Month: June 2018

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Throw on your colors, Streamers. Twitch has geared up for Pride Month with the release of new Pride-themed emotes, fundraising for LGBTQ+ charities, and featuring of LGBTQ+ members from within its community each day of June.

Twitch will also take part in this year’s Pride parade in San Francisco and has partnered with It Gets Better to create a video of its staff’s coming out stories to inspire LGBTQ+ youth. That video and the full schedule of featured creators can be seen on the Twitch blog.

“Our community is strongest and our creators make the best content when everyone on Twitch feels like they belong and can be themselves,” said Brittany Brown, the community campaign manager at Twitch. “Since diversity and inclusivity are core principles of Twitch, we have planned an entire month of events and fundraisers dedicated to promoting and maintaining these values.”

Twitch has also partnered with Human Rights Campaign to release a line of t-shirts. Not only do they don the rainbow flag, but there are also designs featuring the transgender, bisexual, and lesbian colors. All profits ($7 per shirt) will go directly to HRC; they are for sale in the Twitch merchandise store.

There are also five new emotes and cheermotes donning Pride colors, and don’t worry about them disappearing after this month–they’re permanent. Like its fundraising t-shirts, the new emotes don the colors of the LGBTQ+, transgender, bisexual, and lesbian flags. The cheermotes feature different animations of the LGBTQ+ flag.

Twitch is hardly the only portion of the games industry celebrating Pride this month. Sony has also released a special Pride PS4 theme that is available to download for free.

Pokemon trainers, this is your week for news. After a massive amount of Pokemon reveals in the last couple of day, this week’s Nintendo Switch news is all about what’s coming for the beloved franchise.

Let’s Go Pikachu/Eevee was revealed this week, alongside a new Poke Ball Switch Joy-Con, to release in November. While this is not a remake, heavily inspired by Yellow, we will see another core Pokemon title on Switch in 2019. In the meantime, while you’re waiting for November’s release, check out the new free-to-start title Pokemon Quest in the Eshop. Outside of the horde of Pokemon headlines, Splatoon 2‘s Octo Expansion is more challenging than we thought, LEGO DC Super-Villains releases in October, and Team Sonic Racing is coming to Switch. For all things Switch at E3, keep on reading. For the rest of our E3 coverage, head on over to our E3 2018 hub.

Forthcoming Releases

Team Sonic Racing Announced For Nintendo Switch, PS4, Xbox One, And PC

Splatoon 2’s Octo Expansion DLC Is A Lot More Challenging

Lego DC Super-Villains Game Makes You A Bad Guy In October

Mega Man 11 Release Date Set; Game Shows A More Stylized Look For Its Comeback

Fortnite Coming To Nintendo Switch, According To Ratings Board

Free New Pokemon Game For Switch, Pokemon Quest, Is Out Now

Nintendo Switch’s First Alternative Joy-Con Revealed: The Poke Ball Plus

Pokemon Let’s Go Pikachu And Eevee: Everything We Know So Far

Core Pokemon Game For Nintendo Switch Now Releases In 2019

Old Pokemon Demo Reveals New Unused Designs

Updates and DLC

FIFA 18 World Cup Update Out Now For Free, Here’s What It Adds

Eshop

Free Switch Demos For Two Upcoming Nintendo Games Available Now

Nintendo’s New Switch Game Has A Nice Eshop Pre-Order Bonus

Nintendo Switch Eshop Adds A Ton Of New Games, Xenoblade Chronicles 2 DLC This Week

Deals

This Week’s Best Buy Gaming Deals In The US

The Week’s Best Video Game Deals In The US

GameStop Has Switch Games, More On Sale This Week In The US

E3

What Does E3 Stand For?

E3 2018 Nintendo Switch Press Conference: What Time Is It On and How To Watch

E3 2018 EA Press Conference: What Time Is It On And How To Watch

What We Want At E3 2018: Fallout 76, Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, And More

Every Game Confirmed For E3 2018: Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, Spider-Man, Battlefield 5

E3 2018: Every Nintendo Switch Game Confirmed — Super Smash Bros, Monster Hunter

E3 2018 Nintendo Switch Predictions: N64 Classic, Animal Crossing Switch, Bayonetta 3, And More

Industry

Pro Rocket League Tournament Coming To Free-To-Air TV In Australia

PUBG Dev Sues Fortnite Studio For Copyright Infringement In Korea

Rage 2 Co-Developer Acquired In A “Historic Deal”

GTA, Red Dead Company Responds To Fortnite’s Tremendous Success

Battlefield 5 Boss Defends Female Characters, Saying They’re “Here To Stay”

This week’s PlayStation news is all about the reveals. While one of them was a leak, we do know both will be seen at this year’s E3 press conferences.

Bethesda revealed Fallout 76 and a leaked keychain spoiled Ubisoft’s reveal of Assassin’s Creed Odyssey. The Wolf Among Us Season 2 and Ubisoft’s Avatar game won’t be coming quite as soon as we thought. Anthem is also expected to be shown more at this year’s E3 showcase. Pride Month has officially begun, and those who wish to show off their colors can do so with a free Pride theme on PS4. All of the rumors, confirmations, and our predictions of PS4 at E3 are up now, and you can see everything E3 2018 in our hub.

Forthcoming Releases

The Wolf Among Us Season 2 Delayed

Ubisoft’s New Avatar Game Is Not Coming Anytime Soon

Battlefield 5 Has No Loot Boxes

Lego DC Super-Villains Game Makes You A Bad Guy In October

BioWare’s Anthem: New Teaser Video And Art Released; Trailer Coming At E3

Team Sonic Racing Announced For Nintendo Switch, PS4, Xbox One, And PC

Fallout 76: Vault 76, Trailer, Release, And Everything We Know About Bethesda’s New Game

Assassin’s Creed Odyssey Announced; Ubisoft Confirms E3 Reveal

Destiny 2’s Year 2 Reveal Livestream Coming Next Week, Here’s When And How To Watch

Borderlands PS4, Xbox One, And PC Remaster Or Re-Release Likely Coming

PS4 Zombie Game Days Gone Features An Impressive Open World, But Could Use More Original Ideas

Updates and DLC

Fortnite’s New Playground Mode Allows Respawns And Friendly Fire

New GTA 5 Online Content Possibly Teased By Rockstar

Fortnite Mobile Update Adds A Much-Needed Feature

PUBG Update 14 Out Now On PC, Full Patch Notes Released

Dragon Ball FighterZ Characters: SSGSS Vegito, Fused Zamasu, And More

Monster Hunter World Adds New Elder Dragon In Free Update

Betas and Events

Fortnite: Blitz And Teams Of 20 Modes Going On Now For A Limited Time

PlayStation Network

Sony Reveals New Blue PS4, Coming Soon As Limited-Edition Console

PS4’s Free PS Plus Games For June 2018 Revealed

Sony Releases A Free PS4 Theme For LGBT Pride Month

PS4 Owners Get A Free Game To Play This Weekend With PS Plus

Deals

GameStop Has Switch Games And More On Sale This Week In The US

The Best Video Game Deals Of The Week In The US

This Week’s Best Buy Gaming Deals In The US

PS4 Game Sale: The Week’s Best PlayStation Store Deals In The US

PS4’s Days Of Play Sale Coming Back For US And Canada

E3

What Does E3 Stand For?

E3 2018 Sony’s PS4 Press Conference: What Time Is It On, How To Watch

E3 2018 EA Press Conference: What Time Is It On And How To Watch

What We Want At E3 2018: Fallout 76, Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, And More

Every Game Confirmed For E3 2018: Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, Spider-Man, Battlefield 5

E3 2018 PS4 Predictions: Red Dead 2 Content, From Software’s New IP, And More

E3 2018 PS4 Rumors: Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, Borderlands, Cyberpunk 2077, More

E3 2018: All The PS4 Games Confirmed — Fallout 76, Spider-Man, Death Stranding

Industry

Pro Rocket League Tournament Coming To Free-To-Air TV In Australia

PUBG Dev Sues Fortnite Studio For Copyright Infringement In Korea

Rage 2 Co-Developer Acquired In A “Historic Deal”

GTA, Red Dead Company Responds To Fortnite’s Tremendous Success

Battlefield 5 Boss Defends Female Characters, Saying They’re “Here To Stay”

PS4’s Free New Battle Royale, H1Z1, Is Off To A Hot Start

Xbox at E3 is coming in hot, and our predictions, the rumors, and confirmations are all up now. We saw two giant AAA reveals this week, and there are a ton of games on sale that you won’t want to miss.

Bethesda released a teaser for its new title Fallout 76, and after a keychain spoiled the surprise, Ubisoft revealed Assassin’s Creed Odyssey is on its way. We know Halo will see a new arcade title, but it seems Xbox One won’t see that iteration of the franchise. Don’t pay more than you have to for your favorite games: Best Buy, GameStop, and the Xbox Store all have awesome summer deals on games you love. For everything Xbox at E3, keep on reading, but for even more about this year’s expo, head on over to our E3 2018 hub.

Forthcoming Releases

The Wolf Among Us Season 2 Delayed

Ubisoft’s New Avatar Game Is Not Coming Anytime Soon

Xbox Not Getting New Halo Arcade Game

Battlefield 5 Has No Loot Boxes

Lego DC Super-Villains Game Makes You A Bad Guy In October

BioWare’s Anthem: New Teaser Video And Art Released; Trailer Coming At E3

Team Sonic Racing Announced For Nintendo Switch, PS4, Xbox One, And PC

Fallout 76: Vault 76, Trailer, Release, And Everything We Know About Bethesda’s New Game

Assassin’s Creed Odyssey Announced; Ubisoft Confirms E3 Reveal

Destiny 2’s Year 2 Reveal Livestream Coming Next Week, Here’s When And How To Watch

Borderlands PS4, Xbox One, And PC Remaster Or Re-Release Likely Coming

Updates and DLC

Fortnite’s New Playground Mode Allows Respawns And Friendly Fire

New GTA 5 Online Content Possibly Teased By Rockstar

Sea of Thieves Update The Hungering Deep Out Now On Xbox One And PC

Fortnite Mobile Update Adds A Much-Needed Feature

PUBG Update 14 Out Now On PC, Full Patch Notes Released

Dragon Ball FighterZ Characters: SSGSS Vegito, Fused Zamasu, And More

Betas and Events

Fortnite: Blitz And Teams Of 20 Modes Going On Now For A Limited Time

Xbox Live

Xbox One’s Free Games With Gold For June Confirmed

New Xbox One Backwards Compatible Game Now Available

Xbox One’s Game Pass Adds Next Up Hero, Mega Man, And More In June

Two Free Xbox One Games With Gold Available Now

Deals

GameStop Has Switch Games And More On Sale This Week In The US

The Best Video Game Deals Of The Week In The US

Xbox One: Top Xbox Store Game Deals This Week

This Week’s Best Buy Gaming Deals In The US

E3

What Does E3 Stand For?

E3 2018 Xbox One Press Conference: What Time Is It On and How To Watch

E3 2018 EA Press Conference: What Time Is It On And How To Watch

What We Want At E3 2018: Fallout 76, Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, And More

E3 2018 Microsoft Xbox One Predictions: Halo 6, Perfect Dark, Crackdown 3, And More

E3 2018 Xbox One Rumors: Gears Of War 5, Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, Borderlands, More

E3 2018: All The Xbox One Games Confirmed — Fallout 76, Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, Battlefield 5

Every Game Confirmed For E3 2018: Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, Spider-Man, Battlefield 5

Industry

Pro Rocket League Tournament Coming To Free-To-Air TV In Australia

PUBG Dev Sues Fortnite Studio For Copyright Infringement In Korea

Rage 2 Co-Developer Acquired In A “Historic Deal”

GTA, Red Dead Company Responds To Fortnite’s Tremendous Success

Battlefield 5 Boss Defends Female Characters, Saying They’re “Here To Stay”

In many ways, the first season of Marvel’s Luke Cage was about the rift between cousins Cottonmouth Stokes and Mariah Dillard. Now, in Season 2 of the Netflix series, Mariah stands in that spotlight alone and, in doing so, has become the show’s most exciting character.

Played masterfully by Alfre Woodard, Mariah is walking the line between good and evil–Dillard and Stokes–throughout Season 2. In many ways, she’s a hero to Harlem just like the titular Luke Cage. They both believe they are fighting to save their neighborhood. Of course, their methods are very different. While Luke is constantly trying to live within a moral code, Mariah doesn’t mind playing dirty to achieve her goals. For Woodard, getting to further explore this side of Mariah is what excites her so much about Season 2.

“One of the fun things about being an actor is you get to behave in a lot of different ways,” she says during a group interview. “And, especially as a woman, especially as a southern woman, from the time you’re three years old, everybody says to you, ‘Be nice. Be nice.’ They never say that to the guys, they can be whatever they want to… I think women actors like to be, you know, not compliant. They like to do what they feel like doing. Sometimes [it’s] not legal, sometimes it is. But I really liked finding a woman that answered to her conscience the way a man has always had liberty to do.”

And that’s certainly how she answers it. Without giving anything away, Season 2 is as violent and brutal as the first year of Luke Cage, and some of that blood falls right at the feet of Dillard.

“Alfre, in some ways, when you get deeper into the season, will prove to be the biggest bad,” creator Cheo Hodari Coker explains during a group interview. “You can’t really say that Bushmaster or Mariah Dillard is a bigger bad because they both do some pretty heinous things.”

In Mariah’s own mind, though, what she’s doing doesn’t make her the villain of the story. “She’s a hero,” Woodard says. “She doesn’t have superpowers, but she has super tenacity. And she is a hero.”

Adds Coker, “What I will say is that all of our villains have dimension. The one thing that [head of Marvel Television] Jeph Loeb always says is that the villain’s story should be a hero’s story from the villain’s perspective.” Together, he and Woodard have crafted that journey for Mariah in Season 2, even getting to a point where she may outshine Luke Cage himself.

“Alfre’s portrayal of Mariah Dillard is as a woman that’s conflicted on a moral level, but not paralyzed,” Coker teases. “She evolves, she reacts to things. There are very good reasons why she feels the way that she feels.”

That doesn’t mean she won’t pay the price for her actions, though. “When she makes a decision, when she turns a corner, that corner’s turned,” he explains. “She turns corners here, in the season, that are gonna be very hard for her to turn back from.”

What it will all come down to is how the character sees her true identity–which is one of the core stories of Season 2. “The thing is, in terms of Mariah, is that she can be strong for Harlem, but still be at war with herself as to, is she a Dillard or is she a Stokes?” Coker says. “It’s that split and her trying to figure that out that becomes the crux of the season. When she finally embraces one or the other.”

While he won’t reveal what side of the line she’ll fall on, Coker warns, “When you see her make her decision as to whether or not she’s a Stokes or a Dillard, it sticks. It’s a culminating moment; honestly, one of my favorite in all 26 episodes that we’ve filmed thus far.”

You’ll be able to see for yourself exactly what Coker is talking about when Season 2 of Luke Cage premieres June 29 on Netflix.

Lara Croft returns in the upcoming Shadow of the Tomb Raider, the last entry in the Tomb Raider origin trilogy, which began with the titular series reboot in 2013. As one of Square Enix’s biggest upcoming games, we’re more than likely to hear about it at E3 2018. To prepare for what’s ahead, let’s breakdown what we already know about Shadow of the Tomb Raider, and what we’re hoping to see at this year’s E3.

What We Know So Far

Square Enix officially confirmed that Shadow of the Tomb Raider was in development with a trailer in March 2018, though it was technically leaked last year when an employee was spotted in a subway train working on a presentation with the game’s name. The game is scheduled to release on September 14 on PS4, Xbox One, and PC. While it’ll be developed primarily by Eidos Montreal (Deus Ex: Human Revolution, Thief), it’s worth noting that original reboot developer Crystal Dynamics will provide additional development on the project.

You once again play as Lara Croft, who is on an expedition to Latin America in search of a Mayan relic. However, Trinity, a paramilitary organization that tried to hunt down Lara in the previous game, is also seeking the relic for its own gain. During this expedition, Lara accidentally sets off a Mayan apocalypse, which thrusts her on a journey to save the world. The game is being touted as the darkest adventure Lara has been on yet, with developers mentioning that there will be far more drama and internal conflict than past games.

In terms of mechanics, Shadow of the Tomb Raider sports a few key additions to the series, including revamped swimming controls for underwater exploration as well as more sophisticated stealth and AI systems.

What’s Confirmed For E3?

With Shadow of the Tomb Raider’s release in September, it’s likely we’ll see much more of the game at Square Enix’s E3 2018 press conference on June 11. In a recent interview with GamesBeat, Eidos Montreal studio head David Anfossi teased that they’ll be divulging more details on what differentiates Shadow of the Tomb Raider from past games. He described the future reveal as new, interesting, and very surprising for Tomb Raider fans.

What We Hope To See At E3

Aside from its initial reveal trailer and several screenshots, no actual gameplay has been shown of Shadow of the Tomb Raider. We’re hoping Square Enix remedies this by offering a full demonstration at this year’s press conference, showcasing the enhancements that Eidos Montreal has made to combat, stealth, and exploration. A closer look at any of the game’s larger hub worlds would also be nice.

There has been discussion of Lara experiencing more internal conflict this time around. We’d love to get a better idea of what’s going on with Lara, and how it has impacted her relationship to the game’s supporting cast. Currently, we know that Lara’s closest ally Jonah is returning, and it has been stated that he’s evolved since his appearance in Rise of the Tomb Raider. An example of how his views clash with Lara’s would be great to witness during gameplay. In addition, we hope to get a brief glimpse of the game’s antagonist, who we know to be a part of Trinity, the villainous organization from the second game.

This might seem a bit cheesy, but if we can get a confirmation that Lara can use her signature dual-pistols, that would be amazing. Since the reboot series began in 2013, we’ve been slowly seeing Lara grow into the Tomb Raider we all know her to be. From sheltered archaeology graduate student to strong-willed survivalist, it’s only a matter of time before she dawns the dual-pistols and performs acrobatic flips while simultaneously killing and skinning a grizzly bear. Okay, maybe that’s a bit too much, but we’re really hoping for another reference to Lara’s classic pistols–at the very least!

Further Reading

The broad premise of The Forest is far from unique. A plane crash lands on a seemingly deserted island, and you, a lone survivor, have to figure out a way to survive. It doesn’t take long, however, until blood curdling screeches fill the night and glowing eyes appear in the distance. Once it sets in that your new home isn’t as empty as it first appeared, The Forest evolves into a uniquely harrowing adventure that you won’t soon forget.

Cannibals inhabit the grassy fields and pristine lakes around you, watching your every move; they are the source of The Forest’s ever-present tension. You might expect monsters like this to attack on sight, but their behavior is erratic. Sometimes they’ll charge forward to unsettle you during daylight but stop just outside striking distance to simply stare in silence. Other times they might feign a retreat before leaping into nearby trees to quickly get behind you. The Forest’s enemies aren’t easy to predict, which makes each encounter thrilling.

The breadth of enemy types is impressive too, and they can get surprisingly weird. As you explore the island more and dive into terrifying, pitch-black caverns, enemies transform into terrifying body-horror figures–amalgamations of appendages that bellow deep, disturbing howls. They’re frightening to behold and even scarier to fight.

The Forest does a good job of trickling out these surprises while you’re already struggling to manage vital meters and resources. It’s also imperative that you keep a close eye on the quality of the resources you find. Not every berry bush contains a bounty that won’t poison you, and not all water is safe to drink. Meat you gather from hunted animals will rot if not cooked quickly. None of the resulting illnesses are serious enough to dissuade you from eating questionable food if you have no other choice, but needing to think about what you eat adds an additional layer to the minute-to-minute hunter-gatherer gameplay.

Chopping down trees for logs or scouting a route to clean water is paramount in your first few days on the island, and once you establish yourself, this goal shifts to fortifying your position with a base, and perhaps complex spike traps and tree swings. The sheer number of structures you’re able to build is impressive, and thankfully The Forest doesn’t gate your ingenuity with illusive blueprints. You’re given a notebook filled with outlines at the start.

Building has a tangible effect on the island in several ways. Resources like small game and shrubs will respawn over time, but larger trees will remain felled for the entirety of your stay. You might turn a dense forest into an open field of stumps not long after you start, which gives enemies a clearer line of sight into your doings. The more you impose yourself on the island, the more aggressive your aggressors become. Patrols will grow and the more monstrous creatures will emerge from their caves for an all-out assault. The Forest doesn’t force you to play in any specific way though, so a more reserved nomadic approach is sometimes safer and more viable. But the sheer delight at seeing an enemy trigger a well-placed trap during a raid is priceless, and well worth the risk of angering the locals.

There’s a lot to think about when it comes to surviving in The Forest, but the balance between each of its interlocking parts keeps the game moving at a riveting pace. For every danger the island offers, there’s a smart solution around the corner.

Crafting smaller items plays a big part when it comes to personal safety, too. Your inventory screen allows you to combine items you’ve collected to create new tools; from something as simple as combining a few sticks and stones to make an axe, to creating high-powered explosives using a combination of wristwatches, electrical boards, and spare change. The number of items you can both collect and craft is vast, but the inventory page eventually becomes cumbersome and overwhelming to navigate. And with only four customizable hotkeys, you don’t have easy access to everything you want in a pinch.

Although it’s constantly testing your perseverance and wants you to feel stretched thin, The Forest never feels overbearing. You’ll always be able to depend on your crafted weapons as they aren’t hampered by durability. Your pocket lighter will always help you see in the dark, never running out of vital fluid. This reliability frees you from the burden of worrying about the lifespan of any potential upgrades you can make to items too.

Exploration in survival games is usually tied only to your immediate well-being, but The Forest features a narrative that’s slowly uncovered by exploration and incidental environmental storytelling. Abandoned camps are a great hunting ground for modern resources and offer hints at past and present events. Putrid remains of long-dead victims aren’t an uncommon sight, but you’ll also come across small photographs, videotapes and magazines that flesh out a conspiracy with the island at the center.

Uncovering The Forest doesn’t have to be a lonely experience, and it offers co-operative play for up to eight people. The time spent getting a fortified settlement up and running is drastically reduced, but remains just as compelling. Co-operative play does, however, deflate the the feeling of being exposed. Larger groups of enemies become easier to deal with, and the fear of diving into caves alone is undercut by both voice chat and the fact that enemies don’t scale accordingly. The Forest might be silly fun with friends, but it’s at its best when playing alone.

There’s a lot to think about when it comes to surviving in The Forest, but the balance between each of its interlocking parts keeps the game moving at a riveting pace. For every danger the island offers, there’s a smart solution around the corner. Combined with unpredictable enemies and captivating horror set-pieces, The Forest strikes a compelling balance between survival and horror that you won’t soon forget.