Month: January 2020

Just because the holiday season is over doesn’t mean you’re out of luck on a great laptop deal. Whether it’s Black Friday, back to school, graduation, Amazon Prime Day, or whenever, vendors always find a reason to put up sales and deals on laptops. Right now CES, the largest consumer electronics show, is underway, so many vendors are clearing out 2019 models to make room for brand new 2020 stock. Most of the laptop deals we find are catered towards gamers, but we also add in the craziest deals on laptops that are perfect for students, employees, or road warriors. This article is updated constantly.

This Gigabyte AERO laptop is equipped with one of the nicest displays we’ve come across, especially at this price point. The 15″ screen uses an X-Rite Pantone certified IPS AMOLED panel with true 4K (3840×3160) Ultra HD resolution. The rest of the specs aren’t bad either. It comes equipped with a 9th generation Intel Core i7 processor, a very gaming-capable video card, 16GB of memory, 512GB of SSD storage, Killer AX1650 wireless networking, Intel Thunderbolt 3 port, UHS-II card reader, RGB keyboard, and up to 8.5 hours of battery life. It also only weighs 4.4 pounds.

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Battlestate Games, the studio responsible for Escape From Tarkov, said it has no plans to add women as playable characters to its fictional first-person military shooter. The reason, according to the developer, is because women require too many animations and call for “a huge amount of work.”

Battlestate took to Twitter to confirm that, while it respects women both as people and active military participants, the studio won’t add playable female characters because game lore won’t allow it. “[T]here will be no playable female characters because of game lore and more importantly–the huge amount of work needed with animations, gear fitting, etc.,” the studio tweeted.

Comments from Battlestate in 2016 about war being too stressful for women and a place only for “hardened men” drew criticism recently in part because women already serve in our military. In a separate tweet following the confirmation that women won’t appear as playable characters in Escape From Tarkov, the studio said the quotes “didn’t reflect the official position of the company” and were delivered by “not a key [Battlestate Games] employee.” The employee has since been reprimanded and “properly instructed.”

Escape From Tarkov has been in early access since 2016 but has seen a resurgence in popularity lately. The first-person shooter became one of the most-watched titles on Twitch at the start of the new year as part of a limited-time promotion put on by Battlestate Games, and reports suggest the game will arrive on Steam at some point in the future. There may even be a console port somewhere in there.

The video game Cyberpunk 2077 is set to release on April 16 (you can preorder it for $49.94 now). But if you want a dose of of the techo-future earlier than that, you’ll be pleased to know a trio of Cyberpunk action figures is coming soon. Preorders are now live at numerous retailers for McFarlane Toys figures of V, as well as two versions of Johnny Silverhand, a musician character played by Keanu Reeves in the game. Here’s where you can get them.

12-Inch Johnny Silverhand – McFarlane Toys Cyberpunk 2077 Figure

• Get it at Amazon – $39.99

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To get the full experience of a video game in the olden days, all you needed was a copy of the game. Those were good days, weren’t they? Now games are bigger and more feature-rich than ever, but you need a subscription to take full advantage of what many of them have to offer. Thankfully, PS4 and Xbox One owners don’t have to pay full price for those subscriptions. Right now Amazon has great deals available on PlayStation Plus or Xbox Game Pass Unlimited. Here’s what’s available.

29% Off 1 Year of PlayStation Plus

• Get it at Green Man Gaming – $42.74

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New reports have once again revived rumors that a more powerful Switch “Pro” model could be released in 2020. However, while a release year is still up in the air, reports have suggested the existence of a “Pro” model since last year.

According to sources from a supply chain company, the Taiwanese website Digitimes reports that a new Switch model will enter mass production Q1 2020 for a mid-2020 release. These reports coincide with analyst predictions that a Switch Pro model will be released later this year, fueling speculation that a new Switch model will be coming out sometime in the next months.

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Though it’s been available in early access since 2016, first-person shooter Escape from Tarkov has recently amassed significant buzz. The survival-oriented online shooter from Russian studio Battlestate Games received a much-needed update in October 2019. In addition to adding new content, the update fixed a myriad of performance issues and bugs, which went a long way toward stabilizing the overall experience.

Escape from Tarkov blends first-person shooter combat with action-RPG and MMO mechanics. It takes place between Russia and Europe in Tarkov, a fictional metropolis entrenched in bloodshed and anarchy. Private military forces, international armies, and scavengers lurk throughout the isolated region. The story hinges on the eponymous idea of escaping the chaotic region.

Escape from Tarkov currently has a pair of raid modes, an offline mode, and the recently-added hideouts, which can be built up and even serve as a place to upgrade stats. Multiple other modes are expected to arrive in the future, including a campaign.

Battlestate Games hasn’t revealed when Escape from Tarkov will leave early access, but you can pre-order now and get instant access to the current build and a wealth of bonuses. At this time, Escape from Tarkov is only available to purchase on PC from its official website. Based on a developer update provided years ago, it appears that the game will release on Steam at some point. But if you want to get in on the current trend, you’ll have to go straight through Battlestate Games for now.

Escape from Tarkov

However, you still have decisions to make when placing your Escape from Tarkov pre-order. Battlestate Games is offering four editions ranging from $45 to $140. Each edition comes with a slew of bonuses and perks to use in the game. According to the developer, Escape from Tarkov will not have microtransactions. It will, however, have paid DLC at some point, and you can upgrade to more expensive versions down the road if you so choose. It’s important to note that purchases are region-locked, with the exception of Europe. So if you purchase the game in North America, you can only play it in North America.

If you’re looking to check out Escape from Tarkov, we’ve outlined all of the information you need to know about each of the four editions to help make your decision easier. Whichever edition you choose, you’ll be able to start playing the early access build right now.

Escape from Tarkov pre-order bonuses

Each edition of Escape from Tarkov comes with various bonuses, outlined below. Most of the bonuses pertain to stash size and starting equipment, but the most expensive edition also comes with the season pass and a couple of neat perks.

Escape from Tarkov standard edition

The standard edition costs $45 and includes the basic 10×26 cell (260 slots) stash and the following bonus equipment:

• knife (ER Bayonet)
• tactical rig x2 (depends on selected faction)
• backpack x2 (MBSS – 4×4 cells)
• Secure container (2×2)
• Grach or P226 pistol x3 (depends on selected faction)
• pistol magazines x9
• pistol ammo x180
• Makarov Pistol x3
• pistol magazines x9
• pistol ammo x150
• canned meat x4
• bottled water x3
• AI-2 medkit x6
• bandages x6
• splint x6
• 300k roubles
• AKS74U + 2 loaded magazines

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Escape from Tarkov Left Behind Edition

For $75, you can pick up the Left Behind Edition, which increases your stash size to 10×36 cells (360 slots) and doles out the following inventory items from the jump:

• knife (ER Bayonet)
• tactical rig x2 (depends on selected faction)
• backpack x2 (MBSS – 4×4 cells)
• Secure container (2×2)
• Grach or P226 pistol x4 (depends on selected faction)
• pistol magazines x12
• pistol ammo x180
• Makarov Pistol x3
• pistol magazines x9
• pistol ammo x150
• canned meat x8
• bottled water x6
• AI-2 medkit x9
• bandages x9
• splint x9
• 400k roubles
• AKS74U+2 loaded magazines
• АК74N+2 loaded magazines
• Salewa first aid kit
• RGD-5 grenade
• additional backpack (MBSS – 4×4 slots)

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Escape from Tarkov Prepare for Escape Edition

The Prepare for Escape Edition comes with a 10×46 cell (460 slots) stash and a wide assortment of starting equipment in your inventory:

• knife (ER Bayonet)
• tactical rig x2 (depends on selected faction)
• backpack x2 (MBSS – 4×4 cells)
• Larger secure container (2×3)
• Grach or P226 pistol x4 (depends on selected faction)
• pistol magazines x12
• pistol ammo x180
• Makarov Pistol x3
• pistol magazines x9
• pistol ammo x150
• canned meat x8
• bottled water x6
• AI-2 medkit x9
• bandages x9
• splint x9
• 400k roubles
• AKS74U+2 loaded magazines
• АК74N+2 loaded magazines
• Salewa first aid kit
• RGD-5 grenade х2
• additional backpack (MBSS – 4×4 slots)
• SMG Vityaz or HK MP5 + 2 loaded magazines (depending on selected faction)
• 1000 dollars
• Kiver helmet
• Pilad reflex sight
• IFAK first aid kit
• АК74 M1-B Ultimak handguard

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Escape from Tarkov Edge of Darkness limited edition

At a whopping $140, the Edge of Darkness Limited Edition comes with, by far, the most content. In addition to increasing your stash size to a whopping 10×66 cells (660 slots), you also come into the game with “good standing” with in-game traders, a unique in-game ID, and the season pass, which grants access to all future paid DLC. Of course, you’ll get bonus starting items, too:

• Tactical Tomahawk
• tactical rig x2 (depends on selected faction)
• backpack x2 (Tri-Zip – 5×6 cells)
• Unique secure gamma-container (3×3)
• Grach or P226 pistol x4 (depends on selected faction)
• pistol magazines x12
• pistol ammo x180
• Makarov Pistol x3
• pistol magazines x9
• pistol ammo x150
• canned meat x8
• bottled water x6
• AI-2 medkit x9
• bandages x9
• splint x9
• 400k roubles
• AKS74U+2 loaded magazines
• АК74N+2 loaded magazines
• Salewa first aid kit
• RGD-5 grenade х2
• SMG Vityaz or HK MP5 + 2 loaded magazines (depending on selected faction)
• 3000 dollars
• Kiver helmet
• Pilad reflex sight
• IFAK first aid kit
• АК74 M1-B Ultimak handguard
• Grizzly first aid kit
• Alfa tactical rig
• morphine injector х2
• SV98 sniper rifle + 1 loaded magazine
• Silencerco Hybrid 46 silencer
• Silencerco Hybrid 46 silencer adaptor
• pistol case (3×3)
• 6B43 6А body armor
• MPX submachine gun + 2 loaded magazines
• M4 LVOA-S handguard

Warning: this article contains spoilers for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker!

While Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker introduced new aspects of the Force, that’s just the tip of the iceberg. There are a whole host of Force powers that exist within the Star Wars universe able to be used by Sith and Jedi alike, so we’re going to run through all of the currently known Force abilities that are considered canon. These are various Force powers that we’ve seen in the movies, TV shows, comics, and even the canon video games.

You can view this piece by flipping through the slideshow gallery below or keep scrolling to read it as an article.

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