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Month: February 2020
Despite 10 Nominations, Netflix’s The Irishman Gets Shut Out At Oscars
There were a lot of winners at the Oscars, chief among them the Korean film Parasite, which became the first non-English language film to win Best Picture in the history of the ceremony, taking home three other awards in the process. But there was one high-profile project that didn’t get any love from the Academy, among others: Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman.
Its star-studded cast and Scorsese’s reputation as one of cinema’s best living directors led many to lobby for it to win Best Picture, but in the end, the Netflix-produced three-plus hour crime epic didn’t win any Oscars, despite its 10 nominations. That didn’t stop Parasite director Bong Joon-ho from giving Scorsese a shout-out (along with fellow nominee Quentin Tarantino) in his victory speech for Best Director, however.
This is nothing new for Scorsese: he’s been nominated for Best Director 9 times, winning only once, for The Departed, which also won Best Picture. As for The Irishman, it’s in good company–Taxi Driver, arguably Scorsese’s most-acclaimed film, didn’t win any Oscars either. (Raging Bull did, though.)
Over the last few years, critics have lambasted the Academy for not doing enough to celebrate women directors, pointing out that only one woman, Kathryn Bigelow, has won the Best Director award in the entire history of the Oscars. While there are plenty of women directors who could’ve made the cut this year, one name in particular stands out as particularly galling: Greta Gerwig. Her film Little Women was nominated for six different awards, including Best Picture.
CoD: Modern Warfare Season 2 – Here’s What Launches On Tuesday
Season Two of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare begins tomorrow, February 11. The season offers a brand-new battle pass of rewards to earn, modes to play, challenges to complete, and missions to take on. You won’t get everything on launch day though. In the following article, we list all of the new content that will be available in Modern Warfare on day one of Season Two.
The new season launches with two new multiplayer maps (Rust and Atlas Superstore), a new Ground War map (Zhokov Boneyard), and several new Gunfight maps. You’ll also gain access to two new multiplayer modes–Gunfight Tournaments and Call of Duty League Ruleset Playlist–as well as the Ghost operator. Both the GRAU 5.56 and Striker 45 will be added as new weapons too.
That’s all the new content specifically coming tomorrow. The remaining map, two operators, four modes, and weapon will be added to Modern Warfare later in Season Two. You can see a visual representation of the split in the image embedded below.
The return of Rust is the big content drop for Season Two. For those who don’t know, Rust is another remake of a classic Modern Warfare map. Specifically belonging to 2009’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, Rust is modeled off of the Endgame mission from the game’s campaign. It’s a small map, but Rust offers a lot of vertical movement–allowing you to ambush enemies from both above and below.
In GameSpot’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare review, Kallie Plagge wrote, “The pitfalls of Spec Ops don’t detract from what Modern Warfare does well, though. Realism mode is an excellent addition to the slate, and although not all the new multiplayer modes are great, Gunfight and the Night Vision playlist are refreshing standouts. And while the campaign ends up playing it safe in the end, it’s still a memorable one, and it lays a strong foundation for where the Modern Warfare series could go from here.”
Though it’s incredibly obvious–given the annual nature of the franchise–Activision Blizzard has confirmed that a new Call of Duty game is in development and scheduled to release later this year.
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Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare Season 2 Begins Tomorrow, Here’s What It Adds
Another new Call of Duty game is on the way later this year, but in the meantime, a new season of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare is about to kick off very soon. Season 2 of Activision’s hit shooter begins on PS4, Xbox One, and PC tomorrow, February 11, and it’ll bring a new Battle Pass, free maps, modes, and lots of other content over the next few weeks.
First, two new multiplayer maps will be available for all players right from launch day: Rust and Atlas Superstore. The former is a classic battleground originally featured in Modern Warfare 2, while the latter is an entirely new map set in a warehouse. A third new multiplayer map, Khandor Hideout, will also arrive during the season.
On top of that, Season 2 will launch with a new map for both Ground War (Zhokov Boneyard) and Gunfight (Bazaar). Two new multiplayer modes will also be available from the start of the season, including Gunfight Tournaments–a limited-time 2v2 single elimination competition for 32 teams.
Rounding out the launch day content is Ghost, who is being added to Modern Warfare as a playable Operator. Two new free weapons will also be available from the start of the season: the Grau 5.56 and Striker 45.
Developer Infinity Ward will be rolling out even more content during the course of Season 2, including another handful of new modes such as Demolition, Infected Ground War, and NVG Reinforce. This season will also add another two Operators to the mix–Talon and Mace–as well as a new, as-yet-unrevealed weapon. You can read more about Season 2 on Activision’s official website.
As previously mentioned, Season 2 of Modern Warfare will launch alongside a new Battle Pass, which will be split into free and paid tiers. Any near gear that affects the game’s balance–such as the aforementioned Grau 5.56 and Striker 45–will be unlockable through the free tier, while the latter will offer cosmetics, weapon blueprints, XP tokens, and other benefits. Activision is also offering a Battle Pass Bundle, which can be purchased anytime during the season and will grant you 20 Tier skips.
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Two Popular PS4 Controller Colors Are Back For A Limited Time
Over the PS4’s lifespan, dozens of DualShock 4 color combinations have been released, but two of the most popular colors have been out of stock for quite some time: the Sunset Orange and Berry Blue controllers. Initially announced back in August 2018, these limited-edition controllers sold out quickly when they first hit the market, and they’ve been hard to find ever since. Fans who couldn’t get their hands on these controllers at the time are in luck, however, as Sony is restocking these shades for a limited time.
Available only in the US and Canada, the Berry Blue and Sunset Orange controllers are selling at full price ($65 each) while supplies last. The striking Berry Blue controller features a turquoise faceplate along with burgundy buttons, joysticks, and backplate. Meanwhile, the Sunset Orange controller feels like it’s channeling Goku with its bright orange faceplate and navy blue features. You can buy them both from PlayStation Direct, but if you prefer to buy from Amazon, the retailer seems to have gotten some stock as well. The two colors are available for Prime shipping, and they’re shipped from and sold by Amazon.
Of course, you might be wondering if it’s worth it to add another DualShock 4 to your collection with PS5 on the way. Unfortunately, we still don’t know enough about PlayStation’s next-gen console, including whether it will be compatible with the DualShock 4. We do know, however, that the PS5 will be backward-compatible with PS4 games, and the newly released back button attachment may be a way of upgrading the DualShock 4’s functionality for next-gen games. With PS5 releasing this holiday season, we’re sure to get more information on the new PlayStation’s compatibility soon.
DualShock 4 – Berry Blue controller | $65
DualShock 4 – Sunset Orange controller | $65
Of course, there are numerous other colors available for the DualShock 4, and many of them are regularly on sale at this point if you don’t want to shell out $65. Amazon has quite a few DualShock 4 color variations available for less than $50, including the stunning Titanium Blue, Magma Red, and Gold shades.
Classic CoD Map Rust Returns In Modern Warfare Season 2
Along with their announcement that they’re releasing a new Call of Duty this new Call of Duty this year, Activision has revealed the roadmap for Season 2 of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare’s multiplayer, and it includes an old favorite: Rust. Known as one of the smallest maps in the entire Call of Duty franchise, Rust has divided fans since it first debuted back in 2009’s Modern Warfare 2.
Like the infamous Shipment from Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, the compact size of the map means that you’re likely to spawn in the crosshairs of one of your opponents, making for very quick matches. The map is also known for encouraging tactics that some players dislike, like camping and grenade spamming. Still, if you like quick and dirty close-quarters-combat, Rust is the map for you.
Rust will be available at the launch of Season 2 on February 11, and it’s free to those who already own Modern Warfare. It also includes new maps and a Battle Pass. Not everything will be available on day one, but there is plenty of content hitting on Tuesday.
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Here’s How Much Sony Paid For Spider-Man PS4 Dev
When Sony purchased Spider-Man developer Insomniac Games, it seemed like a natural fit for a studio that had long worked closely with PlayStation on exclusives. Recent financial disclosures show just how much Sony paid for the developer.
Niko Partners analyst Daniel Ahmad noted on Twitter that according to recent SEC filings, Sony paid roughly $229 million, mostly in cash, when the deal closed in November. The sale was first announced in August.
Spider-Man was a huge success for both Insomniac and Sony, breaking first-party sales records that had been set by God of War. The relationship seemed mutual, as Sony games chairman Shawn Layden said the studio was a perfect fit, and Insomniac called it a “homecoming.”
Insomniac had worked mostly on PlayStation exclusives since its founding in 1994, and was known for mascot-driven platformers like Spyro the Dragon and Ratchet & Clank. Though it worked on a handful of iOS and multiplatform games, and the Xbox One exclusive Sunset Overdrive, Spider-Man was a return to PlayStation exclusivity, as Sony owns the game rights to the character.
The iconic character design with a white spider logo has become referenced in other fiction as part of the multi-verse, and even immortalized with collectibles. Sony has also regularly used the game to illustrate the faster load times on the upcoming PS5. For more details, read our feature on how Marvel’s Spider-Man came together.
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Amazon’s Huge B2G1 Free Sale Returns With New PS4, Xbox One Game Deals
There’s a buy two, get one free sale at Target this week, which means there’s also a buy two, get one free sale at Amazon. Amazon always matches Target’s sales nowadays, and this particular B2G1 free promotion is a mix-and-match sale across games, movies, board games, and books.
Starting with games, Amazon’s sale includes a nice selection of some of the most popular games of 2019, including Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice ($45), Death Stranding ($49.30), and Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order ($50). Interestingly, Death Stranding’s $200 collector’s edition is featured in the sale, but you’d have to find some expensive products to pair it with to make the deal worthwhile.
Amazon’s selection of games is far more limited than Target’s, but this fact is slightly deceiving. Some of the games in Target’s sale, such as Borderlands 3 and NBA 2K20, aren’t featured in Amazon’s sale. But Target has those games and others listed for their full $60 price, while Amazon has them for 50% off or more. Essentially, before you shop Target’s sale, make sure you can’t find what you want for less at Amazon.
The movie deals are even better. The recently-released Doctor Sleep, one of my favorite movies of 2019, and Oscar winner Joker are up for grabs on Blu-ray–Joker is even discounted to $15, too. The biggest movie of last year, Avengers: Endgame, is also featured in the promotion. Anime fans can grab Studio Ghibli films like Spirited Away and Princess Mononoke as well as The Legend of Korra: Complete Series. If you liked Parasite, you should check out Snowpiercer, one of director Bong Joon-ho’s earlier movies, which is also discounted to the incredibly low price of $6.46.
A bunch of great graphic novels and art books are included as well. Alan Moore’s seminal graphic novel Watchmen is joined by other classics like The Dark Knight Returns Slipcase Set and The Complete Maus. Three of the wonderful Zelda art books–Hyrule Historia, The Legend of Zelda Encyclopedia, and Breath of the Wild: Creating a Champion–are available, too.
Additionally, a handful of great board and card games like Cards Against Humanity, Ticket to Ride, and Disney’s wonderful 2018 game Villainous are featured.
As it’s a mix-and-match sale, you can pick three items across any category and get the cheapest item free. You can browse the full B2G1 free sale at Amazon and check out our favorite deals below. Amazon doesn’t list an end date for the sale, but expect it to run until Target’s sale ends on February 15. Keep in mind the following prices may differ from what’s indicated below due to how often pricing fluctuates at Amazon.
Video games
Blu-rays and DVDs
Graphic novels and art books
Board and card games
Sex Education Renewed For Season 3
Netflix has renewed Sex Education for a third season.
The British comedy drama, starring Gillian Anderson, Asa Butterfield, Emma Mackey, and Ncuti Gatwa, deals with the intertwined lives of several high school students. The first season saw Butterfield’s character, Otis, sneakily set up a sex clinic at school, providing advice he learns via his mother (Anderson) who works as a sex therapist. Season 2 evolved the show into a more character-led story, largely abandoning the ‘case of the week’ style. Season 3 looks likely to continue that trend.
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Netflix’s short renewal announcement states that the season goes into production this year. No release date has been set, but both season 1 and 2 aired in January in 2019 and 2020 respectively.
Our review of Sex Education Season 2 said the show “stands tall with bright characters, fun performances, and an unequaled candidness about sex.” Naturally, we’re more than happy to see a third season.
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Matt Purslow is IGN’s UK News and Entertainment Writer. You can follow him on Twitter.
WrestleMania Officially Set to Return to Los Angeles in 2021
WWE has confirmed that WrestleMania 37 will be hosted at the SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles in March 2021.
In an official announcement on Monday, the WWE network revealed that the major sports-entertainment event would be heading to Inglewood, California on Sunday, March 28, 2021.
Lights.
Camera.
ACTION! #WrestleMania 37 is going Hollywood! See you next year, @SoFiStadium. https://t.co/65Lt2PZoiu— WWE WrestleMania (@WrestleMania) February 10, 2020
“On behalf of everyone at WWE, we are excited to bring WrestleMania back to Los Angeles,” said Vince McMahon, WWE Chairman & CEO. “WrestleMania will set the bar for future sports and entertainment events held at SoFi Stadium as we add this facility to the list of iconic venues that have hosted our pop-culture extravaganza.”
In addition to WrestleMania 37, the weeklong celebration will include Friday Night SmackDown, NXT TakeOver and Monday Night Raw at Staples Center, WrestleMania Axxess, as well as the annual WWE Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony.
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Scheduled to open in July 2020, the state-of-the-art SoFi Stadium will also host the Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers for the 2020 NFL season, the Super Bowl LVI in February 2022 and the College Football Playoff National Championship in January 2023.
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Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.