Games

Nintendo not against releasing an “N64 Classic”

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Nintendo not against releasing an "N64 Classic" 1

With the release of the NES Classic and the SNES Classic, it’s only natural to ponder about whether or not if Nintendo will roll out the N64 Classic. The former two plug-and-play consoles miniatures both feature some of the best and most popular games of all time during their respective eras. They’ve been a huge success with both fans and scalpers buying up the consoles and pre-order lists getting maxed out. They were both extremely rare and hard to find when they first came out.

Other companies, like Sony, even took place with their own creations around the same idea.

This year, Nintendo just may continue the trend with their once-a-year retro console release with the N64 Classic- another miniature featuring some of the best games from the N64 era. But, this never was confirmed and never happened. Despite not being annoyed this year, Nintendo of America’s Reggie Fils-Aime says that Nintendo isn’t against the idea of an N64 Classic.

Fils-Aime explained a bit more about how the whole “Classic” series came about in the first place in an interview with Kotaku. Fils-Aime said that they would help players bridge between the original console to the Wii U:

“We were clear when we did the first two Classic series that, for us, these were limited time opportunities that were a way for us as a business to bridge from the conclusion of Wii U as a hardware system to the launch of Nintendo Switch. That was the very strategic reason we launched the NES Classic system.

So while consumers may have been anticipating something, we view these as limited time opportunities. We’ve also now been very clear that as the consumer looks forward to engaging with our classic content that is going to happen more and more with the subscription service.”

Nintendo at this point doesn’t have to make any more Classic consoles, especially that now they’ve fulfilled the “bridge.” However, they seem to be confusing on the Switch now more than releasing classic consoles as they’re “limited time opportunities.” But Fils-Aime says he’s still not against another Classic- “I would not ever rule something out.” But ends it by saying that’s they’re not currently planning to make any more Classic consoles.

So form all this, we can gather that Nintendo doesn’t currently have any plans to make the N64 Classic, but the idea isn’t completely ruled out. We’ll have to stay tuned for more news. Nintendo has been known to change their mind.

New teaser trailer released for Harry Potter: Wizards Unite; Details and speculations

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New teaser trailer released for Harry Potter: Wizards Unite; Details and speculations 2

Portkey Games released a new trailer showing off the latest in the line of augmented reality games to the newly announced Harry Potter: Wizards Unite. The game was nothing more than a rumor to be some kind of Harry Potter RPG a few months back, but in recent weeks news surfaced on the web with more solid evidence.

Now that we have a full-fledged trailer, we can truly get excited over something.

From the trailer, we can see that there currently isn’t much anything about the gameplay released. It’s teased from the viewpoint of a security camera with various text and timestamps watching an unknown woman cast a magical spell on a snitch. Then she disappears inside a hanging poster requesting help to keep Hogwarts and the Wizarding World a secret from the public eye.

Harry Potter: Wizards Unite is co-published and co-developed by WB Games and Niantic. They released a teaser trailer for the Portkey Games label- the same one used for the current mobile game Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery.

The game is set to go live sometime in 2019. WB Games states the game will have “players will be able to explore real-world surroundings to unravel a global mystery, cast spells, and encounter fantastic beasts and iconic characters along the way.”

So far, we’re not sure if this will be a global MMORPG or rather a single-player game. But they do talk about the game and its players working on a “global mystery,” which could be anything that involves all the players working and roaming around the castle together to defeat some boss via raids and instances, or it could just be a generic tag for some mystery players have to solve by themselves.

The original rumor said the game was an RPG with multiplayer elements. But we still don’t have any solid evidence of that.

You can get more information about the game here.

Are you stoked for Harry Potter: Wizards Unite? What do you want to see in this game? Leave a  comment and let us know.

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 3

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 (V.6.30) Week 9 loading screens leaked; A.I.M skin is the hunter

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Fortnite (V.6.30) Week 9 loading screens leaked; A.I.M skin is the hunter 4

Fortnite’s V.6.30 update released today, November 14, shows some new data for the Week 9 Hunting Party. This new update featured the official release of the Mounted Turret and the Food Fight LTM.

Data miners have already uncovered the Hunting Party loading screen by completing challenges that took place throughout Season 6. The challenges are the extra ones like the Blockbuster and Road Trip challenges that spanned over the the current and previous season. Players who complete all 7 weeks worth of challenges got the A.I.M robot skin as a special reward.

Right now, data miners have dug up the Week 8 loading screen and leaked it. It features the A.I.M skin who appears to be using a handheld map to look for something specific. The Week 9 loading screen features the same character with a Calamity skin and another character. The Calamity skin is in a nature field enjoying some the scenery while the A.I.M skin is standing in the background, seemingly plotting something at the Calamity skin and the other character- who happens to be saluting the sunset. You can see it below:

Fortnite (V.6.30) Week 9 loading screens leaked; A.I.M skin is the hunter 5

While A.I.M is clearly in view through a gap in the foliage, we can’t tell exactly what he’s doing. Is he hunting these two characters enjoying the scenery? Or is it the other way around? With a leaked loading screen like this, we can only assume for now. But common sense says that A.I.M is the bad guy and he’ll be here to take down Calamity and her friend. You can clearly see that A.I.M is carrying something while appearing to be “hunting” for someone or something. And there are only two other characters in the loading screen, so it’s safe to assume who’s the prey and predator, right?

A.I.M could actually be the “bad guy” who’s hunting the two characters. This would kind of give way tot he Hunting Party titles for the S6 challenges and make a lot of sense. The “Hunting Party” title would imply that A.I.M is hunting Calamity, but he’s not a party. He’s just one dude. So then who’s the “party” in “Hunting Party?”

Subnautica confirmed for PS4; Xbox One gets a full release (V1.0)

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Subnautica confirmed for PS4; Xbox One gets a full release (V1.0) 6

Subnautica has been confirmed for the PS4 and the release date has been announced in a news post on the game’s official page. While PC and Xbox One owners can already experience this amazing title, PS4 players have been shut out- until now.

Subnautica has garnered plenty of media attention and received positive praise for its gameplay, which is mainly an underwater survival game. The game has players finding themselves in an alien world after escaping from a sinking ship with an escape pod.

Players then have to explore, collect, build, and attempt to get rescued with the game’s storyline. The game is a survival game at its core with a basic storyline that tells the lore of the game and is mostly communicated via radio transmissions.

Although the game isn’t an endless exploration title, it sure does feel like it when you’re playing it for the first time. As you wander farther from your pod, you’ll start to encounter some deep underwater caves and creatures that lurk where light can’t even shine. You’ll have to build up the tech tree in order to explore dangerous areas.

Subnautica has been received plenty of positive feedback for being a game that’ll immerse you into its world and is plenty scary with its creatures- even though it’s not regarded as a horror game. There have been many content updates from the developer (for free) Unknown Worlds Entertainment based on community feedback.

The game is currently only available for PC, but PlayStation owners will be able to snag a copy of Subnautica next month on December 4, 2018. Developer Unknown Words Entertainment said they plan for this release date given that no delays take place:

“We’re very confident we will hit December 4th, but we can never be 100% sure of any date, ever. Game development is a wild ride. Unexpected issues could still cause a last minute delay. If something happens, we will keep you updated.”

Subnautica for PS4 will be available digitally on the PS Store and on physical disks for collectors. North American players should see discs in major retailers on the release date. European players will have to wait for just a tad for the physical disc to be released on December 7, 2018.

The game will also get the much-anticipated Below Zero standalone expansion at a later date for the PC. As for the Xbox One and PS4, it’s currently unconfirmed whether or not the expansion will be rolling out on the platform.

Subnautica is currently released as a full game for PC and in early access for Xbox One. The PS4 and Xbox One will both be getting a physical disc or digital download on the same date- December 4, 2018. Xbox One owners will get a full update to the full 1.0 release on launch day. PS4 owners will get the complete game.

The developer is also “super excited” about this upcoming console game release for PS4:

“This is going to be Unknown World’s first console release. We are traditionally a PC game developer. So we are super nervous, and super excited. We are thankful to Panic Button & Gearbox Publishing for working with us to bring Subnautica to PlayStation.”

PS4 players can now get immersed in the horrifying, yet beautiful experience that is underwater with Subnautica. If you haven’t played the game before and want to check out some more details, you can head over to Steam. The game retails for $24.99 at the time of this writing. Xbox One owners can get it on the Microsoft Store for the same MSRP. PS4 players will likely pay the same price (or get a steep discount on launch, as the dev is known to do).

Here’s the official post from Unknown Worlds:

“The wait is nearly over. Subnautica is coming to PlayStation 4 on December 4th, 2018. You will be able to buy Subnautica digitally or on a physical disk. If you are in Europe, physical disk sales will start three days later, on December 7th.

Want a reminder on launch day? Sign up to the Subnautica Playstation newsletter, and we will email you the moment Subnautica is available.

It’s important we be honest about dates. We’re very confident we will hit December 4th, but we can never be 100% sure of any date, ever. Game development is a wild ride. Unexpected issues could still cause a last minute delay. If something happens, we will keep you updated.

This is going to be Unknown World’s first console release. We are traditionally a PC game developer. So we are super nervous, and super excited. We are thankful to Panic Button & Gearbox Publishing for working with us to bring Subnautica to PlayStation.

Thank you to everyone that pushed us to release on PlayStation. Your tweets, emails, and other messages were instrumental in bringing about the decision to bring Subnautica to consoles. We are grateful for your patience as we have navigated the unfamiliar waters of PlayStation development.

Come launch day, we will need your help to spread the word that Subnautica is available on PlayStation. If you want to share the news, follow @SubnauticaPS on Twitter, Subnautica Playstation on Facebook, and sign up to the Subnautica Playstation newsletter.

– Unknown Worlds“

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" 7

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 8

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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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:

Fortnite Deep Freeze bundle available now; Physical copy, exclusive cosmetics

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Fortnite Deep Freeze bundle available now; Physical copy, exclusive cosmetics 10

The new Deep Freeze bundle for Fortnite will get you a physical copy of Fortnite Battle Royale, which has been known to be extremely hard to find nowadays. But the Deep Freeze bundle will get you a nice hard copy of the game (as a sentimental souvenir) to keep forever to remind you what was once the world’s most popular game. There’s also a digital version available on all platform store.

If you decide to snag yourself a physical copy of Deep Freeze, you’ll get four exclusive cosmetics and a bunch of V-Bucks. Fortnite was previously available as a physical disc before the battle royale mode was even developed and the game was just PvE. Nowadays, if you want to get yourself a disc, you’ll be paying about $400 on eBay for a pristine copy.

This new Deep Freeze bundle will run you $29.99 from major retailers or the in-game Fortnite store with 1,000 V-Bucks (worth $10) and cosmetics valued at about $20. Considering that this bundle itself will also be hard to find, later on, it’s worth the price. Even if you already own the game and you’re just looking to collect the physical hardware so you can display it in your room.

The cosmetics are seasonal as we head into the coming winter (in real life) and given the name of the bundle, they’re all about ice. All items are exclusive to the bundle and you can get your V-Bucks that fans will go buy the bundle just for the cosmetics and not the game.

Here’s what’s included in the Deep Freeze Bundle:

Deep Freeze Bundle

  • 1000 V-Bucks
  • Legendary Frostbite Outfit
  • Legendary Freezing Point Back Bling
  • Uncommon Chill-Axe Pickaxe
  • Uncommon Cold Front Glider

Jump in to Fortnite Battle Royale with the Deep Freeze bundle. Guaranteed to keep you warm on the battlefield, despite its chilly name!

You can buy theDeep Freeze bundle now on Amazon, at any major physical retailer, or buy from the Fortnite online store.

Here are some screenshots of the cosmetics:

Fortnite Deep Freeze bundle available now; Physical copy, exclusive cosmetics 11 Fortnite Deep Freeze bundle available now; Physical copy, exclusive cosmetics 12 Fortnite Deep Freeze bundle available now; Physical copy, exclusive cosmetics 13 Fortnite Deep Freeze bundle available now; Physical copy, exclusive cosmetics 14

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Five Nights At Freddy’s coming to Switch (and other consoles) in 2019

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Five Nights At Freddy’s (FNAF), the viral animatronic horror point-and-click game developed by Scott Cawthon, is coming to the Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, PS4, iOS, and Android sometime in 2019 based on a news post on the Steam Community page of Ultimate Custom Night.

The game series has been extremely popular with the younger crowd and has spawned many different adaptations. FNAF will likely start with the original game followed by the sequels on the consoles and other platforms. There will be HD ports of the original games alongside the entire series and possibly the spinoffs.

Scott Cawthon states on the latest update post:

“I’m working closely with the people at Clickteam to create new, improved, HD ports of all of the original games! They will be released on Android, iOS, Switch, XBox and PlayStation!”

Five Nights At Freddy’s is a game released back in 2014 that has been played by famous internet celebrities and popularized by the content creators who screamed in fear when they were fazed by the game’s creepy-looking animatronic robots.

Players attempt to survive five nights at an eat-in diner called Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza, which is essentially like Chuck E. Cheese went horribly, terribly wrong. The place is swarmed with animatronics that have taken new life and you control a camera monitor and must keep watch to survive by acting various mechanisms and such.

The series has evolved to an entire media franchise complete with fan gear, toys, and 6 major entries with 2 spin-off titles and even had novels written to tell the story. The’res also been a film adaptation by Warner Bros. Pictures to recreate the game but has since then gone through multiple delays. The game has been covered by major internet celebrities, including Markiplier, PewDiePie, and jacksepticeye.

Cawthon also says that there will be new books, new games, and of course, the movie. You can check out the whole post below:

 

“Upcoming Projects Mega-Thread!
Updated 11-12-18

Hey everyone!

I’ve been promising an update, so here it is! There are a lot of great things being worked on, and most of them will arrive in 2019, including new ports, new games, and new books. The movie progress is still slow, but that’s OK because I want to get it right. Everything else however is moving full speed ahead.

Movie News:

Five Nights at Freddy’s (first movie): New script being worked on

OK guys, I had a script written; Jason liked it, and Chris Columbus liked it too, but I tossed it. I had a different idea for it, one that I liked better. I take responsibility for this delay; it’s my fault.

It’s been a real challenge for everyone, including myself, to come up with a good screenplay for this. But I’m determined to find the right story. I’m sticking to what I’ve always said, either the right movie gets made or no movie gets made. I hate delaying a project that’s already seen so many delays, but I have to go with my instincts on what I think will be exciting and interesting, and what I think the fanbase will really want to see. If that means that I have to start over ten more times, then that’s what I’m going to do. The good thing is that each attempt gets better and better, in my opinion. So, despite the delays, it’s going in the right direction.

One thing that most of you might want to know is that the movie (and sequels I hope) will take place in the universe of FNAF 1-3 only. The games after Five Nights at Freddy’s 3 will not exist in the movie universe. Like it or hate it, I felt that this was the best portion of the storyline to really focus in on.

Game Projects:

FNAF VR: (40% complete)

This game is looking terrific. I’m working with a company called Steel Wool to bring the VR game to life, and these guys are making some crazy stuff. If you liked repairing Funtime Freddy up-close in Sister Location, just wait until you try to do something like that in VR, up close, personal, with these huge animatronics that are just one mistake away from jumping at you. I refused to test it the first time and had my son Braden test it instead. (The repair section is one small part of the game.) And, for the first time, you’re going to all get to see an actual stage performance from the classic band!

FNAF AR: (10% complete)

The AR game is well under way, and while I’m not going to reveal any gameplay details yet, I will say that the impending doom of something hunting you will keep you up at night.

FNAF: Into Madness (0% complete)

This is the next game that I want to work on myself someday, a compilation of several previous gameplay ideas in the same vein as Update 2; just a free game for the fanbase. There isn’t a guarantee that it will happen though; I’m still recovering from the first four years! 🙂

Console Ports: (20% complete)

I’m working closely with the people at Clickteam to create new, improved, HD ports of all of the original games! They will be released on Android, iOS, Switch, XBox and PlayStation!

AAA Game: (0%)

There is a BIG deal in the works to create an incredible big-budget game! I can’t reveal any details yet as this project is still in its planning stages, but I’m working closely with the studio involved to ensure that it delivers what (I think) FNAF fans will want to see!

New Book Series: (20%)

There is a new line of books on the way from Scholastic! This will be very different from the original book series, as it will be a collection of short horror stories that takes place in the FNAF universe. The series will launch with five books, each containing three different short stories with unique characters and plot lines, some connected directly to the games, and some not.

That’s everything for now! Time for more coffee!”

Telltale’s Minecraft: Story Mode debut delayed on Netflix

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Telltale's Minecraft: Story Mode debut delayed on Netflix 16

Minecraft: Story Mode was supposed to debut on Netflix a few days ago on November 7- but it (still) hasn’t.

The show is an interactive show aimed at younger audiences on Netflix. Viewers could tag along with the adventure and make decisions that affect the outcome of the story- just like the video game. It’s pretty much an interactive TV show of the video game released by Telltale Games, which has shut down since the announcement.

Without going into too much detail, Telltale Games wasn’t getting enough sales from its story-driven, decision-based games and had to dissolve itself. It was working on a final project (The Walking Dead: The Final Season) but only completed Seasons 1 and 2. Another company then picked up the rights to the game and hired the original team to complete the project.

As for Telltale, they had a skeletal staff on board which has now been fired as well. Telltale is no more.

Minecraft: Story Mode was one of the very last things the company released. However, the show didn’t debut on time and there’s been no word on when it’ll be coming out. Netflix currently shows that it’s still “Coming Soon” on their own page with no other details at this time. We’ll update you with any news.

Bethesda posts warming “thank you” letter for the creation of Fallout 76

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With the explosive launch of Fallout 76 just two days away on November 14, Bethesda Games posted a very emotional letter (posted below) on their Twitter account with a Fallout-themed photo.

The letter isn’t really a promo material, but rather a “huge thanks” to everyone at Bethesda and ZeniMax and to all the fans who helped give community feedback during the Fallout 76 BETA. It’s basically an opening credit to the game thanking everyone who took part in the development of Fallout 76 and their proud heritage of creating epic games.

The final paragraph of the letter mentions that they’re going to build future content for Fallout 76, which is a given whether it’s in the form of DLC, expansion packs, season passes, or just plain free content for the game.

New “features” will also be added like Vaults, character respecs, gear, quests, and even a freakin’ faction-based PVP system, which is the one thing I’m most excited about after reading this letter. This may be what Pete Hines was referring to in regards to the game lasting “forever.”

With the BETA program completed, community fired up, and the game ready to launch in just under two days, this is truly an exciting time for both fans of the series and Bethesda themselves for such an accomplishment.

Fallout 76 will be the ninth entry into the Fallout series and the first ever online-only Fallout game for PS4, Xbox One, and PS4. The game’s Day One patch will be larger than the actual game, so a pre-load may be handy. You can pre-order it on Amazon here.

The letter reads as follows:

“It’s with great excitement that we’re finally launching Fallout 76. A Fallout game unlike anything we’ve done. Really, it’s a game unlike any we’ve ever played.

It’s been our privilege and passion to build games that transport you into new worlds and new experiences. With Fallout 76. we’ve woven together parts of our past Fallouts, the survival genre, and massive online games, to create something unique. A game where you share in the story, and the struggle to survive, with your friends, with strangers, and with us.

A huge thanks to everyone at Bethesda and ZeniMax who supported us in making this game. Creating a new style of game has taken the best from not just our own producers, programmers, artists, and designers – but great efforts from across the company. Special thanks to our friends at ZeniMax Online, id, and Arkane who helped us. And thanks to everyone in publishing, IT, Bethesda.Net, Customer Service, Admin, and our incredible partners in QA.

And a special thank you to all our fans who participated in the BETA, with your help we’ve made the game better each week. And this is just the beginning. We have an incredible list of updates we’ve begun work on, from CAMP building improvements, new quests and events, new Vaults opening, character respecing, a faction-based PvP system, and much more.

We hope your journey in Fallout 76 is as fun and as rewarding as it was for us to build it. We can’t wait to see where the country roads take you.

All our best,

Bethesda Game Studios”

 

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

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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.

State of Decay 2 getting a free DLC pack called Zedhunter – Stealth, crossbows, and gear

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State of Decay 2 getting a free DLC pack called Zedhunter - Stealth, crossbows, and gear 19

A new DLC called Zedhunter was announced for State of Decay 2. The DLC is free and was announced during the X018 event.

From the announcement trailer, we can confirm that the free DLC pack will have new weapons, gear, and a stealth-based approach this time around. Crossbows are also being added as a stealth weapon to slay zombies alongside melee weapons and new gear that all let you play ninja-like and kill zombies silently.

We don’t know for sure what kind of gear we’re getting, but a night vision mode was hinted during the sneak peek.

There’s also a new jeep-type vehicle that lets players run over hordes of zombies together. State of Decay 2 still has a huge playerbase of 4M active players and 5B zombies killed so far. The game is still going strong. Undead Labs are also planning on adding an update in early 2019 that’ll get the community together, as announced during the X018 preview.

Fans of the game were thrilled to see more content updates- and free ones at that. Nice to see that the developer is still pushing out content after a so-so game launch. This is how you please the community.

The free Zedhunter DLC Pack will be available November 16 for everyone who owns the game. State of Decay 2 is also available on Xbox Game Pass- a $9.99/month subscription for access to over 100 titles. You can check out the trailer here:

Final Fantasy Dissidia NT: Yuna revealed to be the next DLC fighter

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Final Fantasy Dissidia NT: Yuna revealed to be the next DLC fighter 20

Final Fantasy X’s Yuna is making her return in Final Fantasy Dissidia NT. She’ll be the next DLC character released coming this December, which was revealed through a brand new trailer that shows off her new magical abilities and the awesome summoning of Valefor for some extra damage. She’ll be joining Jecht and Tidus as the representation for FFX in this new crossover fighter.

The trailer shows off her moves and we can see that she’ll likely be a ranged fighter with plenty of combo abilities that combine her magical spells, abilities, and Valefor. She can do some homing abilities for fast-moving targets and ranged burst attacks.

Yuna seems fitting because there aren’t many other characters that can both home on enemies and link combos together from a distance. The DLC release will confirm this assumption we can only wait and see! She’ll be excellent for matchups that require lots of zoning.

Yuna will have an extra costume to go alongside her basic, default one. She’ll get her wedding dress with Seymour from FFX. She’ll be the second-to-last DLC character from this season pass. As of the next and last character for this season, there’s no solid speculation as of yet.

Final Fantasy Dissidia NT is available for the PS4. The game is a crossover fighter that features more than 20 playable characters. Stay tuned for the next reveal. You can check out Yuna’s trailer below:

Black Ops 4: Nuketown release date has been confirmed

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Black Ops 4: Nuketown release date has been confirmed 21

The signature map to the Black Ops series, Nuketown, has been confirmed for release.

This time around, the map will take place in a Russian, snowy setting based on previously hinted tweets and screenshots. Treyarch had previously teased the map in the newest Black Ops entry title, but there was no official word on when players would be able to duke it out on Nuketown.

Today, the official Call of Duty Twitter account announced that the map would launch for the PS4 on November 13. Fans have already begun to express their excitement over the news with comments and shares. The tweet reads in Russian with a caption that translates to “Welcome back” which further solidifies that Nuketown will take place in a Russian setting.

There was also a video posted with the tweet that shows a few scenes of the map that players will get to duke it out on in just a few days time from now.

Nuketown will be exclusive for PS4 players at first due to the deal Sony has with Activision. One week later, the map will be available for Xbox One and PC on November 20. Nuketown will be available for all digital and physical copies- you only need to buy the base game to be able to play on the map.

Nuketown is known for being hectic, crazy, and one fast-paced map due to the CQC-centered setting of the map every time it’s released in a new Call of Duty entry.

 

Prima Games will be shutting down for good Spring 2019

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Prima Games will be shutting down for good Spring 2019 22

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.

Fortnite fans want to bring back Blitz LTM

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Fortnite fans want to bring back Blitz LTM 23

Epic Games announced that the popular Blitz mode, a faster version of the classic battle royale mode would be removed in just a few days after it was added back- being replaced by Disco Domination.

Fortnite players on Reddit are asking Epic to bring Blitz back and keep it there permanently as a game mode. The faster gameplay allows players to get a similar gameplay experience with a shorter time commitment. It’s kind of like a “quick play” mode but rather than throwing you into a server that’s ready to go, the gameplay is also drastically changed for faster gameplay. The storm closes in on players much quicker and there’s plenty of loot to go around.

Redditors believe that Epic Games should bring Blitz back as a solo playlist called Quick Play, where players will be forced to play along in a shrinking play arena rather than a squad of players- which is how Blitz currently works. This idea would be good for players who just want to get some Fortnite action in before work or school, as it’ll run just about 15 minutes rather than normal game matches which last about 30 minutes. This idea was suggested by a Reddit user with plenty of support form other Fortnite players on Reddit.

The Disco Domination mode that has replaced Blitz is a limited time mode that has teams of 50 players against each other with the objective of securing various dancefloors around the map. The team holding the most control points will be declared the victor.

With this much support for Blitz and Epic being a community-centric developer, we just may see Blitz return to the world’s most popular battle royale game.

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 24

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 25

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.

PUBG on Xbox One is free for a limited time

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PUBG on Xbox One is free for a limited time 26

With the rumor that PUBG will be appearing on PS4 in December and with Xbox’s XO18 event on Saturday, November 10, the once most popular battle royale game is now free on Xbox One.

The game is free to download for a limited time, which is perfect for players who were always tempted to buy the game on console but couldn’t decide between console and PC. With a normal price tag of $29.99, the game is now absolutely free to download. And keep forever.

PUBG on Xbox first released on September 4 with the V1.0 game update, but was previously available as early access or “game preview” ever since December 2017.

The weird part is that even though a smash hit like this is free, there has been no news from PUBG or Xbox yet making the announcement. But if you go to the Xbox Store, the game is listed as free for a limited time. This likely has to do with the “big PUBG news” announcement that’ll take place at XO18 this weekend- alongside the PUBG on PS4 rumor.

With the battle royale market being so fiercely competitive, this could be a marketing attempt to pull more players back to the game. Although it’ll likely never reach its former glory, there’s still a decent playerbase.

Fortnite, which is king in sheer number of players, is already free to play and always has been with no disadvantageous microtransactions. This is probably why the game took off. And Blackout mode from Call of Duty is another competitor that does battle royale to the extreme, but it comes with a hefty one-time payment of $60 ($45 at Target on Black Friday).

XO18 will take place this Saturday and the major announcements will roll out. Stay tuned for details and coverage of the panel.

Get the game free on the Microsoft Store right now for a limited time only.

Black Ops 4: November 6 update full details; 9-Bang removed, LMGs/SMGs buffed

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Black Ops 4: November 6 update full details; 9-Bang removed, LMGs/SMGs buffed 27

The latest update for Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 was a major one. It adjusted for game settings in the Blackout mode to better balance out the game based on player and community feedback and technical analysis directly from Treyarch.

The update buffed SMGs by increasing the muzzle velocity for all weapons in the Submachine Gun class so they can pit against ARs more effectively. Treyarch states:

“This should provide more consistent gunfights when in SMG range, along with ensuring that SMGs perform as expected in their intended power band when compared to Assault Rifles in Blackout.”

No Assault Rifles received any buffs except the Rampart 17. The Auger DMR and Swordfish both also got improvements from the tactical Rifle category. The buffs were decent and should make them much more effective to fulfill their roles.

LMGs have also been buffed. Treyarch knows this class of weaponry has potential if used correctly, though it’s tricky to master.

They’ve buffed them to make them a little easier to use for players. Treyarch states that:

“While some players have found success with the LMGs in Blackout, they’re still being passed over by the large majority of players. These changes should help make LMGs more manageable when providing cover fire or engaging targets at range.”

The VKM750 and Titan now have increased recenter speed and reduced recenter pattern offsets. In other words, they have less recoil and improved accuracy. This buff was also applied to the Hades. The Titan has a more predictable recoil pattern too.

With these changes, LMGs may become more competitive against SMGs and ARs.

Regarding the news announcement hinted by Treyarch yesterday, the 9-Bang stun was removed from Blackout due to complaints from the community that it was just overpowered. So as of now, the 9-Bang is removed temporarily and the Concussion Grenade has been buffed to make up for the 9-Bang.

The ‘nade now has an increased throw distance and stacks to 2. Though it’s not nearly as powerful, it’ll suffice for the time being as Treyarch continues to work on balancing the game’s kit.

The game is still very new and has gone through multiple major updates already. They’re working hard to balance out their one and only battle royale mode to ever appear in a CoD game. Players have praised the mode so far even though it’s had a share of bugs and weapon balance issues. The game continues to sell and has broken records already in total sales.

Perhaps next update they’ll nerf the dogs, which have been shown to do some pretty deadly attacks.

The full patch notes for the November 6 Black Ops 4 update follows here:

Nov. 6 Update: Blackout Tuning, Blightfather Event, Chaos Character Missions, New MP Playlists, Black Market Progression

Following last week’s Multiplayer weapon tuning, we’ve introduced extensive new Blackout-specific tuning in today’s update, including various tweaks across several weapon classes, the removal of the 9-Bang from Blackout, and more. Read on for the full list of changes in the patch notes below.

For a limited time, the fearsome Blightfather has been transported from IXto haunt the Graveyard just south of the Asylum. Those of you who took him on during the Blackout Beta know he won’t go down without a fight – and the victors will be handsomely rewarded this time around. This event is now live in all Blackout playlists on all platforms, so keep an eye out for the red pillar of light for a chance to slay the Blightfather… or pick off those who dare try.

We’ve also unlocked the Blackout Character Missions for our Black Ops 4 Chaos Storyline crew and increased Character Mission quest item spawn rates, so get out there and complete those hidden challenges to drop in as Bruno, Diego, Scarlett, and Shaw.

In Multiplayer, new playlists have arrived in the Featured category, including the debut of Team Tactical Moshpit, Mercenary Chaos Moshpit, and Mercenary Hardcore Moshpit. Read below for all the details on these new playlists and let us know what you think. As a reminder, playlists will be rotating into the Featured category on a weekly basis, so keep an eye out for fresh new game types and the return of fan-favorites each week.

We’re also kicking off our first 2X Tier Boost Weekend in Multiplayer and Blackout starting on Friday, along with 2X Nebulium Plasma in Zombies on all platforms from 10AM PT Friday, Nov. 9 through 10AM PT Monday, Nov. 12! Players will earn Contraband Tier progression twice as fast during this event, and we’ve got new ways to boost your Contraband Tier progression coming very soon. Stay tuned.

For our Zombies players: game stability has remained our #1 priority, and while we’ve implemented additional crash fixes listed below in today’s update, we know we’ve still got more to deliver for the Zombies community. To that end, we will have more shortly from the Zombies team that will address current development, as well as how we’re prioritizing stability and gameplay improvements.

And now, onto what’s new in the game:

We’ve made the following updates to the game (Global) since Friday’s update:

Blackout

Playlist Updates

  • Blightfather added to all playlists.
  • 100-Player Quads added to the Featured playlist.
  • Maximum players in Solo and Duos playlists changed to 88.

Character Missions

  • Zombies Chaos Storyline Character Missions now available (Bruno, Diego, Scarlett, and Shaw).
  • Increased drop rates of Character Mission items.

Weapons (Blackout Only)

  • Submachine Guns
    • Increased muzzle velocity on all SMGs. This should provide more consistent gunfights when in SMG range, along with ensuring that SMGs perform as expected in their intended power band when compared to Assault Rifles in Blackout.
    • Spitfire
      • Reduced recoil.
  • Assault Rifles
    • Rampart 17
      • Reduced ADS sway.
      • Reduced recoil.
  • Tactical Rifles
    • Auger DMR
      • Increased re-center speed. We slowed down the re-center due to high performance in our Blackout beta, but have seen the AUGER slightly underperform since release.
      • Slightly increased muzzle velocity. This should make for more predictable shots when firing at a moving target within the Auger’s intended ranges.
  • Swordfish
    • Tightened the spread pattern. This should allow more shots to land on target at range.
  • Light Machine Guns
    • While some players have found success with the LMGs in Blackout, they’re still being passed over by the large majority of players. These changes should help make LMGs more manageable when providing cover fire or engaging targets at range.
    • Titan
      • Increased re-center speed.
      • Reduced re-center pattern offsets for more predictable recoil.
    • VKM 750
      • Increased re-center speed.
      • Reduced re-center pattern offsets.
    • Hades
      • Increased re-center speed.
      • Reduced re-center pattern offsets.

Equipment (Blackout Only)

  • 9-Bang
    • Removed the 9-Bang from Blackout while we evaluate its place in the gameplay loop.
  • Concussion Grenade
    • Increased throw distance.
    • Increased stack count to 2.

Multiplayer

  • Playlist Updates
    • Added Team Tactical Moshpit to Featured Playlist (3v3 TDM, Kill Confirmed, and Search & Destroy).
    • Added Mercenary Chaos Moshpit to Featured category (6v6 TDM, Domination, Kill Confirmed, and Hardpoint, no parties allowed).
    • Added Mercenary Hardcore Moshpit to Featured category (Hardcore TDM, Domination, and Kill Confirmed, no parties allowed).
    • Gun Game and Control now in Featured category.
  • Gameplay
    • Resolved an exploit in Search & Destroy where players could change classes after the start of a round to regain Scorestreak progress from the previous round before death.
    • Resolved an issue in Heist where navigating the Buy Menu with the d-pad could display the description for the previously highlighted item.
    • Resolved an issue where meleeing friendly Razor Wire in Hardcore game modes would damage players, potentially causing the player who placed the Razor Wire to be kicked for friendly fire.
  • Miscellaneous
    • Corrected the description for “Fast Reflexes” Challenge to inform players of requirement to get 5 EKIA in a game shortly after switching weapons with Dexterity, Overkill, and Laser Sight.

Zombies

  • Stability
    • Resolved 2 specific crashes in the IX Main Quest.
    • Resolved a crash related to banner challenges in IX.
    • Resolved a crash that occurred when the Shield broke while the player had the Victorious Tortoise Perk active.
  • Gameplay
    • Resolved an issue where players could end up in a permanently downed state if they are revived as a self-revive is being completed.
    • Resolved an issue where picking up the Max Ammo power-up while Bandolier is active did not give additional ammo if the weapon was at its normal Max Ammo capacity.
  • Miscellaneous
    • Resolved UI issues caused by opening the Paintshop after personalizing a weapon in the Armory.
    • Resolved an issue where players could equip Talismans in Local Play.
    • Changed Aftertaste Elixir description to reflect its 5-minute duration.
    • Changed Arsenal Accelerator Elixir description to reflect its 2-minute duration.

General

  • Challenges
    • Resolved an issue where level-restricted Challenges could be locked again after Prestiging.

We’ve also made the following changes to PC since Friday’s update, in addition to the ones listed above:

  • General
    • Added Audio Presets to Options.
    • Resolved an issue where the rotation icon would appear when highlighting any items in the Black Market.
  • Zombies
    • Resolved an issue where players would be forcefully defeated when using the Fast Travel from Transverse Tunnel to reach the Cafeteria before opening its door in Blood of the Dead.
    • Resolved an issue where Warpaints could not be removed after being applied.

Jump in and let us know what you think of the new Blackout weapon tuning, Blightfather event, new MP playlists, and everything else that’s new in today’s update!

DICE releases official Battle 5 PC requirements – Are you ray trace ready?

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DICE releases official Battle 5 PC requirements - Are you ray trace ready? 28

Battlefield 5 rolls out later this month, and EA has published the official PC requirements for the game.

As with any other game, DICE has posted the minimum requirements on the recommended requirements for Battlefield 5. If you played the beta, you’ll already know how gorgeous the graphics are with ultra-realism. For maximum eye candy, you’ll definitely want to play on the recommended requirements.

Regardless, here they are:

Battlefield 5 Minimum Requirements

  • OS: 64-bit Windows 7, Windows 8.1 and Windows 10
  • Processor (AMD): AMD FX-8350
  • Processor (Intel): Core i5 6600K
  • Memory: 8GB RAM
  • Graphics card (NVIDIA): NVIDIA GeForce® GTX 1050 / NVIDIA GeForce® GTX 660 2GB
  • Graphics card (AMD): AMD Radeon™ RX 560 / HD 7850 2GB
  • DirectX: 11.0 Compatible video card or equivalent
  • Online Connection Requirements: 512 KBPS or faster Internet connection
  • Hard-drive space: 50GB

Battlefield 5 Recommended Requirements

  • OS: 64-bit Windows 10 or later
  • Processor (AMD): AMD Ryzen 3 1300X
  • Processor (Intel): Intel Core i7 4790 or equivalent
  • Memory: 12GB RAM
  • Graphics card (NVIDIA): NVIDIA GeForce® GTX 1060 6GB
  • Graphics card (AMD): AMD Radeon™ RX 580 8GB
  • DirectX: 11.1 Compatible video card or equivalent
  • Online Connection Requirements: 512 KBPS or faster Internet connection
  • Available Disk Space: 50GB

With a 50GB size requirement, it’s a decent chunk of Battlefield primed for release on launch day. The majority of even casual FPS gamers these days would meet the GTX 1050 requirements I’d assume, as the GTX 10 series has been out for quite a while now and is already considered to be “last gen” with the release of the new ray tracing Nvidia cards that are slowly leaking into the mainstream scene.

DICE has also listed separate requirements for those who want the ray tracing technology. For those who are unaware of this, ray tracing is a new feature that allows light particles and beams to be rendered individually like in real life. This will be one of the first games ever made with ray tracing technology. And it’ll be glorious.

For the best experience in Battlefield 5, you’ll need to have top-end hardware to indulge in the latest technology.

And for those blessed with this kind of setup, here’s what you’ll need:

Recommended Requirements for DXR

  • OS: 64-bit Windows 10 October 2018 Update (1809)
  • Processor (AMD): AMD Ryzen 7 2700
  • Processor (Intel): Intel Core i7 8700
  • Memory: 16GB RAM
  • Graphics card (NVIDIA): NVIDIA GeForce® RTX 2070
  • DirectX: DirectX Raytracing Compatible video card
  • Online Connection Requirements: 512 KBPS or faster Internet connection
  • Available Disk Space: 50GB

Battlefield 5 is set to release November 20 for PS4, Xbox One, and PC. The game is currently available for pre-order 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.)

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 29

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.

Bethesda VP Pete Hines: Fallout 76 will last “forever”

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Bethesda VP Pete Hines: Fallout 76 will last "forever" 30

Based on a recent interview with GameSpot, Pete Hines, the VP of Bethesda, talked about the future of Fallout 76. He seems very confident that Bethesda has a planned-out future for the first online Fallout game and one that the developer doesn’t seem to be “nuking’ anytime soon.

Fallout 76 is the first Fallout game that has multiplayer online and requires an active internet connection to play. The entire game is online-based. GameSpot asked a few questions about what would happen when they finally shut down the servers.

When asked about how long the game would be up, Hines replied “forever” citing World of Warcraft as an example:

“I don’t know how to give an answer other than that. It’s not like anybody makes a game and goes, ‘Well this is going to make it for 10 years if we’re lucky.’ Nobody thinks that way. How long has WoW been up now? Is that game planning to sunset in a year? I seriously doubt it.”

Hines said the support for Fallout 76 will be “never-ending” and that Bethesda may stop operating if people stop playing the game. But he’s pretty sure the game will never stop slowing down:

“We’re going to keep going as long as people keep playing it and it shows no sign of slowing down,”

“Once we get to private servers or whatever happens in the years following; I don’t know. Maybe there’s a point where it doesn’t matter. But … this is a massive franchise and a massive undertaking, and our commitment to it is it is never-ending, and that it continues on an ongoing basis.”

Fallout 76 will be launching on November 14, and fans are pumped. The game has two final beta sessions left– one starting today at 1PM ET and the last one on November 8. There have been some bugs already found in the game, but that’s what a BETA is for. There was a speed hack and a bug that wiped 50GB worth of data. Some popular streamers will be streaming the game on the final beta test day, including Ninja.

Fallout 76 will release on PC, Xbox One, and PS4. There won’t be a Switch release because it’s simply not possible. You can pre-order a copy right now at 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.)

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" 31

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!

Bethesda announces final two Fallout 76 B.E.T.A. sessions

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Bethesda announces final two Fallout 76 B.E.T.A. sessions 32

Fallout 76 has finally reached the last two sessions for its BETA (Break-it Early Test Application) and they’ve finally announced the last two start and end times for eager fans.

On Tuesday, November 6, players will be able to join the second-to-last BETA test session for a mere two hours from 1-3PM ET. Fans have already expressed concern on Twitter saying that the short time frame makes it difficult to play since they’re likely trying to get as much playtime as possible during the BETA so they can have some powerful equipment in the actual game (gear is carried over to the full release).

The last session will be on November 8, where players can explore West Virginia one last time for a much more reasonable time limit of 6 hours.

Both sessions will apply to all platforms simultaneously.

Bethesda likely made the time frames short on purpose so it forces all players to log in around the same time. This will ensure server stability for the launch day when the entire globe begins bombarding their servers with requests. Rather than have a game offline on the first day, which is especially important for Fallout 76 since it’s a fully online game, Bethesda is being proactive about stress testing their hardware to guarantee a smooth launch.

With player progress carrying over to the retail version of the game, some players will already have an advantage from day one. However, players starting fresh don’t have ot opt-in to PVP until level 5, so this safeguards us newbies who didn’t have time (or access) to the specific BETA test times and dates.

Fallout 76 is less than two weeks from release and will go live on Nobemver 14th. You can pre-order the game on Amazon here. Are you ready for the next Fallout entry? I’ll be no-showing at work that day.

 

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.)

Blizzard reveals Overwatch Nerf gun replica lineup; McCree’s Peacekeeper added

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Blizzard reveals Overwatch Nerf gun replica lineup; McCree's Peacekeeper added 33

Overwatch developer Blizzard Entertainment has teamed up with Hasbro to create a full line of Nerf gun replicas to some of the game’s most popular weapons.

During BlizzCon 2018, several new guns to the upcoming lineup were revealed to the public. Before, Nerf replicas of Reaper’s Hellfire Shotguns and D.Va’s Light Gun (Bunny Blaster) were announced. At BlizzCon, they expanded the product line to include replicas of Torbjörn’s Rivet Gun and Tracer’s Pulse Pistols. These will be part of the “Micro Shots” range of Nerf products.

Fans will also be able to get ahold of McCree’s Peacekeeper, which personally is the best gun of the bunch so far. Overwatch tweeted “Buckle up, this gunslinger’s loaded” while touting a product shot of the weapon, which just looks so freakin’ badass.

The Peacekeeper joins the Hellfire Shotguns in the Nerf Rivals product line- which are the elite blasters that use pellets rather than sticky darts and designed to shoot far with accuracy. McCree’s Peacemaker will launch projectiles up to 80 feet per second (FPS).

The reveal of McCree’s weapon comes paired with the Overwatch animated short Reunion, which features him taking on the Deadlock Gang on Route 66.

The Overwatch Nerf replicas will be available sometime in January 2019. They’re already available for pre-order through GameStop. You can view their product pages here.

New Kingdom Hearts III Tangled trailer released – Rapunzel’s still herself

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New Kingdom Hearts III Tangled trailer released - Rapunzel's still herself 34

Kingdom Hearts III is the next AAA title that Square Enix has been developing for years now. Many fans have been waiting for over a decade since the last entry into the series- mainline entry, that is.

With the game rolling out in just a few months from now, Franchise Director Tetsuya Nomura posted a tweet stating that the development team has a ton of work to do- so much work that he had to miss out on Italian Lucca Comic and Games 2018. This tweet came directly from the official Kingdom Hearts Twitter account:

On the plus side, fans get a new Kingdom Hearts III trailer to watch. Nomura urges fans to watch it saying that it’s a “special trailer for everyone” and pleads us to “please watch!”

The new trailer this time around focuses on the Tangled universe, which is known as Corona. Familiar characters like Sora, Goofy, and Donald are seen roaming about and then run into Flynn Rider and Rapunzel.

This is the first time Tangled has appeared in a Kingdom Hearts III trailer and gives fans something to drool over. The trailer is completely polished and looks like something straight from the game (probably it is?). Tangled was first revealed to be in KH3 back before E3 2018 during the Orchestra’s Encore World Tour.

The trailer later was shown at Square’s E3 Press Conference and during the Ratatouille presentation.

The LUCCA 2018 Tangled Trailer gives fans plenty to be excited about. The animation, artwork, and character personalities are exactly what we’ve been hoping for and are reminiscent of the previous titles. Rapunzel’s character is ecstatic and full of energy, while Flynn and Sora are sarcastic and somewhat annoyed- just like we expected!

Kingdom Hearts III releases here in the West on January 29th, 2019. The eastern release is set for January 25th- just a few days earlier. The game will be available for PS4 and Xbox One. You can pre-order the game on Amazon. In the meantime, check out the newly debuted trailer 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.)

Fortnite: Lil’ Kev Challenges now live

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Fortnite: Lil' Kev Challenges now live 35

With Kevin the Cube finally destroyed in the one-time live event Epic Games hosted just a few hours ago, the mysterious and ominous Purple Cube has marked the end of Fortnitemares.

Players that attended the live event saw a feat of glory, with Kevin finally breaking apart and imploding upon himself. A Butterfly then appeared, which data miners have already speculated that this event would start off the new event- Butterfly. The daily message was then updated in the game with new “Lil’ Kev Challenges” for all players.

The challenges are nothing new to those who keep up with Fortnite news. They were first leaked after the V6.21 update and only a trio of them are available- which should be pretty easy to complete and only will take a few hours to complete.

This was likely done intentionally by Epic Games because they’re only available until November 11 at 1 PM ET. Players can also earn some XP for each task (500XP each) and once they’re all completed, each player gets the Lil Kev back bling, which is rated as a rare item (pictured above).

The Lil’ Kev Challenges are as follows:

  • Play Matches (0/15) – 500 XP
  • Gain 5,000 XP (0/5000) – 500 XP
  • Outlive Opponents (0/500) – 500 XP

As of this writing, you only have 7 days (1 week) to complete all the challenges, which should be more than enough time even for the causal Fortnite player. You’ll want to get started on them as soon as possible so you can secure your piece of Kevin. Epic Games will likely have more limited-time challenges to boot with the Butterfly event, which is the next event in line for Fortnite.c