that they’re in – from the synergy between the heroes in a party to how an enemy counters them – we’ve broken down our Mobile Legends: Adventure tier list, faction by faction: Mobile Legends: Adventure hero tier list Light Heroes belonging to this faction are usually great at providing buffs and additional perks to other heroes in a combat party. Additionally, these heroes are also capable of dishing out moderate bursts of damage when the situation calls for it. Dark These heroes are specifically known for their crowd-controlling abilities. Apart from that, some of them are also equipped with abilities that can turn the enemy’s strength against them in the field of battle. Elemental Heroes from this faction usually depend on elements like ice, fire, earth, and others to cast their abilities. The heroes listed below feature various abilities that allow them to fulfill a high-utility role in combat parties. Tech Tech heroes are brilliantly suited to come up with their own brilliant inventions and mecha-builds that can turn the entire course of a battle. Most of the abilities featured by these heroes are used to grant buffs to other members present in the party. Martial Heroes belonging to this faction are known for their physical prowess and their capability of dealing massive physical damage to enemy heroes. Apart from that, most of these heroes are also equipped with crowd-controlling abilities, making them one of the most aggressive factions in Mobile Legends: Adventure. Order Order heroes can are one of the strongest factions in the game. On top of being able to provide buffs to their allies, they are also capable of inflicting massive bursts of damage to the enemy. These Mobile Legends: Adventure heroes can become exceptional fighters when combined with a balanced party. Chaos Undoubtedly the scariest faction in the game, Chaos heroes are capable of massive crowd-controlling effects. This makes these heroes a perfect addition to any combat party – after all, crowd-controlling the enemy in an RPG is one of the most effective ways to keep your foes at bay. Heroes that feature in the A and B tiers are the ones that you should be looking to use in your combat party. However, it is important to ensure that you have selected the proper faction of heroes that you are going to need for the specific quest that you’re about to start. So, there you have it – that’s our Mobile Legends: Adventure hero tier list for 2024. You can take a look at some of the best mobile games to play in 2024 or check out other mobile gaming tier lists for RAID Shadow Legends, Clash Royale and Genshin Impact.

Modder brings Halo to the Yakuza series and it’s glorious Microsoft / SegaA Yakuza modder has brought Halo’s Master Chief and the Arbiter to Yakuza 0, and it’s just as bonkers as it sounds. On the face of it, the Yakuza series and Microsoft’s Halo franchise have very little in common. One is an Xbox-exclusive FPS that defined an entire genre, while the other is a wacky action-adventure game with over-the-top martial arts combat. The serious tone of the Halo games feels like it’s a world away from Sega’s fan-favorite series, but that’s not to say the two don’t share a fanbase. Now, through the beauty of PC mods, the two worlds have collided, and it’s every bit as bizarre as you’d expect. Modder brings Master Chief to Yakuza 0 The Yakuza series is known for its quirky minigames, designed to break up the action with some light-hearted fun. In Yakuza 0, players can take part in a game of pool, mahjong, and even visit a cabaret club. Twitter user Kashiiera posted clips of two mods, the first of which showed the Master Chief going for broke in Yakuza 0’s dancing minigame, throwing shapes as the crowd looked on. Fans seemed to respond well to the idea, with one fan joking: “Even the mighty Master Chief needs some time to unwind.” The second, captioned “Arbiter is out for blood,” shows the Halo 2 protagonist brutally taking out an enemy in Yakuza’s signature combat scenarios. The Arbiter had no use for an Energy Sword, instead opting for a nearby car door to deal hefty damage to his helpless opponent. Although the sequence looked slick, Kashiiera clearly had a hard time bringing the mod to life: “This is as good as it’s gonna get, kinda hard to rig an alien to a human armature lol.” If Spartans and aliens are what you need to spice up Yakuza 0 seven years after its release, both the Master Chief and Arbiter mods can be downloaded from NexusMods. While Yakuza and Halo were the last franchises we’d expect to see thrown together, we hope it’s not the last time the two join forces. Maybe next time we’ll see Kazuma Kiryu battling through waves of The Flood.

Mobile games boss sentenced to death for poisoning billionaire Yoozoo Games founder Yoozoo GamesA former Yoozoo Games executive has been sentenced to death for poisoning its billionaire founder. On March 22, Xu Yao was sentenced to death for the December 2020 poisoning of Yoozoo Games founder, Lin Qi. According to Shanghai First Intermediate People’s Court, Xu poisoned the food of the 39-year old Chinese founder following a dispute over how the business was being ran. Lin allegedly drank a cup of poisoned pu-erh tea, before becoming seriously ill, in which he died around 10 days later. A few days after his death, Shanghai police detained Xu and stated he was the main suspect for the founder’s murder. Despite the incident happening four years ago, Xu has now been convicted by Shanghai FIPC for homicide and releasing hazardous substances, in which he was given capital punishment. A statement from the Chinese court has stated that four other people also were taken ill after drinking the poisoned drinks in the office, but they did not die. In September 2020, Chinese media stated that Yoozoo Games granted Netflix the right to produce an adaptation of the best-selling Chinese science fiction trilogy “The Three-Body Problem.” They also said that Lin was heading up a subsidiary in charge of business related to it and that he was executively producing the series and that the co-creators of Game of Thrones, David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, were the producers. Yoozoo Games also developed the mobile game ‘Game of Thrones: Winter Is Coming’ based off the original hit TV series. Lin Qi was believed to have a net worth of around 6.8 billion yuan (952 million dollars), according to the Hurun China Rich List.

Mobile game rivals Fortnite for viewership record on YouTube Epic Games/Garena/YouTubeRyan ‘Fwiz’ Wyatt, current head of YouTube gaming and gaming partnerships at Google, shed light on some incredible viewing statistics for mobile game ‘Garena Free Fire’. Garena Free Fire is a survival battle royale game developed by 111dots Studio, and published by Garena International I Private Limited, on multiple mobile platforms. It is described as “the ultimate survival shooter game available on mobile”, with games lasting 10 minutes. It is not the only battle royale available on mobile, with Epic Games’ juggernaut, Fortnite Battle Royale (and others), also being free to download. However, on July 20, Fwiz tweeted to show the impressive number of people watching a tournament for Garena’s battle royale. “635K concurrent live viewers watching a Garena Free Fire tournament on YouTube. That’s a mobile game FYI,” he tweeted, to his 350,000 followers. The tournament was being streamed live via YouTube, by ‘Free Fire – Brasil’, which has over 2.9 million subscribers. This contrasts to the majority of other esports, which use Twitch as a platform to broadcast tournaments, but YouTube has begun to become a more and more viable alternative. 635K concurrent live viewers watching a Garena Free Fire tournament on YouTube. That’s a mobile game FYI. pic.twitter.com/4YiSpYX37r — Ryan Wyatt (@Fwiz) July 20, 2019 Fwiz followed this up with a comparison to Fortnite’s Mech vs Monster event, which (at one point) sat at 851k concurrent viewers across YouTube. While this does not take into account Twitch viewers of the same event, the fact that Garena managed 635,000 concurrent viewers highlights the incredible viewership a mobile game is capable of achieving. Not sure how many hit at its peak, but I dropped by for the end of the @FortniteGame in game event and saw that there was 851k live concurrent viewers across all channels. pic.twitter.com/eE7keDraZP — Ryan Wyatt (@Fwiz) July 20, 2019 Fwiz also compared Garena Free Fire’s viewership statistics to Call of Duty, as the CWL Finals are underway in Miami. OpTic Gaming, arguably the biggest Call of Duty team in the world, were playing Luminosity Gaming, in a clash which sat at roughly 40,000-60,000 concurrent viewers at any given point. “There are 11x more people watching a mobile game tournament than there are watching OpTic play in a CoD tournament,” he stated. There are 11x more people watching a mobile game tournament than there are watching OpTic play in a CoD tournament. — Ryan Wyatt (@Fwiz) July 20, 2019 While mobile gaming is certainly not ahead of console or PC (yet), the incredible viewing statistics highlight its potential, and the level of interest in Garena Free Fire. It’s clearly a growing platform for games, but as established games like Fortnite and PUBG expand into the mobile gaming world, it’s fair to say we can expect to see it become even stronger in the coming years.

Mo Salah calls for Fantasy Premier League to change his price in FPL TikTok/FPLLiverpool’s Mo Salah is eager for Fantasy Premier League to change his FPL Price so that managers have got a little more wiggle room and can still squeeze him in. Whenever a new season of FPL rolls around, Fantasy Premier League managers are always eager to fit in at least one or two of the premium-priced players on offer. Manchester City’s Erling Haaland is a must-use because of his alien-like goalscoring record, while Liverpool’s Mo Salah isn’t too far behind. The issue with Salah is that he’s labeled as a midfielder on FPL, and his 12.5 million pricetag is at least two million more than Kevin De Bruyne’s. With so many well-priced midfield options on offer this year, you could well overlook Salah and choose to spread that money around. So, it’s no surprise that he’d actually like to see himself cost a little bit less. Mo Salah wants his own FPL price dropped As the new FPL has gotten underway, the Egyptian forward spoke to Fantasy Premier League about playing the game himself and actually picking himself in his own team. “It’s too expensive for people to buy me!” Salah said after discussing his 12.5m pricetag. I know I get points, like one of the most points every season. So, it’s fine.” Salah added it was a bit of a “fair price” but still wants it reduced. “People want to buy me all the time, so you have to put the price down!” he added. The 31-year-old isn’t wrong. He’s been one of the top scorers for the past six seasons, now regularly eclipsing the 230-point mark with at least 19 goals scored. He’s already started this season in fine form too, picking up an assist against Chelsea, and having a goal ruled out. Liverpool’s upcoming fixtures – Bournemouth aside – are tricky, but it’ll be on him to keep them going. If you’re still looking for inspiration, make sure you check out our other FPL guides, too: Top 3 must-have FPL players from each team | Best budget defenders | Best budget midfielders | Best cheap forwards | Best FPL team names | Best FPL team according to AI | Best premium FPL players ranked | All FPL position changes this season | Best promoted players | Best underpriced players | Best new signings for FPL | Top FPL trap players to avoid

Mobile game addict dies by suicide after parents refuse to repair his phone A teenager addicted to mobile games has reportedly died due to suicide, after his family wouldn’t repair his phone and barred him from playing games. A 15-year-old boy in India reportedly took his own life after his cell phone broke and his parents told him they would not take him to get it fixed. According to a report by The Print, the boy’s family lived in the Beta 2 Police Station area in Greater Noida. The boy’s father worked as a gardener and officials say the family’s finances were not in good shape. Angered by his family’s decision to delay getting the phone fixed and his parents scolding him for his mobile game addiction, the teen died by suicide in his own room. Police commissioner blames suicide on game addiction Once the boy’s family found him, they rushed the teen to a hospital where he was pronounced dead. “Police have taken custody of the body and sent it for post-mortem. Further investigation is underway,” Greater Noida’s deputy police commissioner Saad Miyan Khan explained to India Times. Khan went on to say that the delay in fixing the phone led to his suicide. “The family informed the police that the boy was upset since his phone got damaged and it was not being repaired,” the police commissioner added. “He was also asked not to play games on other mobile phones.” If you are experiencing suicidal thoughts, or know anyone that is, and you would like to talk to someone, please reach out and call the Suicide Prevention Helpline 1-800-273-8255 (USA) or the Samaritans 116-123 (UK).

MLB The Show 23: How to play Ranked co-op mode San Diego StudioMLB The Show 23 finally introduces Ranked Co-Op, but it may be a little tricky to find. Here’s how to play with friends in Diamond Dynasty. MLB The Show 22 introduced online co-op, but it didn’t come without pitfalls. Players could organize teams of two or three for single games and Diamond Dynasty matches, but only in a non-competitive mode. As a result, matchmaking dried up, and it became hard to find matches, with little motivation or reward to grind the mode. San Diego Studio went back to the drawing board and revamped its co-op experience in MLB The Show 23. When one player leaves a 3v3 match, the lobby no longer disconnects, and squads can finally queue up for Ranked matches. Without any further ado, let’s jump into how Ranked works in MLB The Show 23. How does Ranked co-op work in MLB The Show 23? The Ranked 1 Program includes must-have cards such as Prime Eric Gagne, Charisma Lou Gehrig, and Future Stars Gunnar Henderson. Not only can you earn these cards by progressing through solo-ranked, but players can now double up by also earning rewards through co-op ranked. Here is how to go into a Ranked co-op match with one or two of your friends. In Diamond Dynasty, scroll over to the Play tab. – Select Online modes. – Click Ranked, and it will give you a drop-down menu for different squad sizes. – From there, you can choose either co-op or solo. So, there you have it! Once you follow those steps you will be able to play ranked matches with friends. For more MLB The Show 23 guides, check out our page here – and full game review.

Mortal Kombat 30th anniversary video briefly teases MK12 WB GamesA video from NetherRealm celebrating Mortal Kombat’s 30th anniversary features a quick tease for the eagerly-anticipated MK12. Mortal Kombat 12 was confirmed for a 2023 release earlier this year during a WB Discovery earnings call. Developer NetherRealm Studios, however, has yet to formally announce its plans in this regard. That hasn’t stopped the rumors from piling up, though. One such piece of speculation began making the rounds over a week ago, with insiders claiming an MK12 reveal would go live in May. Others suggested the unveiling would premiere during an as-yet-unannounced PlayStation State of Play broadcast. Whatever the case, it seems the first real tease for the next Mortal Kombat entry has landed via a celebratory 30th-anniversary video for the series. Mortal Kombat anniversary clip features the first MK12 tease Though the iconic fighting game brand turned 30 last year, the crew at NetherRealm Studios is still finding ways to celebrate the milestone anniversary year. The latest of such celebrations includes a two-minute video wherein a number of developers thank fans for their ongoing support. Notably, series co-creator Ed Boon appears at the end, providing a segue into a short teaser for the next major installment. The MK12 tease begins around the 1:55 mark in the video above. What appears to be sand is seen trickling out of an hourglass, before a lone grain of sand briefly takes center stage. The enlarged piece of sand explodes into a million pieces, blistering into colorful shockwaves before the clip cuts to black. Of course, fans can interpret the video’s meaning in several different ways. In terms of possible story beats for MK12, the hourglass imagery could represent a Kronika hint. The powerful Titaness first appeared in Mortal Kombat 11, debuting as the Keeper of Time and the series’ overarching antagonist. Reason suggests she’ll play another major role in the next installment.

MLB The Show 22 players praise ‘addicting’ All-Star Diamond Dynasty content Sony San DiegoMLB The Show 22 released the new All-Stars program on July 18 in Diamond Dynasty. Included are 30 Diamond Dynasty cards from the American League and National League all-star teams with a 97 rating. The MLB All-Star game took place in Los Angeles on July 19. The American League defeated the National League for a ninth straight time, winning 3-2. Washington National star Juan Soto defeated Seattle Mariner Julio Rodriguez in the Home-Run Derby. The MLB The Show developers packs for the best performers from the All-Star Game and Home-Run Derby. A 99 overall Juan Soto headlines the Home-Run Derby Pack, and a 99 overall Aaron Judge is the main attraction for the All-Star Game pack. MLB The Show 22 players lauded San Diego Studios for releasing a healthy dose of content during All-Star Weekend. MLB The Show 23 players love the All-Star Diamond Dynasty content By earning in-game XP through the Diamond Dynasty program, you can earn 18 of the 30 All-Star cards. The Program ends on August 9, and the last player-pick pack is awarded when you reach 400,000 XP. San Diego Studio released 30 different Featured Progam Moments that award 45,000 XP. The developers also release Conquest maps and Showdown challenges to help make the grind easier. There are already three Conquest maps worth a total of 60,000 XP and a Showdown worth 15,000 XP Reddit user RaveWave 52 created a thread and said, “Seriously, this is the most fun I have had in this game this year, and I know there are still a lot of problems with the game, but the content team killed it this week.” One user commented, “There is so much to do and unlock without spending money. There is also something for everyone’s favorite team. Great game this year so far.” A second user added, “A Showdown, two Programs, and two Conquests in one day? They are killing it!” On top of the aforementioned Conquest and Showdown additions, SDS also added two new Programs. One Program features a 99 overall David Ortiz card, and the other Program rewards a Home-Run Derby pack, an All-Star Game pack, and a 97 overall Miguel Cabrera. MLB The Show 22 players are eating well right now, and they love every bit of the fresh daily content.

MK11 pro flexes on opponent in epic way during state vs state showdown nycfurby, Twitch / NetherRealm StudiosThe release of Mortal Kombat 11 was met with incredible hype, even seeing WWE superstars getting amped up for the game – but competitive Mortal Kombat pros are taking things even further, as seen during an epic showdown during one of the biggest fighting game tournaments of the year. Combo Breaker 2019 is, as usual ,a tournament full of intense competition and hype moments for fighting game players of all titles – including games like Street Fighter V, Tekken 7, and the new Mortal Kombat 11. Just as Combo Breaker was winding down on its second day, a heated beef between MK11’s local communities in Texas and Florida flared up, prompting players to organize a 10 v 10 team grudge match to settle the feud once and for all. https://twitter.com/Vexanie/status/1132564821008949248?s=20Teams engaged in boisterous trash talk as their players threw down on stage – but one MK11 pro took things to the next level. Fighting game pro Christian ‘Forever King’ Quiles, of Florida, ended his victorious round against Sonya player ‘SoSickNashFan’ in the most disrespectful and hype way possible, teabagging multiple times before granting his opponent ‘Mercy’ – a mechanic that lets players choose to give their enemies another fighting chance after a knockout. Forever King took this opportunity to flex on the opposition, taking Sonya out a second time amidst a flurry of teabags, only to repeat the motion himself after the stream switched to a live feed of the stage alongside commentator Kitana Prime. Of course, the crowd went wild – but that wasn’t the end of their fight, by far. Florida and Texas went at it for another hype series of battles until the two states were tied 9-9. In a nail-biting final set, Florida ended up winning the grudge match, prompting a massive celebratory popoff from the community. This Mortal Kombat showdown marks a major testament to the fighting game community’s passion, which comes to a head as Combo Breaker wraps up the action during Sunday Finals, with multiple players fighting for a chance at fame, glory, and ranking points in one of the most hype events of the season.

MK11 players blast WB for “shameful” Hogwarts Legacy ads WB GamesHogwarts Legacy ads are now invading Mortal Kombat 11, a marketing practice that fighting game fans have deemed “absolutely shameful.” WB Games often comes under fire for certain practices, particularly those considered anti-consumer. Many may recall the microtransactions drama that plagued Middle-earth: Shadow of War. In addition, NeatherRealm’s Injustice 2 and Mortal Kombat 11 were accused of featuring RNG grinds that ultimately encouraged players to spend money on microtransactions. The Mortal Kombat community is side-eyeing the publisher once more, this time because of new ads that have invaded MK11. MK11 now hosts Hogwarts Legacy ads to the chagrin of fans Reddit user kenshima15 posed the following question in the Mortal Kombat subreddit: “Why the hell is there an ad in a whole fighting game I paid for?” To the player’s dismay, MK11 now features a promotion for another WB Games-published experience, Hogwarts Legacy. The ad in question appears on the game’s main menu just above the mode selection screen. Notably, it presents users with an option to click a button to “Buy Now.” Fans aren’t happy, with one person writing in the thread: “Oh holy F–K that’s ugly. Absolutely shameful.” Someone else chimed in with, “It’s a really [shoddy] business practice. If they were promoting MK12 or Injustice, I could say whatever, but this is just bulls–t.” “I thought I would escape the ads by quitting mobile games,” said another frustrated Mortal Kombat 11 player. MK11 has featured Hogwarts Legacy-like ads in the past; as one person pointed out, there were Terminator: Dark Fate advertisements in late 2019. Such a case at least made sense, given that a T-800 had been launched as a guest character that October. It seems safe to assume that Mortal Kombat 12, whenever it releases, will eventually play host to a few in-game promotions of its own.

Miss Fortune nerfed in League of Legends after recent buffs overshoot mark Riot GamesMiss Fortune has been hotfix nerfed hours after League of Legends patch 12.17 went live after her win rate spiked following buffs. Riot are toning back some of the changes — focusing on her W, Strut — but keeping the biggest one in. Miss Fortune might have found too big a bounty in League of Legends patch 12.17 following her recent buffs. The marksman has fleeted in and out of the meta with her lethality build, but Riot wasn’t satisfied with that path. The developers used the latest update to try and make her attack speed build more viable with some buffs. Those buffs, mostly targeting her Q cast time as well as various tune-ups across the kit to nerf Arcane Comet builds, were very potent. Her win rate skyrocketed within a day from 52.21% to more than 54% with nearly double the pick rate — up to 23%. This forced Riot’s hand to nerf Miss Fortune just hours after LoL patch 12.17 went live. “We overshot on our Miss Fortune changes — cast time adjustments are always lower confidence. Her optimal attack speed builds are outperforming her average win rate (already 54%) by 3-4% so we’re pushing out a quick adjustment,” developer ‘TheTruexy’ told players. The new nerfs directly target Miss Fortune’s W, Strut. The bonus attack speed on activation is being cut by 10% at all ranks, while the mana cost is going up by 10 as well to 45. The two changes in tandem should bring her attack speed build more in line with expectations. It’s also a revert on one of the changes made in LoL patch 12.17 — but her Q, Double Up, is remaining untouched. This was the primary focus of the buffs, and with the cast time now up to par, her kit should now feel smoother to use despite the hotfix. You can find the full list of Miss Fortune hotfix nerfs in LoL patch 12.17 below. They are live as of September 8. Miss Fortune hotfix notes after LoL patch 12.17 W: Strut Bonus attack speed: 50/65/80/95/110% ⇒ 40/55/70/85/100% – Mana: 35 ⇒ 45 –

Do you get to use Mjolnir in God of War Ragnarok? SonySince the epic teaser at the tail end of God of War (2018), we’ve known Thor will be a huge factor in the game’s sequel, Ragnarok. But do players ever get the chance to wield his mighty hammer Mjölnir for themselves? Here’s what you need to know. Given what transpired with Kratos and Atreus in the previous release, Ragnarok has been looming overhead. With Thor arriving on their doorstep in a post-credits tease four years ago, it’s now time to see where the story goes next. From that very first frame, we saw Mjölnir at Thor’s hip, as the God of Thunder ventures everywhere with his most reliable tool of destruction. And while trailers that preceded the sequel teased a clash between Mjölnir and Kratos’ Leviathan Axe, many have been left wondering if the god of war gets to wield the might hammer himself. Below we’ll break down the answer to that very mystery. SPOILER WARNING From this point on we’ll be entering spoiler territory and discussing many of the biggest surprises throughout God of War Ragnarok. We highly recommend you experience the story for yourself before reading any further, as many twists and turns are best discovered in your own playthrough. But if you’re still here, continue down the page at your own risk. Do you get to use Mjölnir in God of War Ragnarok? Unfortunately for fans looking to pick up the iconic hammer, neither Kratos nor Atreus can wield the mighty Mjölnir in God of War Ragnarok. While the Leviathan Axe and the Blades of Chaos both return, the only new weapon in your arsenal is the Draupnir Spear which is acquired in the second half of the main storyline. At no point in Ragnarok can you use Mjölnir to your own advantage, as the weapon stays firmly beside Thor until the very end of the game. What happens to Thor in God of War Ragnarok? In the closing moments of the main narrative, Thor meets his demise at the hands of Odin in a moment of epiphany. Despite finally turning the corner and relenting against his oppressor, Thor is brutally slain by his own father. As a result, Mjölnir is left without a true owner as Kratos neglects to collect the weapon from his fallen rival. Without Thor no longer in control, what then becomes of Mjölnir? While the main story itself doesn’t quite make things clear, a subtle moment in Alfheim reveals the fate of the weapon. Who picks up Mjölnir at the end of God of War Ragnarok? With the main path now behind Kratos and Ragnarok’s devastation a thing of the past, Mjölnir quickly finds a new owner. A brief moment in the open world spotlights as much, as Kratos and Freya witness Thor’s daughter Thrud picking up the mighty hammer and flying off into the distance. While we never see her in action with the weapon, from that point forward, it’s assumed Thrud carries her father’s honor into battle, toppling any opposition with Mjölnir in hand.

Mirthwood: Release date, trailer & everything we know Bad Ridge GamesWith ferocious monsters, charming forests, and cute homesteads, Mirthwood is set to tick many boxes for cozy gaming fans. This title promises to combine life simulation and RPG mechanics, offering an enchanting blend of foraging, farming, and fighting. Created by Bad Ridge Games and published by V Publishing, Mirthwood is a title to keep an eye on. Here’s everything we know about the game before its official release, including when it’ll be released and what players can expect when playing it for the first time. Mirthwood release date Mirthwood will release on September 11, 2024. The developers promise that more features, like co-op play, will be added to the game in 2025. We’ll update this hub when more information becomes available. Platforms Mirthwood is a PC-only release that will be available for fans to download on Steam. There’s already a Steam page for the game where you can wishlist the title. It’s currently unknown whether Mirthwood will be available on other platforms or remain a PC-exclusive. We’ll update this hub if more details become available. Official game trailer Premiering on July 26, 2024, via the V Publishing YouTube channel, a detailed gameplay trailer allowed potential fans to glimpse Mirthwood in action. The trailer showcased the blend between cute and eerie locales, along with the trading, farming, and social mechanics present in the game. It described the “simulated world” of Mirthwood and highlighted how refreshingly open-ended the game appeared to be. Gameplay, story & key features The official trailer describes Mirthwood as “an enchanting open-world RPG life sim,” which accurately summarizes the game’s offerings. Players can explore six unique regions while adventuring throughout the game, going on quests, meeting lovable NPCs, and battling monsters. A leveling and gearing system is in place to offer a true sense of progression. Farming and homestead mechanics also let players grow crops, craft their own goods, and trade across multiple towns. Currently, Mirthwood looks like the perfect blend between an indie RPG and a cozy sim game. It’s worth checking out if you’re a fan of Stardew Valley, The Sims, or Fable, and even fans of The Elder Scrolls might find something to get excited about. For more games like Mirthwood, check out our ranking of the best cozy games to add to your library.

Minecraft Steve rocks a beard after 13 years of clean-shaven adventures After 13 years without an update to Minecraft’s default character ‘Steve’, Mojang gave the iconic adventurer his long-lost beard In 2009, the first iteration of ‘Minecraft Steve’ would be introduced to the world of computer gaming. Their official title would be ‘Human’, and they would wear the same teal shirt, blue pants, and tanned skin tone as the Steve we know today. The only difference back then was that Minecraft Steve’s face would be rocking a six-pixel beard. This would only stick around for four months before the developers would update Steve’s texture to shave off his chin hair. Steve would stay this way for the next 13 years, even after the addition of the more feminine character model Alex in Minecraft 1.8. But now, the rugged trademark of a true survivalist has returned. Steve’s beard is back in Minecraft On August 20, the Art Director for Minecraft (Jasper Boerstra) would announce that the new textures for Steve and Alex were available in the Minecraft Launcher Beta. They stated, “I’m happy you like the return of the beard!” Of course, the beard isn’t the only update Steve and Alex received. Their shirts, pants, and faces are more detailed with a wider range of color variations. However, despite Boerstra specifically calling Steve’s new facial feature a “beard”, many fans argue that it’s actually a smile. In 2009, this was a topic of debate among Minecraft stans, and this new update has seemingly relit the flames of the Smile vs Beard debators. Regardless, it’s nice to see Steve and Alex get a fresh look after staying the exact same over so many years. And with the recent addition of the Caves & Cliffs update, Steve won’t have to worry about his chin getting cold while atop those snowy mountains.

Minecraft’s Lightyear DLC: Release date, trailer & everything we know Disney, MojangDisney’s Lightyear will take flight in Minecraft and we’ve got everything you need to know about the official DLC pack arriving in Mojang’s popular sandbox game. Lightyear is Pixar’s latest animated feature, acting as a spinoff from the much-beloved Toy Story franchise. Acting as an origin story for Buzz Lightyear himself, the space ranger is now headed for Minecraft with plenty of goodies to boot. If you’re eager to go to infinity and beyond in Minecraft then here is all you need to know about the Lightyear crossover DLC. Contents Minecraft x Lightyear release date – Minecraft x Lightyear trailers – What’s included in the DLC? – How much will it cost? – Minecraft x Lightyear release date The official crossover pack for Buzz Lightyear’s arrival in Minecraft was released on June 17, 2022. The DLC pack is available to download immediately but players will require Minecraft: Bedrock Edition and access to the Minecraft marketplace beforehand. Minecraft x Lightyear trailers What’s included in the DLC? Players will get access to story-based content, with the devs stating that you can “play through Buzz’s origin story and help him navigate an alien planet after an unfortunate crash landing.” Read More: Lightyear’s post-credit scenes explained – There will be five missions included with the DLC, that will see players navigate “a hostile jungle, a swamp, and a mine, as well as various alien settlements.” Flying vehicles, using exciting gadgets, and defeating bosses will be part of the adventure. For players hoping to get a new Character Creator item, the Lightyear DLC will include new content for those looking to redress their characters. The pack isn’t available on Nintendo Switch but will arrive “soon” according to the developers. How much will it cost? The best part about this crossover DLC pack is that it’s free. Players won’t need to pay to suit up as Buzz Lightyear on his adventure to conquer Zerg. And there you have it! Now you’re ready to enjoy this brilliant crossover from Disney. Be sure to check out more Minecraft content, as we cover all that the game has to offer.

Minecraft Snapshot 19W07A introduces foxes to the game – Full patch notes Mojang have officially released the new 19W07A Snapshot for Minecraft that introduces the Fox as a new creature added into the sandbox game. The 19W07A Snapshot officially went live on Wednesday, February 13, and gives fans a chance to test new additions and gameplay mechanics that Mojang plan to bring to Minecraft in the future. The latest Snapshot brings a whole host of bug fixes and improvements, but the main attraction of 19W07A is definitely news that an orange-furred friend is set to be roaming the blocky world. View this post on Instagram10,000 Apex Legends Coins Giveaway! To enter: 1. Follow @Dexerto 2. Turn on Post Notification 3. Tag 3 friends 4. Comment “DONE” letter by letter ——————————— Winner will be announced on Sunday February 17th! ——————————— #apexlegends #apex #apexcoins #apexgiveaway #giveaway #esports #ea #gaming Foxes in Minecraft are nocturnal, much like they are in real life, meaning you will only see them moving around when the sun has set. Mojang states that you will likely see the animals creeping around villages at night, so if you’re hoping to spot one, it might be worth camping out at a village when it becomes dark. The creatures will eat any food items that they find on the floor, and can be bred together using berries. Once you have bred two foxes, their offspring will automatically trust you forever, meaning you’ll be able to get up close to the agile animals. Snapshot 19W07A also brings some important bug fixes to the game, such as addressing the incredible lag players found while using Campfires alongside other quality of life improvements. You can download the Minecraft 19W07A Snapshot right now, using the Minecraft Launcher. Be sure to backup any worlds you plan to try the Snapshot on, as they can corrupt save files. You can read the full patch notes for the Wednesday, February 13 Minecraft Snapshot 19W07A update below. Minecraft 19W07A Snapshot – February 13 Patch Notes What’s orange and white and sleeps all day? Jens, but we still managed to finish another Java Snapshot this week. Enjoy! Changes in 19w07a Added Fox – Narrator is now available in menus (“Ctrl + B” to activate it) – Paintings are now broken up into individual textures – Fixed bugs – Fox What do they say? Foxes are nocturnal – Foxes are nimble and quick, so sneak up on them carefully! – Breed foxes with berries – If you breed two foxes, their offspring will trust you forever – Foxes like to eat any and every food item they find on the ground – You may find a fox exploring a nearby village at night – Fixed bugs in 19w07a MC-127296 – Drowned throw tridents backwards – MC-134625 – Tesselating liquid in world – NullPointerException – MC-138598 – Cats go into sitting mode after bringing a gift to the player – MC-138609 – Baby cats only use one texture while using a spawn egg – MC-138624 – Tamed cats still sneak towards player holding fish – MC-140856 – Damaging a panda in a village near a villager makes the village’s iron golem hostile – MC-140924 – Cats spawn in blocks of villages – MC-140955 – Breaking a jigsaw block leaves its block entity behind – MC-140967 – desert_sheperd_house_1 structure duplicates desert_shepherd_house_1 structure – MC-141508 – “cat_morning_gift” loot table is stored in “entities” folder instead of “gameplay” – MC-141897 – Breaking or blowing up campfires sometimes still make smoke particles – MC-142214 – Campfires begin producing massive amounts of particles when game lags – MC-143687 – Scaffolding uses the “distance” value of it’s pillar, rather than the shortest – MC-143696 – /forceload is suggested for non-op players – MC-143725 – Crossbow Doesn’t Render in First Person View With Invisibility Effect – MC-143757 – Roof of plains blacksmith is cut off – MC-143766 – Loot tables cannot be applied to barrels – MC-143793 – Composter sounds are swapped – MC-143794 – Falling blocks break all snow layers, including when fully stacked – Get the snapshot To install the snapshot, open up the Minecraft Launcher and enable snapshots in the “Launch Options” tab. Snapshots can corrupt your world, please backup and/or run them in a different folder from your main worlds. Cross-platform server jar: Report bugs here:

Minecraft Dungeons & Dragons DLC: Classes, skills & more Wizards of The Coast / MojangDungeons & Dragons and Minecraft have collided to create a thrilling new DLC unlike anything we’ve seen before in this open-world game. Here’s everything we know about the Minecraft Dungeons & Dragons DLC. Announced during the D&D Direct on March 28, 2023, Mojang and Wizards of The Coast are collaborating to create a brand-new DLC with selectable classes, classic monsters, dice rolls and so much more. This aims to introduce more to both Minecraft and the extremely popular tabletop RPG by developing an experience neither has ever seen before. The DLC boasts an action RPG experience set in the Forgotten Realms, only this time, rather than being on paper and dice, it’s within the blocky realms of Minecraft. So, here’s everything we know about the Minecraft Dungeons & Dragons DLC including what classes you can play, its platforms, and if it has a release date. Contents Does the Minecraft Dungeons & Dragons DLC have a release date? – What is the Minecraft Dungeons & Dragons DLC about? – What classes can you play? – What platforms can you play the Minecraft Dungeons & Dragons DLC on? – Does the Minecraft Dungeons & Dragons DLC have a release date? The Minecraft x Dungeons & Dragons DLC doesn’t have a solidified release date, rather telling fans that it’ll be released in Spring 2023. Thankfully, that tells us we don’t have to wait too long for the exciting new DLC to come out. When a full release date is announced we will be updating this article so be sure to check back soon. What is the Minecraft Dungeons & Dragons DLC about? The Minecraft Dungeons & Dragons DLC is a collaboration between the two games, thus creating a thrilling action RPG within the popular blocky world. The 10-hour-long DLC will feature D&D classes, stats, spells, and abilities, all of which will help you battle famous D&D monsters, like a Mimic or the ever-popular Displacer Beast thanks to the Honor Among Thieves trailers. You and up to three other players will be able to traverse the Forgotten Realms, exploring locations like Candlekeep, Caer Dineval, and so much more as you complete quests, level up, gain power, and defeat deadly enemies. As it typically goes with Dungeons & Dragons, a lot of your persuasion and choices will be made using dice rolls, throwing every player into a true D&D scenario, especially when the die rolls a natural 1. What classes can you play? No Dungeons & Dragons DLC is complete without a few class choices. Luckily, you’ll be able to play as one of four different classes in this Minecraft DLC. Those are, from left to right of the image: Paladin – Barbarian – Wizard – Rogue – Each comes with their own skills and abilities, which primarily come into play during combat rather than the story. If you want to dress up like your favorite D&D class then you can do so through the available skins that come with this DLC. What platforms can you play the Minecraft Dungeons & Dragons DLC on? You’ll be able to play the Minecraft Dungeons & Dragons DLC on whatever platforms you have Minecraft Bedrock on. These include mobile, and PC. There’s no word whether the DLC will be available for those playing on consoles, but we can expect it to remain on the Bedrock edition since that’s the location of all available Minecraft DLCs. That’s everything currently announced for the Minecraft Dungeons & Dragons DLC. When more information is released we will be updating this article so be sure to check back soon. In the meantime, take a look at some of our Minecraft and D&D content: Best Minecraft seeds | Best Minecraft house ideas | Minecraft teleporting guide | Minecraft Villager jobs guide | Best Faction servers in Minecraft | Best Minecraft Bedrock shaders | Minecraft Trails & Tales Update | Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves review | All D&D 5e books | How to play Dungeons and Dragons | The Legend of Vox Machina Season 3 | Best tabletop RPG games & expansions that aren’t D&D

Where to find Mimic Tear Spirit Ashes in Elden Ring FromSoftwareElden Ring has all kinds of different Spirit Ashes, but none are more devastating than the Mimic Tear Spirit Ashes, which summon a spirit clone of your character. Here’s where to find them. Spirit Ashes are summonable spirit companions that help players take on difficult enemies throughout The Lands Between. You’ll collect different ones as you progress through the game, including beasts, warriors, and more. They’re all helpful in different situations. However, one stands head and shoulders above the rest in terms of power and versatility — Mimic Tear Spirit Ashes, which lets you summon a spirit clone of character. It’s not the easiest one to find, and it has some hefty requirements that need to be completed beforehand, but it’s worth the time and effort. Let’s take a look at what you’ll need to do and where to find it. Where to find Mimic Tear Spirit Ashes in Elden Ring Finding the Mimic Tear Spirit Ashes in Elden Ring is no easy task. First, you’ll need to complete a challenging pre-requisite before you can find them — defeating Starscourge Radahn, the main boss of Redmane Castle in Caelid. Once you’ve done that, head to the Fort Haight West Site of Grace and make your way through the crater until you stumble upon Nokron, Eternal City. Jump from rooftop to rooftop until you reach the main city. Eventually, you’ll come across a fog wall. You’ll need to enter it and fight a boss version of yourself to progress further in your quest to find the Mimic Tear Spirit Ashes. Do so and defeat the boss, which will unlock a Site of Grace. After that, jump on your mount and dash across the bridge, turning left at the end and follow the edge of the cliff. This will lead you to the Ancestral Woods Site of Grace. Then, jump onto a nearby roof and follow the path through the Night’s Sacred Ground. Read More: Where to find Bell Bearings in Elden Ring – If you follow these instructions, you’ll come across a chapel with a fog wall inside. Use a Stonesword Key to pass through it and defeat the enemy behind it to find a chest. Open it up and retrieve the Mimic Tear Spirit Ashes. That’s everything you need to know to find the Mimic Tear Spirit Ashes in Elden Ring. Even with Elden Ring update 1.03 nerfing this particular Spirit Ash, it’s still worth tracking down for multiple reasons. Not only is a great bait target to attract attention away from you, but by mirroring your attacks, it’s a great way to double-up on damage output in hopes of staggering bigger foes. With faster weapons like daggers or twinblades, using the Mimic Tear will still have you staggering enemies for critical hits with ease. They’ll be a massive help throughout your journey, all the way through into the late game, so they’re definitely worth grabbing when you can. If you’re looking for more ways to overcome the many difficult challenges and fights in Elden Ring, we’ve got plenty of guides to help. You can find them by clicking here or clicking the individual links below. Elden Ring Stonedigger Troll | Elden Ring Margit the Fell Omen | Elden Ring Tree Sentinel | Elden Ring Grave Warden | Elden Ring Pumpkin Head | Elden Ring Soldier of Godrick | Elden Ring Godrick the Grafted | Elden Ring Red Wolf of Redagon | Elden Ring Rennala | Elden Ring Flying Dragon Agheel | Elden Ring horse guide | How to beat Radahn | How to Beat Godfrey

Mindblowing Zelda trailer brings Breath of the Wild sequel to the N64 Nintendo / UnsplashAn incredibly talented YouTuber re-created the Breath of the Wild sequel trailer that was shown off at E3 2019, and it re-imagines the highly anticipated Zelda game with a retro twist. Nintendo shocked everyone with its E3 2019 Direct, when it ended with a major surprise announcement that the highly acclaimed Zelda game Breath of the Wild would be getting a sequel for the Switch. One incredibly talented YouTuber took the haunting trailer that was shown off at the annual gaming expo, and re-imagined it as if the game was coming to the retro console the Nintendo 64, which originally came out in 1996. Breath of the Wild 64 YouTube channel ‘The Regressor’ uploaded the retro-inspired concept on October 4, and it takes the 2019 trailer and visualizes it as if the Breath of the Wild sequel debuted at E3 1999. The artist painstakingly recreated every scene in the low-poly art style, which will make many Zelda fans nostalgic as it looks like one of the most popular games in the series – the iconic classic ‘Ocarina of Time’. Not only does the YouTuber nail the late 90s to early 00s art style perfectly, they also made the music and sound effects sound exactly the same as the retro console did over twenty years ago. The retro video was popular among fans, as many pointed out how faithful it was to the actual trailer which came out earlier in 2019. Putting the two trailers side by side, it’s mindblowing how much detail was captured. Although, the creator posted in the comments that they had to add four seconds of footage that was not in the original due to having to “fill time with the lingering sfx.” The artist actually has an Instagram and website, where they list that they’re a “3D modeler, animator, and cosplayer”, and host their dedicated craft to re-creating low-poly characters. The sites have an insane amount of classic games and characters worth checking out, and the creator also shows the amount of work that went into designing this trailer. As of the time of this article, the trailer sports over 500,000 views, and has an overwhelmingly positive reaction from the Zelda community, as many old school players wish it was a real thing.

Mike Tyson just now learned Street Fighter’s Balrog was inspired by him Capcom / Mike Tyson – InstagramFormer boxing heavyweight champion Mike Tyson and Street Fighter’s Balrog have very distinct similarities but Tyson only just became aware that the character was actually inspired by him in his heyday. It doesn’t take long to realize Balrog has a lot in common with boxers, Mike Tyson in particular, but the former heavyweight champion had no idea about this. To make the similarities even more obvious, Balrog’s name in Japan is M. Bison, which rhymes with Mike Tyson. Instead, M. Bison is the name of a completely different character everywhere but Japan. Capcom decided to avoid any legal technicalities and changed his name to Balrog but the similarities were still right there, especially for people who knew the original story. During an appearance on ESPN in early July, Tyson found out first-hand how much he looked like the character, and he was genuinely surprised by what he saw. “Do you know the story of Street Fighter II and M. Bison?” asks Arad Ocal of ESPN. “I want to show you a picture actually,” he said as he handed Tyson a picture. If he truly didn’t know before, then there’s no way he doesn’t now as he very quickly noticed the eye-popping similarities. “Holy moley, does he look like me,” he said after he saw an uncanny resemblance of his face next to Balrog’s. However, instead of being upset about this, Tyson was able to take it in stride by saying he was actually honored they would base a character after him, even if was without any permission by him. Mike Tyson is pretty involved in the esports community, investing in a team back in May, so it isn’t surprising to see him talk video games. However, it’s clear that his general game knowledge could use some work as it took him over two decades to release this fact about Balrog. Back in April, Tyson expressed confusion by thinking a new Punch-Out title was being released by Nintendo. heard @Nintendo was doing the new “Punch Out” without even contacting me. it wont be the same. my knockouts made the game. thats whack. — Mike Tyson (@MikeTyson) April 4, 2019 As it turns out, it was just a simple re-release as part of the Nintendo Switch Online service.

Miitopia goes viral as players create everything from the Mona Lisa to Midna NintendoNintendo’s Miitopia demo has only been out for a few days, but that hasn’t stopped players from creating some truly amazing works of art. Here’s a look at some of the best. As the name suggests, Miitopia is a game about creating Mii’s – virtual avatars that can be used in Nintendo’s comical, fantasy adventure game. The game’s current enables players from around the world to showcase their creations with one another and the results have been amazing. From detailed portrayals of iconic works of art to hilarious reimaginings of classic Nintendo characters, it seems no one is safe in the weird and wacky worlda. The character creation tool is incredibly robust, and features all kinds of cosmetics to ensure your Mii characters truly shine. Many fans have taken to various social media platforms to share their virtual masterpieces, so we’ve taken a look at 10 of the very best Miitopia creations. Mona Miisa The Mona Lisa is one of the most iconic works of art ever created. In fact, Leonardo da Vinci’s archetypal masterpiece continues to stun people to this day. @Nakios_ has certainly set the bar high with their depiction of this world-renowned painting. Read More: Will Corpse Husband join GTA RP? – Everything from her fixed gaze to the woman’s subtle smile has been faithfully recaptured, bringing this classic Italian Renaissance painting to life in a whole new way. Wonderful Wooper While @SuspendedSpirit’s recreation of a popular internet meme may not be as iconic as the Mona Lisa, but it does showcase just how robust Miitopia’s character creator can be. The user has managed to recreate Wooper’s sprite perfectly using the game’s makeup options, while the game’s original font has also been recreated. It’s clear that “This” particular creation is worthy of praise. Mii Shrek is pure nightmare fuel To say that the internet loves Shrek would be an understatement. This onion-eating ogre is constantly depicted in various memes and viral videos, so it was only a matter of time before he entered the world of Miitopia. Twitter user @Karjaj2 has created Shrek in all his green glory, forcing us to question whether Miitopia should really give fans the freedom to create whatever they want. After all, who needs sleep anyway? Mii-Bucks Why pay for Fortnite Vbucks, when you can just create your own? Well, that’s exactly what @The_Lucbomber has done. While you won’t be able to get the Batman Zero skin in Fortnite Season 6 with this $19 V-Bucks card, it does show how ridiculous Miitopia’s creations can be. The return of Miiverse When Nintendo pulled the plug on the Miiverse, many fans were rightfully very upset. After all, the social network for Wii U and Nintendo 3DS has yet to be replaced on the Switch. Read More: How to recover stolen Activision account – However, this hasn’t stopped @jinaxxo from letting the Miiverse live on through Miitopia. The Miiverse logo certainly has us missing the wholesome and absurd nature of Nintendo’s defunct social media network. Miicraft Steve The blocky world of Minecraft continues to be as popular as it has ever been. With the release of Minecraft Steve on Super Smash Bros, it makes sense that this blocky character would make their way over to Miitopia. @ruddydud has recreated the pixelated look of Steve and even altered his face to give him the classic square look. Miidna Twilight Princess is one of the most divisive Legend of Zelda games in the long-standing series, but one thing that isn’t up for debate is just how good @TwiIi_Princess Midna looks. Everything from Midna’s ancient crown to her mischievous smile has been carefully constructed. There you have it, seven of the best Miitopia creations players have made in the demo. Be sure to stay tuned to Dexerto for more Miitopia news and updates.

Mike Tyson invests in esports team, plans to build new gaming facility Mike Tyson TwitterHall of Fame boxing champion Mike Tyson is jumping into esports by making a “strategic investment” into a rising organization, and will also look to build a new gaming facility for them in Southern California. Since retiring from the ring, Tyson has made huge leaps into numerous industries namely cannabis, “glamping” as well as entertainment, but he’s now adding esports to his growing portfolio of investments. Tyson retired from sports well over a decade ago, and is now going to make the transition into esports under a new partnership with esports org Fade 2 Karma, according to an ESPN report. 600Fade 2 Karma describe themselves as a “professional esports and Gaming Entertainment organization” who are mainly involved in Heathstone. Tyson even had a chance to experience the Blizzard strategy card game with Fade 2 Karma’s talent during a May 22 stream. “It was pretty awesome.” Tyson said. “I had the opportunity to really engage with some millennials, which I never really actually do. We played Hearthstone. I really sucked real bad. You have to start somewhere. I played games before, so I’m going to start over and see what happens from here.” Although specific figures weren’t disclosed, Tyson and co have big plans with Fade 2 Karma and are going to produce a huge esports entertainment venue named simply The Ranch House. 600What’s The Ranch House going to include? With his investment in Fade 2 Karma, the team will be creating a new streaming structure that will house everything to facilitate esport events and more. The structure will reportedly have a stage for tournaments, streaming rooms to broadcast from, a rooftop party deck, all while being adjoined to a new production studio which will be ran by Fade 2 Karma. 600The former boxer will be joining a surge of personalities who have been making the leap into esports including Rick Fox, Shaquille O’Neal, Stephen Curry and much more. It’s still unknown when Fade 2 Karma are planning on launching this mega media structure, but it looks like it will be equipped to handle numerous operations once it opens.

Mighty Bowser gets the most expensive Nintendo-branded Lego set The LEGO Group, NintendoThe Mighty Bowser constitutes the latest Lego set in the Super Mario line of building kits with the upcoming product boasting more than 2,800 pieces. On October 1, Lego will unleash The Mighty Bowser, the most expensive and largest building kit in its Super Mario line to date. Comprised of an astounding 2,807 pieces, this new set recreates the King of the Koopas with “controllable movements and the ability to launch a fireball, reflective of Bowser’s huge and powerful features.” Notably, the controllable movements work to recreate Bowser’s ferocity. Those who pick up the product can expect to control the character’s head, neck, mouth, arms, legs, and tail with button presses. Select retailers and Lego’s official storefront will sell the hulking Bowser set for $269.99, the company announced in a press release. Lego and others immortalize the Mighty Bowser Bowser has enjoyed his fair share of time in the limelight in recent years. In early 2021, Nintendo shipped Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury on Nintendo Switch, the latter experience offering a platformer oozing with charm. In addition to his upcoming Lego set, Bowser has also been immortalized as a Build-A-Bear stuffed animal, S.H. Figuarts action figure, and Amiibo figurine. Given the beloved boss character’s unceasing popularity, he’s likely to sit center stage in another Nintendo-branded collectible before long. Nintendo has joined forces with The Lego Group in the past to bring other Mario-branded staples to life in block form. In October 2021, for instance, Lego rolled out its Super Mario 64 Question Mark Block kit, a 2,000-piece set celebrating the original game’s 25th anniversary. The two companies have also partnered for the release of a few sets based on the Luigi’s Mansion series, each one depicting a different style of ghost-catching fun.

Midnight Society takes cheeky swipe at 100 Thieves for new game project Dr Disrespect / 100 ThievesDr Disrespect’s Midnight Society studio has welcomed 100 Thieves into the world of video game development with a cheeky introduction. 100 Thieves stepped into the world of game development on May 18, as CEO Matthew ‘Nadeshot’ Haag and 100T President John Robinson sat down in front of a camera to announce the move. Their upcoming game has been codenamed ‘Project X,’ for now. “This is something we’ve been talking about working on for two years,” Nade said. “Okay, so let’s not beat around the bush – here at 100 Thieves, over the next few years we’re going to be making our own video game. We’re making a game! “Literally the reason I’m sitting here today is because of video games,” he continued, referencing his success as a Call of Duty pro player. Dr Disrespect’s studio responds to 100 Thieves video game news The news quickly circulated around the world via social media, with the original announcement racking up thousands of interactions. One of these responses, interestingly, came from Dr Disrespect’s game studio – which announced it’s working on a AAA vertical battle royale title back in January. Midnight Society tweeted: “New competition has entered the arena… always nice to have someone to be better than.” New competition has entered the arena… always nice to have someone to be better than. — Midnight Society (@12am) May 18, 2022 If that’s not something Doc would say, we don’t know what is. The Two-time video game champion has already spilled a number of details about how NFTs will be integrated into the game, and thousands of Founder’s Pass members have since been selected. Just like Midnight Society’s game, which has been codenamed Project Moon, 100 Thieves have not yet put a release date on their video game. While it will be interesting to see how 100 Thieves uses its roster of high-profile streamers to promote their game, from Valkyrae to CouRage, it appears Doc’s studio isn’t scared off by that firepower. For more information on 100 Thieves’ new game, click here, and for Midnight Society’s upcoming project, here.

Midnight Society reveals truth about Dr Disrespect’s role & refunds Doc cosmetic YouTube/Dr Disrespect/Midnight SocietyGame studio Midnight Society is further distancing itself from Dr Disrespect by dismissing his involvement and refunding one of his cosmetics. In June, former Twitch employees revealed Dr Disrespect, real name Guy Beahm, was permanently banned from the platform in 2020 for sending explicit messages to a minor. The streamer would eventually confess that these allegations were true, but remained adamant that no criminal charges were ever brought against him. Twitch had reportedly alerted the National Center of Missing and Exploited Children over the severity of the messages. Amid the backlash, numerous companies cut ties with Doc, including game company Midnight Society. Speaking with Bloomberg, Midnight Society revealed they held an emergency call with Beahm after the allegations first surfaced and the streamer admitted to messaging a minor. The studio’s co-founder, Robert Bowling, also dismissed Dr Disrespect’s involvement with Deadrop, the studio’s first game. “His job as an influencer was to bring eyeballs and community to it,” he said. “Having some initial marketing in the beginning we wouldn’t have otherwise definitely helped.” Bowling further stressed that the game’s studio was able to get investments from Bitkraft and Polychain Capital due to the team’s success on past projects and not because of Dr Disrespect. Just like NBA 2K and Rogue Company, Deadrop has removed Dr Disrespect cosmetics from the game and is issuing a refund to players. In a Discord post in July, Midnight Society confirmed that users who purchased the “2TIME” License Plate and Vehicle Wrap would receive a refund. The “2TIME” plate has since been changed to “REDRUM” – a reference to The Shining, an ‘murder’ spelled backward. Since admitting to sending the messages, Dr Disrespect hasn’t been seen, but has promised to return to the streaming world down the line. “I’m taking an extended vacation with my family as mentioned on stream and I’m coming back with a heavy weight off my shoulders,” he said in his final statement on X. In late July, Dr Disrespect uploaded a mysterious new header image to his profile, sparking rumors that a possible return could be coming sooner than later.

Midnight Society says Dr Disrespect left game studio to “do what he needs to do” Dr Disrespect/Midnight SocietyDisgraced streamer Dr Disrespect agreed to leave his game studio, Midnight Society, in order to “do what he needs to do” according to Deadrop’s co-creator Quinn DelHoyo. In June 2024, it was revealed that Dr Disrespect, real name Guy Beahm, had been permanently banned on Twitch for sending inappropriate messages to an underage user. After former Twitch employees came forward and numerous companies who had been working with Doc began to distance themselves from him, the streamer confessed to the allegations. One of the first companies to end their relationship with Beahm was the game studio he helped co-found, Midnight Society, after the streamer admitted to the allegations in a call. As it turns out, Dr Disrespect’s decision to leave the company was something he agreed was the right thing to do. Speaking with Decrypt, creative director Quinn DelHoyo explained that Doc’s admission “didn’t align with the principles” of Midnight Society and it was a “tough” but “right” decision to terminate the streamer. (segment begins at 1:00) “All four of us, we amicably decided, ‘hey you know what is best for Midnight Society’. That way we can go after our vertical extraction shooter in Deadrop and things that we’re trying to set out to do and he can do the things that he needs to do to take care of himself and all that,” he said. DelHoyo noted the call was mutual with all parties agreeing this was the right action. This was alluded to by Dr Disrespect in his long tweet where he said, “we made the painful decision collectively, to have me step down.” As for the “things that he needs to do,” the streamer has been hinting at a return to streaming with a series of cryptic tweets and changes to his header images on social media. Dr Disrespect promised to return after taking an “extended vacation” with his family, but it’s unclear when that will be or if he will return to YouTube after being demonetized on the platform. In the past month, the streamer has been bleeding followers on YouTube, losing nearly 20,000 subscribers in 30 days. If he does come back, one platform he might stream on could be Kick. Back when the allegations came to light and Doc confessed, the site’s staff confirmed they had no plans to preemptively ban Dr Disrespect, claiming it was still “too soon.”

Midnight Society reveals Project Moon minimum specs and fans are concerned Twitter: 12amDr Disrespect’s game studio, Midnight Society, has released the minimum specs to run their upcoming snapshot of Project Moon and it’s left founders a bit concerned. In January 2022, Dr Disrespect revealed his new game studio ‘Midnight Society’ which is set to allow a group of “founders” to vote and influence the development of their game: Project Moon. The founders have been chosen, and Midnight Society is set to release the first snapshot of the game on July 29 during their first-ever founder’s event in Los Angeles, California. The studio has released the minimum specs for the upcoming snapshot, and it’s leaving founders a bit concerned. Project Moon Snapshot Minimum Specs Just a day before the snapshot is set to be revealed, Midnight Society posted the minimum specs required to run the game. Here are the Minimum Specs to run Project Moon’s first snapshot: Windows 10 – 4.2 GHz i7-7700k – 32GB Ram – 20GB available HDD space – Nvidia GTX 1080 – Seeing the rather high minimum requirements for the game has left founders concerned about whether or not they’ll be able to play the game. One user shared his specs asking whether or not their PC will run the snapshot, following up the tweet by saying: “Got me concerned a bit.” While another player explained that they think 32GB of ram is a lot, and they hope that 16GB will be enough to run it. A third founder slammed the studio for only providing a one-day notice for players to get the upgrades needed for it, and claims that if their PC doesn’t run the snapshot they will be selling their Founders Pass. They said: “JFC, really? ONE DAY notice to get the upgrades needed for this? If my lower stats PC doesn’t run this off rip, I’m 100% selling my Founders Pass when I can. F*cking hell. Be better at transparency and communication, @12am.” However, dozens of others are ready to fire up the first build of the game on July 29 when it’s revealed during Midnight Society’s Founders event.

Midnight Society, Dr Disrespect’s game company, teases “Arena Takeover” YouTube: Dr Disrespect / Midnight SocietyMidnight Society are slowly working towards fulfilling Dr Disrespect’s vision for a battle royale game. However, in the first big promotion for the new game developers, they’ll be hosting an “Arena Takeover” on March 15 — and it could be massive. Midnight Society have been lurking in the shadows since their big December 2021 reveal. The new game development studio, comprised of former Call of Duty and Halo devs, is set to be working on a mega battle royale title to Dr Disrespect’s liking. And, if it all comes to plan, fans might have a first look at it when the developers host an “Arena Takeover.” A bot message on the Midnight Society Discord, full of cryptic text, reveals a big event happening on March 15. “Visor Cortex Unable To Integrate. Manual Acceptable Required. Scanning For Live Bio-metric Signals. Signal Detected. Establishing On Site Presence. Arena Takeover Executable Scheduled,” it says. The two-time’s Arena is certainly a sight to behold, full of high-tech equipment — the likes Midnight Society would be taking advantage of. It even has immortalized itself in gaming culture when Doc worked with Rogue Company developers to bring the Arena map to life. It’s also the optimal ground to start promoting their work. With Dr Disrespect being involved as the face of the studio, essentially, broadcasting to his ever-expanding YouTube audience seems like a no-brainer. However, what the Arena Takeover will exactly entail remains to be seen. Fans will just have to wait until March 15 to see what news is on the cards for Midnight Society and Dr Disrespect’s battle royale title, and we’ll keep you updated here.

Midnight Society assures fans Project Moon game isn’t about “making money” amid NFT fears YouTube/Dr Disrespect/Midnight SocietyDr Disrespect’s game studio, Midnight Society, assured fans their upcoming Project Moon game isn’t about “making money” because NFT integration will always be entirely optional. NFT integration is considered to be a huge concern among gamers and developers. Valve President Gabe Newell banned NFT games from Steam, claiming there’s a lot of “sketchy behavior” surrounding them, and players have widely condemned the practice. However, not everyone is against them. Some believe the concerns are blown out of proportion because people don’t understand what’s happening, and as a result, overlook the perks of NFT integration in gaming. As the debate rages on, Midnight Society assured fans that Project Moon won’t be a game people play to “make money.” Instead, they insisted it’s all about having fun, and stressed the fact NFT integration is optional. “Our job here is to create a really killer game,” the studio heads said during an AMA on Discord. “All of the blockchain NFT integration stuff right now is focused entirely on the Founders Pass stuff, and your account is sort of tied to all of that stuff. “If you don’t care about that stuff, or you don’t have an interest in it, or you’re even actively against it, then just play the game and don’t worry about any of that stuff. You’re never going to be forced or pressured or told to interact with any of that stuff whatsoever. “I feel like when people are like. ‘Oh, this is an NFT game, or it’s a blockchain game, it is not, because generally the definition of those things are like all of that gameplay level stuff is written to the chain, and that is not what we’re doing. “This is not a game you play to make money. This is a game where you play it to have fun. The only difference is I believe very strongly that when you buy things, when you buy games, and when you buy anything, you should be able to sell it.” The relevant part of the video beings at 1:20:19. Dr Disrespect echoed the sentiment during a stream on March 15: “You don’t have to have NFTs to play the game,” he said. “It doesn’t change your experience of the game once it releases, and it will continue to be free-to-play.” Still, not everyone is keen on the idea, including some members of the Champions Club, who voiced their concerns on the Dr Disrespect subreddit. So, there’s still a lot of division about it in the lead-up to the game’s launch.

Midnight Society delay second DEADROP snapshot test to ease “crunch” Midnight SocietyMidnight Society has delayed their second snapshot test for DEADROP by two weeks until September 20. Studio head Robert Bowling told players they were behind schedule, but didn’t want to “crunch” employees and release a rushed product. Dr Disrespect’s studio Midnight Society have been hard at work on their debut title DEADROP. While information was scarce for some time, the developers have been teasing it out via snapshots every few weeks. The first DEADROP snapshot test went live on July 29, with players getting a taste of the game’s “core player movement and weapon systems.” However, the second planned snapshot test for September 9 has been delayed after it became clear to Midnight Society they wouldn’t meet the deadline without “crunching” the team. It has been pushed back to September 20 as a result. “The second snapshot introduces some massive new gameplay systems that are foundations to the core of DEADROP’s experience. We can’t wait to get it into the hands of our Variants and play it together, but waiting is exactly what we must do,” studio head Robert Bowling said. “After discussing the work remaining to get the second snapshot out the door to the quality bar that we demand for our community it was clear it would only be possible if the team worked far beyond normal working hours. “That is not the type of studio Midnight Society is. We will not ship a broken experience simply to hit a deadline and we won’t burn out our team in order to get it to the quality we demand. Therefore, we have decided to delay the release of the second snapshot until September 20.” The extra time will allow for Midnight Society to not rush through development and ultimately give players a better experience when they jump in for the game’s second test. Bowling added on Twitter “while we will always aim for a build delivery every six weeks, we are not a big publisher and are not afraid to delay snapshot drops if it means maintaining a healthy work culture and delivering a high-quality build to our community.” Details on what exactly will be included in the September 20 snapshot for DEADROP are not yet public, but given how early on it is and the talk surrounding it, it’ll likely be core to the vertical extraction shooter experience.

Microsoft completes Activision Blizzard deal: Everything you need to know Microsoft / BlizzardMicrosoft has confirmed the acquisition of Activision Blizzard is finally complete. The deal had to overcome multiple obstacles, but the last hurdle was cleared as UK regulators gave the green light. Microsoft sent a seismic tremor through the video game industry by announcing its intention to acquire Activision Blizzard back in 2022. Activision Blizzard is a world-renowned video game developer and publisher responsible for historical video game franchises such as World of Warcraft, Call of Duty, Overwatch, Diablo, and Hearthstone. It has been far from smooth sailing, as the deal has experienced several hurdles. With the deal now complete, Microsoft now owns all of these massive gaming franchises. Contents How much did Microsoft buy Activision for? Microsoft announced plans to purchase Activision Blizzard for nearly $70 billion. That’s significantly more than the $7.5 billion that Microsoft paid for Bethesda in 2021. The final deal came in at exactly $68.7 billion. Microsoft is buying the company at $95 per share, a premium over the current market value. The BBC reports that Activision CEO Bobby Kotick will receive around $400 million for the shares he owns. The deal makes Microsoft the third-largest gaming company in terms of revenue, behind Sony and Tencent in second and first respectively. What obstacles were blocking the sale? The deal suffered a major setback in April, as the UK’s competition and market authority blocked proceedings. The authority explained that it saw Microsoft’s strong position in the cloud gaming sector as the biggest issue for the deal. Microsoft responded, saying it would appeal the decision. However, in May, the European Union Commission approved Microsoft’s acquisition. And then, on June 12, CNBC reported that The Federal Trade Commission is set to file for an injunction on Monday seeking to block Microsoft’s proposed acquisition of Activision Blizzard, Microsoft needed to win its appeal with the CMA and its case against the FTC in federal court for a deal to be completed. On July 11, the Federal Court sided with Microsoft over the FTC, stating: “After considering the parties’ voluminous pre-and-post hearing writing submissions, and having held a five-day evidentiary hearing, the Court DENIES the motion for preliminary injunction.” On October 13, the UK regulators also approved the deal, but not without criticizing Activision in the process. “Businesses and their advisors should be in no doubt that the tactics employed by Microsoft are no way to engage with the CMA,” said CMA chief executive, Sarah Cardell. “Microsoft had the chance to restructure during our initial investigation but instead continued to insist on a package of measures that we told them simply wouldn’t work. Dragging out proceedings in this way only wastes time and money.” What will this mean for Xbox? The deal has significant implications for the Call of Duty and Overwatch franchises, alongside console titles like Diablo. Microsoft successfully struck 10-year deals with Nintendo and Nvidia, promising Activision Blizzard titles on their platforms if the deal goes through. However, according to GameIndustry Biz, Sony opposed a 10-year contract to keep CoD on PlayStation. In light of the UK blocking Microsoft’s acquisition, Bloomberg reported that Microsoft is considering all their options – one of which would be pulling their games from the UK and pressing on with the deal, although this was described as an “extreme” option. Microsoft has also agreed to sell the rights for cloud gaming of their titles to Ubisoft for 15 years. That’s everything we know about Microsoft’s acquisition so far. Stay tuned for future updates on the landmark deal.

Midnight Society cuts dev team following Dr Disrespect drama Dr Disrespect/Midnight SocietyGame studio Midnight Society has laid off part of its development team following drama with co-founder and YouTube star Dr Disrespect. The studio was revealed back in 2021 and quickly grew in popularity as YouTube star Dr Disrespect was heavily involved in its launch. In June 2024, however, Midnight Society cut ties with Dr Disrespect after he admitted to inappropriately messaging a minor in a post on X. This news prompted many players to abandon the studio’s game, DEADROP, calling it “dead in the water.” Studio head Robert Bowling revealed on September 6, 2024, that they laid off “a number” of developers – leaving many wondering about the future of the studio and its upcoming title. “Hey Everyone – There is no denying that today is an extremely difficult day for everyone. My focus remains the same as it has always been, to support the developers of this game in their efforts to ship DEADROP,” he said. “However today, we are going to lose a number of those team members. Despite those affected no longer holding the Midnight Society role here, they remain a cherished and valued member of the community and legacy of this game, and my entire being is dedicated to seeing them join us again in the future.” Bowling followed up with another statement on September 9, reinforcing the studio’s plan to meet DEADROP’s 2025 release window. “These measures, while difficult, are designed to strengthen our foundation and renew focus on our core mission. Despite these challenges, we remain dedicated to launching DEADROP in 2025. We’ll be sharing our revised plans and milestones in the near future, and we thank you for your continued faith in our vision,” he explained. The follow-up message was shared by DEADROP-focused content creator Jok5rr, who claims “roughly 50%” of the development team was laid off – although Bowling did not confirm that amount himself. Users were quite shocked about the decision, but are left waiting to see what happens with the future of the extraction shooter. This comes just after Dr Disrespect returned to the internet with a stream on YouTube that quickly became his highest-viewed broadcast on the platform.

Microsoft’s Phil Spencer admits he has “no regrets” about Mixer shutdown Microsoft[jwplayer qtClEeZt]Despite Mixer shutting its doors just four years after it launched, Microsoft vice-president Phil Spencer has outlined why he has no regrets about the streaming platform’s shock shutdown last month. Serving as Microsoft’s answer to YouTube Gaming and Amazon-owned Twitch, Mixer had its sights set on becoming one of the top streaming services. Mixer burst onto the scene by snatching up major personalities on exclusive deals, but the platform was shut down just four years later. With the likes of Tyler ‘Ninja’ Blevins and Michael ‘shroud’ Grzesiek migrating over, Microsoft invested a great deal in trying to establish the platform. When things ultimately didn’t pan out, many content creators were left blindsided by the decision. Some found new homes, while others have remained up in the air. Mixer’s hasty closure may have come as a shock, but Xbox head Phil Spencer says he has “no regrets”. Spencer, who has been with Microsoft for the past 22 years, outlined his thoughts on the shutdown in a new GamesIndustry interview. https://twitter.com/WatchMixer/status/1275134189738713088 “I don’t have regrets,” he said. “It’s obviously a disappointment when you try to grow something to the scale it needs to get to and you don’t get there. You make decisions with the best information you have at the time, you apply your best effort.” Despite signing juggernauts of the industry to exclusive deals, numbers dropped for nearly every streamer that joined the platform. Mixer could never quite find its footing and in a “hits-driven industry,” according to Spencer, viewership is key. Over the years, Microsoft reportedly spent tens of millions getting big-names to jump ship. These were long-term deals as Mixer was clearly a key focus for the company moving forward. As many others mocked the platform’s lower-viewership, streamers on Mixer defended the site until the very end. “Mixer has a very, very good chance to succeed,” shroud expressed in a May 23 video. Despite its eventual closure and many streamers being caught off-guard, Spencer stands by the decision from Microsoft. “I think it’s fundamental to us that we’re not afraid of trying things that might not work,” the Xbox boss reflected. Mixer isn’t the first streaming brand not pan out with such a costly approach either. MLG.tv signed names like Matthew ‘Nadeshot’ Haag to unprecedented exclusive deals in 2013. Ultimately, however, both fell to the same fate after a few short years. There’s no telling if Microsoft will ever get back in the race. For the time being, their sights are firmly set on the launch of Xbox Series X, which has a huge showcase planned for July 23. Titles like Halo, Fable, and more are expected to be revealed.

Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard approved by the EU Microsoft / BlizzardThe European Union Commission approved Microsoft’s landmark acquisition of Activision Blizzard, moving the deal closer to completion. In February, Microsoft’s $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard gained momentum after 10-year deals with Nintendo, and Nvidia promised to supply Activision Blizzard titles to their platforms. However, the deal suffered a major setback in April, as the UK’s competition and market authority blocked proceedings. The authority explained that it saw Microsoft’s strong position in the cloud gaming sector as the biggest issue for the deal. Microsoft responded, saying it would appeal the decision. The European Union Commission differed in opinion. European Union Commission pushes Activision Blizzard deal forward On May 15, CharlieIntel reported that the European Union Commission approved Microsoft’s acquisition. CharlieIntel added: “The European Union says that the deal will support competition and that Call of Duty is not as important as Sony makes it out to be.” The European Union Commission argued: “Even if Microsoft did decide to withdraw Activision’s games from the PlayStation, this would not significantly harm competition in the consoles market.” In response, The UK CMA issued a statement saying the EU was “wrong to approve the Microsoft Activision Blizzard deal. The UK CMA claimed that proposals would: “allow Microsoft to set the terms and conditions for this market for the next ten years.” Activision Blizzard COO Lulu Cheng Meservey claimed: ” Activision Blizzard plans to meaningfully expand our investment and workforce throughout the EU, and we’re excited for the benefits our deal with Microsoft offers players in Europe and elsewhere. The UK CMA appeal and a case against the US Federal Trade Commission still stand in the way of the acquisition getting finalized. There is no clear timetable for what comes next, but it’s clear that this saga is going to continue for the foreseeable future.

Project Scarlett: What will the next Xbox actually be called? MicrosoftMicrosoft revealed their next-generation Xbox at E3 2019 – referred to as Project Scarlett – but some of you may have guessed that it probably won’t be called that upon release. Microsoft doesn’t even know the name Ever since the successor to the Xbox One became a discussion point, it has been known as Project Scarlett. Some gamers thought E3 might serve as a platform to release its official name but alas Microsoft opted to continue as Project Scarlett – at least for the time being. If you’ve been trying to guess the name of the Xbox then it is just that, a guess. Even Xbox head Phil Spencer doesn’t know the name and even said in an interview with Giant Bomb: “We don’t even have a list of names.” This might seem strange considering Microsoft’s next-generation console is less than 18 months from release but naming it may not be easy as it seems. It’s easy for Sony Sony and their line of PlayStation consoles don’t share this problem. The first PlayStation released in 1995 and when it’s slimmer model was made was called the PS1. Naturally, every console it has made since has simply increased the number by one, currently leaving us on the PS4. It makes naming their consoles a clear and easy task – something Xbox is clearly struggling with. They went from Xbox to Xbox 360 to Xbox One. As a result, its most natural evolution would be Xbox Two but this seems increasingly unlikely. Stick with Project Scarlett? The longer Microsoft delay naming the next Xbox the more chance there is they will settle on Project Scarlett, or simply Scarlett. It is by no means an ideal name and makes little sense given the Xbox’s historical names. Nevertheless, brand recognition is everything and if Scarlett becomes too ingrained in the gaming community they may opt to stick with it. In the meantime, Microsoft will focus their efforts on determining what features it will have and making sure it is as optimized as can be. The console is scheduled to be released in the holiday season of 2020 with highly-anticipated Halo Infinite launching as a release title.

Microsoft set to scrap popular Xbox Game Pass trial MicrosoftMicrosoft has decided to bring an end to its very popular $1 Xbox Game Pass trial, which has existed for many years. Xbox launched its now-popular Game Pass service nearly six years ago in June 2017, offering users a rotating catalog of games to play. The subscription service has since become an integral part of the Xbox business, with all of the publisher’s first-party games releasing day-and-date on the platform. Game Pass has especially proven a win-win service for newcomers, thanks to the $1 per month introductory tier for Game Pass Ultimate. All good things must come to an end, though. Microsoft kills of Xbox Game Pass’ $1 tier for new members Microsoft confirmed in a statement to The Verge that its $1 Game Pass is no longer available. The reason behind the decision remains unclear, but the company plans on “evaluating different marketing promotions for new members” to the service. As of writing, there’s no word on what the new promotions may entail. Xbox’s Head of Global Communications, Kari Perez, told The Verge, “We have stopped our previous introductory offer for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass and are evaluating different marketing promotions for new members in the future.” For years, the $1 trial has served as the go-to recommendation for newcomers to the Game Pass service. After the one-month trial period ended, subscribers would then have the option to pay $15 a month for Ultimate or $10 per month for a PC or console-only membership. Microsoft would do well to ensure its replacement for the cheap trial offer proves as enticing as its predecessor. There’s no telling what other pricing changes Microsft has in store for Game Pass. But the company recently assured the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) that it wouldn’t increase prices in response to the pending Activision Blizzard merger.

Microsoft taunts fans with amazing X-Men ’97 Xbox controllers (that can’t be purchased) Microsoft’s latest Xbox Series X sweepstakes might be a little too good, as it has X-Men ’97-themed goodies that you can’t actually buy. The Xbox brand is known for its strange controller promotions, many of which involve crossovers with existing franchises. The latest involves X-Men ’97, the new Marvel animated series that continues the story of the classic ’90s X-Men cartoon. The next Xbox sweepstakes has been announced in a post on the official Xbox website. Those who post #XMen97XboxSweepstakes on Twitter/X from Monday, April 22, 6:00 am PST through Sunday, May 19, 8:00 pm PST, can win some amazing prizes. The sweepstakes include an Xbox Series X with an X-Men ’97 comic cover created by writer Rich Douek and artist Paco Diaz. There is also a range of amazing-looking X-Men ’97 controllers produced by Design Lab, each with a box reminiscent of the old action figures. The great tragedy of this promotion is that these items can’t be purchased individually. Technically, you could have Design Lab make the same controller color scheme but won’t have the action figure box. The skin is also a wholly unique item for the contest. As one of the many fans of the original cartoon who disliked Jubilee as a kid, I have to say that her controller is top-tier, followed closely by Cyclops’ controller. The frustrating aspect of this promotion is that it’s only the sweepstakes winners who will get them. Hopefully, if there’s enough demand from fans, there will be an official release for these controllers and skin, giving all Xbox fans a chance to rep their favorite member of the X-Men.

Project Scarlett Xbox console announced – release date, specs, launch titles, and more Microsoft unveiled their brand new Xbox console, named Xbox Project X, and here’s everything we know about the groundbreaking new console so far. With news about the PlayStation 5 already out there, everyone was just waiting on Microsoft to see what their response to the impressive new console from Sony was. Sony doesn’t have a presence at E3 this year, leaving Microsoft to steal the show with the announcement of their new Xbox. The Xbox One X may be the most powerful console available right now but all of that will be changing with the release of this console. The Xbox One X will no longer be the most powerful console. Microsoft stressed their new console will be built for the goal of having the best gaming experience possible. It’s clear the team has learned from the underwhelming response of the Xbox One, which was being marketed as an all-in-one entertainment device. The team is looking to eliminate load times altogether so players are able to get right into the action. They have partnered with AMD to build a new hybrid CPU that is said to be four times as powerful as the Xbox One X. It will come with a solid state drive built-in, lending itself to lightning-quick load times. On top of this, the new console will support up to 120 FPS, 8K resolution gaming, and backwards compatibility. When does Xbox Series X release? Xbox’s Project Scarlett, which is now Xbox Project X, is set for a Holiday 2020 release with Halo: Infinite as a launch title. An exact date remains up in the air, but with plenty of time to go, an annoucement will come at some point. Read More: When is GTA 6 coming out? Rumors, release date, story and more for the next Grand Theft Auto game – With PlayStation also releasing the PS5 at this point in 2020, it may very well be a case of who blinks first and lets their release date out into the wider world. Power Your Dreams.#XboxSeriesX #PowerYourDreams pic.twitter.com/R4ulND4KAx — Xbox (@Xbox) December 13, 2019 Will Xbox Series X be backwards compatible? The Xbox Series X will be backwards compatible, meaning you’ll be able to play plenty of Xbox One titles on the new console – provided that developers don’t re-release them with a remastered version. One other wrinkle in the backwards compatibility fight is that next-generation controller will also work on the current systems. Meaning that if you adopt a new console early and still want to play at a friend’s house, you can do so with the new pad. Some additional details on Xbox Series X – Xbox One controllers will work on the new console; Xbox Series X controller will work on Xbox One – Quieter than Xbox One X – You can pause & resume multiple games at the same time – Backwards compatiblehttps://t.co/RLjLsRVIbx pic.twitter.com/UyUNKyYaxM— CharlieIntel (@charlieINTEL) December 13, 2019

Microsoft suspends all Xbox sales in Russia MicrosoftXbox creator Microsoft announced they are halting all new sales in Russia and are “working in lockstep” with governmental sanctions on the country. On March 4, Microsoft president Brad Smith announced that the company was halting all sales of products and services in Russia, effective immediately. “We are announcing today that we will suspend all new sales of Microsoft products and services in Russia”, Smith revealed. The Microsoft Vice-Chairman continued, “In addition, we are coordinating closely and working in lockstep with the governments of the United States, the European Union and the United Kingdom, and we are stopping many aspects of our business in Russia in compliance with governmental sanctions decisions.” Microsoft services include Office, Windows, and Azure, in addition to Xbox Live, which also has services like Game Pass. As only new sales are effected, it’s expected that existing subscriptions will be unaffected. Microsoft’s response Microsoft finished their statement with a declaration of solidarity with Ukraine, “Like so many others, we stand with Ukraine in calling for the restoration of peace, respect for Ukraine’s sovereignty and the protection of its people.” The announcement follows a long list of companies that have stopped sales in Russia. Cyberpunk 2077 and The Witcher developer CD Projekt Red announced they halted sales in Russia and Belarus. EA also halted sales in Russia, as well as removed Russian teams from FIFA 22 & NHL 22 in “solidarity” with Ukraine. Esports has also been impacted, as the ESL banned organizations with Russian ties from ESL Pro League 15.

Microsoft internal emails reveal company’s plan to buy SEGA and Bungie MicrosoftInternal emails from Microsoft revealed that the company considered purchasing SEGA and Bungie, among other studios. In 2022, Microsoft announced its plans to buy Activision Blizzard for almost $70 billion – much more than the $7.5 billion Bethesda purchase. However, the deal deadline between Microsoft and Activision Blizzard is slowly approaching. Numerous obstacles have prevented the sale from happening – including the UK blocking the decisions. The two companies’ merger agreement expires on July 18, but Bloomberg declared it could be extended. Besides Activision Blizzard, internal documents from the FTC v. Microsoft hearing have revealed the studio’s interest in buying out both SEGA and Bungie. Microsoft considered buying SEGA to improve Xbox Game Pass As reported by The Verge, Xbox chief Phil Spencer wrote Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and CFO Amy Hood. Spencer messaged the executives for approval on contacting Sega Sammy – a Japanese holding company – to acquire one of Sega’s gaming studios. “We believe that Sega has built a well-balanced portfolio of games across segments with global geographic appeal, and will help us accelerate Xbox Game Pass both on and off-console,” said Spencer in the November 2020 email. Microsoft claimed the purchase of SEGA would ” help expand Xbox Game Pass’s reach to new audiences around the world, most notably in Asia, where localized content is critical to success.” In addition to SEGA, Microsoft expressed interest in acquiring Bungie – the developers behind Halo and Destiny. The document had identified Destiny 2 as one of the “highest hours generating titles on console Game Pass.” However, Microsoft had identified a “high burn-rate” risk for Bungie. Also, Hitman studio IO Interactive was on Microsoft’s “final watchlist” in addition to Thunderful, Supergiant Games, Niantic, Playrix, and Zynga. Ultimately, Take-Two purchased the mobile game giant Zynga for $12.7b in May 2022. At the time of writing, it’s unclear if Microsoft wanted to buy out any other gaming studios.

Microsoft insists Call of Duty will remain on PlayStation after Xbox exclusivity rumors Activision / Microsoft / SonyDespite concerns that Call of Duty would become an Xbox exclusive after Microsoft acquires Activision Blizzard, the company has explained that the shooter will stay on PlayStation with no plans to move over to exclusivity. Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard has introduced a variety of concerns for Call of Duty’s future. One of the main concerns PlayStation fans had was the notion that the game would end up being an Xbox exclusive. However, in recently revealed documents, Microsoft has confirmed they have no plans to make Call of Duty exclusive and will continue the supply to PlayStation. The reasoning behind the decision is given to the fact that only distributing Call of Duty to one console would simply “not be profitable for Microsoft”. The document explores the fact that costs and lost sales received by moving over to an exclusive means “that Microsoft would not be able to offset the losses by earning higher revenues in the Xbox ecosystem”. Despite Microsoft’s explanation regarding the decision to keep Call of Duty on the Playstation, Sony have other reasons pertaining to the talk of exclusivity. They claim that due to “contractual agreements” the Call of Duty games have to be multiplatform. Such contractual agreements come from the rumor that Activision Blizzard and PlayStation have a contract that binds the company to release the next three Call of Duty games to PlayStation consoles. This includes the upcoming Modern Warfare 2 and the next two releases. Given the explanations of each party and the contractual developments, PlayStation fans can rejoice in the knowledge that for at least three more games, Call of Duty will not be a PlayStation exclusive. However, once that contract runs out, despite Microsoft stating it would not be profitable, they could always change their minds.

Microsoft contractors reportedly listened to audio from Xbox owners’ homes MicrosoftA new report claims that contractors listened in on audio recordings stored by Microsoft from inside Xbox owners’ homes. The report from Vice Motherboard says that Microsoft contractors listened to the recorded audio to improve the console’s voice command features. While the audio was supposed to be captured following certain voice commands such as “hey Cortana”, other recordings were triggered by mistake. As a result, contractors could allegedly hear recordings of other things going on in Xbox owners’ homes and the gamers would have no idea this was going on. “Xbox commands came up first as a bit of an outlier and then became about half of what we did before becoming most of what we did,” a former contractor told Vice, whose identity is being kept secret due to non-disclosure agreements. The contractor said they worked on Xbox audio from 2014-2015. Cortana was introduced to the console in 2016. At the time, they often heard the voices of kids trying to obtain in-game items. “The Xbox stuff was actually a bit of a welcome respite, honestly. It was frequently the same games. Same DLCs. Same types of commands,” they added. “‘Xbox give me all the games for free’” Eventually, the contractors got way less accidental audio, but they would still pick up the occasional unintentional snippet. “Most of the Xbox related stuff I can recall doing was obviously unintentional activations with people telling Cortana ‘No’ as they were obviously in the middle of a game and doing normal game chat,” a current contractor told Vice. Anyone concerned about their audio on file can delete it themselves at this page. In a statement to Vice, Microsoft allegedly said “We’ve long been clear that we collect voice data to improve voice-enabled services and that this data is sometimes reviewed by vendors.” “We’ve recently updated our privacy statement to add greater clarity that people sometimes review this data as part of the product improvement process… We always get customer permission before collecting voice data, we take steps to de-identify voice snippets being reviewed to protect people’s privacy, and we require that handling of this data be held to the highest privacy standards in the law.” The company said they are working on implementing additional ways to give customers more control over how their data is used.

Xbox finally reveal when inactive gamertags will become available Xbox One players hoping to grab an inactive Xbox Live gamertag may not have to wait much longer, as Microsoft updated their policy on closing accounts. Gamertags are your identity during online multiplayer games, with players often looking to get a tag closest to their name or alias. On the other hand, some players feel that having a gamertag with the fewest letters possible is the way to go. Naturally, the vast majority of these short and ‘popular’ handles are already taken. However, some accounts have been dormant for years, meaning they could soon be up for grabs after Microsoft updated their policy on closing inactive accounts. When are inactive Xbox gamertags available? Published on July 1, Microsoft announced their new policy on closing accounts which is effective from August 30. It states that the company have the right to close all “inactive” accounts if the player does not sign in at least once in a two-year period. After that period has passed, Microsoft will deem the account to be inactive and the gamertag would be available for anyone to grab. However, there are some exceptions that could see accounts last for longer than the specified time frame, meaning not all the sought-after tags will be obtainable. Accounts which have active subscriptions to services such as Xbox Live won’t be closed as well as any accounts that have outstanding Microsoft credit which is yet to be spent. While two years might seem a long time to wait, gamertags can often last a lifetime for avid gamers, meaning players will be desperate to secure their desired handle. Mark the date in your diaries and prepare for the rush of people trying to do exactly the same.

Microsoft confirms ‘Keystone’ streaming device to support Xbox Game Pass without console MicrosoftRumors surrounding an Xbox Cloud Gaming “streaming stick” have been confirmed, with Microsoft making a statement on its upcoming ‘Keystone’ device. As Microsoft develops its cloud gaming services, the suggestion has long been floating around of an HDMI device allowing for plug-and-play access directly to Xbox Cloud Gaming. These whispers have now been confirmed in an official statement from Microsoft to Windows Central. Working akin to a Chromecast with the small device tapping into your house’s wi-fi and offering an array of services including the Xbox Game Pass. Eagle-eyed watchers of everything Microsoft does initially found reference to the ‘Xbox_Keystone’ all the way back in March, with speculation rife over the months since then. Now, it’s official. Part of the statement provided to Jez Corden provides exciting insight into the potential of a world without needing a console to access high-end games. The spokesperson began their statement saying: “Our vision for Xbox Cloud Gaming is unwavering, our goal is to enable people to play the games they want, on the devices they want, anywhere they want.” Before continuing with the revelation: “We’ve been working on a game-streaming device, codename Keystone, that could be connected to any TV or monitor without the need for a console.” With input latency over wi-fi leaving products like the Google Stadia dead in the water after release, there’s skepticism from users around the ‘Keystone’s ability to compete with any kind of console. Internet infrastructure in the US isn’t good enough for cloud gaming imo. ISP’s need to step up their game on that front first imo. But they have they reason to. 🙄 — The Holiday Hamster (@HamMan89) May 26, 2022 The floundering of similar projects may be what’s kept Microsoft from releasing any kind of ‘Streaming Stick’ device up to this point. With claims that US internet infrastructure is simply not up to scratch to make this kind of product viable. While this project has been running along quietly in the background for at least a couple of years now, there’s no telling when we may see ‘Keystone’ on store shelves. We will be keeping our eyes open for any updates on this exciting development.

Microsoft confirms it is no longer making Xbox One games MicrosoftMicrosoft’s Head of Xbox Game Studios Matt Booty confirmed that the company is no longer actively developing first-party games for the Xbox One. Microsoft’s current generation consoles, the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S, have been out for nearly 3 years now, having been released on November 10, 2020. Now that the consoles have become much more readily available in stores, many gamers playing on current-gen hardware have started to wonder when game companies will finally fully move away from last-gen hardware. Well, it seems Microsoft has finally decided to take that step, as the Head of Xbox Game Studios, Matt Booty, has confirmed that the company is no longer actively developing games for the Xbox One. Xbox no longer actively developing games for last-gen consoles The information came from an interview conducted by Axios, where Booty touched on a variety of different topics related to Xbox. During the interview, the Head of Xbox Game Studios confirmed that Microsoft has “moved on to Gen 9,” in reference to the Xbox Series X and S. Booty also noted that no internal teams were currently working on games for the Xbox One outside of those with ongoing support, such as Minecraft. This news comes as no surprise, considering previous console generation transitions started much earlier than with the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. However, Booty did note that Microsoft still has plans to allow Xbox One owners to access new first-party titles through Xbox Cloud Gaming. “That’s how we’re going to maintain support, said Booty. While this news may be frustrating to those gamers holding out on purchasing an Xbox Series X or S, it has certainly been a long time coming. As with any console generation, the time will always come when companies and developers must focus on the future instead of looking to the past.

Microsoft confirms June Xbox & Bethesda showcase in usual E3 slot MicrosoftE3 may not be happening this year, but Microsoft has announced an Xbox & Bethesda Game Showcase live stream in its place. Gaming fans everywhere were disappointed when E3 2022 was officially canceled, meaning for the third year running there would be no annual gaming convention from the ESA. The annual amid-June gaming conference is one of the most anticipated each year and is responsible for some of the most exciting announcements in gaming history. Despite expectations tbat E3 would go fully digital, the 2022 show was canned entirely. Now, Microsoft have announced they are taking up that same E3 slot with a show of their own to premiere new Xbox & Bethesda content. Save the date! Catch the Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase on June 12: https://t.co/dmANSvXrbE | #XboxBethesda pic.twitter.com/AMFhrLhAtC — Xbox (@Xbox) April 28, 2022 Microsoft announces Xbox & Bethesda showcase The Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase will be held on June 12 at 10 am PT, 1 pm PT, 6 pm BT. According to the announcement the show will include, ” everything you need to know about the diverse lineup of games coming soon to the Xbox ecosystem, including upcoming releases to Game Pass on Xbox and PC.” Read More: Xbox Game Pass April 2022 – The show will stream on multiple outlets including Xbox’s YouTube and Twitch pages. While Xbox will be carrying on with a show in place of the canceled E3, neither Sony nor Nintendo have revealed if they will follow suit. While E3 may be a thing of the past, it seems that Xbox is trying to continue the tradition with a showcase of their very own.

Microsoft confirm shock Activision Blizzard buyout Microsoft / BlizzardMicrosoft have shocked the gaming world with a planned buyout of Activision Blizzard for a reported $70 billion, following a difficult period for the developer’s leadership. Microsoft to acquire Activision’s large portfolio of video game developer studios, bringing the likes of Call of Duty, Overwatch, and World of Warcraft under their umbrella by June 2023. – Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick tells employees in an internal email that he intends to stay in his current role for the foreseeable future. – Conflicting reports suggest Kotick will leave the post once the acquisition has been finalized, with a potential payout of nearly $300 million if he’s axed. – This news comes in the aftermath of Activision Blizzard being hit by multiple lawsuits after allegations were made regarding their workplace environment which led to company walkouts and a drop in share prices. Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier shared some information about the shock deal on January 17, citing a report from the Wall Street Journal. Bloomberg states the landmark acquisition values Blizzard at $70 billion. He said: “The WSJ reports that Microsoft is buying Activision Blizzard, the troubled publisher behind Call of Duty and World of Warcraft, which has been facing crisis over the last year following numerous reports of sexual misconduct and discrimination.” BREAKING: The WSJ reports that Microsoft is buying Activision Blizzard, the troubled publisher behind Call of Duty and World of Warcraft, which has been facing crisis over the last year following numerous reports of sexual misconduct and discrimination. A seismic gaming deal — Jason Schreier (@jasonschreier) January 18, 2022 The “seismic gaming deal”, as Jason puts it, represents a massive power shift in the industry. Microsoft confirms Activision Blizzard takeover Soon after, Microsoft confirmed the deal and the company’s ambitions. On their official website, the company stated: “Today, Microsoft Corp. announced plans to acquire Activision Blizzard Inc., a leader in game development and interactive entertainment content publisher. “This acquisition will accelerate the growth in Microsoft’s gaming business across mobile, PC, console, and cloud and will provide building blocks for the metaverse.” Satya Nadella, Chairman and CEO of the Microsoft Corporation, said this marks “a new era” in gaming to make it “safe, inclusive, and accessible to all”. Together with @ATVI_AB, we will usher in a new era of gaming that puts players and creators first and makes gaming safe, inclusive, and accessible to all. https://t.co/fF2Ig3gSfx — Satya Nadella (@satyanadella) January 18, 2022 Bobby Kotick, CEO of Activision Blizzard, confirmed the takeover will be completed in June 2023. The statement from Microsoft continues: “When the transaction closes, Microsoft will become the world’s third-largest gaming company by revenue, behind Tencent and Sony. The planned acquisition includes iconic franchises from the Activision, Blizzard and King studios like Warcraft, Diablo, Overwatch, Call of Duty and Candy Crush, in addition to global esports activities through Major League Gaming. The company has studios around the word with nearly 10,000 employees.” Xbox Game Pass has been a huge beneficiary of games from Bethesda since Microsoft bought the publisher in March 2021. “Gaming is the most dynamic and exciting category in entertainment across all platforms today and will play a key role in the development of metaverse platforms,” said Nadella. “We’re investing deeply in world-class content, community and the cloud to usher in a new era of gaming that puts players and creators first and makes gaming safe, inclusive and accessible to all.” Related stories Bobby Kotick could receive mindblowing sum to leave Activision – Will Call of Duty still be on PlayStation? – Players beg Microsoft to bring WoW to Xbox Game Pass – Phil Spencer responds to fears all Activision Blizzard games will be Xbox-exclusive – Scump explains why Microsoft buyout is “exciting” for competitive CoD – Bobby Kotick responds to Microsoft buyout CEO Bobby Kotick shared the following email with Blizzard employees on January 18. It reads: “Today is an incredibly exciting day. As we continue our journey to connect and engage the world though epic entertainment, we will eventually do so as part of Microsoft. “I am certain that our incredible talent and extraordinary games combined with our shared commitment to the very best workplace will enable us to grow in an increasingly more competitive race for leadership as gaming through the metaverse evolves.” Explaining why Microsoft was the ideal suitor, he added: “In considering possible partners, all roads ultimately lead to Microsoft. Like us, they have been making games for a long time. Microsoft has already distributed games to hundreds of millions of the world’s computers and computing devices and has technologies and innovation that will support the next generation of games.” Is Kotick leaving Activision Blizzard? Included in the email, sent out across the company, Kotick reaffirmed his commitment to Activision Blizzard. “Transactions like these can take a long time to complete. Until we receive all the necessary regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions are satisfied, which we expect to be sometime in Microsoft’s fiscal 2023 year ending June 30, 2023, we will continue to operate completely autonomously. He concluded: “I will continue as our CEO with the same passion and enthusiasm I had when I began this amazing journey in 1991.” With that being said, conflicting reports have emerged, with The Wall Street Journal claiming the chief will be leaving his post once the deal is finalized in June 2023. According to Activision documents, courtesy of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Kotick could earn anything up to $292,970,341 if he’s removed from his position at the end of that term. Fans of several franchises will be wondering – now that this deal has gone through – if their ability play Overwatch, World of Warcraft, and other games will be affected in the future. Phil Spencer opens up on future Xbox exclusivity The Xbox boss was relatively coy about the speculation surrounding Bethesda’s well-known franchise titles when they completed that acquisition, and since that time the likes of Starfield and Arkane’s Redfall have been confirmed as Xbox exclusives. Avid fans of Overwatch, Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, and others are now thinking the same could happen to their beloved games. Phil Spencer has commented on the possibility, in a chat with Bloomberg. He told them: “I’ll just say to players out there who are playing Activision Blizzard games on Sony’s platform: It’s not our intent to pull communities away from that platform and we remained committed to that.” While that sounds reassuring for PlayStation players, it in no way rules out the possibility of these hitting the Xbox Game Pass in the future.

Microsoft closes the developers behind Hi-Fi Rush & Redfall in shocking cuts Tango GameworksIn a shocking series of cuts, Microsoft has announced closures to multiple Bethesda Studios, including Redfall devs Arcane Austin, Hi-Fi Rush makers Tango Gameworks, and two other key studios, Roundhouse Games and Alpha Dog Games. As announced through the Tango Gameworks X page, and revealed in an IGN post, Arcane Austin, Tango Gameworks, and Alpha Dog Games will be closing permanently, while Roundhouse Games will be joining ZeniMax Online Studios to work on Elder Scrolls Online instead. This announcement comes just a year after Redfall’s challenging release, which was met with poor review scores, plenty of bugs, and a pretty disgruntled fanbase. However, Tango Gameworks also notably published Hi-Fi Rush, a surprise release that was loved among players and received extremely high review scores, with many enjoying the musical take on the platform genre. Nevertheless, Microsoft has made the decision to close three influential studios to “invest more deeply in our portfolio of games and new IP.” The above was included in an email sent to the employees, as reported by IGN. It also details that “These changes are grounded in prioritizing high-impact titles and further investing in Bethesda’s portfolio of blockbuster games and beloved worlds which you have nurtured over many decades.” The likes of Bethesda Game Studios (Fallout, The Elder Scrolls, and Starfield), Arkane Lyon (Marvel’s Blade), Machine Games (Indiana Jones and The Great Circle), and id Software (Doom) have been unaffected by these layoffs.

Microsoft boss slams UK labeling CMA’s Activision decision as “bad for Britain” MicrosoftMicrosoft President Brad Smith has slammed the UK, believing that its decision to reject the acquisition of Activision Blizzard is “bad for Britain.” In January 2022, it was announced that Microsoft was acquiring Activision Blizzard in a record-breaking deal worth $70 billion. Skepticism over what the move meant for competition in the games industry led authorities like the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority to investigate. After a lengthy investigation, the CMA decided to block the acquisition over fears that it would lead to Microsoft monopolizing cloud gaming. This decision has not gone down well with the company’s president. Brad Smith believes CMA decision will hurt UK market Microsoft President Brad Smith has described the CMA’s decision to block the Activision Blizzard acquisition as “bad for Britain.” In an interview with BBC Radio 4, the Microsoft boss expressed his disappointment in the UK authorities. Talking about the decision Smith said: “We are of course very disappointed about the CMA’s decision but more than that, unfortunately, I think it’s bad for Britain.” The Microsoft boss continued: “The business community, the investment community, and the technology sector around the world have been following this case. The strong message the CMA has sent has surprised everyone and will discourage innovation and investment in the UK.” Throughout the interview, Smith would reaffirm how he feels that Europe is “attractive for investment,” whilst the CMA’s decision has “severely shaken,” Microsoft’s confidence in the UK market. Later speaking on why the acquisition got rejected Smith wasn’t convinced it was an informed decision: “When we study the decision it’s based on what we feel is such a flawed and faulty understanding of the market.” On why the decision doesn’t make sense to him, he said: “It’s all about a potential concern about what could become the cloud streaming of games like you see with movies on Netflix. But this business is so small today that Microsoft can’t even stream games to more than 5,000 people at a time in the entire UK.” Microsoft has already voiced plans to appeal the CMA’s decision with this saga expected to continue for several months, if not years.

Microsoft breaks all-time earnings record amid recent Xbox success MicrosoftThe big green machine is on track to have a massive 2024, with the newest financial report from Microsoft revealing that the company broke its all-time earnings record for the most recent quarter. When it comes to the world of video games, Microsoft and Sony typically find themselves competing against one another. The two juggernauts measure their success based on earnings, game reviews, and overall player engagement. For Microsoft, the past few years have seemingly been tougher than most. While the launch of their latest consoles, the Xbox Series S/X has been a success, a lack of first-party exclusives has seen fans of the big green machine frustrated by the minimal exclusive content. However, this has not stopped the company from doing well financially. During the recent Microsoft financial report, the company revealed that the Q1 earnings broke the company’s all-time record. A secondary report in regards to the financial details explains how “Microsoft achieved a record-breaking $3.919 billion in Xbox gaming revenues in Q1’24, up +$309 million YoY (+9%)” and that “first-party content & Xbox Game Pass were the main drivers, Xbox content & services up +13% YoY.” These figures, particularly the increase in first-party content and Game Pass subscribers, is likely due to the massive hit that has been Starfield. Dexerto previously reported how the overall number of one day Game Pass subscribers was broken the day Starfield launched. Therefore, Microsoft has put itself on track to overtake its highest overall yearly figure, which is currently held by the year 2022. Time will tell if the big green machines are able to maintain this level of financial success. However, with the Activision deal now completed and more first-party games on the way, 2024 could be shaping up to be a massive year for the company. For all the latest gaming news and updates, be sure to check out Dexerto’s full coverage here.

Microsoft begins Xbox Game Pass family plan rollout in select countries MicrosoftMicrosoft has begun testing a new Xbox Game Pass family plan after many teasers. This preview is only available to certain countries for the moment while the company still works out how the plan will operate. A new Xbox Game Pass family plan has just been made available in Colombia and Ireland, with Xbox users from these countries able to test out the new plan as part of early trials of the long-awaited feature. The plan will allow up to four other users to be added to the one subscription with the only condition being that all users must be located in the same country. One of Microsoft’s senior technical program officers, Tyler Mittleider, issued a post on the official Xbox news website, explaining how it’ll impact Game Pass users. “This makes it even easier to play the best Game Pass games with friends and family across console, PC, and cloud by enabling you to add up to four people to your subscription, all with their own unique access to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate games, content, and benefits.” How to sign up for Xbox Game Pass family plan preview Mittleider explains how testers in Colombia or Ireland will be able to sign up for the Xbox Insider preview. Those eligible and willing must simply head over to the Microsoft Store and sign up for the plan. This will then automatically convert their existing Game Pass plan to the new Family plan that will be, “based upon the monetary value of the old membership.” For example, those who have a month of Ultimate will then have their plan converted over to 18 days of the new family pass plan. Once signed up, head over to the Microsoft Account page where you’ll then be able to add up to four other users to the joint account. Adding new users can be done by sending an invite via email or by requesting to generate links that can then be shared with friends and family. However, Mittleider does note in the post that there have been issues with converting normal Game Pass Ultimate memberships over to the new family pass subscription. The preview version of this new family plan is currently available for €21.99 a month, or around $25 USD. There is no word on when this plan will be available in other parts of the world.

Mickey Mouse horror game changes title to avoid “neo-Nazi” comparisons Nightmare Forge GamesThe developer of the upcoming Mickey Mouse horror game Nightmare Forge Games has announced that it has changed the title for the game. Nightmare Forge Games announced a Mickey Mouse horror game called Infestation 88 on January 1, the day the character entered the public domain. The developer jumped at the chance to introduce the Disney icon into the horror genre in the same vein as the “Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey” movie did to the A. A. Milne characters in 2023. The game’s trailer made the rounds on social media and the developer hit up multiple major gaming news publications to announce that it is scheduled to enter early access on Steam sometime in 2024. The gameplay is described as a co-op survival horror game that will see players investigate a mysterious infestation in the 1980s. While the game seemed to take off on social media, some called the game out for its title’s association with “neo-Nazi” symbolism. Mickey Mouse horror game changes title one day after reveal The number 88 is an antisemitic dog whistle recognized by the Anti-Defamation League and is used by neo-Nazis. Inverse asked Nightmare Forge Games if they were aware of the reference and “if the team were neo-Nazis.” Nightmare Forge responded to Inverse’s question “No, we are not.” “Unfortunately, when announcing the game, we were unaware of the additional implications associated with the number 88. Our game is set in the 1980s, with the year 1988 being chosen simply for its symmetrical design in our game’s artwork. Therefore, the 88 strictly represents the year 1988; no additional connotations are intended,” the developer told Inverse. The developer then put out a statement on social media saying that it had decided to change the title of the game to Infestation: Origins to get away from any connections or comparisons to the antisemitic group. “We apologize for our ignorance on this and appreciate that this was brought to our attention so we could address it ASAP,” the developer said.

Microsoft’s Activision Blizzard acquisition investigated by UK regulator Microsoft, Activision BlizzardThe United Kingdom’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) counts as the latest regulating body to investigate Microsoft’s acquisition of mega-publisher Activision Blizzard. Microsoft announced plans to purchase Activision Blizzard for nearly $70 billion earlier this year, a historic deal that has raised a few red flags for some. Activision’s shareholders approved the merger a few months ago. In addition, the agreement recently garnered the support of major labor union Communications Workers of America. However, in late January, America’s Federal Trade Commission (FTC) noted its intention to review the buyout, hoping to determine whether it will constitute a case of unfair competition. CMA investigating Microsoft’s Activision Blizzard acquisition The UK’s competition regulator, Competition and Markets Authority, has announced a probe into the Microsoft and Activision Blizzard agreement. Upon detailing its reasoning in a statement to CNBC, the regulating body said the review will determine whether the takeover could potentially injure competition and ultimately disadvantage consumers – “for example, through higher prices, lower quality, or reduced choice.” The CMA will hold a consultation through July 20 for any third parties interested in delivering feedback. A September 1 deadline marks the time at which the CMA must deliver its decision. Microsoft’s Corporate VP and General Counsel, Lisa Tanzi, told CNBC the company will “fully cooperate” with the regulator’s investigation. Tanzi additionally noted that Microsoft remains confident its Activision Blizzard acquisition will be finalized by the end of Fiscal Year 2023. Notably, Microsoft has already addressed a few concerns related to questions of potentially unfair competition. For one, Head of Xbox Phil Spencer previously made clear the company’s desire to keep Call of Duty on PlayStation. How Microsoft will approach other historically cross-platform IP if and when the deal goes through presently remains unknown.

Mickey Mouse gets Lethal Company-style horror game as trademark enters public domain Nightmare Forge GamesIt hasn’t taken long since an early version of Mickey Mouse entered the public domain for a new Lethal Company-style horror game to feature the classic cartoon character. With multiple versions of iconic Disney characters entering the public domain lately, fans have been quick to turn these beloved properties on their head. However, while Winnie the Pooh made waves in the horror movie industry, there haven’t been many games capitalizing on this opportunity. That is until now, as Nightmare Forge Games has announced a new, co-op horror game featuring the most iconic of Disney’s cast of characters. Hunt Mickey Mouse with your friends as the character enters public domain The announcement came today as Nightmare Forge Games released the trailer for Infestation 88, an upcoming game that pits players against Mickey Mouse himself. The game looks to function similarly to Lethal Company, the hit co-op game from Zeekerss, as players team up to hunt down a monstrous Mickey Mouse before he takes them out first. As explained in the game’s press release: “We’re excited to reveal Infestation 88, our upcoming co-op horror game inspired by Steamboat Willie that blends nostalgia with terror.” They go on to mention that, “With Steamboat Willie just entering the public domain… we expect this game to continue drawing significant attention worldwide.” This is important to know, as this version of Mickey Mouse is not the most current one that players may be familiar with. Instead, the game is based off of the Steamboat Willie version of Mickey Mouse, the 1928 short that is regarded as the true debut of the character. This short, and its versions of Mickey and Minnie Mouse, have just entered the public domain, which means that the developers are able to make this game with the characters. There have been a handful of Disney characters who have entered public domain recently, resulting in them being used in horror-focused projects. The most well-known of these projects is Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey, the 2023 slasher film starring Pooh and Piglet as the killers.

MGS fans are freaking out over Snake Eater remake footage YouTube: KonamiNew footage from the Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater remake has officially released, and fans loved every second of it. PlayStation’s May showcase brought a ton of surprises, such as the reveal of Bungie’s Marathon revival and footage of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. But the biggest surprise of all came from Konami, as the publisher revealed a MGS: Snake Eater remake, which arguably stole the show. The topic of remakes can be a touchy subject among fans. There’s a fine line that players don’t want crossed between preserving the original title versus careful upgrades to things like controls, graphics, and certain segments that have aged poorly. Thus, it’s safe to say that the Snake Eater remake is under very watchful eyes. However, new in-game footage has finally been showcased, and it’s eased some of the tension Konami has to navigate through. MGS fans react to Snake Eater remake in-engine footage With the Snake Eater remake, Konami’s challenge is two-fold. The studio has to fine-tune a famously acclaimed gaming experience, on top of regaining the goodwill that was lost after the messy exodus of series director Hideo Kojima. During the Xbox Partner Preview, Konami made a surprise appearance with a first look at footage of the remake. Remade with the power of Unreal Engine 5, fans were left speechless at what was shown. “This looks so graphically amazing” basically summed up the experience, as viewers saw Naked Snake traverse through the dense jungle. Scenic shots showed off the power of UE5, as water beautifully reflected light and mud messily dripped off Snake after a muddy dive. The social media community also loved what they saw, although some fans remained cautious. The remake won’t feature Kojima’s involvement, and as mentioned, his exodus left a lot of fans burned. Minor complaints came up fans weren’t pleased with Snake’s face in this revamped project. Kojima-less?! pic.twitter.com/11V1jsx7ux — Rafa Aremu Photography (@RafaAremuPhotos) October 25, 2023 Looks great. Not sure about snake’s face though.. — ロイド ☆ カクタス先生 61 degrees (@stargateheaven) October 25, 2023 Overall, fans appear to think that Konami has seemingly found its stride here, at least from a graphical standpoint. The remake is still some ways off with no targeted release date in sight, so time will tell what else Konami has up its sleeve with the MGS3: Snake Eater remake.

Michael Reeves trolls LilyPichu with hilarious photo on It Takes Two YouTube: Stella ChuIt Takes Two has become the newest co-op game for streamers to sink their teeth into, and one of Twitch’s favorite couples, Michael Reeves and LilyPichu, have been having a riot in-game. From the moment of its release, It Takes Two has become one of Twitch’s most popular titles. The co-op game is perfect for testing everything from your brainpower to your relationship, making it perfect for the on-stream experience. Dexerto was offered a preview of the title and learned several lessons along the way, but it seems like streamer couple extraordinaire LilyPichu and Michael are taking some very different messages away from the game. Especially when it comes to taking in-game photos during the second level. Michael trolls LilyPichu in It Takes Two As they run around the inside of Cody and May’s resident garden tree, the dynamic duo discover the game’s now-iconic photo booth. Rushing to get into position and strike the best pose before the time runs out, Lily positions May leaning back against the tree. Michael then moves to stand on top of her as Cody and t-bag, and the result looks… interesting. Lily bursts into fits of laughter as they examine the resulting photograph, not helped by May loudly proclaiming “that’s pretty good!” The two pretty quickly dissolve into fits of laughter, with the chat also going wild and laughing alongside them. It’s adorable to see how the game brings the two of them together, just as it was designed to – although we doubt the developers had this exact scenario in mind. It Takes Two is all about sorting Cody and May’s relationship, so it’s nice to see real-life relationships blossom alongside it. Although, just wait until they get to the part with the plushie Queen Elephant. That’s quite the test.

Mew revealed in Pokemon Unite: Moves, stats, release date, guide, build PokemonMew has finally gone live in Pokemon Unite, with the iconic Pokemon joining the game’s roster during the first anniversary celebration. Here’s everything you need to know about Mew in the MOBA, including their moves, stats, and how to build them. Mew is one of the many new Pokemon to arrive in Pokemon Unite as part of the game’s first anniversary, giving Trainers the chance to play as the iconic Mythical ‘mon. As a Psychic-type Pokemon, Mew is an Attacker that uses powerful moves to eliminate its opponents from a far range — making it an ability powered sniper in Pokemon Unite. While leaks revealed basically everything before Mew’s launch, TiMi Studios has finally confirmed it all as the Pokemon goes live in-game. Here’s what you need to know about Mew in Pokemon Unite, including their moves, stats, and the best way to build them. Contents Pokemon Unite Mew release date Mew released in Pokemon Unite on September 2, 2022, just as the previous Battle Pass expired. With Volume 3 of the first anniversary now going live, players can queue up and play as the iconic ‘mon. Pokemon Unite Mew stats The leaked Mew stats revealed the Pokemon as an Attacker — which shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise. After all, the Pokemon is a Psychic-type from Generation I with a focus on high damage. This will make items such as Shell Bell and Choice Specs a must for the Legendary. Keep in mind Mew does not evolve, therefore its stats are relatively linear in growth. As for Mew’s cost, players will be able to earn Mew for free during the Pokemon Unite anniversary event. Collect all 6 slates to unlock Mew for free. There are actually options to pay to win your way through the event, so keep that in mind for players wanting to gain fast access to the Pokemon. Pokemon Unite Mew moves The Psychic Legendary Pokemon plays very differently from other picks in Pokemon Unite. Its movesets aren’t set in stone during the game, but Mew appears to have the unique ability to switch out its moves regularly. This is thanks to Mew’s Passive ability, Synchronize, which goes on cooldown after around 10 seconds after its used. Takedowns and or scoring a goal reduces this cooldown, thereby increasing Mew’s versatility in a teamfight. As for the rest of Mew’s leaked moves, it has a wide array available to it. It has moves like Electro Ball, Solar Beam, Surf, and even Light Screen. Because of Mew’s versatility, it can likely play as both a support and a damage dealer. Of course, this will likely depend on the player’s individual style, since Mew even has the ability to buff allies’ movement speed. Best Moves Analysis Instead of learning a new move and being limited to them during the game, Mew has three sets of moves. Switching off these are essential to maximizing the pokemon — so providing a recommended move set for Mew is definitely a tad tricky. The key to understanding Mew’s moves is understanding when you need each move, and the unique advantage each move provides. As a whole, Solar Beam is the best early game move. It provides a lot of burst damage and range, serving essential for Mew to scale into the game. So take it early for sure. Then combo it with Light Screen to begin with, as to provide more utility during fights. Once you have the option, level up Surf rather than Electro Ball. Electro Ball is useful more so for a guaranteed last hit on enemies rather than providing any other strong utility. Solar Beam far out damages Electro Ball, and also has more range. In regards to the other move, Agility is best used for mobility, which really shouldn’t be a shocker considering the name. Coaching is easily Mew’s best support move, as it grants a shield and increases the target pokemon’s basic attack speed. Therefore, try to opt for Coaching when in team fights and trying to maximize utility. Best Build (Held Items, Emblems, Battle Item) For both held items and emblems, build Mew to maximize the pokemon’s special attack. Doing so allows Mew to deal obscene amounts of damage from afar, and is easily the best build and play style for the new pokemon. Here is the recommend held items: Choice Specs – Wise Glasses – Shell Bell – Take Green emblems for the most part, to increase Mew’s Special attack stats. Either Green or Black would work wonders, with black granting more cooldown reduction. Here are the recommend battle items: X-Speed – X-Attack – The best would likely be X-Speed, which has great utility as a whole in the current meta. You really can’t go wrong with this item — but for those looking for more pure attack, X-Attack works too. So there you have it, everything you need to know about Mew in Pokemon Unite. Make sure you check out our Pokemon page for all the latest news and info.

Metroid Prime Remastered Review: Samus smashes it in perfect remaster Metroid Prime Remastered is a complete HD makeover of one of the all-time greats, and original developers Retro Studios, along with Iron Galaxy Studios, have helped this masterful icon stay true to its identity. After completely skipping the N64 altogether, Nintendo’s storied Metroid franchise returned on the Gamecube with 2002’s Metroid Prime, moving away from the conventional 2D, side-scrolling action we’ve seen in the likes of Metroid Dread and instead delivering a first-person-inspired game. The original was deemed a masterpiece and has one of the highest Metacritic review scores of all time. So it’s not a shock to see that fans have been begging for a Metroid Prime Trilogy remaster for years. Nintendo Switch players now have the opportunity to delve into Metroid Prime 1 Remastered, and thanks to a refined control scheme and top-notch visual qualities, it’s a stunning remaster of a legendary title that’s aged very well. Metroid Prime Remastered: Key details Price: £34.99/$39.99 – Developer: Retro Studios/Iron Galaxy Studios – Release Date: February 8, 2023 – Platforms: Nintendo Switch – Metroid Prime Remastered trailer Samus’ story is simple yet effective An abundance of Space Pirates stands in the way of Samus Aran once more as the battle-hardened hero immediately jumps into the action by landing on a ship whose crew has been overwhelmed by the hostile force. Within minutes, Metroid Prime Remastered has you exploring, platforming, and ultimately going toe-to-toe with a sizable boss — just Metroid things. From there, Samus winds up on Tallon IV where she finds traces of the Chozo race and needs to explore the planet to uncover its history while tackling a large helping of Space Pirates and regaining lost Suit abilities. A majority of the game’s story and lore are tucked away in data entries that can be found all over the game’s various areas, adding an extra layer of depth to Metroid Prime Remastered’s simple premise – recover 12 Artifacts and save the planet. There aren’t many cut scenes and the narrative is pretty slim, but it’s enough to explain Samus’ purpose and ultimate goal in the game. Besides, this leaves more time for you to get back into the action. Metroid Prime Remastered gameplay is still a GOAT I should preface this by saying I haven’t played the original Metroid Prime, so this experience was new to me – as it will be for many people playing the remastered version for the first time in 2023. Some games and series are sometimes so far ahead of their time that you can scarcely believe it. Metal Gear Solid is known for being a classic example of this, but I firmly believe that Metroid Prime Remastered had no right to be this good when it debuted in 2002. Described by Nintendo as a “first-person adventure” game, Metroid Prime focuses on exploration, platforming, and puzzle-solving just as much as it does its combat. Throughout your 10-20 hour journey – and your runtime really will depend on your intuitiveness and desire to discover – you’ll fight countless creatures across the game’s main hub areas. Phendrana Drifts will send an icy chill down your spine with its cold climate and blue enemies, whereas the sweltering heat of the Magmoor Caverns will have you begging for someone to turn the air conditioning on. You’ll become acquainted with these locations very quickly too as the gameplay loop keeps players cycling through the same sections to access new areas, find helpful upgrades, and progress the game’s natural story. While ‘backtracking’ may be regarded as an ugly word in gaming, Metroid Prime Remastered makes it an art form as most loops have a real sense of purpose and the repetition doesn’t grate. Going through the Chozo Ruins for the 20th time is made fun as by then you’ll have gained game-changing skills such as a Double Jump, negating time-consuming obstacles you previously needed to overcome, or the ability to cling to walls using Samus’ Morph Ball form. Earning a new ability will usually take place near an elevator or path that will inevitably take you back to an area you needed that item for. Failing that, objective markers and hints will also help to push you in the right direction — it’s all logical. But it’s not just Samus that changes, so do the levels. New enemies will appear, and unsurprisingly, things will get harder the stronger you get. In essence, this is an early form of what we now know as Roguelike games, again, an example of Metroid Prime Remastered being way ahead of the curve. You have four main guns each with additional functions and four visors that you will all need to switch between to capitalize on enemy weaknesses and reveal hidden items. Enemies and doors will require certain guns meaning that you will have to diversify your tactics to survive. I also found that Metroid Prime Remastered casts the onus on the player to become stronger, which was refreshing compared to the traditional XP system found in many modern games. You want more life? You’ll need to seek out Energy Tanks. Tired of running out of missiles so quickly? Use your scanner to find breakable surfaces concealing Missile Expansions. These are things that you’ll need to do, as the game will spike in difficulty later on. It’s a challenge, but a fun one that is indicative of older game design before games like Demon’s Souls came along to remind gamers of how things used to be. The boss fights are epic, the sense of progression is almost euphoric at times, and the game handles like a dream when using a modern controller such as the Switch Pro Controller. The sights and sounds are Prime Another area that Metroid Prime Remastered absolutely smashes out the park is its sound. The soundtrack is infectious with virtually every piece of music being liable to keep you awake at night with its catchiness and capacity to cause fear. Every track is memorable and covers a wide range of moods. One second it will flirt with softer electronic rhythm before blasting you with anxious, horror-driven beats in the heat of full-scale conflict. It doesn’t matter how late into the game you get, coming head-on with Chozo Ghosts or Space Pirates never stops being unnerving. The HD polish refines what were already considered to be stellar graphics and they make locations and character models pop. Tie all of these components together and you’ve got an electric atmosphere that is slyly a terrific motivator in making you want to do those repeated level cycles. Verdict – 5/5 This is as easy a perfect score as you’re likely to ever see. Metroid Prime was a masterpiece back in 2002, and it holds up impeccably in 2023. Everything synergizes, each and every element cohesively blends into one another, and there is not an ounce of effort wasted. Metroid Prime Remastered has been in demand for years for a very good reason: It’s a flawless, fun work of art that makes the wait for Metroid Prime 2 and Metroid Prime 3 Remastered, and the upcoming Metroid Prime 4, feel even longer. Reviewed on Nintendo Switch If you enjoyed our review of Metroid Prime Remastered, then check out some of our other big reviews: Hogwarts Legacy review | Dead Space review | Deliver Us Mars review | Forspoken review | Fire Emblem Engage review | Need For Speed: Unbound review | Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion | The Callisto Protocol review | Marvel’s Midnight Suns review

Metroid Prime 4’s glorious return goes beyond our wildest dreams NintendoSeven years since its announcement, five years since it restarted development, and nearly 17 years since the last entry… Metroid Prime 4 has officially been unveiled by Nintendo, and it’s everything fans hoped for. The first glimpse of gameplay finally arrived as part of the Nintendo Direct for June 2024, and the gorgeous footage shows Samus Aran leaping out of her gunship, and doing a superhero landing before setting out to explore and scan a new alien planet. It’s good to be back. So far, the first look at the game — now titled Metroid Prime 4: Beyond — seems very similar to the original Prime titles but with a new lick of paint, and that is a compliment. After the infamous restart of its development, Nintendo revealed that Retro Studios would return to development of the fourth installment in the Prime franchise, after being the developers of every previous entry. Fans got a look at Retro Studios’ abilities on the Switch with the gorgeous remaster of the original Metroid Prime, and already 4 looks set to top even that in the graphics department. Starting off on a grungy and dilapidated alien planet, later the trailer reveals a lush environment filled with green foliage and jungles, almost reminiscent of the bright and sci-fi-inspired worlds of Xenoblade Chronicles X. Plus, a long-standing tease looks set to finally be paid off, as the bounty hunter Sylux returns in the trailer after appearances in Metroid Prime Hunters, Metroid Prime 3, and in an ending reveal in Metroid Prime Federation Force. Previously the furthest point in the Prime timeline, it now seems that fans will discover exactly what Sylux had planned for the Metroid he stole in the 3DS game. While some fans have speculated that Metroid Prime 4’s development may have shifted to the Nintendo Switch’s successor, the announcement here, as well as Nintendo’s insistence that games revealed in the June 2024 Direct would be only for the current Nintendo Switch, seems to contradict any theories. Fan reactions have been overwhelmingly positive, as underneath the announcement from Nintendo of America’s X account, there are hundreds of comments sharing their excitement and thrill at the game’s eventual reveal. One comment says, “IT LOOKS INSANEEEEE THANK YOU SO MUCH @RetroStudios” before another comment adds, “This looks absolutely fantastic. I am so excited! Thank you, Nintendo for finally showing it off.” Talking about the gameplay reveal, one comment says, “That’s all we wanted, Metroid prime 4 to be exactly what Metroid Prime plays like.” Meanwhile, a Nintendo fan shares their thoughts, saying, “Never played a Metroid game before but, I’m definitely down to play this.” The Metroid Prime 4 Beyond release date is still a while away, but now with gameplay to analysis and some secrets to uncover, the game’s long-awaited launch finally feels within reach.

Metroid Prime remaster rumor hints at late 2022 release date Reportedly, Nintendo’s much-coveted Metroid Prime remaster for the Nintendo Switch is targeting a holiday 2022 release date. Rumors about the still-unannounced Metroid Prime remaster have swirled for months on end. In November 2021, credible industry insider Emily Rogers claimed Nintendo wrapped production on the first game’s re-release over the summer. The publisher allegedly wanted to use the remaster as a foundation upon which to build similarly upgraded experiences for Metroid Prime’s two sequels. But despite the success of Metroid Dread and the exceptionally long wait for Metroid Prime 4’s arrival, Nintendo has yet to so much as confirm the existence of a remastered trilogy. Metroid Prime remaster may release later this year During the most recent episode of GiantBomb’s Game Mess Mornings, VentureBeat journalist Jeff Grubb claimed the first Metroid Prime is getting the “big remaster treatment.” It will, apparently, hit stores for Nintendo Switch in holiday 2022, Grubb noted. “I can say that I’ve been told pretty definitively that Metroid Prime Remastered is going to be one of their big holiday games. In the past, this is something I’d heard was in the works… “Now I’ve been told that their plans are to release that game this holiday, I think almost certainly to line up with the 20th anniversary in November.” The journalist added that while Metroid Prime 2 and 3 will receive remasters, the enhancements won’t prove quite as extensive. Supposedly, Nintendo has no plans to launch re-releases for the two this year. Grubb posits that the scattered rollouts for the three remastered projects could constitute a way for Nintendo to slowly ramp up to the eventual launch of Metroid Prime 4. Developer Retro Studios and Nintendo shipped the original Metroid Prime for GameCube in November 2002, offering an adventure set between the events of Metroid and Metroid 2. Two follow-up entries hit store shelves in subsequent years. However, the eagerly-anticipated fourth installment still lacks a firm due date, despite Nintendo unveiling the project at E3 2017.

Metroid Prime 4: Beyond – Release window, gameplay, more NintendoAfter seven years of waiting, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond has finally made another appearance, with a brand-new name and a look at the world that Samus will explore. Metroid Prime 4 has had an unpleasant history. Originally announced in 2017 with Bandai Namco at the helm, Nintendo later announced in 2019 that this version of the game was being scrapped and that development had been restarted, with Retro Studios developing the game. After seven long years of waiting, the Prime series is set to return to Nintendo systems. Metroid Prime 4: Beyond may well be the swansong of the Switch, but what a game to end things on. When is Metroid Prime 4: Beyond’s release window? Metroid Prime 4: Beyond will be released in 2025. While this seems like a big release window, it’s a lot better than the zero information fans have had since its cancelation and revival. Metroid Prime 4: Beyond trailers While Metroid Prime 4: Beyond was originally announced in 2017 (as Metroid Prime 4), it was just a logo with no footage, so we won’t repost it here. Instead, there is the first gameplay trailer shown during the June 2024 Nintendo Direct, as seen on the Nintendo UK YouTube channel. We will update this section as more trailers are added. What we know about Metroid Prime 4: Beyond The recent trailer during the June 2024 Nintendo Direct gave us our first glimpse of gameplay footage. Metroid Prime 4: Beyond will feature Sylux as the villain, as he’s seen leading the Space Pirates, along with some Metroids. As for the game itself, it will combine the first-person shooting with third-person exploration segments, with Samus exploring a massive new forest world, which was briefly glimpsed at the end of the trailer. What platforms will Metroid Prime 4: Beyond be released on? Currently, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is only confirmed for the Nintendo Switch. While we know that the Nintendo Switch’s successor is launching in 2025, there is yet to be any confirmation about whether it is a backward-compatible system, or whether Metroid Prime 4: Beyond will have a dedicated version on the platform.

Is Metal: Hellsinger coming to Xbox Game Pass? The OutsidersIs Metal: Hellsinger on Xbox Game Pass? Find out everything we know about the FPS rhythm game’s release on Microsoft’s subscription service. Metal: Hellsinger is the latest FPS game that aims to provide a musical twist with its over-the-top demon-slaying action. However, those looking to blast their ways through the hellish hordes will be wondering whether Metal: Hellsinger will be making its way to Game Pass on both Xbox and PC. After all, Game Pass enables players to download and play titles from a huge catalog of genres. So, if you’re looking to blast some demons to the beat in Metal: Hellsinger, then our handy hub has you covered with everything you need to know. Is Metal: Hellsinger coming to Xbox Game Pass? Metal: Hellsinger will release on Game Pass for PC on September 15, 2022. This will enable subscribers to play the game without having to purchase a copy of the upcoming FPS title. Unlike other conventional FPS titles, Metal: Hellsinger is a rhythm shooter, where players are rewarded for blasting their enemies to the beat. In fact, the more in sync you are with the rhythm, the more destruction you will cause to your demonic foes. Whether you’re an FPS fan looking for your next action-packed adventure or a massive rhythm game fanatic, then Metal: Hellsinger’s release on Game Pass for Xbox and PC is a bonus for any player. How to access Metal: Hellsinger on Xbox Game Pass In order to play Metal: Hellsinger on Game Pass, you’ll first need to purchase a subscription from the official Microsoft website. Your first three months will only set you back $1/£1, while subscriptions after this period will cost $9.99/£7.99 a month. Once your Xbox Game Pass subscription is activated, simply use the app or Microsoft store to begin downloading Metal: Hellsinger when it releases on September 15, 2022. As long as your subscription is active, you’ll be able to play the FPS Rhythm game for as long as you like. So, there you have it, everything you need about Metal: Hellsinger on Xbox Game Pass. Make sure you check out our Metal: Hellsinger hub for all the latest news and updates.

Metroid fans lose their minds as Prime 4 returns after 5 years of silence NintendoMetroid Prime 4: Beyond finally received a trailer and release window, much to the delight of fans who worried the game had been quietly canceled. The Nintendo Direct on June 18, 2024 ended with the shocking news that – seven years after its announcement and five years since the last update from the developers – Metroid Prime 4 is finally approaching launch. Five-and-a-half years after announcing development on the game was restarting, Nintendo released the first trailer for Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, and fans are unsurprisingly stunned and excited. Most of the reactions come from shocked Metroid lovers who had given up hope of hearing more about Prime 4 after so long. Among them is a daily Metroid Prime 4 news account which, for nearly 2,000 days, posted the same joke about the lack of news. Many also posted “Metroid Prime 4 is real” or some variation on it, referencing the concerns that the game had been abandoned. Metroid Prime 4 was originally announced during E3 2017, just months after the Nintendo Switch’s release. However, in January 2019, Nintendo announced that development on the game had been restarted, saying it had “not reached the standards we seek in a sequel to the Metroid Prime series.” At that point, development restarted from scratch, this time with Metroid Prime 1-3 developer Retro Studios at the helm, and Nintendo warned not to expect more information for a while. Still, as time went on, fans became more and more anxious regarding Metroid Prime 4’s fate, with some fearing it had quietly been canceled or faced further development issues. Following today’s announcement, it’s now clear that Nintendo never forgot about Metroid Prime 4 and was merely giving Retro Studios the time it needed to make the next entry in this beloved series. While we still don’t know much about Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, this first trailer has fans incredibly excited and optimistic for the franchise’s future.

Metal: Hellsinger review – A short but stylish journey to the mosh pits of hell The OutsidersYou’ll need to fight like hell in Metal: Hellsinger, and while it doesn’t reach the grandest of heights to truly melt your face, this shooter has enough individuality and style to keep you grooving. The rhythmic first-person shooter genre is a relatively new one with 2020’s BPM: Bullets Per Minute showing what can be achieved. Metal: Hellsinger has embraced the concept, amped it up, and dropped it on its head with a raw, vulgar display of power. Metal: Hellsinger’s themes and ideas will be quite familiar to those who delight in the first-person shooter world, and it certainly doesn’t outstay its welcome either — quite the opposite in fact. With the FPS market being dominated by the same one or two games each year, The Outsiders’ new project coherently assembles a fun rush that briefly takes players along to the lower depths of hell to rock out. Metal: Hellsinger key details Developer: The Outsiders – Price: $39.99 / £33.49 – Release date: September 15, 2022 – Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X| Series S, Microsoft Windows – Metal: Hellsinger trailer Be prepared for hell Taking control of the badass ‘The Unknown,’ you’re thrust on a quest to conquer eight different areas of Hell ripping and tearing away at all demonic foes you come across. Why? To reclaim your most powerful tool – your voice. Standing before you are the Judges, overseeing figureheads that will stop at nothing to prevent you from doing this, and you will encounter regular end-level showdowns with them. The game’s story is chopped up into bitesize cutscenes between levels with further exposition spliced throughout the gameplay by your trusty companion Paz. Metal: Hellsinger’s firey narrative won’t win acclaim at The Game Awards, but it barrels along to a satisfying – if slightly predictable – conclusion. Heavy metal mayhem The obvious allure of Metal: Hellsinger is its beat-orientated gameplay that I feared would be consumed by the fires of its own gimmick, and I’m pleased to say this couldn’t be further from the truth. This meticulous mechanic deals with a great deal of depth and encourages players to beat to the game’s drum — literally. Every shot you fire, every reload, every dash, all these elements contribute to a combo-riffic, Fury-laden show. Fury is the name of the game here as each level’s central aim is to maintain the highest Fury level possible via combos and Perfect timing. Doing so maximizes your damage output and achieves the most incredible score. There’s no beating around the burning bush, the game’s true appeal is in its soundtrack as you whisk through the game’s rather meager selection of eight short levels, each identified by a piece of original music. The intensity and speed of each track hots up as you progress with Trivium’s Matt Heafy, System of a Down’s Serj Tankian, Lamb of God’s Randy Blythe, and Arch Enemy’s Alissa White-Gluz (among others) delivering unbelievable vocal performances to genuinely crushing metal songs. Even if the genre isn’t to your liking, the expert, technical musicianship ties into the flow of each level, and within two or three outings you’ll find the desire to be ‘on the beat’ second nature. DOOM and gloom You’ll have a whale of a time listening to the cacophony of sounds that Metal: Hellsinger produces, but the levels themselves do feel rather tired and uninspired, with only one or two that really feel unique. You’re better off focusing on the varied palette of enemies instead as there are enough to keep you on your toes. Killing them undoubtedly becomes formulaic though as you approach the game’s final offerings as some guns clearly overshadow others, so it does make a bunch of the game’s weapons and Sigils rather moot once your go-to loadout is locked in. Sigils can be unlocked through the game’s Torments: mini-games that increase in difficulty and ask players to meet certain conditions such as killing enemies using only Slaughters – a tribute to DOOM’s Glory Kill. While they are fun, they’re short and sweet and the beat can only carry you so far before you’re left wanting more. There’s not much replayability here or much reason to dive back in outside of its score system that may encourage leaderboard-chasing gamers to climb to the summit. Rock to the beat of your gun 2022 has produced some stunners and reminded everyone why they upgraded to the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, but Metal: Hellsinger sadly isn’t one of them as gameplay was clearly a priority over graphics — not a bad thing by any stretch of the imagination. It stood up quite well in Performance Mode with only one notable glitch occurring that caused me to restart a level. Some of its flaws can be simply brushed to the side though as you’ll be too busy being absorbed by the ebb and flow of the music. The dynamic nature of the soundtrack means that if you want to feel the ferocity of a harsh guttural or the pulsating chugs of a mean riff, then you’ll need to meet the beat, otherwise, you won’t get the full ear candy as the devs intended. Verdict 7.5/10 I finished Metal: Hellsinger wanting more, and honestly, that isn’t a bad thing. For the money you’re paying I do have to question its price tag, but what you’re getting here is a hard-hitting package of rhythmic, raucous violence. If the devs at The Outsiders can tighten up its weapon and level design for any future entries, then the future of FPS games may become hell for other franchises. Reviewed on PlayStation 5 The Last Of Us Part 1 Remake review | Destroy All Humans! 2 – Reprobed! Review | Madden 23 review | Diablo Immortal | V Rising Early Access | Card Shark | Sniper Elite 5 | Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course | Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes review | The Sims 4 Werewolves Game Pack review | Monster Hunter Rise Sunbreak review | As Dusk Falls

Metal Gear Solid remake from Konami rumored for PS5 KonamiKonami is rumored to be working on a remake of the original Metal Gear Solid, which is coming to the PlayStation 5 after Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater’s launch. The Metal Gear Solid franchise was dormant for a long time until Konami recently decided to revive many of its old franchises. This includes several new Silent Hill games and remakes, as well as a remake of Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater. Konami also released the reviled Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1, proving that it’s still interested in remastering the older titles in the Metal Gear Solid series, alongside full-scale remakes of the beloved entries in the franchise. While Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater will be the next big remake (even though the release date is still unknown), there are rumors that Konami has another title starring Solid Snake in the works. A Metal Gear Solid remake for PS5 is rumored to be in development by Konami A new report by Areajugones (translated via machine translation) states that Konami is remaking the original Metal Gear Solid. It’s in early production, with Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater being the current priority. Once that game is out, the Metal Gear Solid remake will be focused on. The rumored remake is said to be in development for PS5 and isn’t being released for the PS4. It’s unclear whether it’ll be a full-blown PS5 exclusive only, as Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater is mentioned to be coming to PC and Xbox systems and won’t be a PlayStation exclusive. There is no word regarding the studio working on the remake nor when it’s expected to launch. As Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater lacks a release date, it could be a while before Konami announces the Metal Gear Solid remake. If the rumors are true, it’s unusual for Konami to remake the Metal Gear Solid games out of order. It would have made more sense to remake the Metal Gear Solid first unless the intention was to go for a loose chronological release. The original Metal Gear Solid can be a janky experience in 2023, so it’s in much greater need of a remake than the other entries in the series. If the rumor is true, a return to Shadow Moses Island would be welcome in the modern era of gaming.

Metal: Hellsinger – Release date, artists, trailers & more The OutsidersMetal: Hellsinger is a rowdy rhythm FPS featuring exclusive songs from the vocalists of iconic bands like Trivium and System of a Down. Here’s everything we know about the unique game so far, from how the gameplay works to the big-name artists attached. Metal: Hellsinger is generating quite a buzz among fans of heavy music. Not just because the Doom-style levels are plucked straight out of a metalhead’s dreams, but also because some of the biggest stars from extreme metal are involved. Many games have tried to incorporate more aggressive music in an interesting way, such as Rock Band or Brutal Legend. But exclusive tracks from Lamb of God and System of a Down stars gives David Goldfarb‘s game a special edge. Here’s everything you need to know about Metal: Hellsinger, including gameplay details and the metal icons involved. Contents Metal: Hellsinger release date – Metal: Hellsinger platforms – Metal: Hellsinger gameplay – Metal: Hellsinger artists – Metal: Hellsinger trailers – Metal: Hellsinger release date Metal: Hellsinger is set to release on September 15, 2022, confirmed during a trailer on June 9. However, if you want to face the music ahead of time, there is also a free demo available to download on the PlayStation Store, Xbox Store, and Steam. Metal: Hellsinger platforms The developers have confirmed that the game will be available on PC, as well as next-gen consoles PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. At the time of writing, there is no word on whether or not a Nintendo Switch version is in the works, but we wouldn’t be surprised to see it announced later down the line. Metal: Hellsinger gameplay Metal: Hellsinger combines the frantic, demon-slaying action of Doom Eternal and adds rhythm elements to create a unique FPS experience, where it’s as important to pay attention to the music that’s playing as it is to the battlefield. Each new encounter will drop the needle on a metal banger that players will have to synch their attacks to. Keeping in time with the beat increases the amount of damage each shot does. Your attacks also affect the intensity of the song that’s currently playing, throwing an extra splash of Guitar Hero into the mix. Players will have access to the usual assortment of FPS weapons, including shotguns, dual pistols, and swords, to tear through eight different “Hells.” Metal: Hellsinger artists While the fast-paced action will be a massive draw, it’s the major artists attached to the project that has metalheads and gamers excited. So far, nine vocalists from some of the most recognizable bands in heavy music have been confirmed as contributors. Each has recorded an exclusive track specifically for the game, and it’s an incredibly diverse lineup that spans plenty of facets of metal. Check out the full list of artists, their bands, and the name of their songs below: Tatiana Shmayluk (Jinjer) – Burial at Night – Bjorn Strid (Soilwork) – Dissolution – Matt Heafy (Trivium) – This Devastation – Mikael Stanne (Dark Tranquillity) – Through You, This is the End, Blood and Law – Serj Tankian (System of a Down) – No Tomorrow – Dennis Lyxen (Refused & Invsn) – Silent No More – Randy Blythe (Lamb of God) – Acheron – Alissa White-Gluz (Arch Enemy) – Stygia – James Dorton (Black Crown Initiate & Replacire) – Poetry of Cinder – Metal: Hellsinger trailers If you want to see the game in action, we’ve included a couple of trailers to whet your appetite. The first is the trailer from The Game Awards 2021, while the second shows off gameplay to the beat of ‘No Tomorrow’ by System of a Down’s Serj Tankian. Game Awards 2021 trailer Serj Tankian (System of a Down) ‘No Tomorrow’ Trailer Public Demo & Release Date Trailer That was everything we know about Metal: Hellsinger so far. Be sure to check back for all the latest updates and new artist announcements. For more on the biggest upcoming games, check out some of our pages: The Elder Scrolls 6 | GTA 6 | Overwatch 2 | Assassin’s Creed Infinity | God of War: Ragnarok | Wolverine | Spider-Man 2 | Forspoken | Wonder Woman | Avatar Frontiers of Pandora | Sonic Frontiers | Dragon Age 4 | Legend of Zelda: Breath of The Wild sequel | The Witcher 3 next-gen patch | Avatar Frontiers of Pandora | Haunted Chocolatier

Oscar Isaac still “hopeful” for Metal Gear Solid movie Walt Disney Co., KonamiWhile the Metal Gear Solid movie hasn’t received an update for a long time, actor Oscar Isaac remains hopeful the project will come to fruition. In late 2020, Sony Pictures announced plans to produce a Metal Gear Solid film, with Oscar Isaac on board to star as Solid Snake. The scarce details shared by the movie studio included news that Kong: Skull Island director, and longtime MGS fan, Jordan Vogt-Roberts had signed on to direct. In the nearly two years since then, no other concrete pieces of information have surfaced about the live-action adaptation. But one person, in particular, isn’t ready to give up on the project’s prospects. Oscar Isaac offers update on Metal Gear Solid movie (kind of) During a Comicbook.com interview for his new graphic novel, Head Wounds: Sparrow, Oscar Isaac spoke briefly about the Metal Gear film. The minor update suggests shooting for the movie isn’t scheduled to begin anytime soon. At the very least, MGS faithful can rest assured that Isaac’s interest has yet to waver. He told the publication the following: “We want it to happen. Be excited. What’s the script? What’s the story? What’s the take? […] But [I’m] hopeful that comes to fruition because there’s so much potential for that. It’s an incredible game. It’s my favorite.” At present, there’s no official word on the status of Sony Pictures’ Metal Gear Solid movie. It’s also unclear if those originally attached to the creative team remain in play. The December 2020 announcement noted that Derek Connolly, who penned the Skull Island screenplay, would write the MGS script. Meanwhile, Sony Pictures veteran Avi Arad had joined to produce at the time. Of course, the Metal Gear movie isn’t the only aspect of the beloved franchise that remains shrouded in mystery. Fans continue to hold out hope for a Metal Gear Solid remake, though Konami remains mum about ongoing rumors.

Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Vol. 1: Release date, games, platforms KonamiThe Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Vol.1 is on its way courtesy of Konami. The acclaimed series is known for its precise, stealth action and the Master Collection Vol. 1 will celebrate some of MGS’s most iconic titles. Hideo Kojima’s Metal Gear Solid games are some of the most influential the industry has ever seen. They are games that were streets ahead of their time and had no contemporaries. Fast-forward to 2023 and Konami are set to honor some of these distinguished pieces of art with the Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Vol. 1. The bundle is a compendium of Metal Gear’s earliest works and was a shock announcement during the PlayStation Showcase 2023. They are complete remasters of said games and will look to introduce a new generation of players to these classic, complex stories. We’ve got everything you need right here if you’re looking for information on the titles that will feature. Contents Metal Gear Solid Master Collection: Release date Thanks to Konami, we know that the Vol. 1 Collection will be arriving during the period of October 24, 2023. The information was presented in the form of an official Konami press release following its unveiling. Here’s what they had to say: “Building to the Launch of METAL GEAR SOLID Δ: SNAKE EATER, METAL GEAR SOLID: MASTER COLLECTION Vol. 1 Will Release Autumn 2023.” Since then, we have obviously learned the accurate window of the game’s release. Metal Gear Solid Master Collection: Do we know the platforms? It’s a wide release for Konami’s historic bundle as it will be released on PlayStation, Xbox, PC, and also the Nintendo Switch simultaneously. So no one is srt to miss out on this extraordinary bundle. Metal Gear Solid Master Collection: Which games are included? The confirmed titles in the Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Vol. 1 are the following: Metal Gear Solid 1, Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, and Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. MGS3 will not be the fully-fledged remake of the title in development. In addition to this already sumptuous package, Konami has also reiterated that the original 1987 Metal Gear and 1990 Metal Gear 2 titles will be included too. Metal Gear Solid Master Collection: Trailer The collection itself hasn’t had an official trailer – as that treatment was reserved for the MSG3 Remake. However, you can check out the first mention of the bundle via the PlayStation Showcase 2023. Timestamp: 25:57 That wraps up your mission briefing on the Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Vol. 1. If you want even more gaming news and information on top of this, we have plenty of other game hubs to use your night-vision goggles on: Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 | Final Fantasy 16 | Assassin’s Creed Mirage | The Elder Scrolls 6 | GTA 6 | | Wolverine | KOTR Remake | Wonder Woman | DokeV | Dragon Age 4 | Avatar Frontiers of Pandora | Metal Gear Solid 3 Remake | Counter-Strike 2 | Mortal Kombat 1 | AEW: Fight Forever | Crash Team Rumble | Diablo 4 | Starfield | EA Sports FC | Alan Wake 2

Metal Gear Solid Delta is a loyal remake that could signal Konami’s return Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater’s influence on modern games is hard to overstate. The original, which came out 20 years ago, was a departure for the series, taking the MGS trappings and putting it into a much wider space than had previously come before. Metal Gear Solid, in its earlier years, often took place in indoor or enclosed areas. It was sneaking around vents and corridors to try and knock out guards with stealth-based gameplay. MGS 3 shook that up by placing you in a large jungle that you could navigate and backtrack through, making it feel like a larger, connected open area. It also told a really ambitious story tinged in world politics that had a killer hook. You’re a one-man army, dropped into the wilds of the soviet jungles to save a scientist in the 1960s Cold War era. You can’t be detected, and if you are, you’ll be disavowed, and the government will deny all knowledge of you to try and avoid an international incident. The game then sprawls out from there, as Hideo Kojima tasks you with navigating the wilderness, surviving, and trying to save the world. Its design, while not itself Open World, has influenced countless games that attempt to create a sense of space. Going back and playing it now, it’s pretty remarkable how well the game still plays for something that’s twenty years old. However, it’s ready to reenter the world of video games with Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater – and we got to play it recently. In a world where remakes are becoming more and more common, though, how is the Konami classic holding up, and just what kind of remake is it? Well, if you’re a purist, you’re in for a treat. A soldier’s loyalty Remakes of older titles are all the rage at the moment, with many having different sensibilities on how they approach recreating a classic. There are the likes of Resident Evil 4 Remake, which take the basis of the original game and remakes it top to bottom albeit faithfully, making a visually impressive update with some reworks around the core gameplay. There’s also the likes of Silent Hill 2 Remake which we recently got to play too, which takes an original game and tries to reimagine it in a different form. Metal Gear Solid Delta is neither of those. Instead, the approach is one of extreme loyalty. From what I’ve played, it’s clear how much reverence the game has for the original, only painting with a new brush to update the look of the game. Konami and its devs (some of whom worked on the original) are not trying to reinterpret anything here – this is as close to Metal Gear Solid 3 as you can possibly get but with beautiful redone graphics. That’s all impressive too – the title really does look beautiful. From how Snake moves, the mechanics, and how the world is constructed, it’s clear Konami is trying to retrace the original with only light touches of reinterpretation. Playing through a portion of the opening mission Virtuous, it became abundantly clear where Delta’s intentions lie. This is a very strong visual upgrade for a classic, bringing the game into the modern age. However, there’s confidence in the original title here. It’s not trying to spoon-feed it to audiences with all sorts of conveniences and reworks. It trusts the original to translate into a modern setting on its own. That really works too. An illustrative step to this is that the game uses all of the original audio files of the voice actors and their characters. It’s a simple but nice touch that shows Delta’s commitment to the original. Eating good You may ask “That’s all well and good; what does Metal Gear Solid Delta feel like to play?” The answer to that is pretty straightforward: It feels like Metal Gear Solid 3. A lot like Metal Gear 3. As stated, Konami is brushing with pretty light strokes here. You’re still sneaking around, trying to slowly and methodically take down soldiers in the jungle, while you hide in the bushes or throw distractions. And then, when it inevitably all goes wrong, going loud and frantically trying to kill as many soldiers as possible before you’re downed yourself. Of course, even with over an hour with the remake, a large portion of that was spent not playing the game. Metal Gear Solid as a franchise is known for its excessive cutscenes, and that’s no different in 3, and by extension Delta. This entry also has a lot of setup, introducing an alternate reality to the Cold War, and you feel it in the opening mission, as you get both a helping of political history, as well as character and situational setup. That said, if you know and love the cadence of the franchise, this should be no obstacle. It’s certainly gratifying to see these cutscenes lovingly recreated with a new graphical overhaul, making them very pretty to gawk at, while never losing their nostalgia factor. The world of Metal Gear Delta is also constructed in the same way as before. This might have been one area that players will have hoped to see a little modernization. While the world is connected, it’s still constructed piecemeal, with smaller areas you need to go to load between. It might have been nice to see the game flex modern hardware a little more and make an attempt at weaving this world together a little more seamlessly. However, again, this is about light touches with a big graphical overhaul. Changing how the game’s environments are constructed could have messed with the feel of this location, which many will remember like the back of their hand. If there is one mild concern, it centers around that remake’s performance. In some sections I played through it got quite frame-y, and clearly struggled a bit. However, as ever, this is only a preview, and there is time where all of this can be ironed out. While the graphical improvements are excellent, it’d be great if that extended to the game’s performance. Is Konami back? Amongst all this, there is something glaring, too – and it has nothing to do with how Delta plays or what it looks like. No, it’s Konami’s commitment to the game. It’s no secret that things didn’t exactly work out between Hideo Kojima and Konami when the two entities split. However, this remake feels like one that has nothing but full reverence for the original. There’s a feeling of deep respect. This obviously comes from the developer side, especially those who did work on the original, but Konami as a publisher seems committed to making this as faithful as possible. Perhaps with only a little over an hour with the game, it’s a bit naive to make any big conclusions, but this is all very promising from Konami. The company felt like it had stepped away from serious, mainstream games in the past decade. Metal Gear Solid Delta suggests maybe something has changed, though. That, maybe, we are on the path to Konami becoming a serious player in the space again, embracing and celebrating its past rather than trying to bury it. That’s an exciting proposition. As for Delta itself, it’s shaping up to be a loyal reconstruction of one of the most beloved games ever made. With an interest in updating the game graphically, but having a keen devotion to the original design, this is a remake for the Kojima purists. This isn’t trying to wow you with flash and gimmicks. Its goal is very simple, pure, even – it wants the title to feel and look how you remember it. And maybe, just maybe, suggests a publisher trying to do the exact same.

Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater – Everything we know KonamiThe much-awaited remake of the third Metal Gear Solid game, Snake Eater has a new gameplay trailer that reveals more details regarding the reimagination of the classic espionage thriller. Here’s all we know about it so far. Over 30 years ago, the Metal Gear video game franchise invented single-player stealth gameplay, with Hideo Kojima and Konami masterminding the idea. Now, the franchise has grown much bigger with over 24 games in the series ranging from five mainline titles and 19 spin-offs across mobile, PC, and PlayStation consoles. Now, after breaking ties with Kojima in 2015, Konami is remaking one of the most critically acclaimed games in the Metal Gear franchise, Snake Eater. The game is a prequel to the Solid Snake games as it features his father Big Boss, or Naked Snake as the primary protagonist who is on an espionage mission. Here’s everything we know about the Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater remake so far. Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater trailer, gameplay & plot The official gameplay trailer for Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater was released on June 9, 2024, at Xbox Games Showcase 2024. The trailer showcased gameplay of a fully remade version using Unreal Engine 5 with Raytracing, high-quality graphics, and smooth gameplay with higher framerates. The 2-minute long trailer features FOX operative Naked Snake on a stealth mission in 1964, 31 years before the events of the original Metal Gear, as he attempts to rescue a Russian rocket scientist Nikolai Stepanovich Sokolov, sabotage an experimental superweapon, and assassinate his defected former boss. Of course, all of this has to be done without being noticed. The gameplay shows notes of the classic game with interrogation and execution features, weapons like the RPG to blow up choppers, and Snake wearing an Alligator suit as he moves across a swamp among enemies. The entire trailer plainly showed the revamped visuals and gameplay inspired by Kojima’s original, stunning players with its graphical improvements – though some have been left frustrated by Snake’s appearance. Since the remake charm has always worked with PlayStation classics like Final Fantasy VII, players are also expecting Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater to strike a similar chord with longtime fans of the franchise. The announcement trailer for the game was dropped in PlayStation’s State of Play 2023 amid rumors of a Metal Gear remake. Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater platforms Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater will be released on PC, Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation 5, though no release date or window has been announced. While Sony has a long history with the Metal Gear franchise, the Xbox Games Showcase 2024 confirmed the game will not be a platform exclusive. We’ll keep this hub updated with all the latest news and coverage about Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater as more info is released.

Metal Gear Solid 3 Remake: Platforms, trailers & everything we know KonamiA Metal Gear Solid 3 Remake is finally on the way. We’ve got all the latest on Konami’s upcoming Remake including its platforms at launch, as well as our first look at the game. The legacy of the Metal Gear Solid franchise is a storied one – and Metal Gear Solid 3 is considered by many to be the cream of the crop. A blend of the series’ intricate stealth system was upgraded to feature new camo elements, survival parameters, and much more. The game added a whole new level of immersion not previously seen in an MGS game, and it’s why a remake has been at the top of many fans’ wishlists. After years of asking for it and months of speculation, it was finally announced at the PlayStation Showcase 2023. Sit back as we take you through all the latest on the stealth-action game. Contents Metal Gear Solid 3 Remake: Do we know when the game is coming out? – Metal Gear Solid 3 Remake: Platforms – Metal Gear Solid 3 Remake: Trailers – Do we know when the game is coming out? Even though the game has been announced, we don’t have any indication when it will arrive. The title’s reveal didn’t give a sniff of a date or even a release window just yet. Given the legacy and popularity of Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, we don’t expect it to be rushed. Platforms An official press release from Konami following the PlayStation Showcase 2023 event addressed platforms. “Konami Digital Entertainment B.V. today announced METAL GEAR SOLID Δ: SNAKE EATER is in production and will release on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Steam.” So, it has no PlayStation exclusivity, and it will release on Xbox and PC. Not only that, but it will also feature no last-gen ports either. Trailers Even though there was no gameplay, the first trailer for the game captures the feel of the jungle from the original. You can check it out below. If you want more information on all the major upcoming releases, we have many other gaming hubs for you to check out: The Elder Scrolls 6 | GTA 6 | Assassin’s Creed Infinity | Wolverine | Spider-Man 2 | Wonder Woman | Avatar Frontiers of Pandora | Dragon Age 4 | Diablo 4 | Starfield | Crash Team Rumble | F1 23 | Mortal Kombat 1

Metal Gear Solid 3 Remake announced for PS5 KonamiThe third installment in the Metal Gear Solid series, Snake Eater, is getting a PS5 remake. The return of Big Boss was announced in a teaser shown during this year’s PlayStation Showcase. The stealth gameplay introduced by Konami’s Metal Gear Solid games set a new standard for action-adventure games. Originally created by Hideo Kojima, the Metal Gear Solid series follows the exploits of stealth and espionage specialists Solid Snake and his father Big Boss. Players have jumped off of planes and escaped from prisons all across the world as Solid Snake in many games throughout the years. Since Kojima’s previous involvement in the series, the fifth entry, which seemingly put a stop to Snake’s escapades, the story seemed to end for fans. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater (published in 2004) was a prequel that put players in the role of Big Boss, Snake’s father, and put them on missions for the CIA in the 1980s. While recent games have provided a thrilling conclusion to Snake’s journey, a complete remake of the third game that will include Big Boss has been now announced in this year’s PlayStation Showcase. Big Boss returns in Metal Gear Solid 3 remake for PS5 A new Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater remake teaser was just unveiled at this year’s PlayStation Showcase. The preview opened with a scene set in the rainforest, where predatory creatures were shown feasting on their victims and, finally, a snake swimming through murky swamp water. Big Boss (or Naked Snake), in his signature disguise, appears from the darkness. Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater has its title screen seen at the conclusion of the clip, suggesting that this is an official remake of the game. The teaser also incorporated a song from the original game, ‘Snake Eater by Cynthia Harrell,’ which brought back fond memories for fans of the classic action adventure. Whether or whether the game will be launched on other platforms as well this year is still up in the air, but predictions regarding its gameplay have already begun.

Metal Gear Solid 3 Remake confirmed for Xbox and PC port release KonamiThe Metal Gear Solid 3 Remake has been confirmed for a Xbox and PC port release, after its announcement for a PS5 release during PlayStation’s Showcase. During the most recent Playstation Showcase, there was a lot of hype for a few of the new titles. For one, Bungie announced the revival of the classic shooter, Marathon, and a new gameplay trailer for Spider-Man 2. However, what is most likely the biggest announcement from the showcase was the official remake of Metal Gear Solid 3 coming out for the PS5. With a slight name change as well, to “Metal Gear Solid Δ: Snake Eater” (pronounced as “Metal Gear Solid Delta”) The remake was initially announced to come out on PS5 during the showcase, with no mentions of other platforms. However, we now have confirmation that Xbox and PC fans will not be left out. In a press release sent out after the Showcase, it was confirmed that the classic title will be coming out to both the Xbox Series X/S and Windows. Historically, the MGS franchise had strong ties with Playstation, with very few ports for the Xbox or PC. Metal Gear Solid 3 remake coming to Xbox and PC The original release of Metal Gear Solid 3 was a Playstation 2 exclusive in 2004, however later into 2006 a remastered version was released for the Xbox 360. Most Metal Gear Solid games have historically released on the Playstation, with other consoles getting a port a year or two after. However, this is not the first Metal Gear Solid game to have an initial multi-platform release. Metal Gear Solid V was the first to do so, being released on the Playstation, Xbox, and PC simultaneously. The PC port in particular heralded new things for the franchise, as the PC port allowed players to mod the game to their heart’s content. And it seems this is Konami’s new direction for multi-platform releases.

Metal Gear Solid 2 and 3 set for comeback for anniversary celebration KonamiKonami is looking forward to bringing back delisted games from digital stores on Metal Gear’s 35th anniversary. Here’s everything you need to know. Metal Gear is one of the most beloved stealth-action video game franchises of all time. After releasing in 1987, the series marks its 35-year anniversary today, i.e. July 13, 2022. As a token of celebration, Konami decided to bring back some of its temporarily delisted titles from digital stores. Here’s a complete rundown of all the games that will be resumed for sale. Konami might restore previously delisted Metal Gear titles soon As we mentioned earlier, the Metal Gear franchise turns 35 years old on July 13, 2022, and with that, they have planned to sell some of their previously discontinued titles. Their Japanese Twitter account posted a celebration tweet earlier today. It read in their native language but translates to: “The “METAL GEAR” series released on July 13, 1987, celebrated its 35th anniversary today. We are preparing to resume sales of titles that have been temporarily suspended.” In November 2021, Konami made this move as the licenses of some real-life footage used in games like Metal Gear Solid 2 and 3 expired. At that time, they were trying to renew the licenses of these games and removed them from the digital stores temporarily. Here are all the games that were temporarily discontinued last year: Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty HD Edition – Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater HD Edition – Metal Gear Solid HD Edition – Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty HD Edition – Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater HD Edition – Metal Gear Solid HD Collection – Metal Gear Solid HD Collection – Metal Gear Solid HD Edition: 2 & 3 – Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater 3D – Metal Gear Solid 2 Substance – Metal Gear Solid 2 HD for Shield TV – Metal Gear Solid 3 HD for Shield TV – It’d be an early Christmas for all the Metal Gear fans out there as the anniversary will likely bring back most of its classics. Last year, it was also rumored that Konami is set to release Metal Gear Solid game remasters for PS5. If the remaster does happen, it will be a fresh experience for both old and new fans of the franchise.

Meta Connect 2022: All new games revealed for Meta Quest 2 InnerslothMeta Connect 2022 saw a huge number of games revealed for Meta Quest 2, as well as updates on existing ones. Here are all the games revealed at the event. Facebook parent company Meta hosted its Meta Connect event today, and while there was much to discuss the future of the “Metaverse”, there was plenty of time for some fun, too. Despite the price increase of the Meta Quest 2, the platform shows no signs of slowing down and will gain plenty of new titles in the coming months. Here are all of the Meta Connect gaming announcements in one place. Marvel’s Iron Man VR Release date: November 3, 2022 Previously a PlayStation VR exclusive, Iron Man VR will come to Meta Quest 2 on November 3. The game was fairly well received on PS4, with a Metascore of 73, and features a full campaign that sees Tony Stark face off against Ghost. Population: One Sandbox Mode Release date: Unknown Population: One is one of the most popular games on Meta Quest, and the battle royale title will add a new Sandbox mode. This user-generated creation tool will let players build and share new maps and modes within the game’s engine. It’s currently without a release date as of Meta Connect. Among Us VR Release date: November 10, 2022 Innersloth’s incredibly popular social deduction title finally has a release date and will arrive on November 10 for $9.99. Players who pre-order Among Us VR will unlock a Mini Crewmate hat pre-order bonus. The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners Chapter 2 Retribution Release date: December 1, 2022 The sequel to one of the Meta Quest 2’s best titles will arrive on December 1, with players able to explore new areas of the zombie-filled New Orleans. Behemoth Release date: Unknown The Walking Dead wasn’t the only thing shown at Meta Connect from Skydance Interactive, with the team revealing its next project, Behemoth. New studio acquisitions Meta has confirmed the arrival of three new teams to be added to the Oculus Studios group. Marvel’s Iron Man VR developer Camoulflaj, Wilson’s Heart’s Twisted Pixel, and Resident Evil 4 VR’s Armature Studio will all join the growing roster. That’s all the gaming announcements from Meta Connect, but for more on VR gaming, be sure to check out our list of the best Meta Quest games you can play in 2022.

Metal Gear fans slam Master Collection’s “pathetic” performance KonamiMetal Gear fans are disappointed in the Master Collection’s apparent performance at a measly 720p. At the PlayStation Showcase 2023, Konami announced a bundle featuring several games from the Metal Gear franchise. The Master Collection Vol. 1 includes Metal Gear Solid 1, Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, and Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. While the collection launches in October 2023 for virtually every platform, the first previews are already in. Based on a NintendoLife preview, the titles run at 720p – and prospective players aren’t happy about it. Metal Gear fans aren’t happy with Master Collection’s quality A Reddit user voiced their concerns about the Master Collection running at 30fps on the Nintendo Switch when the original HD releases ran at 60fps. Besides the Switch, the bundle will run at 60fps on other platforms. “Considering the Switch is more powerful than the two consoles that previously held this pair of games, it’s disappointing to say the least that the frames have been halved,” they wrote in reference to the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. One person called the Switch port the “laziest collection ever.” “Runs worse than the dozen years old versions and it doesn’t even have all the games on cartridge instead requiring a download,” they remarked. “This is much worse than the Red Dead Redemption port.” “What a pathetic port from Konami… but then again, I’m not surprised in the slightest,” another player said. “This is a clear cashgrab attempt, with little to no effort coming from them… 720p on a PS5 is unacceptable.” “Literally even the ps vita port of mgs2 ran at up to 60 fps depending on the scene you were in,” a third user revealed. Unlike Hideo Kojima’s role in creating the Metal Gear series, the video game mastermind will not be involved in remakes or ports. For more information about the Metal Gear Solid 3 remake, check out our article.

Members of infamous hacking group Lizard Squad reportedly arrested Members of the notorious hacking group known as Lizard Squad claim that they’ve been arrested and taken into custody in the United Kingdom. On November 15, the Twitter page @UGLegion that claims to be the official social media front for Lizard Squad put out two tweets indicating that at least one of their members had been arrested. The first tweet featured an image of a police van outside of a property, and the post was captioned ‘So long, friends, It’s been a good run. You cannot arrest a lizard.” The second tweet confirmed that the situation, while also naming the perpetrator that would be representing as the head of their organization in court. “We have hired some of the best lawyers in the world – Brett Jones and Gary Bloxsome. Also, Brian Krebs will be representing as Lizard Squad’s leader if found guilty.” While nothing has been confirmed as of yet, all indications are that this arrest stems from Lizard Squad taking responsibility for the recent DDoS attacks and threats against the UK’s Labour Party. The group claimed that they were behind the “sophisticated and large scale” cyber-attack against the Labour Party that occurred earlier this week, taking place during the thick of an election campaign. https://twitter.com/UGLegion/status/1194274553402404864?ref_src=twsrctfwtwcamptweetembedtwterm1194274553402404864&ref_url=httpsthreatpost.comlizard-squad-labour-leader-cyberattacks-family150312 On top of that, the hackers also sent private messages to British news outlet The Independent, threatening to launch personal attacks against party leader Jeremy Corbyn and his family. In fact, hours after tweeting out about the arrest, the UGLegion page posted a message directed straight at Corbyn, asking him about his bank account. https://twitter.com/UGLegion/status/1195435487298818048 While their reach extends to all corners of the Internet, Lizard Squad have been especially ruthless when it comes to online gaming, messing with the servers of many popular games over for the years for seemingly no reason other than to remind everyone of their existence. Most recently, they claimed responsibility for the November 13 server outage of the newly-released Call of Duty: Modern Warfare for being “a terrible game,” and before that said they were responsible for the November 9 outage in Fortnite, as they were apparently “testing their botnet’s strength.” Whether or not these arrests will change the course of their plans and actions remains to be seen, but many are hoping it’ll mean Lizard Squad won’t be as active during the Holiday season as they tend to be. The group has made it a habit to cause issues with game and console servers around Christmastime, which is when a lot of people are online playing due to being off from school or work and having received new games and/or platforms as gifts. That said, shutting down game servers is one thing, launching cyber attacks against a massive political party in one of the world’s biggest countries is totally a different story, so only time will tell what the future lays in store for Lizard Squad. As always, we will continue to bring you the latest on these arrests as more information becomes available.

Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection: Release date, trailer, platforms & more CapcomThe Mega Man Battle Network games are finally getting a modern console release. Here’s everything we know about this huge Capcom collection of beloved spin-off titles, including release date, trailer, platforms & more. The Mega Man Battle Legacy series was a unique tactical turn-based take on Capcom‘s iconic platformer. The original spin-off title, Mega Man Battle Network, launched for the Game Boy Advance in 2001, with its positive reception resulting in multiple sequels, and the successful anime adaption — MegaMan NT Warrior. Over twenty years later, diehard Mega Man fans and newcomers alike will soon get the chance to experience the entire series on modern consoles thanks to the newly announced Battle Legacy Collection. Contents Release date and platforms Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection will launch worldwide on April 14, 2023, on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and PC. The collection was announced at the latest Nintendo Direct, where a Switch release was revealed. Capcom released an official statement shortly after, confirming the series will also be making its way to PS4 and PC. Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection Trailer A short trailer was released to announce the collection which featured gameplay footage, brief explanations of combat mechanics, and a look at some of the enhanced and new features that are exclusive to the collection. A second trailer was released on December 14, 2022, which revealed the collection’s release date alongside some new gameplay footage You can check out both trailers below: 1st Trailer 2nd Trailer Content Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection will feature all 10 Battle Network games and will be available to purchase as a single physical release, or digitally where it will be split over two volumes. The following games are featured in the collection: Mega Man Battle Network – Mega Man Battle Network 2 – Mega Man Battle Network 3 White – Mega Man Battle Network 3 Blue – Mega Man Battle Network 4 Red Sun – Mega Man Battle Network 4 Blue Moon – Mega Man Battle Network 5 Team Protoman – Mega Man Battle Network 5 Team Colonel – Mega Man Battle Network 6 Cybeast Gregar – Mega Man Battle Network 6 Cybeast Falzar – Alongside the games, the release will also include a music mode featuring over 188 songs from the series, and an exclusive art gallery containing over 1000 illustrations. Gameplay features The Battle Network games are strategy RPGs that feature a grid-based combat system with card battle elements. Combat takes place on a 3×6 grid where players control Mega Man, as well as series protagonist, Lan Hikari, who can utilize Battle Chips to enhance Mega Man’s skills and gain an advantage in battle. Before entering combat players must choose 30 Battle Chips which act as a deck. The core gameplay is split between net world combat and real-world exploration. During the exploration segments, players take control of Lan who can travel around the map, and interact with NPCs in order to progress the main story. So, that’s everything you need to know about the Battle Network Legacy Collection. Be sure to check out our other hubs below, for all the latest information on upcoming video game releases: The Elder Scrolls 6 | Star Wars Jedi: Survivor | GTA 6 | Assassin’s Creed Infinity | Wolverine | Spider-Man 2 | Forspoken | Wonder Woman | Avatar Frontiers of Pandora | | Dragon Age 4 | Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom | Final Fantasy XVI | Hogwarts Legacy | Octopath Traveller II | The Lords of the Fallen

Melee pro’s insane Super Smash Bros phone theme goes viral Twitter: @TempoAxe / Reddit: gdconsProfessional Super Smash Bros. Melee player Tempo Axe showed off the insane Melee-inspired dynamic phone theme he uses, which went viral on social media. Despite Super Smash Bros. Melee releasing for the Nintendo GameCube back in 2001, the fighter has stayed strong in the competitive esports space over two decades later. However, while Smash Bros. Melee still holds relevance in the fighting game scene today, that doesn’t mean it’s lost its sense of nostalgia. Plenty of Nintendo fans grew up with Melee and fondly look back on its iconic sound design, art style, and UI design. Now, one pro player showed off his love for Melee’s iconic blue, yellow, and black menu design with a dynamic phone theme, which quickly went viral on social media. Melee pro Tempo Axe’s stylish phone theme goes viral The viral tweet began once Axe quote retweeted fellow top Melee player Magi’s tweet, which asked for the members of the Melee community to share what they used as their phone background. The Tempo Storm player tweeted, “Fully functional SSBM menu phone theme. Been using it for years and I never want to switch,” accompanied by a short video of the theme in action. The tweet gained a huge amount of attention from members of the Melee community, with dozens of Twitter users asking where they could get the theme for themselves. According to Smash content creator David Kimball, the theme is an interactive Android theme for the KLWP Live Wallpaper Maker app. Axe even shared the original Reddit thread that highlighted the dynamic theme over five years ago, though fans initially panicked as it initially appeared to be deleted. Thankfully, the thread was revived and players were able to find the links to all the relevant files in the comments. Unfortunately for iPhone users, there’s no way to legitimately run KLWP on the smart device, so the theme is sadly out of reach. Still, anyone on an Android device can download this incredible smartphone theme for themselves to celebrate the iconic look Melee introduced back in 2001.