Eugene Schmidt

Freelance journalist and part-time gamer. I specialize in indie games as I think they don't get the attention they deserve. I'm just your typical consumer who has some opinions to share. I've been reviewing games since I was 12. I started out reviewing them with friends on old forums that now no longer exist. Then I went to online VoDs, which I've lost interest in. And now I'm here to deliver my thoughts in written format!

Last Year: The Nightmare comes to PC December 18; Console versions planned

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Last Year: The Nightmare comes to PC December 18; Console versions planned 1

Elastic Games has finally revealed that they’ll be releasing Last Year: The Nightmare after two months of silence following its closed beta.

The asymmetrical multiplayer horror game will be coming out on PC on December 18 with consoles following in 2019.

Many fans have been following Last Year: The Nightmare for quite some time now as it brings a new concept to the horror genre. It’ll be a Discord Store exclusive game, meaning that the only way to play it is to buy it through the recently launched DRM platform in direct competition with Steam.

Elastic Games also sadi that they have some big plans for Last Year: The Nightmare going into next year. One of the points is that the game will come on home consoles. We don’t know which ones exactly, but we can expect a PS4 and Xbox One release for the multiplayer horror title. The Nintendo Switch may also get a piece of the action given that many developers are now releasing more “adult” games on the console.

Elastgic Games has followed trhough and will be releasing Last Year: The Nightmare within their rlese schedule of 2018 as promised. Even if its on the tail end, it’s still better than late.

Firewatch coming to Nintendo Switch December 17

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Firewatch coming to Nintendo Switch December 17 3

Firewatch will be available for purchase very soon based on a tweet from developer Campo Santo.

For those who never played Firewatch, it’s basically a walking simulator with a strong narration that has received a lot of praise for its story-driven gameplay. It’s short, but a very enjoyable experience. Enjoyable enough for Nintendo to add it to their eShop given that the game sold well over a million copies.

Firewatch fans can get the Firewatch Nintendo Switch version on December 17, 2018. The bundle will be available in the US and EU like usual, but also Japan and Australian eShops. There’s currently no store page for Firewatch on the eShop, but we can assume it’ll be at most $19.99- it’s current retail price for PC. The game is set to launch as a port of the game with no exclusives at this time.

Campo Santo is the developer and this game got their name to the headlines. They’ve been bought out by Valve earlier in 2018, and recently released The Valley Of The Gods.

Firewatch is currently available on Steam for $19.99 and GOG for the same price. Xbox One and PlayStation 4 both have their own copies. The Nintendo Switch port is finally coming soon. It’s nice to see developers and Nintendo partnering up to bring their games to a console that’s predominated by games for the younger audience so that older players can enjoy it just as well rather than going to another console.

You can check out a trailer for the game below:

Firewatch will release on the Nintendo Switch December 17.

Hearthstone’s Ranked Play season begins; Frostwolf card comes back

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Hearthstone's Ranked Play season begins; Frostwolf card comes back 4

Hearthstone unlocked a new Ranked Play season yesterday for another round of card dealing action with Blizzard’s ever-popular card game.

This season brings back the Frostwolf card once again. You can add the card back to your collection by declaring victory in five rounds of Standard or Wild Ranked Play. But the card won’t appear right away. You’ll get Frostwolf at the end of the season in the reward chest for Ranked Play. You may also earn Arcane Dust and goldens depending on what rank you get in Standard or Wild.

The Ranked Play season ain’t the only thing that’s new this time in Hearthstone. At BlizzCon 2018, they revealed that you’ll be able to snag cards from the game’s new expansion, Rastakhan’s Rumble on December 4- this coming Tuesday. This expansion is based on King Rastakhan and his tribe of Zandalari Trolls with a new tabletop, 135 brand new cards, and the Overkill keyword.

So play well if you want to get all the cards. Your starting place for the next season will be determined by where you stand on the ladder after the season ends. You’ll reset four ranks down from the rank you ended the season with.

Rastakhan’s Rumble is currently available for $49.99 on Blizzard. This pack contains 50 card backs, Shaman King Rastakhan (of course), and the Ready to Rumble! card back exclusively available on the expansion. And for players looking for a cheaper alternative, you can pre-purchase for the Rastakhan’s Rumble Challenger’s Bundle can be sought after for just $19.99, which has 17 packs and the new card back.

Blizzard devs revealing other Diablo projects in 2019; Diablo 4 possible

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Blizzard devs revealing other Diablo projects in 2019; Diablo 4 possible 5

Blizzard’s unveiling of Diablo Immortal being a mobile game last month at BlizzCon 2018 displeased a lot of fans. The team at Blizzard has tried to reassure fans that the mobile-only game isn’t the only Diablo project that they’re developing.

A recent thread on the Blizzard forums has the Diablo developers posting a new statement that hints a little more at what exactly the “multiple Diablo projects” they keep spewing out. According to the post, there are indeed more than one Diablo projects that are being developed at Blizzard and they plan to reveal them over the course of 2019:

“We continue to read feedback and our internal discussions are ongoing. We have many plans for Diablo across multiple projects which we’ll be revealing over the course of the coming year. We are eager to share more about all of our projects, but some will have to wait as we prefer to show you, rather than tell you, about them. It’s going to take some time as we strive to meet your expectations, but now, more than ever, we are committed to delivering Diablo experiences the community can be proud of.”

The team has been saying the thing over and over many times now, yet fans are still concerned over what exactly these projects are. With this post directly from the horse’s mouth, fans can now be assured that there will be some “Diablo experiences the community can be proud of,” which means no more phone games (because that’s obviously not what the community wants.” 2019 will be the year of Diablo.

Diablo Immortal is coming soon for mobile devices, and Diablo Eternal is available already for consoles. Diablo 4 should be next- or at least we can speculate that it’ll be revealed in 2019.

Xbox Game Pass getting trio of titles next week

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Xbox Game Pass getting trio of titles next week 6

Xbox Game Pass will be getting three more titles in the coming week.

The first game is The Gardens, which is already available today. The game is developed by The Voxel Agents and is a positively-received puzzle game which was previously available on PS4 and PC.

The next game is Mutant Year Zero, which drops on Tuesday, December 4. It’s a strategy game similar to XCOM in some ways and comes from The Bearded Ladies Consulting Team and is set to roll out on PC and PS4 on the same day. It’s a weird strategy game that has anthropomorphized animals and humans in the same universe.

The last game of the trio is Strange Brigade, which comes on Thursday, December 6. The game is a co-op game from Rebellion, which also made the Sniper Elite and Alien Vs. Predator games.

Game Pass is Microsoft’s library of all-you-can-play games currently with over 100 AAA and indie titles. The library includes all first-party games on launch day and many other popular games including Forza Horizon 4, Sea of Thieves, Halo 5: Guardians, Hitman, and State of Decay 2. Games are rotated but can be played as much as you want for a flat rate of $9.99 per month.

This service has been speculated to be coming to the PC eventually, but details are sparse.

The Elder Scrolls: Blades delayed Q1 2019

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The Elder Scrolls: Blades delayed Q1 2019 7

Bethesda announced their new mobile game called The Elder Scrolls: Blades at E3 this past summer, and we haven’t really heard much about the game at all other than tidbits here and there.

The game was set to be released before this year’s over, but now that’s no longer the case. Blade’s release date has now changed, and this isn’t Bethesda’s first time pushing back a game.

Today, the official Edler Scrolls Twitter account said that The Elder Scrolls: Blades is now set to release in early 2019, which is only a minor setback considering that it’s only a few months of delay from the previous release window. The game hasn’t been making headlines much other than Apple’s keynote event back in September, so not much information is known about this particular title.

The mobile game will be set to release on both iOS and Android. Most fans aren’t too excited about a mobile game, as they’ve expressed their discontent over Blizzard’s announcement of Diablo Immortal for mobile platforms.

With Bethesda currently getting a lot of negative press over their release of Fallout 76 and even threated to be sued for not honoring returns, it makes sense to push back a mobile title to both perfect it (or at least make it ready for launch day) and to deal with the mess that is Fallout 76.

The Elder Scrolls: Blades will be available via early access. You can sign up for it here.

US FTC plans to explore loot boxes in video games

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US FTC plans to explore loot boxes in video games 8

The United States Federal Trade Commission has pledged to dive in and check out the “endemic” loot boxes in video games which have long been marked as a connection to a form of gambling.

In this case, child gambling.

The issue was brought to public attention when the Belgian Gaming commission (BGC) called for the removal of loot crates from games like Overwatch and Heroes of the Storm last year. The decision was confirmed by FTC Chairman Joe Simons during an oversight committee hearing in Congress. Blizzard has followed suit and removed the crates from their games for that region, but that’s just one game in one country.

Call of Duty had a supply drop system that’s pretty much the same concept. You can dress it up how you like, but you pay to get virtual products for real cash. Hawaii State Senators also called out EA for what they referred to as a “Star Wars-themed online casino.” This is just the beginning of a long debate.

The Entertainment Software Association told Polygon in a recent post:

“Loot boxes are one way that players can enhance the experience that video games offer. Contrary to assertions, loot boxes are not gambling.

“They have no real-world value, players always receive something that enhances their experience, and they are entirely optional to purchase. They can enhance the experience for those who choose to use them, but have no impact on those who do not.”

Congress Senator Maggie Hassan states:

“Loot boxes are now endemic in the video games industry and are present in everything from casual smartphone games to the newest, high budget releases.

And that these forms of “gambling” will only appeal to more and more gamers:

“Loot boxes will represent a $50 billion industry by the year 2022,” she continued. “It’s time for the FTC to investigate these mechanisms to ensure that children are being adequately protected.”

Nintendo releases series of videos demonstrating “chain smashing” in SSBU

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Nintendo releases series of videos demonstrating "chain smashing" in SSBU 9

Nintendo rolled out a new series of gameplay videos for the upcoming (and much-anticipated) Super Smash Bros Ultimate for the Nintendo switch. A new slate of videos demonstrating “chain smashing” have been released and show off the game’s new stages and characters.

With the game coming out in just under two weeks, Nintendo’s teaser trailers help sooth the itch just a bit. They refer to these new videos as “chain smashing” because of how they function. Three videos have been released which showcase many of the characters in SSBU getting beaten up across a variety of levels.

Each video is only 30 seconds in length and is basically a collage of nonstop action that feeds the attention span with the chaotic nature of each fighter after fighter getting blasted to a new location in quick succession. I feel like a mild case of ADD is surfacing after watching all three videos in a row.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate has been recorded as the highest pre-sales game of any Nintendo game in history. With a franchise that debuts once every new-gen Nintendo console, fans are always itching for the launch of their favorite Nintendo and crossover characters duking it out once again.

SSBU will roll out December 7th, 2019 and will feature a roster of 74 characters and includes every level ever made in the series’ history- plus plenty of new ones. The game will also be compatible with GameCube controllers and will probably challenge Melee for its title of being the competitive title.

The three “chain smashing” videos can be watched below:

You can pre-order Super Smash Bros. Ultimate on Amazon exclusively for the Nintendo Switch. We’ll cover launch day stats as they show up. See you on the field!

This post contains affiliate links where barrelrolled may receive a small commission upon sales. (This helps us feed our writers the good brand of ramen noodles rather than the generic, store brand.)

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate sets the record for highest pre-sales of any SSB game ever

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Super Smash Bros. Ultimate sets the record for highest pre-sales of any SSB game ever 10

Nintendo announced during a new video posted on Twitter that their next-gen Super Smash Bros. title has broken the record for highest-pre sales in all of the game’s history. This means that no other Super Smash Bros. game has ever recorded more pre-orders than Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

This is the fifth entry into the platformer fighting series that releases one game every new console. SSBU will have a whopping 74-character roster on launch day, online play (that probably actually works given that Nintendo’s online service costs money now), and the ability to get more content via free or paid DLC.

Some players have been eyeing the Nintendo Switch and waiting for this particular game to come out, so we can also expect to see some console sales alongside the game for those who aren’t buying the SSBU/Switch Bundle.

Masahiro Sakurai, the game’s director recently commented about the selection of characters for the game’s roster. This will be the next signature title from Nintendo and includes a free Pirahna Plant playable fighter if the game is purchased and registered by January 31st, 2019.

The game will have full compatibility for handheld play- locally, online, TV mode, or even Tabletop mode. And the game will work with Nintendo GameCube controllers. There will be new and returning techniques, like directional air dodge and shield timing. And for those who want to play the original levels, SSBU will have all past stages of every SSB game ever released into one brawler game for the ages.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate will launch on December 7th for the Nintendo Switch. You can pre-order the game here on Amazon.

This post contains affiliate links where barrelrolled may receive a small commission upon sales. (This helps us feed our writers the good brand of ramen noodles rather than the generic, store brand.)

Gus Martin solo developing Resort Boss: Golf; Publishing by Excalibur Games

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Gus Martin solo developing Resort Boss: Golf; Publishing by Excalibur Games 11

Game publisher Excalibur Games has announced a new simulator game called Resort Boss: Golf, which is about exactly what it sounds like- managing a golf resort.

Excalibur Games has a lot of experience when it comes to simulation games. They’re the team behind Euro Truck Simulator 2 and American Truck Simulator. Now they’re making a simulation/tycoon game where you’ll be working as a golf resort “boss” and running a luxury golf resort. The game was previously announced as Boss Golf and is being created by none other than Gus Martin. He’s the guy behind projects like Kingdom Hearts III and Final Fantasy XV, so there’s some level of experience going into Resort Boss: Golf.

Although the game genres in this title are very mixed and rather extreme, the experience is still there. Players will have to build a resort from scratch- starting with a one-hole golf course to a five-star getaway. The game has an announcement that shows off some of the gameplay footage. You can view it after the post.

Players will focus on managing a golf course, but will also have to take care of hotels, restaurants, and other vacation accommodations. The visuals are colorful and the gameplay looks minimalistic with an easy-on-the-eyes UI and basic layout that players will be familiar with.

The trailer shows off the depth and complexity though of managing a resort. There seems to be extensive customization and micromanagement given the tools and gameplay footage. A press release by Excalibur says that there will “expansive landscaping tools” to do things like plant trees, terraform terrain, and basically shape the land around the resort to their will. Since golf courses vary in design, having the ability to shape the environment adds a level of depth that’s endless- and this includes the usual hazards you’ll find in golfing like bunkers, water, and cliffs.

There will also be economic management like financial reports, staffing, wages, retail, and even hotel control. So if you like tycoon games and you’re up for something that’ll take you to a vacation getaway (of your creating), be on the lookout for Resort Boss: Golf. This is Gus Martin’s first time making a game solo, but Excalibur’s history of publishing games will surely help him out.

Resort Boss: Golf will be available on February 7th, 2019 on Steam Early Access. This game will be PC only as far as I know.

EA’s Origin software had a bug that could expose user data

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EA's Origin software had a bug that could expose user data 12

EA’s Origin software was found to have a bug that could allow malicious users to gain access to user account data.

The bug was found by a person named “beard” on Twitter, who’s a security researcher. Beard confirmed in an interview with ZDNet that they originally found this bug on October 1st. Apparently, when users try to edit their account details on EA.com using the Origin client, it’ll automatically generat3e an auto-login URL which has the users’ username and password in the URL. This is a practice that should obviously be avoided and isn’t exclusive to Origin. Many older sites and software use still use this method of authentication.

Usually, IP addresses or cookies are stored during the authentication, so no one can access the account other than the user. But in this exploit, the auto-login URL doesn’t use either of these processes, so the URL would work no matter who’s logging into the account. This could be an issue for users who access their account via WiFi that’s unsecured such as those in stores, malls, cafes, and anywhere else.

They can also be collected by bots without notice. This means anyone with the URL on any device could log in to the exploited user’s Origin account. Beard shows off a demo of the bug in action and says that attackers can access user info like real names, credit card last 4 digits, phone number digits, and more:

The article states that EA already knew about this bug earlier this month and worked on a fix, which was rolled out this month. They also report that no user data has been accessed through this bug. Regardless, be wary about sharing your information and always safeguard your data. Never give out more than you have to.

Skybound updates progress on The Walking Dead: The Final Season

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Skybound updates progress on The Walking Dead: The Final Season 13

Telltale Games announced that it would shutting down a few months back and has since dissolved into pretty much nothingness. On September 21st, they released news that they would no longer be able to continue making games due to not enough sales figure to support the company. They said they would lay off staff and keep a skeletal staff of 25 or so, but they’ve been laid off also.

Fans were upset and wondered what would happen to their project they were working on- The Walking Dead: The Final Season. Robert Kirkman then came in to the rescue with Skybound Entertainment, which announced that they would complete the series with the original developers of the game for consistency and complete the game.

Since then, all we’ve heard is that they’ve picked up the title and nothing much else- other than Telltale’s Minecraft: Story Mode series on Netflix getting delayed and failed to launch on debut day.

Today, Skybound has come around and updated fans on their official page announcing that they’re resuming development for the final episode of the game:

“It’s been a ton of work logistically and legally to get us to a place where we’re able to roll up our sleeves and get to the actual work. We’re excited to let you know that many of the talented, passionate team members who originally worked on the game are resuming development efforts today!”

Skybound will release the details about both episodes, including release dates, shortly and make it clear to fans that they’re working on finishing up the game. Fans who’ve bought the entire season before Telltale shut down won’t have to buy the same episodes again. The wheels are in motion now for sure.

Telltale’s final project will be completed and we’ll get a final closure to Clementine’s story. Although Telltale is no more, their developers still have the same touch and probably are finding new jobs elsewhere- with the community being very supportive of these ex-employees and some even offering jobs to them.

With Skybound picking up the original developers, we should get a good, emotionally-gripping storyline that fans have come to expect from The Walking Dead: The Final Season. Stay tuned for updates.

SMITE confirmed for the Nintendo Switch; Closed beta, Founder’s Pack, cross-play

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SMITE confirmed for the Nintendo Switch; Closed beta, Founder's Pack, cross-play 14

Hi-Rez Studios officially confirmed that their third-person MOBA, SMITE, will be coming to the Nintendo Switch. The announcement was made during the keynote at DreamHack Atlanta.

SMITE will enter closed beta starting January 24, 2019. Players can join the closed beta by purchasing the SMITE Founder’s Pack, which is available on the Nintendo eShop. The game is free to play, but buying the Founder’s Pack grants you all playable characters now and in the future, Dashing Deceiver Loki, Dragon Empress Scylla, and 400 gems (in-game currency).

The Founder’s Pack is available for pre-purchase starting today. SMITE will also have cross-play and cross-progression starting next year. Players can access their account between the PC, Xbox One, and Switch no matter how and where they play. The game is also on the PS4, but there’s been no word on cross-play with Sony yet.

SMITE will be a free to play game on the Switch (as with all platforms). It’ll be the handheld hybrid’s second MOBA title following Arena of Valor. Nintendo and Hi-Rez Studios should do well with this release, as free games on Nintendo’s eShop usually do pretty well. SMITE has a professional esports league, and the cross-play between consoles should allow players to queue up quickly.

DualShockers reports that A.J. Walker, the Lead Designer, said that cross-play would not be available in Ranked Conquest by default. Rather, a separate control mechanism with the Console League and PC League existing as separate events.

You can check the SMITE trailer for Switch below:

Fortnite: Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes II killed by another player wearing his jersey

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Fortnite: Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes II killed by another player wearing his jersey 15

The Fortnite and NFL teaming up with NFL player jerseys available in-game have produced some weird results. The new event kicked off just last week spawning a flurry of players playing as their favorite football player. The crossover produced one, very specific and personal issue that made headlines (so far).

Patrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs QB and early MVP frontrunner, expressed his “concern” on Twitter detailing his own thoughts on the NFL and Fortnite crossover. Apparently, after he played Fortnite for the first time in a while, he was killed in the game by another player wearing his own jersey:

Fortnite seems to be the favorite among athletes over the past year as many teams even gone ahead and banned Fortnite from being played in their locker room.

While it’s that addicting, this case with Mahomes is one strange story. He probably won’t be emotionally scarred by it, but being killed in a game with someone playing as yourself is definitely one odd experience. On one hand, you got killed by yourself in a video game. On the other hand, someone likes you enough to represent you in the world’s most popular battle royale game. Just like Mahomes, I’d be confused just as much as he was.

NFL skins have already been removed from the game as it was a limited time event.

Fortnite updates Save the World mode with “Fork Knife” character named “The Major”

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Fortnite updates Save the World mode with "Fork Knife" character named "The Major" 16

Fortnite, while being the most popular game in the world right now, is still hard to spell. The most common misspelling is “Fornite” which I myself constantly have to retype when I go back to proofread. With the game being so popular, you can assume a share of memes have spawned over the game’s spelling and pronunciation.

One way to say the name is “Fork Knife,” which I presume all the cool kids are saying these days. If you’re not a Fortnite player or you don’t keep up with gaming news, you’ll probably be confused when a group of players are talking about playing with their “Fork Knives” all last night.  Isn’t that funny?

Regardless, Epic Games seems to know about this and they’re updating the Save the World portion of the game (the paid part) to get a new UI. This update includes a character featured with a “fork knife” arm. Literally. His arms are a fork and knife. And he shows up in the menus screens.

He’s debuted as “The Major” and he’ll be the ref of the game’s Training Room after you meet him in the game’s campaign. He’ll help you unlock your character’s abilities, level, do expeditions, and even customize loadouts.

He’s part of a massive UI update for Fortnite that makes the whole game a little more user-friendly with character names, story-driven personalities, and a little more surreal with an in-game event that had a cutscene.

Fortnite is really trying to be more than just a battle royale game. Even though it is the most popular battle royale game on the market right now, the Save the World mode has a lot of offer even if it’s paid and not part of the core game.

Epic seems to be mixing real-life concepts into the game, with its recent deal with NFL jerseys so players can play as their favorite NFL player in a battle royale. Halloween costumes, realistic cutscenes, and real-life gear are all becoming a part of the game. Fortnite is seemingly blending real life and game life into one experience.

Where are they taking this, exactly? We’ll have to find out. While we’re waiting, I need to get back to saving the worl- I mean, playing Fortnite.

PlayStation users in Chicago will be paying a 9% “Amusement Tax” starting November 14

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PlayStation users in Chicago will be paying a 9% "Amusement Tax" starting November 14 17

Sony has confirmed that PlayStation users in Chicago will be subject to the 9% “Amusement Tax.” Starting on November 14, the tax will be applicable to purchases of PlayStation Plus, PS Now, PS Vue, PS Music, PS VOD, and PS Video Live Events. The tax is also called the “Hamilton Tax” after its effect over the musical Hamilton, a Broadway musical, which is also taxed in Chicago.

Sony began enforcing local tax policies on PSN since 2016 and local taxes can affect literally any purchase you make depending on the current city’s situation and conditions.

What this means is that users in Chicago will have to pay an additional 9% on all cloud services- including a PS Plus subscription, which will run it at about $5 more than other states in the US. The tax isn’t popular in the city of Chicago, but Mayor Rahm Emanuel says that they’re necessary for the city’s pensions. Other companies like Netflix and even Xbox are all subject to the tax. Netflix has already raised prices in Chicago in order to negate the tax for their profit margins.

Sony has joined the tax group alongside other giants and will start collecting taxes from gamers tomorrow. Some companies like Apple are taking action against the city for the taxes saying it’s unconstitutional and a violated of the Internet Tax Freedom Act of 1998 which prohibits counties, states, and municipalities from adding taxes on electronic commerce.

Sony doesn’t seem to be fighting the tax at this point and PlayStation gamers will now be subject to the same tax as other amusement activities until changes are made (if any).

At this point, only Chicago is subject to the cloud tax. No other city has been reported to be enforcing such a tax. Speculation says that this local tax could affect New York City.

PUBG confirmed for PS4; Release date, exclusive gear, details

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PUBG confirmed for PS4; Release date, exclusive gear, details 18

PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds has been speculated to release on the PS4, and now we have solid details- including a release date, which is December 7. With a confirmed release for PUBG this close, PS4 fans may want to hold off on their Black Friday purchases and save some cash for the game.

PS4 owners will also get some excluded goodies for their copy of the game. For starters, they’ll get Uncharted and The Last of Us items when they buy PUBG, which is already available for pre-order. Players can snag Nathan Drake’s outfit from Uncharted and Ellie’s backpack from The Last of Us.

Upon launch day, the game will already have Orange, Miramar, Sanho for play. PUBG for the PS4 will also have event mode, achievements, and even the ranked system- all available on launch day.

PUBG for PS4 will be available in three different pre-order bundles, which are listed below:

  • Looter’s Edition $30 USD / $38.99 CAD

    • Base Game

  • Survivor’s Edition $50 USD / $64.99 CAD

    • Base Game

    • Survivor Pass: Vikendi*

    • 2,300 G-Coin Pack

    • 20,000 BP

  • Champion’s Edition $60 USD / $77.99 CAD

    • Base Game

    • Survivor Pass: Vikendi*

    • 6,000 G-Coin Pack

    • 20,000 BP

PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds arrives December 7 for PS4 and pre-orders are available now. You can check out the reveal trailer below:

New Nuketown trailer released for Black Ops 4; Live tomorrow for PS4

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New Nuketown trailer released for Black Ops 4; Live tomorrow for PS4 19

Treyarch will be releasing their signature map Nuketown for Black Ops 4 tomorrow. After teasing fans with Russian tweets a few times with various captions welcoming players back to the map, Treyarch finally released a full-fledged trailer showing off the map in snowy Russia.

Nuketown is one of the most popular maps in every single Call of Duty: Black Ops entry. The map is known for its claustrophobic environments and fast-paced gameplay. Black Ops 4 developer Treyarch has hinted that it’ll feature a winter theme and that it’ll take place in Russia with Russian language tweets. There was no solid confirmation about this nor enough screenshots to go around to actually confirm this speculation- until today.

Treyarch posted a new trailer to their official Call of Duty account and the trailer gives a nice collage of scenes showing off the new Nuketown map. I’d have guessed that the map would be slightly more evening-like from the screenshots, but it takes place in high noon from the trailer. There also seems to be a lot more solid objects with less imposing architecture than expected. But this makes for some fast-paced action given that the objects you can take cover behind are just basic shapes.

You can check out the trailer below:

The tiny map looks extremely hectic and the Russian setting only makes it more chaotic. A few Specialists are showcased in the trailer taking cover and firing in this Cold War setting. The pair of houses are also back and rendered with extreme quality this time around. We can also see a secret tunnel that you can drive your RC-DXs through for some sneak attacks. And there may be a way to launch the actual nuke in the center of the map- that’d be freakin’ awesome.

Nuketown is set to launch tomorrow for PlayStation owners, then a week later for Xbox One and PC players as part of Sony and Activision’s partnership.

Prima Games will be shutting down for good Spring 2019

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Prima Games will be shutting down for good Spring 2019 20

Prima Games, a once very popular video game strategy guide publisher, will be shutting down after Spring 2019 based on reports from EGM Now and Variety.

Prima Games is owned by parent company Dorling Kindersley. They announced the closure for the publisher which has offices in Roseville, Indianapolis, and New York. The Roseville office is already in the process of shutting down, while the Indianapolis office will keep a small skeletal staff until March 2019. The New York office is unknown at this point.

The video game strategy guide publisher debuted back in 1990 and has since published millions of strategy guides for thousands upon thousands of games. Prima bought out their main competitor known as BradyGames back in 2013 when parent company Penguin Group merged with Random House to create a new company called Penguin Random House.

Prime ha attractive art covers with hot video game tips on the latest titles released. They covered AAA games and lesser-known titles. Prime also printed art books and hardcover strategy guides. GameStop has been a major outlet for their magazines but now they’ll no longer be required to sell guides when you buy pre-orders and other promos.

Variety reports a statement from a spokesperson via email from GameStop:

“I can confirm that the decision has been made to no longer commission new Prima Games strategy guides and the U.S.-based imprint will be discontinued in Spring 2019, we are in conversations with the Prima Games team and cannot comment on this further at this point.”

Strategy guides are pretty much accessible on-demand now with digital print. They’re obsolete with the vast amount of free walkthroughs, game tips, cheats, and other reviews all on the internet. Community-powered wikis and other guides are all available for free and instantly without a payment, so strategy guides on print have no place to compete nowadays.

Fornite’s V6.22 leaked new vehicle may just be the A.I.M skin

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Fornite's V6.22 leaked new vehicle may just be the A.I.M skin 21

The A.I.M skin that’s given as a reward to Fortnite players who’ve completed a whole seven week’s worth of S6 characters just launched today. The skin is regarded as a Legendary skin and was released just before the Week 7 Challenges rolled out.

Players have discovered a chimney over at Flush Factory with a parachute draped upon it. The ‘chute has the same logo on it as the A.I.M skin, and theories have sprouted across the web with high regard that the character used the parachute to land on the Fortnite map.

Data miners have uncovered that the item name for the parachute is “Robo_Chute” which seems fitting that the parachute was used by the A.I.M robot character so it holds the popular theory. But then again, there’s no actual solid evidence of whether or not Epic Games just placed it there or if an actual in-game event took place. Player reports state that noises every half hour were heard that sounded like an incoming plane from the skies.

A tweet on Twitter by a player named VSuntzu14 captured this plane sound effect, and players pointed out that it sounds very similar to the leaked V6.22 files. You can hear the mysterious sound effect here:

Note that all the of files were bundled in the same directory called “vehicles” so it could just be a plane that they plan to add later on. Possibly a new Fortnite vehicle rather than the A.I.M story. Epic has said nothing about this and posted no new updates, so we’ll just have to wait until an official word comes out of the horse’s mouth.

Stay tuned for updates (as always).

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate: Nintendo to remove controversial Game and Watch attack

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Super Smash Bros. Ultimate: Nintendo to remove controversial Game and Watch attack 22

Nintendo’s black and white silhouette character Mr. Game and Watch has made headlines with a marketing promotion that went on this weekend to show off Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, which is scheduled to release December 7 for the Switch.

A controversial callback to native American history was demonstrated during a live stream where Mr. Game and Watch had donned his feather headdress and torch once again for an in-game attack.

This move originated from a game called Fire Attack which debuted more than three decades ago back in 1982 on old-school G/W hardware. The same outfit was removed from a 2002 title known as Game and Watch Gallery 4 for the very same reason.

The outfit was shown during the live stream and was hit back a huge internet blowback.

Nintendo followed-up by talking about how they plan to, once again, remove this outfit from the upcoming title. In an interview discussing the issue with Eurogamer, Nintendo states:

“Nintendo has been planning to distribute an update for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate that removes the feather from the silhouette of Mr. Game & Watch. The original game on which this depiction of the character is based was released more than three decades ago and does not represent our company values today.”

And then they went on to give their apologies to fans and viewers who were offended and offer their continued efforts towards making the next SSB game welcoming for everyone:

“We sincerely apologize that this change was not noticed in our marketing material and are continuing our work to make Super Smash Bros. Ultimate an experience that is both welcoming and fun for everyone.”

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate rolls out on December 7 for the Switch. The game is the next entry for the SSB series, which has one major title every new generation of Nintendo Consoles- usually a short time after release.

Fortnite update V6.22 full patch notes; New weapons, limited time modes, and more

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Fortnite update V6.22 full patch notes; New weapons, limited time modes, and more 23

Fortnite’s November 6 update (V.6.22) brings some major changes to the game, with the most notable update being the new Heavy Assault Rifle.

The new AR is described as a “powerful Assault Rifle that is most useful when fired in short bursts.” This was teased before the patch by Epic, and fans have been looking forward with eager anticipation to try it out.

With short bursts, it’s likely a powerful weapon with a pretty strong recoil, so one must learn how to aim properly to maximize its effectiveness. There’s no probably no spraying and praying here- unless you’re doing CQC.

The update includes a few new notable things:

Team Terror for Battle Royale

Two teams will duke it out with little cubes running around in a large team matchup. This is a limited time mode, so check it out while you can.

NFL Outfits for Battle Royale

The NFL and Fortnite have teamed up and released some themed outfits so you can represent your favorite team. They’re available in the store starting November 9 at 7PM ET. This is actually pretty cool, as each player looks like an actual football player from an actual team. Who says Tom Brady doesn’t play Fortnite?

Fortnitemares Part 2 for Save the World

This special mode lets players use two new Heroes and battle against Vlad with an exclusive new weapon, the Candy Corn LMG.

 

Other than those major updates, here are all the bug fixes and patch notes for Fortnite V6.22:

KNOWN ISSUES

Wanting to track the top community issues? Head over to our Fortnite | Community Issues Trello board here.

BATTLE ROYALE

LIMITED TIME EVENT: TEAM TERROR

Summary
Monsters have invaded the Battle Royale island! Two teams will battle it out as Cube Monsters monsters join the fight. Defeat the other team to earn a Victory Royale.

Mode Details

  • Two teams of 32 players. Eliminate the other team to win.
  • Monster spawners are scattered throughout the map and also appear each time the storm closes in to a new circle.
  • Monsters can drop weapons or ammo when destroyed. Gold monsters and monster spawners drop Legendary items when destroyed.
  • Farming resources increased 75% over default.
  • Increased floor loot spawn likelihood by 15%.
  • Floor loot spawns double ammo.
  • Ammo boxes spawn triple ammo.
  • Chests spawn double ammo & consumables.
  • Supply drops spawn double ammo, and an extra consumable, resource drop and trap.

LIMITED TIME EVENT: BLITZ!

Summary
Blitz is a faster-paced version of Battle Royale. The match begins with the storm moving towards the island, and the delay between each circle is shorter than normal, creating matches that are 15 minutes long or less. The map also has extra loot and resources. Profile Stats count in this mode, so fight hard for the Victory Royale!

Mode Details

  • The storm is already moving in at the beginning of the match, choose your landing spot carefully!
  • Wait time between storms is significantly shorter than usual; maximum match length is 15 minutes.
  • Increased chances of treasure chests spawning from 50-70% to 80-90%.
  • Increased chances of ammo boxes spawning from 65-80% to 85-95%.
  • Reduced empty floor loot spawn chance from 21.5% to 3.55%
  • Resource harvesting amounts increased by 50%.
  • Increased materials found on the ground from 30 to 60 per instance.
  • Increased number, spawn rate & the descent speed of Supply Drops.
  • Increased number of llamas spawned by 4x.
  • Removed shopping carts.

WEAPONS + ITEMS

  • Heavy Assault Rifle
    • Can be found in floor loot, chests, Vending Machines, and Supply Drops
    • Available in Rare, Epic and Legendary Variants
      • Deals 44 / 46 / 48 damage
      • 3.75 Fire Rate
      • Has a magazine size of 25
  • The Pumpkin Launcher has been reverted back to the standard Rocket Launcher.
  • We’ve reduced the spawn rate of Balloons from 12.2% to 2.3%.

GAMEPLAY

  • Storm max damage cap changed back to 8 damage from 10 damage.

Bug Fixes

  • Players hit by a Boogie Bomb while holding Balloons will no longer have physics issues. They will now properly drop the Balloons.

SAVE THE WORLD

MISSIONS + SYSTEMS

  • Fortnitemares Part 2 quests are now available!
    • Complete the epic storyline of Hexsylvania.
      • Now includes the Vlad miniboss and the final fight to put him to rest.

Bug Fixes

  • Fixed an issue where the quest Supply Run would improperly launch players into Hexslyvania resulting in quest items not spawning.
  • Fixed an issue where two survivors could possibly spawn next to each other in the same camp.

HEROES

  • New Mythic Ninja – Werewolf Dire
    • A wild Ninja that becomes more fearsome and energetic at night.
    • Available in the Event Store November 7th at 7 PM EST.
    • New Perks:
      • Nightstalker – During Evening and Night, gain 25% bonus movement speed.
      • Midnight Stalker – Increases the movement speed bonus of Night Stalker by an additional 25%.
        • Abilities cost 50% less energy during Evening and Night.
  • New Legendary Outlander – Sanguine Dusk
    • Uses Phase Shift to steal health from enemies.
    • Available as a quest reward from Fortnitemares Part 2.
    • New Perks:
      • Phase Siphon – Phase Shifting through enemies deals 11 base damage and heals 6 base health.
      • Super Siphon – Increases the healing of Phase Siphon to 32 base health.

Bug Fixes

  • Fixed an issue where glowing effects on Ninja characters would stop glowing after entering Shadow Stance.

UI

Bug Fixes

  • Fixed an issue that caused players to appear in your lobby even after they have left.
    • This may have caused incorrect power level restrictions on missions.

WEAPONS + ITEMS

  • The Candy Corn LMG is now available as a quest reward from Fortnitemares Part 2.
    • A heavy, festive weapon with a huge magazine full of candy shaped bullets. Most effective at mid-range engagements when aiming down sights from a fixed position.
    • Weapon Perk:
      • Eliminating enemies with this weapon can spawn healing candy pickups.

GAMEPLAY

Bug Fixes

  • Reviving defenders will no longer leave them indestructible but unable to shoot or take any action.
  • Re-summoning a revived defender will no longer leave an invisible, indestructible copy of the defender behind.

AUDIO

  • Added additional sounds for Vlad Taker and ambient sounds for his coffin.
  • Updated Atlas Victory sequence movie sound mix.

Bug Fixes

  • Fixed multiple volume and missing sound issues with the Atlas.
  • Fixed mix issue with Lars music suppressing ambient music.
  • Fixed sound playback issues with the Flamegrill trap.
  • Fixed issues with Frontend reward music not playing consistently.
  • Fixed audio issues with active encampments not triggering.

Source: Epic Games.

Diablo 4 confirmed for PC; Blizzard to announce “when time is right”

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Diablo 4 confirmed for PC; Blizzard to announce "when time is right" 24

Let’s be real: Diablo Immortal was an upset for the diehard Diablo fans out there. Although Blizzard spoke about giving Diablo Immortal a try and attempting to reach a global audience, the rest of us don’t care. We just want a real, Diablo game that’s following Diablo 3 (or 2, if that’s your thing).

Blizzard announced they were working on multiple Diablo projects after the huge upset, and today, we can see that they definitely are. According to Kotaku, Blizzard was going to announce that Diablo 4 was being developed this past weekend at BlizzCon, but it was cut at the last minutes!

No footage of the game was going to be revealed, but rather the presentation would involve Blizzard co-founder Allen Adham (the same guy who told the crowd to give Diablo Immortal a try) tell the crowd about the game in a video which would be shown at the end of the keynote. This was their plan, but they decided to stop and pull it because they’re not “ready to commit to an announcement.”

But this isn’t solid evidence- it’s a just report. Whether or not you choose to fume at Blizzard more is your choice. But fans have been asking for a new entry for years now, and Blizzard said they had multiple projects in the works many times before.

Does that mean we’re just getting a phone game and a possible project with no details? That’s not enough to quell the fans.

And that’s when we were all reminded that the Internet isn’t always truthful.

Blizzard went out and told Kotaku the truth.

Blizzard has been disputing that the video was going to be shown at BlizzCon. Blizzard stated that no announcement has been pulled from BlizzCon this year and the company is listening to the fans and will announce the other projects at the right time.

Kotaku could confirm the video was recorded and Diablo 4 is in active development.

Blizzard’s statement is as follows:

“First off we want to mention that we definitely hear our community. We generally don’t comment on rumors or speculation, but we can say that we didn’t pull any announcements from BlizzCon this year or have plans for other announcements. We do continue to have different teams working on multiple unannounced Diablo projects, and we look forward to announcing when the time is right.”

So, it looks like Diablo 4 for the PC is real. And it’s being developed with an announcement when the “time is right.” With Blizzard’s word, we can’t be wrong this time around!

Fortnite ending Fortnitemares with in-game live event today; Butterfly begins?

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Fortnite ending Fortnitemares with in-game live event today; Butterfly begins? 25

The speculated Butterfly event in Fortnite will go live today at 1PM ET/10AM PT/12PM CT/7PM CET and will mark the official end of Fortnitemares. Kevin the Purple Cube will finally meet his demise, and this is a one-time live event happening in Fortnite. You’ll likely never be able to see this again- in person at least. So get ready to witness history.

Everything we know comes from data miners and data leaks with various game files that are pieced together with speculation to guesstimate what’ll happen during this new event. The Butterfly kickoff event will likely only last a few minutes, so be sure you’re logged in if you want to watch it live for yourself.

This isn’t the first time Epic has done an in-game live event, such as last time when the rocket was blasted and many players tuned in to watch it happen. The same goes for the Butterfly event. Be there or be square. This isn’t an NPC quest in an MMO where everyone gets to see the event upon mouse click.

Players had problems with matchmaking queues during Season 4 with the rocket launch, so be there early- at least 10 minutes early before the event. If you’re reading this now, the Butterfly event starts in a little over 30 minutes from now. You should probably look into Fortnite and prime your cursor!

With the launch of Butterfly, Fortnitemares will come to an end. Epic Games still hasn’t specified which game modes the event will be visible in, other than it won’t be in Playground LTM. Stick with Solo, Duos, or Squads in Fortnitemares. No Disco Domination.

Navigate over to Leaky Lake and find the Purple Cube and watch out for enemies. If you get eliminated you won’t have time to get into a new game. Try spectating other players if you get killed. There are rumors that players will be invulnerable during the event, but there hasn’t been any solid confirmation yet, so be careful.

Kevin the Cube cracked open yesterday and started leaking yesterday. The Purple Cube looks like it’s about to end itself and data miners have gathered that it’ll split into three fragments with Leaky Lake returning to its previous appearance as Loot Lake with some new islands added to the map, though we’re not sure what they are. Probably related to Butterfly.

We’ll post an update after the event. See you at Leaky Lake!

Fortnite PC: Your character’s mouth will now move when you speak

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Fortnite PC: Your character's mouth will now move when you speak 26

Another surprise by Epic Games has just been discovered today by the community in Fortnite. Though this update is a small one, it’s a pretty awesome one and goes beyond what you’d expect since it’s so novel.

Some players noticed today that when their mic was plugged in and they spoke, their character’s mouth would move in order to mimic their speech. Developer Epic Games may have added this feature without announcing it, as no patch notes noted this and they didn’t say anything about it on their social channels. The PC version has been confirmed so far to have this update, but consoles and mobile are still relatively unknown at this point.

PC players can test out this feature by plugging in a microphone and then speaking in the game lobby. The character will speak alongside your words.

This feature is only available in the player lobby, not on the spawn island or in actual matches. This will likely be added into actual games later on.

Friend and I Just Found out About the Characters Saying What we say in voice chat… and well… yeah… from FortNiteBR

Players have reported that graphic settings may need to be increased in order to see the mouth movements take place and be visible. Though this isn’t anything significant, it’s nice to see Epic working on novelty updates like this. When you have time to devote a team to add features like this to the game, you know you got your stuff down.

Blizzard giving away free copies of Destiny 2

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Blizzard giving away free copies of Destiny 2 27

Blizzard is now giving away free copies of Destiny 2 for the first two weeks or so of this month until the 18th.

Before Blizzard’s keynote at Blizzcon 2018, Bungie announced that the game would be free for anyone to download and own through Battle.net:

Bungie and Activision have announced that the full Destiny 2 base game for PC is now a free gift for all new players on Blizzard Battle.net. For the first two weeks of November, anyone who does not already own the PC game will have the opportunity to claim it as a gift through their Battle.net account.

Destiny 2 will be free to claim and download from November 2–18, 2018. New Battle.net accounts created after 11:00 a.m. PDT on November 2, 2018, will need to enable Blizzard SMS Protect before claiming their free copy. Destiny 2 PC is redeemable from the Battle.net gift page.

The free version is just the base game and doesn’t include the recent expansion, Forsaken, which is pretty much required in order to beat the game. The vanilla game can be thought of as an expanded “demo” of the actual game- given that it’s been sold for next-to-nothing and even offered as a free game for PS+ Members.

Players who buy Forsaken or the season pass will get the previous expansions, Curse of Osiris and Warmind for free. Destiny 2 is Bungie’s shooter which has slowly recovered after a rocky launch due to limited chat. The game’s expansion was the most downloaded game in September, even beating out Marvel’s Spider-Man for digital downloads.

Now that the base game is out for free for a limited time, new players will be pumped through the game’s ecosystem and economy, which should only help the game’s overall playerbase. Although many deem this move as a money grab by Blizzard to lure players and get them to buy the expansions, free is free. And it’s definitely worth wasting a weekend on just playing the single-player campaign and online modes.

You can download the game to your Blizzard account by claiming it as a gift until the 18th of this month. The game is only available for free on PC. All accounts created today and alter will require a Blizzard SMS Protect (basically confirm your phone number with them) in order to claim the game. This prevents multiple account creations for resellers. You can grab your free copy of Destiny 2 here.

Players “locked” out of PT on PS4; Konami denies allegations

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Players "locked" out of PT on PS4; Konami denies allegations 28

A few days ago, a rumor surfaced the web that Konami had recently released a new update for their horror game PT that was locking the game for specific players and making it unable to be played. However, this didn’t seem to be a legitimate action even with more player reports all over the ‘net.

Now, Konami has spoken on the issue. They said that there’s indeed been no new update to PT in version 1.01 that would’ve locked the game.

A statement sent to DualShockers read as follows:

“After our investigation we can confirm that there have been no Konami or PlayStation Network (PSN) update that would have affected or prevent access to the game.”

So that’s the confirmation we’ve been looking for. They never prevented access to the game. Though some players can’t access the game on their PS4, this is likely due to a licensing issue or region issue. The whole story could’ve been a hoax from the beginning, but with Koanim’s word, that’s straight from the horse’s mouth.

Though we can’t confirm the whereabouts of this story, we at least know that the developer didn’t actually take any action to lock the game. That’s about as much as we can confirm about the whole uprising. But if any other news surfaces, we’ll keep you updated. We suggest deleting PT and redownloading it if you can’t play the game right now on your PS4. Then again, this is just a demo. People do like drama.

Fortnite’s new trailer shows off floating balloons. And floating clowns.

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Fortnite's new trailer shows off floating balloons. And floating clowns. 29

With Halloween and Fortnitemares going all out, it’s officially time for some clowns. That’s right. Clowns.

The debut of Fortnite’s next event with creepy carnival folk may just feel like Halloween never left the game. Fortnite’s latest trailer is all about freaky clowns playing with their newest item- balloons. Season six is currently in full swing as new items continue to make the game more zany and crazier than ever.

Although some streamers disapprove of them, they keep the game feeling fresh and fun for the rest of us. The newest addition is the simple party balloon. But this is enough to string up some new starts for the most popular game on the planet right now. They seem like a handy tool to have in the assassin’s arsenal.

They can be used to gain altitude to quickly advance up and attack opponents who’ve built higher towers. The distance traveled is determined by how many balloons you’re carrying. There are also clowns in the trailer all brandishing huge mallets as they use balloons to sneak up and scale the edge of towers silently to take out their prey. With a little help from these balloons, players can easily transcend tall ledges with ease.

This adds a new dimension to the game and new strategies. Perhaps they’ll be part of the new Fortnite “meta?” Who knows. I’m not a professional player. I just know that clowns are scary.

Fortnite is available on the PS4, Xbox One, and PC. You can also play it on Switch, Mac, iOS, and Android will full cross-platform play between each platform. The world’s most popular battle royale is beginning a new season, so jump in and join the craze. Fortnitemares is still going on, so join in while you can get the scares. Halloween may be over in real life, but it ain’t in Fortnite.

Castlevania Season 3 confirmed; Greenlit by Netflix

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Castlevania Season 3 confirmed; Greenlit by Netflix 30

Castlevania Season 3 has been greenlit by Netflix and now is in production based on a tweet by producer Adi Shankar, who just posted the news right on Halloween.

He thanked a few people who helped sway the decision to create the next animated series for Netflix’s streaming program.

Castlevania is one of the rare and few pieces of media based completely on a video game that’s been adopted by mainstream streaming services. The series first premiered on Netflix on July 7, 2017. Season 2 then debuted on October 26, 2018. And Season 3 is now confirmed and in production. Season 1 was the shortest with only four episodes since it was a “pilot” season, with the next season doubled in episodes. Season 3 will have ten videos planned.

Shankar has been a producer for shorts like The Punisher: Dirty Laundry, Venom: Truth in Journalism, James Bond: In Service of Nothing, and Dredd (2012).

He’s working with Warren Ellis, who wrote all 12 episodes of Castlevania and worked on animated series for comic characters like Iron Man, x-men, Blade, and Wolverine. Sam Deats, the director for Castlevania, has found his breakout work in this very series.

Powerhouse Animation is working alongside them and has produced shorts such as Darksiders 2, Starhawk, Epic Micky 2, Red Vs. Blue, and various other animated episodes.

Castlevania Seasons 1 and 2 are available right now on Netflix. Season 3 has now been greenlit and will be hitting your streaming device of choice soon enough.

Source: Adi Shankar