Games

Epic Games delays account merging until early 2019; Free-to-play Save the World coming

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Fortnite Season 2 has no confirmed release date.

Epic Games stated that they would let players merge accounts from different platforms into a single account starting this month. Now that we’re on the last day of the month and no word has been announced regarding this feature, it’s likely that Epic will push back the feature launch date.

Back in September, Sony gave into to allowing cross-play with Nintendo Switch, Pc, and Xbox One. Fortnite was the headliner of this change, given that it’s the most popular game on the planet right now. Epic then went ahead and said they would create an account merge feature so players can use the same account across all platforms.

Epic is aware of the lack of announcements regarding this feature and has finally given an update about it at the very tail end of this month. Today, they said we can expect account merging “early next year.”

The reason for this is technical concerns since players will be able to “combine multiple console-linked accounts to transfer Battle Royale cosmetic items purchases, lifetime wins, V-Bucks, and Save the World campaign access.” Account merging deals with purchases made with real cash, so Epic Games wants to make sure everything works before releasing it to the public.

There’s no confirmed date other than Q1 2019, but Epic Games usually delivers what they promise. This is better than losing some of your hard-earned purchases due to technical glitches. Fortnite also delayed a free-to-play version of Save the World feature until 2019. Besides these two delays, they usually listen to their fans and deliver on time.

Fortnite is the world’s most popular battle royale game and is available on PC, PS4, Xbox one, Switch, and mobile platforms.

Xbox Game Pass getting trio of titles next week

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Xbox Game Pass getting trio of titles next week 1

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.

BioWare working on “secret Dragon Age stuff”; Possible announcement next week

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BioWare working on "secret Dragon Age stuff"; Possible announcement next week 2

With BioWare getting ready to release Anthem in 2019, you’d think they’d focus solely on that title and put other games on hold. But that’s not the case at all- they might be getting ready to reveal something in the coming month that has to do with one of their most best-selling franchise: Dragon Age.

Casey Hudson, BioWare’s GM, gave an update about what’s going on at the studio. Most of the content is reporting about their latest AAA title, Anthem, which is no surprise. But Hudson also said that they’re focused on other projects also like Dragon Age, Mass Effect, and Star Wars: The Old Republic.

Hudson said that there will be news coming about Dragon Age sooner than you may think, with a line hinting that they’ve been working on some “secret Dragon Age stuff” that’ll be revealed in December:

“If you’ve been following these blogs, or myself and Mark Darrah on Twitter, you know we’re also working on some secret Dragon Age stuff.  Dragon Age is an incredibly important franchise in our studio, and we’re excited to continue its legacy.  Look for more on this in the coming month (though I won’t tell you where to look…)”

For any Dragon Age fans, this could be a very interesting take. It could be anything from just a blunder to a mobile title (following Bethesda and Blizzard). Other than expecting the next title to add to the trio of games in the series, it could be something much less impressive. Don’t get your hopes up.

Hudson will appear next week at The Game Awards, so this is the reveal for the next Dragon Age project. The Game Awards will take place in Los Angeles with a new Anthem release trailer. Stay tuned for an update regarding both major titles from BioWare sometime next week.

The Elder Scrolls: Blades delayed Q1 2019

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The Elder Scrolls: Blades delayed Q1 2019 3

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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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.”

Ninja tweets that he’s got something for Super Smash Bros. fans

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Ninja tweets that he's got something for Super Smash Bros. fans 5

The hype over Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is real. The game is just under two weeks until release and Nintendo has been teasing chain smashing in a series of 30-second videos and the game has recorded highest pre-sales in Nintendo history so far. The money’s secured even if the game is a total flop.

And now to add to the fire, a celebrity is fanning the flames- none other than Ninja himself.

The popular Fortnite streamer who has been featured on the Ellen Degeneres Show who’s exploded in popularity over the past year has tweeted something for the SSBU fans. Whether the two communities cross over and have similar audiences, it seems like many are interested with his Tweet garnering over 20K likes at the time of this writing:

Ninja didn’t say exactly what he’ll be doing, but he’s hinting that he’s got something “cooking up” for fans given that the game is so close to the game coming out. He could be doing a live stream with fans, or even giving away a copy of the game. Can you believe how easily Ninja makes the news? It’s just crazy to think about.

Regardless, we’ll get to know soon what he has in store for the fans.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate releases exclusively for the Nintendo Switch December 7. You can pre-order a copy on Amazon. Get your fists ready for Nintendo’s brawler on its next-gen console!

Kingdom Hearts III gets exclusive Amazon Keyblade for pre-orders

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Kingdom Hearts III gets exclusive Amazon Keyblade for pre-orders 6

Amazon announced a new Keyblade DLC for Kingdom Hearts III yesterday on Cyber Monday during an announcement stream called the Dawn Till Tusk Keyblade.

The Keyblade is a variation of the classic Kingdom key design. There’s a green overlay on the usual gold-tinted handguards and sun/crescent moon design on the top side. This may be a simpler version of the Kingdom key and may have special stats in-game. This is yet to be revealed.

Players who want this Keyblade will have to pre-order or buy Kingdom Hearts III before its release or on its release on PS4 and Xbox One on January 29, 2019. People who buy it after won’t be eligible for getting this exclusive Keyblade, and it’s only available for Amazon purchasers.

Amazon Prime members will also get a $10 credit for pre-ordering KH3. This can’t be used to take $10 off the game, but rather can be used to buy anything else on Amazon (what do they not have?). The game has already been confirmed and this really happening. After many years of waiting, we’ll get to see the next Kingdom Hearts game to create the KH trilogy!

Some new trailers have been released showing off characters from Tangled and Winnie the Pooh.

For players who want the exclusive Amazon Keyblade, they can order the game on Amazon. This is pretty awesome, but then again, some players have had KH3 on pre-order for many years now on Amazon and all they’ll get to show for it is a rusty DLC Keyblade. But it’s better than nothing! Seriously!

Kingdom Hearts 3 has gone gold, so the game will be coming out no matter what. Unless there’s some terrible delay, fans will finally be able to experience the next entry into the legendary series that they’ve waited so long for.

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

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Nintendo releases series of videos demonstrating "chain smashing" in SSBU 7

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.)

Red Dead Online public beta debuts tomorrow

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Red Dead Redemption 2‘s online mode will be available tomorrow, November 27th, for those who bought the $100 version of RDR2 (AKA Red Dead Redemption 2: Ultimate Edition). Then on the following day, for those who played the game on launch day, will get a chance at the online mode- anyone who played from launch to October 29th is allowed to play in the online beta.

Then finally, on November 30, anyone who bought the game can play Red Dead Online. The online mode will feature character customization, unlike the original game where you were locked to characters from specific factions like Walton’s Gang and the Rebeldes. The Verge reports that you can also tailor abilities “to suit your playstyle” as you roam around the game.

You’ll also be able to form a posse of players to play along with.

This is a public beta, so bugs and other problems will be bound to happen. But this is your first chance to take a look at what the online mode has to offer before the actual mode rolls out.

90s FPS-inspired Prodeus releases reveal trailer

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Remember back then in the 90s marked the era of fast-paced, gory, FPS games like DOOM and Duke Nukem?

Prodeus is a game that wants to recreate that feeling once again in the 21st century. Retro gaming is hot right now- the SNES/NES Classic, PlayStation Classic, and the slew of retro plug and play consoles like Atari and Sega releasing their own versions on shelves. Retro-inspired gaming is the thing right now, and Prodeus is another FPS game that tries to bring back the nostalgic feel of the 90s.

The game’s Twitter page has been constantly talking and giving updates to fans about the title, but the first trailer with actual game footage was released recently with a full-on look at this violent, gory, FPS retro title. From the reveal trailer, we can see that Produeus ain’t messing around.

The game heavily resembles early DOOM with updated technology and graphics with the Unity engine. The player walks out of an elevator as a baddy teleports in his field of vision. Then a gorefest breaks out and baddies get torn apart in a volley of fists.

Blood covers the walls. Enemies are dismembered. Bodies are everywhere. The game brings gore back as we’d expect. A few weapons are demoed, such as a pistol, shotgun, and even a chaingun for quickly mowing down waves of enemies. And of course, who can forget a rocket launcher for an easy dispatching of the horde?

Prodeus will release sometime in 2019 on Steam. You can watch the trailer below:

Cyberpunk 2077 will be on-par with Red Dead Redemption 2

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Cyberpunk 2077 will be on-par with Red Dead Redemption 2 10

Cyberpunk 2077 will aim to match Red Dead Redemption 2 in terms of gameplay quality. It’s currently one of the most anticipated games with CD PROJEKT RED’S impeccable history with titles like The Witcher 3.

With their reputation, speculators say that their release quality is on-par with AAA developers like Rockstar Games- which is known for masterpieces like the Red Dead Redemption and Grand Theft Auto series.

Adam Kiciński, CEO of CD PROJEKT RED, was interviewed about Cyberpunk 2077’s finesse in comparison to the recently released RDR2, which was positively received.

Kiciński, being humble enough, was asked the following question with an investor:

“Well, with The Witcher 3 the bugs took around 3 months to patch out after the release – from what I can remember – and the prevailing view seems to be that Red Dead Redemption was good enough on the day of release to merit that 97/100 score. Do you expect to be able to release Cyberpunk in a good enough state to score at least 95 points, or do you prioritize your release schedule?”

His remarks included:

“Without a doubt, quality is of paramount importance.” Kiciński insists, continuing that the company strives “to publish games which are as refined as Red Dead Redemption 2, and recent Rockstar releases in general.”

And

“Without a doubt, quality is of paramount importance.” Kiciński insists, continuing that the company strives “to publish games which are as refined as Red Dead Redemption 2, and recent Rockstar releases in general.”

He couldn’t have answered this question better. Without poking at the competitor but rather rooting it on, he sets the standard for his own title. He then talks about the future for hit titles that other gamers are hardcore fans about due to loyalty and/or time constraints with the huge amount of games out there nowadays.

Source: CD PROJECKT RED

 

Alien: Blackout trademark filed by 20th Century Fox; Kojima tweet hints at new “Alien” game

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20th Century Fox Film Corporation has filed a new trademark for the Alien: Blackout title and is targeted specifically for games rather than films. They filed it just before The Game Awards, in which the game could get an official announcement at some point during the event.

An excerpt from the trademark filing reads as the following:

“Computer game discs; software, namely, game software, computer game and video game software, downloadable computer game software, downloadable mobile application software used for playing electronic games and streaming audiovisual and multimedia content in the fields of games and entertainment, interactive game software, and downloadable software […]”

Geoff Keighley announced that The Game Awards 2018 will have a lot of world exclusive game reveals in the entire show’s history. This means lots of companies will coming out with a new game reveals that we never saw coming. The event starts on December 6th, 2018 and there will likely be as much buzz around it as E3 2018. Assuming that the Alien: Blackout game will be revealed there isn’t an over-assumption.

The official Game Awards Twitter account hasn’t hinted at any of the projects that may show up on stage next month, but they’ve responded to a tweet from Hideo Kojima, who’s a friend of Geoff Keighley. He was visiting 20th Century Fox and saw a bunch of Alien-related props from the film sets. This says something- even if it’s just friendly chat between the two producers with each other:

Alien: Blackout was filed on this Thanksgiving day, and we’ll know for sure that they’re doing something in the realm of video games because of the trademark filing category. Even though it was just a few days ago, they’ll probably announce something about the game at this years Game Awards. Be on the lookout for their official Twitter account for news.

A possibly TGA appearance is all just rumor at this point and we don’t know what’ll actually happen there. Even if Alien: Blackout isn’t announced next month, FoxNext Games and Cold Iron Studios are working together on a new multiplayer Alien game slated for PC and consoles regardless.

We’ll keep you updated for news during the event. If there’s a new Alien game coming out, “world will change!”

Agent, the unreleased PS3 exclusive, gets trademark abandoned by Take-Two

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Agent, the Rockstar Games title that’s been in “development” ever since its announcement back in Sony’s E3 2009 press conference, has finally been abandoned and has been scraped by Take-Two Interactive.

The game that’s become a running joke for the past 11 years or so finally got axed in 2018. Take-Two abaonded the trademark for this unreleased PS3 exclusive with the US Patent and Trademark Office. I guess it’s safe to say that it’s now up for grabs- should any devleoper want to pick it up.

The USPTO says that the trademark was abandoned for the following reason:

“no Statement of Use or Extension Request timely filed after Notice of Allowance was issued,”

In other words, nothing was done with the trademark by Take-Two Interactive and therefore it’s been forfeited and defaulted. Now, considering that the PS3 is outdated and the PS5 is already on the way, there really shouldn’t be any surprise as Rockstar has never really commented on the game in the past 11 years.

You can still find it being tossed around as a joke or meme on Rockstar Games and even Take-Two’s websites. Rockstar did have a former artist post a bunch of game environments on Reddit, which gave the world its first look at Agent. Now, it’s pretty much just nothingness. At least the world will know whatever happened to that one game.

Now, commence with the memes.

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 13

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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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.

Pokemon Let’s Go Pikachu and Eevee sells over 3M copies first week

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Pokemon Let’s Go Pikachu and Eevee has received a mix of both praise and criticism for changing the game formula. However, the new pair of titles in the Pokemon series is still doing well in sales numbers on the market. The initial sales of the games have been revealed through a tweet on the Japanese Twitter account @poke_times:

Now, we can see how the games performed, and it appears that the two Pokemon titles had a level of success on greater than expected. The tweet announced that Let’s Go Pikachu and Let’s Go Eevee have collectively sold over 3M units in the first week of the game’s short history.

This is a very successful launch for the Pokemon series itself, which is still going after all these years, though isn’t as quite popular as before. The launch has now become the bets first-week release in the entirety of the Switch sales history.

However, the fact that the user base for the Nintendo Switch has grown since other games like Super Mario Odyssey and Zelda: BotW have definitely contributed to these sales figures for getting the users pooled together for the next major release.

Regardless, these two games are now the leader in week-one sales on the Nintendo Switch’s relatively short history. The only other game that I can see breaking this record in the coming weeks is Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.

We’ll report back to see how they compare soon after launch in early December. There’s a lot to be excited for Switch fans.

Rumor: Two new map variants coming to Black Ops 4; Firing Range Night, Seaside Sunset

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Rumor: Two new map variants coming to Black Ops 4; Firing Range Night, Seaside Sunset 16

Two new maps have been leaked and will be coming to Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 in the near future.

Well, they’re not exactly new maps, but rather, map variants. Variants are nothing new to CoD games, as Modern Warfare Remastered had multiple seasonal variants of game maps. This feature is also coming to BO4 as two new game files have been leaked from the game’s data.

Call of Duty fanatic NecrosCinema claims that a friend reported information about two new map variants added to the game after the latest Black Ops 4 update:

  • Firing Range Night
  • Seaside Sunset

From these map names, we can already see which newly modified maps and what variant they’ll receive. Firing Range will get a Night mode and Seaside will get a Sunset mode.

And he claims to have footage of these new variants. You can see the footage attached to the end of this post- straight from NerosCinema. There’s no set release date for these maps right now, but they’ll likely be going live soon enough because they’ve been added to the game already and there’s no point in keeping them there to hog up resources and make download unnecessarily lengthy for players, right?

These are the first few map variants in Blacks Ops 4, following the launch of Nuketown which is a whole new map released for all platforms last week- with PS4 owners getting the map a week ahead as part of a Sony/Activision deal.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 is available on PS4, PC, and Xbox One and is now a little over a month old. You can check it out on Amazon here.

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.)

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

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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.

Media Molecule announces Dreams livestream; Public beta release date “later this year”

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Media Molecule, the company behind their upcoming project Dreams, has since faded behind the veils of “we’re working on something but we can’t tell you anything about it until we’re ready.” Besides the recent release of their Dreams recreation of a level in Little Big Planet, there hasn’t been much news about them. In fact, I already forgot about them until their “demo” came out to show off what their latest project is capable of.

They’ve announced that their Dreams game would get a public beta, but we haven’t heard anything in regards to when. It was originally dated back for 2016 and now it’s nearly 2019, and still no beta.

But in a post on their page (a very recent one), Media Molecule basically reaffirmed that the Dreams beta is still scheduled to roll out before 2018 is over. There will be a new upcoming stream for Dreams that’ll take place on November 28, with one of Media Molecule’s members creating a world that players can access during the beta that will occur later this year.

Media Molecule says that they won’t tell when the beta will launch during the stream, so if you’re one of the fans that have been waiting for the past 3 years, don’t hold your breath. You’ll be able to see the game in action during the stream (probably), but you won’t be able to play it until later when the beta rolls out. With only about a month left in 2018, you’ll get your hands on it soon enough on your PS4.

Dreams is scheduled to release (the full game) sometime in 2019 exclusively on the PS4. Stay tuned for updates regarding the beta test date.

Black Ops 4 major update 1.07; Weapon balancing, Nuketown, and bug fixes

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Black Ops 4 major update 1.07; Weapon balancing, Nuketown, and bug fixes 19

Another huge update for Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 has been dropped today that features some major game changes to every single mode. The update spans 9GB on PS4 and 10.95GB on the Xbox One. PC players will get a delayed update that’ll come later today.

Treyarch released a number of game improvements for Blackout, Multiplayer, and Zombies mode. Nuketown has also been added to both Xbox One and PC as the 7-day mark has now been completed and the rest of the playerbase can now get their hands on the Russian map. For those unaware, Sony and Activision have a partnership where PS4 owners get content one week earlier than other platforms.

For the Multiplayer mode, various Scorestreaks were adjusted. The Dart and Lightning Strike were both reduced while the Hellstorm and RC-XD were buffed. Zombies mode was adjusted like crazy with a huge list of bug fixes that relieve game crashes (over 70) and enhanced stability.

The update includes bugs across all four maps, UI enchamcents, and more. Treyarch states that they want to “take care of the remaining stability issues in high-round play” and that they’ve “bolstered our ability to research and investigate these issues” and that they have “several fixes int he works that will be rolled out in the near future.”

The update has some major weapon balancing. On consoles, the ABR 223 and the Swordfish have received buffs to diminish recoil, which is what Treyarch originally planned for that specific class of weaponry. They also noted that SMG buffs from the previous balance patch were too powerful for PC users and thus nerfed them again. They stated that this is “best [to] suit the needs of [the] PC community.”

 

Here are full patch notes for the 1.07 BO4 update:

Today’s title update is another big one, and we’re celebrating the long holiday weekend with our first QUAD FEED in Black Ops 4! Starting 10AM PT tomorrow, all players get 2XP in MP and Zombies, 2X Tier Boost, 2X Merits, and 2X Nebulium Plasma on all platforms through Monday, Nov. 26. Now, onto what’s coming to the game today…

Nuketown arrives on Xbox One and PC! Join the chaos in the dedicated Nuketown Featured Playlist this week, featuring 6v6 Team Deathmatch, Kill Confirmed, Domination, and Hardpoint in Nuketown. Also live on Xbox One and PC: Zombies invade Nuketown Island in Blackout for a limited time, and Blackjack’s Shop opens in the Black Market.

Big improvements to Multiplayer are here with today’s update! We’ve fixed several MP-specific crashes, increased the delivery speed of Care Packages, updated several modes and Challenges, enabled Mastercraft camos instantly on Signature Weapons, updated the visibility of Clan Tags and Kill Counters, adjusted the costs of several Scorestreaks based on current performance to ensure players are getting the most bang for their buck, and more. Remember to visit the Scorestreaks selection menu to adjust your equipped Scorestreaks accordingly after downloading today’s update.

We’ve also added TDM 100 as our latest Featured playlist on all platforms, bumping up the score limit for Team Deathmatch to 100 by popular demand. Hardcore Mercenary Moshpit, Mercenary Moshpit, and Gun Game round out the Featured category for the week. Jump into this week’s Featured playlists today and get those wins.

For our Zombies players, we’re delivering 70+ crash fixes and gameplay improvements today, making this stability pass even bigger than last week’s major update. See below for the full list, including fixes for crashes and bugs across all four maps, UI improvements, and more. As we continue to identify and address more specific Zombies gameplay scenarios that could cause the game to crash, our primary focus is now on taking care of the remaining stability issues in high-round play. We have bolstered our ability to research and investigate these issues, and have several fixes in the works that will be rolled out in the near future.

In Blackout, we’ve addressed issues with screen jittering when moving and changing attachments or healing, and made the Bowie Knife now available in Equipment Stashes, as a random drop from killing Zombies, and as a randomized item spawn in Zombies-themed locations on PS4, with other platforms to follow.

Finally, our PC update is coming later today, including its own set of unique changes in addition to the ones listed below. In this update, we’ve decided to roll back the SMG balance changes from last week’s update that did not translate as well to the PC meta. See below for full details in the dedicated PC section of the patch notes.

XBOX ONE / PC

The following updates are now live on Xbox One, with PC to follow shortly:

Multiplayer

  • Nuketown added to rotation in MP playlists.
  • Nuketown Featured Playlist added (6v6 Team Deathmatch, Kill Confirmed, Domination, Hardpoint).

Blackout

  • To celebrate the launch of Nuketown, Zombies now spawn on Nuketown Island with a new Zombies Stash spawn location behind the Nuketown sign for a limited time.

Black Market

  • Blackjack’s Shop added to the Black Market.

ALL PLATFORMS

We’ve made the following updates to the game on PS4 and Xbox One, with PC to follow shortly:

Multiplayer

  • General
    • Nuketown added to rotation in MP playlists.
    • Updated Clan Tag and Kill Counter Weapon Prestige rewards to use an LED display for higher visibility on weapons.
    • Players can now equip Mastercraft camos on their Signature Weapon as soon as they acquire the Signature Weapon.
  • Playlist Updates
    • TDM 100 added to Featured Category (Team Deathmatch with a score limit of 100).
    • Mercenary Moshpit added to Featured Category (Team Deathmatch, Kill Confirmed, Hardpoint, and Domination, no parties allowed).
    • Hardcore Mercenary Moshpit added to Featured Category (Hardcore Team Deathmatch, Kill Confirmed, and Domination, no parties allowed).
    • Gun Game remains in Featured Category.
    • Endurance Chaos Moshpit remains in Featured Category (PS4).
  • Stability
    • Fixed crashes that could occur:
    • When using the Reactor Core.
    • When a Firebreak player left the game after using their Reactor Core.
    • When a Nomad player left the game after using their Mesh Mines.
    • While freezing in the water in Icebreaker.
    • When piloting the Hellstorm.
    • When selecting a Specialist in the Specialist Draft.
    • When the player picked up a weapon in Multiplayer.
    • If the Transport Helicopter was destroyed while delivering a Care Package or Mantis.
    • Related to the Drone Squad’s wing-drone turrets animating incorrectly.
    • When failing to play a sound when picking up dog tags in Kill Confirmed.
    • When a player left a match while being shocked by the Tempest.
  • Scorestreaks
    • Care Package
      • Adjusted delivery chopper entry and exit points across all maps to reduce delivery times.
      • Increased the entry and exit speeds for the delivery chopper.
      • Reduced how often high-end Scorestreaks can be received in Care Packages.
      • Reduced the amount of roll on the smoke marker to ensure that the end position is a more accurate representation of where the Care Package will drop.
    • Score Adjustments
      • Dart reduced from 500 default to 450 / 350 with COMSEC Device.
      • RC-XD increased from 450 to 500 default / 400 with COMSEC Device.
      • Lightning Strike reduced from 900 to 850 default / 600 with COMSEC Device.
      • Sentry reduced from 950 to 900 default / 700 with COMSEC Device.
      • Hellstorm increased from 850 to 950 default / 750 with COMSEC Device.
      • Sniper’s Nest reduced from 1100 to 1050 default / 850 with COMSEC Device.
      • Mantis increased to 1100 default / 900 with COMSEC Device.
      • Thresher reduced from 1250 to 1200 default / 950 with COMSEC Device.
      • Attack Chopper increased from 1200 to 1300 default / 1000 with COMSEC Device.
      • Reduced score given for all Scorestreak kills from +25 to +10.
  • Game Modes
    • Hardcore
      • Resolved an issue where teammate names were not displaying properly in Hardcore Search & Destroy.
      • Teammates that die to a friendly bombsite explosion will no longer count toward the teamkill kick limit.
      • Care Package team kills will no longer count towards the teamkill kick limit.
    • Hardpoint
      • Reduced the score given for Hardpoint Secured to +50.
      • Resolved an issue that would prevent players from owning the Hardpoint while using the Lightning Strike tablet.
    • Search & Destroy
      • Silent Plant setting in Custom Games should now make planting and defusing the bomb completely silent.
    • CWL Custom Games
      • Addressed an issue where Specialist Weapons and Equipment would not update when players switched Specialists.
  • Specialists
    • Seraph’s Tac Deploy will now only allow 1 respawn per use in Free For All.
  • Challenges
    • Atomic Drop
      • The player’s death by their own Reactor Core will no longer track toward this Challenge.
    • Spotter
      • Kills in Free For All will no longer track toward this Challenge.
    • Air Cover
      • Resolved an issue where progress was not awarded in Hardpoint or Control.
  • Miscellaneous
    • Manually destroying the Tac-Deploy now gives Score.

Weapon Balance (MP Only)

Burst Tactical Rifles have been adjusted slightly to better define their role as ranged power-position weapons. With these changes in place, weapon balance on consoles is where we want it to be after the first month of changes, and we’ll allow the meta to stabilize before making additional balance passes.

  • Tactical Rifles
    • Swordfish
      • Reduced upward recoil to achieve a more accurate burst.
    • ABR 223
      • Slightly reduced upward recoil.
      • Extended 4-hit kill range from 25m to 32m.

Zombies

  • Stability
    • Global – Fixed crashes that could occur:
      • While Zombies spawned into the map.
      • While the Mystery Box loaded into the map.
      • When interacting a second time with an object that should only be used or interacted with once.
      • When an enemy climbed or mantled over railing or terrain in order to spawn into the playable space.
      • When updating player stats in the After Action Report screen.
      • When disconnecting and reconnecting the controller during a match, leaving the player stuck on the “Please reconnect controller” message.
      • After disconnects while one player was reviving another.
      • When triggering the Winter’s Wail explosion FX.
      • When a player disconnected within a certain time after joining the game.
      • When Zombies were moving away from downed players.
      • When a player was downed while using the Ragnarok DG-5.
      • When a Bot decided to kill the last enemy in the round.
      • When the player disconnected after using Point Drops and before they were picked up.
      • When a player disconnected as the Hellfire’s Infernal Tempest disappeared.
      • When a player used the Burned Out Elixir.
      • When the inventory updated while picking up an item.
      • When a player’s grenades were restored as the next round started.
      • When a player disconnected while a power-up dropped.
      • When the player disconnected from their party while in the Custom Games screen.
      • When calculating the player’s final score at the Game Over screen.
      • When interacting with the crafting table to craft any item for the first time.
      • When Dying Wish and Winter’s Wail cooldown UI elements were on-screen.
      • When updating the player’s stats and score when tracking Rush multipliers.
      • When the player disconnected while opening a door.
      • When killing Zombies with the Ragnarok DG-5.
      • When triggering Kill-O-Watt’s FX.
      • When triggering Frostbite’s FX.
    • Blood of the Dead – Fixed crashes that could occur:
      • When a player disconnected as the next Hellhound round was being determined.
      • Related to the UI at high rounds.
      • While following the Warden from the cellblock during the Main Quest.
      • When a player disconnected while looking at the bird during the Main Quest.
      • When killing Zombies during the banjo ghost event in the Main Quest.
      • When the player disconnected while following the ghost dog during the Main Quest.
      • When the player disconnected while riding the gondola.
      • When player was downed as they grabbed the Magmagat from the fireplace.
      • While running the unfinished Magmagat across the map.
      • When the furthest player in the catwalk during the gauntlet event disconnected.
      • For the host during the final boss battle.
      • When a power-up was dropped.
      • When loading into Blood of the Dead.
    • Classified – Fixed crashes that could occur:
      • Related to the UI at high rounds.
      • When the metal detector sounds played as the player walked through them.
      • When the player exited a teleporter.
      • When a player disconnected after being the first one to teleport into the Panic Room.
      • When a player disconnected while in a metal detector.
      • During a match of Classified Rush.
      • While the Mystery Box moved.
      • When placing the teleporter modifier while playing splitscreen with 3 or 4 players.
    • Voyage of Despair – Fixed crashes that could occur:
      • When spawning enemies in the first round of the boss battle.
      • When reaching the first Stoker-spawning round with the Wonder Weapon quest disabled in Custom Mutations.
      • When using the Kraken upgrade table.
      • When the Flying Car takes damage during the Upgraded Shield Quest.
    • IX – Fixed crashes that could occur:
      • When special enemies spawned during certain parts of the Main Quest.
      • When helping other players complete their challenges.
      • When a player disconnected and their Blade Trap became deactivated.
    • Tutorial
      • Fixed a crash that could occur with Bots in the tutorial.
  • Gameplay
    • Global – Resolved issues where:
      • Text for XP earned from each challenge tier was missing from the After Action Report.
      • The player could be permanently stuck when grabbed by the Blightfather’s tongue.
      • Concoctions UI remained on screen when switching from the Laboratory to the Identity screen.
      • UI incorrectly indicated to the player that Prestige unlock tokens could be spent on permanently unlocking Custom Class slots.
      • If a Prestige Master player did not gain any XP during a match (by launching the game and immediately quitting, for example), the displayed ranks would be incorrect, the XP bar would be completely filled, and there would be no indication of how much XP was required until the next level.
    • Blood of the Dead
      • Resolved an issue where the Hell’s Retriever could not pick up a power-up when thrown at certain angles.
      • Fixed incorrect subtitles stating that the voice for obtaining power-ups is the Warden.
      • Closed an exploit in Michigan Avenue that allowed players to use the Ragnarok DG-5 to jump on the railing on the top floor.
      • Resolved a rare issue where players were unable to progress the New Industries Portal in the Main Quest, despite having a fully-drained ghost killed in the Blade Trap.
    • Classified
      • Closed an exploit in the War Room that allowed players to use the Ragnarok DG-5 to jump on a terminal.

Blackout

  • Gameplay
    • Resolved an issue causing screen jittering when moving and changing attachments, or when moving and healing.
    • Bowie Knife now available in Equipment Stashes, as a random drop from killing Zombies, and as a randomized item spawn in Zombies-themed locations on PS4.

PC

In addition to the global changes above, the following updates are coming to the game on PC later today:

Weapon Balance (Multiple Modes)

We strive to provide a similar experience between PC and console whenever possible, making platform specific changes when appropriate. In our last weapon balancing pass, we made critical SMG balance changes that were needed on console. These changes did not translate as well to PC, where mouse-and-keyboard players already saw success with SMG weapons. We’re rolling these changes back to best suit the needs of our PC community, and taking it a step even further for the Spitfire. The above changes to the Swordfish and ABR 223 also apply to PC.

  • Submachine Guns
    • Spitfire
      • Reduced damage within 9m range. (MP only)
      • Restored previous ADS move speed.
    • Cordite
      • Reduced damage within 3m range. (MP only)
      • Restored previous ADS move speed.
    • MX9
      • Reduced damage within 6m range. (MP only)
      • Restored previous ADS move speed.
    • GKS
      • Reduced damage within 3m range. (MP only)
      • Restored previous ADS move speed.

General

  • Gameplay
    • Tilde key (~) can now be assigned in the keybinds menu.
    • Removed the slight camera roll from head bobbing when sprinting.
    • Resolved multiple issues with the Gesture Wheel.
    • Updated the recommended NVIDIA driver version to 416.81.
  • Stability
    • Fixed a source of hitching when video memory is full.
    • Fixed a rare crash during the first seconds after the game window appears.

Multiplayer

  • Resolved an issue where spawn selection would not be set to the Tac-Deploy by default when available.

Blackout

  • Added an in-game UI indicator for when a Perk is being activated.
  • Resolved an issue where a Stash would close when dropping a weapon.

-Treyarch

 

Fortnite Winter Royale Tournament puts $1M up for grabs

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Fortnite Winter Royale Tournament puts $1M up for grabs 20

Fortnite has announced that they’re offering up to $1M USD to all players in its Winter Royale Tournament. If you think you’re good at Fortnite, but never could make it into the pro leagues, think again.

Epic Games now lets you put your skills to test with its next upcoming official tourney where a nice chunk of cash will be up for grabs for all contestants. A test event will be held later this month that’ll emulate the World Cup Qualification process for 2019, so it’s kind of like a beta test for it. The Solo test events come in two parts:

  • Part one: Winter Royale Qualifiers
  • Part two: Winter Royale Finals

Part one opens up on November 24, which is just 4 days from now. In this phase, players will attempt to achieve a high score during any event session and the highest score you get will be the one that qualifies you. So you need to get the best score possible in any event because this is what’s used to rank you against other players and qualify you for the Winter Royale Finals.

For players within the US or EU, you’ll be automatically qualified to contest other players. If you’re good enough, you’ll be invited to play and take part in the Winter Royale Finals for your specific region.

Players outside of North Ameria or Europe won’t be able to participate, but Epic Games has said they’re looking to expand this tournament for the future.

Fortnite has already updated their in-game menus to reflect this information and has listed the following deadlines that you should be aware of:

  • Winter Royale Qualifier (Open): 11/24/2018 – 11/25/2018

  • Europe Winter Royale Finals: 11/30/2018 – 12/1/2018

  • North America Winter Royale Finals: 12/11/2018 – 12/12/2018

So, if you think you’re good at the game, it’s time to prove it and put your money where your mouth is! Epic has the right mentality for offering pro league gaming for everyone. This will surely get players more competitive. Get ready for the trash talking and rage-quitting.

Skybound updates progress on The Walking Dead: The Final Season

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Skybound updates progress on The Walking Dead: The Final Season 21

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.

Riot Games and Marvel partner up to release full-length comic featuring Ashe

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Riot Games and Marvel partner up to release full-length comic featuring Ashe 22

A new partnership between Riot and Marvel Games has just been forged. The announcement was made today and will soon put out one of League of Legend’s most popular character fusing with a comic book.

Marvel will begin a new series of comic books based on the League of Legends universe. It’ll kick off with everyone’s favorite tutorial champion: Ashe. The story will center around her as a narrative to serve as an origin point and tells the story of Ashe as she becomes the Iceborn Warrior like she is in the MOBA. It’ll be called League of Legends: Ashe: Warmother and the graphic novel will be written by Riot’s Odin Austin Shafer and drawn by Nina Vakueva with Cardinal Rae on lettering.

An article posted by Marvel details this full-length feature:

“Marvel and Riot Games are teaming up for an epic collaboration to bring the world of “League of Legends” to comics! A graphic novel published by Marvel and Riot Games will be released in May 2019, making this the first full-length comic based on “League of Legends” games. This complete collection will be the culmination of a series of monthly graphic novels based on the hit game that will be available on digital platforms beginning Wednesday, December 19!”

Riot Games had the following thoughts on this crossover:

“We love comics as a way to tell stories because it gives League of Legends fans an opportunity to see the world of Runeterra and not just read about it. We see similarities between the League of Legends Universe and the Marvel Universe, as both of them feature an array of characters with compelling and diverse backgrounds. Marvel’s success at developing a world through comics and creating great stories is industry-defining, and we’re thrilled to be working with them to bring our own stories to life.”

Editon-in-Chief of Marvel, C.B. Cebulski spoke about the partnership that many didn’t see coming:

“Many fans of the Marvel Universe and comics share their interests and passion for storytelling with the gaming community. League of Legends is one of the most well-known games in the industry, and their unique world and extensive roster of rich characters and are a perfect fit for comic books. We’re excited to partner with Riot and help build the League of Legends Universe for fans and players around the world.”

With Riot’s League of Legends already being one of the most popular MOBA games on the planet and many of the players also being into comics and interested in the backstory of the champions (fanfics), it makes sense to document and official work from Riot themselves. Combined with the production quality of Marvel, this is a partnership with a solid foundation and tons of potential for storytelling opportunities.

Ashe: Warmother releases May 2019. We’ll see the fruits of this partnership then.

Source: Marvel.

Featured image via Marvel.

You can ride Stink Bombs like rockets in Fortnite; Viral video shows it off

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You can ride Stink Bombs like rockets in Fortnite; Viral video shows it off 23

Rockets and Fortnite, what could be better?

Remember back then when players found out you can ride the rockets from the Rocket Launcher? That was awesome. Now, players have found out that you can ride the Stink Bombs also. Yup. That yellow throwable can be jumped on just like the rockets from the Rocket Launcher.

The Stink Bomb was added a few months ago in June as part of the V4.4 update and is typically used as a gas grenade to make players come out of hidden structures in nooks and crannies. But this post on Reddit just may have given them a new purpose.

A Reddit user named “kuzner” proved the concept with a recording. He records another player named “Zolo II” jumping onto the grenade after his teammate tosses. The window that you can jump on it is very narrow and your timing needs to be precise. But once you hop on, it’s pretty cool as you follow the arc of the throwable until it lands.

Stink bomb ride! WtF and a snipe! from FortNiteBR

You can’t compare the rocket and the Stink Bomb as they’re completely different modes of “transportation.” The throwable doesn’t hold a candle to the rocket’s distance in travel, but it’s still cool, nonetheless. I mean, imagine your enemy turning around to see you flying towards them on a ‘nade and then getting blown to bits in a cloud of smelly gas.

Zolo II then rides it until he hit a sniper shot on the final baddy and secures the Victory Royale. The video’s timing is epic and the Reddit post went viral with over 200 comments and 12K upvotes at the time of this writing. Not many players knew that you can ride the Stink Bomb in Fortnite, but this post will likely spread the word to the masses from now on.

Meta? Probably not. Hilarious? Definitely.

Winemaker Lot18 releases lineup of Assassin’s Creed-themed wines

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Winemaker Lot18 releases lineup of Assassin's Creed-themed wines 24

Winemaker Lot18 has released a special collection of wine with themes from the Assassin’s Creed series. They’re named after a various assassin’s from the game and you can choose between various types of wine- including cabernet sauvignon, blends, and even a whole case of whatever you want.

Each wine is based on notable characters from the entire series like Bayek, Ezio Auditore, and Connor Kenway. They range from $20 up to $192 for a full case. So far, the wines only range from Assassin’s Creed 2 and 3 plus Origins, with none named after the newest characters Kassandra and Alexious. There could be another lineup to come.

Winemaker Lot18 has done this before with Lord of the Rings and The Walking Dead, so they’re not new to combining games and wine into one world. They make a good gift for someone who’s obsessed with Assassin’s Creed, which is just in time for the holidays. Who wouldn’t want a bottle of wine from an awesome ninja to add to their collection? If you know someone who likes wine and Assassin’s Creed, this makes the perfect gift.

Here’s the lineup from this offering:

  • 2017 Aveline de Grandpré Appellation Côtes du Rhône Contrôlée – $20
  • 2017 Arno Dorian Qualitätswein Niederösterreich Zweigelt – $20
  • 2017 Altaïr Ibn-La’ahad Loire Valley IGP Cabernet Franc – $20
  • 2015 Bayek of Siwa Spanish Tempranillo – $20
  • 2016 Connor Horse Heaven Hills Cabernet Sauvignon – $20
  • 2015 Ezio Auditore Super Tuscan Red Blend – $20
  • Half Case – $108
  • Full Case – $192

And you can check them out here at their store page.

H1Z1 Pro League shutting down; Dwindling viewer numbers and negative earnings

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H1Z1 Pro League shutting down; Dwindling viewer numbers and negative earnings 25

The H1Z1 Pro League is shutting down for good according to a report from news giant ESPN. After viewer numbers have constantly decreased and failed stiped payments to teams participating in the Pro League, there’s not enough support to hold this program afloat.

Teams including Team SoloMid, Cloud 9, and Echo Fox were all previous participants in the ladder but received repeated stipend payment failures. basically, your favorite players aren’t getting paid by the League and there aren’t enough viewers to support the show and brand.

Twin Galaxies Co-Chairmen Jace Hall wrote in a public statement that went out to players:

“It’s with a heavy heart that a letter has been sent to the League’s team organizations providing notice that the 2nd Split has been suspended indefinitely, and that a second league season will not be renewed or scheduled at this time,”

So now that the H1Z1 Pro League is officially suspended (i.e. canceled), they’re working on getting players their overdue stipends and will be paid across the 15 teams totally about $3M with about $250K going towards player salaries. With not enough income from viewers and sponsors, the League will be at a net loss after payments are made. It’s pretty much safe to say that the H1Z1 Pro League is gone for good. With many other games in this saturated genre, there’s just not enough support for this quickly-evaporating title.

H1Z1 was one of the first games ever to start the whole battle royale genre but has now been “replaced” by many other games such as Fortnite. H1Z1 just can’t keep up and has lost many players to these newer titles.

Who knows? If H1Z1 can pull a massive turnaround and make their game more relevant (and more fun) than the current giants, then there just may be a miracle. But at this point, you shouldn’t hold your breath.

H1Z1 is available for PS4 and PC. Although it doesn’t have a professional-level setup, you can still play it casually as a stress-free alternative to competitive titles.

Fortnite action figures hitting shelves December 1st

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Fortnite action figures hitting shelves December 1st 26

Donald Mustard, Worldwide Creative Director of Epic Games, has announced that Fortnite will be releasing a series G.I. Joe action figures next month right before the holidays.

Since Fortnite is dominated by the younger crowd, this makes sense. Growing up, I was never really into playing with figurines others than the odd ones here and there. But all my friends at school knew G.I. Joe and I’d “tag along” to pretend I was totally into it. Kids grew up with small action figures, and although G.I. Joe isn’t as huge as it once was, Fortnite is a prime target to create action figures from. Kids love Fortnite, so they’ll surely like Fortnite action figurines.

Donald Mustard announced via his Twitter account that he’s partnering with Jazwares to create these Fortnite figures. And they want to create the “very best action figures possible.” You can see from his posts that quality was a priority:

He posts a few pictures of the toys and they look stunning. Attention to detail looks amazing. Mustard states that they’ll be out soon- by December 1st- which is enough time to grab one or two and stuff stockings with them. With the popularity of Fortnite, they’ll surely sell like crazy. You can’t escape Fortnite (or Halloween flossing). They’ll hit shelves soon.

Fallout 76: Nukes for days, terrible lag, and “stuck” Power Armor. Oh my!

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Fallout 76: Nukes for days, terrible lag, and "stuck" Power Armor. Oh my! 27

Fallout 76’s launch was less-than-spectacular. And now with a share of bugs, terrible lag, and weird visual glitches, the game needs a lot of work from developer Bethesda.

One of the most exciting things about Fallout 76 were the nukes. Now, a few users have made the process of acquiring parts of a nuclear launch code and deciphering them to launch a nuke has become like a free-for-all, mundane activity.

Two programs have already been released which allows players to skip the decryption once you have all the pieces of the code. A Reddit user named joshuadaleadams created a program that lets you automatically cycle through possible codes. All you need are all the pieces of the code (all 8) and then type a question mark (?) in empty fields and it’ll automatically decipher the code. He states:

Another program called nukacrypt created by Waffle_Cop allows users to essentially do the same thing and makes the process much easier. Nukes just may be going off a lot more than we thought.

Besides nukes for everyone, another problem is that Xbox One players become stuck in the Power Armor and can’t escape it. Basically, once they take off the armor, their character’s body gets warped and stuck as if they were still wearing it. The UI is still viewable, but the character acts as if they have the armor donned. You can see that fans on Twitter are posting about it:

Other various glitches, bugs, and lag plague the game.

Some users also reported that the $200 version of the game that comes with the special Power Armor helmet had some serious quality problems. The helmet reeks of paint with a poor paint job. The voice changer and headlamp also work poorly.

We can expect Bethesda to release a patch very soon that addresses many of these problems. Nukes are bound to get nerfed in one way or another. I can smell it. Regardless, I’m still playing and don’t care. The game just came out.

Do you have any strange bugs that you’ve encountered? Let us know in the comments.

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 28

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:

Microsoft releasing (another) Xbox One refresh Spring 2019; Disc-less, $100 cheaper

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Microsoft releasing (another) Xbox One refresh Spring 2019; Disc-less, $100 cheaper 29

A report released earlier today claims that Microsoft is working on a new disc-less Xbox One console in 2019 by Thurrott. This would be the third console refresh for the Xbox One so far, with the original being the Xbox One, followed the Xbox One S, then the Xbox One X. Do we really need that many refreshes? Why not just make the next-gen Xbox and compete with the PS5, which has already garnered some attention with its (finally) backward compatible emulation.

There hasn’t been any solid confirmation regarding this from the big M, but the report details show that the console will release sometime next year and not allow users to insert any physical discs into the Xbox. Microsoft is also releasing a new “disc to digital” program that allows users to turn the physical discs magically into a digital format. Well, not actual magic is involved in the process. It’s just swapping a code at specific retailers.

Why would Microsoft be doing this when they could just release the next Scarlett console? The report states that they want to lower the price of a new console by $100 due to no disc drive. But would people still want to buy this current-gen when they can go next-gen? We’ll have to see.

The report also states:

“The company also has a revised Xbox One S SKU that is targeted for later in the year that focuses solely on cost reduction but does feature a disc-drive for those who still prefer the traditional way to buy your games.”

Microsoft still hasn’t decided on whether Scarlett will come with disc drives or not, but a decision will be made “shortly.” right now, the disc-less Xbox One will arrive Spring 2019 and is already in production according to the report. Then again, we haven’t heard news from many other media outlets so this could be a dud entirely. We’ll find out soon enough.

Source: DualShockers.